The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-07-24 00:00:00

(tile, for he had instituted the proper inquiry—he
had got hold of both the printer and publisher.
Lord Sidmouth, who said be never countenanced
the printing or publishing the bill, indeed repro:
bated the lines at the head of it, but did not think
the body of the paper objectionable. in fact, he
(6,llriwait Wood) had the
.same opinion of.tbe
bisidrof iht paper. • for it only coitiained artadmo.
ninon tirlae loyal and decorous, the heading was
offensive_partt—s(Hier, hear, hear.)—
He slat. however, submitted the.paper to the Court
of Ardeellitie, end they were of opinion that, ohjec-
fki,,hie 'as were the leading and pronnuent hues,
the tribstance of the bill was iriot censurable, and
rlietefeteilhai a proseceetion was inexpedient, as the
*whew did not appear to have . been influenced by
IrdititentiOn. He repeated 'his eirnest hope, that
14 must effective steps 'would be taken to get at
the author of the late libellous bill, rod if the M.
dividual who had • made oath that it Wei a part of
a regular' conspiracy against the peace, nay the
very existelow of the city„ did•Jiol come forward
and produce some proof tefsupport his statements,
'lle would *hew himself to be any thing but a
filer'd of his country. As to any in tion that
might he. cast upon himself, he had only to repel
ii by a reference to the °pions's which his fellow-
•citisens- entertained of his services fur the last ten
iairi that his life had been inicearingly devoted to
their interests—their approbation was his reward,
fist solace, And protection, under any attack.—
, War, • hear.)—lt had been, he' untlersiood,
etrittil in a public paper, that hr rode through
Smithfield about the time of the Nleeting. 'Foos
was incorrect. He rode through it, it was true,
'as lie was in the habit of doing every day (for it
eras'his direct road to where lie had occasion to go)
▪ tialf.pist pine o'clock, and of course long lielme
any part of the Meeting had assembled-nand from
that hour he had been locoed up at his post, with a
introlier of true men. who were not ready to go. and
nraluuteer their services at the Mansion-house, but
Vdie were ready, if necessary, to do their duty 11l on
equally effective manner. Ile remained with these
's individuals locked up. as he had described. until
some time after the Smithfield Meeting had broken
t:p peaceably, and not receiving ally intimation
Loin the Lord Mayor, who knew where he was
placid, he felt it his duty to dismiss his men, and
• then himself repair to aerk the Lord Mayor. On
Itilit,n4g rot diltsisur-street Cumpter, he found bin
had just gone, after discharging the con-
▪ Mr. Wirriams said, that it must be admitted
the Lord Mayor had adopted vigorous measures to
reserve the public peace. The only ground of dis-
pose wad, whether his Lordship had nut *hewn too
great all earnestness in the performance of his duty;
essil for his own part, he could most certainly say,
that the people resident in Smithfield, had more
a•oirrhensions from the ill consequences which
• might arise from an excess: of this trill on the part
of the Lord Mayor, than they had from any thing
• which could be collected from the eppearance of
the great mass of the people present at the meeting.
'Noluoly enrold deny the prudence and propriety of
'having a pre-organized force to preserve the peace,
and qu-ll any disturbance ; that would have been
• 'all ti ;lit, i,ut it was both imprudent and unueces.
Id have exhibited any appearance of that force
while all was peaceable. He had no doubt in the
',mild Inn that his Lordship meant to take the most
efficient me:purest for the preservation of the public
trailipiibiy, but he must say, in the expression of
'l:.* ono oainion, that if his Lordship's intentions,
I..stearl of being's. they undoubtedly were, of the
roost laudable kind, had been the very reverse. his
Lorilphin enfold not have gone to work in a more
cffeenial moaner to gain his object...-(//ear.)
Mr. JACKS expressed his surprise and regret that
so much party feeling should have found Its way
folo ilii• dist unlock. He thought the conduct of
the Lind Mayor entitled him to the highest praise.
lie (Mr. Jacks) had given all the assistance he could
un the n,Cdsl.lll, and he agreed, with -his worthy
Friend (Mr. Dixon) that with respect to the arrest
of Harriniii, the Lord Mayor had WI other than a
peranorroury duty to perform, from the ashore of
' rue office.—(Hear. hear —From a calm review
of the whole business of the day in question, he
thought that the Lord Mayor. so far from bring
I:able to cerisure. deserved the approbation of all
goal Weir, for his zeal. activity, arid precautions
to moiritaii. the peace and tranquillity of the city.
Mr. OLDHAM defended the conduct of the
worthy Alderman (Waithman), from the obrerva-
toms made upon it by the Lord Mayor. and ex-
, pressed his firm persuasion. that if one act more
rim, another could tend to disturb the public peace,
that act was the arrest of Harrison„ at such a mo.
• mein, mud in the midst of such a meeting. With
respect to the general effect of popular meet-
sows convened in this loose manner. lie had
Nought the risk too great fur the prospective be-
nefit in behalf of any public cause. This was and
cooliimed to be his impression, thought, he con-
fessed, that the peaceable deportmeort of the Meet-
rug in Smithfield—(hear, hear)—was calculated,
iii ii degree, to alter his opinion. and place it in a
in ,re favourable view than he was wont to look up..
r.. 1 surf) assemblies. He hoped the Lord Mayor
would. ore reflection, feet that the words which had
escaped him towards the worthy Alderman this
stey, were uncalled for, and not those which be-
came the Chief Magistrate of the City of London
to 4 brother Magistrate.—(Hear.)
Mr. Salim said he was ou Wednesday at Gilt-
emir-street Compter with the Lord Mayor, when
Mr. Alderman Weidman entered, and expressed
l'is diestittolietiou at seeing military persous ared-
ni ill 'neat military persons, however,
.mated of only two or three of the City Light
Horre, who retired immediat ly on receiving a com-
munication from the Lord Mayor, that their pre-
sence there was unnecessary. From what he saw of
Mr. Alderman Waithuin's conduct to the Lord
Mayor on that occasion, he had no hesitation iii pro-
ionrocing it to be unhandsome. The worthy Alder-
mars lied besides addressed the Gentlemen of the
City Light thlrie in the public streets in such a
unioner as brought down upon them the hissing.
and hootingr of the people. This was, to say the
least of it, a most imprudent step. To altew the
forhaarrance of the Lord Mayor. and his anxiety to
refrain from giving soy cause of irritation, lie had
only to ray that in his (Mr. Smith's) presence a
number of Gentlemen had volunteered to his Lordn
ship to pull down the flag of liberty, the bloody
flag, and the Lord Mayor instantly decliued their

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