Whitehaven Gazette Oct. 18, 1819 Sentiments of a Judge

Sentiments of a Judge

Whitehaven Gazette - Oct. 18, 1819

THE SENTIMENTS OF A JUDGE ON THE     SOVEREIGNTY OF THE PEOPLE                  _____       To The Editor Of The Champion Sir, - I have lately found among my papers, two letters written to me, nearly forty years ago, by the elate Sir William JONES; and, as everything relating to a character so highly distinguished for learning, talents, and patriotism, must be interesting to every enlightened mind, I beg leave to offer you the following copies for insertion in your valuable Sunday Paper.        I shall also be happy to produce to you the originals, under the author's own hand, if any doubt should be entertained of their authenticity. The year after these letters were written, this truly great man set off, in the character of a Judge, for India, he having previously acquired a perfect knowledge of the Persian language, as appeared by his elaborate productions on that subject. The first of these letters bears the date, the 25th April, 1782, and states as follows, viz.: -        "It is not till within these very few days, that I received, on my return from the circuit, your obliging letter, dated the 18th of March; which, had I been so fortunate as to receive it earlier, I should have made a point of answering immediately.  The Society for Constitutional Information, by electing me one of their members, will confer upon me an honour which I am wholly unconscious of deserving, but which is so flattering to me, that I accept it with pleasure and gratitude. I should, indeed, long ago have testified my  regard for so useful an institution, by an offer of my humble services in promoting it, if I had not really despaired, in my present situation, of being able to attend your meetings as often as I should ardently wish.        My future life shall certainly be devoted to the support of that excellent Constitution, which it is the object of your Society to unfold an elucidate; and from this resolution, long and deliberately made, no prospects,  no connexions (sp.), no station here or abroad, no fear of danger of hope of advantage to myself, shall ever deter or allure me. A fond Government, so apparently conducive to the true happiness of the community, must be admired as soon as it is understood, and if resort and virtue have any influence in human breasts, ought to be preserved by any exertions at any hazard. Care must now be taken, lest by reducing the Regal power to its just level, we raise the Aristocratical to a dangerous height; since it is from the People alone that we can deduce the obligations of our laws all the authority of Magistrates; on the People depend the welfare, the security and the permanence of every legal government; and to the People must all those in whose ability and knowledge we some times, wisely, often imprudently, confide, be always accountable for the due exercise of that power, with which they are for a time entrusted.        If the properties of all good government be considered as duly distributed in the different parts of our limited Republic, goodness ought to be in the distinguishing attribute of the Crown, wisdom of the Aristocracy, but power and fortitude of the People. May justice and  humanity prevail in them all! It may not, perhaps, be impertinent, to inform you, that, as soon as the variety of my engagements will allow me, I mean to present the public with additional reasons for adopting the constitutional plan of defence, recommended in a tract, entitled, An Enquiry Into the Legal Mode of Suppressing Riots, and, in a short time afterwards, with an argument demonstrating the Illegality of Pressing for the sea service. On these, and all other subjects for the same tendency, the commands of the Society will not only be cheerfully obeyed, but even thankfully received by, Sir, &c.                                                    "W. JONES."        As the above letter is longer than I expected, I must postpone transcribing the other till next week. In the mean time, I remain, Sir, your humble fellow Labourer in the Cause of Reform,           Thos. YEATES. Middle Temple, Oct. 8th, 1819. ******

 

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