The Statesman. — London, England, 1809-09-27 00:00:00

I state of the finances of the Corporation so low as not to admit of this expenditure with out much inconvenience, for its annual capi , t o e was !argot- thee it had been formerly ; besides, a Committee might be appointed to conduct the business of the dinner and do it fur nothing, which tiottild considerably diminish the expense ; he should be glad to afford any assist ance he could render in that way gratis. It was, with him, a first principle that the Corporation should pass that day as a fectlt, and also that the feast should be held at our Man‘ion. House. It had been asked, by a worthy Member (Mr. Waithman), what there was to rejoice for? To which he answered, a green deal ; for, during the present reign, much had been done to improve the condition of society at large ; the public , roads had been improved ; we had had an i ii rnence quantity of inclosurc. Let its look at the face of the country in general, and see whe ther it was approaching that ruin which the worthy Member seemed to predict. Dank at the state of your manufactures and your produce, your agriculture, your arts, fine and mechanic—look at your Array and Navy, and then see the progress which society had made in its condition within these ten years ; the peace which we had enjoyed; and then be was inclined to think we should arrive to the conclusion, that, generally speaking, society was never it so flou rishing a condition as at the present moment. — [Mar ! hear! from Mr. Dixon.) It might in said, that we could nut attribute all these matters to Hie blaisstv ; but without the benignity of his reign they might have been cheektel and prevetit. ed ; besides, it was but fair to take this view of things, as others had taken such a view of the ills of the prescut reign. He therefore saw much %natter of congratulation to his Majesty out ac. count of his reign. He considered our Constitu. lion a matter of great congratulation ; it was a happy and glorious Constitution, the principles Of which his Majesty bad uniformly supported fur fifty years together. Therefore, be flattered himself, that the sense of the Court was, instead of using the language of complaint, to indulge in that of apprvb.stion. Mr. S. DIXON lamented that Gentlemen had se:lndere(' so much as they had done from the cres s , Con before the Court, which was simply...whether the Court should, 'or should not, go to St. Paul's to hear divine service cm the 25th of October tout, and return thanks to Almighty God. Ile bed heard a speech of en hour loug, from one Member (Mr. NVaithmati), without. containing a single word to the question. That Worthy Member had talked a great deal too much of himself. Who and what %vas Ise---that be should engross so much of the Court upou his affairs—his character— his circum stances—that hoshoeld thus talk so much .f him. self for himself. Here Mr. Dixon wittily intro 'limed the old jingle of " As I walked to myself, I talked to myself," &c. which he repeated with great emphasis and violent gesticulation, to the no small diversion of the whole Court. As to the matter now snore immediately before the Court, he had the pleasure to say, because he had the plea. 'sure to feel, there was abtindant matter for con gratulation to our Sovereign Lord the King, for his happy reign of 50 years over a loyal and ailktc floosie People. Mr. Alderman GOODBEIIERE saw the pro.. priety of separating the personal from the Magis terial tharicter of the King. 'fliere was a wide direrence between the moral character of the man, and the ojke which he holds; and to attribute to hini things which were not produced by him, was to come to a co/tclatsion without premises, and to n false conclusion. Such, he considered to be the attributing to the King the state of the public roads, the ttate df the manufactites, of commerce, of agriculture, of the arts, of the army,and the navy. These Were ndt produced by the reign of the King,at. though they happened in the reign of the King: they *ere the effect of the industry and diligence of the people; and it the worthy Member who had brought forward these subjects attended to that &iliac tion, he would not have arrived at the conclusion of attributing them to his Majesty. They were the Welt of the energy and the activity of the people. The way to judge this question rightly, was to lOok at the transactions of the present Reign, and then tie should find many things done by those whom his Majesty bad entrusted with his Councils, Which not only were mutt subjects of congratulation, but such as must excite our (15. horrence. Let us look at the eztcnsion of the hateful Excite Lars—at the odious and inquisi tonial Income Tax-.-at the huge, the monstrous site of the National Debt, the collection of the taxes to defray the interest of which had spread Court influence and corruption into almost every 'branch of society, civil or military. Look at the leasie if treasure and of blood, which had at. steeled a reign of forty.tiime years, thirty of which had been -.car ; during which, twenty-six Bishops, whose duty it was to preach the millness of the Christi4n Itc:igion, which was ' good will to moan," yet lent their aid, as Lords of Parlia ment, to a system of havoc and devastation all ores Europe, and an immense portion of India-- and also over a vast space of America. It was, therefore, not enough to say that our roads, our trade, our cfunuterce, our agriculture, our arts, were donrishisg, we must look also at the calami ties of the people ; at the fatal policy which brought on those calamities. Ito should not now take np the time of the Court in enumer:t ing them, but they were numerous ; and some of them %%ere at this moment, to hilt, awful and alarming ; he knew the people at large felt them in that light ; and the Court, in his opinion, ought to take care not to bring, as it were, a question between the King and his People, by thus injudiciously obtruding upon the public, a grave recollection of their) calamitous events. Sound belle and wise policy would have etunned a dis. mission of these matters at this crisis. For God's sake, let the Court do nothing that had a tendency to commotion. Things are, at present, tolerably quiet user the country; discussion may disturb them. Au illurninalien was the very worst pro ject that could be devised. Lights might, indeed, be set in people's window, but unless we could . Wyse them-fulness into their hearts, the iilunti. *Wien would do them no good. This wis not stieh a season as that of the news from Egypt or Trafalgar. They were, indeed, subjects Jit fur illumination. But this was to comiecinerate, by a Jubilee, the whole of a Reign, which had been marked by most afflicting calamities—by the ea. tension of the detestable Excise Laws—by sus. pensions of the Act of Habeas Corpus, the hid. wark of the liberty of the subject—by the prodi. gions waste of blood and treasure-...by an increase of the National Debt from 100 to WO millions. With these views of things, it appeared to him, that we deceived ourselves, if we thought..phis a season for a Jubilee, lor, to him, the situation of of the country appeared to be truly calamitous. Mr. KEMBLE did nut agree with every part of die Resolutions before the Court, but with the tirit part he did agree. lie could not help being stir. prised at the conduct of a worthy Member (Mr. Waithisian), fur he hail signed the very report which lie was now attacking. He never would have put his name to what he disapproved; he thought this conduct disingenuous in that Gentle. many and done to lull the Court into a delusive apprelientiou of security, the better to defeat its purpose, which was almost unanimously holding a Jubilee. To this, Mr. IViiitliman had put his name, and he was now attacking it. Ile should have been ashanied to put his name to any thing of hiet he disapproved. Al r. CLARK gave an account of what passed in the Committee at the time of framing the Re port, and observed that on that occasion, Mr. Waithinan had said that he would concur in the rtsolutions every one. As to the conduct of MiNieters, and their fondness for War, he had as much abhorrence of it as any one, but he wished to state what passed' in the Committee, to avoid misrepmentation, and to rescue the Committee from reflections. Mr. WALTIIMAN said, he made no rake. tiou on the Committee; but his object in signing the Report was, to bring forward the discussion of the subject Otte report was not his act, hut the act of the Committee. He medial) observations in the Conamittee.....he did not exchange a word with any individual in it, until a question was put to hint respecting the Dinner, and then lie said distinctly, that he disapproved of that measure. Thu question VI4S then put on the Resolution fnr guiug to hear Divine Service, and to return thanks to the Almighty God, un the 25th of October next. Mr. WAITIIMAN said, that at the desire of several individuals near him, he had no objection to withdrawing his amendment fur the present, and to put it on the 2d ticsoltition,—but this was over-ruled by the Court. Mr. DIXON said, a Gentleni In was now at tending to learn whether St. Paul's was to he the place in which the Corporation would attend Di. use Service, in order that he might give directions fur arranging the interior of that Cathedral in a manner suitable to the purpose. The question was therefore put and carried for attendin4 Divine Service at St. Paul's on that day. _ _ Mr. KEMBLE observed , that the regular course now was to appoint a Committee to pre. pare an Address to be presented to his*MAJESTY ) , on this occasion. This produced a short eonver. maim', but the suggestion was nut adopted. He then observed; that the next question was upon the subject of Illumination. Such was the loy• alty of the people, that he bad no doubt, whether the Court ordered au illumination of the front of Guildhall, or nut, the illuniination snotdd be ge neral. The Court might expect that the Man liest-he/toe, the India-house, and the Hank, should illuminate on that occasiou ; but there was no ne. cessity for the Court to recommend it to individuals, for their loyalty was such, that they would du it without any suggestion (rem any quarter. lie was aware of the pressure of taxes, but such was the loyalty of the people of this country, that be was confident they. would bear still more without a murmur, in support of his Majesty and his Go vernment; but as the people were so reitly to pay their money, the Court should not shew a readiness to take It out of their pockets. Mr. IVIIEBLE recollected the advice of Ham let to the players, " Let your clowns say no more than is set down for them," and therefore he should he short. He thought the Police of flts City defective enough already, without any Illumination, which would create much confu sion; but defective as the Police of the City was, there was this consolation, that the Police of the Wert End of the TON'll was a great deal worse, witness the tumult and uproar of Covent Garden Theatre for a week together. Nor were peace, and quietness, and obedience to the laws, much reeotiitnended by the duel whirl) lately took place between tno Secretaries of Slate, and Members of the King's Cabinet ; for these reasons wo under stood the worthy Member's sentiments to be ad verse to an Illuminetion. Sir JOHN EAMEIL did not concern himself much about the Police of the /Vest End of the Town, but defended that of the City, which he maintained to be excellent. Mr. Alderman WOOL) advised the Court to look to thr price of bread, rather thau talk about Illunsination. Ile disliked this proposition to it. luminate Guildhall, because it would have the effect of compulsion on all the householders of the metropolis; fur there were persons in abundance who were ready to break such windows as should not be ill 'nine/tell. Mr. MILLAR considered the whole of this measure of a Jubilee as a 'sere trick intended for the purpose of screening Ministers from an in. guiry into their conduct, which was most culpable. lie considered an Illumination es the most injudi cious step that could be taken, even by those who most wished to render ibis Reign illustrious; be. cause it would afford 'opportunities to those who thought otherwise, to contrast the present condi tion of things with that of the end of the last reign. The illumination reminded him of what was said in the once popular entertainment of Harlequin Touchstone. The character in that piece is supposed to poesess a talisman, by the application of which Truth is instantly elicited. lAmongst other places which he visited was P aris i when: the people were illuminating the city. liar. !equity, on inquiring the cause of this is laureled that ft was for a great victory ; but, I on applying the touchstone, he discovers that this illamitiatiun was for the purpose of keeping thel People in the dark. Thus, for instance, an invidious person might pot up in one window, National Debt, 100 millfons—in anuavr, Bou millions. In one, the price of the quartern loaf at six pence,' in another, possibly two shillings. In one, the portion of Excise almost nothin. , ---i3 another * , must enormous. In the one, the possession of America--.in another, the toss of it. In one, the state of Taxes, which were light, and collected constitutionally—in another, the As s essed Taxes, and the INCOME Btu., cui.tec-ru:o eras TlIt: PRIIICIPLES or TUE In one, the annuitant and tradesman of 2001. enjoying, in the reign of George the Secon I every C.Olll. fort which the country could afford, ati.l in comparative affluence ; and iu another, the seine individual, in the reign of George the Third, re duced by the Income Tax to 1801. overwhel tied with taxes, and driven from his parlour-tea garret. Tho Worthy Member having enumerated ovally other points of this nature, he said he saw no cause for illumination, but saw a great deal of folly in proposing it. Mr. BOX expressed a desire to support the honour and dignity of the City. Mr. WA mi NI A N had insuperable obit clons to that part of the Report which went to feCOlll. , mend an illumination of the front of Goiltlhall, because, as the worthy Alderman haul s.iid, it would become a matter acorn / Jul:6m ; fur if nine. or ten people were to light up, every body mnst do it fur safety, or it might cost them their bri,. Ile considered it as a scheme fur the purpoie of marking out, and exposing to obloquy, those who did not join it, by holding them out as persona deficient in attachment to their Sower. ign. But let the matter be discussed as it might, yiu Day of the Jubilee would, in reality, be a dav, nut of Joy, but of Grief at heart for the people. Nese but contractors, juhuers, pensioners, placetnen, or place-hunters would feel any Joy at heart on that occasion. It would be impossible for any reflecting man to luck at the transactions of that day, without a gloomy recollection of the enormous load of debt, which pressed upon us, without feeling that that debt had been in curred for the attainment of objects, none of which had been attained. That it ea: professedly incurred for the security of this Country, and of the Throne itself; that both are, at this moment, less secure than they were, when our debt was only 100 instead of 800 millions.— That it is absolutely impossible for this Country' to go on, upon thy: Santo scale of expenditu re for the next, as the last 7 years. That out of 19 years of this Reign, we h ire haul 3U years of war; that it was owing to accident alone we had been enabled to go on so long without national eackruptcy and that was the invention of machinery by Sir Richard Arkwright for spinning cotton, by is Lich that article might be said to hare become the staple' of the country, instead of wool. Haring taken notice of the mistake into which Mr. Alderman Curtis fell, as an historian, the other day In comparing the present reign to that of Henry lii. • weak and wicked Prince, whose ineaseres were against The interest of his people, and who had uveu violated his Oath...when the Worthy Alder. man must have meant, if he meant any thing, to have alluded to Edward 111, who was, iutleed, an illustrious Prince, he concluded with heartily dissenting (rem this Resolution. In the course of his Speech, lie was frequently . called to order by Mr. Keuible, Sir John Earner, and others ; but the Lord Mayor did not sanction them its their endeavours to put Mr. IVaitliman clown---the Worthy Member not being, in his Lordship's judgment, irregular. Mr. DIXON said there surely must be some mistake in this matter; Mr. Waithtnan must fancy himself speaking of some other Report, fur on this, the first signature was Robert ;Valero:an." Mr. WAITIIMAN said, lie had already ob. served that he had signed the Report, and had assigned .his reason for signing it, which was, for the purpose of bringing the matter it contained into discussion, and particularly fur the purpose of stating, as the Report did state, that a dinner was neither expedient nor necessary on this oc. casion. Mr. HARPER said, that such was the gene ral loyalty of the people, a general illumination would take place. The question was put fur illuminating the front of Guildhall, and carried. The neat important article to be considered was that of a DINNER. Mr. MAWMAN then proposed his plan of dining the Corporatiou in the Egyptian Hall.-- The question was, how that was to be accomplish ed ; and whether,at the expence of the Cis. pora (ion, or of tho individuals who partook of it ? For his part, he saw no medium between having no din ner---an idea nut to be endured, and that of hay. hug it at the expends of the Corporation, because, if it was to be at the expence of the individuals who partook of it, it would be but thinly attend ed, which would be an effect muck to be regretted oft such an occasion. He therefore proposed tlia: the Corporation should dine at the Egyptian Hall in the Mansion !louse on that occasion, and that guests might be admitted, to a number to be limited. [The latter part was exploded]. Mr.S.DIX,ON thought it had, of late, been too much the fashion to indulge gloomy apprehcniions upon the state of public affairs. He saw no rea son for it. He was of opinion that a day of Jubilee should bo a day (Ojos. He had looked into dictionaries, this morning, and there he learned that a day of Jubilee was " a day of solemn feast ing, rejoicing, and praising God." Nur did he see any inconsistency in devutilig the morning to prayer, and the afternoon to a good Dinner, a glass of wine, and cheerfulness. lie thought he might adore his Maser in cheerfulness as well' as in gravity. Mr. BOX did not object to a dinner, but did object to its being at the espence of the Corpo ration ; besides, the Members would better shew the dower*, thtir- ettackseat to their Soy ~ 4i reign. by putting their bands late mar ou pockets, ilia., into those of others. Mr. JACKS had no objection to the question of dining in • the etl4lrect, but hc thought the eatienee would be on, great for the Ciarporation. Mr. K EMMY, u unid assent to dining, if those who dined 'mid foi it out of their port ijecketP, but should object to it altogether, if at the ci. pence of the Gerporotiort. Sir JOIIN-gAlllilt, did IVOt know of, and was unwilling to . create, a precedent fur the Court dieing at any other than the eipente of the Cur. potation. Mr. VA NDERCO Mil saw many inconvenien_ cies which might result from the Members .1 . that Court dining together in a body. Ile did nut an: ticipate any tint or disorder on that occasion, but s:suuld there he any, the Members of tic Court would be less efficient fur the purpose of qu.liing them, by bring ail dt I lIC use together, than by being in their iespective Wards ; and, upon such occasions, toe heads of fsmili.:s %veto siever better situated than when among (tier!, and giving directions to their servants ; he was there. fore against the idea of a public dinner, u hies did not appear to him to be consistent with the so. hanisity of returning thanks to Almighty God. Mr. - MARYATT supported the idea of diuksig nit!' considerable energy. _ _ Mr. K FABLE ssiti, that although in former days there wits a good deal of intoxication at ',ono city dinners, there was now a great reformatios he that parieular, for, of late, they were so welt conducted, that Members might bring their wives and daughters with them, without hurting their delicacy ; of late he had nut heard, at a city feast, any contersalion which he should be sorry to bear at his own table. Formed', indeed, sums persons used to become so intoxicated as tai tumble under. the table, but that was a practice 'which had heen long discontinued. Mr. DIXON bore similar testimony to mo dern temperance at city feasts. Mr. SIOKEi had nu hesitation in Evyisg, that if this dinner was to be at the expellee of thy Cur. poration, it wool! be an absolute robbery. " I say, au absolute robbery," said he, " fur ychu aru Already so poor, as a Corporation, that you can not pay your own servants." fie referred to a feet (the particulars of si hide the uproar which it produced prevented us from hearing), as au il lustration of his assertion. Mr. Alderman WOOD said, thAt in the Com. mittce there appeared to be a general disposition . for dining : but when it was said, that it should be at the expenee of individuals who pa ttoul: of it, th ere w a s a visible cum raction in the lineaments ti the countenances of many of the Members. if there was to he a dinner, he would recommend to the perusal of the Court, the 'Les()lotions of this Co.por4tion of the City of ( Dublin ; which was ... " That the ex pence wds to be defrayed by ho dined—Altloatneu 5, Commuttors C, and the G 2 guineas." About half pest four o'cloct:, the question was laud'• catied for ; and a division Wing deminded, strangers were retied to withdraw. Of the proceedtng, which fotl.?"ed, we eau ooly speak from information ; but re !earn that a scene of tumult and confebion surceeded, of a deveription wholly unprecedented iu tha &moots of Civic Debate. The i; UV ft at length divided on the °KANO enemies) of a dinner, or rug m ine r, which was carried by a majority of 23 is the tafientatict. A division the:, took place on the que.stiou, wtie. titer the expeure a! the clian..l &lipoid he defrayed by the C o y. poration, or the Member! idaall v ; when there appeared Fur the pavnienusf the repeat'? Aldermen - 4 Individuals - - - 5 Cortio..:ners 38 Fur dining at the expeaee of the ? Aldermen - Corporation - - S Comnicosers 46 —l7 Majwityagaisst paying the money oaf of their own pot kin • . A division afterwa vs!' took plate metbe question Whether the original Ward Committee, which had 'wade die Report, or a isew Committee of the gaining Junta, ishisold arena. oral regulate the proceedings n( the Corporatism in tie pissed celebration of the Jubilee; the questiors ars earned in fivour of a New Committee, by a majority of lb. T oe nom i ox of this c ata mitt e e because& mailer of azWeme difficulty, engaged the a hole Court ia a mese of abso lute not and cotesuion, which lasted till seveu e i rlorit. The " Goll!ing Junta" streinsiously banned on h miss a Committee of Members most celebrated for eating and dri t ,k. ing. The Lord Alasor in vain exerted himself to restore or der. The whole Court was in a state of uproar. Mr. S. Dill. A. and that stedfasi Whig, Mr. Mawman, Made abort a COM of harangues each. At length the Lord-Mayor. L - lnoi it impassible to restore order, dissolved the Court, so Uwe there mei. after all, bo walker Corsi of Common-Consult held for tAo rotors of 4poirding this new Conensiass I PRICE OF STOCKS THIS OA V AT ONE O'CLOCK. per Cent. Com. 6EII Exch. Isills, lA, prem.. , Natsy .991 a Wits liwds, Y4s. Yls. flleCommis f•r Ace-- f ludo , Itiil~ THE STATESMAN. PIIOPOSITI TEMA Z. LONDON: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27. AIR. ALnEnst Noon yest erday asked, in the Court of Common Cuuncil—" With what siocerit,' cut* th. se persons o b e y the mandate to illuminate, whose children, parents " relative:,, and frient/a, have pi-visited in Spain, 0. Are '• in the hospital, in Pralehrorf '—ln illmtrati:m of the s tti atiun of Wiiieberen, we present our Readers with nu F;xtraer of a Letter received iu town this molting. by an (Saccr of disviict sot:. for the correctness of which pledge ourselves. ENT* tCT Or a LT:111111 PROM rLusaixo, - icer. Cr% " The disease, which is aguish, but with most aggravated " symptoms, carries olf 400 a wets. Deputy Inverter of " Hospitals Est :suet, died this morning; and tins Head of " the Droartment, Inispe..tor Wean, is dangerously Hi— " Et.vi : N, of the Gth Foot died yesterday, tOgrther with a " captain and two subaltern, of the Ws. If Dom PAITE " does not drive US Mt of this cursed place--:disease very sous " will destroy to all. " The thictuatious from excessive beat to coif, are into -44 lerabie, and even' awe t! tormented n ith alniust unquench able thirst, which we endeavour to all,ty w lib the bract " ish water of this place. Usti army and nay are literally " frightened at the ravagft of the disease, and inveigh most " loudly Ai:Wet the uteri western of operations which mode " us halt in Waletteren, when, by a coup-d.-mein, little " doubt 14 now entertained that A svwaar and the suippang " might have fake almost withc.u* opposition :" VIGOROUS ADMIRALTY. " Dort', Salt 'Xi St: P. M. " Ira than sixteen privateers tame out of the enemy's ports this g ‘ eguag—Dine out of Calais, and seven owl of " Lioselope. it is seared they will do eoesiderabie daamage " this evening, PI a Dumber of ships, of digereot descriptions, " are in the /toads ! ! l" AUSCise the gloom with which this Pictiort is sarrnande4 we amioutire with pleasure a repots that is evade:My circu lated, of our Minister, Mr. JACKSON. having arrival in .Inics ice, sleets As ,net selt.'s a very feevereels reception. T. inform•ition is said to have been brought by ague-brig, whica al,o brig? Letters and Aancricaa Papers to it • iltsi 4 last Month. i , ' r let tt. e it. 4