The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-11-20 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20. 1819.

MEETING AT 1.1.111.0114 LL.

Yesterday a Common flail was held, pursuant in
• Requisition addressed to the Lord Mayor by se-
veral of the Livery, for the purpose of takisi bibs
consideration) the meastires revolved mi by the Court
of Aldermen, for the prosecution or the individuals.
alleged to have conspired to:wther, to pretitice a
riotous obstruction to the elecium ofi Lord Mayor,.
ou last Michaelmas-day, nod for adopting such
measures as might he deemed neceroary in conse-
gllrlier.
The doors were kept chwril till past twelve
o'clock, at which time die Livery were admitted.
At lire minutes before one the Lord Mayor entered
the Hall, attend-II by his ()Hirers, amid the cheer.
ings and applause of the multitude, and retired to
his chamber. In reboot wit minutes .his Lordship,
Mr. Alderman Wood, Ur. Sheath Parkins, mod
Mr. Alderman Ws=oappeareil Mt the hust—
ings, sad stveralis. the Livery. what masa-
' fra4l4- ilayeseagess siosprial -respect. Ise earls inch-
enfold. Air. Sheriff Rothwell pa.t.cd nu to-his rear,
without presenting himself before the Livery. The
common Crier then made arroclantahorr.- Mier
which the Lord Mayor came forward and said,
" Gentlemen of the Livery—l have the innionr to
announce that I have convened a Common Hall, in
cousequence of a requisition addressed to me, very
numerously and respectably signed, and which von
will shortly hear read by the proper oilier?. The
only request I have to make to you is, that you
will iunst impartially hear every gerdiernins who
presents himself before yon ; and that in any re-
mark. you may thitik prop; r to offer, you will coo-
fine yourselves as strictly 34 pi-040161e to the subject
under consideration."—((bretittg.)

The officer then stood forward and read the
names of several of the after which
lie said, 44 Shall I read them all ?"—" No," from
the Hall. The requisition was then read to the fol.
lowing effect :

" TO THE RIGHT HOW. THE LORD H•TOR OF THE

CITF OF LONDON.

• We, the undersigned liverymen of the City of London,
having learned with lint-prise that the Conrt of Aldermen
have silopteA certain measure•, in rcfrrence to the proceed-
ings of 11w Common Hall, of the 29th September last, deeply
affecting the rights and privileges of the whole Livery, most
fly request your Lordship to convene a Comenuii Hall
119 early as possible, for the purpose of euu.iirring such
measures, and adopting such resolutions thereon as may be
deemed necessary."

Mr. Hunt at this time mole his Appearance on
the hustings. Ile was received with mixed vita.
perstiun and applause.
Mr. FAVELL then presented himself to the at-
tention of the liall, wool was oreeted with the
warmest expressions of favour. lie congratulated
the Livery that he hail the pleasure of merino.,
them once more in their own ancient Guildhall.
He hoped they felt that they were ooWe'firore as-
sembled as free citizens iu the metropolis, and
the heart of the British empore.—(Applowse.l—
certain people had their wishes, the doors of
their Hull would rust on their hinges.—(iipplunte.)
—lt they had had time to dry up their tears
for the loss of their late 11141yor—I A laugh j—
he should with great pleasure offer his congratula-
tion on their good fortune in his successor—in h,v.
ing chosen a Chief Magistrate lof the most 1110111 f ...(1
character and honour, one who had most readily
acceded to their wishes in convetiitig them together.
But, at the same time, lie claimed it as the clear
right of his Lordship, that, in complying with their
desires, he should not be held bound to give up
any political sentiments of his own—that lie should,
equally with every other citizen, he *Bowed to
think for himself—and he (Sir. Favell) pledged
himself, that ally resolution which they might adopt
on that 414 Y, should not he considered as implical-.
• ing his Lordship's opinion. They hail lately seen,
and he trusted it was long before they should see
it again, that the political opinions of a Lord.
Mayor had been n bar to the discharge of his civic
duties. He was proud to be able to say that this
was not now the ease. They had had Lord Mayors
of very various political sentiments, hut he recol-
lected none except the last who had suffered them
to interfere with, or obstruct the performance of his
duties to his fellow-citiruis. Alderman Christo-
pher Smith, for example, had presided over them,
but he had never acted in that way. They were
now met on one of the most important questions
which could be submitted to their consideration—
a question peculiarly interesting to the Livery,
which comprehended one-third of the citizens of
London; a question deeply interesting to the citi-
zens at large ; a (peanut), he might add, deeply
interesting to all Englishmen. It was nut u ques-
tion of partial or private concern, hut one that
intimately affected the whole body of the Livery.
They claimed the right of entering into the
consideration of grievances, or of questions aris-
ing out of the peeuliar circumstances of the
times, on Midsummer day, on Michaelmas day,
atilt on every other d ay, on which common
halls were usually held. It was a claim founded
on thew most ancient charters--it was recog-
nised in Magna Charts—it was established by
Acts of Parliament—its existence was deliberately
acknowledged by some of tilt highest legal autho-
eines the annals of England could produce; he
might mention the urine of Serjeinit Glynn—sod
it was confirmed by long and ancient urge—( ip-
plumse.)--And if this right was seriously mea•t to
be called in question and opposed, he knew of no
alternative. but that for all power and opportunity
of ritrrtaiiiing such questions, they should be left
to depend on the arbitrary caprice of a Chief Magis-
trate, and then the Livery of London waisted no
more Gagging Bills--(Great applerse.)--Boot if
any doubt existed on the subject, it was certainly
extraordinary that no other means could be found,
fur deciding tlw question but by the public prose-
ninon of some of the most respectable members of
the Corporation, and wine of their oldest and most
esteemed advocates. Some of them he saw pre-
sent, and he doubted not but that they would short-
ly defend their uwo conduct with ability and spirits