The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1806-09-19 00:00:00

WESTMINSTER ELECTION. Yesterday a very numerous meeting of the Elec tors of Westminster was held at the Crown and An chor Tavern, in the Strand, for the purpose of as certaining the general sentiments of the Eledors, respelling the merits and pretensions of these who should aspire to the high honour of succeeding that great man and illustrious charafier, the late Right lionounible Charles James Fox. About twelve o'clock, upwards of 403 persons had assembled in the great room, the greater part of whom appeared to be the friends of Mr. Sheridan ; and, before one o'clock, upwards of 2000 of the Eledors were pre sent. Soon after, Mr. Sheridan, Mr. Browning (the High Bailif,) Mr. Wishart, Mr. Otryen, Mr. Gibban, Lord Barrymore, and several other gentle. men, arrived. When 'Mr. Sheridan entered the room, he was received with a general greeting of clapping hands. After a few moments had elapsed, Mr. Wishart was called to the Chair, and, having expressed his feelings for the honour conferred upon him, he said it WAS the first time of his life that he had to regret obeying their commands; and he ob served the sincere grief impressed upon their coun tenances, from the loss they had sustained in their fiend and reptesentative—a loss, not only to the city, to the kingdom, but to the whole world—a loss, which must long be felt as a national calamity ! —A great man, an illustrious statesman, and a tine patriot, who, doting the whole of his political life, defended their liSerties, and supported th-ir rights, against a daring, violent, and ambitious despot. The first with of his heats had ever beets to see this country rise once more to her rank and con sequence among the ?owe; s of Europe; justly en dearing himself to every rn.in, as the advocate of peace, and the friend of his country. The respell due to his revered testes could not be expressed by shouts and clapping of hands, but by a solemn, grave, and sorrowful silence; which, he trusted, would be strictly observed by the present assembly. He then explained the objee't of the meeting—read the Requisition—and requested some of toe Gen tlemen who had signed it, or their friends, would declare their sentiments. Mr. O'B MY EN then rose, and observed, that as his course was very clear, his speech should be very short. When he first addressed the Eleitors in the public Prints, he was led CO think that Lord Percy, as well as his Right Hon. Friend (Mr. Sheridan), were both ineligible. He had since learned that the Noble Lord was eligible, but his Right Hon. Friend was not. From what he knew of the Noble Lord's charader, he would have As soon sustained him to reprzsent Westminster, as he would have supported his great ances.r.i , and, therefore, he took the liber ty of proposing Lord Percy as a fir and proper per son to represent the city of Westminster in Parlia ment. The question being put, Mr. Coon en addressed the Meeting. He said, that from his earliest youth he had known West minster, and was an adtive and zealous supporter of th-ir rights upon all occasions, and his personal at tachment and regard for Mr. Fox, and the princi ereds sw n never been were been always sn the The g u o id bj e eet of o l t ii t s hi c s on m di eel ,. ing was not merely to nominate a psrson to represent the city of Westminster in Parliament, bat to nominate him who was most 6t. He knew nothing of Lord Percy ; and, therefore, to say he was fit to represent Westminster, would be only to deceive him.elf ; at the same time he meant not to express a sentiment to his dispraise. He was of a noble and illustrious family ;and, if his ambition led that way, he might have had a Seat in Parlia ment long since. For the last 20 years of his life, he had been steadily attached to Mr. Fox ; his know ledge of him was general ; his habits of intimacy with him were in private; and, from this source, he was more induced to say who was most eligible to sneezed that great man. In making a choice, he should look to the person most intimate with him ; he should look to the person who fought the battles of liberty and independence by his side ; he should look to the person who was his private friend, his puhl c supporter ; whose talents, eloquence, and in tegrity, not only claimed the admiration of this city, but of the world in general ; who opposed with him the American War, the suspension of the Ha kes Corpus Act, and supported the liberty of the subjed against an Administration which he never had the baseness to support. He need not lock far for the person he alluded to, and concluded by pro posing the Right Hon. R. B Sheridan. This speech was received with loud and reiterated aninese. Mr. Sunman then rose, and addressed the meeting nearly as follows : Gentlemen Electors of Westrienster—ln addres sing the few sentences which I feel it my duty to ad• dress to you on the present occasion, I am obliged to intreat your very indulgent attention ; fearing, that from the effects of a late short but . _ sharp illness, I may not otherwise be enabled to make myself heard by so numerous an assembly. Uocili the one great subjed, which at Ws moment I am confident has posies,ioa of the `whole feelings of every man I addre,s—l shall— I can —say but little.—There must be some interval between the heavy blow that his been struck, and the consideration of its effed, before any one (and haw many are there) of those who have revered rd low:d Mr. Fox as I have done, can speak of bt de. a .h with the feeling, but manly composure, which becomes the dignified regret it ought to inspire—((terrot applaurr.) To say any thing to you at this moment, in the fresh hour of your unbolt.. thened sorrows, must be unnecessary, an almost blinking. His image still lives before your eyes— bi; virtues are in your hearts--his loss is your d::- Van. 1 have seen in a public print this morning, what are stated to have been his last words, I d.e h appy I" then turning to the dearest objets of his eaten. I pity you !" Gentlealen, this state ' s'aa is precisely true.—But Oh ! if the solemn 'minx hour had allowed of such'considerations, At if the unassuming niture of his mind hid n.it ithheld him , which of you but will alhiss, his tiJe * ll l7* said, not only to the sharers of his dim: ?e, bargi ng in mute despair upon l.is cotuh 1 t 7 you," belt prophetically to have added—ii I 1 7 hngland—l pity F.ui ope—l pity Unman na 'ai" He died in the spirit (.t . peace—Tranquil in ! Own expiring heart, and cherishing to the Last, itb a parental solicitude, the cousuling hope to give tranquillity to nations. Let us trust that that stroke ' of death which has borne him from us, may riot have left the peace of the world, and the puhlw charity of man, as orphans upon this earth. Fro n this affliaing consideration I pass w one compara tively insignificant; yet it is the question ue are met this day to consider, namely, the pretensions of these who have the presumption to aspire to succeed him. An Hon. Friend has proposed me as a person worthy of that proud distinaioa. I cannot deny but that it is an objet of ambition, unmixed, I think, with one unworthy motive; very near to my heart. For the hint I reo•ived in the public Newspapers, •‘ That I might hurt the feelings of my Stafford Con stitnents, by standing an eleCtion for Westmin ster," I feel much obliged ; but, having been six several times eleCted by them, I am con vinced they would rather feel with me, the honour, the glory, of being the successor of Mr. Fox. It is one thing to be the Representative of Westminster, but it is another to be the successor of that great man. Having stated those motives, I have but one word or two to say. I have followed that great and illustrious charadter, step by step, through the whole of his politico' life, and in all those measures which recommended him to your reverence and affeCtion. I was honoured with his friendship, and in the closest intimacy with him. It is true, I some times differed from him upon particular points, which I felt my duty ; and there were nut persons wanting, who endeavoured to aggravate those dif ferences; but this only increased that friendship which he never departed from. His noble and ge nerous nature never suffered sospition to enter his heart ; ho he knew ms well, and he knew, that if I differed from him, it was through principle ; and that it was impossible I could desert him from design His friendship was the Lit pride and glory of my life. I felt more pleasure, and consi tiered it as more gl ninus, to share in his exclusion from power, and live in exile with him, than in par taking of any honours that Kings or Governments could bestow—(loud applause.) And, Gentlemen, were I to live my life over again, I should have thought it more honourable to share in dot: exclu sion and exile, than to have been most succeotul in servility ; than to have been .o.tideil with titlss, pam pered with honours, covered with distinaions, and gorged with wealth, obtained by the pion ler of the people—(reiterated and continued brats of applouie ) After what I have already said, my most anxious wish is. that while the corpse of our levered friend remains unburied, nothing should be done to pro duce discord; no contest should arise to foment divisions .among the Electors of Westminster. l'he remedy against thi; might now be in illy retiring ; but it might be .aid, AS it has beets most scanda lously thrown cut, that I shrunk back, afraid or risk ing my officio' sotto:ion. I should have thought my lite would have been an ---,wer to such a charge.— But if any Minister expoOs to find me a servile vas sal, my place shall use at toe set vice of that Minister. I am independent—lndependence maybe in the poor, though r.ot the rich. lam not rich. Independence is not in wealth not in honours; it is n.4t in high• birth; but indepe ,fence is in the mini of min, or it is no where. l'hts is the enndua I hove ever, and shall pursue, to the end of my life ; aa,l although I might be stripped of my office, yet I cannot be stripped of my own self esteem—f cannot be de prived of the good opinion of the public. Ido not believe such a Minister doos exist at this me. ment. If I 'save failed in my duty, by not offs ring myself earlier to your notice, I am nut to blame, nor can I lament it I and I am sure every woo hears me, and who knows my love and vio.orati for Mr. Fox, will join in the same seotiment, that while one aspiration of breath quivered on his lips, while one drop of blood beat in his ooble heart, it would have been unbecoming in me to have expressed a wish to be his successor. If I have sustained a loss by it, I glory in that loss, and cannot regret it. But now, Gentlemen, I come to what I feel the most unpleasant part of my task ; notwithstanding what I have said, and notwith standing the manner with winch you have received what I have had the honour to address to you, I feel myself under the necessity of retiring from the contest (4 load cry of Ae! no! no !J—ln friendship like oars there was this advantage, that while living I considered Mr. Fox a kind of landmo-k, and his principles as a guide to our conduit after his death ; and there is a duty incumbent upon me, I mean a desire to consider what would have been the wish of that illustrious person, if it was possible for him to view what is going on at this moment. If such a subject could have come across him,on his desoli bed, he would have wished him rather to decline the con test, than risk a division among his constituents. He would have implored him to het aside all chance of controversy ; he would have beseethed that friend to make such a sacrifice. There is a still further reosua for my so declining the honour you would confer on me. Mr. Fox is shortly to be car ried to that noble and Gothic mansion, where the greatest helots, statesmen, kings, and patriots of their time, will be honoured with his remains. That ceremony is to take place in a few days ; and, I trust, that every man in Westminster, every man in this great metropolis, every man who admired his political life, will be marshalled, to attend his remains to their last abode. Dumb and respell. ful sorrow will then pervade the ranks. Could you then endure the thoughts of rival Candi dates? Would it be fitting upon such an occa- ' sion ? And I ask you still further, should I be that man? Understanding and feeling that you must agree with toe in these observations, I am the more eager to make the sacrifice, as the only ,ode of preserving the peace, concord, and tranquillity of that city, of which he died, the great and everoo-be-larnented representative. Mr. &MID am concluded by a wet m and strong recommendation of Lord Percy, as a fit and pro per representative, and acknowledged his gratitude for the honour they bad inteeded to confer on him- self. This speech was received with the loudest and most unbounded applause. Some time elapsed be fore silence could be restored. Mr. M•DDOL supported the proposition of no m:aating Mr. Sheridan as a Candidate for West minster. In a very able and animated speech, he answered the objations of Mr. Sheridan, with re spea to creasing divisions at such a time among the Y:ledors ; and observed, that while the remains of Mr. 1v; passed, all controversy would cease, au anion would be dumb. He considered Westmin ster as the cradle of independence ; and trusted the Eledurs wouldsupport that independence, by putting Mr. Sheridan in nomination, as a fit and proper per son to represent them in Parliament. With respect to Lord Percy, he thought it would be a bad pre cedent to den any person who had a ch ince of being placed where he could not do his duly. Mr. GRAHAM wished the sense of the Meeting to be testified by a chew of hands. A Gentleman, in answer, said, that as Mr. Sheri dan had unequivocally res:gled, there could be no necessity to put the question. Here a cry of No! he! No ! called up the Chairman ; who, having reprimanded some per sons for clapping hands, h.:. which was disrespen ful to the memory of Mr. Fox, entered at some length into the qualifications of Lord Percy. Mr. Sit:MIDAS observed, that the Chairman had sued rather as the advocate of a party, than the Chairman of an assembly, such as the present. lie repeated, that it was upon the most mature deli beration he had determined not to avail himself of their intentions in his favour. Mr. GILAHAK again rose, and said, that the Meeting were imperiously called on to express their sentiments. After some further observations by the Chairman, Mr. Gibbon, Mr. Maddox, Mr. Smith, and some others, Mr. O'Bryen withdrew, for the present, his mo tion in favour of Lard Percy. A Resolution w.'s then proposed by. Mr. Cocker, sod carried almost unanimundy. This was expres sive of the great regret of the Meeting at the mo- tives which induced Mr. Sheridan to withdraw from the contest. Mr. O'Bryen then resumed his former R,csolu lion in favour of Lord Percy. and the question be ing put, it was negatived by a great majority.* After some further interlocutory conversation, the Meeting was adjourned until Friday, the !Nth instant ; a Committee was appointed to consider of a fit and proper person to be nominated, Ste.; and about three o'clock the Meeting brake up. • Per these Resolutions, see the Front of this Paper. OLD BAILEY SESSIONS, Seer. 18. Thomas Miter. and Alatiqa his wife, were capi tally indincd for forging, counterfeiting, and coin ing. several pieces of base and counterfeit money, resembling the half crowns, shillings, and sixpences, the current coin of this realm, which is high treason by the Statute. The prosecutirn was carried on by order of the Direnors of the Mint. Mr. FISLDING stated the case for the prosecution; which was sustained by the evidence of Rogers and Browne, two police officers of the Shadwell Divi sion, who proved, that in consequence of some in formation they had received, they went to a house on S iffron-bill, where the Prisoners lodged, and where they found them at home ; and, from the ap pearance of their hands, fingers, and nails stained great and yellow by the effseli of eve: fliers, much used by the ceiners of counterfeit-money), con cluded that they had been recently at work. Upon searching a cupboard and some drawers in a room up stairs, occupied by the Prisoners, they found 40 half-crown pieces, 10 shillings, and a number of six pences, B'l of counterfe't money, not finished ; a dollar, just completed, all but polishing. They found aiso a cumber of pieces of plated metal to be formed into dollars; and also a hand vice, files, bottles of aqua fortis, into which ease falai had been put, to destroy the smell of the aqua forth, some cream of tartar, pieces of cork, sheets of sand paper, and some chamois leather, which had been apparently used in polishing metal ; all being the usual implements and materials used by the annoers of counterfeit money. They also found a number of counterfeit shillings and six-penny pieces upon the persons of both parties, and, therefore, took them into custody. Elizabeth Alcock, who gave the information to the last witnesses, swore that she called on the fe male Prisaaer, on the Tuesday before, to ask about counterfeit money ; and was told by her that she had a good parcel, not quite finished, but that it would be ready in a few days, and that in the mean time she kept it in a safe place ; she swore that she had no interest, nor any hope of reward, in this pro sectrion, but came forward purely for the sake of publik justice, in consequence of her child having been imposed on with a bad half-crown, a few days before. Mr. Justice HEATH stimm.,J up the evidence to the Jury, who however tiers tied both the Prisoners ; hut they were detained, at the request of Mr. Field ing, to be indicted on another charge. John Bird was capitally indifled for stealing pri va:ely from the person of a Mrs Sea-le. at Sadler's Wells, Ss. in money, by cutting a hole in her poc ket. He WA3 acquitted of the capital part of the charge, of privately stealing, but found Guilty of the sterling gra 'rally. Mary Wootton was capitally indided for ptivately stealing in a dwelling house, a pocket containing near 41. in money, and a cap and cotton gown, the goods of Mary Chippeafield, a hawker of fish, near Shorediteb, by whom she was employed as a weekly servant, and fully conviAled—Deash Mary Ballard was capitally indicted for privately stealing in a dwelling-house in King-street, Soho, 131. in Bank notes, an.: some silver rw.ney, the pro perty of Mrs. Caroline limber'. n, Pi is , mer was a servant in the house where Mrs. Herbert ledger!, and was suspefted trnmeeliatrly, and the notes ti aced home to her. Verdi., Ciaelty—Death. A man, named Harrison, a Waterman, was crpr iallv co:milted for burglariously entering a dwelling house, in the night time, with intent to steal. ...ilirahano Knight was convicta of larceny, in steal ing four great coats, from the house of his maces-, who keeps livery-stables, its Tottenharn•cotirt-roasi. %lary A.Pll'aiilty was retention, laierno, in steal ing nineteen shawls, value 11. 16.1. from the shop of William Harley, linen.draper, St. Giles's. 2=I=II=IIINEMMMe On Saturday morning, about seven o'clock, a large and beautiful vessel, with three decks, destined for the West India trade, belonging to Mr. NI AM, was launched in Bristol River. It being hig%-tide, she went off in a gracerul stile, and was baptised The Brig.'', amidst the c' , eers of a va,t cr.nc:mrse of people, who were hishly gratiti....l at the sight. • SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. SHREWSBURY RACES. TUESDAY. SEPT. 16.—(secoNo DAY The Gentlemen's Subscription of Sol For 3 a.id 4 1 3 year olds to carry 6.t. Mb.; 4 year t: Is, Bst. Made that had been winner of lb 11:: plate, to car,y two, Mb ; of three, 7lb extra. Lord Grey's ch. c. Ski,scriii, 3 yrs Sir W. W. Wynne:, Bart. b. c. B.itzsril, 4 yrs. Mr. lisarchall's ch. h. Webb Hasp, 4 yea. old (3 plates) Nifiteekes's br. h. Royal Oak, 4 yea (2 plater) . company was neuter ,es, but gi'itha was very betting. We expect a better race to-morrow. UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH, Sur. Yesterday; the Sentul drairmicus of the Yersity of Edinburgh, conferred the degree , for in Medicine on the following gentlemen, having gone through the appointed examinations, and publicly defended their inaugural disserta tions : FROM INCLAND. William 'Sealy, De Epilepsis. Richard Itlyam Dennison, De Morels • Gmviditate dentiknis. John Eyre, De Vaccine. Jonathan Rogers Stokes, Ds Erysipelate. FROM GEKIVA. Pete- Marignae, Ds Urethra Consoicsa. FROM IRELAND. Jeremiah Curtayne, De Noxils Alcoholis bus. Thomas Doxev, De Phthhi Pohnonali. Edgeorth, De Eararcitatiame. Patrick Fleming, De Apoplezia. Timothy Kevin, , Le Peritenitisieruerperatum. Samuel L'Estrange, De Epilepsia. James Ogilby, Da Nutriment* Kinutrunt. FROM SCOTLAND. Robert Brier, DO Antimonin. Archibald Campbell, De Cerebri Compreesinne. Alexander Gardner, De Scarlatina Cvnanchica. De Cynaitche Malign. Robert hlaclean, FROM VIRGINIA. John Wharton, De Mania. FROM WALES. William Mason, D, Typho. ...., • ) • year t. S'At4-it y 3113. . 1 1 . al) dr . dr eery lite. PT. 13. he Uxi. of Doc. !n, after imetions, disterta- lila. pea- s Eractie !crania.. LAMM !inn,. ch ma. tight op ae weeks oilers of thing his the dig. e him to issioners ichedule. .7ommis- nut him as often e littera to ad coon- ingly re- Wednes- at masts, r of the between in. L. of it. it was t i r it-morn- end. At nded by to bring as ; and. !ly with- e :natter as over- . . e'nnight. his thigh of 1 SOO as of DOCTOR DAFFY SWINTON. This Gentleman was tin Wednesday brought from Newgate, to which he had been some - since committed. by order of the Commission Bankruptcy, and again interrogated touching schedule, which it was probably expeEled cipline of his confinement would now induce revise and amend. Mr. Swinton, however, treated the Commissioners very cavalierly; refused to amend the schedule. which he had already given in ; told the Commis sioners that all they could do was to commit ' again to Newgate ; they might do so just as of, and as long as they chose ; it was no punishment I him ; he could live there just as happy and cr In-table as any where clse. He was according!, manded to Newgate. The vessel stated in our ship-news on W. day, to have been seen off Falmouth, without proves to be a new sloop of war, in tow fiarlevais armed ship, bound to Piymouth. In consequence of a dispute having arisen s Limn. F. of the Royal Marines, and Lieut. the Cardigtnsaire Militia, on Friday evening, it w, agreed that a meeting should take place nest...morn lug in a field betweeu Chatham and Gravesend. / half past eleven o'clock the parties me:, attended ' their :monis. As the seconds were unable gob , about a reconciliation, they took their stationer after firing a brace of pistols each, fortunately out effef, the seconds interfered, and the was accommodated. The Nottingham Diligence carriage was , turned on its way to Lincoln, yesterday se'nnight s by which one of the outside passengers had his thigh broken. A few days previous to our little army of 1500 men making their appearance, two caravans of ham mense value arrived at Buenos Ayres, and the Go vernor had ordered a grand file to the troops who guarded tI•T treasure, and to the soldiers of the town. This file however, was not enjoyed by those fur whom it was intended ; for on the day on which it was to be celebrated, and at the moment of its com mencement, Sir Home POPHAM and our troops made their appearance. At the meeting of the Justices at Swansea , last week, to groat ale licenses, Mr. COLLINS attended, and preferred a complaint against JINILIM hector, a publican at Oystermouth, who refused to receive into his house Captain Locke, of the sloop Deisik, when shockingly bruised by a fall from the mast of his vessel. the Magistrates very properly repre sented to JENKIN the inhumanity of his condud ; but, on account of his family, consented to renew hie license. Last Tuesday, as some men were digging a cellar under a closet, that adjoined the parlour of the Cross-keys public-house, at Hurst Green, Lewes, they discovered a humors skeleton, which, from the rottenness of the bones, must save been buried many years. The situation in which it was found, led many to moped that a murder had been com ns'tted in the house, at some remote period, and gave rise to a variety of corjettures. On Friday se'ennight, a vet y serious disturbance took place at Berwi:k, between a certain set of the towns-lads and the soldiers of the id battalion of the eth Regiment, who are quartered at the bar racks. Tee affray rote to such a heights that many individuals, on both sides, were severely hurt ; and nest morning the Magistrates deemed it expedient to summon the inh shttants to attend at tile town. hall, when upwards of forty ind sidnals were sworn is as Special Constables, to assist in the preservation of the peace. The same evening, they petrel's! the streets, and effeftually prevented the renewal of fur 'ther tire. Severkl of the offenders were comnittred to g sal. but have since been liberated, en th-rr re cr gnisances to stand trial at the ensuing sessions of the peace. Mr. NIA voa. in his address to the inha bitants who met at the Town•Fiall, said, that " the soldiers were not to blame; they had quie• r borne the insolence and illAreatent of a parcel rf mis creants, who were ... he habit of ar oying the passengers at toe corners of the streets and the duty of the special constables wettld he •it prevent he arenthlage of there fellows, who well deserved the severest punishmeat." 0- G. Or :er Cle. Of ni ire ite