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S P E E C Ii Os Sir Nrands Eurdctt, in the V us? $! \ Corn rims, April j *?, on the motion for on enquiry into the conv.uSl of Ivlr. Pi / / ’.r Atiininifiraii'.n . Sir Francis Burdert now refe to bring forward bis promised irolion for ar enquiry nro die conduct of die la r e ad■ r• *nillr&tion, and !’: oke in IV dance nearly as io : ’ows : \ <d r , the'irn.e kat length arrived, when 1 viiwr of de cony (lure and uncertainty, we ir.ay he w-bled to form a Nil climate <• the profefT:e~s, principle and conduct of thole r es who have for many years pad, exwened and e urj-vver of Government in fins country, up v > } frppofe, we rpay be per r rod to j , ,k' j <’> the r anon>;l accounts of blood and tic; hire", ar.'l fi.cw tothf nation ?.t UrsjC what Pjc her-n iv*r t-ived by this country, in return f* r 1 1 ,r (ho-v isl cxpefKiitv*ie of bob'. It is ik w o|r ('t !v ro'wdte a retrospect tfr fire con - ', th df of It w (. rs. ancl of the various and va- f v’po <d jj. CiS pieteiidcd bv ruern lor engag ing v. ,i:f the late war, and after*arc's lor con t'.Apr.:- t!ie co, mil. Put above all it fs our t i tv ic fix our attention to die v.riy m arena i and nub mevous alterations, v. u.k n. by then f V H j.rf-4 ion and inncence, have been made on t ur laws, and on the rnar i Guiana rronuroits aP sos y r< rPHon or * !ro-e m m live is on ihr free coilitiiiion oi the country ; and on the I •'i c am. i ooep war. whiCti te\ 1 *avc c*r riC-ci on ■g-’> *r the n us, toe property, the pri-cc and the demaluc iccur-ity of the peo ple, T I’] rah: n z 11. i s r- trof; eel. vv b, tr. h T 1 h x '• pvc ; ole, the origin of the v a?, io ret tatedly i 1 1fo• iJp c d w.rh*n the’ j \v.i!.s a no, Htuia ted \ Pl,out, v.i1.1 naturally laefent ii'eif fait ti.* c . u- enquiry— sad -though it bus been -in other [) <r!i vra-its decided by r uiu iters ano thi is *•**•*•* W.c rents, that the war was nnr! untvoiJttii? ii! its co.Timenct;ner.t, and nec'/ffirv it! its proitu uiion, yet we may now {j' alio wed to appeal from decisions, coiairmci by faishoed on el de<u! ion, to tne judq ;h nC ~f T.i:is hPuie. Now, that the inbe of all is before us, k the profsfrauds, falsehoods and £;•:!.%“$ of hie miniikrs, made mamlcil to i hr v. hole vo> 1 h sir, ihefe false and arrogant afferiions and! nrem&iuns uniformly contradicted by cxpe-j r ; rnC e, which have brought this country into | b rrt ht nt perk us condition though they'; v c •* notj in ir.y opinion, at the time ihftkieru j , vm A for c univfitnce in tlw he men, apt | , . v *t r jhV.oI tedly, r ow, pood parlumtentary i • round T enquiry into the conduct of theft i 121S’ 1 m,d r * , TKt ♦ I •As the i. tifUr deluded termer parhamems - t iti.o fi op* i ting Idol in the war, by pretend -) ino <bjt\°:s, ail of which hove been y-elded j l v die eat'. , as Ire now contends, w;< rnv.it i p; ejed cc to the I one i tv finely efi the com j I- v ; >he no kds llrangrly deluded them ** j *’•***, VO Support birr, ir: . ioevening tee ( c-rilitiYon, under the pre-rnee or refining in oval on and change. . j Ihf i-nn-urm ■ ■ nra i•• vvs or the nine* luvej bet n altered, ev tv co dtitiKioual land tTiaiitj It! over’, ad has been taken away, tx ep; ; n ides and corruptions, which have been j ihiuv.tfohy antinvtcced, in the union: of ge-j i i\ i anti n tiional cUhrtis. While the u'i* • r.d er wnn one loin/, as neaj cu aonie upc.j abide, burden upon burden, the O-cks oi ilia people— \v .rh the other he has taken a war i out them every tiling valuable in me comti- j tuition, rnd winch could reader even their j former burthens tolerable cr to be endured. j ] will venture to fay, there is no condition or j lotiatk nin tire country from the highdl to j trie 1 owe Li, conliviereo inoivicuahy as piiv itt j Citizens, or cMircfct T as corumoteo s itno- Much has Iven nvcenaliy altered p the iiiuai ion c>f i r,e k i n g, 11. e fto ad onet t !l t . <xn, the fin nr ion of the prince of Wales, i holt lights have been as little . rcipedled as ♦ So:cot ihc lov.eil ibbjedt ; the situation or Ic. . hou'.cs of parliament, or the judges, rh Lws, of the ir.agdlracy, rhe militia, the ha- k, the city of Lohdi o, the Eaftvinches, Scotland, Ireland, the condition of the peo ] lc at her re • all has been total iy changed, \ :i; -m the pretence of ic filling innovation & ch n c ToefVft this change was the red and ul •nnruu object of the war. “ Iviy iouiKong • ci-, 5 ’ thou; ht Ic, “ will not he heard armdlt ’ lof war.” It was againii the libertiesj i e cities, the laws and con'diturion,j .in,, ! tbits and chai acltr or 1 ngfiihmen) t 5 irniUrs contended. ******** v* •id in this war, it ntud be confefifed, their • mis has been as complete as their failure a . disappointment abroad. : ne detail or their foreign failures and de h is. I orr.it, because they are notorious to the v.h le world, and because I wifn to fix t oe arret.tiori of trrs house, and cf this coon tiv > upon their infinitely mote important & more cala mituus vidorics and tr.umphs. The liberty ot tiie pieii> has been violated by aovmg i’Jinteis and publilnei s under new and uncor.Nur.tkt.-I rr-H Mints, plrpna thern entirely at the mercy cf povernrrtnr. He rciiill be a hold man cd.ovutl venture to put [)en to paper, ch ef'ally hnee the ptinifhn uno of libels has i nil autfed', uno h fttbr.d con vict non IT ioe tra* f’crt rion to Botiny Bav. I ;u,.1 . . i _ r o t* „* \ i_y. Ci ij t■ :v. c;ivii *• ‘•ii* c 1 ar.°?.s to ut broc. hr o m.d any n n. A deaf and d-u'iib, wro can neimt r read rcr write, may be guilty o‘ l.btl. A iggn-pofl is a libel, j the niotior sor our fingcis and hands * 1 ale hoc is. The fudges have I con ir?de dependent on ti.e crown for large iaiaries upon retiring oidee. Srar-chnu'b:t lenterre s have been nro . - • . norriiCeo ror jliiv nio i \ ptOt.t.c ~ oiivn cts. * Men convict'd of libel ‘have imd ju;!g tTienrs iujpendcd over their heads tor \c ts, and let fail to ore*ill when they became ob 110X10113 to immttc: *. Ihe pid ye3 eie in t!m habit cf reman bin 2 ; to union i onviettd perinns, to be Drought; dp ; or jud ym n.t at a dsilant dav. A newt; id hts been granted, for the. in a criminal case. Tim Ircedum of mecch has been violated, and about firry perm s forbid to rneef ro cbf cufs p6litmai grievances, under panaitv of’ ccat!i by jinn a• v c ;rteut.on. rr- { j • U • i nrii i y jury ms, in munapue.: :ndancer, been taken aw-.iy. in aHra.nl all wnere ram s are concerned, arid woere t e depute b.ir; * for property bet ween the [object £<z tiie crown, i there is rnoH need cf its protect:on ; and me arbi'ary junfUClknAjt Couia Uiiontns an i just ices lubiiituied in its her tl. i lie income tax created :m inquif:oria! power of tire molt partial, ofivnf ve and ciue 1n a tor e. T. ney. * K>le uv\i *cl urns of a me may be enquired into, fa in by Aco ts laid f> •><“> or, .-I Si, ! {1 .... , I*l, . , .. : J j-’ v —, *'“'■* “* 1.-iivCnuill!.., , i. t.C a _Ui ‘cl :t, ; ipmmoncd ro attend cOiiimiffoners j cocn | celled to wart, like a lacquey, u; their anti j chatnber, fro. •\d ty so dr.y v inti 1 trr y are S retiGy to inllitutje their involution into his * 1 i prc.pti ty j put iv) I. s oa.*.u ,j after au, [ ernaps, tiilix-keved, inluked, lure barged ant! ft:g matifed as perjured, witho-ut any redref J iroir, or appeal co, a jury of his country. | And it is worth rtiU.uk ng, that a little be -5 fore tiie intro iuAion of “This mipniicipku jAh cue of * * * :; g the law of pe! jury | was altered, and the punilhmepc made tranf j port at ion to Botany-bay. Sir, the repeal of this tax is not ?. fiimeien?- remedy for its iafamy ; its principle mail be iiiginatifeci anaoranaea. I .anded propy-ty has been con fife a ted to an iinmtnlc* n oaiu, under ihe fpaciotis name cf name of a fbie of the land tax ? A rax is no property. What has a man our chafed hi it ? Nothing but the probability cf an’ a hi bun.fi ux. Having pure ha fed this, anew tax will be rmde, winch in its turn may be fold, as they call it, that is, the landed pro prietor may he called upon to advance fix tern / or fever.: ern, cr eighteen years taxes a; ncc, and fi he ref'As to be so bale deluded; perjured as to pinch Or his own properry,the ,pvci n*. i: e ll l p.cj m Aco- pro;.• rieior v/lc-a hup, having a prior d.dm upon his eitate. Anew liiid tax will then be laid ; this may again be look and new proprietors put in upon him j io that in a con He of years, bv udn-me opera tion of what, is called the Ale of the 1 rnd tax, a gentlemen oi landed property may had himtclr in p-./fefio;]. and nothing of his own -r t f*c him *- •* •> o- j f i ’-•/*. <r* m-i i L and Uv* t. I, i e i. •o o v. ac. vi % Add to this the iliumenbke, v/anton, liar j raiding, and penalties to en-I force ihis ov:rgrdwn iyftcm of taxation, and j one part of the people into fpics and infer-1 nuns to prey upon the other. The whole practice relating to cnflcdy has j been changed, about which the wife and hu- i mane ipirit of the old law of lino land was foj IcrupulouCy nice ; brcauie upon that chiedy 1 1 eptnds all the {note ition that can be rff >rd * ed to those, at bert, iil protected and unfor tunate creatures, priloners: who, e ven with all that precaution, mult inevitably be left too much at the discretion of goaiers. Nov/, j howeveivAll protecb'on is withdrawn, cioiel ctuaody and the * ’* * practice or changing] from, one cuilody to another, and fending! men to be imprisoned in dilt-mt places, (one of the heavieil grievances compiajrjrd of un der the Stuarts) are re-introduced, contrary |to the moil sacred iuaiamentai U.,s of xht j conilitmion. The treason lavv.q too leave been altered, because the old law of Edward the Nl. was too cler and diif;ncf. Yhey were buncl ng crakors, it was Lid, who cculd no: avoid the operation of ala w so well undenfood. There fore they made nr-v laws to er.fnare and en trap men's lives, and introducing the hotri b’e and attreclous doctrine of ccnif ruction and complicated tieafon. Meetings for par rciorm.may be conllrueu trealbrt i —under the old law they tried it v\ it hoof I'uc- t ncib ; it WuS too plain, and former wicked j acre mots had been worn out by aeluudication. l hemErc hud irnuihers, wrdr.ul: nave ia as, rmdar which there have been made no ons, v h.rre the judge may range with ddcre-: rion, wide as his conscience will peirnirjj where there me ro legal ]?nd marics, no j boundaries s o caret? or control , then we flal! • fee who {hall tVe ro complain of any griev- j a nets, er even hint ar reform. And whilili ihey make new laws, introducing these doc-! trines of corftructive mealon, they abo make j the judges v. ho are to co nil rue them depend-; ant upon the crown for large lalar.es when! they retire from office. It was anaccufation broi] .hti gula, titan ire wrote his laws io br.all, and j htiiKT them up io high, that the people would j i'carceiv c'dco\ er thrin. But cur miniilers r,o rm.K h r.irther.—the\ nudge laws which eve- \ •rv ‘man can mad,bur that no man un er {lands \ They have c.Aig: balbiles, and iuveebo- i .Ut their mibtiry [v.fts, and enriched theik # .nd wich barran<s. i They iiave upon all occafons called in the ; milirarv rorce, and negh'dled and degraded : the c \ ?ii po* cr in the hands of the Citizens; J They ha a ore amHa a lyilem. of spies un-: ; cermiaing t*.e inert-lira, con opting the ir.te ! -rrltv of the n *t!ou, ev-ry loiirce of If . r {Social happinen, cb iboviug a’d.'Confidence be j tween man and man, and thus thev iiav tri- ■ ! u*r.piled over rl-v ;ua uneik, habits, cuitoiiis •and crurafter ut bavblhmtn. | Th yHve co r vud totkllrov all A life of ; llnme and l;oiu;r amou-dl pic lie men, io j ri.af the peou’e can no b> longer phue any | andr|ienden„e upon jv or. .lions aver <> public ; ; for the lame man v. Ho e> loud in fa/oiViTio* s j of pairionuiY and iviorro tc* <1 ay {bail have no i lon rer the l); al l it onoc>d *. to r ‘c^nt to morrow, lea / ng h s mod pledges ro the public, un !s p. wswd Honor p.-,reck-cop ed, with only mbdeiliy eonfeilng that to-u .y, he has gro-.vi! wiser ok mhev;is vt dei d.iv. So rh.it all the tics of honed fd’ov-ihip are dii foived, private . • rnor, pr.vare friendihtp, pub i-e principle, all borne” down by the over w!iehi!ingtid- of be rrijpcion, wh, ch 1 ets fnl 1 in fr defpotii n at home, vv’iich mutt ahu redly produce final belli uaion from abroad. B it our ndmiieis have not only taken away the old laws of the laud and fubriitored * new ones, in violation ot every pniiciple of the conhi Tation, but nave rranSgreited even rhefe, an and j -id ed, to ufeth 11 r own c x pre (lion, witi i \ vige-r be road the law. They have new modelled the police, upon the plan of the old ddpo.if nos k rante. They have created a lieutMiant de police, with an im me rile fa 1 rr •v, under the tide of third fecietary of irate. T hey have ieicfte 1 the low ell and n leaned creatures, wha n they have mveiled w;t!i the Acred authority of magiilrucy, needy men depcnvhnp upon perfor.s ror bread: and hav ing extended the power of theic beyond d\\ sormer oounds, they have -placed beyond, oicir i/erct dun ..eons unficr the diredtion and uianag’ inent or their pensioned juitices. • They have, without even rhe form of the previous con feet of parliament, bringing nerebv this houie i uo cor*tempt and degn jition,ient the rnonev of the people our, tk Trought German mercenaries into the k ng doin, rightly judging them fitter iriitru .t-ents than Engjifh for their defgris. Year after year, they suspended the habeas , corpus aft, and thus armed, tiiev have inked ; general warrants, } arndiing indifcrinunutdy, | and then fele&ed fieh perlons, not as they! had infermatior againfl, but as they lufpe.fit-! ed they (liould. be able to extort information \ from. Knowing what they deicrieJ, they i could not but believe that all men were con- | Ipirino; again'l them. Having chosen their viTims, they com-j mer.ced their inquilifions : t!ie proceis of; which was varied, according to the ivippofed temper and difp'ofition of the prisoner. borne r were loaded at once with irons and plunged at once into all the horrors of Cold-bath fields!! Others underwent a different treatment; they ; were fnt to mtiJenger’s homes, where they i were indulged with food and fire, and corn-; rortablv lodged : the me (Tender’s bufmefs be-| ; ing. to pump his prisoner, and perpetually to | i present to tiirn the terrors of Cold-Bath-fields j and governor Aris, and he hoping, goodiu-j iruredlv, that he n-fisfht escape :hc;n by < iv- f j i'ng information, as they termed it, iingtngj •our. This ttate of preparation, the prisoner! was brought up to be examined, when rnd{ ! fir.l quell on asked by the dignified m-igif-i ! trace, who presided at the inquilitoriai pro- j ! ceedings. was in the cant phrase of a thiefta -1 ,er, whether the prisoner would hng out or) J no: ? Moil of thebe unfortunate'men, having! no fans gratifying to the ear of rhe worthy i ; ;rngift;"ii:e,and pr. ferring cold and hunger to j I giving haif information, wtrq tiien lent to; !Cold-bath fields, and recommended to the; ! care of governor Aris. This, perhaps may jferve to explain, to the public the myitery o f ‘ That inviubie Diield which hangs Over this * \********~u\[ or whom I have only led, as lam informed, to an aug- I n'lCritanon ot ms laiary, ot an hu.i ----* fired a year. But thrle enormities are too ! great ca be treated of here mcidcnuiiy, or be made part of any other queflion ; they ila .il again be brought before this houfc and too public bv themselves. ThrulV then into a fbiitary cell in this pri son, whtir • hit(t and hunger, and every fpe cics of cruelcv-is praClifed and* endured, unpi tied end unseen ; expo fed. even to person vi dance, ar.d having lufFcrcd it in several in- Nances treat the brural ferocity of Aris : cut oil from every condition wliich themoH’ in human leave kd'dom denied their viain even wives ;u\d chihken excluded-—in this dole, crue), idegal cuiiody have'miniilers kept men, without charge, without knowing; dieir accukrs, without daring m bring a man ;ro trial. At length, iorne at the end of two ! lone at the end or three, one has been im > | pnfoned the greatest part of seven yejia” ; with ruined so: turn s, broken liealtr, bro— | ken hearts aimed, are they permitted ro te join, witncfs, and partake of the mikry of or their llarving fanulies. To crown all, mirukers have prevailed upon this house to reject the pen cons of men they have thus Treated, ar.d ro pals a„*kid of indemnity for the rni/iiliers and gaolers. A plain proof ‘wiiCt’i of tt;c t'•’< o biokc can ].tW, i..C SCCu.ad i 11 1 uCf. (iicrs / ’ * I x Hi S Jiidemmtv hi!! is the mod f ital me?-” lore which has yet been adopted—ir is the !inal blow—holds up the cuuklirucon ro con temptand {corn, makes up the much :if.ted reipoidibikty of minideis ;i thing r uher robe ‘anghed a* t ! nn I eared. Another bill of in demnity, and the niniitwrs may wiih us to r o on, paPnng indemnity i’j on indimnify, .or i vary ipecies of atrocity, nil* at length we Tve brought our Helves into Ach geneneral abiiorrcnce, that tiie people of Keg!and, like me people of Ireland, {hall be gild ro eye n i ol us, at all even's to be cased ol the bur ixc;} or park imenr : we then may be ordered, like the Iriih parliament", to do one :.ti of iuiCidcl jullice upon ouriek/es and to tenviinate our own exnlence. But. fir, this is rot only a bill of indem nity : had k been io, it. would have been fuf hcient to have secured min hers, after a ; Arid” enqur’ry inte their condudl, a-aink die legal damages which might 1 ave been awarded. So the law would have kept its coude. But this would bv no means have aniwered the purpof-, which was not so : milch t*> indemnify miniilers as to prevent I the rale from b ang odd j therefore it was | nrcdftry to reject petitions, Bating ihe hor jr.d tacks of which themselves wde atkamed j therefore it was necedkry to clear your gallery when thefr pctiiiou? were^mid —therefore it was neceflary to bar up the door sos the courts of ]office, in order to prevent any well authenticated account c*f their conduct from coming before the public. Before [ quit the f bjefl, I keg leave once more to,repeat the case ot tliefe men of whole treatment 1 com plain j an and let no man be so weak io childish, as to imagine his life can be for a moment Hie, or depends on any better ftTTiriry than the discretion of the executive, Tcormptstm has attained iuch a bright that niin’filers can commit l ich acts with impu nity ; if inch is the wretched (kite of repre lenr.ation, that houie of commons, vv jich.ijj according to the conftttution lliou-d b* the jealous observer and confroierof the ash of or executive, the piombtur and the gaurdian or me people and the laws, can be prevailed upon to indemnify miniliers, wiiljout any en quiry into, or explanation of inch conduct. Here are men taken up, kept in abhorred cade cufiody, wit no nr charge, without accu sers, without trial, bankrupt in fortune and heakh, their petitions rejected; the course of j J’btiec turned a fide, and ail cue fl-grant viola * ; * v g l o * ” t -% -m non or au taws, cofutuucion, common lenie, and common humanity to-cover and cone yd the practices or niiniliers. Upon this fact I might fairly rest my demand for an erqury. a hat tUy liave broAt n tlie law is not a matter of op: men Oi ci u . tie re cheir o *.v n con** feuion cf their guilt in iholh who are emrud ed with die guardian ; nip of the laws ? And •h.dl tney be proiccte.i m rit-e actual violariv.n whiiit tiic people arc tortured upon Hint* cion. I own, fir, [ did nor think a!! the h.iT?fv>r n?fs we havr wi-neiTcd, chat disdain they pre ; tended of flirinking from rdponfibihrv, I volunteering, one for another, more than ; equal Hare, when the day of enquiry fhouiii j arrive : i did not flunk it would all have eu I* ed in a full confeffion of their guilt, and plead ! ing a pardon in court. I expected thsry’ | would have proved to us the reality of theic Uieep iacd pints and conipiracies which they j allured us cxifted, though at ;hat time they Idemamitd confidence, because it was unfafe j to unfold ua th'i r'knowicdge upon the lubjecl* | bir, I have a right to expect at this time thus 1 j the contents oh thole green boxes and fareen bags, cntrailed bernre to their own chofca secret committees, should now be produced to this, houfc at large. Tor now we find all ‘ these alarms grove to be a mere cheat, trick and dclufion, to anfwcr minilltrial, enus j lanTthelt as they were faifdy