The National Register. — London, England, 1809-09-17 00:00:00

•TIIE NATIONAL REGISTER. Jefrlfi Ilea 4 OLIV. AP .4. wfti.lM S EPT. 17. COURT OF . COMMON COUNCIL. CELEBRATION OW 1113 MAJESTY'S ACCESSION TO THE TIIRONE. In coosequence of a requisition, signed by several Aldermen nod Commons, a Meeting of the Common Council was held yes terdity for the purpose of 'inking into consideration the proprie ty of celebrating, on the 25th day of October nest, the Anniver sary of his Majesty's Accession to the Crown, being the 50th. The Lord Mayor having taken the Chair at twelve o'clock, and there being present the Aldermen, Sir William Curtis, Sir William Leighton, Thomas Smith, Christopher Smith, Joseph Jonathan Smith (Sheriff), Scholey, Wood, and Goodbehere, with a full Court of Commoners, 'the Requisition Was read for convening the Meeting , after which, Sir Wt t.LI A M CURTIS arose, and in a .neat speech, which he delivered with much feeling, the worthy and Honourable Baronet observed, that they 'were met to consider the pro priety of celebrating the anniversary of his Majesty's Acces sion to , the Throne. He was convinced that there was not one individual present who would •not most. cordially agree, that during the long period in which his Majesty had sat on the Throne of these Realms, his equal, if he were to retrace back the History of these Kingdoms, could not he nam ed. Indeed, the length of his reign had been exceeded but by one King since the conquest-. It had been a reign gra tify ing to his subjects, and highly honourable to himself. His Majesty had wisely and beneficially administered those laws of which he is the guardian for the happiness of his people. When therefore his people contemplated the security under which they had reposed for the last forty-nine years, the mild and be nevolent Government of one of the best of Sovereigns, they must he convinced, that virtues so eminently conspicuous were enti tled to the grateful approbation of the United Empire. The whole of our Sovereign's reign has been marked by acts of at- , tention to the interests and liberties of his people. On his first ascending the Throne, the first act of his reign, was to declare the Judges independent of the Crown, thereby securing to the people a just dispensation of the laws. This too, it must he recollected,. was an act flowing from his own spontaneous will. Apo: her act of grace worthy of a great and good King was, the putting an end to the-issue of General . Warrants, which had been much in use until the great stir which an Alderman of London, Nr. John Wilkes, made,.cansed an inquiry into the subject, and then it was that our Sovereign suppressed them. In comparing the acts of his present Majesty with those of a former King, newly, who reigned as long, it must be acknowledged, that though Henry achieved great conquests, yet, under the present Sovereign, our achievements were greater. It was only neces sary to look at the conquests gained by our army in Egypt, at Acre, on the Shores of the Nile, of Camperdown, off St. Vin cent's, and in Spain. and every impartial man must admit, that in a military point of view, this country has to boast des great teats and actions as any- that had been gained under our ances tors. With this view of the beneficent results of the present reign, he felt it his duty to call the attention of the Corporation of the firSt City in the World, to hand don n, to the latest pos terity, their marks of attachment and duty to the hest of Sove reigns, by celehrating the fiftieth anniversary of his reign.— The country ought to rejoice in the blessings which it had derived from his Majesty's mild and beneficent Onvern• mem, and the day on which he ascended the throne should be a day of m i rt h an d re j o i c i ng . B e i ng o f t hi s opinion, he had signed the paper of requisition, convinced too that every man in the country would feel a disposition to gtatify the best of Sove reigns. When we looked around us and sa w time nations of the Continent compelled to submit to the arbitrary mandate of a tyrant, crouching low, in some instances misled, in all low and debased, we must feel an increased portion of happiness that oer valuable Prince had not listened to ,any wild or theoretical Plans which had led to the dehttsement of the Monarchs, and the ein of the States to which he had alluded. Eng,eand remained • the same, its Sovereign firtwautl unshaken in those truly British principles which he avowed in his first speech upon ascending the throne --not only therefore to the people of this country, but to the other nations of the wo: Id, men his Majesty be ad mired. The Hon. Baronet was ready to admit, that in main— taining those principles this country had suffered privations, bet the Constitution still remained inviolate—(iber.' hear!) In bringing the resolutions fors tad, with which he should conclude, he declared that he had not leaned either to one, party or to the other—he did not care who was in potter of oot . of power—he had beeu actuated aloce by a senseyr dot;' and of., 593 • gratitude to the best of Sovereigns, for the benefits which he, with the rest of his countrymen, bad pertakrn during so long tt reign. In making this assertion he was sincere, and those who doubted the truth of his declaration knew but little of hill heart. Political motives had not been the inducements to ob. Crude on the attention of the Court ; he again declared that a sense of duty, and the gratification of his own ft clings, had urged him to come forward to propose a mark of respect to a most beloved and venerable character. The Hon. Baronet concluded with proposing his Resolutions, That this Court will celebrate the approaching Aneiversary of his Majesty's Accession to the Throne of this Kingdom, on the 25th day of October next, being the day on which his Ma jesty will enter the 50Ih year Nr his reign. • That a Committee be appointed, cousisting of nll the Alder men, and a Commoner out °fetich ward, to consider of the hest means of carrying the said Resolution into erect, and to report their opinion thereupun to this Court. The first resolution being seconded by Mr. .Alderman Sckoley, and read by the Recorder, Mr. WA ITFT M A N expressed his unwillingness to have Mitt-tided on the attention of the Court upon the present question ; bat the Hon. Baronet had nut produced any arguments to convince his • mind of the propriety of the measure which lie was so anximei to propose. lie was' aware, that by opposing the million, he should place himself in an awkward situation, became he should not only render himself liable to misrepresentation, but he should • most certainly encounter it. He had, however, no hesitation in . giving it as his opinion, that the motion was brought forward. with no other.view but to cover the disgraces of Ministers. lie could not perceive any other rational object which the Ilan. Baronet had. Mr. NVaithman asserted that he had as much loyalty as any man present, but the way to chew that loyalty . Was, hy,preserving the principles of that Constitution o hick placed his Majesty on the Throue. No man could look at the present situation of the country without dismay—a situation* which his Majesty's evil Counsellors had placed the country in. ltlvould therefore better become us to approach his Majesty, and by an humble and dutiful Address, to point out his wicked Counsellors, in order that they, might be temoved. The Gentle man then took a retrospective view of the situation of public affairs when his Majesty ascended the Throne, which he taw frosted with the present situation of the Country.—At the . former period the Country had a Chatham at the helm—was in pease --had gained great acquisitions—was in strict alliance with several of the powers of the Continent, and although at the eon- . elusion of an ex pensive*war, the annual expenditure of the awn try was not more than 7,000,00 a At present our annual ripen- . dime isseventy millions. The increased amount of expenditure Mr. W. attributed to the system recommentiei by Lord. Bute, and still pursued, which he termed disgraceful to the country. From these topics Mi. W. adverted to the Act of beneficence noticed by the Honeurable Baronet, that of his' Majesty's ren dering the Judges independent of the Cro'sn ; and here he was ready to admit, that if' the security and happiness of the country were to depend on his Majesty's private virtues, the people could not have a better security. ( Hear! hear !) But he hoped that there was too much independence in the country to need such a dependence as on the virtues of any Prince. Mr. Waithman then read the Address of the Corporation to his Majesty on the 6th March, 17W, relative 'to the dismissal of Chief 3 ustice Pratt, %% ,• for the opinion which he gave on the subject of General ars • rants, which he declared to' be illegal. The independence of the Judges was the effect of the exertions of Mr. Wilkes, and • not the spontaneous act of his MajestY, for in the endeavours to crash that person they had done an essential service to their country, 6v producing the der! :ration that Grneral Warrants were unconstitutional. Mr. Wa ithman then noticed the dein v. ing ti r. Wilkes of his Seat ire Parliament, although elected by the voice of the county of Middlesex. lie bete read the Ad dress of the Corporation on that occasion. These unconstitu tional measures were the works of the then Administration. tie imputed ti) those persons who caosceived thetoselyes, that.they monopolized all the loyalty of the country, such as I'4l r. )hn Reeves and Mr. John Booles—; hat interest was Oleic motives —that t) u 'ir loyalty was like g,ratitude, worth nothing tulles. it• was paid fur lie was not, then fore, surprised that they should act thus ; but his surprise' was excited that so many respectable Illen as be saw around him,. should buffer them. selves to be deluded by any . Adininisiration for ft was too true the coiduet of the sAdnifoisirayons had been such Cis to place his Majesty ia,so .f r . fiariees a situation, that the thrbue tottetcd under . • l'ir'eaCt t6k cogot tyAniornatg miiii Auto .r, 17‘z_.