COBBETT'S WEEKLY POLITICAL REGISTER. VOL. XVII. No. 11.] LONDON, SATURDAY, MARCH 17, 1810. [Price 15. There is a sinecure place, which is, at present, he'd by the EARL OF BUCKINGHAMSHIRE (late Lord Hobart), which place is worth £.11,094, or, in words, eleven thousand and ninety-four pounds, a year. The reversion of this enormous salary, that is to say, the possession of it after the present possessor's death, has been obtained and secured by LORD HARDWICKE, not only for himself during his life, but, beyond that, for the lives of his two sons; and, this Lord Hardwicke is, as the reader will recollect, a brother of MR. CHARLES YORKE. MR. CHARLES YORKE, of whom the public has, within the last twelve months, beard so much; that Mr. Charles Yorke, who, upon Mr. Wardle's opening of the Charges against onr late Chieftain, solemnly declared his belief that there was a Jacobinical Conspiracy on foot against the illustrious House of Brunswick; that Mr. Charles Yorke, who, from the moment the Walcheren Inquiry began, moved the Standing Order for shutting the Debate Reporters out of the Gallery; that Mr. Charies Yorke, who, when a motion was male for Inquiry, which motion was opposed by the minister, declared that he thought it his duty to stand by the minister, because the minister had resolved to stand by the king; aye, that very Mr. Charles Yorke, has, within this week, received through the hands of that same minister, a grant, for life, of a sinecure place, (or place where nothing is to be done) called a Tellership of the Exchequer, worth £. 2,700 a year; that is to say, he has thus secured, for his whole lifetime, two thousand seven hundred pounds a year to be paid to him out of the taxes, raised upon the people of England. 885] "Off! Off! No mock Loyalty! No Cant !" [386 gether with such observations as have occurred to me thereon, and as I am led to hope may be of some little use in further SUMMARY OF POLITICS. CAMBRIDGESHIRE Election.—In mying the great work of effecting a legal and last Number, at the close of a Letter to the constitutional reform of that House, who, Freeholders of the County of Cambridge, I last year, rejected Ma. MADOCK3's motion expressed my intention of addressing ano- for an inquiry into the sale of seats; that ther Letter to them, upon the same sub- House, who, this year, have voted away ject; but, I am happy to perceive, that 2,000l. a year of our money for three they neither want nor wanted, any Letter generations to the man who left his sick from me, or from any body else, to in- and wounded to the mercy of the enemy, duce them to act a part worthy of uncor- upon the very spot whence he takes his rupted Englishmen; Englishmen having title of Viscount; that House, who, while still a proper sense of what is due to them we are actually sinking under our burdens, from their rulers. The reception, which have just voted nearly a million of money Mk. Charles YoRKE, that constant sup- for the purpose of taking 30,000 Portuporter of every measure hostile to the guese troops into our pay; that House, public purse, and to public freedom; the who, while it has, this Session, reduced reception which this gentleman met with the numbers of our native army, has augat Cambridge, at the Nomination, on Tues-mented the German army, now maintained day last, the 13th instant, is, however, of great importance, in many points of view, that a particular account of it demands, in my opinion, the precedence of all other matters, with the sole exception of that, to which I shall, in the latter part of this Number, have to call the public attention. -In my next, which will be a double number, I shall insert all the speeches, at full length, made upon this memorable occasion. What I shall now offer to the reader will be merely an account of what passed, upon the occasion referred to, to in this kingdom; that House, in short, Well, then why not bring proposed Mr. Yorke and was seconded by | This was the first salute he received, not a MAJOR PEMBERTON. These are men who from a rabble, as he would have called the may be known in their neighbourhoods; people in Westminster, but from the very but, they are utterly unknown in the na- persons who had sent him to parliament: tion; while, on the other side, we see LORD these very persons saluted him with a reFRANCIS OSBORNE proposed by the MAR- petition of that for having uttered which QUIS OF TAVISTOCK, seconded by MR. he had caused Mr. GALE JONES to be sent BRAND, men who are well known to the to Newgate. What a rich thing it would whole nation, and to receive praise from be, if he were, after getting in again, whom is, of itself, no small honour.- through the stinking channel of some rotMr. Yorke seems to have been surprized ten borough, to move for the sending of at the thunder of indignation, with which his old constituents to Newgate! And, he was received by those who had sent why not! They told him, not only of his him to parliament for 20 years past; and shutting the Gallery, but of many other he complained grievously of the being re- of his parliamentary feats, many other his fused a hearing--Oh! then it was that despotic acts and attempts, such as movhe might have been reminded, that Mr. ing for the imprisonment of MRS. CLARKE, GALE JONES was, upon his motion, sent to during the investigation about the Duke Newgate, without any trial, there to be kept of York. during the pleasure of those who sent him up his old constituents, and put them in and then it was that he might have been jail too? What right had the House to reminded, too, that he was one of the for- put Mr. Jones in jail, any more than wardest in supporting Pitt in the measure they would have to put the Freeholders for suspending the Act of Habeas Corpus, of Cambridgeshire in jail? This, byin consequence of which suspension, so the-bye, is a question that must not be many persons were sent to prison, and there dropped. The House has negatived Sir kept, for years, without any trial, without FRANCIS BURDETT'S motion, and some of any crime alledged against them in any court them have declared, that they have the of justice, and when finally let out of pri- right of committing people to jail, who do son (those who lived to be let out), without not belong to their own body; but, this being able to obtain any redress. While the is a point which is yet to be discussed. It air was ringing with shouts of indignation is yet to be settled, and made known to at the very sight of him, and when, in a the world, whether there does really exist, few hours after, he intimated his intention in England, any man, or any set of men, of declining the contest ; in those moments having the legal right of sending whom of humiliation he must, one would suppose, they please to prison, without a trial, and have reflected a little upon his past manly keeping persons, so sent to prison, in priconduct, and upon the sufferings of Mr. son during the pleasure of the party exerGALE JONES, who, upon his motion, had cising such power. Yes, sure; we will been sent to Newgate (where he then was, endeavour to ascertain this point; we will and where he still is) for having called Mr. endeavour to know, whether there be, in Yorke's conduct, in shutting the Gallery, England, any body who can, at any time, an outrage upon public feeling," and having seize any of us and put us into jail, and advertised his intention of having a dis- keep us there, during their pleasure. We cussion thereon. For this was Mr. Gale will find out, and we will, before we boast Jones, without any trial, and by the sole any more about our liberties, fix the point, power of the offended party, sent to jail; whether our representatives" have the and, upon this point, as well as others," privilege" of laying any of us by the did the Freeholders of Cambridgeshire heels, whenever they choose, and of keepexpress their opinion. Mr. Gale Jones ing us so laid by the heels as long as they proposed to discuss the conduct of Mr. choose. I, for my part, never yet did Yorke, in causing the Gallery to be shut, vote for any member of that honourable and Mr. Yorke caused him to be put into House, in which Mr. Madocks's motion jail for such proposition; but, the first was negatived; and, I am sure I never greeting he got from the Freeholders of will; I am quite sure that I never will. Cambridgeshire, from those who sent him vote for any one; yes, I am quite sure, into the House of Commons, was, "Off, that I never will help to choose any man "off, clear the Gallery! Is it again to clear to represent me, unless he will first promise "the Gallery that we are to re-elect you?" me never to bring me before him and lay * me by the heels. Mr. Jones seems, from | tration, by whom the pressure of taxation his excellent Letter, to be resolved to has been increasing, until it is almost inbring this matter fairly and legally to tolerable;-that he has supported those, issue, and, in so doing, he will confer a under whom hordes of Foreign Troops have great benefit upon the country. In re- been introduced into this country, in defiturning to the Cambridgeshire election, it anee of every constitutional provision, and is not the mere circumstance of driving to the hazard of our rights and secuaway Mr. Yorke so much as the principles, rity;-that, upon a late inquiry, he reupon which it was done, that is of import- vived the old exploded cry of Jacobinical ance to the public. He was not opposed Conspiracy, with a view to prevent the upon the old stale ground of party. It was adoption of the honest and unpreju not by a body of people, brought forward diced opinion, which the nature of the by great political leaders, that he was charges against the Duke of York was hooted off. It was by the real freeholders calculated to produce ;--that he has of a county, moved by principle and not by recently endeavoured by enforcing the Standthe weight of what is usually called interest. ing Order, to deprive the people of the -The speeches of the Marquis of TAVI- slender and melancholy consolation of STOCK, Mr. GUNNING, Mr. BRAND, and the knowing who were the authors of their caREV. MR. BROWN, most ably and clearly lamities;-in short, said the Marquis state the grounds, upon which Mr. Yorke of Tavistock, such have been the politiwas driven away: namely, That he has cal acts of Mr. Yorke, that, " if the people been an uniform Supporter of an Adminis- "were fully and fairly represented in parlia"ment, he might go from county to "county, from town to town, and would SIR; I request permission to offer the "not get a single elective body to confide tribute of my unfeigned thanks for your "in him."- MR. GUNNING, whose most able, legal, consitutional, unanswer- speech was not inferior to that of the Marable, and unanswered defence of the Rights quis of Tavistock, charged Mr. Yorke with and Liberties of the People, which you having, from the first to the last moment are of opinion, have been violated in my of his career, been the advocate of every person. So strongly fortified is my oppressive act, and the enemy of every atmind, by the authority of your judg-tempt to restore the blessings of the constitument so fully assured am I that no Englishman can sustain any wrong, without having some remedy, that I am firmly convinced the House of Commons never had, nor could have, the privilege of exercising the power of passing a sentence of imprisonment upon any person, not a member of its own body, whilst the common law, Magna Charta, the Petition of Right, the Bill of Rights, the Act of Habeas Corpus, and the Act of Settlement, are the unrepealed laws of the land. Therefore I will never so far degrade my character, as humbly to petition for my liberty, which I boldly claim as my right. * To Sir Francis Burdett, Bart. "Forgiveness to the injur'd doth belong, They never can forgive, who do the wrong." Nor will I," from a slavish fear, or private policy" compromise the Liberty of my fellow-subjects, by allowing a precedent to be drawn from my acquiescence, which, though it may relieve my weakly frame from a prison, must plant a sting for ever in my mind.-I have the honour to be, Sir, with the highest respect, your most humble servant, JOHN GALE JONES. State Side of Newgate, March 13, 1810. tion;with having supported every measure for increasing the burdens and di minishing the liberties of the people;→→ with having been amongst the foremost in supporting the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act, and for inflicting torture in Ireland;with having advised and jus tified the ignominious Treaty of Amiens, though he hd denounced as traitors and jacobins all those who had, for years before, hinted at the necessity of peace between this country and France;-- with his having attributed MR. WAROLE'S charges to a Jacobinical Conspiracy against the House of Brunswick, though the investigation brought to light acts exceeding all others in grossness of corruption, in barefacedness of profligacy, in degradation of manners, though venality was proved in every department of the state, though the church was found not free from its baleful influence, though even its most dignified preferments were attempted to be procured through the intervention of a strumpet, yet this conscientious and uniform patriot could conceive no danger but from a conspiracy of the press;-with having proposed to have Mrs. Clarke, a wit " it. With respect to charging the Press "of London, with being engaged in a Conspiracy, he avowed the charge, and "would say, that it still exists. He complained that every thing he said in the "House of Commons was misrepresented; "and could appeal to Mr. Brand, and "to the Marquis of Tavistock, whether at "this moment, there existed not a conspiracy among them not to report the speeches of Mr. Tierney and Mr. "Windham.-[A laugh!]-He believed "that there was now a conspiracy to "misrepresent or suppress all that was "said by persons who were not favour"ites of the London Editors. That a "great conspiracy did exist against the "Duke of York was, as he thought, suffi"ciently proved by the Jury, who, in the ac"tion against Mr. Wardle, in which Mr. 66 Glenie and Major Dodd were impli"cated, conceived that there was a conspiracy to run down the Duke, and in this " conspiracy he conceived the London Press "a party.Much had been said upon ness at the bar of the House, imprisoned, "to connect himself, as he had done, with during an adjournment;with having," a woman of such notorious character as upon all occasions, been the steady assist- "Mrs. Clarke. If that question had come ant of every minister, in doing whatever "on before the other, he should have voted for was inimical to the rights and liberties of Englishmen ;——And, can you, said Mr. Gunning, "suppose that he made" "himself thus active, and thus obnoxious, "without any view to personal advantage? "Indeed, it is much more probable, that " he has since delivered in his bill of work "done for the ministry."MR. BRAND accused him of having been constantly a supporter of those, who were ever endeavouring to excite one part of the people" against the other; to propagate suspicions of disaffection and of treason, to set Englishman against Englishman, and this was, he said, a permanent unvarying part of their policy.--The REV. GEORGE BROWN exhorted the meeting to prove to the country their sense of patriotism and public spirit by rejecting with marked dis"regard' their late Member Mr. Yorke. "He had, forsooth, complained of the misrepresentation of his speeches; could "he say that his votes were misrepresented? "When did he ever vote in favour of "constitutional freedom?-or, what was "the measure which went to infringe" the Standing Order of the House of Comthat freedom that had not his support? mons. It was not merely intended that "Was he not the principal actor in up- "because the Gallery was sometimes open "holding an incapable, profligate, and "to strangers, that therefore the people of " contemptible Administration; men who England had a right to be present at "came into office upon the diabolical war- "every discussion of their Representa"whoop of religious dissensions, and who "tives; in such case, in place of St. Ste" have shown their attachment to the sa- "phen's Chapel, Parliament should be "cred precepts of religion, by an open vio- "assembled upon Salisbury Plain. The "lation of the laws of God and Man ?"- "Gallery of the House of Commons did The MARQUIS OF TAVISTOCK, at the close "not hold above 150 persons, and was of the debate, said, that Mr. Yorke was generally filled with Reporters, Editors, now the hired advocate of Ministers, and had" and Proprietors of the London Newspareceived his retaining fee.Well; what" pers. The Order of the House, which had he to say, in answer to all these "he had enforced, was settled shortly charges? I will, even here, give the whole "after the Revolution, by those great of his speech, as I find it reported amongst "men whose conduct it would be always the others, as far as it relates to any thing" his pride to imitate.-His object in enbut mere county matters, and even that part shall be inserted in my next. "He denied that he had ever brought for"ward the Cavalry Bill alluded to, or that say, the wilful misrepresentations given of "he was a Member of the Cabinet at the the proceedings of the House of Commons. "conclusion of the Treaty of Amiens. "He wished also to be considered as by "As to the charges against the Duke of" no means hostile to an inquiry into the "York, although he thought in his con- "late Expeditions, though he opposed "science that the Duke was not guilty of" motions which were substantially a con corruption or criminal connivance, yet, "that from the high rank he held in the "State, and the example he was bound to shew, that it was very improper for him " 66 forcing that Order at the present was to "guard against the gross misrepresenta"tions, the gross mistakes, and he would "demnation before inquiry. It was not "necessary for him to enter into any de"fence of his general conduct. [“ No indeed "'] He had ever been the active done which, those gentlemen have received, and will continue to receive, the heart-felt thanks of every honest man in this kingdom. Conspiracy, indeed! Was " opposer nie, and Mr. Dodd, that induced the Duke |