The National Register. — London, England, 1808-12-11 00:00:00

TA6 CITY. Thursday the Lord Mayor went in state to anildball,and held the fire Court of Common Council iu his Mayoralty, which was numerously attended. THE LATE LORD MAYOR. Mr Deputy Dallier, after a short introductory speech, moved' the Thanks of the Court to the late Lord Mayor, enumerating, among other things, the zeal, ability, and integrity with which Ice had a! ways discharged the duties of his high office, his hospi talities, and the ready access which he gave to those who visited him on business connected with his office. Mr. Quin could not agree in the vote of thanks which had been proposed. When votes of thanks were given to other Lord Mayors, it had always been on the ground of their having main tained with proper spirit the rights and privileges of the City of London. There was a remarkable instance, however, in whirls !helot!! Lord Mayor had suftred those privileges to he invaded. It was in the case of Christie, a Liveryman, who had been ha pressed, and to whom the late Lord Mayor had not only refused to give the protection to which he had a claim, but had even been assisting to invade those privileges to which he was entitled as a free Citizen of London. The person, hewever, to whom he alluded, obtained his liberation by the laws of the country, after having been obliged to contract expenses at law to the amount of 501. This case had been referred to a Committee of the Court, and their report had been hardly short of a vote of censure against the late Lord Mayor. They had recommended to tht. late Lord Mayor to pay the damages; but he, although CunTe,sing that he was mistaken, and had been guilty of an error, will refused to pay a farthing; and the expense which bad been incurred by his mistaking his duty, was obliged to he Paid out of the funds of the City. Although he (Mr. Quin) was obliged to the Jute Lord Mayor for personal civilities, his sense of public duty would not allow him to say that such conduct was worthy of praise for zeal, abilities, or integrity. lie d;d not isle to move a vote of censure, and therefore preferred mov tog the previons question. M. Jacks thought that votes of thanks were of no value. ua less they were conferred with some oiscrimination. They would be wort:, little, if they were pa-sed in the way that thanks were given to the Lard Masor's Chaplain for a sermon that very few of the Members had heard. lie had been informed that the late Lord Mayor had often been absent for days together from Ins resileuer, and that persons who had business before !1:1,1 been delayed much beyond the usual time for trans artrag suet, business. As to facilities of access, he had called eosin him mice, and had b"en received with almost as much hau teur, as if he had presented himself in ferrite puttperia. Mr. Vatidercoma excused the late Lord Mayor, on thegrnund that his decision in the Court alluded to, proceeded purely from an error of judgment, and might nit to be visited by so severe a punishment. Mr. Alderman Birch thought the Court would he acting iucon aistemly now, to censure the proceedings °Ellie late Lord Mayor rni this eireinnsoinee, when it bad been generally understood at the time toe City paid the money, that tier business was filially settled. lie conceived that it would have been more fair and manly to have brought forward such a motion in the presence of tie late Lord Mayor than in his absence. Mr. Waithman declared that he was perfectly sensible of the persoual civilities he had received from the late Lord Mayor, and upon tiro account it was painful to him to be obliged, by his public duty, to oppose the vote of thanks. lie could not think error in jwlginent was so trifling an offence in ewe who aspired to the high ana arduous situation of Chief Magistrate of this great City. lie thought that the candidates for such an office, otrAht to he Men of understanding and ability, and that their errors ofjudguient should not invade the liberty of their fellow citizens. It was true that lie had known other Lord Mayors guilty of still greater faults. Some of them had been guilty of Cie capital error in judgment of setting up their own prisate opinion against the opinion of the Livery, and even preventing piddle meetings being convened on occasions when it was of the utmost ileportance to the country that they should be convened. Some. Lord Mayors had lent themselves to Ministers, to devise the means of imposing taxes upon the City of London; and he believed the oppression iv Lich was felt in the Income Tax, was in a great degree owing to this cause. It was he who first brought the case of Christie before the Court, and he could not, consistently with the feelings which he always entertained upon that ca-e, vote for thanks to the late Chief Magistrate. Mr. Quip agreed to withdraw his Motion for the previous DEC. 11. question, and said he should meet the vote of thanks with a direct ntlative. . The qtwstion was then put, and the shew of hands wag deslar ed by the Lord Mayor to be In favour of the Vote of Thank,. A division, however, was called for, and it appeared that the To t e w a s the other way. The numbers were :-- For the Vote of Thanks, 9 Aldermen, 36 Commonen, 2 Tellers 41 Against it, b Commoners, 2 Tellers Majority agaiust the Vote of Thanks 14 SUBSCRIPTION TO ASSIST THE SPANIARDS. A numerous au! respectable Meeting of the Merchants and Traders of London, teas yesterday held at the City of London Tavern, for the purpose of instituting a subscription in aid of the L'ati iotic Armies in Spain. The Lord Mayor was called to the Chair, who, on taking it observed, that the cause for which they had met together, was of so glorious and meritorious a nature, and spoke so powerfully for itself to the hearts of all present, that little or nothing was left for him to say, further than to express the pride he felt in presiding over so highly respectable a Meeting, and the interest which, he was persuaded, every true Englishman took in its success. Sir Robert Wigrain did not think it necessary to make use of any arguments, and should therefore submit to the generous feel ings of the Meeting his first resolution, " That a subscription be entered into, to aid the Exertions of Spain." This motion having been seconded, Mr. Rowcroft thought it necessary to inform the Meeting of some circumstances which had occurred relative to it. Those who had proposed to call it had, in the first place, considered the popular feeling which prevails so strongly in favour of Spain, and which would, he trusted, be made manifest by the measure which was now recommended. They had also ascer tained that Government would see with pleasure such a mani. festation of the public mind respecting the Spanish cause, and that such a measure would he very pleasing to the Spanish Deputy in this country, Admiral Apodaca, who would thank. fully receive and speedily transmit to his own country whatever sums should be subscribed for its use. Due notice was then given of the Meeting, which had drawn the attention of Minis ters, who were anxious that every appearance should be avoided which would seem like a reflection cast upon them, for omitting any exertion that it was in their power to snake in aid of she Spanish cause, This feeling had induced Mr. Peres :I, the Chancellor of the lixchequer, to write a letter to the Lord Mayor (which had been received only a few hours) explanatory of the aids which Government had already furnished, or were now furnishing. He then read the letter, which was to the fol. lowing effect : " M In av,—Understanding that a Meeting is to he con vened under the sanction of your Lordship, for the purpose of promoting a subscription for the purchase of shoes, clothes, and other nesessaries for the Spanish army, I feel it necessary to fur nish you with the fullest information of what has been already done, and what is now doing by Government for those sikieets, I hope I shall not be so far misunderstood, as to he suppose , ' de sirous of repressing any proof which the City of Luodon may he disposed to give, of that sentiment which is felt so generally in this country ; but I feel apprehensive, that unless great eau ion he used, some injury might he done to that cause which it is the object of the Meeting to promote. I therefore think it necessary to inform you, that as to the purchase o f shoes, which is stated as the first object of the subscription, Government hata taken every means of procuring an abundant supply. ruin the orders they had given, not only in England, but in Ireland and Scotland, they expect to he furnished with 40 or 60,000 pair a i month, for the British and Spanish armies. If the zeal of n - dividuals were to go farther, there would be gr eat dan g er that it he would create a eompkition, Which would raise tpritT, and be otherwise injurious. The sante observation would also apply to a Subscription for the purpose of busing uniforms o r Clothing. With regard to arms, ammunition, and field equipage, it is unneces sary for me to make any remark, as 1 understand that such arm!' s are not within the contemplation of those Gentlemen who are about to promote the Subscription in view. T ever, which may he subscribed, might be applied 50 the pur he mono, how - chase of other articles which could not interfere with those tl ot, which Government are occupied, and w hich would base e advantage of manifesting unequivocally the Government of this country, she has with her the strung e and gereral feel ing of the people. to Spam, that hist. ME NATIONAL REGISTER.