Star. — London, England, 1819-07-24 00:00:00

I I ~ R r t could not help expreasiug some surprise why his Worthy Friend (Aldermaa Wood) had not done the same to the author of the Spa-fields bill, who had so wickedly endeavoured to inveigle the feelings of the , public. He should offer a reward also to discover those persons who were instigating the people to acts of violence on the late occasion : " and, continued he, "if 1, standing before you and the rest of my countrymen, should screen any person froth justice, I should merit the contempt and condemnation of you all. Fall on whom the guilt may, I shall feel it my duty to hold him up to the general execration of all the classes in the community. Mr. S. DIXON remarked, that the name of the Lord Mayor would go down with credit to posterity, on account of his conduct on the late occasion, in spite of the malevolent opposition which some interested individuals were directing against it. Even if he had been mistaken, his conduct ought not to have been so violently attacked, as all mast allow that he was acting on what he thought was the best. A warrant had come to him from the country regularly backed, and if he had failed to execute it, those who were now the first to condemn him for his ardent zeal would then have been equally ready to censure him for his timidity. If the same vigorous conduct had been pursued lay other Magistrates as had been pur sued by the Loid Major, the country would not have had to lament many of the evils under which it was at present labouring—(/icar, hear). Alderman &HOLEY expressed his marked appro bation of the Lurd Mayor's behaviour ni Wednes day last. Mr. GRIFFITHS was with his Lordship enWednes day last, in Giltspur-street C,olnister;4l4l on hit Lordship's asking him, on.the.receipt of the jarrant tc apprehend Harrison, what was to be done . he.iss plied, " that there was only one thins 'to be den, and that was his duty." . He had advised his terd ship to have two horsemen to convey his ord4tii.lae l had likewise assisted in the execution of the warrant, deeming it to be his duty not to be backward on such an occasion. Indeed, he should always be found first in the held, and last out of it, when any danger threatened the metropolis—(laughter). He consi dered the Lord Mayor to be entitled to the gratitud: of his fellow-citizens, for the active part which he had taken in the arrangements of Wednesday. Alderman Noon had another question to ask of the Lord Mayor, and that was, whether he was aware that a number of Life Guardsmen had been stationed in the Green-yard--(hear, loner)? Knowing that all interference of the military power had been most strongly deprecated in the Court of Aldermen, he thought it incumbent on the Lord Mayor to explain the circumstance. They were not secretly but openly rsted there, and though they were only three in number—(a loud laugh from Mr. Dixon mid others) kept perpetually parading the streets in the vicinity. Li the -remarks which his Lordship had just offered to the Court, he had made an error, which he (Al ckrrnan Wood) deemed it necessary to correct. In- slead of allor.ing the author of the placard, " Spa fields. Now, go it, my boys," to escape with impu vity, he had made both him and the publisher of it find bail for the offence which they had committed. lit had subsequently done every thing in his poWer to have them brought to trial; but the Court of Al dermen were averse to thAt proceeding . then, from an idea that they had no wrong intentions in pub lishing the placard, which, however, he could not help denominating as atrocious a placard as ever was posted in the streets of the metropolis. With regard to the attacks which had been made upon himself by a Gentleman on the floor, he must say, that they troubled him very little—( Hear,hear ). Ilis public c‘, iduct had received such a reward from his fellow- citizens as had never, scarcely, been bestowed on . anv Citizen of London, before him—(loud cheers); and, therefore, he had no occasion to shrink from any animadversions which that Honourable Gentle. man might think proper to make on him. Warmly as he was attached to the best principles of liberty, still he would maintain his loyalty to be equal to that of the most loyal Member of the Court ; indeed, his whole life, fur the last nine or ten years, bad been sacrificed to the service of the public, and employed in the preservation of tranqnillity and order--Vrear). Ile was not much in the habit of reading the Public Papers, or of noticing what they contained : he had, however, observed that some of them had said that he was riding in Smithfield on Wednesday, between' eleven and twelve o'clock. Now, there was no foun dation whatsoever for such a report he had indeed been there on horseback about half-past nine o'clock in the morning; he had ridden through it, because it was his nearest road to the place where the Gentle men who had volunteered to act with him were sta tioned: at that time in the day when the Papers re presented him riding through the crowd in Smith -field, he was with the volunteers of his own ward. Mt. WILLIAMS thought, that on a question of such dencaOlia the present., they ought to proceed with delicacfand with temper. As an individual, he was aware trust lie had no right to censure the I4 rd Mayor's conduct ; but when his Lordship appealeto the Court, he had an undoubted right to deliver his opinions en that conduct. The Worthy Alderman (Woithman) had been attacked, and it would have been cowardly in him not to have replied to that at tack: That Gentleman stated, that peace and good order would be preserved, if the military and consta _ _ • and its this, undoubtedly, feeling : indeed, the greatest the earnestness and zeal of of hear). In saying this, Lorn Mayor, who, he ad ireseive the public peace, military in Ctiltspur-street, lounging about ; he con-, thus to tempt the idle and sways to be found at such appearance of an armed force -'t out of sight, unless their ap v. The Worthy Alderman impropriety of sending a : crowd to arrest Harrison. right to do so, no one at tamly it was unwise to do , Lordship were as anxious as he was to preserve it, he more effectual step to create breach of the peace commit , persons.who are enemies to a police ;officer, rode into the Meeting, and finding 'sortie obstruction in the crowd, drew a loaded horsepistol, and presented it at those a i r i red This man was taken before the Worthy dermal; whose conduct -the Lord Mayor censured, and who, with great credit to. his judg ment, committed him (the officer) to prison. With respect to the Lord Mayor, he had only to state, that if his zeal had not beenteld in by his Brother Alder men, the Meeting would not hive terminated so quietly—(Hear, hear). There were no men so anxi ous to preserve the public peace as the constitutional friends of Reforni—( Cheers). They issued no sedi -tious hand-bills or pamphlets—they employed no Castles or Olivers to delude and ensnare the people— they used no efforts to disturb the public peace ; on the contrary, they were always to be found at their post in the hour of danger, and were ever foremost to teppress riot and preserve good order—(Hear, hear). Mr. JACKS was surprised at the degree of party feeling which had been manifested during this dis ctission. If he could collect any thing of what was urged against the Lord Mayor, it was his having `arrested Harrison in the middle of the Smithfield Meeting. But it should be recollected, it Was hit Lordship's duty to have done so, twill by any nth- Once in performing that duty the man Itsdeseaped; • the Lord Mayor would be liable'to artsic** fer tioe hiving arrested him—( Hear, hear). ' ••••-•" Mr. OLtirrisre said, no man respected the- , 'Magistrate more than he did, yet he could not help expressing his surprise thathis Lordship Should 140* 'used the words indecent and " intemperate,'' in speakidg of the conduct of the worthy Aderrna (Waithman). If he might be allowed to make use of 'the organ:eat= ad honitnem, he would call his Lord ship's attention to an observation made by him a few' days since to a Member of that Court (Mr. N. Wil liams). ig If," said your Lordship, ,‘ that Gentleman has any thing to say to me as Mr. Atkins, he had better take an opportunity of saying it elsewhere."— ahe Lord Mayor shook his head, as if, denying hovisz used , those words).—He, in his turn, would say,' that if"-those words were to be used, they had better be used elsewhere—(Hear, hear).—He was• aware that oft the day in*question hisLordihip had a very ardnot4 duty. to pet form—a duty, in the per formance of which even men of very strong minds might have erred as well is his Lordship. If any thing' had occurred likely to disturb the Meeting, it was the arrest of Harrison before the close of die Meeting. It would have been Truth more judicious, as well as more convenient, to have set persons to watch him until the Meeting • had dispersed, than to endanger the public peace by such a proceeding. Of the Ra dical Reformers he believed aere was but one opinion. He always viewed them with alarm ; he questioned their motives, and doubted their. conduct. If there was any thing which could alter his opinioni towards them, it was the mildness of their conduct when a leading partirm of theirs was arrested before so large a Meeting. He again repeated, that his Lordship's duties were of an arduous nature, but he trusteJ drat when the irritation of the moment had sulisided. he would perceive that the expressions which he had ap , plied to the worthy Alderman, were not proper to be used in that Court. ' Mr- Sluts expected that a vote of thanks to the Lord Mayor would have been eagerly proposed by his brether Magistrates, as this had net been done, he should propose it before he sat down. He was present at what took place between Alderman Waith man and the Lord Mayor, but he should not attempt to raise the question on that Gentleman's conduct, were it not that he himself commenced it. Mr. Waitliman wrote to his Lordship, that the firemen were seen in Smithfield, and expressed his disappro bation.of their being allowed to make their appear ance. Mr. Alderman Wood had himself explained the reason why those men were in Smithfield. Ile (Alderman Wood) said he had merely passed through that place in going to the place- of his duty. So it was with the firemen, only three or foul of them had appeared, and it was only in passing along to the rendezvous appointed for them. He (Alderman Waithman) also wrote a letter to his Lordship, corn• plaining that the military were in the city ; those, however, were only three Gentlemen • of the City Light Horse, who were going to the posts assigned to them. When Harrison was brought into Giltspur street, Mr. Waithman entered (this he declared on his honour to he the fact) and that with a violent ma' :ion of his hands, and in a loud tone, protested against such a proceeding—this was done in a manner quite unbecoming one Magistrate to another. Ile added, that if any blood should be shed, or any violence take place, it would he his Lordship's fault.' The Lord Mayor asked, if he was aware that he had merely done his duty in arresting the prisoner—that he had done so on a regular warrant. Mr. Wahl man also, on seeing some Gentlemen- of the City Light Horse in the streets, protested against their ap pearance in so loud a manner, that the mob who heard him, hooted and hissed those Gentlemen.— He could assure die Court, that his Lordship mani fested the most laudable anxiety to preserve the pub lic peace. Several Gentlemen offered to tale; down that bloody flag whicth bore the words .g Liberty er liireadi," but his Lordship refused to allow any thing, to be done inconsistent with the public peace. He, concluded by moving a vote of thanks to the Lord Mayor, for the able and judicious arrangements be had made on the 21st instant, for the preservation of the public peace of the city ; which arrangements the Court considered as not only adequate, but fully ef fectual in so doing. Mr. Jury seconded this Motion. It was his Lord ship's duty to arrest Harrisoa as he had done; and any delay in executing the warrant would have been a dereliction of his duty to the Public. He was en titled to the warmest thanks of his fellow-citizens for conduct on that day. Mr. Puta.zu detailed the measures taken by the Sheriffs to co-operate with die-Lord Mayor ia pre serving the peace of the City. Mr. Alderman WAITIIMAN felt himself called upon to make a few observations, in answer to what had; fallen from some Gentlemen on the other side. lie . had not the slightest intention of entering into the private observations which had passed between the Lord Mayor and him. He trusted the Court would do him the justice to believe that he was aCtuatedhj higher motives than any of a personal nature.. He hoped it would be allowed,ihataii•far as, In . hilinisty, he had given the Chief Marntrate every • support, Rid that even where the conduct of that' O ffi cer' was Blameable in a private way, he had passed it thine- tact.' moat venueman stai V ./; order would be preserved, ii .bles,were kept out of sight, i ••• : haexpressed the general fee tear 'entertained was from t/ his Lordship---(Lood cries • 1 . :1 lie.meant no offence to the] • , ,-, . A :flitted, was anxious to pr g 4 lie himself had seen the n 1 1 • ;. •; • t , and also several constables . ' -, sidered it extremely wrong I .! i . i ill.slisposed, who were alsi ~ Meetings. Every appear l' ought to have been kept ou A varance became necessary. had also alluded to the ii • posse of constables into the 1 fiat his Lordship had a r tempted to deny; but certl so at thai time; sod if his, for a breach of the peace as ; • . could not have taken a mor 1 • ' diituFbance. The only bre! tea was by one, of those pei all Ile/orris,. A stout man, .1, • 4 , •‘• . .. .. . . - hidettrarin Oka .{iced. As tia The Gentleman illir. smith) who saw end described his temper and manner, he should leave k to the Court to decide whether that gentleman, the lArli Xayor, or himself, displayed most ill temper? On the day in question he found he had an Important ' duty to perform. It was immaterial whether the Court or the Public thought he had acted improperly; he felt in his own breast a conviction that he had acted to the best of his judgment, and nith that con viction he rested perfectly satisfied. It was somewhat extraordinary that after he had summoned his Ward, and acquainted the Lord Mayor that he was placed at St. Sepulchre's Church, he should remain, up to half-past eleven o'clock, ignorant of the place where his Lordship had taken his stand—the Sheriffs and several of the other Magistrates were in the same situation. It was said that no soldiers had been ad mitted into the City ; but himself had seen three. He knew not whether they belonged to the Life Guards, but they wore red uniforms, and were mounted on Mack horses with long tails. This he conceived to be *Tong, as the Court of Aldermen had desired that neither the military nor constables were to make their appearance, unless the preservation of the public ace rendered it necessary. The Gentleman who ke of what passed at Giltsput-street, had stated i ? at was not the fact. He had been informed that itipciise of constables (30 or 40) had taken a man , fiirstn the centre of the sneering ; he thought such a Ooceeding injudicious, though he did not then enter him the motives of the Chief Magistrate. If, how eirer, he had been the Chief Magistrate, he would live taken the responsibility of a delay upon himself, tether than have risked the consequences of sending thirty men into a meeting of 10,000 men fdr such a purpose. Having heard of what was going on, he went out and saw another posse of constables make their appearance; there were at least 100. This was after the man was taken. He asked, it they had his Lordship's directions to appear ?—they answered in the affimative. The appearance of those men created an alarm in the public mind, lest the meeting should be irritated at the appearance of the constables.— He went to Giltspur-street to the Lord Mayor, but he did not protest against what had been done. Ile asked his Lordship if he was aware of the conse quences of what he was doing, or if the Constables bad acted by his directions—(No, no, from Mr. Smith). He was confident lie was correct in his statement, as he could depend implicit! , on his me mory. He Lordship said he had backed ' the warrant for Harrison's arrest. " I shall not," said Mr. Wald:- man, " state how I was received by his Lordship. Those who know the kind complaisance and pleasing urbanity of his Lordship's manners, would doubt the truth of my assertion, if I stated the manner in which I was received"—(Laughing). He would not con tradict any statement of his Lordship, as he had a high respect for the office which he filled ; but be trusted he miplit be permitted to contradict the Gen tleman over the way (Mr. Smith), and the more particularly ,i his character was concerned. That Gentleman had made a broad, he would not add a eon misstatem.an, and that too on a subject on which be knew nothing. He (Mr. Waithirian) was said to have insulted some Gentlemen of the Light Horse, and to have excited the mob against them,. This was not the fact. There was no insulting—there • sno tumult—there was no mob. There were some respeCtable Gentlemen, special constables, present, to whom he went up and asked, rather earnestly, whether they were acting by the directions of the Lord Mayor ? They said they were. He knew it was settled that no constables were to appear. Had he not a right then in his own Ward to make inqui ries, and warn away any persons whose appearance was likely to give rise to disturbance? Had he not a right as a Magistrate, as well as a Representative of the City, to use his exertions to preserve the pub lic peace ? --(Hear, hear.)—He before said, and he now repeated, that were it not for the firmness of the Court of Aldermen, the military would have been called in, and all attempts to prevent disturbance would have been unavailing. " When I applied to Ilis Lordship," said Mr. Waithman, " I was told' (speaking hastily and with a motion of his head and' hands) that his Lordship had no tirn,:. ; that he could not listen to me ; that he was justified in what he had done," S:c. He concluded by observing, that his Lord ship was not to be thanked for the quietness with which the Meeting was conducted. The Lotto MAvon said, that any one who hull read his circular to the diffet Ent Wards, must know that his object was to provide a sufficient civil power to preserve the public peace. At the same time he felt indignant that a few persons should, by calling a large assemblage together, be the means of keep ing honest industrious persons from pursuing their business for a whole day. He applied to the Court of Aldermen, who immediately placed the most unlimited confidence in him. They requested him to provide a sufficient number of constables, promising that they would most cheerfully pay the expense which would be incurred. It was stated that it was, not 'mous-, where he had taken up his station. He aid not conceive jt proper this, it should be generally known, nor indeed did he himself know at first where l hii presencevould be mat required. He hid, how ever, directed that two intelligent persons should be selected from every Ward, to communicate hourly with him, and that by attending at the Mansion- House at eight o'cloik on Wednesday morning, it would be known where he intended to place himself. —This was made known to 'the Aldermen of each Ward. He could prove that it was so known; and further, that though thiworthy Alderman (Waith- I man) did not so attend, WO knew where he (the Lord Mayor) was at half-past tin o'clock— (Hear, hear.) Here his Lordship °read two letters received from Mr. Waidrman, in which he represented that the fire arm and militart were to be seen in the streets, and 'pointed out the impropriety of their being thus ex posed before the populace. Those letters hereeeived before eleven o'clock. A MEMBER here asked, whether the letters hadnot been sent to the Mansion House ? The LoaD MAYOR.—" They curie to Giltspur itreet, where I then was." Mr. Alderman AITHMAN.--4 They were cer tainly sent by me to the Mansion House, as I did nut 'maw where Else to find the Lord Mayor'—(littar.) The LOAD MAYOR said, he never-had in contzm- I r:tion to call in the military. Before the morning did riot know where to - take-up his station; but he bad drderett that a confidential person should be sent from each Ward to the Manzion House by eight on y an sta ou h b a a le d , s e r in: l ;,s ze i Th a e fa ns o ty n yb o ol u uo o r r a d b l Honourable e sending shlde7 o'clock on that morning, to learn wher e ,the room where he was, and said, My , b found. ;;;;;e andst vi of it." He replied by begging not to be con; .Si unheard, and not to have any of his admonitio e'. ty, again accused the Worthy Alderman of intemp e at ,'' ter and said, that if he had said so in public, he -4 ; . fi have ordered him into custody. siti Mr. Peeesote said, the Lord Mayor rater 1, known that Harrison had previ ous ly g i ven bi nt Stockport. He had been decoyed to town le ,1 ;In ter purporting to have been written by the e'..; s of the Commit tee. Mr. Pearson concluded By '" ') that while the Court gave every m er i t to th e ,„ 01 of Aldermen for the measures taken by it to the peace of the City, by means of the civil 1 ; yet they deprecated the appearance of person litary attire in the streets on the 21st Pet. it Mr. FA FEL seconded this motion. After sor e : ther debate, it The Court divided, Ald. Can. For the Amendment 2 25 . s. Against it - - 7 6s. Majority against the Amendment The original t,ution was then put and carried :as vi.s •. •1 Vote of Thanks to the Aldermen fur their cond.:4o. ca y ct day last,—See Adtretimesseut. a, Til E E V ENLNG STA R rri, es' LONDON. • SATURDAY, JULY 24, 1819. THE FUNDS. WC! OF STOCKS THIS oA.y AT 0111 t OtI.CCS: Rank Stock 228 2'29 it 3 per Cent. Iteduced 70 . i 71 CI per Cent. Consols 70;1;1- .Si per Cent. 78+-1 ,er Cent. 891 i 5 per Cent. Navy 1011 10.5 a t • ; Bank Long Annuities 18 13-16 13-16 India Bonds 8 6 7 prc. ie Exchequer Bills (2d.) par 2 pre. Commercial 2G discount • Omnium 2it 31 prc. 1 Consols for Acct..7ol; It .r. The proceedings in the Court pf Common Con. yesterday are given in our columns this day. them speak for themselves. We are happy that , Smithfield Meeting terminated without misc i e f As to the policy or irnpoiicy of arresting Haim during the meeting, it need not now be discussed. might have produced irritation. That it did net, nisbes a strong proof that the sentiments which . vade the mass of our immense population +rehire uI a sic to peace aad subordination. As to the infor • communicated to the LORD MAYOR, on oath, of diabolical plot to fire the City and murder the •.• bitants, it is well that it has been stated ; for the '• has thus a pledge that the business will be .ifed the bottom. Indeed, this is indispensably regki • for it is certainly not impossible that in such lation there may be found some insane p.esons, the three or four who, after the Spa-ields Meetly, set off to summons the Tower to surrender! but it equally possible that this sworn plot and the infae•• 3 bill that was stuck up on the morning of meet', ed were the work of an Oliver. However this may it was the duty of the LOAD MAYOR to act on the formation he had received, and he would have . • y highly to blame had he done otherwise. Had a , madmen attempted to fire the City (for what e not madmen do ?) how would his Lordthip stood in the eye of the Public had it come out i• wards that, forewarned of the intention, he had his eyes to the danger and neglected to use the nl cessary precautions ? Let the matter be sifted to bottom. As the information has been received c. , oath, of course the informant can lead to the proo' s e If not, let him be treated as be may deserve; and Public know the name of this new Oliver. et The Paris Papers of Wednesday arrived thisl. noon. The Duke of RICHELIEU has returned to Paris M. REY, of Grenoble, has been struck off the ; 2 of Advocates by a decision of the Council of Di , pline of the Faculty of Advocates of Paris, for ce taint expressions injurious to the Government and i a Charter, contained in two complaints signed by !)I k. as Advocate, against General DONA DIEU and Ns hidividuals,-" accused of assassination." The discussion between the Bavarian Govern... and Legislature on the subject of the army expel• has taken an extraordinary and rather unplete turn. The Minister has caused to be published 4 the Journals a letter written by the KING to WREDE, in which his MAJESTY expresses in sus : terms, how much he is hurt by the opposition w:r o. he has experienced from the Chamber of Depot It is in these terms I owe it to my army and kingdom not to allow the former to be weak • I I have, therefore, my dear Marshal, made knows the Minister of War, that, from the Ist of Oct o , ko next, there will be paid out of m 7 Cabinet I re 25,000 florins per month to the military chest. r . cl fortunately many poor people will be the suiero c. let those answer for it who wish to prevent ale ..• supporting the dignity of my Crown and fulfil , my duties as a Member of the Confederation. (Signed) " MAXIMILO " Nyrnphenbourg, June ^6." This publication has not produced the effect %lc was probably anticipated from it. In a public of the 9th instant, Deputy SEYFFERT, insisted:' tile retrenchment of ammo florins on t he v 1 I