Star. — London, England, 1809-12-16 00:00:00

BI.IC MEETINC Wll.l. B 1! HELD n t CROWN and ANCHOR EAVERN, :STRAND, n. A.IONDAY NEXT, the 18th inst. at Twelve &Clock, for the purpoce of cxprr,sing the serve ertert^in.•d of the manly, iede perdt•nt and undaunted conduct et' Co:ntlel WARDLE, and to c=wsiths the propriety of immediately •rrrnry in'. a Subscrip tion to icdounify !Cm against salt lnsses, ch:llg , i and expenc.:s he may have suirained, or be ILble t,,, in cons:Aucnce of his exer tions t" tln• behilf the la:, of COURT OF COMM: di COUNCIL. NUVILE' Mr. JACKS said, that as certain Newspapers had stated, that in his speech at the last Court, he had made use of some intemperate expressions towards a learned Barrister, he thought it proper to observe that he was not aivare such words we r, so grossly expres sed as they had been represented. As however, some of his friends recollected that he d:d use language capa ble of an improper construction, he was induced to state that' he 1:4 as errem 'ly sorry, in the Warmth of debate, any word escaped him, which in the remo test degree would o hurt the f , elintzS of that Gentleman. The Court would do him the credit.to admit, thlt it had never been-his•pracice to descend to personalities in debate, towards its Members, or to any other individual. This declaration arose solely from -hip r.WII reflections on the subject, andlotol from the representation of the Gentleman more particu larly alluded to, or his friends. Thus far he had de termine 4 to express himself yesterday, and — he had called on the worthy Gentlemati . (Mr-Waithman) as• the friend of the Learned Barrister, to acquaint him with his inte7ttion , --that morning, however, he had observed, that the Learned Gentleman had taken a singular revenge* . at a public dinner, by 'slandering the motives which actuated his (Mr. Jack's) public, conduct ; nevertheless, that had not altered hie design. Upon this point he had only to observe 11;s assertions on that occasion were in no respell fowided iu rta!i?ii rile concern in which he embarked seven years ago, a considerable property, had remained in all respects at the public' service of the airily, for the last five years for which it had been adopted ; and as three or four successive administrations had in that time taken place, he supposed even the calumny of party would not charge him with being t'.ie tool of every one of those Administrations. Mr. DixoN did not see why Mr. Clifford should be angry at being called the honest Conind!or. Mr. WAITIIMAN was not surprised that Mr. Clif ford, not only as a Gentleman but as a Lawyer, should feel severely a calumny which was calculated to do him such serious injury in his profession. The Gentleman who had so abused him, did not confine his abuse to him alone, he slandered c'•cry one with whom he had formerly acted, but this he observed was the general rule with all apostates. Alderman COMBE said a few words as to the im propriety of continuing this conversation. F A " r .......... ' the IRREGULARITY IN SUMMONING THE COURT. Mr. DIXON wished to know at what time his Lord ship had issued the summonses to the Members to attend to-day's Court ? The Loan MAYOR had ordered the summonses to be issued at nine o'clock yesterday. The TOWN CLERK said they were issued as soon as possible after his Lordship's order. When at the Common Hall yesterday, he was asked if the Court of to-day could not bedeferred till to-monow? he said certainly, if his Lordship chose. Mr. MARRIOTT thought that this Court was as le gally called as any other. Many Members declared they bad not got their notices to attend until eight and ten o'clock today. Mr. Sheriff ATKINS N% as sure the lord Mayor had done what he thought right in calling the Court ; at the same time he had heard the Recorder lament the inconvenience ia consequenc:t of it, haying Coimsel at a great expence to attend in the Lord Mayor's Court to-day. The RECORDER said he was attacked by many who Said they had much money depending on suits, for not :Atending the Lord Mayor's Court to-day ; but as this Was 2 superior Court, be thought it was his duty to attend it. Mr. WAtrustAN said, though there might be some irregularity in delivering the notices, in consequence of the hurry of the Common Hall yesterday, still he thought the Court was as regularly called as arty other that ever was held. He was sure every Gentleman was aware a Court was to be held. It was an easy matter however to adjourn till to-morrow, if this Court was deemed irregular. The requisition to the Lord Mayor was here road. Mr. Sheriff Al KINS said, this requisition he thought irregular, because it did not assign a singl.' rea K ,n why a Court should be called. The il;rnier Court, ~xcessively crowded, had for eight hours reconsidered the Address to his Majesty, and had been called to gether, because the first Address was not considered bt:fricientiy respectful to the King. Ceutlt men now wished t." reconsider the Address ay,ain, only. be cause they happened to be in a minority—he would ':rater his protest against such a ptoceedilig ; Ito w:e• anxious for the credit of his Lordship ; if hi s 1,44.,! ) i i , had consulted hint, he v..ould have given him his ad vice with pleasure—( .l latish.) He condemned the requisition, because there \V:iS no reason stated in it. TArn.i thought the Address was brought in in a ha , ,ty m u,ner, and was sure, if the worthy sh e . riff himself was in the ( ..`onntlittee, he would ehuse to change many parts of it he thought, therefore, that another Address to his Majesty was necessary, and should move " that a Committee be inunediately ap pointed to prepai.e :toother ..-‘cldtc.s to his 'P,lajcqy." Mr. SHARPE thought that an enquiry into the con. duct of Government was imperiously dem , nded, for employing an incapable Commander in Holland, and a rash in;riguing officer in Spain—(l-I,.ar, he. 7 r ) There never were expeditiuns in which more treasure was negligently wasted, cr ni , , , re precious blood cruelly and eamelesqy spilt. The vai ions too's of a delinquent Ministry preterit , •d to desire enquiry, ht: he hoped the enquiry w;,:ild he full and ample he hoped no miserable iv:, vion he coiaiten::accd. (Heir I) They shod t*).p.:sS themselves so to his ajesty, but in re , pertroi trims tlo doubt. --n' Id be no intent:on t.f limit:lt. the ov::1 fe • 21 . 1nugli they rnizlu th:nk pr, per to C o ll e t ,m„ hk Minister: those ' NU:a:actg:lin: A , j; Chat /I:in-I was JAM cherished.. A Member sil t ymted the rnntioin, and hnped the Cr.rnruittee wntl.l scum I)l.*:nr In th..ir .‘ddless. Mr. Lyces :rid the Address of the Court to 1)4 Majesty, on the Spanish struggle, read, to shew that they were of opinion assistance should be given to Spain. He condemned this Address for the same reason that he condemned the former one—because it prejudged Lord Wellington. If our Expeditions did not free Spain, that was the fault of the Spaniards, and he thought our Generals right in fighting to shew we wished to assist them if they would assist them selves. If Lord Wellington had not fought, many in that Court, who now affected to blame him, would have been ready to blame him still more. He pre ferred the second requisition to the first, because it recommended enquiry, which, in his opinion, ought always to precede condemnation. Alderman GOODBEiI ERE thought that a great in dignity was offered to the Corporation, in proposing ther econsideration of a measure adopted deliberately, and after very ample discussion. He considered that it was becoming in the City to address the Chief 'Magistrate with bold and energetic language. It was a little extraordinary, that the worthy Sheriff (Alder man Atkils) should, in his Address in the Newspa pers, have Censured the proceedings of that Court ; 'and that, when speaking of his Majesty, he should have chosen to say 4. my Sovereign," instead ofl " our Sovereign." He certainly could not have meant to claim to himself a much superior degree of loyalty to other men, when he chose the-term of " my Sovereign." He could not mean seriously to promulgate an opinion, that the Court wished to in sult his Majesty, when he declared in his public ad vertisement, that he could not agree to the Address which they voted, conceiving it to be disrespectful to his Sovereign. There was certainly a very wide ground laid down upon that occasion, for the Com mittee to frame such Address as they should judge proper: and as the Committee were appointed in the • accustomed manner, he could not see how the Address which they voted could be done away without an at tack on the dignity of the Court. He also objected to the last Address as being produced in a most un usual manner, it having been drawn from the pocket of the worthy Alderman, and not submitted to the revision of a Committee. Mr. SPENCER took notice of the very numerous', Court by which the las: Address was voted. It was not, in f►ct, a new Address, but the original one re vised and amended. Mr. GRIFFITHS observed that there had been a great inconsistency among the Gentlemen on the other side. A few days ago they were of opinion that this v►as not a proper time for presenting any Ad dress to his Majesty, and yet they were all of them now for an Address, if their own Address could be carried. Mr. KiwNtax said, that the first objection to the Address was, that it had not been read paragraph by paragraph. If it had not, why did not some Mem-. her then move that it should ? [Mr. Sheriff Wood; said that it bad been moved.] The next objection • was, that there had been no precedent for an Address, passed in thai manner, notwithstanding that the law ,officers had shewn a precedent. He thought, hew erer, the fair question for consideration this day would: be, which of the two Addresses should be adopted ? He hoped that this Court would not allow itself to be influenced by clamour or direct abuse, which bad :been liberally thrown out against them in another !place. In the Common Hall there was yesterday a !considerable deal of abuse against that Court and against individual Members of it. When it was stated 1 before the whole Livery of London, that they were all venal and corrupt, it was impossible to hear these things without regret. and conviction of the foulness of the calumny. It was hard, indeed, to be obliged to listen to those things, in an assembly in which it was impossible to obtain a hearing. When the ori ginal Address was considered, there would appear to be parts of it very objectionable. If, when it talked of Ministers lavishing the blood and treasure of the country in fruitless expeditions, it should appear,' upon inquiry, that these expeditions were well plan ned, how could the Court be justified in using such language before inquiry ? Or, when it stated Lord Wellington to have made a rash and ostentatious dis play of his personal courage, would that statement be justified, if, in the event of inquiry, it should ap pear that Lord Welling:on had really no choice left him ; but that he was bound, both by the instructions of his own Government, and the solicitations of the Spanish people, to enter Spain when he did ? Was it fair, just, or dignified, to take those things for granted befole inquiry, which might, upon inquiry, turn out to be very different ? Mr. Sheriff Wool) referred to the proceedings of die last Cane, and to the recollection of the Members A ho were then present, whether the Address had ever been read at the last Court, after the Amendment which had been moved ? He disapproved very much of Addresses being pulled from the pockets of any ?iember, as the custom was that they should be pre-, pared . by a Committee. Mr. /Inicewoon thought nothing could be conceived mole improper, titan that that tnan should be cen %tired who had fought the battle of Talavera. He wondered that any man who bore the name of a Briton should censure Lord NVellington. He would not be more surpri , .ed if he heard a vote of censure proposed on Lord Collingwood, or arty of those men of which the country is the proudest. He had heard some Members called tools of Administration ; he was none of those. (A laugh.) He thought reflections of this sort were most improper and cowardly, when used in places whet e they could not be answer,d, Mr. WAITHMAN said, that he believed that he would notbe generally supposed to have acted in a cowardly manner, in the mode that be brilught his charges; he never dealt in insinuations against individuals, andl when he had any thing to lay to their charge, he was always anxious to say it to their fa ces. As for the last speaker, who had been so indignant at the sup pot:ition that he would be considered as a tool of Government, he would say, in the first place, that he never charged him with so being : but, as that Gentleman had chosen to introduce the subject, he would state that he bad emoluments from the Go vernment, to the amount of £5OO per annum, (as he un;erstod). Notwithstanding this, the wortier Gen tleman doulekss conceived himself to be pei-fectly free ft opt any Government hiass. In the prod:gions anneal expenditure of our Government, there west!! many individuals in that Corporation, who rect tired considerable emoluments from the Governmen t in different ways, and yet they all supposed themseNes to be as free and as independent as those who had re ceived no such favours. It happened, however, that • - '- • - s'. . . these free and independent men (ip they conceived could say he had not done Mt duty yesterday at themselves to he) always voted in that assembly for Common Hall ?—( Lead cries, No, nc ne .) the Ministers, whether right or wrong. He was him-1 Mr. Sheriff ATuiss continued, and said, th at at self very. mfortunate in this instance, that if ever he . events it must be allowed that he did no_ oht said generally, that there were tools of Government hearing. He hoped, however, and eepected th at • in that Corporation, he was immediately taxed for time would come, when he would be heard wi t h throwing out general insinuations, and called upon tendon in the Common Hail ; e to name ; but if he did allude to any individual, then hope, he relied upon the good and in forming sense and ley he was immediately charged with personality. So that which he ivis convinced would fnaliy actuate it did not signify which course he took ; for if he said Citizens of London. When a worthy Alder re 4 . ee or insinuated that those Members of the Corporation (Mr. Goodbehere) talked of the necessity of y who received favours or emoluments from the G. up to the King, with boldness and ceerg ; vernment were likely to be . influenced by them, he would say, that he believed he eves not inn.: was immediately attacked for unfairness. As to he to him in boldness ; but that be tholig:e affairs of Spain, he certainly was not the persoa.who language of boldness might be combined v. itii moved the Address to his Majesty on that occasion. He spect for the Sovereign. The Address whirl; he felt as ardently as any men for the deliverance ofSpain, the honour to propose went to the extent of tali for inquiry, and 'expressing regret and indignetiee and wished as much as any man, that every assistance should be given to the Spanish cause by this country. the squabbles amorg Ministers. It was tr ue, He did not, however, feel any confidence in the mea- he did not approve 01 censuring Lord Wellingten, sures likely to be adopted by Ministers, and•thought any other man, before inquiry ;and that he d:d think there was any necessity for telling the en, that his worthy friend (Mr. Quin) did, upon that that we conceived this to be an awful crisi. f. Ile occasion, carry rather too much sail, and too little ballast. His worthy friend did at that time not approve of the ideas thrown out by aw 0 appear to consider, that because his Majesty had Gentleman (Mr. Witithman) about reform, and made a declaration in favour of Spain, his Ministers not think it constitutional language to say, that would direct the force of this country wisely and people ought to controul the three branches of magnanimously for that object. He himself douhtel Legislature. He declared himself reedy to act very much of this, and wished to wait for the result as inCe . iendent motives as any man ; and that he before lie could agree to thank his Majesty's Mini- determined to maintain his character in spite of sters. It appeared to him that those who were loudest mow, abuse, or threats. in thanking Ministers for their wisdom and magna- Mr. J:\ i.xs made some further observations in an nimity in talking about the deliverance of Spain, to the attack which he thought had been made of should now be the most forward in calling for an in- purity of his motives. It was true that lie had gel quiry into the manner in which the public force had about five years ago, a patent for making been directed to that object. The worthy Gentle- water-proof, and .that Government availed tl man said that Sir Arthur Wellesley had exhibited a selves of this discovery for the great-coats of the a: great deal of courage, and therefore ought not to be but although they paid him a sum on this acct censured. This was, however, no reason why there yet he was no contractor, and thought he might ci should not be an inquiry ; for it now appeared that as much independence as any man. he had rushed into a country that he was little ac- 1 Mr. MAWMAN moved the previous question, w quainted with ; that he there found armies that he i . was immediately seconded. knew nothing of; and that he had advanced so far' After a long, desultory, and rather turn ultuow without having provisions, or knowing where they ! cussion, the previous question was at last put. were to he procured. These circumstances were ! On the division the numb a prima facie ground for inquiry. Besides these acts, i For the previous uonion. which appeared grossly imprudent, it seemed that Lord Wellington had calumniated the Spaniards, from whom it now turned out, that he had received much more assistance than he acknowledged in his dispatch. He wondered that these men, who were so tender about Sir Arthur Wellesley, should be so ready to vote for inquiry about Lord Chatham. In the opi nion he.had delivered of either of these Generals, he only spoke from prima facie evidence ; for if, upon in quiry*, it should turn out that either of them had been blameless, he was ready to be their friend as far as was in his power. At present he did think, that the advance of the British army into Spain was a most ostentatious display of valour on the part of the General. It was not his first mistake either; for in those transactions which preceded the Convention of Cintra hiS great anxiety appeared to be to gain laurels for himself, before those who wete to succeed him had joined. As for Lord Wellington, he really felt some curiosity to 'know where he now was, or what he was doing. The last important news from him was, that about four months ago he had made a most rapid retreat from the enemy ; but how he has been employing himself since that time, the country does not know, and Appears very little to care. They do not knew that he has rendered the slightest ser vice to the cause of Spain ever since his imprudent ad vance and rapid retreat. As to the revision of the measures already passed by a full Court, he so highly disapproved of it, that if he should be a Member of the next Court, he would move a standing order to prevent those things being done in future ; for, in the present case, it was those who complained that bad the least right to complain ; as they had left the hall and neglected what was their duty. The term aufd crisis, which had so much shocked the worthy She. riff, was an expression which had been used by his Majesty himself, in his speech to his Parliament, about a year ago. When he considered the calatni tolls events of the last war, he could, by no means console himself by reading passages from Hume or Adam Smith, or by hearing gentlemen descant upon the state of our commerce. After a variety of obse.-- vations applied to what had fallen from different Members, Mr. Waithman justified the Committee who prepared the original Address, for the topics therein contained. As to the reform of abases, he never expected that any reform could come from those who were themselves corrupt ; and the only reform he ever thought probable must be obtained by the voice of the people, expressed to the Government so distinctly, that the corrupt would be content to com promise, and give up half of what they unjustly held in order to secure the other half. wen?— Agaicst it. Theo Lord Mayor Aldermen Commons [tilers Aldermen Commons 'fellers K . 96 1061 The previous question was therefore carried by a majority of 18. The Address moved by Mr. Sheriff Atkins will ef course be presented to his Maje,ty on Wednesday rex.. Tlll4l Ev EN 'LNG s it. LONDON. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16. PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAV AT ONE. O'CLOCK, ler Cent. Ct.ns. for t pg. 71 7CI 71 3 per C. Red. as 141 —Exc' „Bills 9s to 12s. pr.—Om!. 21. PRICE OF S I'OCKS YESTERDAY. Batik Stock 277 f Long Ann. 18 to-i6ths 1 3 per Cent. Red. 69 MI It ttlia Stock for opg. 1950 3 per Cent. Cons. shut Each. Bills, 9s. 12s. pre. 4 per Cent. 84it I S'at‘ Lottery Tick. 1222. 1,5: 6 per Cent. Navy shut I Cun,. fur am 71 761 7 :1 For some days past the accounts received by almost every conveyance from the Peninsula, have contaned that species of rumours and surmises which we Lave generally found to be the precursors of ecnErme4 disaster, and we have beep daily expecting the tale to unfold itself. It is new some days since we announced that ti:.! army of La Mancha, commanded by General A:.Ei- ZAGA, which had advanced within three or four march of Madrid, had been compelled to retreat. — This intelligence is confirmed by dispatches received yesterday by Government from Seville ; and we LIP meat to say, that by the Spanish official acc.c.::•:t which has reached us, in the Seville Gazer.e, feat of this Spanish army appears to have been• scree cisive that it deserves rather to be considered complete route and dispersion—a check, endin7 . , prudent retreat.—The knowing ace the accouni which we have alluded: FROM THE GOVERNMENT GAZETTE EXTR: DINAItY, ot THE 23c1 " Two Dispatches have just been received the General Dos jtrAt CAnt.os de AREIZMIA, d 19th and 20th, in Turlcque and Daimiel, bot! which arrived at the - same time. Mr. DIXON thought that Gentlemen had little right to talk of aspersions io that Court, when they r.:col. - lected what aspersions were cast against it yesterday at the Common Hall. He wished to address that Meering as a Liveryman, but could not obtain a hearing. ft was true that the Gentleman opposite (Mr. Waithman) did succeed in obtaining a partial hearing for some Gentlemen ; but he did not wish to speak by any man's permission, hut claimed it as his right. It was highly improper for any Member of that Court to asperse the Corpor Won in another Court (the Common Hall). This had been done yester day, and was derogatory to the honour of the corpora tion, The worthy Gentleman (Mr. Waithman) had truly said, that be was not the mover of the Address on the Spanish business. No ! that Gentleman al ways took the safe and prudent part of waiting for the result, and was not in the habits of proposing any thing for the good of his country—(Loud .of Or der, order, and some coking:lions between Mr. Dir.ini and Mr. Waillisnan.) He concluded by expressing his • dissent to the original Address, as disrespectful to his Majesty. Mr. Sheriff ATKINS then rose and spoke for a con siderasle length of time in defence of the part which ' he had taken. As to the expression of " my Sove reri,,,T.," it was merely a mistake in the copying his , letter, which he was at that time too busy to revise. He acknowledged the kindness of the worthy Gentle. man (Mr. Waithman) in procuring him a hearing, but complained severely that the Lord Mayor had , not procured him a hearing.—(Loud cries of Order, Order ; Chair, Chair.) • The LORD MAYOR rose and appealed to the com pany whether these was any wan among them that la In the first he stAtes, that the. enemy ha attacked our army in the centre and on the :la: at °calla, but making their principal etTort agal our right, -.with a view to turn it, an obstinate resi ance was made for three hours, when they were pulsed by the division of the gallant Brigadier I,: but the superiority of the enemy's artillery calls dispersion, which übliged our army to retreat tE cover of our vanguard, and Gth division that Out -is considerable, but the enemy's not less so, as he repulsed several times by our infanta y, and the fire of the artillery. The Dispatch of the 2tith is as follows a EXCELLENT SEIGNEUR, 4 I arrived here this night, and to-morrow I proceed to Santa Cruz, where I have directed 01 fantry should join and the cavalry of this lisp( army will join in Manzanares, with the except:, n part of the second division, under the cc'n?lr,li Brigadiet Don Gaspar Bigodet, in order to checi enemy (whose advance hosts have t!is clay rea, Madridejos, and.of whose main body I know nothi not to permit his drawing near the Sierra NI(.1 and to preserve my supplies from La Nl:it:el:a. should it be possible for me, I will give y' lency an account of cur loss. i can, h0wc..., , r, is mean time, inform your Excellency, that it has very considerable in good Generals an,l which is the best proof that these have distil'V i ' themselves on this occasion with the greatest hone 11. r t Tait.; e t tt.f. ti: , le,n, :a rd unemp le • nd at t.... :t 11 w„s et C.t: on t!.._ cicte; thtn.• army t , vll.e.i Dm do. . , vied by will rf ty rex• Imost a':ned Lave rrne4 al: to it the et- * in ft nts 11-71: tteJ th aviilE,- Anks, s: re rO- - ; ILed tind7r !le in. )ersed n of a rd rf :k thc a, bed zer a !'hen her 'jeer isLo to.:r