The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1804-08-15 00:00:00

CROWN AND ANCHOR. MEETIW; OF THE mi.:Hut-6m OF MIDDLESEX. A numerous—Meeting of the i'reeholders of the Count) of MltMlesex took place yesterday at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, in the Strand, in pur suance of an advertisement, calling on them to meet there, for the purpose of devising, the best means of defraying the expences of the late Elation, on the part of Sir Francis Burdett. The company preseat, at one o'clock, unanimous ly called P. MOOR t•., Fag M. P. to the Chair Silence being requested and obtained, the Chair man addressed the meeting nearly as follows : " Gentlemen—l trust that those who are :AC quainteJ with my private coodua. and public cha rasier, w II readily believe me when I assure them, that at all times, and on all occasions, when my fellow-citizens call on me to Ell so honourable a station as that to which lam this day appoint e d, I biAll always be read,. to accept the offer, and to as.rt in discharge of the duties of the office to the utmost of my ability and power. I could really h . ,,ve wished that some other person had been called to the Chair, for, I own to you, I feel my breast so loaded, when I reflect on the atrocious proceedings which so lately took place at brew ford, that it is with difficulty I can deliver my sentiments on the subject ; proceedivgs, which Strike at the very essence and vitals of the Consti tution, and which not only received the s.anStion, bet were supported and carried forward by th.! most itrenuous and alive exertions of the whole .if the Magistracy of the county, aided and assi,tesl by the public oili:ers of every department under t he Government, whose conduct ought to have been very different. a I bog leave, Gentlemen, to amnia particul;:rly the attention of the Meeting to all advertisement which has, since the Eleaion, been publ'shed by Mr. Mainwaring; an address not issued in the mo ment of the heat of controversy. ever incident to contested elenions; but drawn up in the hour of cool refled;on, in the private recess of the closet, or the cabinet. The passage, to which I wish parti cularly to allude, is this: _ _ Repugnant as it is to my feelings to appear niutaphant over a vanquished adversary,. I cannot refrain from congratulating on, Gentlemen, on the vianty, which you have enabled me to obtain over a faction as desperate AS it is enterprising ; a faction which hesitates at nothing to gain its ends, and which is no less inimical to the people, whom it sitters, than to the throne, which it seeks to subvert. I am proud in b sing the instrument, in your hands, of rescuing this Cuunty from the grasp of such a faction.' Gentlemen. having read to you this part of the Address, permit me now to draw a contrast bet*e n the principles of Mr. Mainwaring's party, and those of that which we support. We are here accused of wishing and seeking to subvert the Throne ; but I need only appeal to the whole of the proceedings and conduct of our adversaries, and I think th ae will mint forcibly evince to every im partial observer, that it is they who want " to sub vert the Throne ;" because they have uniformly and incessantly endeavoured to destroy the liberties of the people, which, in this fieva country, form the very strongest basis of the Throne and of the Mo narchy. We, on the contrary, 'hew that our most anxious wish and desire is to support the Throne, by our continual exertions, to guard and preserve the liberties of the people, which are its best and strongest foundation. We wish to cement and eta. bhsh the Monarchy, by the freedom of the people, whilst they endeavour to shake and weaken it by de grading the people into slaves. If you look to the foe proceedings of Mr. Mainwaring and his party, during the Eledion, you will find that the Church, whica ought, according to the rules of the Cospel, to be silent in party contests and disputes; or, if they in terfered at all, it shauld be for the purpose of breath ing and supporting a spirit of peace, has, on the cia trary, been most alive in its exertions against the rights of the people, and th e f ree d om o l e i c : l i on . th e Magistracy have also interfered in a most open and shameful manner. Those men who meet together, and gi am licences to each other in their different dis trids ; those men who, from the nature of their ap pointment, ought to be the preservers of the peace, and the impartial distributers of justice to every indi. vidual in the county, Live joined the church, and urenuoasly used their united exertions to deprive a majority of the Freeholders of their dearest and most invaluable privilege, the right of eledion ; and of the pride and satisfaction of being represented by the man of their free and unbiassed choice. They have, oy their condo , degraded the institution of ntarstrAcy ; and, the digaity of the charade: in this ccuuty is every where but where it ought to be found. Gentlemen, the F.leffion for Middlesex is of the highest im2ortance, because the rights of the freeLoldess tat that county have more than once been invades', and the atroci o us attempt made to slettrny their right of eleaion altogether. Standing as it does, the Gra county in the kingdom, com pr:sing the metropolis itself, to which the whole r ..,t1.,it ever looks up with deference, it is doubly mc.imbent on us to stand forward at the presea 'amen* to assert our rights with an inflexible and deter"%med spirit--and, .11 so doing, we shall sup port the I'bts of the i.cople in every part of the coatury. !or, Gentlemen, the right of cicalas is the very essence of the constitution ; and if it be stabbed in Middlesex, it is wounded in every the most distant mad remote part of the country. It is therefore so light or trivial cancan which now calls us to-ether. ith respeB to ou: late Candidate, I have only one ritu:stion to ask, I las he done :.is duty ? I saf, he has ; that he has dune his duty nobly. and ought how to be put out cf the 6.4.1. What is the nett duty to be performed 2 That of the Freehold. n. Gentlemen, Sir F. Burdett has set a most glorious example. Ido not for my own pan know of any man us the ADLOIII{ of our history who has exceeded him. I can never doubt for a moment, that the c‘urty will warmly and zealously follow such an example ; and I am swathe whole kingdom should cost. if they with prosperity to the Monarchy, for I think I may fairly say, that every man, who really .dafers from me in this particular poiut, is as enemy to the Constitution. What is asked for on the pre , sett oceans/la is no more than a eortelson call in defence of that most invaluable etivaige t the right _..l_ of eletion: I hope and trust it will not be confined co the meeting here, but that every one will use his utmost endeavours to impress the importance of the measure on the minds of all their acquaintance, so as to induce subscriptions from every part of the coun try. The stilled now to be considered is founded in honour, dignity, patriotism, philanthropy, and every principle and sentiment which does credit to the heart of man ; and I have no doubt but the pre ,ent meeting will receive it with that warmth of zeal which the importance of the objea so justly merits. Having thus, Gentlemen, explained the cause of calling the present meeting, I shall now sit down, in order that the necessary means may be adopted for carrying it into immediate eff,.a." Mr. Boss , ' 1.1. E then said, he had in hi: hand some resolutions which had been drawn up by himself and others, and which he wished to submit to the consideration of the Meeting. He begged leave to read them over, and they would afterwards be read from the Chair one by one, and gentlemen would have an opportunity of expressing their ap probation or disapprobation of each, as it was suc cessively read. He then read the first resolution ; after which, Mr. lixstri.tv rose and said, it w.ts not his in tention, or by any means his wish, to oppose any of the resolutions drawn up by the Hon. Gentleman who had just read one ; but he had no doubt that many persons who were then pr -sent, had Valle prepared with something of a similar nature; and, in ordor to prevent confusion, he wished to propose that those who had any resolutions to offer on the stalk& should then h ing them forward, and that they should all be read over befute any discussion took place on any one of them. Mr. Bosvut.Lt. said, that if the Hon. Gentleman would suffer the resolutions to be read through, he had no doubt but they would be found suc:l as would be pet fatly agreeable and consonant to the sentiments of the "hole company. He then read the other resolution,. Mr. BENTLE.Ii mpressed h s entire approbatiort of the reseiutions, but thoughs there was one point which they did nut clen:ie.., and on which he had drawn up a resohe In, whist) he would take the li berty to submit to the consideration of the meeting, after these resolutions had been read from the chair. Before he sat down, he would, however, beg per mission to make one or two short observations, which had occurred to him on the occasion. He considered the cause they were now met to con template, as not belonging to the Freeholdres of Middlesex only, but that it was in fad the cause of the whole cou lay. He himself was not a freeholder of this county, hot he tilt he ILO as strong a mo tive, and as fair a title, to attend the meeting; as he could assure them he was a friend to the general liberties of the people of this cow.- try. 'I his was ow attempt to violate the right of eieffi-n, and was therefore a deadly blow aimed at the vitals of the constitution. The con stitution consisted of three branches. Every one who was at all acquainted with its formation . knew, that the two first branches do not emanate from the people. They are fixed and heredit sty in the So veign and the Peers of the Realm ; hut the third is constituted solely by the choice Of the People, whose representatives they are. It became, therefore, ne cessary t h at this representation sittrild be preserved as pure as possible, as in that was cootained the whole of the people's aftnal stake and share in the formation of the Constitution. The representatives Oldie people were sent to Parliament through the medium otßeturein: Officers, the greatest part of whom were appointed by tl;e Crown, and the re mainder by the Heir Apparent. 71.eie could not, therefore, be kept too stria a guar,' over the conduct of these returning officers ; (Cr if their power was al lowed lobe tmcontretiled, cr„if sufficient checks were not placed over toes.: reunning oflisers may use it in such a manner, as to make the right of eleetion, the most valuable of all out privileges, a mere nullity. The case that was thee before thh Meeting, was an obstruction of the pull, and it was *Whale significa tion, whether that proceeded from any afls of vio lence, or whether it was owing to the fraud, chicane, or intrigue of the returning officer. The evil pro duced by it was equally the same. A case had been very recently decided, that was exaaly in point on this head. The Nottingham elreion had been set aside, on the espre.sgrouad of " the poll having be n interrupted." would not take up the time of the Meeting, by going into the subjed of that eletton, but would conclude by sincerely hoping, that the cau,e will be warms', zealously, and libe rally supported by every man, who is a friend to the liberties end constitution of this country. Phis speech, as well as that of the Chairman, was received with repeated marks of applause. lie CMAIRII if then said, he would read the re solutirats one by tale, as moved and seconded by his Hon. Fnends near him. He then read the first reso lution. Ike whsle ft laid, see the fed page.) Dr. Pate moved au amendment, that After the word “ surplus." the following words be added, be terspealully offered." As the resolution was originally worded, it was, " th it the surplus be ap plied in discharging the expences o; the late Lleflion for the County of Middlesex." The Cam nu Aif said, the reason for moving the anseuelmeat was, all knew the truly liberal mind of Sir Francis Birdase ; and this meetitii;, he was sure, would be very sorry he sii..uld have the shadow of an idea that they meant to h ive him the slightest offence. The amendment was then agreed to ; and after wards the resolution as amended, was put and agreed to unanimously. The ether resolutions were then severally read from the chair, and aveed to unanimously. Mr. Zvi:ll4v said, he had award with great is. tisfaaion the unanimity %salt which the reso.utions bad been agreed to; but he thought there was one point of which no mention bad been made. He had dr Ma ur a resolution, which he begged leave to read, and which wrs partly to :he puree: t of the others; but had a ieference in it in tnakia g 4:r F. Burict an hono sty member of the C‘insip e o r e. The CH Ale MAP said, that klirraf lideladri En COW bider Sit Ira :,is Burdett as com e lese l y eel 0 1 toe business; and that the County ou .1 ahine to interfere. Mr. fitnts.tv waived ress:n 113 resolution any further. . - - Mr.: I Aim Tow'twia goid, it hid •ren truly :aid that :ices was not the cuss* vi 1 1 .1:J.:Itkez Alva., but wf t:Ae 'wls Istnipaosa. He pafeCtly agreed with this 2nd it was a Material consideration fur the whole country, whether we should be represented by the mere return of the Sheriff, or by the lair and free eleCtion of the Freeholders. This was a most daring attack, he said, on t h e r i g h ts o f the eleettns. The Minkter wants to debase the minds of the peo ple, and it was their grand objea to secure their rights and privileges ; fur, while they possessed those, they could neither be debased, nor degraded. lie therefore had to submit to the meeting a proposition, that committees should be formed in every county and town in the kingdom; and if his propositionshould meet the approbation of the present company and lie adopted, he had no doubt subscriptions would flow in from every quarter. He would not then detain the meeting further, but hoped some gentleman would assist him to draw up his res shition. The CHAIRMAN proposed Mr. W. SMITH (Mem ber for Norwich) ; and, 4 Dr. PARK proposed Mr. George Wingfield Spar low should be added to the Committee ; which was unanimously agreed to, and both their names were added accordingly. The CHAIRMAN said, the Treasurers were now present, and books were opened in different parts of the house to receive subscriptions. Major CARTWRIGHT said, that as .the combina tion against them was so powerful and extensive, he would recommend it to the Friends of Freedom to form themselves into a County Club, to watch over the freedom of Election, aid should, as soon as the business wrs finished, bring forward his proposition on the subjea. Mr. 11. •rowasErin hoped his friend, Major C. would not blend that with t!., present business. Major CA RTMRIGH I , C/f1 this objeCtion, agreed to waive his proposition at present, but not to give np the club: Mr. &slat t.st moved the thanks of the mec!;ng to the Chairtnao, for his eAndid and liberal condua m the chair. The CNA I itivAm returned his s:n:ere thanks, and assured the meeting, ha had never filled the chair on any occasion with so much heartfelt joy and satisfaction. The meting then broke up about two o'clock. 'kicks were aaer wards pro,luced at each end cf the room, and many persons immediately subscrib ed. There are to be parochial committees tor the purpose uf tecciving soincriptions its every quarter. DEFENCE OF 'I•I4E CuUNTRY. MatTlllo AT Tilt TISATCKED HOUR. Yesterday, at one o'clock, pursuant to adver tisement, a meeting of N'rni•ity Lnd Gentry was held at the Thatched House Tavern, St. Jame s's . street, for the purpose td affurdi•.g prompt assist ance to Government, by sufsscribing carts, wag gons, horses, carrix{es, and other useful conveyat.ce for troops, in the event of adual invasion. A car riage of a new construdion, admirably adapted fur the conveyance of the military, was bent's ht from the Repository, in Frith-dreet, Soho, for inspedion. The persons present were Earl Camden, Lord Hawke bury, Lord Hood, the Commissary Gene• ral, Sir Brook Watson, Mr. Wilbelorce, Goleral Maitland, Mr. Sturges Bourne, And several respect , able carriage proprietr.rs, in all about 1 S. Lord Harr tc rums v, having taken the Chair, made a few ohservations, upon the steady zeal recently manifested for the defence of the country at the different respedable meetings of Farmers, Waggon Masters, and others concerned in Horses and Car riages,whose subscriptions could not fail ,to be of the utmost service oa the appearance of invasion ; and, as such an event might not be at any considerable distance, it was proper to reduce to order the vo luntary offers of assistance, so that immediate re course might be had to such carriages as had been subscribed for the public service, %t hen it should be fourd necessary to employ them. His Lords:rip suggested, if such arrangements were made, the c infusion resulting from the steps Government must unavoidably take, in case of invasion, would be avoided. The subscription book was then spread, and such persons as were desirous of atfordiag assistance were requested to sign their names. Several gentlemen wished to be informed at what distance from the metropolis, subscribed carriages would be supposed in readiness, as many gentle men who subscribed might have them net of town at the moment they would be requited. The Com missary General proposed to arrange that consider ation by an advertisement limiting the subscrptioos malt in London to a certain number of ni les round, or a painted board to be placed on each car riage, describing where it was subscribed. A discussion er.sued between Lord Hawkesbury, Mr. V% ilberforce, &c. reveling the facility of fur nishing Government with carriages after the bod.es had been taken nff s and the machine of which had been previously inspefted. It was demanded if carts would be consid:red as necessary assistance ? and Sir Brook Watson stated that the body of prr sons called Fellowship Carmen had recently offer ed ,;()0 horses and 420 carts, whisk had been con sidered highly useful ; that carts, horses, ecc. were ser vice:Ace. Mr. Si is mob os, of MArlbrnough-street, said he had a letter, stating, that before Christmas last, he had designed to offer his carr.age And lior,es to Go vernment ; he accordingly *rate the letter in ques tion to the Secretary of ilitAte's office, hut had not received any answer. He then inserted his name, a s did Lord Hood, and several others, for liberal sub scriptions ; after which it was resolved to leave the roll open At the house for such as were willing tu subscribe carriages, horses, SCe. The meeting men adjouined at 3 o'clock. On Mouday, about six o'clock in the afternoon, a most alarming riot took place amongst the labourrrs at Poplar. Who were principally Irishmen. The dispute originated in which was the best prk,vince„ and produced the bv.t men, Connaught or Mun. @ter. From words they proceeded to blows ; and there being several hundreds of them armed with b . •leans. it became a measure of safety to call in t:.e cs.;l p.wer, wbo took two of the principal riot urs into sixdody, and die rest dispersed. When brotight beton the itsgistrate, they e.pressed much contrition for the reitor they had been led into, and made promises of future good conduct t ; upon which the Magistrate. after giving theta some proper atil =anion, dischargeJ them. " 11 77 . • ft . COURT OF CHANCERY. ; *um DR URYII.AIF. TIIEAT I RE. roan v. siiti4loos. Sir RiAatti Ford and others, Trustees' . Proprietors of Drury lane Theatre, applied tition to the Court, preying that hit. - the ',Treasurer of the Theatre, should the profits of twelve boxes in the Theatre, were in the possession of Mr. Sheridan the amount thereof might he paid into L. Messrs. Coutts and Ca. and appropriated purposes mentioned in a trust deed of /79S It was contended by Mr. RICHA: part of the Petitioners, that they had a right profits of the boxes in question. By the deed of 1793, it Appeared, that the whole of the prupeity of the theatre and the profits woe vested in Trustees, with a reservation to Mr. Sheridan of fifteen Boxes, and the emoluments arising therefrom.--i The deed further stated, that, in case of a deficiency; upon giving a month's notice, the trustees should have power to give up the Theatre to the Proprie. tors, t.ir, might aEtually enter upon and possess the And become the managers • thereof. Since that iirne, Mr. Sheridan, ereaed 15 other boxes for his own purpose, some of which were conveyed by deed to Mr. Adam, in the yeas I got he trust, to pay the arrears due to the performer.. 'lwo suiti were instituted in the Court of Chancery,. and several orders were made; but Neck-Wady one, on which the application was chiefly grounded. His Lordship, in tht order alluded tn, direfled that, in the first instance, the ground landlord, the Duke of lied. lord, should be paid. thee the arrears due to the performers, to tradesmen, &c. out of the trust fund, arising ore of the receipts of the house. Several other matters were contained in this order. It was contended that Mr. Sheridan had no right to die disposition of those boxes ; that in as much its the deed of me had been etecuted without the assent of the trustees in the deed of 1793, none of whom had been parties thereto, he had no right to do so. It was said, on the part of Me. Sheridan, that iT he had not made the deed to Mr. Adam, the performers, tradesmen, &e. %you'd not have beets paid Tire Learnod Counsel,. employed by Mr. Sheridan for the Performers, therefore, contended. that the Trustees could not be deprived of their rights, under the deed of 1793, by the subseveht one of Dee. Mr. Fosbrook was appointed by Mr. Sheridan to be the housekeeper of the Theatre, through whom, all the receipts of the private boxes go; it therefore came to the poilt, whether the Trustees are to have the profits of tnose Boxes ; and if they are to be applica:ile to the purposes of the general funds of the Theatre ? Lawn CHASICt Los The question before inc is, as tq the appropriation of the profits of the private boxes, according to the meaning of the order. nee present °hied is a fair distriliat:en of the profits amongst trio's* several persons interested. It canner ur wrong to San according to the intent and meaning of that order, the profits ale so applied ; how rhea is this matter to be remedied?" The ATI ustilrY GENERAL, on the p trt of hl-. Sheridan, come ided. that the order did not include those twelve boxes in question the meaning of the Deed. the'Order, and the whole of the -meter, m-re ly went to the nightly receipts of the Theatre, wkat was usually called the door-money ; the 4 receipts only were to be appropriited to the purposes of the Deed, the Ordeif, &c. %%hen the phrase .V u 'l./I Kveiptt was made use of, it was not m ant to al. rude to the rent of the private boxes. With referent to the Deed of 1793, it would be found, that there was a surplus hiterest to Mr. Sheridan in thew: Boxes. At a meeting of the Renters of Drury. Lane Theatre, lee ointunns were entered into, dezier ing their entire sri.faitiun at the Dead of 1/40:?.. l'he Learned Counsel, upon there grounds therefore submitted, that his Lordship had abund int m atter to decide, that there Box.e were exclusive of the Trust Fund, and that the Trustees had so right to the profit arising therefrom. Mr. roN t. s, , qui, &e: appeared for other pante,. The LAUD Ceiescat.son took a view oldie whole case, sheen from the first proceedings. He obsere. ed, that after Lord Thurluw had taken the Opera (louse, and the Royal Circus in hands,' he did not see how he could well refuse to take Drury-L..ne under his management ; but, unless in future torn* means were taken to simplify the business, it would he quite impossible for Courts of Equity to inter. fen.. In this case, the security sr..' looked into with great care, by the Trastees, the one in the grave charaeler of a Justice, th e ot h er i n t h at o f a Bank. er, and the parties went on without any great Pulse tiun to the original deed, till t.vo *tarts in equity were commenced An order was therefore made, that the nightly receipts should be appr 'whited to the I rust fond, and the other further provided for the growing charges, and all others, for die benefit of all parties. e. I am free,' said his Lordship, " to say that I must throw this matter back into the original state in which I foui.d it, unless these parties do make some cor.ceskions to each other, and agree upon some amicabie arrangeotelt which may in future prevent so much inegularlty.." His Lordship then dismissed the Petition. • un,-•-•=ammmi l • A young lady was observes" afloat ode o'tdoelt on Monday by the guard at Buckingham gate to throw herself into the Canal in St. Janice's. NA. Assisted by a Waterman, who happened also to sec her, the guard took her out, and 'tarried bee to the Hoop and Grapes public house, in Queen. square, where every method that could be de. vised was incffedually exerted to restore ani mation. Mr. Pr, ti.e Magistrate, being inform. ed of the circumstance, procured the aid of a medical assistant to the Humane Society, but his efforts were equally ineffedual. A coachman who was present sated, that she engaged his coach near George-guest, in the Minories, and ordered him to drive to Buckingham- F ate. Her body is now lying at the above-mentioned puhlic-house. She appears to be between eighteen and twenty years of age. is very tall and beautiful, finely shaped. and a deli cate skin, auburn hair, and blue eyes ; she had on a muslin gown, chip hat. with a pink handk. abr•utit—a red coral neckcl and silk stockings marked colder her left breast. We to very a erbpactable family them was yeaterclAy to see i quest will ast upon the bv4ly • ' - ' ' ',GUST 14. • 1 i " I ' . tees' for the ' plied by pe- , r. Foshrooke . account for t r, and which , n; and that the Imnk of , r r I 0 .' • i.sted to the ' ,I. 793. 1 Altus on the right to the , • the deed of property of :1: .! (' '• , I, •1 I : s if ! i i f i i 1 i.. , i I ~. • it.{: • r., , , • ~, 1 ; .44 I: 111 [i ' 1 , le f I.f:' J ' I , t i 4 44 • ~ 1 i t , 11 .1 . ; '1 I twenty years of age. is at finely shard. 4nd a deli. d blue eyes; she hart as I with a pink h.indln rabid' dace with a gold Pw.k.t. 4 j i M. C. and has a mole • • understand she beionAtd r Ir. the city. Several cot h-r. i he Coroner's la. f this day. 111