Star. — London, England, 1806-09-19 00:00:00

I I II V ii i~ IrE37MIIvSTER MEETING. Yefterday, purfnant to requifition, a very flume. roue and relpellable Meeting of the Eleltors of We%idler took place at the Crown and /anchor Tavern. The room was quite crowded- by / twelve o'clock. In the orcheflra there were come, ladies, among whom, we underttand, was Mrs. SHIRIDAN. About half after twelve, Mr. SH ERIDAN, accompanied by: feveral of his friends, was announced at the door, and he was received with loud applaufes, which con tinued until he had taken his feat. After lime preparatory arrangements at the upper table, Mr. WISHART was called to the Chair, and ad dreffed the company to the following effect " Gentlemen—l feel truly fenfible of the honour you have done me ih calling me to the Chair upon the prefent occafinn. It is the firft time in my life in which it is with forrow and reluctance that I have obeyed your commands; but yon would deem me unworthy of the honour of Inch a diflintlion among the Independent Eleflors of the City of Weflminfter, if I did not participate in the general grief of the irre parable tors which we have fuftained by the death of our late venerated friend and member—a lots not merely to the City of Weflminfter, not merely to this kingdom. but to the whole world—and that at a momentous cribs, which will, for a long time, be confidered as a national calamity. You have been called together- by Public Advertifement, to confider of a proper perfon tu be put in nomination as your Reprefentative in Parliament, in the room of that tried Patriot—that pre eminent Statefman—that Friend of Liberty, and that lover of his Country, whom you fo long favoured with your fupport, who fo long honoured you with his attachment, and who, for a (cries of years, fupported your Li berties, and defended your Rights—the Era wilt of whole heart was to ameliorate the condition of the unfortunate every where, to replace this country, in its former late of freedom, and to preferve what re. "pained of the freedom of Europe from the grafp of a daring aed ambitious Defpot. His great objed was to fee his country rife in fplendour, and to prefer., its liberty; and his brilliant and matchlefs talents were exerted for that purple ; while the urbanity of his manners in his intercourfe with Fo. reign Courts, and the means he took to preferve what was left to them of their liberties or independence, made him the admiration of furrounding nations.— In the nomination and fupport of another Candidate to reprefent yen in Parliament, to fucceed that Mut . - trims Charaßer, we muff not look for his equal, be canfe that it would be impofbble to find ; bust the perfoa whom I apprehend you will fupport, will be a man of honour and independent principles, whole conduß will be modelled on the principles of Mr. Fox—true Englifh principles, which endeared him to every honourable man in the kingdom ; principles which will thew that your Reprefentative is warthy of being re-dated by you on a future oceafion— Gentlemen, I !ball endeavour to thew an impartiality in my conduß ; and I troll you will preferve that decency, order, decorum, and filence, which the me lancholy event that is the occafinn of our meeting, as well a s your preterit feelings, diltate to you. I hope you will thew that refpeß for the memory of our lately departed illutlrious Statefman which it merits; and that cannot be done by (bouts, and can only be aided by oblerving se folemn and profound (Hence. I have now only to die, whether any one of the Gen tlemen who figned the Requifition, upon which this Meeting has been convened, has any thing to offer ? hi has, I will thank him to come forward and to flare it." -'Mr. GRAHAM—"That appears to me to be un sreeeffary ; the reading of the Requifition will to& ictently explain the purpofe of our meeting." The CHAIRMAN—" I took the Chair at the ex peels &fire of Mr. Sheridan. I underhand it to be theeonilant cuflorn, notwithflanding that the adver tikment (peaks the purpofe of every meeting of this kind, for fume one of the Gentlemen who figned the Requifition to corns forward and hate his fentiments to the meeting. I will, however, now read the Re quituton, and any Gentleman may come forward and put ',horn he &cafes in nomination."—Here be read the R eqtrific ion. Mr. bENNIS O'BRIEN.—" As my courfe, on this occafinsi s is extremely clear, my fpcech hall be extremely fort. I had been led to think that my Lord Percy was ineligible to reprefent this city in Parliament.. Corrected in that mifionception, as I apr, I have to fay, that I might as well contend with my Lord Percy for the honour of reprefenting in Parliament the City of Wettminfler, as I would have contelled in the art of war with his heroic and illuf trions anceflor, Harry Hntfpur, as a General in the fifld of battle to command an army. As the Noble Lord is nr t ineligible, I take the liberty of propofing for your choice, as your Reprefentative in Parliament, (and I do not conceive that any one can be more eh. gible) Lord Perey."—(6borscr of applauji.) The CHAIRMAN.—" Gentlemen, yon have heard my Lord Percy propofed—Has any other Gen. denten any other candidate to nominate ?" Mr. COCKER.—'' After what has been fpnkcn of my late Right Honourable Friend and our ma wor thy Reprefentative in Parliament, it will not be ne. neffary for me to take up much of your time to add panegyrics on the talents and the virtues of 2 wan who is shove all praife. Gentlemen, although ftoen my earliefi youth I have had the honour of , bring known to the Flcaors of the CI. y of Weflmin. I tier —for, from , he &II inundation of Mr. For to your notice, 1 wes an active, zealous, and, I will add, hap pened to lie a firecefsful advocate of his cattle—yet I with not to boall of my labours—Although for 20 years my at:achinent to him was uniform and unfha. ken,and my !Arius were as great as I had the power of exerting, yet that only which you are called upon to remember with gratitude is the exertion of Mr. Fox, in a carafe in which your independence was at filled, and your Liberty threatened; but from my Wiens', attachment to and regard for Mr. Fox, I ihall be exculed from offering to you filch fentiments as occur to my mind. Gentlemen, the object of this Fleeting, as I conceive ir, is not merely to nnrninate a person to Jiweeed Mr. Fox as a Reprefentative in Parliament, trot to nominate a perfori who isfir, that it, uie perfoi, who is mhl adapted to the talk of being' his fuceeffor—(Hear Isar! awl great applaufe.)—l hive not the honour of being known to my Lord Ileicy74 bay, so dotibthe writs the applaufe which ' his friends bellow upon him t but no man can be cnn vinced that he is themeft tit,perfott to reprefent you ] (.firawo 1 bravo 1 and a 64 °Tapp/sole !mot fewest parts of the room, eahile others cried ma for •Lord`Porry) —At the fame time. I do not mean to uttef y fen- Montt in his difpraife. He is a yonng moo, rung ns al p Iron. a Noble Anceftty, of a family of pro igious wealth, and of a prepondersting,influence, by phich, contlituted as matters are, they may, at will, place him in Parliament, without corning to yea, L to the excitation of a petfon who, in my opinion, is Wore fit to be returned by you. Gentlemen, I have re'mark ed to you, that for 30 years my attachment to Mr. Fox has been uniform and conftant. I never have before obtruded on your notice, and probably never i fball again, for my purfuits are in private life; 'Mit in refpea to the memory of your departed Reprefen tative, that illuttrious Stater - man, that genuine lover of Freedom and of his Country, Mr. Fox, I will tell you who I think is fit to reprefent you in Parlia ment. Gentlemen, in looking for fuch a perfon, we mull look among thofe who were in habits of friend• !hip with Mr. Fox, during the whole of his molt bril- liant political career, in which he has fought the battles of Freedom and Independence, againft calumny and detradion, and againft every fpecies of difcon• ragement which could be thrown in his way by wealth and cotroption—and, above •all, againft a fydematic Inifreprefentation of his aCtions and his ore tore,, more unfair' than any thing which is to be found in tilt annals of our hiftory (loud applauji.)..-Gem Omen, I have looked for a perfon who, with Mr. Fox, and by his fide, has fought his battles-..gork A on with him ftep by flep, through the whole .of his unparalleled political career—has fuffered with him in his political perfecution—rentained 'with hit* in his exclufion from political power—who has proved himfelf true to Mr. Fox upon al) occafione, many of which wete the molt trying to which he could be ex- poled—a man whole talents, whenever they have been exerted, have claimed and have received, the appro bation, not only of this enlightened and diftinguilhed city, but silo of the world at large—a -mien *ho has nppofed the Sufpenfion of the Habeas Corpus Aa, and all the means which were tiled to imprifon Brl tifli (Labials without the chance of trial or liberation, during the continuance of an Adminitlration, which, thank Gno, I never had the bafencfs to fupportool have looked for a perfon en whole future conduft we can rely, from a knowledge of the pall—a man who never has difgraced the choice which has fallen on him, and who, I am confident, never will, but will do it honour—l fay, I look for loch a man; and I need not look long, nor afar off, for he is now near me—l therefore beg leave to nominate RICH• 11.1) BIINSLIY SHARMAN, E(q. to reprefent you in Parlia ment.—(A great 144 of applensfs, and lord hatcat ) Mr. SHERIDAN rt ie, and (poke to the follow ing effeft : " Gentlemen, Elettors of Wellminfter—ln addref flog you upon this occafion, I am afraid that before I proceed to the few obfervations which I feel it my duty to fubmit to you, I (hall be obliged to com mence with a requeft which I am almoft a(hamed to make—for your indulgence, if in confequence of a Ihort but (harp indifpofition, from which I am juft recovering, my voice timid not be arong enough to be clearly audible to the full extent of this large Al fembly (off/as/fix). Upon that fubjeCt which muff h fill all your minds—upon the merits of that illuftrious man, whole death has occafioned the prefent meeting, I (ball, I can fay but little. There mull be foam in terval between the heavy blow that has been Area, and the confideratien of its effeft, before any one (and how many are there of thofel) who have revered and loved Mr. Fox as I have done, can (peak of his death with the feeling but manly compofure which becomes the dignified regret it ought to infpire (op idaufss ). To you, however, Gentlemen, it cannot be neceffary to defcribe him—for you mull have known him well. To fay any thing to you at this moment, in the firft hours of your unborthened for rows, sorsa be unneceffary, and almoft infulting.— His image is Rill prefent before you—hisvirtue lives in your hearts—his lola in your defpair(feedapflarofis). " I have teen in one of the Morning Papers, (and theftatement is a correCtone ) the laft words of this great man—" I die happy ;" then, turning to the deareft objeCts of his affeition, " I pity you." But had an other moment been allowed him, and had the inn delly of his great mind permitted it, well might he have expreffed his compatfien, not for his private friends only, but Tor the world—well might he have (aid " I pity you, I pity England, I pity Europe. I pity the human race!" (fasididua(tr.) Fur, to man kind at large his death mutt be a fource of regret, whole liPe was employed to promote their benefit.— He died in the 444 of peace, ftruggling to extend it to the world. Tranquil in his own mind, he ohm tithed to the raft, with a parental folicitude, the con feting hope to give tranquillity to nations. Let us truft that that Itroke of death which has borne him from us, may not have left peace, and the dignified charities of human nature, ash were, orphans upon the world (aNdarier). From this afflifting confider ation, I pals to one comparatively infignificant, yet it is the queftion we are met this day to confider, namely, the pretenfions of thofe who have the pre. fumption to afpire to fucceed him. An Honourable Friend has propofed me as a petfon worthy of that proud dittinetion. 1 cannot deny but that it is an obit& of ambition, unmixed, I think, with one un• worthy motive, very near to my heart. I have re ceived a friendly, though public, caution, that I may rills the confidence and attachment of my friends at I Stafford by loch a purfuit. I thank my monitor for his anxiety on that account, but he may tell shored that I know my Conitituents better. I have befn,e declined an offer of (wort for this city upon a ge neral elettion. My gratitude and devotion to my friends at Stafford bind me to leek nn other. I have been fix times choral by them, which is a proof, at lea% that when once elated I am not quarrelfome a ith my Conntment, To attend to their wifhes mutt of coolie be an object of my peculiar folicitude, and to continue to repo fent them, the favourite purfuit of my ambition, even more, perhaps, than that of the reprelentation of Weliminfter. But it is not in confiftent with that fentionent, nor can it be olfennve to the feelings of my Conftituents, that I Ihoold have offered my (elf to your notice upon this oecation. For my Con II ititents mull feel, that it is one thing to be the Reorefentative of Wellminfter, and another to O S the fucceffor of Mr. Fox. That I own, I cannot but confide/ as an objet of the highell itisportance, of which, if I were alet,tuiebitiotis r I mßft be inCeniblc (41/arfer). Upon the Indent amid toccsfion, with fuels feelings as T know are clinging . tozaktr minds, hoping at mnft to palliate a lofs trreparable—yet I (catching with affeCtionate diligence how belt 'to do fo, to have been the objefl of your deliberate filea tion,, would, I feel, have been to me an infpiring moo ti,ssa,, beyond all erdiniry encouragement, to have myfelf not unworthy of the proud preference you had bellowed upon me. I fear not but that my friend, at Stafford would have fully entered into this I feeling, and not have confidered my elevation by 7ou as • defertion of them. . 1 Having thus avowed my ambition, or my pre fumption, as Come have been heard to call it, I have now to (peak of my pretences. Egotifm is always offenfive, and I am happy that my Learned Friend has left me little or nothing to fay on this head.— He has Hated, and I avow and adopt his ftatement, that my claim to your favour fells on the fait that I have, flee by Rep, followed Mr. Fox'through the whole (nude of his pclitical career, and to the heft of my poor abilities, fupported him in every one of thofe meafures, and in the maintenance of every one of thofe principles which originally recommended him to, and Co long continued him in your confidence and elleem. It is true there have been mations up onwehich I have differed with him—painful recollec tion of the molt painful moments of my political life Nor were'there wanting thofe who endeavoured to reprefent thole differences 42 a departure from the homage which his fuperior mind, though unclaimed by him, was entitled to, and the allegianpe of friend ' thip which our hearts all (wore to him; but never *as the genuine and confiding texture of his foul more manifeft than on fuch oecaftons ; he knew that nothing on earth could feparate or detach me from him ; and he relented infinuations againfl the (ince rity and, integrity of a friend, which he would not have noticed had they been pointed againtl With fuch a man to have battled in the caufe of ge nuine liberty—with fuch a man to have firuggled againft the inroads of oppreffion and corruption— with fuch an example before me, to have to boaß that I never in my life gave one vote in Parliament that was not on the fide of freedom, is the congratulation that attends the retrofpeft of my public life. His friendfbip was the pride and honour of my days. I never, for one moment, regretted to (hare with him the difficulties, the calumnies, and fometimcs even the dangers that attended an hrinnurable comics— And now reviewing my pan political life, were the option pnflible that I fbould retread the path, I fo. lemnly and deliberately declare, that I would pre fer to putfue the fame courfe—to bear up under the fame preffure—to abide by the fame principles—and remain by his fide, an exile from power, dittinClion, and emolument, rather then be, in this moment, a fplendid example of fuccefsful fervility, nr prnfperous apollacy—though clothed with powers, honnurs, titles, and gorged with finecures and wealth obtained from the plunder of the people (a tumult of applaafe). Grateful as I am for the manner in which you are pleafed to receive my fentiments and to efpoufe my mire. I think it mull have been obvious that I have in my mind an eager defire that contell and &lien. don fhould be avoided on the occalion of the prelent vacancy. How is this to be effeEted but by one of the candidates retiring ? A man's pride may be piqued without his mind being induced to fwerve from the caufe in which he ought to perfevcre. Illi beral warnings have been held nut—moft fcanda- Willy I know—that by perfeveting in the prelent conteft I may rick my official fituatson ; and if 1 re tire I am aware that minds as coerce and illiberal, may affign the dread of that as my motive. To fuch infinuations I (ball (corn to make any other re ly, than a reference to the whole of my part politi cal life. I confider it as no boars to fay, that any one who has ftruggled through filch a portion of life as I have, without acquiring an office, is not likely to abandnn his principles to retain one when acquired. To be at all capable of sitting upon principle, it is tie ceffary that a man (hall be independent, and to lode pendence, the next bell thing to that of being very rich, is to have been ufed to have been very poor (load aioplaaft,). Independence, however, is not allied to wealth, to birth, to rank, to power, to titles, or to honours. Independence is in the mind of a man, or it is nn where. On this ground were Ito decline the conteft, I thould (corn the imputation, that Ibould bring the purity of my purpole into doubt. No Milliner can tape& to find in me a fervile vaffal. No Miniller can expel from me the abandonment of any principle I have avowed, or any pledge I have given. I know not that I have hitherto fhrunk in place from opinions that I have maintained while in oppofition. Did there appear a Minifter of different call from any I know exilting—were he to attempt to tuft from me a different conduit, my office Ihould be at his fervice to mortow. Such a Minifter might Trip me of a fituation, in Come refpeet of confiderahle emolument— but he could nor flrip me of the proud convietion that I was right—he could not ftrip me of my own Pelf efteem —he could not (trip me, I think, of fume portion of the confidence and good opinien of the people. But I am noticing the calumnious threat I have alluded to mote than it del . There can be no peril, I venture to affert, under the prelent Government, in the free exercife of a difcretinn, loch as belongs to the relent queltion ; I therefore dif claim the merit of putting any thing to hazard. 1 . If I have miffed the opportunity of obtaining all Ole fupport I might, perhaps, have had on the re lent occafion, from a very fcrupulous delicacy, which I think became and was incumbent upon me, but which I by no means conceive to have been a fit rule for others, I cannot repent it. While the !lighten. afpiration of breath remained on thole lips, fo often the channel of eloquence and virtue—while one drop of life's blood beat in that noble heart, which is now no more, I would not Inner any friend of mine, in articipatinn of the melancholy event that has occur. red, to inflitute a canvas. I could not, I ought not to have acted otherwife than as I have done. _ - II Now, Gentlemen, I come, with a very embar raffed feeling, to that declaration which I yet think you muh have expiated from me, but which I make with reluaance, becaofe, from the marked appmba tion I have experienced from you, I fear with reluc tance you will receive it. feel myfty wider tit Aral: fry of retie* from tkit towel. [Here Mr. Sheridan was interrupted for many minutes by louJ cries of No, no, no.] bet - etch you, refumed the Right Honourable Gentleman, to hear me with patience, and in lie temper with which I addrefs you. there ix in trot fricatilhio this advantage. The inferior mind looks to the erendiTlß intellect as its guide and landmark while living, and to the engraver'. memory of he principles, as a rule of condud, after his deed'. Yet further, (till unmixed with idle fuperftition, there may be gained a falutary teflon from cnntemplating what would be grateful to the mind of the departed, were he confcions of what is palling here. I folemnly belieVe, that could Inch a sonfideration have entered into Mr. Fox's laft moments, there is nothing his Wafted fpirits would fo have deprecated, as a conteft of the nature which I now difclalm and relinquifh. " It was never afcertained to me until Monday laft, after this Meeting had been fixed, that Lord Percy would certainly be a candidate. My friends hefitated in the hope that it might be left to arbitra tion which candidate fhould withdraw. That hope has failed. I claim the privilege of neareft and deareft friendfhip, to let the example of a facrifice—w comparatively how (malt to what it demands...no thing could ever have induced me to have proceeded to a dlfputed poll on this (Iceman°. The hour is not „, far aliftent when an awful knell dell tell you that the s unburied remains of your revered patriot are paffing through the ftreets to that fepulchral home, where your kings—your heroes—your (ages—and your poets lie, and where they are to be honoured by the affoeiation of his noble remains ; that hour when, however the fplendid gaudinefs of public pageantry may be avoidef, you—you—all of you, will be fell marl:balled in reverential forrow, mute and reßeeing on your mighty lots. At that mome n t Sall the dit gufting cornea of an elation wrangle; break the fo lenanity of the !tens? Is it Atria/ that any man thould overlook the crifis, and rilk the rode and monftrous conteft i is it fitting that I fhould be that man ? Allow me to hope from the manner in which yon have received the little I have Paid on this fabled, that I need add no more. Yet fill would my.pur , pore be incomplete and my remonßrance inetrdffftent, if I did not, at thefame time that j withdraw myfelf, urge you to take the mentalts 'molt propitious to • prevent the tranquillity we propofe from being do firoyed by others. To me there teems no mode fo obvious and decifive as adding your fafFrages to the .‘ countenance given to the Noble Earl 'who has the fuppoit of thofe Minifters with whom your late illuf trious Reprefentative lived and died in the moll per. fed confidence and amity. I turn to him, rejoicing that I Otall not be his antagonifl-r-I turn to him with refpea due to an early char:air of the bighell pro mile—with the Ikon affurance of thofe qualities which engage affection and command refpeet--on theta ground, I, for one, Mall give him any cordial faPPorl• " Gentlemen, I have now executed a difficult and painful tacit—yet on; duty more remains—not a painful but a grateful one—yet one more difficult, perhaps, than that which I have left —it is to endea vour to exciters to you thole fentiments of fioeere and eager gratitude. for your voluntary proffered tip port, and your indulgent acceptance 0 what I have this day fubmitted fo you, and whitif is indelibly imprinted on a heart not formed ro be unthankful.— As a public man, I feel that your appeobation re wards my pall efforts, and it than be the animation of my future endeavours." Mr. MADDOCK (a Barrifter of Lincoln's Inn) de precated the reagnation of Mr. Sheridan,for which the region. dated in theeloquent (pooh which the meeting bait loft heard,appeaved to him to be very inadequate. With regard to the idea of a populareleetion interfering with the fad and folemn thence which ought to prevail upon the funeral of Mr. Fox, he was perfuatted that Inch an interference was not at ell likely to wife ; for fore he was that wherever the remains of Mr. Fox (hoard appear, faction wonld be dumb. The Learned Gentleman firongly advocated the charac ter of Mr. Sheridan, who, from his connection with Mr. Fox, with whole fentiments he was faturated, was decidedly the molt eligible perfon to fucceed him. Upon the melancholy event of Mr. Fox's death, the Learned Gentleman dwelt at Come length, and alto upon the happy refult which malt bore arilan from even his fhort connection with Government, as it gave to that great man an opportunity of making his real mind and views univerfally known, and thus refuting the calumnies which prejudice and ignorance had propagated refpeeing his c haracter. The elec tion of Mr. Sheridan he particolarly recommended, from the independence of his charader, manifefted fq often to the country, but particularly in hi. (peech of this day. It was his wifb too that Weilminfler Mould rather be reprefented by a man of talents than by any nobleman whatever. If Weftminfler were to become, as it ought to be, a cradle for independence and talents, perans dillinguitbed for thole qualities would never be wanting to offer themfelyes to the attention of the electors. Mr. GRAHAM thought it proper and necefary,' ; with a view to give full effedt and impreffion to the °Nett of this meeting, that the opinion of the Elec- tors lhould be teilified as to the merits of Mr. She ridan, and therefore that his nomination fhould be put to the vote. A gentleman fuggefled that Mr. Sheridan having withdrawn his pretenfinns, the objeft of the meeting was accomplifised, and therefore the proplAtton the la@ fpeeker was fuperfluous. • Mr. W ISHART exhorted the meeting to preferre ' order and decorum, and to avoid any thin which might lead to divifion or difnrder. Lord Percy,. 4 could not help repeating, was the moll eligible per,. fon to fupply the vacancy created by the death of Mr. Fox. Mr. SHERIDAN exprefled his furprife that, altho' the Honourable Chairman had fn ftrnngly exhorted the Meeting to preferve order, he Mould have thought proper fo foon to forget his own precept, by becoming at once both advocate and judge. With regard to . the propofition for a (hew of hands, having already declined to (land forward upon this oecalion, hp de precated any proceeding which might produce a col lifion of fentiments, or lead to ditcord. Mr. GRAHAM thought if there was no other reafon for the appeal to the voice of the Meeting, which be recommended, the partial condo& of the Chairtnpa called for it. A Gentlemaq fuggelied the propriety of coming to a refolution declaratory of the approbation of the Meeting as to the modem which induced Mr. 844- dan to refs n. Mr. GIBBONS, as one of thofe who tigned requititioo, came forward to Rate the reafons which induced him to do lb. He had heard, no doubt, before he Biped it, that Mr. Sheridan was to be pro ps* 84 a Mr! ca114 141 4 4 * and that operated Ouch e e I I 1 1 1 4. ' 1