The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-12-09 00:00:00

WEST.IIIASTA R MEI:TING.

Yesterdey It numerous and respectable meeting
of the I..lsebnant Houreholders 4.f West/ meter

took place in front of the Grand Hotel. Covtnt- -
garden. T.ie attendance wag extremely sonaverona,
the lop of Kiliwatv.et, the open space in the mar.
ket, up to the front of the Church, and again be-
fore the Mout*, as fee up irs iiiiies-street, present-
ed one close compact body of sample, at a moderate
computation not less Mimi 5 or 6,000 in number.
At one h'clock the High Bailiff made his ap.
pesirance ou the hosting.. accompanied by—
Lord Nugent, Lord Ahhorp. the Hon Gee. Lamb, M.P.
the Hon. Doodlas Kionaird, M.P. Sir Frerichs Barden, M.P.
Mr. Lambion, M.P. Mr. Graham, 11.P..04 gam), Mr.
Fesaterly, M.P. sod Mr. Fyscbe Palmer, M.P.
They ware received with the most eistimmiinstie
plause by the great crowds which servontailed that.
Major Cartwright. Mr. Starch. Mr. %Visjeadk
and several other iiihabitatits of WesoatimMer wive
'wholly take on active port in. the publicineetings
of this city were also present. Mr. Macdonald. M.P.
was for some time in the crowd. seated on the boa

of a coach. which contaiurd a party of elegant mad

fashionable hulks.

Mr. MORRIS, the High Bailiff, on opening the
business of the day, said, that previous to his read-
ing to the meeting the requisition, pursuant to
which it was called, it was necessary fur hiss to
apprize, theta of a regulation winch he atm& to
carry into effect, and it was this—That Pa per-
son should address the meeting who was not an
inhabiting householder of Westminster. This re-

gelation was recognized in :he city of Loudest. and
it was also the practice in massy of the counties.
He thought it the real constitutional ground, that
none should take part in public mertingsveavent. d
fiw particular places, except those who had local
interests therein. The High Bailiff then read the
requisition. in pursuance of which he had convened
the alerting. and said, he was ready Si hear tiny
Gentleman who had any Resolutions W subunit on
the present occasion.

Sir FRANCIS BURDETT came forward. and was
received *WI the mo.t enthusiastic acclamations,.

The worthy Baronet commenced by stating. that
before he addressed to these some observations on
the circumstances which had this day brvoglit

them together, hr could not help remarking upon
whet had just fallen from the High Bella. He
(Sir Francis) would not feel that he had acted as
became him. if in his presence in any place he had
listened to observations in silence, the effect of
which he thought injurious to the interests of his
fellow-citizens. The High Bailiff had announced
his determination not to suffer any person but an
inhabitant householder to whims the meeting, end
he had grounded this determination upon the ionic-
lice which lie said prevailed both in the city of
London and in several counties. The meson in
general that prevented persons from cooling forward
to address public meetings, who were not inhabi-
tants of the neighbourhood, was, that such perdue.
del not perhaps generally feel the same strong in-
terest in being prominent on such occasions that
others did who were locally fixed to the particular
spot. 80, respecting the regulation now promul•
gated by the High Bailiff, he would appeal to the
Electors of Weetininster, and ask them, whether,
whatever might be the existing regulation. else-
where, it badnot been their invariable practice
to lend a ready ear to any one of their coun-
trymen who manifested any wish to addles"
them upon occasions of their public meetings.—
(Appluese.)—He would appeal to them, whether
it hail ever been the practice at their meetings to
put any control upon the common liberty of speech.
save red except that which the audience themselves
thought proper to apply. according to their own
feelings and judgment. He should more portico-
lardy lament Ibis new rule if it should appear to be
directed-against tiny one individual more than an-
other, cud under any of those unfounded apprehen-
sions of personal action which ran away with the
underetaneings of many iudividu*ls in the preAltnt
times. All that the electors of Westminster were
ever in the habit of demanding at their meet-
ings was, that every men should have " a ulcer
stage, and no favour"—(Applausef—and that
whoever presented himself before them should at all
times meet a Lir and impartial hearisig.—(4p-
plasse.)—Having thus protested against this new
doctrine *Nell was promulgated by the High Bai-
liff, he would now direct their attention to the
strange and unexampled situation in which the
Minister, of she Crown had at this moment placed
the people of this country—a situation of the tit-
most difficulty to touch upon, for to speak of it
truly was highly dangerous, and to speak of it
falsely impossible.—(Appleese.)—lt was a slew era
in the annals of England. and one, of the system of
which the people had been forewarned by souse of
I the wiaest and most illustrious of their fellow-coun-
trymen, who had, during the last course of years,
protested against the measures they saw leading to
it. What the people had now first to consider re-
specting this system was, what steps. of any, could
be adopted to mitigate nr a it. The Bills now
pending its raeliament developed a plots of govern-
nig the people never before contemplated by Faig-
lislinten. Their forefather' would have warned
such a plan. It would require even in the present
generation more theta the patience of Job to endure
it—and the email was such as called upon the good
sense of the people to consider how they could best
re-ist she encroachment's of arbitrary power, and in
a legal amid coustitutional manner ward 4.ff the im-
pending tyranny that threatened tlarin—to arrest it,
if possible, was their perainouin ditty.— (Cheers.)—
The Bill. now pending is. Parliament against the
people not only trenched upon their must sacred!,
imprescriptable, and iiciliessaible rights, as the 1.101.•
jecir of a fire State, hut ittleekril that eight which
they derived from' ursine, and nut from any consti-
tui 0000 al cusiventioe. Souls watt, in his °Omani,
their right of jorlilicly meeting to consider griev-.
Once.— (eapplaNhe) .-1 hey derived it from nio sire.
curl from no g.avertainent, and when God gave them