The National Register.
London, England, 1820-05-28 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

them, l'ecy nail :mewled an orderly, a peaceable,
and an `• illegal" meeting, and they had been guilty
of what every honest man in the country had com-
mitted; doing the utmost to resist a borough-mon.
going domination, which had brought ruin to the
country Whatever opinion might be entertained
of Mr Hunt, and none had less reason personally
to be pleased with him than be (Sir F. Burdett),
vet be should be ashamed of himself if he so far
forgot the principles of freedom and justice as in the
present sitoution of the Country to be biassed by
any feelings of his own either of a friendly or un-
friendly nature, when every feeling and every
thought was required on the part of the public.
and he thought the country would he wanting in
duty, if attention were not paid to those who were
now suffering in prison. But what an extraordi-
nary crisis had arrived, and how calamitous, how
alarming was the state of the country. Those self-
ish men who had startled front Reform as from a
ghost, were now petitioning fin. relief This was
the natural result—the country which had looked
so florid in the face, hail been in reality sick at
heart. The country had been going on like a
thoughtless spendthrift—all had looked well and
flourishing, and :t MIA known that a spendthrift lie
ver looked so well as the year before be broke down.
But there were some preseribin,, the payment (tithe
debt as na of relief Unles•, however, there
were strong measures, they could hope for no
relief; but they were measures that could not be
expected without a Retimm of the Borough-Pro-
prietorship of the House of Commons. This had
long been apparent to the City of Westminster, and
it was making its way through the country. It
was a remarkable phenomenon, which had presented
itself in this country, that the humbler, the work-
ing classes, were more ardent in the cause of Re-
form and National Freedom than those a ove them.
Whatever might be the maul', be could not be-
lieve that they who had liberty as a birthright,
would be satisfied in beholding France and Spain
surpassing them in the enjoyment of reform. He
trusted that England, Ireland, and Scotland would
unite, and see the necessity of radical reform, of the
equal enjoyment of civil rights and national freedom.
That conviction would ensure them advantage, and
he trusted they would lose no opportunity to keel,
alive in the breasts of their countrymen the remain-
ing spark of liberty. He concluded with again re-
turning thanks for the peculiar honour that had
been conferred upon him. (Loud applause.)
Tune—" Oh give me death or liberty."

The next tcast was—
" Our Brother Reformers in Ireland a•-,1 Scotland, and may
political and religious differences cease to be grounds of civil
incapacity."
Tunes--" Scots wha ha e Wl' Wallace bled," and " Erin go
The following toast WAS received with great
applause—
"J. C. Hobhouse, Esq. the eutrepid opponent of a borough-
mongering Oligarchy."
Mr. Hobhouse returned his acknowledgements.
This mark of respect was most grateful to him, and
in return he was prepared to go every length which
the Constitution would allow to promote their cause.
He then adverted to the arguments on the applica-
tion of Sir Francis Burdett for a new trial, decla-
ring that if some of the points which were then
urged were successful, the most serious inroads
would be made on the public liberties. One poin,
was, that a writing, though never publishedt
might still be punishable as a libel ; tm.l this opi-
nion was grubbed up by the Chief Justice, though
the opinion had never been acted upon. The doc-
trines of search warrants set at rest, as was sup-
posed by Lord Camden, might be revived, it' such
grubbed-up opinions were to prevail. The distinc-
tion between publishing and causing to be publish.
ed, be contended, had never before been urged.—
Seeing all these things, he declared, and no man of
courage, in his opinion, would avoid avowing it,
they must either be governed by a standing army or
the rules which had been laid down by the Consti-
tution. He then adverted to the sentences on Mr.
Hunt, &c. and declared, that the Country ought to
step forward in the aid of the persons now suffering.
He spoke of the necessity of Reform, of the advan-
tage which he expected would result from Mr.
Lambton's motion ; and declared that though the
sun of Reform might be clouded, he would rise
again with renewed splendour. (Applause.)
After some further warts, the company separated.
• DESCRIPTION OF THE VASE.
As this compliment to the Hon. Baronet, which pro-
ceeds from the Parish of St. James, exclusively, has ex-
cited a good deal of inlet est, a description of It cannot
fail to be acceptable. It is a fine silver vase, and is after
the design of Sir W. Hamilton's, and in size it is 'effi-
ciently capacious to contain six quarts wine measure.
The base hiss a richly embossed banded wreath of oak
leaves, immediately above the caorite, and the bottom
and cover of the vessel are entirely covered With inter-
twined roses, thistles, and shamrocks of dead silver,
richly chased in alto-relievo ; the cap surrounded by a
Was, chased is imitation of the Fasces. Two female
figures, each bold Log in one band a cluster of grapes,
in the other • bowl, and terminating , in a rioh flowing
acanthus and honeysuckle, form the bindles: and_the
Cover is summated by another winged female figtua,ein- J

oleo:attic of she guardian genius of the liberties of En-
gland, pi esenting• the Civic wreath to its Champion ire
hr Semite. 011 one side of the body of the vase is a
groove of figures, beautifully executed in bas relief, re-
pt., set: Mg the Worthy Baronet habit rd in the Roman
toga, and unmated upon a rostrum; fr which be is
haranguing an assembly of tit tens, and p :Mg at the
sail', time to the insignia of the British Constitution—the
Crown, the Mace, the. Sword and Seals of Justice,
Mania Chaita, mid the Bill of Rights, entwined with
chaplets of oak and laurel, and placed above his head.
litioag the group° of citizens are repot two aoldiefs, in
1.0 set of applauding the speaker, by waving their het-
tiampling on the instritments of punishment, in
allusion to the lion. Baronet's opposition to the flogging
ss sr, mii the Army. The opposite side of the vase beats
the atm . of the Non. Baronet, richly embossed and
and beiseaM the following inscription :
TO
Sea FRANCIS BURDETT, BART.
For four successive Parliaments the freely chosen Representative
n tae City of Westminster,
Whose undaunted courage and persevering consistency.
Danng a period of twenty-four years,
In a struggle for the tecovery of the Rights and Liberties of the
People,
Have long been the admiration,
And now fonn the c hope of his ..ppressed countrymen.
and will leave to all posterity a rare example of
ins nterested Patriotism,
Tuts CUP is PRESENTED
As a token of res,ect g:atitutte by his Fellow-Citizens and
Constituents of the Parish of St. James, Westminster..
1820.

The sum suliseribed was 200 guineas; and that
amount was expended in the material and workman-
mop, by Mr. Wilkiuson.

Mr. HUNT.—The following is a copy of a letter
received in town from Mr. Hunt :—.-
66 Ilchtster, Thursday morning.
" I arrived at my de tination and entered the inner dour of
my dungeon last night at ten o'cloce, having both taken from
the Kings Bench at four o'clock in tne morning. .ravelled
a distance of 130 miles in 1 K hours. It is needless to inform you,
ho arc ell with the innate habits of our ma ten.
that I on.y received about lour hours' notic• or my
departure; and even tat was not ormimunicated till after the
doors were closed. o that it was iender.d impossible for me to
communicate to •ay distr. stied family. to save them the mortifi •
cation of inquiring, in vain, for me in the morning. I slept
seven hours, and awoke perfectly refreshed ; nd in such spines
and health as have enabled me to continence my work of
incarceration not wily with fortitude, but with cheerfulness—a
practical proof that the inhabitant of a straw bed, even when tut
iffrunt Vie society of hie dearest friends, and locked within Me
walk ola grated dungeon, it blessed with conscious ectitude. is
sure to obtain more substantial enjoyment than . My
first thought induced me involuntarily to exclaim to the walls of
my dungeon, ' What would the hobbling poor cripple
or the carbuncled give to enjoy such a night as L
have passed P—To be brief:the Governor of this his Majesty's
gaol of Ilchester bears the caaracter of a Mullane man ; and I
have as yet no reason to doubt the truth of it, as he appears dis-
posed to do every thing that the strict rules of the prison disci/Ass
will admit to make those who are put under his care a, comfort-
able as the nature of their situations will permit. Be pleased to
inform all enquiring friends, that I ant in perfect health, and
look forward to the completion of my 912 days of incarceration.
not otarWith &mess, but with the greatest composure and
chmfulnesst

Parson Harrison arrived in Cheater on Wednesday
night lust, by the mail, in the custody of Mr. Mud•
son, constable of the castle. He appeared to be
in very good spirits, and conversed some time at the
Post-office door with a stranger, who waited the ar-
rival of the coach. The whole periixl of impri-
sonment to which he is sentenced, is three years and
a half.

On Sunday last a loaded brig, on her passage
from Chepstow to one of the Dock-yards, met with
an accident that had nearly proved of the most se-
rious kind. When in the act of working through
the Shoots, the wind dying away, she drifted on a
rock called Gruggy, by which she received so much
damage that, notwithstanding the most skilful appli-
cation of the best means that could be obtained to
exclude the water, the benefit of pumps and bailing,
aided by the valuable assistance of one of the New
Passage boats, it was with much difficulty she was
kept up until she reached the shore.

A Shirt made without Needle-work.—Mr. David
Anderson. of the damask tnanufitctory, Deanside
Brae, has finished a shirt entirely in the loom with-
out any kind of needle-work, and has another in
progress of a superior quality, intended as a present
to the Hunterian Museum of Glasgow. We have
seen this singular production since it was finished,
and find in it every requisite and ornament of a
man's shirt. The neck, handhands, and shoulder
straps, are double cloth, and neatly stitched: the
button-holes arc wrought with button stitch. It
has also the requisite buttons, gussets, and a ruffle;
and on the breast is woven the Glasgow Arms, with
the motto, " Let Glasgow flourish," and below.
" Woven and presented by David Anderson." We
understand this singular piece of mechanical inge-
nuity, which does great credit to Mr. Anderson's
professional abilities, was on Tuesday presented to
Dr. Coupar, for the purpose he intended
A wonderful fat sheep was killed and shcwn at
Stow Fair, in Gloucestershire on the 12th inst. by
which by Mr. Marshall, butcher, of that place,
which, fur its enormous sire and brainy of symme-
try, was considered by all who saw it to be the beet
ever exhibited; the carcase weighed :2(i ilbs.—
It. was bred and fed by Mr. Large, of Broadwell,
near Burford.