The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-06-29 00:00:00

DINNER TO MR. WARD.

About 380 gentlemen sat down to dinner yesterday, at the City
of London Tavern, to celebrate the return of Mr. AVard for the
City of London. Amongst th.company we noticed several of the
merchants and bankers of the metropolis, who are most distin.
gnisheil for opulence and respectability. Sir Charles Price, Bart.,
filled the chair, and was supported on his right liv Mr. Wart, and
on the left by Charles Barclay, Esq., M.P., Mr. Thomas Wilson,
the late Member, &c. The cloth having been removed. and the
customary toasts given from the Chair, anti drank witit the usua
honours.

The CHAIRMAN then rose to propose the health of Mr. Ward. '
lie was satisfied that it was quite unnecessary for him to occupy '
their time, by entering into the merits of thegentlernan whom they '
had assembled to congratulate on his return. Yet he felt he might '
disappoint their expectations, and do injustice to his Honourable
Friend, if he neglected to advert to his qualifications. The situa- 1
tion of the country, at the period his Honourable Friend was called
upon, was very peculiar; and he must say that at that time he 1
conceived the situation of the City of 1. union was most (info' tons% i
as they had just been deprived of the valuable services of '
his Honourable Friend to his left (31r. Thomas Wilson). (Cheers 1
He was gratified to observe that his lion. Friend still continued to I
receive the applause which his public principles and private corduct
so well entitled hlm to. They bad been deprived of the valuable '
services of his Honourable Friend, and it then became necessary
for the commercial body to support the election of some gentlema
connected with the commercial community, as a substitute for their !
late esteemed Representative. lie was assured they would agree
with him in thinking that it was matter'saf congratulation that they
had obtained the consent of Mr. Ward to fill the place which had
been vacated by Mr. \Wilson. (Cheers.) During the last twenty
or thirty years the country had been agitated by many important
political questions, and in some instances Parliament was called
upon to suspend the best and most valuable principles of the Con-
stitution. We were now, by the blessing of Providence, enjoying
a state of tranquillity, as regarded our connection with foreign
nations; but it must be remembered that we were running a course
of commercial rivalry with many nations of the Continent, and that
it required the most extensive ability and the most indefatigable
seal to grapple with these commercial questions. Situated as the
city of London was, it now sent four Itepreaentatives into Perlis-
ment, of which three were from the trading classes, anal the fourth
was his Honourahle Friend, who was sent from a most important
class, and one which it was especially necessary should have a suit
able Representative. (Cheers.) It was necessary that the Re-
presentative of the mercantile interests of this great metro-
polis should be able to consult with the 3liaisters of the
Crown on all queotions connected with the commerce of the country,
and that heshould be able to get up in his place, and state his senti-
ments on every subject of importance to his Constituents. He
should not enter into all the important t pea which were Mel), to
be introduced to Parliament during the nexs Session ; bat h i hoped
he might be indulged if he adverted, perhaps not discreetly, to one
or two which appeared to him to be of paramatint impnr'ance. His
Hon. Friend said lie would not go into Parliament pledgei ; and
considering the importance of many of the questions upon which
he must be called upon to decide, he conceived this caution on the
part of his lion. Friend was prudent and honourable, (Hear,
hear.) Many who did not cordially agree with the present assem-
bly on political questions, boasted of the Revolution of 1689,
:or which we ware certainly indebted to the Whigs; but in
his (Sir C. Price's) opinion the Whine of 1688 were more like
the Tories of the present day, than those who (now assumed
the nam eof \Whip. ((Treat applause.) In sl'uding to what was
called the Catholic question, he was one of those entitled Ani-Ca-
tholics ; but though he could not get a pledge front his Han.
Friend to vote against the Catholics, upon other grounds he had
given him all the support in his power ; though hail he (Sir C.
Price) been returned, he would base said it was his intention to (T-
-ome the Catholic claims. But on the Catholic question, he was sure
Iris Hon. Friend's discretion was the better rat of valour. (Ap-
plause.) His Hem Friend's principle was, that he ought not to
undertake the duty of representing thent isliasi:lsd by Wedges. The
next question in public etinsitleratioo was the Ctirti laws, sni can..
sidering the close depentleneeiof ono interest with another, he could
not avoid expressing his regret, that this question hail been pressed
in such a way as to excite hostility between the sgrieultutal and
trading interests. He hoped his Hon. Friend would pay his bits:
attention to this subject, and, when lie entered the House of Com-
mons, would consider himself the Representative of every el, ss
of his Majesty's subjects. These were the leading questio .s of a
domestic nature; but there were ether most important qua it ris
connected with the Navigation Laws, and our commereisl in er-
course with other nations. On this subject he conceived it was
most important that changes should be made with great csuti in,
because if other nations found that we injured ourselves to
their benefit, they would never recur to that system of re-
ciprocity which was the basis of free trade. Nor sh old
it ever be forgotten that we had arrived at an unparalleled
state of prosperity under the old system. He begattl not to be
understood as admiring that system only because it was old : no, he
venerated it because under its influence we had acquired atrenttli.
and riches, and, notwithstanding the late convulsions in the City,
he might add, we were the most favoured of nations. On these
questions he confided with the greatest satisfaction nn the judg-
ment, penetration, and discretion of his Honourable Friend. lie
was sure his Honourable Friend would not be willing to get rid of
the old system without first ascertaining that the new was a proper
substitute. With respect to the question of the Currency, which
had such important effects upon national intercourse, lie conceived
that the city of London was peculiarly fortunate in the selection of
Mr. Ward, as no man on the Royal Exchange had applied his
mind more laboriously and advantageously to that subject than his
Honourable Friend. On-the whole, he thought it was a high ho-
nour to the citizens of London to have chosen a man so capable oaf
rep eventing them adequately. He would not detain them longer;
he thanked them for their attention, sod would conclude by pros
posing" The health of W. Ward, Esq. their Representative in'
Parliament."
This toast was received with the most enthusiastic apPlause,
which continued for several minutes. When itiiiiti subsided,
Mr. Ward rose, and was again cordially
.greeted. lie declared
himself overwhelmed with the applause with which i.e was ho.
Poured, as well as with the kind manner in which his health had
been proposed and drunk. He felt it was cause of proud congra-
tulation to him to have been called upon to represent this great city,
whose traffic extended to the furthest ends of the earth. It was im-
possible fur him not to value this honour, but he must repeat, what
he before observed to his Committee, that in one sense they were
. . . . ...