The National Register. — London, England, 1808-12-04 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER. .DEC.i 4• Pe - THE COURT. 'Wends y, about tvielve o'clock. his Majesty arrived at t h ei Queen's ealace from Wind4or. where he was received by 'the Dukes of York, Kent, Cambridge and Sussex. followipg had the honour of being presented to his Captain Alichital ?Seymour, of the Royal Navy, who so highly distit►Uiished:hbaself in the late engagement in the command of the Ainethyst, i npon his return to Logland. Capt. tilenuerhasset, a ho served on hoard the Amethyst, as a Lieutenant, in the actioil. upon his promotion. The itev. Di. King, upon nis promotion to the Rishoprick of Rnehestei% Lord Clive by his father, Carl Pow is. Ceneral Despard, upon his promotion to the 12th Veteran Captain Cathcart, upon his promotion. His .Majesty gave audiences to the Duke of Portland and the red of OW Cabinet Nlinisters present; also Mr. Ryder, as Jaidge Advocate., who laid before his Majesty the pro ceedings of some Courts Martial, About six o'clock his 111i.tieste set off on his return to Windsor. It being St. Andrew's bay.d all those at Court who are Members of the distinguished Orders, wore their collars. • • 1 1,......1ft act, deny it to those to whose good opinion, confidence and suf frages he has been indebted for his high situation : That without adopting your Lordship's notions respectien• what you term a " Court of Inquiry," we trust we may be al lowed to exercise our own j.:dgment as to the institution of a tribunal unknown to the laws of this country ; appointed by the Crown unsworn; possessing no authority to compel the attend ance of witnesses, to administer oaths, or to acquit or condemn the parties whose conduct is under investigation That we cannot observe a ithout real concern, the suspicion which your Lordship's answer evidently implies, that the great body of the Livery of Londbn, to whom is entrusted the choice of a Chief Magistrate, of Sheriffs, of Members of Parliament, and of other important Officers, could so far forget themselvex as to countenance or adopt any proceedings incompatible w ith the character they have ever maiutaiued, or repugnant to the pure principles of public justice : That we presume yoar Lordship may safely confide these mailers to the Livery themselves, who do nut solicit sour ad vice, but merely claim their undoubted right, and leave them to be the guardians of their own character and honour:— •a That, as the only ground of objection (to put the most fa. vonrable construction upon your Lordship's answer) appears to be a supposition, that since the date of the requisition, cireum stances have arisen to preclude the necessity of such meeting, we beg to state to your Lordship, that several of the names have born signed subsequent to its date; and that the Liverymen who signed it were generally aware, that it could not lw delivered til a late date, and that no material circumstances occurred to cause a change in their opinion as to the propriety or necessity thereof. For the purpose, however, of obviating every difficulty in that respect- we, the undersigned Liverymen of the City of London, do hereby again request your Lordship to convene a Common Ifni! on nn early day, in order to consider tip late Convention in Portugal, by which the character, honour, and interests of the country have been so deeply affected, and to adopt such mea sures as may he deemed advisable. Nov. 24, 11608. To the Right lion. the Lord Afayor, Vic. The above Protest and Requisition was signed by nearly one hundred Liverymen, and presented to his Lordship, last Saturday, by Mr. Goodhehere and the Deputation. The following answer was returned the same day by the Lord Mayor : " Mansion-honse,Saturday, Nov. 26. " The Lord Mayor presents his compliments to Mr. Goodhe here. The considerations which induced the Lord Mayor to decline convening the Livery of London in Common Hall, on the Requisition before presented to him, for the purpose of I'IMS tiering at this lilac the late Convention in Portugal, reina!a in full force, and induce his Lordship again to decline conveoia4 the MiTting requested by the renewed application, in the same terms, for the same purpose which has been presented by Mr. Deputy ioonbehere, this morning. " The Lord tlayor greatly regrets to find himself obliged in the official exercise of bis discretion, to difier from any part of the respectable Livery of Lonthin, on their view of the subject. 9 " Samuel Gondheitere, Esq. Deputy, &c. ttc. tire. On Tuesday last the Lord Mayor went in state to Guildhall, to hold his first Court of Aldermen, which was numerously attended. The thanks of the Court were voted to the late Lord Mayor. The Assize of Bread was ordered to be reduced an Assize and a half, or jd. in the peck loaf. The quartern loaf, wheaten, is now now sold for Is. 2di. and household is. 1,9. Wednesday a Court of Directors was held at the East India House, when the following commanders took leave of tl►e court previous to departing for their respect►ve destinations, viz. Captain T. l.ark ins, Warren Hastings, Bengal and China. Captain W. Donaldson, Neptune, and Captain J. Kirkpa trick, I lenry Addington. Bombay and China. Captain Edward Balston aas sworn into the coin nmd of the ship Princess Amelia, consigned to China direct. Thursday a Court of Directors was h►•id at the East India House, when Captain Benjamin Richardson was sworn into the command of the ship Albion, consOred to ('hina direct. —The Court adjourned at six o'ckwk till Wednesday next. CITY. The LORD MAYOR and the LIVERY of LONDON. In consequence of the late refusal of-the Lord Mrtyor to convene a Common Hall, a numerous Meeting of the Livery was held on Thursday last, in the Great Room of the New London Tavern, Cheapside. Mr. Itcputy tloodbehere having been called to the Chair, the following Protest, concluding with another Requisition for a Common Hall, was unanimously agreed to ; and a Deputation of several Liverymen, with the Chairman, ap pointed to wait upon his Lordship therewith. My Lord, Raving received your Lorfishie's answer to the Requisition dated the ed November ISOM, aml signed by a number of Livery-- W. 4, requesling vow. Lordship " To convene a common Hall on an early day, in order to tike into consideration the late Convention in Portugal, by Iv Welt the rharaeter, honour, and interests of the country have been so deeply airected, and to adopt such measures as may be deemed a(1 In which answer yon " decline to convene a Common Hall roqwested," and asSign as a reason, that, " Since the date of the Requisition a Court Of Inquiry has been instituted by his :slajoity's rommond, for investigating the catues which led to the Convention :Abided to, that the Court is now prosecuting such intutiry," and that you are " of opinion, that a Meeting of the Livery of London in Common Hall, on the subject proposed by the Requisition, penning such public inquiry, will be highly usnmesNney, nostasounGlc, and improper." We, the und,trsirncd Livery men, beg leave to observe — That the right of the Lisery of London to meet in Common to deliberate on mutters of public grievance, ha been ever exercised,. with very few exceptions, and that such exceptions have been uniformly stigmatizea es ith the reprobation of the Livery • That if a Chief Magistrate is to grant such meetings only when they coincide with his own views of the propriety and utility of the measures to hr proposed, his conduct must amount too violation of the most sacred rights of the subjects, inasmuch as it necessarily depri :es the people Of the legal means of ex- Pres , ing their sentiments oo all great questions affecting the com mon weal, and renders null the liberties so repeatedly asserted by their ancestors, and so clearly and emphatically declared by the 1111! of Rights : That with respect to the date of the Requisition, we beg to state, that it is suirseqoent to the appointment of the Court of inquiry, and i hat other Meetings have been held under similar circumstances,. to which no such objection has been made : . "at billet' the Sheriffs of Counties, Officers appointed by the have not withheld from the people the exercise of the in question under such pretence, we cannot forbear ex- Wessling our astonishment and displeasare, that the Chief Ma gistrate of the City "of LOodbla should, by almoSt Itio first official (N)I PII lia, at [tun of Pl ) c at latches e Em- rower* overn thut.git I of in ►per, or Tilt of e spirit ants ot , which, inerica►► viers in ,urgh t' Vey Ant S ,dice_ in aincd a poi GO- tile con attle e title of SJNDI:f~~ ' t ench is e slam fur tor s be- Host lons v,(6 of nee, it U%, rta. sub. the opt, fro. ; at t neut. Dvery nic•r. tint ty Urn Itioit led in the ;slur action c the iti r vac tly rt Tk 1 tto +:7