The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-01-20 00:00:00

DINNER TO AIR. WARD.

Yesterday a complimentary dinner was given at
the Crown and Anchor Tavern to Mr. Waal), of
Nottingham, upon the successful issue of the late
trial for a libel, in which he was Plaintiff. _

At five o'clock the dining-room wa. quite full,
and upwards of one hundred person* of respect•
ability sat down to an excellent d er;
Mr. LEMAITRE, in the Chair.

After thP cloth •t ,4 removed the Chairman gave—

"The Sovereignty of the People, sod may its power be
speedily secured by a Radical Referm."—Three times three.
lie nest gar,•—
_ _ _

"The Liberty of Ilse Press, and long may it survive In
promulgate the principles that inflicted the just vengeanet
of the People Upon the tyrant Charles, and banished James
from a Throne he was unworthy to 611."
Ttna wits also ttrtt.ik with great applause.

lie then nr. rased--
u Trial by July, the lirst and earliest bulwark of English
freedom. May it he speedily restored throughout the king-
dom in its mistiest parity ; and may se• further select'
1111 port of the ***** renew the
lhoi.v—where the izaarant bled fur the gala of a vindictive
, d its olelexted spies."
The CHAIRMAN then rose to call the atteutioti of
the Meeting to the main object for which they had
assembled, which was, to pay a compliment justly
due to their fellow-countryman, Frank Ward. The
worthy Chairman then took an eloquent review of
the measures of Ministers towards this persecuted
man, and also adverted with great force to the ori•
gin of his local persecution, which was because
when the manufacturers lowered the price of wages
among the workmen, Ward, who had by his own
industry become a manufacturer, refused to adopt
a standard of wages for that meritorious class of per-
sons from whom he sprung, which he believed to
be totally inadequate to the fair remuneration of
their industry, or to the proper means of their sup-
port. Hence arose the hostility of the Magistrates
(many of whom were manufacturers) to him; his
house was searched, his person incarcerated', and he
was removed to a dungeon in town, merely because
he had the firmness to demand an inquiry into his
conduct, and a trial by a Jury of his country, if he
was found to have its ally manner transgressed its
laws. The Chairman concluded by proposing—
o The health of Frank Ward, and may he long live to en-
joy his triumph over the
collesguee; and may future Observers learn to Wl:erre im-
partiality, and to record faithfully."—Three times three.
Mr. F. WARD rose to return thanks. He said
he was totally unaccustomed to public speaking,
and, therefore, unable to express what lie felt ou.
the present occasion. He was but an humble man,
persecuted in a public cause, He hail been, on the
present occasion, brought under their consideration
in consequence of a late verdict which be had ob.
tallied against Mr. Clement, the Proprietor of a
respectable Paper. Fie had no personal
to Mr. Clement, nor could he suppose that that
Gentleman had any against him. It was not the
cause of Ward and Clement, but the cause of the
people of England against his Majesty's Ministers,
who had torn from them their chartered rights,
without the slightest necessity.—(Applause.)—
He stood there as our of the people who had been
injured in health and prospects by the tyrannical
and oppressive treetment he had endured, and on
the part of that people he raised his voice against
the iniquitous system under which he had aulfered.
Ile thanked the Meeting for the honour they had
door him, and in conclusion begged to propose the
health of his worthy Solicitor, Mr. Charles Pearson.
—(Applause.)
'nut CHAIRMAN observed, that his worthy friend,
Mr. Ward, iii proposing the health of Mr. Pearson,
just touched upon it mid* he were talking of a friend
in Nottingham, who was known to all persons in the
vicinity. Rut it was right that this Gentleman's
efforts in the cause of Reform should be more fully
dart-anted upon. It was through the mental ener-
gies awl persevering labours of Mr. Pearson, that
the old Special Jury Honk was cleansed, and the
first acquittal of NIG ‘Vooler obtained, which led
to that of Mr. Hone„ and finally to Mr. Ward's late
verdict.-4,4;plusse.)—lie then pronounced an
eloquent ruiogium upon the public services and
pairiotesin of Mr. Pearson, whose health was imme-
diately drunk with three tunes three.
Mr. PEAIVION. iii returning thanks, alluded to
a paragraph which had just uppeured in The Cute.