The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1820-12-16 00:00:00

MEETING of the CITY of GLOUCESTER,

DECEMBER-13.

A Requisition to the Nfavor of this City having
been signed by the Bishop, Dean. Prebenda►y, and
many inhabitants, requesting him to convene a
public meeting of the citizens and inhabitants, for
the purpose of signing a dutiful and loyal Address to
his Majesty—the Mayor, in compliance with that re-
quest, fixed such meeting to be holden this day at
the Shire-hall ; and never was a meeting in this city
so numerously and respectably attended—the num.
ber present beitt estimated at upwards of 1,700,
including most of the first characters in the city.
The MAYOR having been called to the chair,
shortly addressed the meeting, in explanation of the
object for which they were convened ; and request-
ed (hat every gentleman who offer►d himself to the
meeting might be patiently and attentively heard.
Mr. MONTAGUE then cu•e, and after expressing
his firm conviction that every man of the numerous
assembly felt, cordially attached to their King and
to their country. and his assurance that they would
all be ready to rally round the throne, in these
times, when tile growth of infidelity, irreligion, and
sedition. appeared to threaten elm), thing that is
valuible to us all, cuncluded by proposing an Ad-
dress, to which he anticipated there could be no
oppositions.
The Rev. Dr. NIICHELL, the resident Preben.
dary, seconded the prosition ; observing. that the
language of the Address had his cordial concurrence.
The MAYOR having then put the question on this
Address,

rHILLPOTTS addressed the meeting, ob-
serving. that if the Address had been confined to
the expiessious of dutiful and loyal attachment to
the King, and a determination to support him, and
to maionnis our invaluable constitution. no man
would have been more ready than himself to sob-
scribe his 1111111 r, fur in loyalty and attachment to his
Sovereign. rod in seneration fur the principles of
the Constitution. he yielded to no man ; hut as the
Address embraced other topics, and as he deemed
it a libel no the eltnracter of the city, whose leysity
nos one could Muspri t ; avid as there woo a direct
attack on the freedom of the press, winch he deemed
the palladium of British liberty. he couldnot con-
sistently give his sanction to that Address unless
.the parts to which he adverted were withdrawn.
Mr. HYaTT then ruse, and after peurtraying. at
some length, the miseries into which the country
was plunged. by the injudicious and unconsti-
tutional ucts of his Majesty's Ministers, expressed
his conviction, that -although the approbation
of those acts was not openly avowed. yet that
the object of the presmotere of the Address was

dia

MEETING OF THE COMMON HALL.

COILOSIALL.
Yesterday a Common Hall was held for the par.
pose of cuusidering en Address of Congests+tattoo
to her Majesty the Queen, sod to take into consi-
deration the conduct of Alderman Bridges. late
Lord Mayor, as it affected the rights and liberties
of the Livery and the Citizens of London.
At a few miuntes after one o'clock the Lord
Mayor, followed by Aldermen Wood, the Sheriffs,
and attendants, mud a great number of the Livery.
took his seat in the Hall. The n-ual ceremonies
being performed by the Crier...
The Lotto Maims addressed a few words to the
meeing. The respectability of the signatures to
the requisition had induced him to convene the
Hall. The object was two-fold—to deliberate on
an Address to the Queen, and to take into consi-
deration the conduct of the late Lord Mayor. In
respect to the latter object, he hoped that nothing
invidious would be imputed to him in haviag con.
sented to cell a Electing having that, among others,
for its object. Ile felt himself bound to secede
to a regulation so regularly and respectably signed,
and he knew of no power which he possessed to
prevent the Livery from biking the emidect of any
officer of the Corporation, whom they might choose
to select fee the purposis late ceesselletesies. He
craved an impartial heeling for all parties and
opinions.
The Requisition and signatures were then read.
Mr. COATES advanced, and said, that he was
proud of being the lint Liveryman to address the
first Hill convened during the present Mayoralty.
They had reason to br proud of their present Chief
Magistrate, who had beets exalted to his seat—not
by rotation, but by choice-..not of right, bat elec.
lion and preference. There were other causes of
reasonable congratulation. When last the Hall met
to address the Queen, they were surrounded by a
military force ; now, they and their Magistrate
were only surrounded by the best affections, the
devoted confidence, and ardent patriotism of the
citizens of London. He was not ignorant of Ilse
responsibility of the task which had devolved upon
him. It was• impoesible for him to forget that he
was standing on those boards which had for so long
a period been occupied by tried patriots, struggling
In defence of their liberties and rights. He knew
the difficulty of advancing with no ether pee.;
tensions that: the aieseeriv of individual feeling.
the ardour of individual patriotism ; but it
had been deemed advisable that the matter
which he was about to propene to them should
come from • some member of the Livery who held
nor office nor delegated trust. One had been selected.
to act on this peculiar occasion from the geiwrel
body la the Livery, and having no distinction, he
was to become the advocate of their rights, and to
propose to them that they should carry up an Ad.
dress of Congratulation, aid lay it "at the feet of
her Majesty the Quern. On the propriety of as
doing he apprehended that there could be no die.
'pate. If it had been found proper and .editiaabk
to Address King George 111. when an attessffitik.
made upon his life by a Miserable manihe; it Wei
surely binding on the 'Livery • tatengratulatethe
Queen on her escape flout a far Mork &adlv'blirit
timed at her life and honour.a bran directea 'by file:
Lion and intrigue and deriving itiforce mesa impala
from corrupt influence. They had every poselbillt
reason fur congratulatiog the Queen on an tad*
Irons the vilest plot that ever blackened the anieda'
oPiiiiitory. First of all he goofed the 'customs ie.
the City to express their loyal congvatulatialhili
any occoion, of importance to the Royal Pis2ll
In this practice the citizens of Loudon were
to no body in the empire. He referred-to the Ad.
dresses which had been presented on the first weevil
of the present Queen to the British shores, imillill
leer matrimonial connexion with the posellstalg;
then Prinee of "Wake. Addresses were *Waited
on that occasion. the source of the most happy and
joyous expectations. to the Lag, the Queen, the
Prince, and the Princess of Wake. He then
took a review of 'the circumstances of suffering
persecution and insult, which hsd awaited her
Majesty almost ever since. For the charac-
ter of this illustrious and stofortunete Prin-
cess, he referred them to the Carrier. who. in
speak of the Queen lately. observed, that she
was high birth and •atilt higher daisy.
izte
at for the pride and glory of her nee,
E VI& her own and the gloryWr her adopted
. . Haying pm t Iv the most waft-
=t ls
erigaesi y's Wpeibeedbig ary. be.
'. Me


to the Howse or Leeds. He was aware vial i►
might lit mid that her Majvaty had bola (owed
Val lay * midway of that House. As far
os the frigidity of the decision was contacted. Ste
owed may observe that die &chew. would apt
be marepftte withont the coucerrence of the other
birllsschee of the Slate. The quesiiiin 1014 will
them how far such a dearami weed to it mired
goat opus. the Queen. When he looked its 'be
oestetitetiee of that !louse. the anoineltietraaAl coo. -
Ireolitiory functions smommt by it—judges, legit.
Wary, accusers. and ))jurors' joined in free body—. .
obeli he observed. as I{/e. Sheridan well teed of fill.
Pitt mid his associates, " How rare in its separate
exceltasme, mid how wonderful in its crishinattims"
' House little, we it • p peeteil
that aseenshly whiek
i genera/ eishintottheo
a body fiy::ig each
, its assif
s61:111164110,_
neememso *silks Of. • ''.
ersotierifeeegh Huame.
_ . iy, it *sold have been a cosie
victims trill)* disgraceful. Did fe say,- therefore'
that the working classes posseseell more wisdom .aad' '
virtue than the higher closers? ftof lint die •
working classes were Iris iuterested in the question
than the aristocracy. "Had the Lords sent the Call
down to the Commons,- it *mild not have sl:ered
hi. conviction as to the Qoderi's inneomice. Had
the Commons concurred with the-Lords. his emi-
gration would not have been. altered. Their own
apriater had declared the sal. of seetv*td be noto-
rious so the sun at `coon day. A Member of
Administration had been contietrd Cr frefilcking in
such a vale. and received no rebiikknroptaiiiehatetit.
That House had sanctioned this emir spies soil tit-
farelera, had allowed the Maireheetet_ olimmere to
be peaked over without Inciwiry': could he or ought
he to attach any intonrilidtWto the decision of such
a body on such a case ? Had the Kiel. beta
brought to do any thing.so.n•onstivens as the vein
his assent to the Bill for the degradation of his
own wife. it might have been right ei.stbaset to it
as a decision of mere legal form, but could have
brought no conviction of guilt home to the Qoeens
They were there assembled as loyal rneu. to per-
form a loyal duty. • Here he would observe, that
there was a great deaf of mock loyalty going ribose
the country—a sort of loyalty which emanated.
from authority—• creditless, insetemd kind of lop.
elty—(LoNgliser) —a loyalty which was no doubt
eminently fitted to appear in Tire Gazate—..
(Lenghter)—provided it occupied the place usually
sniped to the hit of benkrnpicias. That loge
alty which dreaded di.eu.40,1, which sought
holes and corners. which played et hide-and-reek.
was not the loyalty of the-people. of gogland.--.,
It was well 'worthy ortfreltidermen uf the Waid*
of Cheap, but it was disgraceful to the Livery of
London. How was it that Alderman Itothwell wet
so afraid of his loyalty being exposed to the pubic
Kole? Ile thought it eery to discover a clue fur
thisintricacy. The facetious Dr. Loath said, that
prayer must destroy tin, or sin would destroy
prayer. The Alderman. perhaps, judged that cot..
ruptien mind destroy discuwion, or discuesiou would
destroy corruption. It had been said that a vast
deal of sedition.. lomat ility, blasphemy. and,dis.
affection were abroad in the laud. He subscribed to
this—but when he looked for disloyalty, wit. he is,
search among the radicals? Yes,-the radials of the
green beg, among the faction of St. James'.. Was
he to look for blasphemy among the people? Nu;
but if he found a mitred head dealing its royal
indulgences. bolding ont • temptation to royal
crime crime by his manner of expouoding the law of
God, teaching - • Prince that .he could do no
wrong—he would look for blasphemy there. Ito.
morality, too, existed to a fearful extent. How
should it be otherwise, when the green bag had
been poured forth upon the country, like Paolo-
ra's box, emitting every poesibleesjl, poisouing the
minds and thoughts of the yhung and thoughtlese.
polluting the imagination, of their. wives end dough-
tees. A friend of his had remomfrated with his wife
against her reading the newspapers. ." My love."
was her reply, " there can be no harm in reading
that which the Bishops have tietened to." For se-
diiion and treason he traced them to the infamous
placards of one against whom a true bill hed.tiesit
found ; and for the general mass of. blasphemy,
immorality, dieeffeclion, and disloyalty. be found .
it in the Treasury Prints, He quoted may, of
• and daring libels horn The Courier egaineethe
Queen. From these instances of seditious &louden
they might observe that a libel or two might be'
committed with impunity is the right side. Ad-
ierting to the loyal declaration of the Waal as
Cheap, he, observed among. the sub.ct bens the
name of one who wry printer, publisher, end
Sender, of the most proffigate. obscene, and
seditious caricature., one •of . which represented
his present Majesty in the Meat degradad maid:ler,
sluing with two fat scallions iii.. the kitchen. wee*
at Heights°, eating a steak.. The piece was called
" High Life Below Stairi.". nod Ise poblished ant
100 miles from Si. Paul's—(rries e •• 7'ergi,
Legg," from various ,paitt ifflhe .Holi.)-,-Frmu
the general charge of sedition en4l bleybrilkl the
people were exculpated by the &Own Of the. Xing
to the seven addressing. Aldermen. friis.m*pof .
words were, si A spirit similar, to that by, which yen
ore animated predominates thrOlighout the biog.
ties." Theo did his Matesly.reiteem the iisjored
11 tee of kits loyal sohjectsl thUs did he whit*.
Welsh the people l:' /let there wale aspire...tons is
another' speeettot biawlikli went kW farther. They
were contained Mean Answer to the Addeme of the
people of Bye :Li"! rely with confliiroie on the
good seism of thelpeople; they are at id times and;
as all occasieue fulthfist. Individnals may be led'
iddrey by the partial deletions of the sedititesa ; bat
ifielt are the good Weise oird :ntellect of'die treat"
111114y.0r tare nation,. that. My people are always
jpitirded by the itinativseem of 1.1..1ty. said the
`agitate* of tiutll." Now, the Bill against
Isigio
woe thrown out, avowedly rein respect
414,4 a s. : - .