The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1821-10-26 00:00:00

SUBSCNIPITON FOR SIR K. WILSON.

CITY OF LONDON TAVERN.

•
Yesterday a meeting was held'at the above Tavern,
pursuant to advertisement, to consider the propriety
of a sabscription to indemnify Sir R. Wilson for
his lossee,• occasioned by his dismissal from the
army. The great room was crowded before the ap-
pointed hour arrived. At a few minutes after one
o'clock the Committee; who had undertaken the
conduct of the meeting, joined the assembly, ac.
compained by Mr. Hume. Mr. Lattibtou, Mr. H. G.
Bennett, Dr. Lnahington, Mr. Ellice, Hon. W.
Pooled, and other Gentlemen of rank.
On the motion of Mr. FAY*Lt., Mr. UNSTOP!
was Culled to the Chair with the loudest section*.
Lions, which were strenuously renewed on his ad-
dressing the assembly.
He had felt it as a sacred and imperious duty
to attend the meeting, according to the invitation
which he had received from the Committee of
Southwark ; and they might feel assured that no
sentiment of penmenl isconvenience would ever
weigh with him, where he raw opportunity, for advo-
Caning the cause of justice, and promoting the views
of the enlightened inhabitants of the metropolis. Be.
frier he went to the business of the meeting, he beg.
ged leave to say a few words in reference to the part
which he had taken as to the subscription for Sir
Robert Wilson. It was not from say motive of
•frsar or the objection to letting his Irene go before
thetroblic with his aubeeriptura, that be bad at Ana
• withheld it, but because he had been, for a long
lime. the provost friend of Sir Robert Wilson, and
he thought that the public might to have the lead
in the tniusaction. He did not wish to take on
himself the responsibility of the subscription, nor
did he conceive himself entitled with any confidence
of success to call on the public to follow him in
.He
course hsmight feel disposed to take—(cheers)
3--He had a still stronger motive to enforce his
attendance there—that of 'hewing, in the most
' clear and marked misuser, the monstrous influence
sought to be established by Ministers its the din
missal of Sir Robert Wilson. He denied that it
was the case of an individual merely that they had
to consider—it was not the wrongs of Sir Robert
Wilson which had brought them together. The
cause was of a national character—perhaps the most
' national. Let the example be admitted—let the
precedent be set on foot, implying that military
Officers were to hold their rank only on the condi-
tion of blind submission to the will of Ministers, and
there was an end at once to the liberties of England.
The army, it was said, was commanded by Gentle-
men. No doubt but it had been, and that there were
malty gentlemen employed in it still; bat if the
terms of that employment were to comprise the
subvention of all political feeling, of all sense of
the public good, to the will of Ministers, then this
could no longer be a laud of liberty.—(Cheers.)—
He'irusted that this crisis had not arrived, and that
there was still a sufficient feeling of resentment to
such a principle left, even among the blinded sup-
porters of Ministry, and the must higotted Tories,
to prevent them from allowing their sow to wear
an accursed badge of servitude to the will of Mi-
mrters.—(Cheers.).—lle was at r lose to discover
the grounds assumed for the dimities! of Sir
Robert ; he meant the natemible grojhds—he knew
of none—he believed that atone could be furnislwd.
lie pledged his own character with the public.
knowing, as he did moat perfectly, all which had
beets done by Sir Robert Wilson on the day of the
Queen's funeral, that all the alinements and
suggestions offered by Minister* or their advo-
cates, in regard to the cOnduct of Sir Robert
Wilson on that day, were false arid sinfoulided
calumnies. He pledged his character to the proof
of it, that Sir Robert had acted.on that day. not
wily as a man of great humanity and prudence, to
prevent the spilling of more blood, but 8111111 of .
err, anxious to -preserve' the honour and discipline
of the army of which he was a member. There
were some of the Magistrates who were engaged io
the proceedings of that (lay, who were perfectly
aware of the truth of what he was okaying, and
might he celled on to refute or establish his asser-
two. Let those gentlemen be asked whether or.
not it was owing to Sir Robert 11'ilsoil that order
was as well preserved as it was ou that day ; if his
iisterfereisce did ur slid not tend to allay the fer.
Meat among the populace, soil to sire the public
peace from further dangers; sisal if it was front his
eternities that the effusiun of more Wool, besides
that of the unfortunate men Honey 'tool Erosive,
was saved ? Sir Robert Wileuu was a soldier of
tudependeist principles; he had inculcated that
war was not to he considered as au engiur for en-
larging the lower of Soseteigne wily. but as
a Onto for advincing and protecting the general