The National Register.
London, England, 1817-06-02 00:00:00

ANNIVERSARIES.

PET CLUB.
Wednesday being the anniversary of the birth-day
of the late Right lion. Win. Fitt, a Meeting was held
in Merchant Taylors' Ilan to commemorate his memory.
About six o'clock, upwards of three hundred and tifty
Noblemen and Gentlemen sat down to a sumptuous
entertainment, the Right lion. R. Peel, M. I'. in the
chair, supported by the Lord Chancellor and the Earl
of Li verpool.—After the cloth was removed, " Non
pubis Dusting" was most excellently sung by Messrs.
Leete, Taylor, Bryant, 'Fyffe], Broadhurst, and Evans.
The band of the Artillery Company performed several
delightful airs; and excellent s,:ags, composed to the•
memory of this able Statesman, were sung.
An influential Government -Print of Thursday last,
contains the flowing observations upon the absence of
Lord Castlereagh awl Mr. Canning.
" Neither Lord Castlereagh nor Mr. Canning were at the
dinner. We regret their absence, and the cause of it. It is
said that the toasts were sent by the Committee of Manage
anent to those distinguished Personages, to one of which they
objected, the toast of —" Protestant Asceinlancy'—a. locum.
siistent with their known support of the Catholic Claims.--
Mr Gifford and the Committee sturdily and strentioudy
maintained it ought to be giv.m, and the absence of the two
Ministers was the consequence. Now we shall not he sirs.
peered of being hostile to the cause of Protestant ascendancy
—E•to perpetouf But as it was so desirable to have had the
presence of such distineni.lied ad•iiirers aud- adherents sof
air. Pitt and his principles, it would have been as well, per-
haps. to have omitted this toast, particularly as there was
another toast —" The House of Brion.wick, and may they
never forget the principles which seated t! em ma the throne
et these realms." Was not the Protestant Constitution in
Church and Slate ale of these principles? But indeed we
cannot conceive why a favourer of the Catholic Claims might
not drink the toast of Protestant Ascendancy, unless he is
brepared to say that there should nut be the least distinction
etween the two religions ; that the Catholic should lie as
eligible to the Ohre of Lord Chancellor,— OM keeper oldie
king's conscience,—as a Protestant ; and that the king illia-
felfolight not to be excluded out the liocrty of conscience
granted to every other person in the realm."
What an admirable illustration is this of the true
meaning of Roman Catholic Emancipation ! Ask its
advocates what they mean by it, and they will tell you
the release of Catholics trout certain political disabili-
ties. Give them for a test a toast, which implies, that
Protestantism should be the prevailing religion, and
they will neither drink it, nor come where it is to be
drank. Ey:m Protestant advocates of the Bottum Catho-
lic pretensioas will not do this. What then will the
pr‘Acnsions prove to be, when Roman Catholics them-
selves shall have an opportunity of illustrating the.n ?

S)CIETY FOR TIM ENICOPRAGF MuNT OF ARTS,

It ANUFAC roll Ks, ,LND

Welnesday, soon after twelve o'clock, his Royal
Highness the Duke of Sussex, president, took the chair;
and after he had aunounced to one of the mo t brilliant
assemblies that, perhaps, ever graced the Free Masons'
Hall, the purpose for which they had met, Mr. Aikin,
the Secretary, gave an explanation of the objects of the
Institution ; and it is but justice to that gentleman to
remark, that the objects of the Ins:nation never appear-
ed in a more interesting shape.
His Royal Highness the President, was particularly
afilitit to the subjects which came be five him ; and by
his dignified and afiltble manner of presenting the re-
wards, added in no iaconsiaerable degree to their value.
In giving the premium to lilaster Barlare, who had
antE:red amputation of the right aria, his Highness was
uncommonly affected.
Previous; to the company separating, the Pre4,lent
thanked them liar their attention to the business of the
day ; and an assemblage of near two thousand persons,
consisting of rank and beauty, departed highly gratified
with the treat they had received.
Among the visitors, we observed the Persian Prince,
Mersa Jatiii, who seemed uncommonly attentive to the
distribution.