Star. — London, England, 1820-01-26 00:00:00

NORFOLK FOX CLUB DINNER. On Monday last, being the Anniversary of the b;rth of the late Right Hon.Csa MILES JAMES Fox, the Pox Club of the County of Nirfolk had their Annual Grand Dinner, in St. Andiew's-hall, Norwich, in com memoration of the day, The tickets issued on the occasion amounted to 460 ; and, as no room in the City was capable of containing so large a number of guests, the Mayor was kind enough to offer them the use of the Town-hall for their Meeting. The offer. was joyfully accepted, and for sonic days previous to that on which the Dinner was held, the Stewards were employed in superintending the boarding and matting of the Hall, and in overlooking the other preparations. On Simday.evening, the Duke of SUSSEX. accom panied by the Earl of ALBEstArtLE, Sir B. FERGUS SON, Mr. COME, Mr. MACDONALD, and others, ar rived at Mr. Alderman FOSTER'S, with whom they remained till yesterday morning. During the whole of Monday, strangers kept pourin ,, into Norwich from various quintets of the county of Nerfuik ; and considerably before four o'clock, the hour appointed for the Dinner, the Hall was completely flied. At a quarter past four, the sf.Puting of the multitude without, and the striking up of the music within. the Hall, announced the ar rival of the Earl of ALBEMARLE, the Chairman of the Meeting. Ile was received with the greatest en- thusiasm. Shortly afterwards the Duke of SUSSEX made his appearance, amid the loudest acclamations, and was received with the usual honours, the music playing God Save the King, and the company rising on his approach. The tables were ranged in three' lines down the Hall, and at the end of them (oppo• site to the colours of the French ship Glorieux, pre. rented to the Corporation of Norwich, by Sir E. 14:nttY), another table was placed under a canopy, at which sat the Chairman and the Gentlemen who acted as Stewards. The canopy was surmounted by a transparency of the word " Sussex," and by the name of " rox," amidst a festoon of variegated Lamps. Opposite to this was " Albemarle," simi larly illuminated. In the middle of the centre table was placed a small bust of Mr. Fox, with some em- I blematic devices. Among the company present were The Dukcs of Sussex aid Norfolk, the PArl of Albemarle, the High Sheriff, Lord Nlelyneux, Lot d Bury, Sir P. Jodrell, I. P. Sir a. Fergitsvol, 31.1'. Honourable G. Walpole, M. P. 31r. Macdonald, 11. I'. 31r. Ilitoyvvr -.4, M. P. 31r. Coke, M. P. 31r. Coke, jun. M. 'lr. 31cres, 31.1'. Mr. R. Gurney, M.l'. 11omn.rable 6. lierpel, Sir .lames Smith, General Fitz roy, Messrs. Lomb?, S.:evvi.sl):l, Ilamord, NV. Bathurst, Le - T.a:..1, W. It:lbsen. Archtkacnn Bathurst ; Reverends - N:wcome. R. 11 C00.,..er, W. Collett, P. Hutt .. ... 4 i , ....11. Well, J. 1). 13,,rt0n, T. Madge, lt. I'. Elwyn, ('. Col ! :‘ cr, W. (=f•:J..ni, (;. Preston, ---Foster, 11. `tVilson, t.,ard..:,• .1. (.'alnie.n, :V" Sanc:a.:r.., C. Box, &c. the :Mayor of Naryvi.ii, Ai.1e: . r.1.11 P.%.ter, )lar , h, Leman, Port, the speaker dof i'. , .: (.',..inroo:ls, 70:-. Sli...iiti . T.,ylor, Messrs. John and Richard Teyiur, 1!. and C. .3:J:ii:;..7b1 ., ....,•, Postle, Rigby, and several ith2r I;el;(l.nnen of rt.Ti:rty at.d distizztion. immedia:.:4 alter &miler was concluded. _Von nobis . i /)...;;;?..z3 N.',13 s.ipg by some musical amateurs, who volur.:•::::c.! theit . s.r . rice.: upon the occasmn. After which the followitt,- tnas . ,.: woe given and drank: 11. I. '17,.- Ki: g, (iti 5i11:,..). 0 '!. The Prh:ce Ittzent, (in silence). 3. 'lhe Cont.tittitifn accor,:irg to the rinci,;:.:s 2ssertza at d e th.: Kr7•3!u:ion.—(l.ors,r, and loud afpl.;a•c';. The Neble Ors : RN! IN then sail, he should no,‘- . -- i come to a toast which mere irern,,,liately concerned the bovines of their a , .semblieg that day. Of the private vial.Z.i of Mr. 170:: he waned not say a word — 7 his et - Iris-ion would lar bee supplied by those who 'hem I.im best ; bat, if they wanted an illustration (f his i-,tiblic principles, he could not help, by way i of coieeeet, be:.: , ii , g them to look at the pre cot stele et tele count, y—e to leo,: open tl,is pictinu and on thie" end to judge of the manic ot Mr. Fox's priacieles by tl,e pr,e.t'cal i esult ef those diametri cally opposed to them. NViehin the short period siece they had last suet together, an alteration had taken place in the Constitution, nothing short of a I revolution. What could they say of the present state of the country, when they considered the ge :l neral discontere pi evailing—new silently and stil llenly prevailing--idi content not ,ai e ing from oi se fe. i fection, for the people of this come] y Were well • affected to the Crown and to the Constitution (Air . /douse); but discontent arising Dom the mal-,,ohmi nistration of the Government ; limn di , eress, and : Ithat distress to ire traced to the pressure of an over whelming taxation—when they saw the wants, the wishes, and peti7ions of the people, aeswered by ; 0 force ineead of good government and concilircion— when they saw an addition to the standing army in time of peace ; and, finally, those measures, into the details of which it was not necessary for him to eater, but which he might justly call violations of the Constitution (for his Majesty's Ministers them selves had culled them so)—measures of coercion and restriction--measures as congenial to the mem e be: - s of the Congress of Aix-la. Chapelle, as conge ni d to the srilit of the members of the Holy Al liance, as they were uncongenial to free-born En * elishmen (1.,,ad applause). lie would ask, would 1, 'these measures have passed if the principles of Mr. Fox had been acted upon, or, as some justified them, 1 by the plea of an overwhelming necessity, would i that necessity ever have existed ? (efirphuse.) He . conc . .uded by proposing the ' 6 Memory of Charles James Fox," which he hoped would be drank in solemn and respectful silence. This sentiment was received by the company in the spirit in which it was proposed. Mr..). TAyeort was called upon for his song on I Mr. '.'ox's birth-day, which he gave with great effect. The CIIAIRMAN said, he had now to propose the health ot an illustrious Freeman of the City of Nor wich, of an illustrious branch of the house of Bruns wick ; of whom nothing could be said more grateful to him or to us, than that he is mindful of the principles which placed his family on the Throne of Great Britain. " The health of the Duke of Sussex" was then • drank with three times three and loud applause. The Duke of Sussex said, that after the very able e manner in which his Noble Friend had introduced the toes .. ., or rather the commemoration of the day, and alter the kind manner in which he had noticed his (the Duke of Sussex's) presence on that occasion, he felt a difficulty in following him in such a man ner as to command the attention of so respectable an ...: Assembly ; but he could assure them sincerely of the pride and pleasure he felt in meeting so numerous a ". body ui supporters of those principles thich lie felt were best calculated to promote the prosperity and insure the safety of this country. It was only in such Meetings as the present that the political feelings of Englishmen were called forth. He should-now do himself the honour to return them his best thanks for' the compliment which they had paid him, and should conclude by observing, that though his Noble Friend had called him forward on a painful occasion, owing to the dubious state of health in which an Illustrious Relative of his own was lying, he felt it his duty to come forward, because when a public man once ut tered a promise, it was his duty to perform it, unless prevented by an overpowering necessity. There was also another reason which induced him to attend ; it was, that the Duke of Kent coincided with him in po litical opinion, and woulck say, if he knew all the cir cumstances, " However ill I may be, do you go and meet them"—(Cheers). In doing so, he was sure that he was concurring in the wishes of his Illustrious Re lative, and cementing that harmony which ought al ways to exist between the Throne and the People of England—(Cheers). We had all, it was true, our separate interests to defend, but from the lowest to the highest, and frpm the highest to the lowest, not one of us could do without the other. A mutual pay ment of service .was always necessary, and for his own part he wished always to owe a debt to the Peo ple, and trusted that he should never forget that debt which lie had already contracted. The Royal Duke then sat down amid loud cheering. The CHAIRMAN gave, from the Duke of Sussex, " The respectability of the Crown, the alurability of the Con stitution, and the prosperity of the People." The CHAIRMAN said, that as a doubt seemed to exist as to the toasts which should be honoured with the notice of three times three, he should suggest, that this mark should not be bestowed upon those who were absent, and whose healths might be pro posed ; but lest they might be out of practice, he should propose the health of the High Sheriff of the County, with three times three, which, he imagined, would not be unpleasant to the Meeting—(.4pdause). " The health of the High Sheriff" with great applau,e. The Ilmit SHERIFF, in returning thanks, said. that he always considered himself to be a Constitu tional Officer, bound to attend to the public wish; for, in his opinion, no Officer was appointed except for the public benefit. The C HAIRMAN then rose to propose " The health of the Mayor, and prosperity to the City, of Norwich."—This toast was drank with much applause. The IMAvon returned thanks. He eulogized.the political conduct of Mr. Fax, and 'ascribed to the re jection of his prophetic advice, at the beginning of the- french Revolution, all the calamities of- the country. The Cli 11RM AN then gave— " The Duke of No: folk, and :ray the ancient hereditary No bility.of this Kingdcm ever consider it their highest honour to support the rights and privitegei of the l'top!e." toast was drank with three times three. The Duke of NORFOLK returned thanks. 11e was', gratified to see such a Meeting in favour of the prht-, ciples of Mr. - Fox—it revived his hope; of seeing the time when Englishmen might meet for the discus. sion of grievances witlzout being at the metcy of spicy and informers-01)7,1(mM. " The specar arti final t stir ctien of an laWi, wherewever thty which tr:O. to obstruct th szete2 right ~:. c ottsci,:itzt. - The Cci.unf.-.N f - elt as anxious wi,ll to propose the heal:h of a person, absent, with three times three' —it was tl.e 1:eal:h of the beloved :old respected lii,hop uf that Diocese. The feelings which he en tertained towards that di,tingui,hed individual were so mixed ith affection and veneration, with love and awe (so naturally united when he thought on such a character as the Bishop of Norwich), that he was trevented from firing terms fit to express them. Ile could only say, that he proposed the health of a man without guile—cf a man whose whole life.and con versation formed a beautiful illustration of that Re ligion of tt hich Lc Was so distinguished a Minister— (Gretit npplause). . " The 3;:ilmp of Norwkh," viith three times three. 'Mr. Archdeacon BATnuwiT said, that after the very tinquent manner in which his honoured father had been spoken of, he felt so►he degree of embar rassment for want of that command of language with which the Noble Chairman admired every thing that he touched. Tne Bishop had authorised him to say, that he would have been resent, if very particular domestic concerns had not kept him at a distance; and, however others might have tergiversated, from unmanly fears, he should never de,ert the cause of liberty ; that, though he knew that 'liberty was doomed to feel " The rabble's rage," Ile was much more apprehensive that she would suffer from " The tyrant's angry steel)" • That he at any. rate preferred liberty, with its abuses, to the stupid insensibility of passive submission ; that he would never consent to part with the right of the People to popular assemblies, till a stronger necessity existed than that which had been shewn ; and that he could uot conceive any necessity strong enough to warrant the trenching on the rights of the People to free discussion ; and that, with Lord Fitzwilliam, he was pet - suatled that the Constitution could never be defended by violating its fundamental principles. In these principles he would live, in these principles (might the time be long, long averted) would he die—( Loyd apptause). The CHAIRMAN said, he had a health to propose, but he hardly knew how to do it, I)ut if he hinted at the name, he should probably receive an interruption which te•ould' allow him to reflect how to proceed,— Ile alluded to their independent Member for the County—(Loud and rapturous applause, renewed d several inteivals).—As he could say nothing new of Mr. Coke, he was fain to borrow the words of a man whoe fame Mr. Coke would not be ashamed to hear applied to him—Mr. Fox ; and applied to a man with whom Mr. Coke would not be unjustly com pared—the late excellent Francis, Duke of Bedford. The words, as far as he recollected them, were— " Never did a man labour to learn that trade by hich he earned his daily bread, that profession by which he hoped to reach wealth or honour—never did a man cultivate the iner arts of poetry or paint ing, in pursuit of a fancied immortality, more assi-, duoasly than this excellent person strove to do good to his fellow-creatures"—(Lord applause). " The health of Mr. Coke" was drank with three times three, and loud and continued applause. Mr. COKE said, his Noble Friend had given him ample scope to express his feelings upon the existing state of things in this country. Mr. Fox was a man • whose public and private virtues endeared him io all those to whom he was known. He (Mr. Coke) bad had the pleasure of living for years in intimacy with him. Nothing could exceed the kind benevolence of his private character, and, as a Statesman, he'was unrivalled. He was a true friend to the rights.of the people, and had devoted his life to the defence of their privileges and liberties. He alight, if he pleased, have retained office up p) the period of his death,had he been inclined to oimpromise his principles— (Applause).—After strongly censuring the conduct of the present Ministers in passing the late 43i115, the Hon. Gentleman concluded with returning thanks for the honour the company had done him in *drink ing his health. The situation in which he .then stood was the proudist which a Commoner could hold. He felt it needless to speak of his sincerity, as he felt confident they did not suspect 'him of an intention to betray their. interests. He had hitherto acted as he had first promised to do when he offered himself as their Representative. He bal.l stuck by the Constitution, and if they did not desert him he would not desert them—( Loud applause).—ln the American war he was called a Rebel ; during the French war he was called a Jacobin ; and now be was, by Ministers, called a Radical! This, however, did not affect him ; he had pretty good nerves, and he considered that as a public man he was fair game. He could assure the Meeting, that were he to pass his life over again, he would not change a single vote whiclt he had ever given in Parliament. His object was to see the people happy, to save their money, to keep down the influence of the Crown, and to prevent the introduction of new taxes until 'every possible reduction had been made in the public expenditure. If the day should come when the li berties of the people were infringed upon, he hoped they would all rise as one man to resist the right divine of Kings tp govern wrong ! (Loud applause). 'The Duke of Sussrx said it had fallen to his duty, because it was coupled with pleasure, to propose the health of their Noble Chairman—( Loud and rtTeated applause ).—He sincerely wished that every Lord in the comm..y mould say and act in their several coun ties as he (the Earl of Albemarle) did in this. His Royal Highness concluded by proposing " the health of the Noble Chairman," with three times three. The applause haring partially sabsiaed, The CHAIRMAN said, he hid beard it remarked in his youth, that no man living could exercise arbi trary power without abusing it, except the Chairman of a convivial meeting. Now he was himself a prac tical illustration, that not even such a person was exempted from this rule. For having the right to address them given to him, as all rights should he given and held, by the free will of the people, he found that he here most unwarrantably abused it, by speaking too much. Seriously, he could not trust hinn.elf to blunder out the feelings with which his heart was overloaded, by the kindness of his Royal Highness. in drinking his health, and also by the collective and individual kindness of the numerous friends by whom he was surrounded, on this, as well as on various other occasions. Ile concluded by wish , ing health, prosperity, and happiness to the Meetitg. The following toasts were then proposed, and drank with loud applause : " The cause for which I lampden bled on the field, awl Sid ney on the scaffold.' " The worthy inheritor of the name and viand of his ances tors, the I.h.ki i , f Betlfsrd and the Hoare of Russell." " AT:.y ;he Qtamkile of one Revolution prevent the necessity of an tithe r." " The hcalths of Messrs. Smith and Gurney" were drank with three times three. Mr. R. GURNEY, in returning thanks, regretted the absence of his Honourable Colleague, who, having been so long known to them, must be more valued by, and deli- to them, than he could pretend to be. Thus far he could, however, assure diem, that there was rot any man to whom he would yield in respect and admiration of the principles of Mr. Fox. He felt that, even were he living, he could do no good while the power of the Crown continued so enor mous, and while the House was constituted as it was at present. The voice of the People could not now be hear.], and if heard,• it would not be attended to. When he first stood a Candidate for Norwich, he thought there was an opportunity of turning out the present Ministers, but he found he was disappointed, :ind he had almost wished to retire front public life. . But if there was to be any hope of carrying Whig measures in the kingdom, it must be by acting in concert. They might rely upon it, when the time for exertion came, their political opponents would not be idle. Mr. Gurney concluded by giving " the healths of Lord Bury and the house of Quidenham," which was drank with three times three. Lord 11L'RY considered the thanks of such a Meet ing as high a compliment as he could receive under any circumstances, and in proportiOn to its value did he feel how undeserving he was of it. He regretted that he had had so few opportunities of making known to those he had the honour of addressing, his attachment to the principles of Mr. Fox. In those principles he had been educated ft orn his youth, and he pledged himself that he should never swerve from them.--(1,0...td applause). The next toast was, " The Tri.tl by Jury." The CHAIRMAN said, that he did intend to couple the name of Lord Erskine with this toast, as to him, it was that it most peculiarly and appropriately be longed.' He had received a letter from Lord Erskine, stating, that when he had promised to attend the dinner, he had totally forgotten an unavoidable en gagement in Scotland. " Lord Erskine, and the Trial by Jury," was then drank with loud applause. The CHAIRMAN next proposed " The Health of Lord Anson, and Thanks to him for his honourable and patriotic conduct at Stafford." He rejoiced to ind that this young man (he begged pardon for Using the term young man, but. his intimacy with the family warranted him in doing so), he rejoiced that this worthy inheritor of the fine and honourable feelings, and truly patriotic principles of his late father, and also of the principles of his grandfather (Mr. Coke), had acted in the. manner he had done. He had stood against a host, himself a host, unsup ported, or rather supported only by his own integrity and honour, and a consciousness of acting rightly. This toast was drank with three times three. The Hon. Mr. Anson (M.P. for Yarmouth) re turned thanks for the honour done to his brother. The next toast was, " Mr. Anson and Mr. Rum bold, and the independence of Yarmouth," with three times three. The Hon. Mr. ANSON, in returning th.nks; pro fessed himself to be the zealous admirer of the cha racter and principles of Mr. Fox. Ile trusted th.,l he should ever be fbund at his post, ready to deien., the rights and liberties of the people, as established at the Revolution (Applause). • The Noble CHAIRMAN; in introducing the next toast to their notice, which was, " A full, fair, and free Representation in Parliament," commenced by saying, that this was • a subject that acted like electric shock on the people of England, exhilaratii g some, and depressing others ; treated by one party as a remedy for every evil, and by the ether as the cause of every mischief; and by both, ;n his opinion, wrongly treated. Ile recollected reading of a bowl ing-green that was nrucl frequented by country Squires, to which a Gentleman often resorted, eweil dressed, well educated, well mannered, and against whom no visible cause of- complaint could be fount!. This individual was, however, shunned by all the i: astral frequenters of the bowling-green, and for no other reason, than because he had once been st's pected of entrapping a hitch fox !—(Loud !cued( r). In- other counties, but they managed these thing• better in Norfolk, an individual is often shunned fur ' almost a similar reason. Ile may be lair in his deal ings, honest in his princir les, but party spirit run ning high, he meets with genera) neglect: he ma) admire the Prince Regent's Government, though there may be some particular points on which ire_ may have taken offence against it: he may disliC the Disarming Bill: he may regret that he ca:.:,or meet, except in his own parish, with more than tour or five friends: he may have perhaps got his lietc full of Radicals—may suppose a hundred thonsan.: of them to be in arms in his neighbourhood, thong! so many males do not exist in the district !—he may suppose that they have pikes concealed, though thea• eau nowhere be found, except in the patterns lent down to the country by the Secretary of State!—he may be shocked at the licentiouftess of the Pre,s. though he deems it in general, to use the language of a great Irish Barrister, the sentinel of the State, the detector of imposture, which, when it sinks, draws along with it the dignity of the People, and the sv• entity of the 'flame!—(l.wal and continued applaii.vr . , Ile may do and think all this„ and yet he is avoideu. • Why so ? He either does not go so far as his neigh bour, or he goes farther orrtheoreticiTlleforro. this is the case elsew here, but not in Norfolk ; for here, said the Noble Lord, we agree to direr. Nothing had yet :alien from him calculated to create discussion ; but still he was anxious to seize on the present opportu nity of making known his opinion on Parliamentary Reform. For many years of his life he had been less a friend of Parliamentary Reform' than many of bis political associates ; he had been certain that there would be great risk incurred in making a Reform ; he had thought, that when once it had been com menced, it would be difficult to arrest it ; he had thought that it was likely to increase the power or the Crown, and he had had several other reasons for not supporting it warmly, •ohich he then deemed to be good, but which he now knew to be insufficient reasons. Never, however, did he think that the cause of Reform could be met by direct argirments ; or that it could he defended by common sense, that Castle Rising should return two Members to PArlia ment, whilst Sheffield, and Birmingham, and Leeds, and Manchester, did net return one. He would have prevented the question of Parliamentary Reform from being agitated as much as it had been, by con ciliation and good government. Ministers had, hoc. - ever, destroyed his theory, and he was now a frienu to Reform, and that to a considerable extent, being convinced that whatever risk might be incurred by promoting Reform, was a mere feather in the scale, when compared with the evil already done without it to the Constitution. Having stated his Opinion thus far, he would state how far he would go in points of reform. • He was for the restoration of Triennial Parliaments, though that, taken by itself, would be of little advan tage. He was for the disfranchisement of Boroughs wherever corruption was detected : he was for grant ing the right of representation to the populous dis tracts, nnd for extending the Suffrage to every man contributing directly to the Taxes. There was ano ther Reform more important even than these: he meant, the reform within the House of Commons, as • to the capability of Members holding places sitting ; therein. This was but the opinion of an humble in dividual, but he believed that others besides himself had recently been made converts. Each of them : ,separately was humble, and Ministers thought them' so; but if they were once united, they would become must powerful—(Load cheerin:). Tuast.—" Th► Universal Extension of Education." Toast.—" Mr. Honywood, Member for the County of Kent." Mr. Hoxvwoou returned thanks in an animated speech, and afterwards, at the request of the Chair man, sang one of Moore's melodies, " Oh for the szords of other days." Toast.=" Lord 11c . illand, the representative of the name and principles of fox."—(Cheers). Toast.—" The Restoration •f the Liberty of the Press."— (Chects). Mr. COKE gave the health of Mr. Macdonald, who returned thanks in an eloquent speech. Toast.—" Sir Ho:•ald Ft-r3usson,' who returned thanks. The Duke of SUSSEX, in proposing " The Health of the Yeomanry of the County," complimented them on entertaining feelings different from the Manchester Yeomanry. In alluding to the flags used at some of the Meetings, his Royal Highness observed, that one flag bore. the inscription of " Liberty or Death:— Now, for himself, he would rather have death than lose his liberty, and the man who would. not fight for his liberty did not deserve to enjoy it. " The Health of the Strangers who honoured the Meeting with their company," having been drank, Lord MoLINEux and Mr. BARNETT LENNART) Se verally returned thanks, " Earl Grey and the Whigs of England," was drank with loud applause ; as were also the following : ' " May the right to Petition be speedily restored." " The Duke of Hamilton and the Whigs of Scotland." The CHAIRMAx observed, that the Noble Duke was that day presiding over a similar' Meeting in Scotland. The health of " the Rev. Mr. Newcombe and Al derman Foster" having been drank, they severally returned thanks. The CHAIRMAN then gave " Mr. Sheriff Taylor, who was returned to his office by the free voice of his fellow-citizens."—This toast was drank with three times three, and was most warmly received by the whole room. Mr. Sheriff TAYLOR returned thanks in a very ap• • I t v. a t t n 5 S' t :a r 1 • 4, 1 Tn , I • • k t t 0 ti 4 is fi ti la it P a t t t I 1 • I . 1 • 1 Illimomk