APPENDIX TO CHRONICLE. 



349 



Sir Francis then sent this letter 

 by his own son, Robert Burdett, a 

 youth of fourteen, and his brother 

 Mr. Jones Burdett to the Speaker, 

 and it was accordingly delivered 

 at ten o'clock at night. 



On Saturday morning sir Fran- 

 cis breakfasted at the house of his 

 friend, Mr. O'Connor, in Maddox- 

 street, Hanover-square. After 

 breakfast they walked to Half- 

 Moon-street, where sir Francis 

 mounted his horse and took a ride 

 in the park, accompanied only by 

 his groom. On Mr. O'Connor's 

 return to sir Francis's house in 

 Piccadilh', he found one of the 

 messengers of the House of Com- 

 mons waiting for sir Francis. He 

 said he had the warrant for his 

 arrest in his pocket, and he wished 

 , to see him, as he had orders to 

 remain with him. On sir Francis's 

 return, he found in his room a 

 number of his friends waiting for 

 him, and he was told of the mes- 

 senger in waiting. He desired 

 him to be shown up. 



" Well my good friend (said sir 

 Francis) what is your business ?'' 

 Mess. — " Sir, I am desired to 

 show you the order of the House 

 of Commons upon which the war- 

 rant is issued — to serve that war- 

 rant upon you, and to remain with 

 you." 



He delivered the warrant to sir 

 Francis, which he read, and put it 

 into his pocket. It is as follows: — 

 Veneris, 6" die Jprilis, 1810. 

 " Whereas the House of Com- 

 mons has this day adjudged that 

 sir Francis Burdett, baronet, who 

 has admitted that a letter signed, 

 ' Francis Burdett,' and a further 

 part of a paper, entitled ' Argu- 

 ment,' in Cobbet's Weekly Regis- 

 ter, of March 2i, 1810, was print- 



ed by his authority (which letter 

 and argument the said House has 

 resolved to be a libellous and 

 scandalous paper, reflecting on 

 the just rights and privileges of 

 the said House) has been thereby 

 guilty of a breach of the privi- 

 leges of the said House : 



" And whereas the House of 

 Commons hath thereupon ordered, 

 that the said sir Francis Burdett 

 be, for his said offence, committed 

 to his majesty's Tower of London: 

 "These are therefore to require 

 you to take into custody the body 

 of the said sir Francis Burdett, and 

 then forthwith to deliver hira over 

 into the custody of the lieutenant 

 of his majesty's Tower of London: 

 " And all mayors, bailiffs, she- 

 riffs, under-sheriffs, constables, 

 and headboroughs,and every other 

 person, or persons, are hereby 

 required to be aiding and assisting 

 to you in the execution hereof ; 

 for which this shall be your suffi- 

 cient warrant. Given under my 

 hand, the 6tli day of April, 1810. 

 " Chas. Abbot, Speaker." 

 " To the Serjeant-at-arms at- 

 tending the House of Com- 

 mons, or his deputy ?" 

 Sir Francis — " My friend, this 

 is not a sufficient warrant. You 

 may return and inform the Speak- 

 er that I will not obey it." 



Mess — " Sir, it is my orders to 

 remain with you, and I must obey, 

 unless I am forced to withdraw." 

 Sir Francis — " You must in- 

 stantly withdraw." 



He was accordingly shown down 

 stairs by Mr. O'Connor. The 

 person v/ished force to be used. 

 Mr. O'Connor said, " There is the 

 door open for you; you must go; 

 but it is not my practice to be so 

 uncivil as to lay violent hands on 



