260 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1810. 



and of the nation, were repeatedly 

 and grossly violated by the House 

 of Commons. At length the law 

 triumphed. After a struggle of 

 nearly twenty years, the House 

 abandoned the pretensions they 

 had arrogated and " expunged 

 from their journals all their de- 

 clarations, orders, andresoiutions, 

 as being subversive of the rights 

 of the whole body of electors of 

 this kingdom." You have, during 

 5'our pleasure, deprived the citi- 

 zens of Westminster of their share 

 in the representation of the public 

 at large, of the exertions of a faith- 

 ful servant, in whose ability, firm- 

 ness, and integrity, they pre- 

 eminently confide. We view with 

 jealou.syand suspicion the shutting 

 up sir Francis Burdctt in prison, 

 when the attention of the nation 

 is directed with anxiety to his in- 

 tended motion for a reform In the 

 representation ofthepeopleiny our 

 honourable House; that House in 

 which tiie traffic of seats has been 

 avowed, in the case of Mr. Per- 

 ceval and lord Castlereagh, " to 

 be as notorious as the sun at noon- 

 day ;" a practice, at the mention of 

 which, inthe emphatic language of 

 your speaker, "our ancestorswould 

 have startled with indignation." — 

 Wc, therefore, pray you to follow 

 the example of your predecessors, 

 " to expunge allyourdeclarations, 

 orders, and resolutions on the sub- 

 ject, as tending to the subversion 

 of our liberties," and to the intro- 

 duction of a military despotism ; 

 and to recall sir Francis Burdett to 

 the service of the countryin parlia- 

 ment, that he may there enforce 

 that plan of reform which, last ses- 

 sion, lieso powerfully recommend- 

 ed, and which, in our opinion, is 

 absolutely necessary for the stabi- 

 lity and honour of the throne, and 



the safety and well-being of the 

 people. Signed in the name and 

 on the behalf of this meeting. 



This petition also was rejected 

 by the House. 



MAY. 



1. An act was passed by the 

 American government, respect- 

 ing the commercial intercourse 

 between the United States, Great 

 Britain, and France. 



2. Middlesex petition rejected 

 by the House of Commons. 



4. A meetingandcounier w?^e^- 

 i«g- of the livery of London, to con- 

 sider of the discretionary power 

 of imprisonment, claimed by the 

 House of Commons. — See Ap- 

 2}endi.v. 



7. Meeting at Reading, to con- 

 sider the case of sir Francis Bur- 

 dett, Gale Jones, reform in parlia- 

 ment, &c. 



8. Houseof Commons rejected 

 the petition of the livery of Lon- 

 don, respecting the right of the 

 House to the power of imprison- 

 ment. 



Meeting of the Whig Club. 



9. The sheriffs of London, ac- 

 companied by a deputation of the 

 livery, in pursuance of the resolu- 

 tions of the last common hall, went 

 from Guildhall to the Tower, to 

 deliver to sir Francis Burdett a 

 copy of the proceedings of the li- 

 very upon that occasion. Lord 

 Moira, as constable of the Tower, 

 attended, and admitted only the 

 sheriffs and deputation, on foot, at 

 the wicket-door : the mob waiting 

 without. 



Revolution in Spanish Ame- 

 rica. — The Musette, which arrived 

 on Thursday at Spithead, from Cu- 

 racoa, brought dispatches for go- 

 vernment of a most important na- 

 ture. They state that the whole qf 



