The National Register. — London, England, 1819-10-04 00:00:00

ELECTION OF LORD MAYOR. THC LIMY •. JOHN •T[IKI, ISQ. The expected scene took place on ‘Vednestlay in Guild hall between the Lord Mayor and Livery in Common Hall assembled, in consequence of the recent refusal of his Lordship to convene a Luminous Hall, in pursuance of the Requisition submitted to him by a large and respect able body of the Livery, to consider of the melancholy transactions of the !Lim of August, at Manchester. At a quarter past one o'clock the civic procession moved from the Court of Aldermen to the hustings. — Aldermen Waithman and Woad were received with loud shoots of appl.iii,e; M r. Sheriff Parkins was also warmly greeted , but his colleague, Alderman Rothwell, was not so fortunate as to obtain the same flattering recep tion. Mr. Hunt, Mr. [lone, and some other Gentlemen who are the objects of popular favour, were loudly cheered as they mounted the hustings. %V lieu the Lord Nlaxor advanced to the front of the hustings to make his obeisance, it is quite itn possible to describe the uproar with which his ears were assailed f all quarters. " Fire !"—" Murder 1" &c. formed but a part of the ejaculations that resounded throughout the Hall. Tile Common Crier then made the proclamation for silence in the usual manner, but without the usual ef fect—for it was met by shunts of " No Election"— ' Question Or Grievances first!"—and the Recorder fol lowed, with the notification of the business of the day. The Common Serjeant then came forward, holding a piece of paper, which was understood to contain the list of Aldermen in rotation of service for the office of Lord Nlayur. He attempted to address the l.ivery, but his voice was utterly drowned with cries of—" No, Nn !"—" Our Grievances first !"—" intitchester,— Manchester !" Mr. Thompson now stepped forward, and said he meant to submit a motion to them relative to grievances. (Loud applause.) The Co tttttt on herjeant here attempted to push Mr. Thompson made, but the latter, supported by Mr. Hunt's ,arm, resisted and held his ground. Mr. Alderman Waithman insisted upon Mr.Thomp. sum's right to be heard. r. Alderman Rothwell and Mr. Sheriff Parkins (the new Sheritts), then addressed the Livery together, toe former urgiqg them to proceed to the regular busi ness of the day, and the latter calling on them to give an impartial heating to all who addressed them, and to sup port tiseir rights. Mr. Alderman Waithman here appeared to have a sharp alic! . cation wall the COnllnUll Serjeant ; the Alderman insisting that Mr. sl'hompson had a right, winch he hoped he would not compromise, to address tnie Meeting, and the Common Sergeant insisting that tile regular business of the election had precedence of c..ere slung else. acre Lite City Officers and the Gentlemen who were Mr..11101111)S011's right to be heard, were I. istliii‘ each other in front of the hustings, but Mr. Altlerniati %I:milkman, Mr. Thompson, ar.d other Gen. tie.itten Near them, ly held their ground. The Continuo Serjeaut insisted they should desist front interrupting the business of the election, or else at their peril Like tile consequences. Mr. Alderman W 4411111411 repliA, he should not stir (sae sie s , he would rtlll.llll at his post until live o'clock 1.0.11101r0W 1110 f AN/WISC.) Tins scene 01 contusion lasted lilt some time, when at length silence being ontaincil— Mr. Alderman Wariliman made an animated appeal Lc, the Livery, cautioning them against surrendering on Luis OVC4ISIOII all lOLA In their rights. He said lie was surrounded on the hustings by the London Tavern „Vital, who hail laid a plan to deprive the Lit Cry of tiiCll.nghtS. There was Mr. Robert Smith, the loudest of all in his hart minion : let the Livery hear the Gen tieinall it lie had any tiiiiig to say, bit let them man fully assert weir own rittins. •I'lie wor,ny Alderman si A arie entreated that the lottery would not sillier the Lord Mayor to dragood them tint of their rights.—The rjeatit is as but the modal-piece of the She r and hail lie ri , m ru prevent any Liveryman trim) being ilearti.—(lewd applau s e.) lie hoped the Lit cry, now inat they were in possession of their Hall, would not depart mittl the) asserted arid enforced their rights. —(Load and crie, of " We never will !" Ale. 'Thompson darn Cattle 11,1%Vard, and persevered in Jddressiiig, ttte Li% try, iitawohstatidiog the 'toped'. meats throw ill s way by tile gentlemen ncar • alter foully oilier ono roptions, concluded by non• tug the lidiuttut. itesuilllllllo , That the Lisei y of Luiblous, in Corn Hall assent hied, have an ant least, clew, cud uililksubled abut, soppm• tett by the H.,(!teet .egial mil borates, as well as immemorial • 011 Alid,untiber, Mich.elivias, or any other day, to Like lulu their consiJerati tttt any matter of public grievance, and oil the iresent oec4sioti it is iiet essary and On ion blot to evereire ilutt ri:ht pievious to entei mg upon the I It coon uf a (Altai Aiil4loll.lle. . . Y. That the riAtit to assemble nod &liberate no the best wrath ‘4f obtaining a reditss of public grievances, is uut uoly Irgul, Jul esteutial to the pissetv.ttom of free dom. _ That this Cowman Hall cannot sufficiently express its atsaiorrsisce of the late sanguinary proceedings at blanches ts r, *here it clearly appears, that whilst the people here pestrestbly extrema% their constitutional right, they were illegally notes 'misted by 11w Magistrate.., and dispensed by the Is tuusassry Lavalry, , w how endives . ..notate fury spared neither age our sex, then by producing s ens s of horror and suite/lug results.% to hoot:linty, , and which would have riveted a Inas Its.d isidsgin eveu if they had or cui red in the most despotic rind barb:nous tones. 1. That tar reading ante Itisit Act at a legal and peace able merlon; was out si sly a wanton and w icks:d attack sais the Whet tws of tile pvitple, but contrary to the very Spirit And intrm ion of that Act; and by the non-olnervailer of 11w contlitiasis expressed by that taw, a hien prescribes (even ander as foal nut) that it should be openly, and nut ssirrepti• tious-ly read, and goat the people should be entitled, had (be) even riotously transgressed, to a full ued fair uppuriu- TIIE NATIONAL REGISTER. oily. during one hour, to disperse, but 'Mork statutory pro tection appeases to have been altogether disregarded by the 5 1,,:istrates of Manchester. they 61,6111.1 y violated that very under *hick they hypirciitically pretended to have acted. 5. hi s _Majesty's Ministers, in advising the Prince Regent precipitate'; to prejudge and justify the outrageous and illegal conduct of..lse Magistrates and Yeomanry Ca alarm to the a hole cuuntrs, retry, is a subject of Winn and au indisputable proof t;:41 'hose Ministers are unworthy of the confidence either of the Pre7ee Regent or the people of the British, empire; it is therePire' the bounden duty of the people in all parts of the kingdom, to express their upi ii i iiii those fatal transactions, and stea.4il) to demand that legal inquiry and justice *hich can alone satisfy the nation by vindicating the supremacy or the law. 6. 'That a subscription he earnestly er mended s tud suppoi ted by this Common Hull, for the relict of the nume rous persons aho were illegally and iaainied sod wounded on the fatal and never-to-be-forgotten I bik day of August last 7. That this Common Hall cannot ton warmly express their high approbation of toe firm and judicious conduct of Mr. Alderman Wanton:in. in the manly and successful rests tance *hall he made to the rash and illegal advice of the Lord Mayor, to interrupt and disperse the public meetings recently and constitutiouMly assembled in Smithfield, and which advice of the Chief .Nlagistrate, if followed, would have manifestly disturbed the peace of the y, mid proba bly have furnished melancholy scenes similar to those which occurred at Manchester; and that the able and long-tried exertions of Mr. Alderman Waithman, in upholding the privileges of the Livery, but nor c especially for his sea minable and undaunted conduct in taking the chair. when called hi it by the Livery at the lest Common Hall, further demand our most unqualified thanks. d. That J. Allows, Esq. Lord Mayor. by his conduct in refusing to convene Common-Halls on three several occasi ons, when requisitions were presented to him. numerously signed, and in having dissolved two Common-halls, without allowiug the Livery to address their feilow-citizens, as well as by the disregard and contempt he has at all times shown for their privileges and opinions, has acted In grikss violation of their rights sad his duty, and has thereby rendered himself unworthy of their confidence or respect. The Resolutions, which were seconded by Mr. Bum stead, were carried by au 1111111ellbe majority. Alderman Waitlintan returned thanks for the honour done him. When every I ittle Borough in the kingdom was petitioning against malt and other taxes, was the great body of toe citizens of London to be told, you shall not meet to discuss and petition the Prince Regent upon the subject of an atrocious outrage. (No, no.) On a former occasion, a question was raised, namely, whether the Lord Mayor could ginterfere with the will of the Livery to meet in Common 11a11,—and no less a person than that sapient statesman, Nlr. Samuel DiXolldeCidtd that the Lord Mayor had no such power. The Common Council bad decided that they ought not to interfere with the rights of the Livery of London. Their law officer, who had declared their proceeding irregular, was no more in that Hall than a beadle. (Cheering.) He expressed a hope this proceeding would never be for gotten, and that the Livery would act in the same de %ermined manner whenever the slightest opposition was offered to the free and fair exercise of their privileges.— (Loud applause.) Mr. Thompson returned thanks. The present time 11135 remarkable for hypocrisy, yet the l.ord Mayor then in office was no hypocrite. He too plainly told the is his intention was to deprive the Livery of their rights. They ought not to trust Mtn. lie had told them formerly, in that Hall, that in case there was no Reform in Parliament, a bloody revolution would take place. That revolution had commenced, but not on toe part of the people. The people had been fur bearing to a fault. It was a revolution brought abort by the Government acting against die Laws and Con stitution. Wit:litter matters of difference might arise upon points of Reform, it was clear there was now but two parties : one supported the oppressive acts of the Government and Magistracy, the other supported the lights and liberties of the people. With a large stand ing army, and what was worse, an unftehog inquisitotis Yeomanry Cavalry, the inisterial Revolutionists might for a time gam upon the rights of the people, but like die confined fires of a volcano, the just 1/1111gIlilli011 of the country would at last burst forth, and scatter to destruction all that stood in the way. He concluded by itiovni B tile thanks of the Continuo Hall to Sheriff Par kins, lot the honourable, dignified, and origin man ner in which he had conducted Imoself on the present CetilSloll, and added to that propositioo, that the Livery deelarcd him to be the Upper or Senior Sheriff. The IcSUlll4ioll was carried by a spew of hands. I&,rkiiis then ret,inieu wanks to the Livery for tile i ieth honour conferred on him. He did not at the svute time prejudice their former division. Ile leave It to their considerauou whether the la.t resolution ought to he their regular determination or not. .tlr. Stevens 'ell that the thanks of his lellow citi zens be given to H Hunt, Esq. for his conduct at Man chester, on the 16th of A ugust last, and his temperate behaviour before the Magia.rates of that tlisttici, &c. The resolution was carried. Mr. Huut returned thanks, and concluded by moving, the Resolutions be published in the usual Nlorning and Evening Papers ; also that the thanks of the Common Hall be gn eat to Messrs. Harmer, Pear son, and Denison, for their professional and constitutional exertions beitali Of me Mmichester sufferers. Mr. Stevens seconded the resolutions. \lr. Pears n returned thanks fur the honour con. feted too butt, lle had been placed under circum stances tot wtueh no man who Called 11111111SUli an Eng. lisninan could avoid feeling: tor the miseries and dis• iresses of the people of Nlancliester. He drew a very unmated picture of the violtaice committed upon the unarmed tnnitnude. M All, the superior order in crea tion, bad degraded himself Lit:Wean. the level of the ti.ute. lie had slaughtered the infant of a lovely woman, Ipug at her breast, and smiling in her face. The as I taCilril had toot been pi hod. lie ought say with the Puet, his country was fallen," Oh, E.nlittjud) OCT. 4. where are thy best laws—Oh, Heaven, where is thy justice, that thy thunders sleep 3" ..._ ELECTION OF 1:0131) MAYOR. Mr. Stephens then stepped forward. lie said they had perlortned one important duty ; they had now to proceed to another, namely, to the election of two per sons to be returned to the Court of Aldermen, one of which two that Court would hate to return as the Lord Nlayor fot the ensuing year. If the rotation system ever had existence ut pew, as well as in fact, he had no hesitation in saving that it might to be exploded.— Applause.)—They ought not by any means to he bound to have a fool or a knave, merely because he was the next in rotation. (Loud applause.) He was for re turning those whom they felt assured would maintain their rights and pritileges ; and on looking over the fist, he could Lind only two who came within that cha. r a c:.-r—Alderinen ‘I mid and Thorpe ; Alderman Vi aithiOan was not eligible, as he had never been Sheriff. It .`'ad been said of one of them, Alderman %Viva], that he :nod passed the Chair ; so much the better ; they knew %het he was, and they had not found him wanting. Could they too often have the m ag istcacy of one who had constantly shown himself the protect,;" of their laws and liberties? He would have t h em b elt ; in mind that as they must return two Aldermen to t h e t o ,lrt, for the Coures selection, they ought to return two men en!?er of whom would be the supporter of their rights. Ile ont' ted that they would be firm ; and that they would do away . ft:: ever with the rotation system—(applause)—u n less indeed a good man happened to be at the head of the list. Ile should conclude with moving, that it was expedient to put Alderman Wood in nominetion—(Cheers.) Ile had just understood front the C iiiii unon Serjeant—hut he should listen only to the Sheriffs—(hear, hear !) that they iiiii st proceed at once to the election, without a dopting any step to collect their upinion. M t . Sheriff Parkins took die Resolution, and said, most heartily did he put it to their vote.—(l iiiiii ense cheering ) Th e It eso i t ain was carried by acclamation, followed by much inizzainx. Mr. Common Seri,: ,ant then appeared, eared, but wasun graciously greeted. He zamild not be heard at first, except by those close to him. Fie had already had the honour of reading over the list of names to them since then Mr. limit and .Mr. Pe: i had place and placed in his hands the nomination of Mr. Ain.; man Wood.— The name of Mr. Alderman Wood would t;.;:refore be put to their vote aking with those already on the (Applausel—From this list they would decide which Iwo should be returned to the Court of Aldermen, which Court would elect one of them to be Lord Mayor for the year ensuing. lie then proceeded to read the Dames. Nlr. Hunt, just as the names were going, to he read exclaimed—Recollect Alderman Wood, and Alderman Thorp! A caution that called forth loud and merry applause. Alessrs. Bloxham, Magnav, Bridges, Heygate, and Cox were then severally put, by their names being hoisted on boards ; but they were all received with hootiugs and groans alone—no votes. Aldermen Thorpe and Wood were next severally proposed amidst tremen dous cheering, and a display of hands from one end of the Hall to the other. flits was followed by several rounds of buzzas. and then the twirling of bats, to mariv the triumph. Mr. Sheriff Parkins also turned round and congra tulated his colleague, Mr. Alderman Bothwell, on the event ; it is but justice, however, to state, that the latter Alderman conducted himself throughout the arduous situation in which he was placed, in so mild, gentlemanly, and temperate a manner, as to excite uni versal respect. Mr. Common Se►jeant then stated, that he was di rected by the Sheriffs to declare, that in their opittions the Election of the Common Hall hail fallen nit Ald. Thorpe and Ald. Wood, to he returned to the Court of Aldermen, that they might select one of them to he Lord Mayor for the year ensuing. He stated, that a demand had just beets piaced in the hands of the Snerdrs fur a poll on behalf of Mr. Alderman Bridges. Tue Under Sheriff stated, that the Liverymen might depart the Hall till a quarter past four; that the poA would then be opened, and that it would proceed for one hour. . . The Hall, however, remained full, the popular indi vidaals conjoring the persons present not so depart, and at a quarter past five, when the poll closed, the hail was nearly as Its!! as (luring any part of the day—and such a Ilall we never before saw. While the hers were being cast up, Mr. Hunt held forth a large primed placard, declaring—" If you w i s h to h a ve tether, you must vote tut Wood and Tnorp."—((rreat applause.) The numbers, winch were raised on boards, were ultimately declared to be as follow : Vont. I Bridge; And each name, as the numbers were attached to it, was greeted with loud applause , hut the last annunciation WAS honoured with stunning hums. Mr. Pearson stepped forwatd and congratulated them MI the state of the Well. As they loved freedom them sett es, it was their hotinden duty to preserve their liberty for those who should follow them as well as for them selves ; and how could they do this better than by electing individuals who were likely to pay some regard to the pin lieges, the char cter, and consequence of the City or London—who, above all, would allow them the rise of their own 11311 when they mi A lit happen to want They knew that AI& flll3ll ‘VOOII woeld do this, and they had every reason to expect as 1111.1 th Ir n ut Alderman '1 harp. • Mr. Hunt impressed on 'hem the necessity of ar dently supporting those two individuals Wood and Thorp, either of whom would in all probability bu stout supporter of their rights and pen • •