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Proclamation for the suppression of Vice; and also, as if the laws were insufficient for keeping the common people in order, the erection of self-created societies for the purpose? And, will they not now ask of those pious societies, why, when they were pursuing the poor whores with their day-light lanthorns, they never thought of a lanthorn for Gloucester Place? These godly gentlemen, no small part of whom, by-the-bye, derive their incomes from the public purse, appear to have eyes so constructed as to see vice only when she is accompanied with poverty. They fish with a net that will hold nothing but the small fry.

patent lamps, suspended from a beauti- "followed. "The Queen and Princes"ful eagle. The dining room in the right "ses."-"The Duke of York and the "wing was fitted up in a modern style, Army:" His Royal Highness's band "with new elegant lamps at the different "then struck up his celebrated_march." "entrances. The pleasure ground was This article was contained in the disposed for the occasion, and the ser- Courier news-paper of the 3rd of August, "vants had new liveries. In the morning 1806; and, as the people will have ob"the Dukes of York's and Kent's bands ar- served, many such articles have appeared "rived in caravans; after dressing them- since, while not one of them has been "selves and dining, they went into the contradicted. Now, if there was any truth pleasure grounds, and played alternately in such statements, would not wise and "some charming pieces. The Duke of upright counsellors have advised the king "Kent's played some of the choruses and to put a stop to the grounds of such state"movements from Haydn's Oratorio of ments? Must not the people, upon read"the CREATION, arranged, by commanding such accounts, call to mind the king's "of his Royal Highness, for a band of wind "instruments. About five o'clock the "Prince of Wales, the Dukes of York, "Kent, Sussex, and Cambridge, Colonel Paget, &c. arrived, from reviewing THE "GERMAN LEGION. After they had <dressed for dinner, they walked in the pleasure grounds, accompanied by the "Lord Chancellor, Earl and Countess of "Athlone and daughter, Lord Leicester, "Baron Hotham and Lady, Baron Eden, "the Attorney General, Colonels Paget "and M'Mahon, Serjeant Marshall, and a number of other persons. At seven "o'clock the second bell announced the “dinner, when THE PRINCE took MRS. "JORDAN by the hand, led her into the din"ing room, and seated her at the head of the "table. The Prince took his seat at her right hand, and the Duke of York at her left; the Duke of Cambridge sat next to "the Prince, the Duke of Kent next to "the Duke of York, and the Lord Chan"cellor next to his Royal Highness. The " DUKE OF CLARENCE sat at the foot of "the table.—It is hardly necessary to say "the table was sumptuously covered with "every thing the season could afford. "The bands played on the lawn, close to "the dining-room window. The populace "were permitted to enter the pleasure "grounds to behold the Royal Banquet, "while the presence of Messrs. Towns"hend, Sayers, and Macmanus, preserved "the most correct decorum. The Duke's "NUMEROUS FAMILY were introduced, "and admired by the Prince, the Royal "Dukes, and the whole company; an in"fant in arms, with a most beautiful white "head of hair, was brought into the dining"room by the nursery maid. After dinner the Prince gave The Duke of Clarence," "which was drank with three times "three. The Duke gave "The King,' "which was drank in a similar manner. "A discharge of cannon from the lawn

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-There is one of MRS. JORDAN's sons in the navy, and another in the army. The latter has been described to me as a very little boy. A gentleman, who saw him in Spain, described him as not being much bigger than a son of mine who is only about ten years of age. He must, however, be older, and, it is probable, that he is fourteen years of age, or more. But, then, observe, he is a cornet in the tenth Regiment of Lt. Dragoons, of which the Prince of Wales is Colonel; that he is even the second cornet upon the list; and that, according to the army-list now before me, he is senior to four other cornets. When in Spain, he was an aidde-camp, and, a gentleman who frequently had occasion to see the quarters of the dragoons, saw his name upon a door, signifying that the apartment was his, a mark of distinction not used by common subaltern officers. Yet, this person could, by those subalterns, and by the officers in general, be looked upon as no other than the son of MRS. JORDAN; than the son of a playactress; than the son of a person, whom, but a day or two, perhaps, before their departure from England, several of those officers had seen, in the character of NELL JOBSON, pawing Bannister's dirty face. -Aye, Mr, Yorke, say what you like,

are not as our forefathers were, these venal wretches do not attempt to deny the fact, but fall to giving us a description of the state of the people in France; and look upon their triumph as being complete, when they have asserted, that it is possible for us to be worse off than we are; that there is one nation in the world who have less liberty than we. When we complain of the weight of the taxes, the answer is, that Buonaparté would take all; and, in short, the tenor of the whole of the writings of these venal scribes is, to silence our complaints by saying, that we must submit to any thing, no matter what, or that Buonaparté shall come and put chains round our legs and necks.And is it reasoning like this, or rather, these impudent and insulting assertions, that will induce us cheerfully to give up the necessaries of life, and shed our blood in the country's defence? "The country," says Burke, in the passage above quoted from; "The country, to be saved, must have "warm advocates and passionate defenders,

these, these are the things that create discontent and disgust; these are the things that gall; these are the things that sting the soul; and sting they will in spite of all that can be said or preached about jacobinical conspiracies. Oh, Sir! We, surely, are not all jacobins; we, surely, are not all conspirators; but, with the exception of those, who participate in corruptions, like those that have come to light, we all feel alike with respect to these things. No, Sir, the "illustrious House of Brunswick" is in no danger from conspiracies amongst the people, or any part of the people. Writers and talkers have no power to hurt any thing established, any thing settled by law, and defended by all the constables and judges and an army to boot, unless that establishment undermine itself. "Philosophy," Sir Francis Burdett observed, in one of his early speeches, in answer to those who ascribed the fall of the old French government to the writings of an anti-christian philosophical conspiracy; "Philosophy has no such trophies to boast; "the trophies are due solely to the corrup-" which heavy discontented acquiescence "tion and profligacy of those, who have "fallen a sacrifice to the vengeance of a "people at first discontented, next indig"nant, next enraged, and at last, enfuriated, "urged on by a mad and indiscriminating "spirit of revenge." From such a catastrophe, Sir, God preserve the Royal Family of England! But, Sir, let no part of that family disregard the feelings of the people. Let them bear in mind the words of Burke: "What a base and foolish thing it is for "any consolidated body of authority to say, or to act as if it said: "I will put my trust, not in mine own virtue, but in "your patience; I will indulge in effeminacy, in indolence, in corruption; I will "give way to all my perverse and vicious "humours; because you cannot punish me "without ruining yourselves." These words, written in letters to be read at half a mile distance, should be seen upon the top of every public edifice. They should be imprinted on the hearts of princes, and of all persons in authority. Yet, in direct contradiction to the wise precept contained in them, we are continually asked, by the venal writers of the day: " how," if we dislike this or that, of which we complain; "how we should like Buonaparté and his government?" Just as if it were necessary for us to have the one or the other; just as if we had no choice but that between Buonaparté and Mrs. Clarke! Of all the insults, which we have had to bear, this is the greatest. When we complain, that we

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"never can produce." If this proposition did not carry in itself the evidence of its truth, that truth would now, one would think, have been forced by experience, the teacher even of fools, upon every mind. The map of Europe laid before us, where is the spot, which does not afford an awful lesson to those, who are still disposed" to put their trust in the patience of the people? " who are still disposed to say, or to act as if they said,"

we will give way to all our perverse and " vicious humours, because you cannot punish "us without the hazard of ruining your"selves?" On how many a spot will that map enable us to lay our fingers, where the people, whose patience had been exhausted, who had long been yielding " a heavy and discontented acquiescence," have been disposed to punish, aye, and have punished, their rulers at all hazards, and that too, without appearing to care whether or not their own ruin would be the consequence! With these lessons before them, what must we think of those whose language tends to encourage such of the great as indulge in their vicious humours; instead of warning them of their danger? These are the real enemies of the king's family and government; these are the real enemies of "the illustrious house of Brunswick;" these, who, when they should speak wholesome truths to them, pour in their ears the poison of flattery; these, who, when they should recommend to

of the people. Thus has it uniformly been in all the struggles between a government and a people; and I most anxiously hope, that, by turning the minds of all considerate men to thoughts on a radical and timely reform here, I may contribute in some small degree, towards the salvation of our once happy and still beloved country.

Botley, Wednesday, 15th Feb. 1809.

them conciliating language and conduct, urge them on to reproachful words and vindictive deeds; these, who, when they should show their gratitude for the timely, the gentle, the humble, admonitions of the press, fall to loading it with accusations, and turn against it every shaft in the quiver of the law.What would have been the course of wise counsellors, even at the late hour, when Mr. Wardle preferred the accusations? They would have begged him to stay his public proceed- Debate of the 27th January, concluded from ings; they would have verified the truth page 203. with his assistance; they would then have He surely must be aware, that having undermade, in a message from the king himself, taken the responsible task of submitting to a candid statement, to the parliament and a British House of Commons such a serious the people, of the whole of the circumstan- accusation, that whatever may be the isces, however painful to state; and then, sue of its deliberation; in whatever view as coming from the king, they would have the House shall consider the transactions proposed, and at once adopted; such mea- which he has disclosed, whether they be sures, as to the past as well as the future, refuted or substantiated, infamy must atas would have drawn from the people an tach somewhere—either upon the accused unanimous exclamation of "this is just." or the accuser.-From the system which has How different would the effect of this been deliberately pursued for some time course have been from the effect of the past, by the enemies of h. r. h. the Comcourse which has been pursued? How mander in Chief, he had to congratulate very different with respect to the whole of that illustrious personage, and at the same the government and the establishments of time to thank the hon. mover, for the opthe kingdom, and especially with respect portunity of canvassing the subject upon to the person and family of the king? All charges preferred in a tangible shape. that would then have been gained, would, Whatever result may ensue from such acby this nation, never wanting in forgive-cusations, it was not to be denied, that that ness or in gratitude, have been received as royal personage had been subjected to the a boon; all that is now gained will be look-systematic calumnies of a set of unprincipled ed upon as extorted. In the former case, libellers; that in their vile and malignant the candour of the proceeding would have publications he had been treated with a excited confidence for the future, and brutality of insult which almost made good would even have called forth all the mild-men hesitate in deciding, whether the value of er feelings in mitigation of the past; now, a free discussion was not considerably deprelet the result be what it will, suspicion will ciated by the evils of its unbridled licentiouslie brooding at bottom, and, in its own justi-ness. For the last six months scarce a day fication, will still preserve the past in all elapsed without some fresh attack upon its hideous and hateful colours. This is his honour and his feelings. There was a consulting human nature; but, when did co-operation of cowardice with falsehood, ministers and courtiers consult human na- which far exceeded the calumnious proture, or any thing else but their own pas-fligacy of other times. A cowardice too sions, or their own immediate interests? of the basest kind, participating of the All the old governments of the continent most depraved and odious qualities, dehave clung to their corruptions, till their serving of that execration which the best hold has been cut, till it has been hacked feelings of humanity would pronounce on off. They have never begun to reform the base assailant of female weakness, betill it was too late; never till compelled, and cause to direct unfounded attacks against who is there that feels grateful for a com- those in high authority, was nearly similar pulsory compliance? Such a compliance to an attack on an undefended woman. never produces reconciliation: one party was therefore, as sincerely interested in hates and the other suspects: the feelings the honour and reputation of his royal only change bosoms: it is merely a sus-highness, that he rejoiced to find that this pension of open hostilities: the contest is question had taken a distinct shape, and soon again renewed; and the final conse- that in the due and proper place, the pequence is sure to be the destruction of the go- riod for inculpation, and he was sure of vernment, or the complete absolute slavery exculpation, had arrived (hear! hear) !. It

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Lord CASTLEREAGH supported the opinion, that such a CONSPIRACY did exist, with the determined object of running down the characters of the princes of the blood, and through them to destroy the monarchical branch of the constitution. Hav

open force, they now proceeded to sap and undermine it by the diffusion of seditious libels, converting the noble attributes of a free press to the most dangerous and detestable purposes. H. r. h. the Commander in Chief was the principal object of their rancorous invective. To his prejudice facts were falsified, and motives attributed to him of which his very nature was incapable. As to the observation of the hon. gent. that the crown lawyers had not done their duty in not prosecuting libellers, he had only to say, that it was not al

a very small portion of legal knowledge united with some ingenuity, would be sufficient to defeat a prosecution. When forbearance was stretched to its utmost point, and prosecutions were commenced, the base libellers were found to have absconded. Scarce had the calumny of one of them proceeded from the press, when the calumniator was found to have withdrawn himself to America (hear! hear!). The motion of that night put the duke of York

was for parliament to give the subject the fullest inquiry, but he trusted that the hon. mover would in the first instance, without any subsequent restriction, direct his proofs to the specific objects on which his charges of that night were founded. Mr. WHITBREAD concurred heartilying failed in the attempt to injure it by in the recommendation of the Chancellor of the Exchequer for the most public inquiry. It was due to the elevated rank of the illustrious personage accused, and to the great interests of the country, which were so implicated in the issue. The right hon. Secretary had assumed as a fact, that such a conspiracy as he described, existed, and upon that assumption he rested all his arguments. If such a conspiracy did exist, every man must lament, that such a character, elevated in rank and influence, should be exposed to unmerited calumny.-Still it was to be pre-ways easy to convict upon an obvious libel, as sumed and hoped, that a prince of the house of Hanover would prefer even suffering under such attacks, rather than risque the liberty of that Press to which that family and the British empire owed so much. But why was this brutality of insult so long suffered to continue? Were the Attorney and Solicitor Generals asleep, and the other law officers of the crown asleep? How came it that they neglected their duty? He was ready to give them credit that the omission was not intention--and the public in a new situation. It gave al. (A laugh.) There was one point in the speech of the right hon. Secretary from which he must dissent. It was assumed by him, that if the result should, as he trusted, acquit his royal highness, his hon. friend would be infamous for preferring the accusation. Such doctrine was not supported either by the spirit or usage of the constitution. If there were justifiable grounds for his charge, or if information of a strong kind was laid before him, it was his bounden duty, as an honest public servant, to act upon it in that house. In compliance with that sense of duty, his hon. friend did submit the subject to the House, and whatever might be the issue, he was convinced that not a particle of dishonour could attach to him (Mr. Wardle). There was one strong reason that it should go to a Committee of the House, which weighed particularly with himnamely, that it would be impossible to select any set of names that would satisfy this herd of libellers and calumniators, of which such mention had been made by the right hon. Secretary.

the subject a distinct turn, and he knew that that elevated personage would deprecate any proceeding that did not rest upon steps taken in the face of day.

After a few observations from Mr. Wardle, it was resolved that the House should on Wednesday next resolve itself into that Committee.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER then proposed, that the hon. gentleman should give in a list of the names of those witnesses he intended to call to substantiate his charge, that such persons might be summoned to attend at the bar of the House on Wednesday next.

Mr. WARDLE (after having gone to the table to make out his list of witnesses, returned to his scat) and said that he thought it would be attended with no inconvenience to defer mentioning the witnesses till Tuesday, when he should come down to the House prepared to furnish the House with the first part of the case he should proceed to prove, and a list of the witnesses whom it might be necessary to examine relative to that first charge.

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