The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1807-05-18 00:00:00

MR. SHERIDAN'S DINNER.

Mr. Sheridan proceeded from the !lustier to din-
ner, at the Bedford Coffee-house, in Covent-garden.
fhe room was as full as it could contain. The
Right Hon. R. B. Sheridan in the Chair.
When the dinner, which was most excellent, was
removed, the following toasts were proposed from
the Chair, and drank with the most rapturous ap-
plause:- -The King, Queen, and Prince of Wales,
and the Indep:ndent EtcClors of Westminster.
Mr. Sampan then rose to propose, unfortu-
nately, not the health, but the memory of one of the
most enlightened Statesmen this or any other free
country ever produced. The other toasts he had
proposed, were drank with loud and grateful accla-
mations; the present, he knew, would be drank
with thosei feelings of reverential awe and sorrow,
which the remembrance of such virtues could not
fail to excite, and the great national loss must of
necessity produce. When he called upon that
meeting to drink the memory of hie dear departed
friend, Charles James Fox, it was impossible for
him not to refer, with the strongest impulse of in.
dignation, to the unjust. ungenerous, and un-
manly attack made that day by the Noble Lord
who was a Candidate for the suffrages of the
Eleftors of Westminster. on the charader of
that sincere friend to human freedom, that steady
and unremitting guardian of the people's rights.—
The expression of the Noble Lord, to which he al-
luded, in substance, was, that those who came into
public notice under the prow:lion of Mr. Fox, par-
took of the baseness of his nature. If his expression
meant any thing, it meant this. It aroused and
stimulated every energy of his soul into indignation;
but the momentary pang was soon counterafted by
the honest display of popular feeling, which ge-
nerously and strongly reprobated this foul and un.
justifiable Anshus as he felt then to answer
the Noble Lord, he well knew his reply would have
produced a rekander ; and, of course, a long and
useless disenssion would have followed. The po-
pular indignation gave the best answer to the Noble
Lord ; and, in the exercise of that feeling, lie (Mr.
Sheiiclati) felt the high estimation in which the peo-
ple held the charaair of that patriot. a man whose
principles he considered his dearest legacy, whose
praCtice was his best example, and whose unsullied
memory was the proudest objeA of his adoration.
He concluded this admirable barn of feeling and
eloquence, by giving the memory of Charles James
Fox.

The eawas-of Inman freedom all over the world,
was drank widsllfwe times three.

Oa Mr. Sas hoalth being proposed, that '
Gentleman roalt_tri return thanks, and to explain to
the compady—sestain circumstances which, unex-
plained, might übjeEt him to a charge of vacilla-
tion and irresolution. Bat the investigation would
prove, that it was he who was the victim of the inde-
cision of others, over whose caprices or opinions he
could exercise neither power or controul. He ad-
mitted that it was the highest and most ardent ob-
j a of his ambition to represent the city of West-
minster, and to continue the same independent
member of the House of Commons, which, during
his whole Parliamentary career, of twenew-seven
years, he had ever evinced himself. Though
returoed for licheser, by the kindness of that
distingpished, personage to whom, above all
others, he should ever consider it right to -owe an
obligation ; yet he must own that he entered the
House of Commons not with the same strong and
proud feelings of independence, which were want
to animate him. At all events, whatever may be
the issue of the present contest, and however he
differed from others in their extreme opinions on
the condition of society in this canntil, yet he
should not hesitate to declare his determination to
support these honest, these mist siren men, who thus
u•ged their love of liberty to an extreme, in direilt
hostility to those who live on the plunder of the
country, and were accelerating its ruin. 'lbis
speech, we regret that ear limits preclude us [tom
giving more at large. It was greeted with the
most genuine and masked expressions of satisfaCtion.
Alter some observations on the necessity and man-
ner of an waive canvass, the company retired to-
cat ry their determination into execution.

Last week a most extraordinary eiretur:tance
lry;wned in Plymouth. A most beautiful cock
phc iant, from fatigue. it is supposed, dropped
down in the Sound, alongside the Suiten Atirjearata.
of 36 guns, Vial; there. Tisk handsome burJ, by
a bcat being put .1 front the frigate, was picked
up alive. and is now at the pheasantty. in the de-
lightful woods rsf- St KOUL, £sq. of Newn.
hart Parkjour Plympton.