The National Register. — London, England, 1821-01-28 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER 30 DINNER AT NORWICH, TO commEmonATE THE 8111111 (II? THE RIGHT HON. CHARLES JAMES Fox. This tribute to departed virtue, ability, and patriotism, would have beer paid in dm regular course of things oil the 24th instant, but as Mmistels had fixed that Parlia• meat should met t for the dispatch of business on the t 3.1, and as all the respectable Members of either House, who arc resident in Norfolk or the adjoining counties, wished to be present on the occasion, the Committee fixed it to be held this year on Friday dm Iclt6 inst.—The commemoration last year took place in St.Andrev/sHall, the whole extent of which was well filled, and we are at a loss to account for its being fixed this year in the As sembly Rooms, Chal,el Field, which cannot hold one fmtrth the member Mat cat' dine comfortably in St. An. lidrew's Hall ; however, so it was—and as the C-ommittce had very propel ly determ Med not to issue t uor c tickers than could be admitted, the city, during the early part of the day, was a scene of bustle and commotion, and the tic lets, issued originally at iss. each, were sought with avidity ai almost any price—two guineas and even three guineas each, were offered, and refused, by those who remembered the indescribable treat they had enjoyed on the two preceding occasions, under the presidency of the Earl of Albemarle, a nobleman whose general virtues and pectiliar qualifications for the situation of chairman of such a company are equally beyond any of his con tem poraries—indt ed,acetelostied as we are !wow professional avocations :,) 'oe present at politic c.iiincrs, we hesitate trot to declare that the Nuble and worthy E orl of Albe marle is superior beyond all comparison to any one we have ever seen at the head of a table. At four o'clock (the hour fixed for dinner) the heart felt cheers of the populace announced the approach of 'l'. W. Coke, Esq. the estimable Metnber for the comity --and he was shortly afterwards billowed by the Earl of Albemarle, the DUke of Norfolk, and James Mac donald, Esq. M. P. (the Earl's Jon-in-law), who were receised with every mark of unquestionable esteem. At the centre table the Earl of Albemarle was in the chair, supported by the Duke of Norfolk on his right hand, and Mr. Coke on his left. At the table, on the right hand of the chairman, the Hon. G. ‘Valpole pre sided : and at the table on the left, W. Burt, Esq. Mayor of Norwich. a t limning the dinner the Earl of Albemarle informed the company that an immense baron of beef. which was placed upon lime table, was a prescat to them from his (hare the Duke of Bedford. Immediately after dimier;as co:minded Non nobio De ntine, was sung by sonic lousiest amateurs, who volun- teered their sees ices upon the occasion, slier which Ife s Tlio Earl of ALBEM MIX rose and said that they saw before them a man spoiled by their kindness and par tiality.—(Clicees.) It wa• now the third time that lie hail the proud distinction of pi esiding at a meeting in which he could indulge all the warmest feelings of his heart—a meeting assembled for the purpose of paying tributary homage to depot ted worth, eloquence, and greatilvas—A . meeting anxious to exhibit its r e sp ec t f or th e memor y o f Fox, to express its admiration of his political principles, and to make known its fixed determination to adhere to them.—(Applause.) A proud distinction he did indeed consider to preside at such a meeting, and one on which lie could assure them that lie put a higher value than he !Mould ever put upon any title whirls power might be stow —(Cheers.) He vii•ited that the memory of C. J. Fox should be the first toast dunk, as it was the most material business of the pi csent meeting. His reason for wishing such an alteration to be Blade was this—that his own inclination, as well as that attention to their wishes which it was his ditty es well as his pleasure to pay, would induce him in the early part of the evening to propose the Maid' of an illustrious personage whose wrongs and persecutions had excited the sympathy and roused the indignation of every nom in the country.—(Long and loud cheering.) And bring aware that the health of that illustrious personage would call forth the most rapturous marks of their loyal appiobatioi feluccas), lie thought that the toast which lie esas then ponig to propose should rather precede than follow it. He should therefore pi o pote to them to think in solemn silecce the memory of C. J. Fox. Of the gt neral character of that illustrious statesman, as exhilmed in his public and his private life beim e a meeting so folly established as their meeting was, liclore an assembiy so eilliglitened as 111:1S which lie then SASS :11011114 him , befole ones V. Ito initialled and molei stood, and, understandlog, appreciated his (Mr. Fox's) great worth and ninny 'inners, it was minecesssary, especially as lie had tot mei ly dilated upon the stioir et, to say our wind t xcept it were such as regarded the passing events of the present day. And here lie would call upon all who knew the tine at/et:thins with which Mr. Fox was gilled, and who were acquainted with the immure in which Ile employed Ilie vast powers of his exalted utind , to iltebire whether his limiest and benevolent heal t did not abhor persecution - (Cheers.) Wimt then would have been his feelings, if lie had lived in these latter tones i—(Cheers.) lie slmuld say no more to them at present, but give ilium without loather preface the " immortal hit:mot} id C. J. Fox." Alter the toast was drank, the Noble Chairman called upon Mr. J. Taylor, for his excellent Ode to the mentor). of Fox.—" Come to his grave, bust not to weep." 1 east—" The head of the Laecutive titiverninent, the The Earl of ALBEMARLE, in tising to propose the next toast, said that he had now come to that toast to which he had alluded to in his twiner speech, and upon which lie was anxious to be pet minted lo say a few words. Inde pendently of his own wishes s Chairman he had a right as Chairman to take up some of their time in proposing it, as it had been oue which . it had not been usual for them to drink upon former oceasiouy, and which it was now proposed to drink under 'sly peculiar circumstances.— Knowing their impatience, bows , eni, to testily' their ap probation of the toast, and their eagerness to greet with heartfelt cheers the health of her Majesty, he would, with their leave, defer what he had to say upon the sub ject lilt another pail of the evening, and without l u rtt•er prelude pi opose the health ul the Quteen.—(l.ond cher r ing, said repented ethos of " tho4iteco, Ute Queen.").--• di stay teal:cc, a t , coldin lira 1 0: 'Albemarle, one mo smut s patiune bsfme yun drink thetoast, for I a Isla to odd to it snit thing or whit li I ant sure yon will all :,p -' lie Queen, told it.. y the %oleo Ortift' ii kii never cease to thunder in the ears of her persecutors, moil her NT.i . ii.sty is plircil in full pri.sei.siosi of nil the Cimstitiiiional rights to which she is entitled as the Queen Consort of these realms." The cheers with which this Inert was received lasted five minutes. The lidlowing song, written by Mr. Priest, of Norwich, was then sung by an amateur present to the air of "'fine Legacy." Hail! hail! star of Brnniwick; tho' foes may surround thee, The arm of a nation is lifted to save ; The threats of the wicked shall nes er confound thee, While thron'd in the hearts of the good and the brave. Tho' slander and tyranny basely ate leaguing Ta blast thy fair honour and sully thy fame ; When justice unveils their infernal intriguing, The day of thy triumph shall plunge them in shame. The tyrants believ'd thee unfriended, forsaken, A victim their malice mielit safely pursue; But thy wrongs and thy sufferings soon shall awaken 'fate vengeatice that is to their infamy!due. 'leveed be the shades of thy kindred who perish'el In glorious eotillicts with England's proud foes; And dear in onr memory ever be elterisli'd That child whose eflectione once solac'd thy woes. Then hail! star of Brunswick, their virtues reflected, 'Midst dangers and trial bears brightly in thee ; In thy truth and thy fortittide dimly protected, Thy cause is the cause of the just and the fire. In vain would thy base persecutors dissemble, The voice of a nation is rais'd in applause; Let villany shake, let tyranny tremble, The arm of a nation is raisal in thy eanse. The Earl of ALLiF.maithk said, that the toast to which he neat followed in necessary succession to the last.— It was a corollary deduced from that proposition, and a conclusion derived from the same premises: it was— " The Dismissal of his Majesty's present Ministers." (Cheers.) Upon that subject, a loch he considered to be one of vital importance, lie hoped that they would permit him to occupy their attention for a short time with a few remarks. which he was rather en titled to do then, as he had abstained from it before,— Previously to addressine ' them on that subject, lie wished to say a few words on a kind of double charge that had been preferred against himself. His political opponents had stated, that though lie was very ready to put himself forward in county ineetines, lie was verc loth to take any other than a silent share in the debates of parliament. His political tiiends, on the other hand, charged him with not being forward enough in promoting a county meeting upon recent events. With regard to the first charge, he would confess that it suited not the retired, or, it' they chose, they might call them the idle, habits of his life to take an active part in the debates of parliament. lie had no object to obtain, he had no ambition to gratify, neither could In' render any service to his country, by so doing. He made that declaration without meaning any thing hostile to those who pursued a emit rary line of conduct: but when all the force of a it and argument and eloquence was so completely in the hands of those ft imids %%Mt whom he was accusimiwd lo act in the House, es it was at pre sent, lie thought it would be a waste of time for so second rate a provincial performer as himself to attempt to add any thing to their observations. In the county of Not folk, however, the case was different: there he wan a promi nent character, front the accidental circumstance of bittb, not from possessing any saperiority either of talent or patriotism over any of the gentlemen whom Ile SAW atoned hint : there lie was told by his friends that it was his ditty to come borer/nil; and lie therefule did come foiward before the county, allure lie was sure to he met with partiality by some and with haleness by all, where lie was cheered with :lie hope that he should obtain the approba tion of his friends and his neighbours, where, lie said it with confident certainty, he had ne vs r appeared except in support of the just prerogatives of the crown or the acknowledged rights of the people, according as both or either of them might require his support. (Cheers.) — Thus much as to the first charge. With regard to the second, that of being lukewarm in not promoting a county meeting on the late disgraceful proceedings, lie must plead not guilty. lie would say, on behalf of himself* and his excellent friend near him (Mr. Coke), who was implicated in that charge—and lie was glad to be in the Sallie boat, in either fear or foul weather, with his excel lent friend, who was now for the first (hue in his life charged with IllkeWallnlles9 —he would say, oil their con joint behalf, that they did not wish to have it thought that they led the county. They trail, however, been ready at all times, and were ready even vow, it it were the wish of the comity, (load cheering, and cites of " It is, it is,'') to conic loi is aril along with them. The truth w as, that itei tlo•r lie, our his CM:tilelll friend Mr. Coke, nor the county at Int ge, w ere lukewarm. These were two mvasuns fur their not nicotine at present. thie ot' the objects of such a meeting motile' lie to express the abhorrence which they had felt ut the late persecution of her al.ijesty ; and the other, a consequence of the former, would be to ask fur the dismissal ut 11l iii istete. The comity of Norfolk hail, however, accomplished built these objects: it had met and decided 1111011 both those questions, not, indeed, in any hole or cornea, out in the room of any private or pub lic house (loud cheering)—not like the sui-gliiatit loyal addressers of the comity of Norfolk, who met in is private room in the county of Norfolk, alio met in a private room at the Angel I iiii i Norwich—but in the comity cutirt, conserved by the Sheriff iii the face of day, in the face of their political opponents, who could never be persuaded to dare to meet them openly. (Cheer ing.)—The noble Earl then proceeded to state has OpillillllS and feelings respecting the perseentiuns of her Majesty, as they were at mice iu afire unison with his genet al be 'tiptoe, character, and the declared amnion sits of every honest Enelishinan, we may be allowed to omit them. Ills Lordship concluded by stating, that it was the constant nick oh initiisteis to accuse then opponents of the conduct of which they were thrust lses guilty; the people, how ever, were nut any lutist r to be deceived by them, and were now publicly charging them as the authors of the difficulties alilcia were overate lining them. Their deter. minatios to cling to 111.14'l.—lic %mild nut dignify what they possessed so far as to call it power—their dom ination at to cling to place, he repealed, had lireitsbt doisii upon us such au accumulation of evils its it 1 41/111.1 he im possible to remedy without a complete change of sestets. As he ti toted that the time los detecting that change was not far distatit, he should conclude by pioposilig to them as is teas!, " The dismissal ft UIII his Majcs!%'s council, or those nil:Mims oho by Hu ii conduct have pr used Mein ,elsu s to be alike the entitle s of Is e fl oss , and the pe e . pie." Lew! cheering. The Earl of A Lnittuaitr.e. said, that the next toast was the health of the Duke of Sussex. (Cheers.) Perhaps lie on4lit to ask pardon of his Royal Highness that his health did not succeed that of her Majesty; but really the last toast appeared to hitn of such vital Importance as to require that it should be drank next to it. As all the company were well acquainted with the virtues of his Royal Highness, it would be unnecessary for him (the Earl of Albemarle) to say more of him at present than that lie was ever mindful of the principles which had placed his family upon the throne, and that lie sincerely professed his belief of the doctrine that the crown was merely given to the itionarch for the benefit of the people. (Cheers.) He remained proud of the principles which he had de clared among them last year, and convinced that they were the only principles on which tranquillity could be restored to the country. The Duke,' health was then drank with three times three. Toasts—" The respectability of the crown, the durabi lity of the constitution, and the prosperity of the people." " The constitution, according to the principles asserted at the revolution." " The High Sheriff of the county of Norfolk." "The Mayor of Norwich, and prosperity to the city." The Earl of ALBEMARLE, in giving the health of the Bishop of Norwich,said, that lie should endeavour in vain to express the respect, admiration, and love, which he felt for that most excellent prelate. The only way in which lie could give the health of the most simple-hearted man alive, was in the most simple manner. lie should, therefore, propose the health of their respected and be loved Bishop. (Loud cheering.) The Rev. Archdeacon Ilarnemsr returned his sincere thanks for the compliment which they had just paid to his revered parent. It was quite unnecessary fur him to say that the Bishop cf Norwich sympathised with all the objects of the meeting, though be might be permitted to observe that there was one point on which he was cllti ileil to observe that his venerable relation differed from them. The Bishop of Norwich was of opinion that nothing but couciliatoiy measures bould save the country, and that such measures never could be adopted by the present ml. !listen, unless the necessity of them were forcibly im pressed upon them. Notwithstanding what bad fallen from their noble chairman, he was of opini o n that there were tenfold reasons at present, when the whole nation was roused, for the gentlemen of the comity to come lot ward and to request a public meeting of it to be con vened. Men of every party ought now to %mite hand and heart, and to go up to the King and to the two Houses of Parliament, with requesting a stop to be put to the shame less persecution of her Majesty. Toast—" The cause of civil and religions liberty all over the wot Id." The Noble Chairman, in proposing the next toast, observed that he was inure and more convinced every day of the absolute necessity of a reform in Parliament, and of the certainty that it st sooner or later take place. He should therefore give, as a toast, "A speedy and effectual reform in the representation of the people in Parliament." (Cheers )--From the approbation which the toast had met, it would not lie obtioxions to think it with three tunes three. The toast was accordingly so drank. Toast—" The Doke of Norfolk ; and may the ancient hereditary nobility of the comity ev e r consider it their highs honour to support the ti g hts and liberties of the people." (Cheers.) The Duke of Nouror.n, in returning thanks, declared himself strongly in admiration of the principles of Mr. Fox. _ Toast—" A speedy repeal of all laws which may tend in any degree to support the sacred rigl•ts of conscience." The Duke of Non YOLK then propo{cii the health of their noble chairman, the Eats of Albeniatle, in a slim t but forcible eulogy. Amongst the many taleuts which he declared the noble Earl to possess, none was more con spicuous than the - . which titled him to shine as chairman of a public meeting, lie had himself been at many public dinners, but lie had never seen any chairman so good as their present one. Even his own predecessor, (the late Doke of Norfolk), though a very good one, was interior• to the noble Earl then among them. The health of the Earl of Albemarle was then thank by the compatiy, with nine tinsel nine. The Earl of ALLIB:11 ARL X returned thanks in a sliced' which we regret extremely that our limits prevent ins front I *porting. The Earl of ALHEMARI.E.—As good wine requires no bash, so Mr. T. W. Coke requires nu eulogy from am sure that the company will drink his health with the greatest satisfaction. (Loud cheering tor some minutes.) %Ir. COKE in returning thanks for the honour they conferred upon Idol, declared that In, heart °yenta% eil Nita joy in seeing so respectable a meeting assembled to celehrate the principles of Alt. Fos. lie then took a review of the public life of nun illustri o us statesman, and contrasted it ith that of Mr. l'ivt. I f there was any one thing oil is hick he prided Infused' more than another, it if as that he had been the uniform supporter of Mr. Fos 's pouters punk tides. The system to which Mr. Fox had been oppostd had lost us A airlift', had ruined our manufacturiag and agricultural He tet( sts, and and reduced the whole nation to a ►tale of hawk ruptcy . Mr. Pitt was the life and soul of that system ; and note that he was dead, his followers continued to act in the fall spirit of it. It was thus, as lie had stated iii the Howe of Commons, that they had been the tustigatuis of Li • 11144 , ,,1C1C at Aluneltester ; if they had not been sr, afield they have been so resolute in preventing tiny inquiry Irma beins made as to who were the authors of it I A similar employment of an fumed force to put doom the petit' tit the people had been lately witnessed in Leland; timid if the freeholders had not exhibited thegreatest forbearaiwe !here, bfencb fl OUlti 114 V t, deer acted nl IN I iM.111111:1111 as had previously been acted at Manchester. To counteract the petitions of the people, a Melt a vie now so MUM( inv., Mini-tern had directed their adherents throughout the country to scud up loyal addresses to the King, in inner they might by them be enabled to keep their places: and those that had places under the Ministry naturally scut up Weil addresses us w etc wanted, in order that the) too might keep their places as tvell as then employers.—(Lau,f . A t ter several other remarks is the swat strata, the worthy :timber proceeded to make a few Olin rvatiiiii. UOOll Par- Reform. As long as la hail set ❑t the !louse of (;ipinitions, he had teen been :I'llllllllA of the bad company which lie was out ustomed to meet there: and he was sorry to say that he became wore and more ashamed of it every day. Ile ti es therefore cousin. ed of the necessity of a radical re. tom' iu it, and he could not see that there wits any thing ible in inakilig • itch a reform. I t a mum was ill did he Hot al,ll for a radical curt r Why then should the country _'~' -_ _ -