The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-07-06 00:00:00

DIN.,VER TO AGO. THOMPSON, M.P.

Between three and row hundred gentlemen, amongst whom were
amulet the Aldermen, many Members of Pullin-nett, Merchants,
Bankers, shipowner and others, distinguished fire opulence and
~
respectability in the inetropoits, dined together yesterday at the
London Tavern. to c. lebrate the return of the worthy Alderman as
one of the Representatives for the City of London in Parliament.
John Hall, Esq. the chairman or the Committee for conducting
the election, pre.dc.l. The entertainment was sumptuous, and
truly worthy of tht Steward.; turtle and venison covered the tables
in profusion, and ihe lnangements were excellent; scats had been
presiousll balloted f ir. a the tickets described the ',articular
plates ass geed to each of the gentlemen respectively, by which
arrangement confusion was avoided, and nu ground was afforded fur
spy complaints of p &Wily. At half-past six o'clock the Clialr_
men entere I the ro, moecompanied by Alderman Thompson,M.P.,
Alticr.ntn Sir R. C. (Ilya. Bart. Sir Cowles Flower, Dart. Atkins,
Scholey, Mammy, haus, and Brown, M. ttsontl, ALP.,
R.Bornulaile, M.P., R. sicflhenson, M. P., J. Capel,M.P., Sir F.
Dmmanfley, Sir James IFill;ams, the Town Clerk, 3lr. Mellish,
Mr. Timms Wilson (the late Member), Messrs. Curtis. Sinolden,
Wilson, Bell, Oract, LsTelles, dtc. &c. and was received wiih the
most enthusiastic app•ause. A blue fide, with " Thompson and
Inderseutlence," was displayed from the orchestra, and the number
6,48 i was exhibited in brilliant lomps at the end of the mint). it
hand of musicians perforated various pieces of music during the
dinner, and the vocal department was particularly well conducted.
Dinner being c in, Purled, .• Non nobis ',offline" was sung in
fine style; and immediately after the Kitts's bettith was drank
ait three times direr.
t Odd save the King."
-

(It AIRMAN- in proyo•ing the health of the Duke of York,
hoped that he might be excused for tley•zting from the ordinary
course, by separating his Royal Digtness from the rest of the
Royal Family, and from the Army ; the peculiar circumstances
of his Royal Hi hness's health might Pugg,st his apology. The
diligence and zeal with which the office ottomniander-in-Chief was
discharged, and the tender erg trd evinced by his Itqyal Highness
towards the Coustitution, were sufficient to endear him to the hearts
of all good ci:izee•. Ile would therefore conclude with pro.
rotting for a toa■t—' The speedy restoration of his Royal Digit.
Hess the DOke of York's heahh."

ThN magi was dra ik with three times three, and with the
'oddest seela,liations.. . .

--.....- .
telee—" Hail, Star of Brunswick."
The Csarameat.,Pezt proposed " The health of the Duke of
ce, and"dto felt of the Royal fatuity," with titr,e times

1, t this life with joy be crowned."
`• The Army snit Navy" was welt drank. with three times three.
Song mkt ('hnrus—`• Rule ltrisiumir."
" Prosperity to the City of I,Ondon," rith three times three.

- -
The CHAI Edam then obsereird that the representation of the in-
terests of the meat City of Leddon seemed immediately connected
with the preceding toast, eta he hoped he should be excused for
inning the attention or nrsembly to the particular purpose for
which they were then rail (together. (Applause) The circum.
stances tmelee which Mr. tnian Thompson presented himself
last year were fresh in t llection of many present. When it
loss understood that "*, m. Curtis was determined to retire, an
opportunity was offered to his lion. Friend of asking his Celle,-
en.zens to delegate to him the important trust of representing them
in the great Council of the Nation. The appeal was made, and it '
was heard and answered. (Great applause.) 6,485 persons sig-
nalised their zeal to confer on his Hon. Friend that important trust.
It would not become him, in the presence of his lion. Friend, to
env r into any eulugium on his character. The merits of his Hon.
Friend were well known to the gentlemen whom lie addressed.
Short as was the public life of his Hon.Ftientl, it had been eminently
active and useful. His lion. Friend had discharged the duties of
a Magistrate t he had nerved as Sheriff of the City of Loudon,
and in such a manner as to give universal satisfaction ; and if, in
two years more, he should be elected the Chief Magistrate of bon.
dun, be would the, have a right to demand the support of his fel-
low.eitizens. His lion. Friend had also been seen to discharge the
arduous duties of n Member of Parliament, and although he was
not connected with London, yet the Chy of London hail reaped all
the benefits of his retrtiens. Those who had the hest opportunity
of appreciating the wash of his lion. Friend would bear testimony
to Ins ability, as well as to his readiness to give every assistance to
all who applied to has. eitl:er by his advocacy or his counsel. It
was riot necessary fur him then to enter into any disquisitions on
Knott' political quesfons, but he would merely ray that his Hon
Friend yielded to no man in a rincere regard for our glorious Con-
stitution (great ap)lause); and since it was their pleasure to dele-
gate to him so high a oast, be was acre he would guard their pri-
vileges faithfully' in the great Council of the Nation. For • proof of
hie insertion lie 'maid refer to the speech of his Honourable
Friend in tie Hem of Commons, when the high honour
of seconding the address was eunterred on him. (Applause.)
ilia Honourable Friend had frequently voted in opposition to
Alinisters, and he sometimes lent them hie support when he eon.
ceired them to be right. His Honotireble Friend's disinterested-
ness was as to: spicuotss as his independence. During the last
*Moo it wet props se. I, on the princiules of free trade, to atimit
foreign iron, and on that occasion hi Honourable Friend said that
he felt bound to support the propositions of Ministers. (Applause.)
There was another important point; his Honourable Friend had
deprecated the discontent' on the curter ey du:ing the late panic,
as bem,.; in ruductd at a most injurious juncture, and time verified
his prediedono. (Applause.) lie stated these tee particulars
merely to show that hie lieretionible Friend had always acted with
perfect ini;ependenee. Will respect to coalitions, he would ask
whether the Gentlemen who polled 6,4115 could be supported to de.
pend on a coalition ? If there was any coalition, it was a coalition
of those who wer; determined to place his Honourable Friend at the
head of the poll. The next point to which lie should advert was,
a weak inventim of the enemy. It was said that his Honourable
Friend was a eitioractor with Government ; but lie could assure the
assembly that there was no attempt made on that pretence to im.
pugn the return of the Sheriffs of London. He admitted, how-
ever, that his Honourable Friend was a contractor. lie hart entered
into • voluntary et:name, without any security but that of his
usual integrity. In short. he had contracted to execute the duties
of their Representative in Parliament. (Immense applause.)
That was tote precise contract into which his Honourable Friend
entered, and to fulfil that contract there was no exertion front
he would shrink. Ile wuold be prepared to assist and
ready to attend to suggestions on all occasions. Ile would not
detain them longer than by observing that there was nut one of the
four Members tor the City, who could more propeily be styled the
representative of the nt:reautile interests than his Hon. Friend.
There was'ore indeed alto assumed that title, but he denied his right
to it ; nor hid there ever before been inn instance of a person polling
more than 800 votes above what was called the popular Candidate.
((treat applause.) Ills lion. Friend was quite satisfied with his
majority, and it only remained to him (the Chairman) to propose
the he.lthof Mr. Alderman l'hompson.
• . .

1 h s toast being drunk with vtith:nriastic cheering,
Mr. Alderman Tuoursoe rose to return thanks. He felt,
I. add, embarriewed •by the situation in which he was placed.
by the 'palmitin which his Honourable Friend hail introduced
his nan.e, and by the enthusiasm with which it had been
received. He acknowledged, as it had been stated at the condo.
awn of the Chairmen's most able speech, that he we% a contractor—
that he never could repay the faveunt lie had received, but while
tha faculty of memory remained with him, he would do that which
was next to the ability of repaying—he would acknowledge the
extent of his obligations. in adverting to the circumstances which
brought then, together, there was much matter of congratulation,
to even of milli:ion, to his friends, that lie had been thought
worthy of the aistinguieliesl post in which he was placed. klt was a
subject of just pikle, that, throughout the contest, lie should have
had the advantage of those gentlemen who were connected with the
great trading interests—ef that class which constituted the wealth
and prosperity of the country. (Applause.) Ile was proud to ac-
knowledge how much he owed to the upright conduct of his sup-
porters; and he would say, that looking at all circumstances, he had
as much right as anybody else to celebrate the purity of election.
He could het acknowledge the justice of the encomiums which his
Hon. Friend had pronounced upon him ; lie could not acknowledge
that he possessed all the talents or acquirements which had been
enumerated; but in a diligent and anxious desire to discharge his
(tube*, he believed he could be surpassed by no man. There were
twiny, many thousands more able than himself to represent the
City of London in Parliament, but so long as such men absented
themselves from the hustings, and so long as he had health, he
should ever Le ready to attend to the interests of his fellow-citizens.
They had another HI presentative, at least, who was a steadfast and
iincomprottesing friend of the Constitution, but he should net on
that amino be less watchful over those who managed the public
money, nor less anxious to reduce every unnecessary item of pub-
lic expenditure. Although he might differ from other gentlemen
on great political questions, yet he did not mean to insinuate any.
thing impure or improper against them. With regard to the cor-
ruption of electont, he would apply a remedy to it, taking example
from Orampound, and giving the franchise to those who scented the
lotst likely to abuse it. Noh respect to the question of Catholic
Fettancipatlon. his sentiments were too well known to render much
exelrmatiAl iiteettsury. No one felt more deeply than he tile
strteliednere of the people of Ireland, but he had never been
able to satisfy his wird that any grants of political power
coal tend to alleviate their distress. (Great applause.) The'
tw.ly means of relieving Ireland were the diffusion of the light
of knowledge, and the hearty concurrence of those pro..
prirors who resided in that country in disseminating the
peinciples of virtue and good order. Is ith respect to the Corn
Laws, it would not be necessary to detain them lung. He had al-
ways tilt that when the protecting duties of manufactures had been
decreased from HO and 90, to 10, 20, or 30 per cent., the same
principles ougl tto be applied to the trade in cons. The ma-
nufaeturers tilt gnat inconvenience, and they had a right to call
on the landed interest to submit their prohts to the regulation of
sound principles. With regard to one inconsiderate measure of the
last Parliement, respecting the currency, it did not call particularly
:or 4:1 remarks: the period of stagnation was rapidly passing away.
They might fled many who might represent them more ably, but
none who could represent them more devotedly. He deemed it the
With
distinction to be thought worthy of their approbation.
With a heart deeply impressed with the kindness of his friends and
overflowing with gratitude, he begged leave to drink the health of
hie rein supporters. Wrest applause.)
Mr. Alderman THOMPSON afterwards proposed the health of
the Chairman, who returned tbanks in a neat speech.
ueveral other toasts were then drink, alternately with well exe-
cuted songs ittd glees by Messrs. llroadhure, late, Taylor; 31as-
ors Phillips anti Nichols, &x., and the festivity of the evening was
etolunged to a bete hour.