The National Register.
London, England, 1816-08-04 00:00:00

MEETING at the CITY ty. LONDON TI VERY.

A very numerous meeting Wok phsai no Mont ay tst"trre
City of London tavern, to take into consideration the pre-
sent distressed state of the lower classes, and the most ef-
fectual means of extending relief to them.
About half past one o'clock the Duke of York entered and
took the chair, supported on his right by the Duke of Kent, nod
on his left by the Duke of Cambridge. He was accompanied on
his entrance by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of
London, the Duke of Rutland, Lord Manvers, the Chaucellor
of the Exchequer, Mr. Wilberforce, and other distinguished

......
His Royal Highness the Duke of York immediately
proceeded to open the business of the meeting by observing,
that as the gentlemen then assembled together had done him
the honour to place him in the chair, it became his tints to state
the object which they were then called upon to consider. He
should do this in a very few words ; not merely is mn a conscious-
ness of his own inability, but from a belief that many were to
follow hint on the same subject who were fully competent to the
task. The meeting had been called to consider, and 11`; far as
possible to alleviate, the present distress and sufferings of the
labouring classes of the community. These distresses were, he
feared, too well known to all who heard him, to require any de-
scription ; and all that he hail to add to the bare statement of
them was the expression of his confidence, that the liberality
which bad been so signally manifested in the cause of foo eign
distresses, would not be found to he wanting a hen the dio eetion
of it was to be towards the coinfoort and relief of ear counts y-
men at home. (Loud upplaost.
Mr. Carter, the secretary to the association of the year
Nu, then read a part of a report drawn up by a committee of
that society ; it is stated, that the society, though ouch very- in
adequate fluids, had produced very extensive good by commu-
nicating activity to local benevolence, and by furnishing a mo-
del upon which military meetings and the subscriptions and
efforts of particular districts might be formed, and brought into
a state of efficient operatino. The impatience of the room,
which was crowded beyond all example, interoolited the reading
of the report; and, at the request of the Duke of Cambridge, Mr.
Carter desisted.
The Duke of Kent said, he regretted much that it had
not been in the power of the gentleman who bad just sat down
to gain the attention of the meeting, and he attributed it en-
tirely to the weakness of his lungs; because, if the whole had
been heard, he was sure that it would have cmvinced .asery
body of the correctness of the views oriainmily entertained by
the association of 1412, and of the diligence with which they
had been pursued. The society had met with much opposition;
it had been objected to them, that their objects were not pa-
triotic, but political. lie begged to state, that the late Mr.
Whitbread had been so perfectly satisfied of the tutility of these
objections, that he had in the most public and candid monster
acknowledged that his first impressions had been erroneous,
and he became active in joining his exertions with those of the
institution. Much did he lament, because he knew the value
ably assistanee, and Pow freely it would have been afforded,
the wont of it on this occasion.. The plain and blood princi-
ple upon which that soviets, was formed, was, that those who
had the mean• should contribute in their due proportion to the
relict of those who had no means at all. The con& tion of the
country at that period, the actual calamity which pressed
apse it, was reel at te produce disooateut,:uid Olga hum-

Paiez.9i;d.

reetion. At present no such consequences had bitten Ware
and yet he would venture to state. that in many parts of the
kingdom, the sintering* which it was now their obj,•ct to alle-
viate had at nu former period been exceeded. With revert
to the causes of this dishes+, that presented a question hoe
which it was not neves:ny to inquire, with a view to their im-
mediate purpose. The immediate object was to raise a fund,
in the enbaequent accumulation and mauagentent of which.
many ulterior arrangements might be projected, and from
which charLy might soon emanatee, hi a thousand direr:hi-ass.
He doubted not that every comity and every town would her
quick to imitate tit, example of the metropolis. The a‘seci.
at- t.f Lela hail, at least, the merit of producing this effect„
and had spread through the whole land, that spirit of active
benevolence which he was feebly ins ukitig on this ueeasieo.
He tru.ted that it was necessary for him to say but little more
to ematie the adoption of the resultation which lie should have
the honour to propose. He confessed he felt gratified when
he saw so great a concourse of his countrymen asqembled to-
gether for such a purpose, and additional gratification at seeing
by whom they were suppoi teal. On his left, in the chair. he
feunti an illustrious relative of his, who seas alas ass forward in
works of beneficence, and nos a- forgetful of the interests of
the lower orders. Near him sat an illustrious Duke, whe.se
character was eqnsilly high in the couutry. On his right he
beheld the chief diguitary of the church, to whose high and
excellent qualities it was impossible for him to do adequate
justice; and around hint were many, whose station in society,
whose ranks as members of the legislature, and whose public
character and talents, were well calculated to advance and en-
sure success to their common object. He could net but re-
mark likewise, that the presence of a "'Nth:Haan high in his
Majesty's councils (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) was a
satisfactory pledge that the purpose they contemplated had the
countenance and sanction of covernment. He was stare, th. ri,
that he should not plead in vain to the national liberality; but
that a remedy would be promptly offered to an evil, which he
trusted would be teund but temporary. If they should Ise
imail so happy as hut to succeed in discovering new sources
of einployancia, to supply tha places of those char' utis athiets
had boot suil.l( My shut up, he should indeed despond if we did
not stun restore the country to that same flourishing condi-
tion which had long made her the envy of the world. It
would be improper for him to trespass longer; he had dis-
charged his share of duty, and had only to read the first reso-
lution which it was proposed to submit to their consideration.
The resolution was then read, and was hi substance, " That
the sudden transition from a state of extensive warfare, to a
system of peace, has been productive of a stagnation of em-
ployment, and a revulsion of trade, deeply infecting malty

'rids address was received with enthusiastic

Mr. Harman seconded the resolution, and expressed
his cordial concurrence with all the observations of the illus-
trious tnovcr.

A Person then addressed the meeting from the lower
end of the hall, sod begged to expruas 11114 opinion, that the
gloom and despondency which at present seemed to hang over
the country were unworthy of the character of Englishmen, or
of the glory they had acquired by the arduous strucele which
they had so successfully surmounted. When a celebrated an.
eient republic was closely besieged and vigorously attacked by
superior forces, the ground upon which the eni my's ell44llllp_
ment was fixed was sold at public auction, and fetched as hick
a price as if it had then been in the quiet occupation of its
owner. Why, then, ought we to fear under the present cir-
cumstances? Hannibal was not at our gates. Exertions coat.
par•atisely small would be sufficient to extricate us from all our
difficulties. If he were allowed to refer at all to the cause of
these difficulties, he should not hesitate to aset ibe them all to a
sudden and unlooked-for reduction of the circulating in, ditto].
It might not be easy to find a sufficient remedy; but he was
convinced that this was the single root of all the evil which
now cast a transient cloud user the laud. All that they It ,t 1 to
do at present, and all that it was permitted them to do, w..s o
confine their efforts to the mitigation of individual distre •
and, instead of indulging a spirit of unnecessary tlespondene,
however grateful it always was to an Englishman to be told
that he was ruined, look forward to the natural resources,
means, and energy of the country, as the certain and speedy
sources of a deliverance from its present burdens. Thta
speech was heard with a mixture of applause snit dissatis-
faction.

Lord Cochrane then offered himself to the attention
of the meeting and was received with a loud clamours in
which it was impossible to distinguish whether those who hiss-
ed or those who shouted approbation constituted the majority.
Having succeeded in gaining a hearing, be stated, that he
should not have trespassed en their attention, but for a par-
ticular purpose which had occurred to his mind. Afltr the
summons which he had received, he should have deemed it a de-
reliction of his duty to have abstained from attending, and Its
rose now hecanse lie saw no other individual prepared to de-
liver his opinions. What he desired to impress. upon the minds
of those whom he had the honour to address was, that the pre.
liminary resolution which had been read by an illustrious Duke
was altogether founded in fallacy. The existing ilistresst s
could not be truly ascribed to any su.l.b•n transition from war
to peace. Could it he pretended that it vas peace which had
occasioned the fall in the value of all agricultural pristine('? or
could any man venture to assert that the difficulties and sill%
filings of the manufacturing classes Mid ans other cause than
a prodigious and muumuus burden of taxation? (Loud epplaus,'.)
tie was much gratified at seeing the Ro)al Mikes so e in
promoting a generous and laudable undertaking ; and ht. Is Teti
tie should not he understood as treating them with di,. espect,
when lie repeated 11141 the resolution was faintled iu ao entire
fall.u•y. lint not to content with a inure asst film of
Ins own belief, he 11.11 ntutitfat Official documents to prove the
correctness of his gateinelitS; and if he should be wrung, he
SAW the C .ssiceilor attic Exchequer near him, who would have
lie opportautty of cot rycliag hiawYreproscutativa. (4 laugh.)