Star. — London, England, 1809-04-03 00:00:00

COMMON HALL. S tirc ay, pursuant to a requisition, signed by . most respectable Livery of London, a was held, which was most numerously • •...-1•!!.. There were at least .5000 persons present. :. 1 1-a one o'clock the Right Hon. the LORD MAYOR c i. cd Guildhall, and proceeded to the hustings, ti . c al • • Ie had scarcely ascended , when the indigna - t i,, n cf the meeting was vented against him, with a r in ce and fury almost unexampled. Hissing, rs oe F. T o ',. t i n g, and hollowing, assailed him on all sides. — re peatedly attempted to address the Livery, but vain. The Hall was opened in dumb shew, for it v -•.; impossible to hear a word of the usual form of p - cee ding. The tumult at length subsiding , • 7 ' s,i r .l.Varrirmau came forward. He hoped he would tg excused the liberty which he took in requesting of e Hall to hear all persons who presented themselves b e h r e it with patience and impartiality. He consi dered it necessary to their own honour and charac ter. He felt as indignant as any man at dm conduct w hich the requisit io n of the Livery had received; y.d he was proud to say his &ism was not attached t o it, b ecau se he never would submit to such dicta tin. (Loud show of applause.) He appeared before them only from the request of several respectable Li verymen, and feared he would have to lament his want of ability in their cause. He felt himself, how ever, considerably relieved by the reflection, that the 0 1 -practices which they had met to consider were so ielf.evidently established, that there was not an int& T o a l in the land who was not competent to decide ; sue)who could bring himself to hesitate. (Loud It might be asked, why then were they ce lled together ? Because the decision of the House e goramons had been so directly opposite to that of t hose by whom they were delegated, that it was be come necessary for the people to express their unequi vocal sentiments on the subject—because also they would take care that the dauntless spirit of an indivi cilia!, who had done what various .Committees had failed in doing, should not be borne down—to take care that, when the Ministers, the Law Officers, and oval and military Commanders, with two solitary exc eptions, voted and arrayed themselves against the T eeple, Colonel Wardle should be supported in the exercise of his painful duty. (Cheers from all parts of the IMO It was an indubitable privilege of the people, insured to them by the Bill of Rights, that they might meet and petition Parliament on their grievances ; and was it to be borne, that any Chief Migistrate dare demand from those signing a requi sition to that effect, What particular abuses they corn pldin of ? (Lotto' cheers.) He would now tell what they complained of, andwilat his Resolutions would pcin: at. First he would allude to abuser, and 're solve that his Royal Highness the Duke of York con nived at them ; then he would move the thanks of the Livery to Colonel Wardle, and the honest men who supported him - ; -then he would notice the pro ceedings of the Hobse of Coalitions, which were. di rectly against the wishes and interests of the people. After all this, perhaps; he would say something con cerning the conduct of their own particular Represen tatives. ( Continued cheering.) Ministers had - com plained of popular clamour,--Where did it exist ? There was no doubt-kliat all had made up their minds upon the abuses which had been proved ; but it was also true; that till they had been fully proved, there was no indication of public opinion on the subject.— But uhy did Ministers dare to make such a charge upon the people—those very Ministers who had themselves originated a yell, not only to delude the House of Commons, but the public who elected them? Now the people ought to be clamorous : if they were indifferent—if they sawcoolly deviations against every principle of truth and integrity—then indeed he would exclaim the country is lost. (Loud cheers.) What reduced other countries ? The want of that freedom of spirit which in this reigned predominant. Had they the power of meeting and appealing on the first cymptom of corruption, we should not see them in their present melancholy situation. This right of the people of England they would firmly maintain— they would meet—not to overthrow the Govern ment—not to broach hpstility to the House of Bruns wick, but to preserve their Liberties inviolate (Enthusiastic applause,) This his Resolutions would plainly express. Now as to the conduct of the Lon- . don Representatives, (loud chart) 'ere the last elec tion he had felt it his duty to tell the people fairly that they ought not to trust such a deposit in the hands of such men ; though, this advice was rejected —though he was degraded by having such Represen tatives, still he must say they had not done much in justice ; he must say he was not disappointed at their conduct. What else could have been expected from them ? (Loud laughing.) They had said, how ever, that their minds ought to be left free ; that their constituents ought not to bias them. Well, they had been left free, and what was the consequence ? what impressions had those pure minds received ? What conviction powder had they swallowed ?—Why after the plainest proof of abuses, they had vote,. with Ministers against their constituents. But "they had voted from conviction ;" aye, and so had all the placemen, all the law officers, military and naval of ficers, all, all had voted from conviction, if. you would believe, themselves. But he would not believe them, nor would he believe, that if the whole country was polled, a number of men equal to the majority in the House of Commons could• he found to vote in same way, after what had been proved—(Loud ~ :cuts and cries of No, not a man, not one.) —The peo ple had been too long deluded . by propositions of re iwtn, by sham Committees, but hot one culprit had l•vn brought to justice, not one—until the dauntless te'rrity of an individual had wrought the miracle. ..,. 6 r.e people might see by this what one honest ;flan, ..ot afraid to raise his voice against corruptions could eifect. Many discoveries had been made corrup u)ns in the East India Company—all of which dis f"veries were to be attributed to Colonel Wardle. — nose various Committees had been appointed for Party purposes, and by men who were anxious to put at other men, and to gain their places.--meh who •`-ad affected much ardour and honesty, and yet the aders of the three parties of which the House of ( A•mtnons was composed had all voted against Colo- Wardle ! A few honest men supported him, a :!v• - disinterested stragglers !—(Loud cherre We ta.t.ri some adequate reform is wanted— ( A single was here heard, which created a loud tumuk ; cversal cries of Thrn Aim out, turn hint out !)—No, Mr. W. if thefc is a creaturo here, who, after C, What has been prom}, does not think a reform setea nary, he is not worth your anger—do pity and com passionate him—(Losz and continued clam).— It bad been said by an. able man, and confirmed by many since, that England can only be ruined by a Parlia ment. Other States had fallen, and England would also fallwhen the legislative bodybecame more corrupt than the executive. Let the lawyers say what they choose, the people should watch and scrutinize their Parliament ; they should keep this sound opinion in view, if they wished to hold what they most all ex• ult in and venerate. These were old principles, and old principles, in the present corrupt state, must be recurred to, and ought never to have been forsaken —(Loud cheers). After all the routine business was finished, perhaps the usual tribute would be rendered to the Lord Mayor—( Incessant clamour—shouts of No, no ! and hissing). I only say, said Mr. W. those who choose to do so may : for my part, I have no relish for it at all---(Shouts of applause). He said he would not now trouble them any longer, but he hoped they would hear all sides with impartiality. On the first Resolution being read, it was seconded by lar. Miller. Alderthan Sir WILLIAM CURTIS came forward to address the Livery, but from the violent hissing and hooting he experienced,could not be heard in a single word. The Loa]) MAYOR then came forward to intreat order, and endeavour to attain for each gentleman disposed to speak, a patient and impartial hearing, but with little effect; for when Sir W. Curtis again came forward, his reception was little better than be- Ere. He spoke for some time, but was scarcely au dible for a dozen st:ccessive words, in any thing like cc nnection. We could only collect from him, that to the Resolution not - : proposed (the 2d) he could not subscribe. It stated, that the system of Govern merit was corrupt—(clamours and hisses: " so it is, so it is, and yotiknow it") He was perfectly aware of the unfairness of the endeavours of parties in and out of Parliament, to criminate the Duke of York.— No man regretted more than he did, the abuses that had been proved in the course of the late Parliamen tary Inquiry to have existed : but still he was most firmly convinced from that evidence, that the Duke of York was free from all corruption and guilt, and upon that conviction he had given his vote. He knew that his worthy Friend who had brought forward these Resolutions, meant to say something respecting the Parliamentary conduct of the City Representa tives. On that he begged leave to say a few words . —(Hisses and clamour)—For himself, in that respect, he would say, the subject of the Inquiry lately before Parliament, had been taken up by so many able speakers, in speeches of three or four hours each, that he had little or no opportunity- of speaking his own sentiments, (No matter for your speeches ; how did you vote ? Clamours and hisca of long continuance.) It is my fullest convictioi , that although in the course of that Inquiry, abuses were proved to exist in the obtainment of Commissions in the Army, yet accord- , ing to the evidence and the principles of the law of ' the land, no corruption was proved against the Duke of York..(Hieses and clamours.) —He gave his vote conscientiously and from principle, and with the judgment of the first law authorities in the land. It was recorded upon the Journals of the House of Com mons, that some infamous practices had existed through the machinations of the Duke of York's mis tress ; but not with the connivance or privity of the Duke of York himself. He voted in the fullest con viction for that decision. He was no Placeman, no Pensioner, (but you are a Contractor, and a tool of the Ministers.) You lie! I voted according to my 'conviction and the best of my judgment. The Baronet, now assailed by hissings and groans from all quarters, was at length obliged to retire, without being able to attain a further hearing. Mr. QUIN next came forward under an auspicious reception fr In the auditory. He lamented that the worthy Alderman who preceded him, had not been able to obtain a favourable hearing ; but pledged him self at least not to be so forcible in -endeavouring to conciliate attention. With respect to the motion now before them, be should be not only ashamed to face the Livery, or to walk London streets if he did not support it, although he confessed himself hurt that his worthy Friend who brought forward the Resolutions now proposed, had not consulted him, as with all his ability, he had passed by many material points to which he should have adverted ; for instance, the character of the man who brought forward the In quiry in Parliament, and whose conduct, he was con vinced, had no other stimulus than the spirit of truth and the honest pride of character. Every man who heard him, that looked at the characters of public men in this country for some years past, must have been convinced there was something rotten in the con duct of the late Commander in Chief ; and yet there was not a man to be found who dared to propose In quiry, until Colonel Wardle appeared : a man till then only known to his country as a gallant soldier fighting against its foes, and almost unknown as a Member of Parliament, until rendered popular by his courage, perseverance, and ultimate success in an Inquiry, to deter him from which every system of threat and statagem had been exerted in vain, and to frustrate which every species of influence had been used ; on one hand, the promise of patronage ; on the other the dread of dismissal ; not a department of the state in which the influence of office was not exerted to procure votes against him. Age, tottering on the brink oi . the grave ; sickness, dragged from death beds ; the lame, hobblidg on their crutches ; and the blind, in their leading strings, were brought to the House of Commons to muster on the Treasury Benches, in support of the Minister and the Royal object of his defence. But in spite of the majority thus effected, the Commander in Chief felt himself forced to bow to the popular sentiment and to retire. Thus had the people gained a triumph, but still they had much more to atchieve ; for tho' the Royal Com mander in Chief had retired, how was he succeeded ? Why, by the identical Sir David Dundas, who, as President of a Court of Inquiry upon the subject of the infamous Convention of Cintra, gave his signature to a decision which sealed the humiliation and tar nished the glory of his country. But he v eril y be lieved the Duke of York, on-retiring from office, had left behind him his mantle, and that his successor was no better than his mere proxy. lie wished to vindi cate Mr Wardle - from the blame improperly thrown on him for thanking Ministers for their assistance in the 'l.Kap . His meaning might be couched in irons; ao fouls/Won was just, •for he bad no and - • Aare effectual in the cause, of that Inquiry, this the you maythank yourselves for it—(Auger Noe shosttity.) errors and imbecility of Ministers. The retirement I can solemnly declare, that, since ever I had tbk of the Duke of York was called for by the principles office T have the honour to hold, I have always acted 'of the Constitution. He concluded by congratulat- constitutionally."—( No, ne, no !)—The Chief Magis ing his fellow citizens on the triumph they had ob., trate retired to his seat, ?flitch agitated. tamed. Mr. Rowmtorr offered to address the auditory, but The first, second, and third resolutions having been was repelled by a cry of His Partner ! another Con put, were unanimously carried with applauses. trador ! The fourth was then proposed. The auditory were Mr. WAITHMAN then addressed the Livery, and clamorousfor including the name of Alderman Combe said he had a most important fact to state to them., and General Ferguson. -He, with them, had recent cause to complain of the Mr. Werrumee came forward and said, he had in conduct of the Lord Mayor, in refusing to convene reserve a particular resolution respecting the worthy a Common Hall, in consequence of a requisition re- Alderman for a more advanced stage of the pro- gularly and respectfully signed, and he now trusted ceedings, when the conduct of the City Represents- that as they had agreed with him upon that subject, fives should come under consideration ; and with so they would agree with hire that it was not consis regard to the name of General 7erguson, it was tent with the duty of any Chairman to point out to omitted only from the difficulty of selecting a few Englishmen what grievances they were to complain from so many men of talent and high character, who of.—( eiftedeure. ) • voted in the glorious minority of the 15th of March, The LORD MAYOR- 8 ' The question shall not be without giving offence to the rest. put." Mr. WILLIAM PAYNE however moved, by way of; Mr.WAITHMAN continued. It was the duty of ev:ry amendment, " that the name of General Ferguson be I Chairman to maintain order, and act impartially in introduced in the resolution," which was adopted, and , the Chair; and it was a violation of that duty, more the resolution passed unanimously. jespecially in a Chief Magistrate, to refuse to put .a Mr. Mderman COMBE expressed, shortly, hi s w arm question legally and regularly proposed to him by a gratitude for the partiality expressed by i nsert i ng hi s L iveryman. He would not have hesitated to put the name ; but he thought it better omitted, as other question, had it been a vote of thanks to himself— gentlemen of the minority, more able in eloquence but he defied any man to adduce an example of such and debate, were better entitled to it. He claimed conduct as that just now evinced, in any part of the no such distinction, merely professing integrity and kingdom, in a Magistrate elected by the people— a sense of duty in the vote he had given, although it might perhaps have happened in a She- The remaining resolutions were then severally put, • riff nominated and appointed by tlee Crown. But and unanimously agreed to. , here was a Magistrate elected by the Livery of Lon- Mr. WAITNMAN next proposed a vote of thanks to don, presiding this moment in the Common Hall, and Mr. Alderman Combe, for the support he had given refusing to put a question regularly proposed by to Colonel Wardle on the late occasion ; and for one of their own body. Such a conduct must be the his uniform independence, integrity, and incorrupti- greatest stain to his own character. The question, bility in Parliament ; after which, he said, he had however, was before the assembly ; it was moved and an unpleasant duty to perform ; but it was imposed seconded. Let the Chief Magistrate, if he chose, on him by acquaintances. It was extremely aukward persist in his refusal, and dissolve the Hall ; still the to him to propose any thing personally offensive to- Assembly could proceed to put another Alderman in wards men with whom he was in daily habits of in- the Chair, and pass the vote. cereourse, and men whom he wished at least to respect. I Alderman COMER now came forward with great The first object with a virtuous man was the appro- I warmth, and observed it was quite impossible for him, nation of his fellow-citizens :.this was then due when as a member of that respectable body, to sit tamely deserved ; but those who would be ready to receive present, and witness in mere silence the outrageous public thanks for their just deserts * should be equally conduct of the Lord Mayor. When a requisition was open to expect censure where it was due to their mis.! presented to him, signed by a number of that respec conduce Theopportunity of eleetionsseldom occurred I table body, for convening a Hall, for the pit-pose of to afford the livery an opportunity of marking their expressing their sentiments respecting the Convention sentiments towards their Representatives. The only ,of Cintra, he had the audacity to refuse, because, prompt means, then, and he feared they would be in- truly, there was a kind of mock tribunal appointed effectual, would be, to mark their sentiments towards inquire into that subject, the chief object of which the conduct of the other three of their Representatives, I was to screen his Majesty's Ministers from the share in the present Session especially, by a public declara- 'of blame due to them on th'tt occasion. Another re tion. The mode by which those men constantly ex- quisition was presented to him last week, for conven cused themselves for violatieg the trust, and betray- ing a Common Hall upon the subject discussed this ing . the, sentiments, of their constituents, was, by 1 day ; but he chose to refuse his assent, forsooth, be laying their hands on their hearts, and appealing to I cause it did net suit his own ideas ! as if the Lord their honours and consciences. But it was in vain Mayor was to be every thing in the City of London, that he looked to their conduct for any thing like ho- and the Livery nothing. It was true, that as no nour. They had from time to time supported all ', meeting of the Representatives of the Country could Administrations and all principles ; and on one oc- be constitutionally called a Parliament, unless con casion he heard, that where the worthy Alderman vened by the Crown, so no meeting of the Livery who last spoke voted against Mr. Pitt when in a could be called a Common Hall, except convened by minority, it was ieniarked by that statesman, that so the Lord Mayor. But was the meeting of Common long as he had any thing to give, he never wanted , Halls to rest upon the mere discretion of a Chief Ma .the support of the worthy Baronet. Mr. Waith.' gistrate ?or are the rights of the Livery of London man then, adverting to some allusions made by Ito be trampled upon through the mere caprice of the Mr. Whitbread, in the House of Commons, to the I Magistrate chosen by themselves-? (Applauses.) He votes given by the two worthy Baronets in the last I hoped the Lord Mayor would see the prudence of re division against the Duke of York, in which he corn. I lazing from so rash a purpose. pared them to birds of pre , pouncing upon a dead Mr. RowcaoFT, obviously labouring under' severe carcase, observed that he thought the fable of the bodily illness, endeavoured in vain for some time to Sick Lion equally applicable to their case, for when obtain a hearing, but met so much interruption, that the royal beast was sick to death, and unable to we could collect', and but imperfectly, the substance defend himself, the minor beasts he had injured came. of his observations. They were to the effect that a te revile him with their wrongs. But when the dull great deal too much heat had been shewn upon this ass came to fling his heels in his face, the royal ani. subject, which no man regretted more than he did,' mal exclaimed, " Injuries from others I can bear But he should always argue there, and any where in with resignation ; but to bear insult from so vile an England. the right of an impartial hearing to all animal as an ass is to die an hundred deaths." (Loud sides: With respect to the Resolution now proposed, and continued laughter). Thus, continued the speaker, he thought if the ground had been well and calmly the Royal Duke must have felt those votes of the two 1 considered, it would not have been urged ; for the Baronets as the severest of his afflictions. But the Lord Mayor, in declining to comply with a requisi third Representative (Alderman Shaw) never came tion which was contrary to his own sense of proprie. into the House, and offered no kicks, because he might I ty, in exercising a sound discretion, did no more than hope one day to ask favours. Mr. Waithman cor- his sworn duty, upheld by his constitutional right; eluded by proposing his Resolution of Thanks to Al- for it was his duty to take into the most mature con derman Combe, which passed unanimously ; and Al- sideration every requisition, and upon the best advice derman Combe, in handsome terms, expressed his he could obtain from his fellow Magistrates (of the thanks. 26, of whom he was but one, though the chief) as to I . The Vote of Censure on the Conduct of the other the nature of the sub j ect u p on which he was re q uired tnree City Members was then moved byMeWaithman. to convene a Common Hall, and to refuse if he con- Alderman Cum's, Alderman PRICE, and Alder- ceived that the subject was • not fit and worthy the man Snit,/ severally came forward, but could not I consideration of a Common Hail ; and he was also obtain a patient or intelligible }raring. We could bound by his official oath to attach himself to no collect no more through the hissing and clamour that ; party, but to do impartial justice on all sides; but if prevailed, but the substance of their respective decla- the question was not settled before, it was high time rations, that in their votes in vindication of the Duke to settle it now. of York, they had voted to the best of their judgment, I The clamour for the question was so great, that and according to their full conviction from the tenor I the speaker was obliged to desist ; when of the evidence adduced. The LORD MAYOR rushed forward, and said, that, The Resolution was put and carried unanimously although contrary to his own inclinations, yet, for the with applause and exultation. I sake of the peace of the City of London, the resolu- Mr. then came forward, and alluding tion should be put—aye! and he would put It him to something that had fallen from a worthy Baronet . self. His Lordship then put the resolution, which in hi, speech, charg i ng him with having once given was carried in the affirmative, with some six or seven him a vote at an election, said he should certainly in- j hands in the negative. cur just blame if he suffered such an imputation to go Mr. QUIN then congratulated Mr.Waithman on his .unexplained. It was in a case where the worthy Ba-. success in a motion, which he only in the present As ronet was opposed to a person of his political princi- sembly, like Mr. Wardle in the House of Commons, pies, and therefore a matter to himself of mere indif- had the courage to bring forward ; and he concluded terence which of them he voted for, except indeed by moving to Mr. Waldman a vote of thanks, which that he could know at all times what the worthy Ba- ' passed unanimously, and for which Mr. Waithman in ronet intended ; for he openly avowed himself the turn expressed the deepest gratitude as a mark of the supporter of all Administrations, e hereas his oppo t approbation of his fellow-citizens. nent was more iesidious. He then proceeded to no- The resolutions (for which see our front page) were tice the conduct of the Chief Magistrate, in refusing then ordered to be published in all the morning and to comply with a requisition, duly signed by a num- evening papers, and the meeting was dissolved. ber of respectable Liverymen, for convening a Corn- I mon Hall.; and he read to the Assembly the resolu tion he proposed to offer in censure of the conduct of the Chief Magistrate on that occasion. (Loudapplattre.) The LORD MAYOR immediately came forward, un der the influence of much warmth and agitation, and, addressing' the Gentlemen of the Livery, said he'con. ceived the resolution just read to be a reflexion upon his conduct, and a censure upon himself— (A general exclamation of Exactly'ro ; that is just what we mean!) If then (said his Lordship) I could suffer such a resolution to be put, I should feel that I was lost to every sense of a Briton and an Englishman—(Loud clamours, hisses, and exclamations of 0j off, off!). If I am ft iced to do any thing which is not correct, OXFORD MEETING.—A Court of Common Council was had in the city of Oxford, on Wednesday last, when Mr. ADAMS moved for a Vote of Thanks to Mr. WARDLE, for his recent public conduct. This was opposed by Mr. W. SLATT za, who thought that a fever had been created in the public mind, which might lad to consequences of a very serious kind. He admitted that Mr. WARDLE had discharged his duty in an honourable man+ ncr, but feared that the motion might be made a rallying point Ivr disaffected and bad men. A severe lesson had been read to the Duke of YORE, and he trusted the Government * would learn a useful lesson, before it was too late, and not suffer abuses to 'exist which must naturally tend to weaken the en'rgies of the n uion, and, in the end, alienate the minds of the people from the love of their country. The K)sio was become an old man, who had long reigned beneficially for his people, and he would not be willing to wound his feelings unnecessarily. No reply teing made to these auggtotions, the motion was withdrawn. 7