180 



Incidents in and near London. 



interest of all Europe. If her patriots 

 are sufficiently energetic, (like those 

 who composed the Committee of Pub- 

 lic Safety in France,) the despots will 

 be the means of repeating all the 

 scenes of the French revolution; and 

 will then hypocritically endeavour to 

 charge on the benevolent principles of 

 liberty the violences which they have 

 themselves caused. 



We have but one piece of advice to 

 give the Spaniards at this crisis. They 

 must not permit the war to be carried 

 into Spain. If it is unavoidable, they 

 must push their armies into France, 



[March 1, 



and the hopes of the despots would 

 thus be frustrated ; for the Spaniards 

 would find more allies in France than 

 the French could meet in Spain, tliongh 

 on the divisions of the Spanish people 

 they chiefly calculate for success. If 

 30 or 40,000 Spanish patriots can be 

 marched into France, the cause of 

 liberty will difl'use itself over Europe 

 with the rapidity of lightning. But, 

 if the French armies are permitted to 

 make Spain the seat of war, the 

 chances in their favour would be in- 

 creased three lo one by the division of 

 parties in Spain. 



INCIDENTS, MARRIAGES, and DEATHS, in and near LONDON, 

 With Biographical Memoirs of distinguished Characters recently deceased. 



CHRONOLOGY OF THE MONTH. 



"PEB. 4. — Parliament met. 

 -■■ •^. 5. — A meeting of the county of 

 Middlesex at Hackney. Major Carfwriglit 

 moved some resolutions, which were 

 adopted by the meeting. 



— . to. — A nnmerous meeting of the 

 freeholders and other inhabitants of 

 Surrey, took place at Epsom, to consider 

 of the agricultural distress, and the ne- 

 cessity of parliamentary reform. Lord 

 King, after an able speech, brought for- 

 ward a petition couched in strong lan- 

 guage. Mr. Cobbett proposed to add, as 

 an amendment, "without which, your pe- 

 titioners can see no hope of that equitable 

 adjustment with regard to the public debt 

 and with regard to all contracts between 

 man and man, which is absolutely neces- 

 sary to the defence of the country against 

 foreign foes, and to the restoration of in- 

 ternal tranquillity." — Mr. Grey Bennett 

 seconded the amendment ; and after some 

 furtiier discussion, in which Mr. Denison, 

 Mr. Sumner, and Lord Eilenborough, par- 

 took, the petition was carried with only 

 five dissentients. 



— . 11. — The resident electors of Sonlh- 

 wark assembled to consider the propriety 

 of petitioning for a reduction of taxation, 

 and parliamentary reform. A petition 

 was proposed by IVIr. Black, and adopted. 



— 13. — The Common Council met to 

 petition Parliament for Reform. Mr. 

 Alderman Waithman brought forward a 

 petition, considered as the ablest that has 

 appeared on the subject, which he sup- 

 ported by an eloquent siieech of two 

 hours. The following Resolutions were 

 agreed to, with only three or four 

 dissenting voices : — " That it appears 

 to this court, that the present enor- 

 mous burdens and distresses of the country 

 have not arisen from unforeseen or un- 

 avoidable causes, but have been the ne- 

 cessary result of a long comsc of corrupt 

 influence, extravagance, and misrule— of 



wars, rashly and unnecessarily undertaken 

 — and of enormous establishments — a pro- 

 fusion of the public money in useless 

 places and sinecures — and of an immense 

 standing army during eight years of pro- 

 found peace, unknown in former times- 

 all which have arisen, and have grown up 

 to their present portentous magnitude, 

 from the want of that constitutional con- 

 trol which can only be foimd in a free 

 and uncorrupted representation of the 

 people in Parliament. That a petition be 

 therefore presented to the House of Com- 

 mons, praying that they will take all these 

 facts and circumstances into their serious 

 consideration, and immediately cause all 

 practicable reductions to be made in the 

 public expenditure, and adopt such mea- 

 sures as may eflfectually restore to the 

 people their fair and just share in the 

 legislature, by a full, fair, and free, repre- 

 sentation in Parliament." 



. — A meeting of solicitors of the 

 metropolis (250 being present) was held 

 at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, wlien it 

 was determined to appoint a committee to 

 consider the propriety of securing justice 

 to their clients by employing those gentle- 

 men of the bar only who woidd attend 

 strictly to the business placed in their 

 hands, and who were determined not to 

 divide their attention between the Lord 

 Chancellor's and the Vice-Chancellor's 

 Courts, in such a manner as to give cause 

 of complaint to those whose interests de- 

 pended so much upon the talent and care 

 of the advocate. This meethig has caused 

 a very great sensation at the bar. 



— . 17. — A meeting at the York Hotel, 

 to arrange a new Literary Society on a 

 much improved plan, to take place of the 

 Surrey Institution, lately dissolved. 



— . 20. — A meeting was this day held at 

 the Mansion-house, Alderman Wood in 

 the chair, of merchants and traders, to 

 petition against the Insolvent Debtors' 

 Bill. Messrs. Favcl, Brown, Price, and 

 Wilfon, 



