The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-09-16 00:00:00

OUTRAGE AT MANCHESTER.

AT • tint onmetoog MEETING or the
ELEcror-s of WESTMINSTER, held in Palace_
yard on Thursday. the 2d of September. 1519,
Slr FRANCIS BURDETT, Bart. M.P. in the Chair,
It was Ramslved—Tbat it ts the duty of tveiy Friend to
Country to assist in procuring redress for those Persons
*'h L.lie been sllegratly Maimed, Wounded, and Imprisoned,
in constquenceof the Meeting held at Maisetiesier, on the
1.11$: of last Month—to afford such relief as may lee ne.

so the Soffrrers sad their
Familiea—
pa.unFaarot the perpetrators of the.outrage.
. .

to bring to

And that • gith;eription be opened 111 r the above pur.
1..i.e; and that Sir Francis Burdett, J. C. Habhonse,
T. T. Clarke, lEsiq., with others, he a Committee, with
to add to their Dumber, to carry the iota-I'6oms of this
Met.t tutu cffect.
SUBSCRIPTIONS. _ .• _

Suirseriptions previously advertised £433 3 10
Brutus
_ _

«•Deaford House, Berko
J.
...

1.. .. . .. 666 1 0 0
Murpos of Tavissock •• 50 0 U
Alfa it Thorpe, ERy
Mr. 1 homes Gailmborough
Fr the Old George, Lumbard-street 1 1 0
MS Tbormu, Dolby 4 1 0 0
J• C. B. by Mr. Chub
310. R. Dosagre 1 1 tt
subscriptions are received by Mr. S. Brooks, No. 110,
g„1"1": Mr. Galloway, 69, High Hlulbora ; Mr. Dolby,
"4'4w-street ; Mr. Giles, 5, Wych-street ; Mr. Ha*.
"O. 94, York-street, Westminster; Mr. Parr, Great nos-
"4l-`lreet, Covewt.garden; Mr. Pearly. 5, Tyler.strret,
Cassaby.market ; Mr. Henry Wbittle, Wmt.street, @Oat-
-6'46 ; and at the Crowa and Ansbur Tavern, Stroud.

NEW NOVEL.—Just published,

THE PLEASURES of WANT; or, in Love
and not in Love : a Novel, in 3 vole.

•
By A POPULAR AUTHOR.
Printed for William Fearnsas, Library, 170, New Bond.
street ;—asil is the Preis, a New Novel sled &innate.

COURT or ALDERMEN.

A Cmirt n( Aldermen was held on Titestfay, at which the
Lord Mayor presided, and the Aldermen present were, Sir
Wm. Curtis, Bart.; Sir J. nutter, KM.; Sir James Shaw,
Bart.; J. J. Smith, Esq.; C. Smith, E-q.; Sir %m. Boni-
Mlle, Bart.; George Scholey, Esq.; Matthew Wmni, EFri ;
George Bridget, Esq.; William Heygate, Esq.; R. A. Cox,
Esq.; Robert Waithinan, Esq.; and Richard Bothwell, Esq.
Mr. Alderman Bothwell entered into the usual recugui-
sauces to serve the °Rice of Sherif.

The regular business of the Court having been gone
through, Alderman SCHOLVY roar. and in a short speech
proposed a very blebly-flattering vote of thanks to the Hight
Hon. the Lord Mayor, for his great care and activity in pre-
serving the peace of the City, on the occasion of the late
meetings in Smithfield.
Mr. Alderman Iterfitwgir, thought the proposed vote by
no means adequate to the occasion, mid not sufficietitly ex-
pressive of the high sense the Court must feel of the wisdom
and vigour exhibited by Ms Lordship un the occasion a
ed to, and proposed a more highly eompliiiieistary Resolu-
tion, in which his Lordship vas particularly thanked for the
decisive measure of causing the arrest of Harrison, during
the time the meeting was assembled.

Sir JAMS/ SHAM/ thought, as there was likely to he much
difference of opinion as to the wording of each of the Hew-
lotions, it would be notch better to adopt the middle course,
and propose such a vole of thanks as every member of the
Court could concur is ; as a moderate vote of thanks car-
ried unanimously would be much inure complimentary to his
Lordship than one inure highly coloured, and carried by a
small majority. The worthy Ilirimet then moved a vote of
thanks to his Lordship fur his conduct on the occasion, men.
boned, couched in moderate but flattering terms of appro.
►at ion. _ _

This was objected to by the Aldermen Cox and flittheas,
as not sufficiently plinientary to his Lordship, nor
strongly expressive of the opinion of the Court ; but on be-
ing put to the vote, passed unanimously.
Mr. Alderman WOOD fleeOrli to know from the Lord
Mayor whether any and Want steps had been taken by his
Lordship respecting the horrible plat for burning the city
and murdering the inhabitants, which his Lordship had
communicated to the Court of Cuminon Council; and whe-
ther any of the Incendiaries, whom his Lordship had stated
held their meetings near the Guildhall, had yet been appre-
hended.

Mr. Alderman Cox thought it quite disorderly and im-
proper to make any such inquiries; the communication was
made to the Court of Common Council, soil his Lordship
ought not lu he called upon to answer questions as to any
thing that look place in another Court.
Mr. Alderman WAITHMAN contended that the inquiry was
perfectly correct and in order; lime fears and apprehensions
of the citizens had been cousillerably alarmed by the commu-
nications which Iris lordship slated hail been made un oath,
mid it was highly siert-nary some further eaplanstion should
be given. If there MRS no real ground fur alarm, the feelinp
of the peupie had hers unnecessarily sported with.
Mr. Alderman WOOD initiated, that some conuounication
nu this aubject ought to be made; there could uo initiro-

prissy in the Lord Mayor's making known to his brother
Magistrates inforniati .... received by him on oath, upon a
subject which so nearly concerned them all, no well as every
iiihabitaist of Ow city over which they presided.

„ .
The Lord Mayor, however, though repeatedly premed,
both by Alderman Wood cud Alderman Waithoms, main-
tained a solemn silence.
This bossism* heist: at length dropped, the Lotto MAYOR
addressed the Court, and said, he had a complaint to make
against one of the Magistrates of the City, for what he con-
sidered a high breach of his duty, feuding to disgrace the
Magistracy, and degrade 11w office of Chic( Magistrate ; be
these named Mr. Alderman Waithman.
His Lordship proceeded to stair, that his Complaint against
the worthy Alderman was, that afire he (the Lord Mayor)
had dissolved the last Common Hall, the Alderoma threw
uff Ins gown, Souk the Chair of the Meeting, and iodated
the persons assembled to agree and pass Resolution* de.
grading to him in Isis magisterial rapacity. If ands a pm.
teeding was legal soil props'', it was altogether useless and
unnecessary to p 1 retpilsitioui to the Lord &lapse, as
the Chief Magistrate; as the Livery might hold C.usteson
Halls without his presence. Surfs aodret, he conceived;
would not meet the %auction of that Court. He considered
that after the fiatl was dissolved by Ole Lord Map*,
the proteedimg to further bashes* was illegal, that die
Meeting was an unlawful assembly, and that the Chief Me.
giatrate would benignant to reading the Riot Act. He had
also another complaint to make against the worthy Alder-

was for his conduct while lilting as a Magistrate is the Jail-
iice.rtiont at Guildhall.

A fellow of the name of Blocks, who bad been an officer of
the city, but whom hr (the Lord Mayor) had discharged, ap-
plied to the Alderman fur a summons against him to appear
and answer for his conduct in the Court of Common Council,
at a Common Hall; me which °eras' he worthy Ablrrniaa
had utlertil )i )) ions degrading to she high office he now held
insinuating that the Lord Mayo► might he brought to isti-
ewer before the ailing Alderman, and in the Common Hall ;
recommending the fellow at the same lime to make his com-
plaint so she Livery at she sarxt Common Hall. His Lind-
ship conclnded with olsserving, that he considered such con.
disci degrading to the high sisnation he held, and had, there.
fore, felt it his duty to submii it to the judgment aod con-
sideration of she Court.

A long altercation ensued u to the manner of proceeding
to be adopted ; at length Sir William Curtis proposed a re-
Notation, reciting the facts as serrated by his Lordship, mid
concluding with a reference of the whale to the law officers,
with instructions to search (or preceiktits. This proposition
was strongly supported by the Aldermen Cut, Hrygate,
Scholey, mud Rothrell. . .

Mr. Alderman WAIYHXAIr at !Mirth Mee for the purpose
of defending his modest.. ; assd in s apses* of gemsl laugh
contended, that the complaint against bins had no reference
whatever to his magisterial capacity; that the Common Hall
was a meeting of the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Livery,
but that as soon as his Lordship directed the mace to he re.
moved, and quitted the Chair, the meeting was no longer a
Common Hall, hut a tweeting of the Livery only ; that he thee
threw off his gown, and acted in hie capacity of a liveryman
alone. With respect to his taking the Chair, and introducing
the Resolutions that were agreed to, hundreds of Liverynieu
who were present knew that be wished In have avoided oak.
ing the Chair, and did his utmost to decline it ; but he felt
the duty imperative upon him, when elected by the Meeting.
It was also matter of notoriety that he did not altogether ap-
prove of the wording of the Resolutions ; and that be had
been charged with partiality, and his euiiihiet publicly
found fault with for the disapprobation he had shewu.
However much he might have declined taking the Chair
on that occasion, he still contended, the Livery, when
assembled, had a clear and legal right to discuss their
grievances in the Common Hall ; and that the cir-
cumstance of his being a Magistrate did not deprive
him of the possession or exercise of that right in common
with every liveryman ; and that without his gown be acted
as a liveryman only. There wan no necessity to search
for precedents: similar cases were well known and re-
membered, and had been of frequent occurrence. Alderman
J. J. Smith, who was now present, had done precisely
the !tame, under similar circumstances; after the the■
lord Mayor had quilled the Hall, he took off his gown
and acted as Chairman to the Meeting that remained.—
Alderman Comlie upon another occasion engaged to do the
like, and would have taken the Chair, but that the then Lord
Mayor hail prudence enough not to dissolve the Hall. On
the occasion alluded to, the Livery had previonsly presented
a requisition to his Lordship for a Common Hall, on the
subject of the new taxes; and although in different parts of
the country meetings had been held for that purpose, the Lord
Mayor refused the requisition; and when the business was
attempted to be brought forward at a subsequent Common
Hall, he instantly dissolved the Hall. On the late occasion
he did the same, mid if the Livery could not obtain a Cow-
ma, Hall, and were denied the privilege of discussing their
grievances when assembled, they were denied a right common
to all Euglishmeu, and compelled to assemble in the open
street, and liable to be ckilown by the soldiery as had been
dune elsewhere. Ha was raisely careless what ante they ineght
choose to puss; no vote they could come to would degrade
him; lie uas ready on all occasions publicly to defend his
conduct; but if they came to a vote at the suggestion of some
alagistrates, with regard to the rights of the Li-
very, over which they had no control, they might degrade
themselves, but certainly out him. Rut be would ask, was it
decorous for them, a close Court and secret conclave of Ma.
gistrates, to take npon themselves to call io question
the right of a Liveryman, exercised at a meeting of the Li-
very at large? With regard to the second complaint, he
"really thought it too contemptible for much notice ; had the
Lord Mayor brought the Newspapers to the Court, for it
was hum them, he supposed, he had got his information, he
would hare that there was no ground of complaint.
He hail not the slightest intimation of any such application
being about to be made; the man applied to him just as he
was (wiling the chair; be told him he could nut interfere,
hut lie supposed if the Lord Mayor bad done any thing
illegal he was amenable fur it as well as another man, but
that his charge would be more properly made at the Com-
mon Hall. He could have nu serious intention of imputing
Liam* to the Lord Mayor, and treated the whole business es
trilling and absurd.
_ _ _

The worthy Alderman again alluded to the former charge,
and pointed out several instances in which the right had been
exercised by the Livery, and particularly to the case of the
Lord Mayor Turner, who, no Midsummer day, was tom
pelted to admit the right. The worthy Alderman cuucluilod
with observing, that My depriving the people of their legal
and constitutional right of discussing their grievances, they
were driven to tumultuous meetings, and the v•-•y evil was
produced which was the cause of their apprehensions.

A Iderms• J. J. Sum* corroborated the Alderman's state.
meat : be had take, the chair afters Hall was dissolved ; be
took off his gown, mud considered himself actin uuly as •
Liveryman.
Mr. Aldermen WOOD declared there were se►eral similar
instances. In the Mayoralty of Alderman Scholey, Sir W.
Rawlins had taken the Chair after the Lord Mayor had
quitted the Hall. He strougly contracted against may inter.
ferenre wills the rights of the Livery, and particularly repro-
bated the were mintier in which this bruises, had beets
brought forward without •oy previous' notice, and at a time
when the Alderman complained of might have heeu unpre-
pared to shew any precedes* for his conduct. He observed
that there was not now • Court (Sir James Shaw retired be-
fore the business came ova, aed Sir John Earner having pee
to his duty at the Justice-room), and be should break up the
meeting. [While Alderman Wood was um his legs, Sir W.
Curtis had sent out fur Sir John Earner. who quickly at.
tended the summons.]
Mr. Alderman WooD was greatly indignant at this fiction-
stance, and, persisting in big intention of breaking sup the
Court, left the room, and was followed by other Aldermen,
and the Court was accordingly broken up without coining
to any decisiou upon the queadou.