The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-04-04 00:00:00

REPRRSENTATION OF THE CITY.

Yevterday • meeting of several of the friends of Mr. Alderman
%Valthman took plate at the Horns Tavern, Doctors' Commons. for
the purpose of 'kiting such prelimiurry steps an were deemed ne-
ws. nary, in order to secure the election of the worthy AWerntan to
reprtt•nt the City of London in the neat Parliament.
At one o'clock about 35 gentlemen had assembled, and Mr.
Far ELL took the chair.

The Cita!smelt observed, that the object for which the pre-
sent meeting bad been convened was one of great public im-
portance. It was, in the first place, with a view to serve
the interests of their old, well.tried, and faithful servant, Mr.
Alderman Waithman but they had a higher object even than
that—naively, to support the great interests of the City of'
London. (Hew; hear.) Ile believed that the latter were so
intimately connected with the life, objects, and pursuits of their
friend the Alderman, that while they were promoting the one,
they should be equally serving the other. Much would depend
upon their exertions. and the promptitude with which they should
snots them. At this moment four candidates fur the City had
publicly avowed themselves. This meeting, however, had nothing
to do with other names. If they were convinced that Mr. A Id:ar-
t:inn ii-aithman would honourably discharge his duty in Perlis-
meat. that he would uphold the rights and interests of his fellow.
ritirens. anJ continue to pursue the same honourable course which
had hitherto marked his public career, it was sufficient to justify
their utmost exertions in his behalf; and he hoped they should
meet with such co-operation from their fellow-citizens as would
glee them the most sanguine prospects of ultimate success.
Cheers.)
_

Mr. Gat.t.Pwar thought it necessary to obeerve that the thin
at:endance of the Meeting was ascribable to the circumstances that,
in the first place, a few only of the Alderman's friends had been
apprised of it t and in the next place, from its happening or. a
Monday. many a those who on another day would have been pre-
sent were out at town. It was deemed advisable that a prelimi.
navy meeting should be convencd, to consider what steps ought to
be adopted to serve the interests of Mr. Alderman Walthman, and
he thought inure reliance could be placed on the activity of a hew
than on that of a larger assembly, many of whom would neces-
sarily be strangers to each other, and therefore less capable of co.
operation Ifs would, however, auggsat that a lariat massiag.
shomild hereafter be convened, to ascertain the sentiments of their
fellow-citizen' with regard to the object they had in view. The cha-
racter and public conduce of Mr. Alderman Waithman was too well
known to require any extraordinary development from him ; but
he thought that not only the City of London, but the people of
England, lied a great duty to discharge, in securing the re.
tarn of the worthy Aldermen (Waithinan) in the next Parliament.
They hail had him before them for a perirel of more than thirty
years, during which time he had displayed such temper, con-
sistency, ability, and real, as no longer to put his value in env
store of doubt. (Cheers.) As Common Councilman, as Sheriff,
sit so Chief Magistrate, they had telly tried and ascertained his
merits; and while sitting in parliament for a short period, as the
Representative of this city, he had on every occasion clearly mani.
Tested his ardour and attachment to the interests of his fellow.
citizens. Now that he had retired from business, he was in a con.
dition to gOve to the citizens of leardon the whole of his time,
which, valutble as it was, would, no doubt, be cheerfully accorded
to them, if he could only have the opportunity to serve them, and
promote those great public principles to which his life had been
steadily devoted. Fur the purpose of furthering their object, he
(Mr. Galloway) would suggest that a preliminary Committee
should be appointed, to take those adequate measures that were
necessary to insure the return of the worthy Alderman.
Mr. Deputy REEVES said he could have no wish to refrain from
moving the resolution which had been placed in his hands, but that
it was the wish of the worthy Alderman that any resolution of the
kind should come from an individual living out of the Ward of
which he was the head.

Some delay here took place, there being no person !n the room
who lived nut of the Ward.
Mr. tixt.Lowair observed, that if this were a public meeting,
a piece of etiquette might be worth regarding; but belrgrnerelv
a private meeting, he thought it unnecessary that any time should
be wasted about such a point.
Mr. Deputy Itt:EvEs accenlingly moved the first resolution,
which stated that Mr. Alderman Waithman, from his long con.
nexion with the Corporation, rnd his able and a.ssiduours discharge of
its highest and most important offices, was eminently qualified to
represent the City of London in Parliament.
.Me. Tito MAS PAYNE in recommending the resolution observed,
that he slid so from a sort of right, having twenty-six years ago
been one of the hest who brought the worthy Alderman forward.
Lie was now and had been for many years represented by no less
than ten individuals in Parliament, and no one had given hint
greater trisisfaction than Mr. Alderman Waithman. lle had
watched the worthy Alderman's conduct both in that House and
out of it, and the result of his observation was. a thorough convic-
tion that no man in the country would do hitisself credit if he did
not support the worthy Alderman at the miming election. (Cheers).
This and the Issllowirg resolution were unanimously adopted :
" That it's well-tried services to the rause of ccristitt,tional tree.
dom, and a public life of more than 39 years, spent in the main.
tenance of she rights and liberties of his fellow citizens, justly en.
titled him to that !support from the Livery of Condon, which, while
it appreciated his past devotion to their interef.ts, might confer upon
hint the opportunity of contributing still further to the prosperity
of the trade and commerce of the metropolis."
A Committee was then appointed of all the persons present, wish
liberty to told to their numbers, for the purpose of securing Mr.
Alderman Waithman's erection.

A deputation then waited on the Alderman, who was in another
part of the house, to request the favour of his attendance. On
his entering the room he was loudly cheered.
The CHAIRMAN informed hint that the present preliminary
Meeting had, from their krfowledge of his long tried and faithful
services as a public man, once more thought it desirable to bring
him forward as their representative in Parliament ; and they hum-
bly trusted that he would see, under till the circumstances, that
there were such grounds for their conduct, and that such feelings
accompanied the Resolutions of this day (though merely those of
a preliminary ,Meeting), as would induce him to denote some part
of that health which seemed to have been restored to him, to the
high interests of Ins fellow-citizens; impressed as they were with
the conviction that, in thus calling upon him to come forward. and
pledging themselves to use their utmost exertions to promote his
return, they were espousing not only the cause of Alderman
ll'a!thrnan, but of public liberty and independence. (Cheers.) It
was therefore hoped that the Worthy Alderman would accept this
call, Ind it would then become his friends, in every part of this
great city, to insure by their exertions the ultimate triumph of that
MSC which was inseparably co,nected with his name. (Cheers.)
The Resolution,' having been read,
Mr. Alderman Warr tiara,: observed, that it was not without
great doubt and hesitation that he consented to have himself placed
in the situation of a Candidate to represent the City of London in
Parliament. It was true he had suffered a very severe mdispasi.
tion, but lie was now happily restored to health, an that there was
no impediment on that account. But he considered it a very se-
rious thing for any individual to solicit the suffrages to represent
in Parliament so large and important a body as the Livery of Lon.
I don, consisting of nu less than between twelve and thirteen thou-
sand persons; and he never should have ventured to place himself
in the situation of a candidate, had there not been a strong indica-
tion of feeling in his favour. Having been solicited by a very
respectable number of the Livery in his own ward, and having. re-
ceived a great many tenders of support from persons in carnage
other parts of the Metropolis, with many of whom he had rte ac-
quaintance. he was led to believe that his other services had been
so far appreciated that, considering his consistency and his princi-
phis, they did think him fit to become one of their Representatives.
If his election depended upon the personal influence or exertions of
himself, he should despair of success, and should not have come
forward; but when he considered that the Liverymen of London
had theft own rii;hts to maintain, when he considered that their first
and principal right was the exercise of the elective franchise, and
that in t heir representative was reposed the protection of their rights,
liberties, interests, aid general happiness;—when he considered all
these circumstances, he felt that it was not his cause &10n..., but the
cause of the Livery themselves; that it was more the cause of the
Electors than of the individual placed in the situation of the elected.
(Cheers.). They must all have felt how little reliance was to be
placed in promises and profesaiona; and be must candidly declare,
as an ISlector, that lie should not confide in any promises from a
candidate, unless, indeed, mune other teatimonlala could bar offered,
in order to warrant a confidence to be placed in them. Al'hen
they had witnessed the cumber of mal-practiccs that had been
carried on, when they had nen the number of individuals
who held seats in Parliament concerned in the most des-
picable jots that ever disgraced a community, and when
they beheld the proceedings which took place in private com-
mittees of the House of Commons, could they be surprised that
those individuals would hesitate to obtain scats in any manner,
however dishonourable? They all knew how seats were purchased.
and could it be expected that such persons would nnt, in that situa.
don, at all times prefer their Den interests to that of the public ? In
short, during the last &salmi of Parliament, so many proofs of this
must have been seen by them, that he was assured, whoever they
might choose for the future, they would use that circumspection in
' their election as would give them reason to expect that they should
not receive that kind of conduct again. (Cheers.) With respect to
his own former exertions, there were many persons present who re-
collected
hint for many years; and to them he would say, that al.
though they now approximated in public feeling, yet they had
passed through times of great peril and difficulty, times when it was
hardly safe for an individual to deliver his opinions in the manner
lie was now doing, and which required no ordinary courage to stand
up as the advocate of public interests; but he had encountered
them ; he had always stood staunch to his principles. He no
eoubt had formed on various occasions many erroneous opinions,
but no man could say that he ever departed from public principles.
Principles never changed; and if they now agreed more generally
in public opinion than before, he thought it might be very justly
said that circumstances had rather moved towards him than that
he had moved or bowed himself towards circumstances. (Cheers.)
He could add but little more. They knew him well—they knelt
his past exertions. It would be impossible, by dwelling upon
them, to give them a different character; whatever they were, it
was upon them he must rest. Unless his put conduct were a suf.
ficient security for the fidelity of his future actions, lie had no se.
curie to offer. (Cheers.) flaring gone so Ear as to express their
opinkn of his fitness for the Important situation of their Represen-
tative, and having called upon him to become a Candidate for that
honourable distinction, be had only one thing more to add—that
was, that the success of their wishes, or of his, must entirely depend
on their own exertions. If gentlemen would undertake the matter
seriously and in right earnest. be had no doubt (from what be had
witnessed of_publie feeling) that success must attend their carts.
(Cheers.) He had received a great many letters from several id&