Sir Francis Burdett 

Sir Francis Burdett (1770-1844), after a stay in France during the Revolution, entered Parliament for Boroughbridge, near Newcastle, and soon joined the Constitutional Association for Promoting a Reform in Parliament.  During the heyday of the Pitt administration’s restrictions on freedom of speech and other cherished English constitutional rights and its continued prosecution of the war with France, Burdett was one of the administration’s most vocal opponents, a stance that obviously endeared him to Benjamin Flower.  Burdett’s made a “motion” that the House of Commons conduct “an inquiry into the conduct of the authors of the war” was postponed at this time.  Flower was convinced that Burdett would persevere in his motion, however, and that a division of the House on this subject would “be the means of bringing men’s principles to the test” (Cambridge Intelligencer, 5 December 1801).