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

CS AIEEUNG OF M MIGRANTS, BANKERS, tic. AT THE EGYPTIAN HALL. One of the most extraordinary meetings we have ever witnessed took place on %Vcditesday in the Egyptian Mall, which the Lord Mayor consented to lend to the respectable body of Merchants and Bankers who signed the late regnisitim for calling a meeting upon the sub ject of the Declaration which lately issued from a few persons denominating themselves loyal. Long before the gates of the Mansion House were open, a great multitude of the friends of the snug party blocked up the way, and at twelve the rush into all . the avenues was most overpowering. The Hall was Idled in half an hour. There seas every appearance of conflict long previously to the entrance of the Lord Mayor. At a quarter before one Sir 1 , 4 .Curtis appeared on the hustings, and immediately a numb, r of hats waved in the air, and a powerful opposition was set up. At one precisely the Lord Mayor entered amorist loud cheers. Ile was followed by Alexander Baring, Esq. .1. Smith, Esq. (brother to Lord Carrington), Aldermen ‘VOOd and Vk aiihman, and a great number of respectable persons. The LORD MAYOR stated to the inteting the occasion upon which the requisition, signed by several of the most respectable men in the City of London, had beets pre sented. Amongst such a multitude there most necessa rily be difference of opinion, and he therefore entreated that au impartial hearing would be given to any gentle• man who presented himself. JOHN Smits+, Esq. stood forward and said, that it fell to him to have the honour of introducing to the notice of the meeting certain resolutions, and to state the reasons that induced him and the gentlemen with whom he was acting to submit them to their con sideration. The first resolution, which asserted the custom of Merchants, &C. to hold public meetiogs on questions of importance, was of great mo.aent. A de claration front Etch a body, by public advertisement, must always be considered of great weight in Parliament. Discussion was ever favourable to the interests of truth, and he maintained that discussion could not be held in any close assembly unconvened by public advertisement. The second resolution expressed that there could of course be no objection to—loyalty to the King—abhorrence of blasphemy and sedition, and love of the Constitution, on the pore administration of which the interests of society depended.—(Cheera.)—The third resolution alluded to the fact, that notwithstanding the great agitations of the times, the prevailing disposition of the people was attach ment to the Constitution, and that whatever instances of disaffection had appeared, or were likely to appear, the laws were quite sufficient to pot them down. He had heard with great concern that the laws had not been put in effect against certain individuals who hail publicly stated opinions inconsistent with the nature of civil soci ety, who had advised, that after a certain day no taxes 'mould be paid, and no laws should be obeyed, and who had promoted the melancholy scenes that had taken place at Mat chester.—(Here there were roars of disap probation from the Ultra Loyalists, and great applause and waving of hats from the great bony of the Hall.) — Those who voted with hint (Mr. Smith) were friends to law and order, and were most anxious that the laws should be judiciously administered for the benefit of all. (Hisses and groans [Mottled with applause.)—The fourth resolution had reference to the Press, the freedom of which was inseparable from the very existence of the British Constitution. He regretted much to see any attempts further to restrain that invaluable liberty.— England owed the reformation of her religion, the esta blishment of civil liberty, and her most valuable insti tutions, to the rhinos of a free press. (Glee's and hisses.) —The filth resolution was also one of great importance to a nation so much interested in the maintenance of th public credit, and treated of the existence of di& twines and grievances which were aggravated by the pro ceedings adopted against her Majesty.—(Loud cheers and great tumult for some minutes.)—As soon as the noise subsided, Mr. S. said, the ianguage of the resolu tion was no other than that which was adopted by the House of Commons, a body who had declared that those proceedings were derogatory to the principles of the Crown and injoriona to the best interests of the people. Toe last resolution included a petition to the House of Commons, praying that that House would adopt some immediate measures to restore the nation to a state of l'he Hall was in a complete thaws when the last resolittl was read, and Mr. Smith's en deavours to be heard were all inetketual.)—The lion. Gentleman then moved the first resolution. Bonouscrost, Esq. seconded the resolution. He said lie would not wok& the illeeling with any observations, as if he were to address them he should merely repeat the observations of his worthy tricod who had just sat down. Sir W. Cu K IS stood forward, and was received with the mutt bOiiiefoll% applause by a number of the Ultra 1{0 ) alists who were in frOla Of the hustings. The worthy A Idermais said lie had die utmost respect for many of tile gentlemen who segued the requisition, and in many things he completely agreed with them, but he differed Ilona them in aerially upon the subject of politics, as is)latic. were connected with the name of the Queen. I le concluded by moving the previous question]. The LORD MAYOR bad ititerposed to procure a lie ,r -ini4 for Sir William, but the appkuse ss as of so tumul tuous it nature, that all hopes is Cfe given up Of any further quietness during the day. Mr. B oANQUET stood forward to second the amend- Went. A. linatao,Esq. then stood fo ssard, and • ediately the Ultra Loyal party set tip a yell, which the itsterie aetwe of the Lord Nlayor coldd but fora moment repress. —Mr. B. said he hoped the persons who were thus pre senting freedom of discu4sion, would MSC to offend the itwethig by conduct calculated to throw disgrace upon a Sp.&tlds Assembly. A meeting of the Merchants of me City of London should be conducted with some cutlet and Solc amity, and imploted those around him to THE NATIONAL REGISTER pay attention to the few words he Intended to address to them. He had been induced to sou the rlqui,i!iol for those reasons : lle hoped he would be alloss e,i to say, that a inure honourable set of names was never p:..ced to a requisition than those which were subscribed to the riquisition on which they had assembled. When cer tain persons roused the indignation of the country by the most atrocious proceedings--(Great tumult ; not a word of any speech was heard alter this. The interfe rence of the Lutd Mayor was quite ineffectual. Several persons climbed over the hustings, and groaned and hissed. The Ultra Loyalists seemed disposed to carry every thing by storm. They cried out to the Lord Mayor to dissolve ihe meeting. "No, no," said Alderman Wood, " We'll not dissolve the Hall, nom itlisianding your mann:tares; we'll try out strength with you.") The Louß MAYOR SlOthi upon the chair, and held the resolutions in his hand—" Gentlemen," said he, "I see you are determined to hear no discussion-1 shall put the question to you without any further ceremony."— His Lordship then stepped to the front of the hustings, and pin the previous question, which had been moved by Sir W. Curtis. Alderman Wood took his station at the front of the hustings, in order to present the multi ale from voting erroneously, which they might have been led to do, in consequence of the tumult. Alderman Waitliman took his station on the chair, and acted in unison with Alderman Wood, and the pre vious question was lost by “btaiL 3 to 1. The resolutions were men carried amidst shouts of applause. Thanks were then toted to the Lord Mayor with cheers, and the meeting was dissolved. BLACYIII;iI7'H MEETING. BATTLE ROYAL ANiI).NO THE LOYALISTS. At six o'clock last night a Meeting of the Inhabit ants of the Hundreds of Illickheatis and Little and Lessness, in tile County of Kent, took place at the Great Roam of the Greets Mat, on the Heath, for the purpose of taking into consideration the expediency of presenting a Petition to the Commons House of Paths 'nem, praying them to adopt such measures as may be deemed necessary to prevent the mstitutiou of any fur ther proceedings against her Majesty the Queen • also to pray that her Majesty's name may be immediately inserted in the Liturgy, and that she may be forthwith put into the possession of all her just Rights and Dig nities as Queen Consort of these Realms. The Reqm sitioo, in pursuance of which this Meeting was called, seas signed by T. Chamberlayne, Rector of Charlton, as Chairman of the Committee. So early as five o'clock a considerable number of per; sons assembled in the room, many of whom were said to belong to Greenwich Hospital. and they took pos session of the seats of the table. Some time after, a Gentleman belonging to the Committee Caine forward, read a Letter of apology from the Rev. Mr. Chamber layne, stating that severe indisposition, which confined him to his bed, unfortunately prevented his attendance a the Nlecting; but lie said that his heart was with them, although his person was not, and he wished suc cess to their Resolutions. A Gentleman then proposed Mr. \Villiams to the Chair, and the latter unmediately a•zevpted the office, though lie said he was not a Queenite ; but he would endeatour to act impartially. His offer to take the Chair, in which, however, he seated himself at once, was met with great disapprobation A Ms. Whittle was named by several others to fill the Chair, and with ap parently more satisfaction to the Meeting. Mr. W meet-8 stepped forward, in the midst of cries of " ueen fur ever!" and said, that though an bumble individual, he was ready if called upon,po take the Chair. He observed, that, though he was miscalled an enemy to the House of Brunswick, and other opprobrious names, yet he would say, that he would be the first man in time of need, to stand forward at the tisk of his life, to defend the king and the Laws.—(Cries of bravo ) The party who hail already, Cromwell like, taken possession of the Chair, and installed Mr. Williams in it, interrupted Mr. Whittle with great tumult, and said he was no Chairman—they would have Mr. Williams or Mr. Lowndes, and the latter in vain tried to obtaih a hearing. Mr. Williams, not liking his office as much as his friends trd, left the Chair, and Mr. Whittle stood up in it, declaring his tired determination to remain there if that was their wish, and be begged to put it to the tow. Mr. Lownoes again tried to obtain a hearing, hut for the first time the strength of his lungs failed. Un the question for a Chairman being at length put, there was an iumiense majority in favour of Mr. 1i (triple. A set of Resolutions for the furtherance of the object of those who called the Meeting were now put, but the noise of cat.calls, and the uproar of the opposite patty drowned all attemos at vliscussion, or cvc:t ucaring one word of the question. In the midst of this tumult the Resolutions were read, and Mr. W. was 111 the act 01 reading the Petition Jimmied oil them, when Chair, Chairman, and all were precipitated from their place, atuLthat end of the room was a wene of the most dis graceful riot. In the midst of this tumult, and while the Ex-chairman lay prostrate, one of the Ultra-loyal.sts put a chair on the table, and Mr. Lowndes was lifted into it. The Worthy Gentleman looked perfectly coin posed amid this scene. The gravity of Mr. Lowndes was not shaken until, in emulation of the first upset of Mr. Whittle, the table on which he was placed was suddenly bled from under him, and he and the chair were overthrown. scented the signal for terminat ing all •discussion, and the strength of each party was now to be 'tit:a:aired by their corporal lengths upon the floor, rather than by the moral influence of their re spechve speeches. A regular combat now commenced, Jail was carried on with seat vigour and various suc cess; chairs and tables yielded to the pressure, and much damage was done to the furniture in the room. This disgraceful scene lasted for inure than a quarter of an hour. At the time Mr. Whittle jumped upon a table, . .11.0qpoillil" . 1 111i - Am . - _ .251 which, from being at the side of the room, had hitherto escaped tine hiwock, and declared that he was made pri,amer by the High Constable. He therefore dis solved the Meeting, and said the Resolutions had been passed. This declaration was received with cries of— " No, nn; keep the Chair; we snall protect you." He then expostulated with the :Meeting, said he must go, as ne was a prisoner, and he implored them to retire peaceably. IV Ink he was speaking in nth manner, Mr. Lowndes, Mr. Bicknell, the Vestry Clerk, and several others, got into the music gallery of the room, arid proceeded to read the Riot Act. Tire people in the room exclaimed they would not quit—they were legally a•setnbled a excerctse a constitutional right, and would not retire, as they knew all the others wanted was to get them out, and then frame a hole and corner Address. Mr. Bicknell then came down into the room with a Prayer Book in his hand, and proceeded to swear in several persons as special Constables. Alter having sworn in Amu twenty-four, they made a regular advance, headed by Mr. Bicknell, to the top of the room, and attempted to seize several per,ams. The attempt was resisted, and they were driven luck. They a llied at the other end of the room, closed site doors, reimorced their strength, and rushed onwards again, when they succeeded in taking two men ; but not till after a very violent struggle. 'Curse two they carried off, and locked up in an adjoining room. They then lined all the passages in the house and the stair-case, and being strongly rein. forced, they again took three or four more, afkr a pm named struggle. One gentleman was collared by one of these fellows, and on asking %vim offence he had corn mined, was told for crying the "Queen for ever." Tnis scuff: was carried on until after seven o'clock, and during it the mirrors of this fine room were shattered in various places, and time candles were pot not, and some as often relighted. It was impossible to judge accurately how many were in custody ; but, we believe, about cleten were eventually carried out of the room. The High Constable seemed to be disposed to calm the uproar; but the Ultras \vete determined to carry every thing by force! As this Meeting must be made the subject of legal enquiry, we forbear to mention the names of the persons that were handed to us as those of the foremost of the rioters. MEETING OF ST GEORGE'S PARISH, HANOVER SQUARE. -. 1 1110- On Thiusday a very numerous and respectable Niece ing of the Parishioners of the Palish tit St. George, Hanover Squire, was held at the Great Room, Haunch of Venison Yard, Lower Brook Street, to take into con sideration the propriety of presenting a Congratulatory Address to her Majesty on the failure of the Bill of Pains arid Penalties, and to petition the !louse or Commons to discountenance any further proceedings against her Majesty, and also for a RAoriti in Parlianietit. J. C. Hostiouse, Esq. in the Chair. At one o'clock the Chairman, accompanied by Mr. Peter Moore and other Gentlemen, entered the room amidst loud cheers. Mr. Houirouse stated to the Meeting, that it was necessary every one of them should he informed that a Requisition, signed by upwards of ISO respectable in habitants, had been sent to Lord Amherst, one of the Churchwardens of the parish, to call a Meeting for the purpose on which the present was assembled, and that to that Requisition the 'Noble Lord was pleastl to send a refusal. '1 he answer of Lord Amherst stated, that he did not consider that he had right, as Curchwarden of the parish, to convene a public ineeting.—(Cries of— " Shame!" and hisses.)—[Here the Requisition and Answer were read.]—Mr. tiobhouse read letters from Samuel kVhitbread and Joseph Hume, Esqrs.expressing regret at riot being able to attend the meeting, but stating their hearty concurrence in the of of the meeting. The Chairman then said, that having read the Requi sition and Answer of Lord Amherst, lie hoped, that without being supposed to entertain any personal hos tility towards the Noble Lord, he might he allowed to remark, that his Lordship had very erroneous views of his duty as Churchwarden, for Lord Castlereagh himself had, when the gagging bills were in progress, declared that the public opinion could be easily expressed in each parish, under the sanction of the Churchwardens or other functionaries. Now, if Parish Meetings were not atatliorizA to meet Lauder such authority, how were they to meet ? Lord Castlereagh had in the House answered the objectious uttered to one of his favourite measures, by asserting the authority under which Parish meetings were b e held. But, wank God, Lord Cas tlereagh had enough of Parochial Meetings—(a laugh), —and he would, no doubt, be happy to find amongst his tools (God lorlaid that Lord Amherst should be called one) those who would be ready to present every obstacle in their power to the further expression of the public feeling. Lord Castlereagh, after all that he and his colleagues had done, still persisted in saying that he had the confidence of the people.—(A laugh.)—Cer tangly the Noble Lord could nut draw this inference from the parochial meetings, or, if he did, the parochial meetings must in future take care to make themselves more intelligible—but Ministers perhaps had got into the knack of judging, as old women judged front dreams bit contraries. — (Applause and lau g ht e r). 'Flue Worthy Chairman concluded; by expressing a hope that they would petition the Honse of Coinitions• Mr. P. MOORE read the Resolutions and Address.— They were proposed and seconded by two Partshioriers ; and, after a speech from Mr. Nit:ll°l,mi, in winch that Gentleman with much force attacked the conduct of Ministers, the Resolutions, Address, and Petition, were agreed to unanimously. Thanks having been voted to the Chairman. &c. the meeting broke up. Major General Lord Charles Somerset is about to , embark to r es ume hi s G overnmen t a t t h e C a pe a Good 'lope. _ _ _..._ ~,, 0.1 •--••••- 1