The National Register.
London, England, 1818-07-13 00:00:00

ALDERMAN ►rLWRP'b' ELECTION.

Monday a limber Of respectable noblemen and gentlemen
Ained at do: Loudon Tavern, to celebrate the election of Mr.
Alderman Tharp. Befar- the company sat down to dinner,
His Royal Highness the Doke of Sus-ex stated, that in con-
sequence of the inelatieholy event of Nlr. Harvey Cumin's
death, Mr. Bryce Cumbe, who was announced chairman for
the °erasion, WES prevented from attending ; and therefore
Iw, who had come to the meeting timely to join as a visitor
in congratulating his countrymen upon the triumph of their
independence, was called upon to take the chair. Under
such circumstances, lie hoped the meeting %mild grout hint
every indulgence doe to his sitwition—(ApplatisPs.t
Upon the cloth being removed, and the health of " The
King" being given, the Clialiman proposed " The Prince
Regent; an 1 may lie ne% ei• forget the principles which
placed the Howie of Brunswick upon the Throne of this.
country;"—( Acclamations of applause.)—" The Queen, and
the rest of the ;ta.s al Family" followed, and was received with
appropriate ilemonsti alien: of respect.
The Royal I .11:tirman then said, that before he called the
attention of tile pi esent assembly to the particular business
of the day, lie would first propose—
" The City of London, and Prosperity to its Commerce:"

Anxiously alive as he felt fur the commerce and indepen-
dence of the City, he mullet not allow this toust to be put
without the pleb:M.laq expressiou of his warm approbation
noplausc.)
The toast was civets widl three times three.

The Roy al Chairmen, in rising to particularize more im.
nitiliately the Ini-iness of the day, regretted in a poignant
•sense, the ab.ence of the worthy Chairman, who was pre-
vented by a domestic affliction from performing the duty
allotted to him, and the particular predicament in which he
(the Royal Chairman) was placed to the injury of that cause
of which lie declared himself so sincere an advocate (great ap-
•planse.) His Royal Highness stated, that he came to the
meeting on public grounds, and merely as an individual,;
anxious •to scot: emulate his words}, 'friend, Mr. Alderman
Thorp, on the success of his•causc.(applause.) Heintended)
to have been; present merely ss an individual participating in
the sentiments to which the occasion gave birth ; but acci-
dent had, on this occasion, thrown hint into a more prominent
situation, and he could assure the meeting, that no man more
deeply felt for the interest of the country at large than lie
did, or more cordially rejoiced in the triumph of that great
question on which they had produced so constitutional and
ceffective an epi ll ion (applause) He was a man of few words,'
though one who generally reflected on those which fell from
'him before their utterance. He had entered, so far as his
judgment guided hint, deep into the interests end welfare of
'his country.—'stay had been of late. years of site! impor..
•tance, and such as deserved the fair and unbiassed opinion of
•the people of the country : indeed they were of that nature
that it became a matter of importance, nay of duty, for an
honest man to pronounce his opinion upon them (applause.)
This
.was an occasion in which a man would, generally speakine,
•he inclined to sit down on his triumph, and not revert to the
poltuoal measures that were so nearly connected with it. He
wouldnot enter intothedetails °fate acts °film last Parliament;
but as a 111411 an %lot's, andentitledat least to lament the resulisot:
•these acts had arisen from a long and &Trott-acted war' on
the merits or demerits of which he now would not touch. But

'the country knew and felt that, after a long and arduous!
struggle, when the Ministers; by their own declarations, had
•triumplied—when the country liad.condiseted this tsar to .its
conclusion at au unparallelled expense, and when all the
main pledges of economy bad been left unfulfilled—when
in time of peace s standing army was maintained, and its
• constitutioual reduction resisted—when every effort was
vainly made 'for a reduction, and when all the promised re-
sults of the war had failed in the hands of the promoters of
'it—it was high lime that the people, should look at the con.
duct &those who supported the war,and allied of those who
'opposed it. .It was.then from a review of the acts of their
•legislatoes, the duty of the people,when the hour of the con.
-siltation'''. exercise of their power came, to examine ;pea.
.fically • the claims of the candidates for their support. The
'citizens of •London had, in his (mission, made a wise election,
•and he now most heartily congratulated them upon it (ap-
.plauseJ) He would not, by a retrospect of the business of
their election, touch upon the dead (laughter.) He would not
unisteessasily enter upon ineidiout comparisons. No man
more loved freedom than he did, yet lie would not sinneces-
aarily• interfere in the choice at as election—as a Peer it
elmild be unconstitutional. Now, however, that the election
was over, lie was free to say, that as he had heard many votes
had been eolicited•for on the ground of private friendship,
'lie begged, on this account, to declare his opinion. He had
lids private friendships and his predilections.; but he would
.most positively declare, that on no grounds of private friend-
-ship,unaccompanied by a public claim, should his vote, if he
'had one, be given (great applause.) The confidence and
disposal of public power constituted a different trust from
that of private friendship ; where the rare union of the
'claims et both was apparent, then the task wax as easy as
.it was grateful—where the claims were merely of a private'
Is/stare, and opposed to public principle, then in vain would
'the claims of friendship be pleaded to him—public duty
.should have paramount sway (great applause). He congra-
;tulated them on this good feeling in the late election. They
lead chosen, among oilier independent men, a worthy Alder-
• Man (Thorp) whom his Royal Highness had known since the
.time of his Shrievalty, and whose kind assistance he .hall
often found in the cause of charity and benevolence (grea t
applause)—*He had also given pledges of his future public
• conduct—those, indeed, were unnecessary, when they con.
aitlered that the worthy Alderman's father had been the con-
Mani Mein' of the revered Charles Fox (applause.) The
Royal Chairman concluded by proposnig—
" The health of Mr. Alderman Thorp. said may he lung live in
**affections of his Fellow-citisrus."—Drank with three times these,
sips; great applause.
Mr Alderman Thorp observed, that from the manner is
whelt his health had been proposed by the illustrious Chair-
man and received by the company. he should have felt ex-
tremely embarrassed in returning thanks, if he could have
deemed such en honour a personal compliment; hut con-
ceiving that honour tether meant as a testimony in favour of
those pulsisr proiciples. of which he was but an humble ail•
emate, that embarrassment was removed. He was glad to
Lod himself regarded as the friend of liberty and indepen.
deuce, and he hoped lie should prove himself deserving of
that retard. lea's ideal esteem he duly valued, but he mach
more tfteetnetl the support of those who looked to him as the
advocate of let. tights •ush privileges of the people. He was
indeed gratifii d to find that lie seas so regarded in the course
et his CAUViiS, and in the progress of the poll. For no
Mama distinctive ur pas tiality could ever be so .geotefel. to