The National Register.
London, England, 1820-08-06 00:00:00

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'At one o'clock on Weilneulay, a Common Hat? was
held at Norwich, for the purpose of considering the pro-
priety of presenting an Address to the Queen, under the
circumstances in which her M tjesty is placed.—The
'Mayor came upon the hustings and said,
" Fellow Citizens, in pursuance of a reqiii,tition
signed by a number of respectable inhabitants, I hive
convened this meeting. I hold the keys of this place
but in trust for you, and having discharged my duty thus
far, you will proceed to the choice of your Chairmen:*
A general call followed for the Mayor to take the
Chair.
The M Ar0R.••••" Gentlemen, I regret that I ant
really unable front indisposition to preside at this meet-
ing; I am sure you will conduct yourself with that pro-
priety which has always marked the public meetings of
Norwich, and I must request your permission to retire."
Alderman LEMAN was then called to the chair; alter
which
Mr. Sheriff TAYLOR said, " Gentlemen, often as I
have addressed you from this place, it has never been
under feelings more different, and in some respeets more
painful than at present. The accession of a King or a
Queen ought to he a subject of unmixed gratulation,
but we are assembled, not merely to perform the duty of
congratulation to our Queen, but to mingle with this
feeling our sympathy for her sufferings, and mar decided
protest against she ungenerous, and unprincipled attack
which has been made upon her. (Applause.) It has
•been asserted these meetings are only convened for the
purposes of faction. Gentlemen 1 deny the charge. I
wish net to add in the dissention or disimion which
exists among any of the branches of the Royal family.
The wish of all true hearted Englishmen is, to see their
King and Queen living in the dignity and happiness and
-union becoming their exalted situations; but wecannot
.and we ought not to be silent when an attempt is made
to attack an unprotected woman, when the proceedings
adopted against her have the stamp of injustice, and
when, through her, the laws of the country are grossly
and shamefully violated. (Applause.) We should not
des ree the character of men or Englishmen, if we did
not mark in the strongest terms against such proceed-
ings, and prove to her Majesty that weak and friendless
.as she may appear to be: though bereft of parents, bro-
ther and child, she is yet strong in the affections of the
people. (Applause.) Surely never was there a woman
against whom a more constant and unrelenting perse-
cution has been directed. Yon all remember the infa-
mous charge which was brought against her in 1807.
A charge much inure substantial, supported by witnesses
of much greater apparent credit than the present, and
which, in the language of the exalted personages who
were appointed to inquire into it, was "coatplete/y dis-
proved" and declared to be " undeserving of credit."—
During the public life of his late Majesty, her enemies
were silenced—his kind and gracious conduct was her
shield and support; but no sooner was that withdrawn
than the machinations of her enemies were again com-
menced. Site was driven from those scenes of splendour
and dignity, of which Mr. Canning truly said " she was
the grace and the ornament ;" she was debarred from
all intercourse with her daughter; the dearest and ten-
defeat ties of nature were cruelly severed, and she was
-compelled to seek repose in foreign lands. It might
have been supposed that here the malice of her enemies
would have beets satisfied,and that she might have been
suffered to enjoy that quiet and repose abroad which had
been denied her at home. Yet even this was too much
for her to expect. During the former period of her re-
sidence abroad, she visited parts of Europe, Asia and
Africa, and here we find her the same kind hearted and
generous woman she had always been in England. Its
Sicily the poor partook of her bounty—at Tunis she
was the ransomer of the Christian -captives—atCou-
atantinople and at Jerusalem the children of distress
had reason to bless her. At length she took up her
residence in Italy, and here it was that the efforts of
her persecutors were renewed. She was speedily sur-
TOUOded by spies—every motion was watched, and a
German Baton had even the unheard of atrocity to sub-
orn one of her own servants to pick the lock of her
-writing desk, and steal her papers. (Shame! shame!)
During her residence there, the King died, and her
name was instantly erased from the Liturgy. This insult
was but the prelude to more attrocious attacks. As soon
as it was known that she was coming to England, a
messenger was dispatched to bribe or to threaten her
into a compromise of her honour and her rights. With
.that sagacity and promptness which has marked her
conduct, she instantly saw through the base design, and
indignantly spurning this base attack upon her honour,
cone boldly and instantly to England. Gentlemen, 1
need not detail to you the reception she met with when
she set foot on our shores. I could not, were Ito at-
tempt it, describe the enthusiasm with which she was
every where received, and the warm and heartfelt proofs
of devotion which every where marked her steps. What
followed immediately upon this? Why, the production
of a Green Bag. Gentlemen, I confess I have an in-
stinctive dislike to a Green Bag, having myself had the
%moor or misfortune (call it which yon will) to occupy
a a small corner in one. (Laughter.) On that occasion
1 remember requesting the excellent and patriotic Mem-
ber for Norfolk, Mr. Coke, to defy his Majesty's Minis-
ters to substantiate one single word which they had
alledged respecting Norwich—Mr. Coke did so. And
what was the answer which he got from Mr. Bragge
Bathurst? Why, that what had been said about Nor-
wich was all a mistake! (Laughter.) I mention this
merely to shew of what sort of evidence Green Bags
have been composed. But, gentlemen, we have a right
to ask of his Majesty's Ministers, why this Green Bag
was not produced before? If the Queen was that in-
famous wretch they would have tat believe, how dared
they to negociatc with tier? plow dared they to send
over a messenger to make terms with her—to offer her
.the means, wrung front your hard earnings, of revelling
It. luxury and profligacy! if :bey hat these damning