The Statesman. — London, England, 1809-12-15 00:00:00

I I , L I .:- • eminent of the Country, and the disbursements of its finances. 'rlie fact he had already men. dosed, namely, the case of Lord Melville, was &efficient to skew the fallacy of that assertion.-- , (Cries of only one instance.) There might be other instances, which proved the contrary ,of what he contended ; but he would not take mere Assertion against the well-known and established practice adopted by Parliement, when any grow abuses existed in the Government of the country. Before he would latent to the justice of the asser tion, he must have instanced such acts as were in violation of that doctrine. (Several voices cried, Lord Castlereagh for one). He could not but admit that the conduct of that Noble Lord was unworthy of a public man, and he only wished that the Howie of Commons was con. strected in conformity to the opinion of excel. WNW formed b r the worthy Gentlemen whom he miltoemod. (tries of Question! Question !) To speak to the wiestion was his sexism' desire ; bat, at the seem time, he could not suffer senti. went@ which, in his opinion,_ were unfounded, to go by without an answer. lie should not, how ever, misuse the indulgence the Worthy Livery Bed shown bia s but proceed to offer the senti. mode which seemed to justify his conduct. And, fin speak to the question, he must say, that he was mot the men who would subscribe to the doctrine a repeatedly urged, that the country was in a deplorable situation. (Groans, hisses, esti cries of .fl se! assailed the worthy Sheriff, and his repeated attempts Is regain s hearing were f firstilkss.) . Whea Mr. QUIN - ease forward, end begged the at. lestioa of the Livery to the few words he should sir epos the subject. The first great object for Oak consideration, in his opinion, was the series ltd ileeolneloas just read. To every syllable of am Sea he amid net bat give his must moque. rt-thliesit ; and the only objection he had to that followed, was, that they did nut ex. =in terms *elle:leerily strong, the present table state of the country. He was nut at all surprised at the hostility shelve to the Gentle. ass who usly half.rddresseil them last, when he considered the motives which must have operated on the minds of Gentlemen in so doing.—. Doubtless the Livery could not be ignorant of the proceedings which took place in fhe Court of Commas Council, upon the subject of an ad. dress proposed and carried by a Worthy. Mem. bar of the Corporation, and the subsequeist mo. tion of the worthy Sheriff, in order to have that Address reconsidered, and another substituted in ills steed, contrary to all the established orders aid forms of the (Curt. With respect to the first Address, as far as he was licquainted with its me. it be could not help declaring, that it was eateebed in terms of firmness; and at the same ems y becoming the Corporation of London. in latepage of respect to the Sovereign) saw no reason whatever fur its re.considera. lies. It might be said, to be sure, that it was roweled only by a single vote. That might be perfectly tree; hut surely it did not, in any de. grou t lessen the solemnity of the decision, or the complete and full concurrence to its pro.' piety. The impeachment of Lord Melville was tarried upon the decision of a casting voice, and /allowed up to the bar of the House of Lords with the same regularity as if the decision had been made by a numerous majority. lie begged the attention of the Hall, however, to this juggle at the Corporation, fur call it by any other same he could not. The Address is carried by a majority of one, and the Sheriffs have the ho llow' of waiting upon his Majesty, to know his Royal pleasure when the Address should he pre. sented at the (out of the throne. His Majesty Se e s a distant day—there is a kind of interlude is the meantime. The Address is re.considered, and the Court cause to a determination to violate all the rules and established practices of the Court of Common Council. What a deplorable situa tion the City of London must be reduced to, in the opinion of his Majesty, a• such extraorili. nary inconsistency in its conduct ! How unfor tunately contemotible must the titillation of the worthy Sheriffs be, on preserving this new Ad. dress, and informing his Majesty, in approaching his Itnyel presence, that the Addrsas which he bad gear' wily appointed a day to receive was sow no more; and that they were about to pre. sent his hiAj•sty an Address totally different from the former. Stich contempt he could out but say would be very justly deserved. He begged tii say • few words with respect to the Resolution itself. It was iiirusrible to view, without the utmost dn. ova) and distress, the waste of bits rd and tree. lure, by this phantasmagoria of administration in the ear exhibited on the Continent within the last year. The prospect was bleak and distress. ing. Looking at the Expedition to Waleheren, it wield of be necessary fur him to dwell fur • sommest epos the progress a se oatorttsaate Expedition, which was characterised in its ter. areation by nothing but shame and disaster. In deed, in every point of view our aftirs, both at Uwe and abroad, exhibit en appearance inkuitely Om awful then language could describe. At bone we were taxed beyond all precedent, and, what was more piling, the taxes were called fur before the services for which they were required were accomplished. There was scribing under the heavy imposts to which we were subject, which scald cheer our spirits, or give us hope of a change for the better in our affairs. Still, how. over, the manifestoes of Ministers were filled with the most dattering description of the miry. ales they had performed in the improvement of the fisanews, and the vast addition made to our defen. Aire stsingth. This to be sere could net surprise the Livery, when they, the Ministers, advanced aim to the rank of Admirals who had been dead some isoaths. Certainly, the mast economical node of adding to the strength of the country. fLesselkoset.) He trusted the natural feeling 7 mat have for the welfare of their country the knowledge they must have of its distress, !tumid preclude the necessity of his entering into say specific details, for the perpose of urging the pocessity of the Resolution ender consideration. lie was persuaded, that rakes some measures were adopted to stem the torrent of abuses in the llLlra 01A administration of our affairs, the greatest calami. ties must continue to basil this unfortunate ana devoted country. Mr. WALTHMAN said, he had undergone so much fatigue of late, and particularly on the day preceding, in the Common Council, where he was confined tor twelve hours, and took so laborious a part in due discassioe of the Address there pro pomade-do that he was completely unfit to appear before the Livery on the present occasion. Under such circumstanced, therefore, if he failed of exert ing himself with his accustomed elect, he biped he had a strong claim to their indulgence and compas. sien. He could not but confess that, even under all the disadvantages he appeared before them, he could not refrain from offering some opinions upon the masks.. It was entirely impossible fur him to concur with the worthy Alderman (Atkins) in his assertion, that the Parliament of the country had a full and complete controul over the expendi ture of the country, and the measures of the Crown. The worthy Alderman ought to have given the Livery more instances than one to con. viuce them or the truth of his proposition. Even admitting that the instance quoted was eine affect ing the point in question, lie begged to ask the worthy Alderman, what punishment was ever in. flicted upon Lord Melville ? %Vas he not immedi. etely after the impeachment reinstated in his Ma. jesty's Councils I and du not two of his relations now enjoy lucrative situations in his Majesty's Goveratnent ? It was well known ,that be was behind the curtain, end pulling the wires. lie asked the worthy Alderman, What controul had Parliament over the expenditure of the country, when hundreds of thousands were squandered pro fusely- in sinecures? It must shock every man who took the pains to examine into the list of pensions and sinecures paid to men, for which they were not doing any service to their country. He would instance some of the must extraordinary of these. The Marquis of Hertford had an income of 30,0001. of the public money. The two Seymour' 15,0001. The family of Lord Castlereagh received at least 30,0001. or 40,0001. And the family of Mr. Percival the same : The siuecures in the fa. wily of the latter Gentleman amounted to 46,0001. per annum. These were circumstances, be con tended, highly worthy the consideration of the country. He could nut but ridicule the fallacious boasting' of Ministers, who talked some time ago of marching to Paris with an army, and reducing the French nation to terms. The country heard nothing then but " indemnity for the past, and security fur the future." Instead of marching to Paris, what were the measures pursued by Go. vernment I So confident were they of their own security, that they thought it necessary to erect fortifications on the banks of the river L.mi, fur the defence of London. (Laugh) Would Gentle- men tell the country, therefore, that this was not ao alarmiug crisis of affairs ? Contractors, and men who fattened upon the waste of human blood, might not think so ; but he trusted there were MUll present whose minds were constructed upon dide. rent principles, and who saw things in their tree colour. He was sot now surprised at the ohjec. don some Gentlemen entertained at the allusions contained in the Address at first agreed upon in the Common Council, with respect to the Wei. holey family. That family was now rising into Dower and influence, and it was natural for such Gentleineu to worship the " Rising Sun," lit tle caring what became of those who were setting in the political horizon; it was enough for them to court the present, regardless of the past. There were many topics he would wish to press upon the minds of the Livery, but there were none so important in his view as the necessity of urging a reform in their own representation in the Com. mon Council. That would be the first step to. wards obtaining a radical reform in the abuses of the country. The time now aoproached when it was in titer power to remedy those evils of which they had to complain. He exhorted them on the approaching it. Thomas's Day, when the election fur Members was to cueimeisce, to return such ho. nest representatives to the Common Council, as they might depend upon for a faithful discharge of the duties impoed upon them. He concluded by stating, that Isis wore') friend ( Hr. Favell), had it in contemplation, after the R.-solutions were agreed to, of proposing fur their consideration au Address to be presented to ms Majesty, similar to the one at first proposed to the Common Cuuucil. The Resolutions were then severally read, and agreed to unanimously. Mr. FAVIILL then read the Addresi he proposed to be presented to hi% Maje4ty. (For •kith tee tAe Resolutions ix Ernst Page.) It was seconded by Mr. Jos% and carried unanimously. The Millie was ordered to be presented to his Majesty by the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs. Mr. Alderman Woo D i Rod Mr. Aldermen AT. hiss (the Sheriffs), severally, in imlJres►ive speeches, professed their di'position to nuaint.►in strictly and inviolably the privileges and freedoms of the Livery of London. The Thanks of the Hall were then voted to the several Members of the Common Council who supported the Address to his Majesty first pro. posed in the Common Council, and to those who were in the minority in the second Address for their firmness and manly conduct. The Thanks of the Hall were also voted to Mr. Walthmae fur his faithful service., not only on the present, but on all occasions where the ink:. rests of his fellow citizens enquired his exertions and support. Mr. Weitbman returned thanks in sa appropriate speech. A Resolution was also proposed by Mr. Ming. lay, and seconded by Mr. Griliths, urging the ne. cealty of the Livery b select, at the ensuing eke. lien, such mess for tbeir representatives in the Common Council as. are distinguished by their talents and integrity. Carried uuetinnoesly. On the Motion of Mr. Waithman, the Thanks of the Livery were voted to the Lord Mayor, for his spirited and independent conduct during the short period of his Mayoralty. For which hu expressed his gratitude in a very polite and expres. ive•maaur,r, who ills Hall adjoarred. ~IYIAIr. CROWN AND ANCIIOR TI FERN. DPINER OF THB REAL FRIENDS OF TRH DRAMA. The Public has repeatedly sew In the daily prints, sneers, insinuations, and even open abase of the characters of those who have manifested a disapprobation of the conduct of the Proprietors of Covent Garden Thertre. The 0. P.'s were not only devoid of respectability, bet utterly con. temptible. It could nut, therefore, but greatly surprise Mr. &nible, as he passed up the Great Room to the head of the table, after dinner, to see 500 as respectable individuals as perhaps ho ever saw assembled at any public dinner. The Chair was taken a few minutes after five o'clock, cud the dinner, which was excellent, was conducted with the greatest order and propriety. Immediately after the cloth was removed, Mr. CLIPPOILD gave THE KING. which being drank, a burst of applause followed, which (lid not subside for some minutes. Mr. CLIFFORD then rose, amidst loud cheers and huzzas, and addressed the Company to the following effect : " GENTLIIMEN—In consequence of my having been appointed the Chairman of this Meeting, I received a message this morning from Mr. KLIMA, which produced an interview between that Gentle. man and myself, in which he requested me to state to you the sentiments of the Proprietors of the Theatre and himself, on the subject of the unfor. tunate dispute that has for so many nights existed between the Public and themselves, which it was their anxious wish to settle by every conciliatory means in their power. He also said, ,Gentlemen, that he should be extremely glad personally to attend this Meeting, to state their sentiments on the subject, but that he was apprehensive he might not be treated with that civility, which I, Gentlemen, made no hesitation in immediately assuring him, that you would shew him. And I pledged myself that if he should attend here, T, as he Chairman of this Meeting, would not allow him to cuter the room until I had a previous assurance from you that he should meet with every possible respect and civility from this company. psis ' was followed by Yes! yes ! Call king in! Cer tainly, certainly! accompanied by loud buzzes, which continued some minutes.]-4n consequence of that conversation, which I think it would not be proper for me enter into, unless Mr. Kemble, himself was present, he is now in attendance in the house ; and, if it is your pleasure, that he should come into the room, he will im. mediately attend you. [Yes I yes! all! all ! all! clapping and hums I) I entertain no doubt, Gentlemen, that I am to consider this as an as. surance that I shall be supported by you as the Chairman of this Meeting, and that not the slightest incivility shall be shewn to Mv.Kemble ?" [Certainly: Yes. Clapping and beau.] At W minutes after sit o'clock, NIL. JOHN PHILIP KIMBLE entered the room, accompanied by the Gentlemen who had been deputed by the Chairman to signify to him the pleasure of the Company. Mr. Kem ble bowed respectfully on entering the room, and continued so to do right and left, amidst the cheers, clapping, and hums of the Company, until he reached the table at which the Chairman was seated, when he took • chair on his right hand. Tits dress of Mr. ILonhle was not distinguish. able from the murning dress of any other Gentle man, wearing short bouts and a great coat. Mr. CLIFFORD again rose. —" Gentlemen, before Mr. Kemble's appearance in this room, I stated to you that au interview had taken place, the circumstances of which I will now, at his de. sire, state to you. Mr. Kemble expressed meek lamentation and regret at 'the disputes that hod taken place, and the reason why nothing had beset stated by the Managers was, that they did not know to whom they were to address themselves ; bet new that there was a public dinner on the occa. non, he thought it right that an explanation, on their part, should take place. Mr. Kemble said, it was the anxious wish of the Proprietors and Managers to accommodate and conciliate the public, so far as that it did not lead to the utter ruin of the property of the Proprietors ; and he desired one to chalk out a plan that might be con. sonata with the wishes of the public. During the time that I was in conversation with Mr. Kenble, I never saw in my life a person who, is language and demeanour, seemed more desirous of adopting conciliatory measures. I felt it my duty to state to Mr. Kemble, that though I had in some places hese called the leader of a mob, I had not even the shadow of authority to treat on the subject ; and therefore wished that he would pond out what "concessions he thought might be made to the public, without irretrievably injuring Nee Proprietors.. Mr. Kembtv stattd, that lower: 1 ing the prices would be felt very seriously by the Proprietors ; but wished to know of what it was that the public particularly complained. The answer which I gave him was, that the ground on which the public disapprobation was founded was not so mach the increase of prices, though that certainly was highly objectionable, as that the public had been insulted by Magistrates having been brought on the stage to read the Riot Act—and hired persons beingsent into the body of then Theatre toattack the Public, and Private Buxe4. To that Mr.Kemble replied, that the appearanceof the .Vagistrates on the stage seas their own act, and not that of the Proprietors or Managers, nor at their desire. As to the sending in of hired per. suns, he himself lamented it extremely, for he did not know that such a circumstance had taken place, until he read it neat day in the Papers.— [Here there was considerable disapprobation ex pressed by a very large portion of the Company.] Gentlemen—When a person of respectability makes an assertion to use, I feel myself at all times rimpolled to believe that assertion to be true, and M. lemble having said so, I have no doubt of „ MI • encl. [Disapprobation.) At last, after mad conversation, Mr. Kemble asked me, ediether, its my oplitiou, the Public would be sa tisfied, I having told hies that one important griev ance ass the Private Bases [loud clapping end • 4 • 94 . , : I )°. 1 41 J. . . r aiw 111 , • 50 , ,- ~.. :I' , - /1 r."- I'. ~'. r • l 1111 Imams rj--firkle the removal of the Priests Boise 1 should mestiins, that I had stated that the Pub , lic cossieived, whether right or wrote', is nut ' within my own knowledge, that they might be ap. plied to purposes of immorality, nut only on which account, but for other very import ant reasons they Mere particularly obnoxious to the Public. [Clapping and llsmuss.] Mr. Kemble then observed, that there had been a certain number of Private Rotes in the late Theatre, and wished to know whether, If the Private Boxes in the tier which was new ma. pied by them, were thrown open, and only each a number retained as existed before the &striae. lion of the late Theatre, that would satisfy the Public ? To this queues, I told him I hod Re authority to reply, but that I world Inbuilt the conversation to this Meeting ; _ and I added, that if that tier now occupied as Palate Sinus was is be entirely done away, so as to restore to the Public the 1., mor convealencies of the Theatre, such proposition would certainly have my moots. mendation to the Company this day. Before we parted, Mr. Kenible desired me to assure the Meeting, that the first object of the Proprietors now was, to do every thing that would satisfy the Public, and in any Maelltf which they could sue. derstand to be the public wish.[llere there was a load cry of " O. P. ! 0. IF. !" " Hear IS hear!" and chars.] This was the sub. stance of the whole conversation between us. —1 hare now only one 'observation to make: This is a victory obtained by the Public, and as it has ever been the character of English. men, to contend with energy for victory, so also, has it at all times been their character to use that victory with moderation! [This was followed by loud and lung continued applause!] I re. member an expression of Mr. Sheridan at the last Westminster Election, " John Ball," said be, 66 is often wrung-headed, bat I never yet have 64 known him wrong-hearted." And although it certainly is an important object to have your public entertainment at the 'fbeatre, on such a principle as you think to ha right, I am sure you would despise yourselves as wanting magnanimity' if you were to insist on having it on terms inconsistent with the rea sonable interest of the Proprietors."—[l.oed kuzzas, clapping, some hissing, and 0. P. from a great number of voices; and one son said, very audibly, " bat no Old Prices." After a short conversation between Mr. C r ifford and Mr. Kernble, the former again rising, said, " Mr. Kemble, since I spoke, has desired me to say, that if what I have mentioned meets your up. probation, he pledges his honour that it shall be performed." [No! No! 11'0!] A note was handed to Mr. Kimble, mach noise ensued, and a whistle was heard. Mr. CLIFFORD.—" It has been hinted to me, which 1 did not mention, that all legal pro crediugs on both sides ought to be dropped, be. cause if there be a reconciliaties it should be complete." Mr. FILE.-.." Gentlemen, It seems to be the general wish of the company that the reposition which has been made should be acceded to; but it also seems to be the general deterwiioation ,to insist that the price of admission to the Pit shall be reduced to 3s. Gd. ; that the Private Boxes shall be laid open as they formerly were; said on account of the very bed behaviour of Mr. Bran. dun so the public, that his dismissal shall take place. [Loud hussar, clapping, and more general sap. probation than what had been yet manifestal.l At thesseue time those pith whom I have ha comumuicatioti, request sac to say, that they ac. cede to the price of i's. for the Buses.— lasses from fume parts of the room, O. P. 0. P. clap. ping and applause.]...And, for this liberality on the part of the Public, they do expect front the Proprietors and Managers an apology foe the in.. suit that has been offered, by their conduct, to the Public at large." This speech was concluded amidst thunders of applause, but much clamour followed ; and 0. P. 0, P. was vociferated by • majority of the Compass.. This lasted for near 10 minutes, when Mr. Clifford proposed as a Toast THE LIBERTY Of THE SUBJECT. Which was drank with the enthusiasm that such a sentiment mast naturally excite. Mr. CLIFFORD—" I beg leave to inform you, that Mr. Kenste has authorised ins to say, on the part of the Proprietors and Managers, that anxious to inset the wishes of the Public, they will comply with the conditions expressed by the gentleman who has just sat down, with one ex ception ; not having himself any authority, vu the sobj..ct of' Mr. Brandon's dismissal ; he cannot undertake fur the compliance of the Proprietors, but to the other terms he immediately and directly accedes---[" What Ore the terms," exclaimed from all parts of the r00m..), The terms acceded to, is I understand them, ar e to lower the prices of the Pit to 3s. 6d. the andent price,—that the Private Boxes shall be done away in the Manner that I have stated."—[All, all, all, envy one of ' them ! —much clamour.] As they were in the Old Theatre]-1 am very glad that I heard that ex pression.— [" As they wer e before Mr. Kemble agape to Covent Garden l'heatre," said a Gentle. man —II limas, clapping, and l et, gee 1]- -What addition has been made to the number of Private Buses since Mr. Kenible came to the Theatre, is not within my own knowledge. I was not aware of the difference—but as there seems to be a difference of opinion on this subject, 1 really think it would be advisable, as Mr. Kemble has beard what your opinion is here, that ho should report it to the Proprietors, and thee let them state what their opinions are. [No! no! no ! hisses, and clamour, and the whistle !] I am afraid that I hare been misunderstorid, Mr. Kern. ble has assured me of his great desire to comply with the wishes of the Public; he only nishes, instead of giving his own opinion uuw, that a day or two sissy be allueed him to consult, and then state the opinions of the Pruerieturs asid Mana gers." [No! 110 ! no ! clantuar and hisses—not one Private Box, except fur the Proprietors and Managers.] Mr. CLIFFORI).--" I am desired to submit fur your apprUbatiou a proposition, which