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

~. ~,. r , - ~,r, . JUBILF; COURT OF CO‘INION COUNCIL. ~~ 11 IA- . TUESDAY, ShIbTENINO ft 26. The Court was occupied till near two o'clock, I;6 transacting business reapecting- the City Estates, and in debating the right of Mr. Dance to alienate his office, at the conclusion of which Mr. Alderman WOOD, m Chairman of 'the Commit' e appointed to consider of the most pro. per mimes of celebrating the ensuing Anniversary of his Majesty's Accession to the Throne, pre- tested their Ratpore.—lt- stated in substance, as . the opinion of the Committee, 66 That the Cor -4C poratiod should attend Divine Serrice at 66 St. Paul's Cathedral ;—that they should 66 afterwards proceed to St. James's with a Congratulatory Address to his M.s. " JESTY. and that the front of Guildhall should •" be illuminated," hut it was the unanimous opinion of the Committee, " that it was neither 46 eNpetlient nor necessary that the Corporation •4 should dine together on that day.—[A loud ss and almost universal laugh.] Mr. Alderman Wood then said that, although as Chairman of the Coanittec, he hail felt it his duty to sign the Report, he by no means conceived himself pledged to the support of the propositions which it con. • tained. So far was he from agreeing to the prin ciple, that he held in his hand copies of two mo tions, which, howeier, it was not his inten. tion to press, which were in direct oppo sition to the recommen.lation of the Report. As to the dinner, he had certainty attended the .Committee with the express view at opposing that. He had nut the slightest objection to attending at St. Paul's—nor to going up with an Address, pro vided that it oas nut made the vehiele of political opinions. The illumination be had steadily op posed, as itn,.ruper in every point of view ; to preserve the I.eace of the City was highly im portant ; and no man could be so blind as not to .perceive that, although the resolution of the 'Corn. mittee confined it to the front of Guildhall, the illumination there would be the signal fir a gene rut and compulsory one throughout this ittinteuse metropolis. Mr. GRIFFITHS observed, that the Worthy Alderman appeared to be irregular, as there was. no Motion before the Court. Mr. NI ARRIOTT was surprised that any Gen tleman could interrupt another Gentleman in his Motions.---[A loud laugh.] Mr. Alderman WOOD replied, that the obser vations he was making were prefatory to a mo. tan ne was about to make ; and he believed he was by no means irregular, even though he should consume even. half an hour. The situation of .the kingdom was in every point of view such as to render a general illumination little better than a . I•neral insult. With what sincerity could those . peva oti obey the mandate to illuminate, whose ' parents, relatives, and friends, hail pe .hielted in Spain, or were dying in the Hospitals at 'Walcheren ? lie hoped that the feelings and good sense of the Corporation would induce them to tally to give up the idea of illuminating. In presenting the Report, he felt it incumbent on hi* to /novo that such Report should be received, and the recommendations contained in it adopted ..--but he should hold himself at liberty to state his objections to such parts of it as he deemed objectionable, before the question was finally put. Mr. H ERN E expressed much dissatisfaction at the Report, which, in his opinion, was directly mtrary to the sentiments of that Court, when tie Committee was appointed. But nothing bet ter could be expected from a Committee, in which, with the grossest inconsistency, Gentlemen had been appointed who were known to be against a • Jubilee altogether. The propositions were ab surd and monstrous : first, they were to go to Church, and then tl.l were to go to Court, and Then they were to go quietly about their hilliness. Was this a testimony of respect from a Corpora tion so noted for their [eve of good eating and drinks',:_ [a laugh]. Instead of meeting toge ther, and enj..ying .1 good substantial dinner, and a glass of good old port, that it should be said of . the Citizens of London. that they sneaked home, and finished the day on a mutton chop, was most monstrous, and would never be believ d by poi terity. It was inconsistent with the dignity of the Corporation, and calculated to throw as odium on all their proceedings on this important occasion. It hail been said that attempts wen's made to bring politics into the discussion. Gen. • tlemen had indeed no:a made it a political question, and that of the highest importance....[Peals laughter.] Mr. Alderman SCHOLEY was of opinion that the Committee ought to have prepared an Address, and presented it to the Court fur their considera tion, to ether with the Report. Mr. GRIFFITHS observed, that he was one of those wh,. had signed the Report, and he could toot help observing, that theGentlentan who spoke last but one (Mr. Herne) had been prejudging others by the tieasuru of his own conduct. The duty of that Gentleman had very often called for his attendance at Church, 'where he (Mr. G.) did not, how( v••r, remember to have seen him.— Omit the coarse, we Will not say civic, excla. illation of " that's a falsity," was heard, on Which there was a general cry of Order, accom . !Relied by very stroug expressions of indignation.] Mr. KEMBLE intreated the Lord Mayor to ezet else his authority to repressing those indeco rous breaches of decorum ; in which, he could as sure him, he would ho frilly supported by the Cow t. Mr. GRIFFITHS remarked, that the surprize of Mr. Bumble at the expression which had been ' Used, would be considerably diminished by re. 11..cting on the manners, character, and education . of the party from whom it issued. [Here Mr. G. w ist in his turn called to order.] He (Mr. G.).hacl as much loyalty as any man, although it had been insinuated that the Committee, it not diatu6 at, had recommended measures by wh ch 14. e City of Lender' would be disgraced. in his (linden, the Committee had recom. mended those measures, which, if adopted, would do butt Our to the City of Loudon. Was a ditinet TUE S' the sine qua nun •f a Meeting of the Corporation of the City of London ? Could not even the solemn act Of returning thanks to God for the lengthened life of his Majesty be perforated, with out a sticereiling feast ? Was eating and drinking indispensably connected with every act of the Ci tiseus of laumlon iu their corporate capacity ? lie was a.•hained to hear sentiments so degrading, so humiliating to the City, which, he trusted, the good sense of that Court would rescue from the i►nputatiun of habitual characteristic gluttony Mr. SAMUEL DIXON was of opinion that the recommendations of the Committee in the Re port should be discussed separately. With re spect to a dinner, he was not one. of those who could see any otteuce to the Almighty in eating a goof/dinner, ur in drinking a few glasses [Bottles, said a Member near the bar, In a low tone of voice] of good red port, (Mrs D's favourite liquor we presuine.)—Applauses. The greatest proof of our love, regard, and adoration, was cheorfa/ness ; and the most effectual way to pro. mote that was, in his opinion, by a good substan. tial dinner, and a glass of good zinc, a motion for which he would second oith all his heart and with all his soul. [Applauses]. Mr. Dixon concluded by moving that the Report be read clause by clause. Mr. WA !TIBIA N said, that although he had attended the Committee, and put his name to the Report, he felt himself whollpt liberty to object to any of the recommendations contained in it. Willi respect to the first observation made by a Member of tkat Court (Mr. Hearn), that many Gentlemen were appointed to the Committee who were not favourable to its objects, he should an swer, that at least four-fifths of the IN:embers of the Committee were composed of Gentlemen of the other side, and that it had always been the cos. torn of that Court not to choose their Committee entirely from one party. It was somewhat ex. traurdeuary that this Gentleman (Mr. Hearn), who was himself a Member of that Committee, and attended its proceedings, should now find such serious objections to the Report, although he had never stated these objections in the Com. mittee. By his. attendance, however, in the Corn. mittee, he most have known that the Resolu tions of the ',resent Report had been prepared not by him, but by a worthy Gentleman (Mr. Clarke), who very often differed from him in that Court. Au Honourable and most loyal Baronet (fir William Curtis) did not attend at the Coin. ui.•.tee, and was also absent on the present ucca. sion. This absence &hewed pretty clearly that here was a point, beyoud which the loyalty of ,he Iloitourable Baronet would not carry Jii:n. Re, fur his part, had gone so much at laic iwu the subject on a former occasion, that he felt some reluctance now to trouble the Court at any length ; but, although be hoped that he had briefly brought many most important subjects under their consideration, still there were many essential points which he had overlooked. —When he mentioned to some of his friends, before the last Court, that it was his in:ention to come forward and expie-i his sincere opinion upon the subject, they must earnestly dissuaded bim from doing it. It was not that they were not perfectly aware of the art. ful contrivance from which the business origi nated ; they were not ignorant of the calamities which have befallen the country during the present reign ; or of the foolery of calling for a day of rejoicing in a period of unexampled affliction. They knew that the object of the contrivance was to set up a cry of loyalty, and throe the odium of disloyalty upon every uue who ventured to express a difference of opinion. Note itiistanding this advic:., he had determined to speak his opinion. Whatever odium theme might he attached to opposing an artificial cry of loyalty, he had never afraid of encountering' it. As to popularity, if he should cant it, ha would be content to wear it ; but he never did, nor ever would decline speaking his real senti, meets from any view connected with obtaining pre. pularity. Ile did feel some self.applause in re. collecting that he had resisted a cry e hich way Set op from interested motives, and that he had preferred the risk of beilig impopular. to the sertion of his duty in that Court as a Itepresenta tive of the City of London. With respect to going to Church, he thought that was a very proper thing ; but still he vi as a little surprised at the qoarter from which it was proposed. As to the congra. /Watery Address, he declared that lie was utterly at a loss to conceive what topics of congratulation could be selected, and he should think it a must puzzling thing to shape any Address of Congra tulatiosi without filling it with the most gross and infamous falsehoods. When his Majesty first ascended the Throne, we were a free, happy, and united people, and our public affairs were managed by the great Lord Chatham, the ablest Minister this country ever produced. The Laves then amounted to very little more than seven millions ainsually, whereas they have now in. creased"to seventy millions. - In the commencement of the reign, the union and happiness of the people were much disturbed by the squabbles of the Go. vernment. During Mr. Wilkes's time, or until the commencement of the American war, he could see no subject of congratulation. Passing over then the earlier years of his Majesty's reign, and coining directly to the American war, he must gay that this was one of the most wicked 414 ca. lamitous wars that ever the country had been en gaged in ; that all the objects of the war, and America itself, were lost ; and that the debt of this country was increased to a pro. digious extent. lle could say more—that he believed that all the evils which have over rnn the Continent of Europe, and reduced this country to great thug r, might be directly traced to the wicked policy which dictated the American war. He therefore could not see room for con gratulating his Majesty on that portion of his reign which went down to the dismemberment of the Empire, and the loss yf America. If we were to came to more modern times, and look at the history of the last 16 years, we should find that this country has been involved in a Must bloody and 'calamitous war, for an object which 'the &tilde never understood. The Cuuts- 'ATESMAN. 7 try knew when their fleets were in port, sod when they were not ; but they never knew what it was that they were fighting for. The calamitous events of these bloody, expensive, anti disastrous wars, were certainly nut subjects to con. gratulate his Majesty upon. Were they to con. gratulate his Majesty upon the fvequent suspension of the flabeasCorpus Act, and of the Constitution during his reign ? Could we congratulate his Ma jesty upon the Tresses,' and Sedition Bills, in con. sequence of which many unfortunate young men suffered the must severe punishment, fur merely repeating shat had been said with greater force at a former period, by the very Ministers aho recommended the prosecution? If we were to return thanks to Almighty God, merely fur prolonging the life of his Majesty, we could not congratulate our Sovereign fur having escaped bodily infirmity, nor yet could we congratulate him un his family, or un the success of the mea sures of his Government. After such unexampled failures as the country has lately witnessed, it should rather be a time fur the City to go up and ' point out to his Majesty the cause of these failures, than to fix this as a time to ease a day of re. juicing. At the conclusion of the last war against France, after having incurred a fresh debt of 200 millions, the Nation was informed by the Sucre. tary at War (Mr. Windham), that " although we had gained battles, the objects of the war were lust, and that Europe was gone." Was it then for a war, attended with such expellee, and so enrol... tunate in its results, that his Majesty should be chugratulated? Or was it fur the events of the pre. 'bit war., theConv.etion of Cintra, the unfortunate occurrences in Spain, or the Expedition to Walchee ten, the most disgraceful one that was to be found in the annals of the Country—that a congratidatios ' was to be voted ? tie might therefore ask, what pore tiun was it of his Majesty's long reign, which we could nix upon as the period for a complimentary Address ? • If the Address of the City had been attended to on g former occasion, and a proper inquiry instituted respecting the shameful Con vention of Cintra, the country would, probably, 1 , not have n o w to . lametst the loss which we have 'sustained in Spain, fruits the hasty advance and precipitate retreat of Lord Visc.Wellington. Now, ' although the Cutivention of Ciedra had been felt as most disgraceful to this country, yet there was no man hardy enough to stand up and say, that In this, that, or any other failure, which is re- Corded in the annals of British history, was any thing near so disgraceful said calamitous, as the last and most infamous Expedition, which was els trusted to Lord Chatham. There was nobody that would say, that the !Ileums Tax, and the eaten. siun of !the Excise Laws, were subjects upon which his Majesty should be congratulated. As to t'n conduct of our military affairs, it was so extremely bad, that although we have double the number of Generals on our Staff than Bonaparte has, and maintained, probably, at four times the expence, yet when it comes to select Generals fur the command of our Expeditiuns, we select a Whitelocke, a Dalrymple, or a Chatham. Could the Court see, with indifference, the waste of British blood which was uccasioned by the fully of those who planned, or who had the execution of the objects of our Expeditions 1 It had been said, and very truly, that the valour of our sol diers and sailors had been cunspicuous in the late wars. It so, the greater blame rested upon the Government. if we had soldiers who - would nut fight, the wisest Government might fail in its ob. jects ; but when it is known that we have a brave army and navy, that will execute well whatever they tore called 'llion to do," the blame will rest ex clusively on the Government, which, by the ab. surdity of its plans, and its selection of officers, makes British valour useless, and causes torrents of British blood to flow for no purpose. Among the many faults of the Government, he would maintain, that altnough we had 38 Ambassadors, 'who received 54,0t)01. per ann.in pension', in adult don to their pa) ,yet in the very few Courts in which they would be received, it was almost always found that they were completely ignorant of their duty. We had lately an example of this Ame rica ; and in S a Alen, although every other man in the country knew a Itevulution was probable, the British Atobtssadur alone appeared to know no thing of the matter. There never was a great coun try w hose affairs had been so ill-managed as the af fairs of this country: and yet Ministers shewed great a billies in some things. They could easily discover all the meatus that would prevent 'surcharges frum being evaded ; and yet they never could discover the means by which the country's affairs in other respects could be managed with honour. At the very time that the taxes were to be levied with the utmost rigour, accounts to the amount of nine millions of money were yet unsettled at t h e Victu alling-office; and above seven millions ta4 Weft. India accounts were yet unexamined, notwith standing the expense of the Commissioners ap. pointed fur that purpose. In the very last year, above 9 millions were added to the yearly expel'. dituro and when it was considered, that from the year 1797 to the present year, the taxes had increased from twenty-three millions annually to seventy millions, without gaining a single ob ject fur which tee entered into the war, he could nut sec how his Majesty could be congratulated on such calamitm, events. It was evidently impossible fair the country to go on mach loner under such a p rozve ..i ve and (Mutinous accumulation of public burdens. 'those Gen tlemen on the other side, who were always calling for unani mity in that Court, were acting incomistsmitly %then they brought forward motions which must necessarily disturb that unaipinity. lie had himself fur the whole of his political life, opposed, as farm he was able, the system which had Waugh: su many (Ala billet; on the country. Fur toe greater part of that time, he had beets bu ff eted and hunted down as u Jacobin, and fur many yews he could poly prevail on live Member• to divide w ith him. Ile I over had never tonged to the right baud or the left ; but regardle-s of whatever odium the Gentlemen nu the other side might virile a,,..airst him, he had fearlessly pursued through litV,lsti ter stmuld always continue to di, it, mat low of coo del t whicli his seme of public duty pointed out (head op p!antes frcluto the Her. The Lord Mayor called the tirrnlenern to order). These applause, ware certain') irre g ular, mid be sas happy to say that it was an Irrevitartly %vote% (lid not often taae place. • There were, Yu welter, occasions ashen it was hard fur men to conceal their feelings; and such &mum stratums had been beard, sometimes, in tne !louse of Com MOM itself. There were many Gentlemen in that I 'ourt who .reed with him in the must essential points; and yet. btu co • .• their weirs same shades of dill . Prettret they, upon tunny OCC.lSitills, threw themselves into the arms of the enemy. —Nothing could be more mischievous or dangerous than suds a saunas. Mr. Fox had elegantly observed, in his !aro. 111 , 11:11P- . • - History. that " it was much hetter to con ele something to a friend, than every thing to an enemy." He wished that those, who oil important points them* as he did, were im pressed with the troth of this sentiment. As to mans of the Gel:times on the other side, he might avwell talk to Stocks or stones. as to address them with any hopes of convincing them. They were evidently playing n g one of their own; they *ern fishing for themselves, while be bad nothing to bnpe fur or to fear from any Government, and had never obtained or sought any favours. lie was very much astonished teat a Gentleman who had gives moire of a motion fur the pre ,sent day (Mr. Deputy Kemble), should now feel differ ently from what he did upon the Convention of Ciutra : Ott that occasion he mentioned, " that his blot d boiled with indignation, and that he was ready to go up to his Ma jesty.every week w ith a remonstrance on the subject." Ilea booting zeal, however, most have now considerably codled. The City of London could then eo better proof of its loyalty ho its Sovereign uric the preseut occasim, than by poititio4 alit to him thine enemies who had brought 5114 dogract4 and dangers upon the country. An laotsiurable and loyal Baronet (Sir IV illiam Curtis) bad, upon a former oc casion, complained of his personality ; hut be did not at twat time recollect for what number of years lie (Mr. Waithman) bad been et ;owed to the pevotrallties of the Baronet and his itieuds. Ile had, {scrimp:, for often, that when he was in a minority - on the question of the Treason and Sedition Bills, Gentlemen insisted ninon a divi sioms. in order that it might 1w sera w 143 were the ~shirt of the country." As to what was called the monied interest, although he was himself a tradesman, he would never look much to the monied interest to support comblutioaal priuci pies; sue to Batik Directors, who can get Acts of Parlia. reek to prevent them paying their notes to cash, aud who re. ceive 5 per cent. fur interest on a bit of 'wiper intrinsically sot worth a peony. On this subject he lead the folio% ing passage from a speech f Lord Chatham, on the question of the kalklaud Ishuid. , :— " There is a Pet of men, my Lords, iniS City of Lon " don, who are known to live, in riot and &raj upon the " "dander of the ignorant, the innocent, the hciptes—upon " that part of the consuauility which *toads most iu need of, °, nod oest deserve', ttie rare and protection of the Legisla " tiro. To me, my Lords, whether they he the naSseradots " jobbers of 'Change-.Nov, or the lofty Asiatic plishderers " of Leadenhall-street, they are all equally tieltstaik. " care but little whether a man walks no foot, or is drawn " by eight burses, or sit buries; if his luxury be snpported " by the plunder of his rnimry, 1 despise and drest " NI y holds, while L bad the honour of serving his .11.4,esty, " I ueser ventured to look at the treasury, but lit a instances " it is a business l am midi fur, and to which I never could " li .vc snlamitted: The little 1 know of it has not served to " mice my opinion of what Is iniPgarig railed no monied joy " lcrral. I 111 'au, that blood-sasersee, inat misek-assrm, winch " calls itself the Jiiaoad of Go tier nine n: —that pret. a s to serve " telt or that distininiatridion, aud may, be perehased, ea the " same tern% ay any Admits's:Option —that adoassoss emus " fo Cismernnunt, and takes speci.it tare of iM men cowls. " mewls. UuJer On description L include tot atadie race of " ConsmisSalies, Jobbers, toolleaviors, Clothiers, and It.. as misters!! I" !lad these most pertinent observatious been made by him. self (Mr. W.), he doubtless hod been charged sow Jacobin or the deepest dye—but they were sesifoneoto gieat Chatham. t h e determined foe of Corruption iii watevei shape it reared its herel.— (Near: hear ? hear lie well knew, ice also all well knew, or might nell lAA these own were set tip t.o sale to every Aaiministratiou. No Administration, be It cu.sipiord of who it :night, could ever he at a loss to raise a losau, w hike such characters as Lord Chatham hod described were iii eaisteisce. Atter Mr. eiti retired, his successors were notated must cordially w partwite of Chic Hospitality. kolas &aril Grey, who had for year, been opposing Mr. Piit's system, no mower came tutu pJoer than he was invited into she Cite. Of tom dopovittoa la n'rs OS athatation be swot .adduce iiitionCes so 'clout eat, is loco ba sbouloluot detain the CWai t by recapitulating —barprocaril Id need his Aineudinent, which was as folios. s : " fiaat.shis Court said the Couutry at large have upon al4 OCCabiUdS itv inced their loyalty:sod oturebtacut to his .tinies y's Person and lainity, aaas duly tin?ressed w nth is >ruse of the eminent virtues wbieb ..ave so long endeared him to his people, they will at all times heready to testily their loyalty ; and altociansifut. _ 'f t the People distinguisbiug between the beoefieent views and ioteatioto of toe Aluttareh, awl wr prodigate act' of incapable and anpruiftpled advisers, o oo n.ave abused tba contidet.ce of their a.,verrigu, toive out Sinfered toe destruc tive mcosurcs winch wise produced -twit an accuniulatiou of oral:mottoes ctents—the frauds, corruption, and pecobstio.!, which have so tong existed—nor c,e wouton and wasteful critic* of tat it'd and treasure—to any mous t to dituunsa the love and altectioa which Lary have bum' ut. Mauro .)i tir.kly persuattra that these eveuts toast have been equ illy dngo:tog to his Majesty awl the People. " They are therefore ut optuiou, that daring the present ale any aspectet pttiolac atuidst their recut aidicting War/ and disapponion.nts, and the preseut dottactrdwatcnt his Ilapesty's Coma:4 to set any (la_ apart as tl day of pub. he re j oicing, cuald neither be grutti, tug to has ur au appropriate way of trait . ) big their itiyalty, our would at accord won the character of a ow, warts, and coosiderote people, feeling deeply fur the honour and character ut tlid ammo" 11W. W A UllilAN concluded at must ablespeech (ef 'which teemsve hero wiaule to give more lase a nasty anal inipri • Ott sketch), by avowitig, that altfillugh hr should at all Moses hr oust ready to te:lify hie Vitt stud attadtmeat to ht. t‘er ig a4 Pe r i" e it i lt he it ibleti tail be Oswald never uesitate disc. stoioatteig bet wero Vs of Use /tang Itiosse4 anti Mace of /is catchers. The COMMON , SNIkJEANT then read the original Motion and the Amendment. A Gentlemais who hail bJure spoken somewhat pleasantly, mitt who had been called. to or,ler for personality, defended the' part which he had taker[ in the Committee upon this subject. He was wandering from qiequestioniuto persumdity again ) whet The LORD MAYOR sail, he was ready to sit in the Chair until midnight, if Geutletuets thought fit to argue this matter so lung, that is, r while they disclosed business, but personuli/y was not business, therefore be must really pot an mid to it. Mr. N EMBLE admitted, that personality was not business, but when one Gentlemen was pet. sonal, it became almost unavoidable that owe.' '.her should be so, because there was otherwise hardly any way of answering him with effect. lie oust say, it was indecent in Mr. IVaithosati to I attribute to any Member of that Court unworthy "olives, and that whet' he did so, his Lord'hip should stop him. Let him mention the man's name whom he meant to have unworthy motives, and nut intimate sidelong something that he would now nut avow. '• it he has the courage," said Mr. " let him ilia that like a man, I am ready to mccl him at any time." Mr. Alderman smiTil said a few words, but he was not audible below the liar. Mr. MA WNI A N lamemed that the Court was nut unanimous on this iinportaut occasion ; he was, however, soniew hat relieved from the pres. sure of that feeling, by reflecting that the worthy ' Member who now opposed the Resolution before the Court, had signed the report which contained it. Ile did nut, however, agree to the Report al. together, although he did to this resolution, which l I was that of the Court going to St. Paul's to itcar divine service. But, as to another part of the Report; which stated that a Dinner was ueither expedient nor necessary on that occasion, it was I a proposition front which he dissented, and he had another to make in lien of it; as to the ezpcnct of a dinner, he admitted that to be a consider , able object, and that expenoe should be avoidet AI much as possible in the present mate of tit finances of the City,—hut they mast retrench ii something else to make up for expeuce en tht occasion, which, lic believed, would only Paw to about 10001. lie should propose, with h Lordships's leave, that the Corporation shoal dine at the Egyptian Hell. Nur was MI