The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-12-31 00:00:00

A .~
•C

ROCHESTER MEETING.
The following Speech ems delivered by Majfir
TORRAS! on his health betiht proposed at a pub.
lie di rgi rev at Kocheeter, 00 the 15111 Dc.
eember, to W. P. Noaremal, for the
e• ty of Kent
Geotlrrnen-wl feel 'twat sensibly the honour which you
hove jest conferred opus me ; and if, in rising to address
yew, I retort amok' iu a onsesier shugether inadequate to
Ilse occaiios, it is because I have sot langonge to mosey
ilisseasolion which your past's' kiudssem has excited. To he
omitted by au WWI nobly s., mammies sod respectable would
be a source of aratifieatin at any time, and under coy fir-
( 61111114111,11 ; bet tube this remembered on au occasion like
the present, when you have met to consostour.ste • the
isiutgli, of 'Alit istineitiliffetr, bear}—and to erle-
/trate the Men of * Candidate whose name is justly dear
to the litst t interest of this meaty, thud who, is ad-
dition toraepetsual writ, possesses hereditary claims to
the love SIMI eimedrure of freemen--(Heor, bar)--ea
such us °mashie to be then received, is an honour of which
soy as. aught ho peeled, and of which it shall be the slfort
of my lit. . to prove myself not uuworthy.
I have ever regarded it as a must auspicious circum-
stance, that nay first oppression as a public character should
Imes hers among the Independent sod never-cormoirred
Mes of Kent. Up to the time Hest I first presented myself
to the Freemen of Rochester, I had nailed myself to uo
party-1 had formed so political coasexims whatever. I
6ml studied polities: nu moat of the pent questing of no-
tional interest 1 hail given my sestimeats to the public: but
I did them things--
" lr the full freedom of • Britoil's choice,"
and without soy reference to who was is, or who was est of
power. When, however, I offered myself m a Caodtdate fur
this City, I stated, as is usual on such occasions, my politi-
cal sentiments to as assembly of the Independent Femmes.
Thum sentiment* were in raisins with theirs; an alliassee—
trust an indissoluble alliance—was formed between im; I
hoisted the blue cockade, 11111 1 shall desert it only when
life deserts me.—(Appiame)--Hencrforward it shall be my
prime object to act with the Indeprodeat Interest of ibis
Ciosnoty in general, and of this City in partirular. It shall
be my pride to ideality myself with the descendants of them
uscanisimed

* Whose fame has mingled in each story
Of Freedom's strife, and England's glory."
eimilleusen, there never was a period when the momillests-
titre of the hereditary spirit of your county was more ne-
cessary than at present.
We live i■ ditficult sad dangerous times. While the
spread of knowledge, and the temper of the age, demand
a gradual relaxation of political monopoly, and the adoption
of more liberal s.•utimeesta in the administration of public
affairs, the :ilinisteis of this country bet themselves up to
mist all change, cud with igiborain and impotent arrogance
attempt to decree, that political institutions shall not in-
prove with the gsowiug improvement of the world. It is
impossible that this unnatural stale of things should last.
Our situation at this moment bean some resemblaace to a
powerful engine, which is capable of producing the most ad-
mirable mulls; hut which, if not skilfully managed, may
meager all within its reach. 'The rapid extension of know.
ledge, like all additional application of fuel, increases the
expensive power of the element which puts the machinery in
mothiss; while the Ministers. like miskilful sod ignorant
wOrkneen, instead of opesiog a safety.valve, madly endea-
vour to increase the 'steroid pressure, and to close up every
aperture through which the heated vapour might escape.
This process cutout go on without producing an explosion.
In an inmost slit political machine may be over-attained,
sod hu►l us we !mow not whither
But though we live io dange►ous times, yet fortunately
the ixperitaer derived from the best periods of our history
pasts out tlw patlt to safiTa. Mtn the unnyaided Heese
of Stuart refused In accommodate the maxims of its govern-
meat so the light and spirit of the times, a happy union of
wainscot betweeo tire Wlsig Aristocracy and At great mass
of the people, istimenpficasat the nevolatiou, nod plated the
prevent Family mime the throne; sad now, when an inflate-
idea Administration Cling to the Omahas of ages that are
pritt, aid disloyally advise their Master to armoires which
the cuuutry cannot beer.—(Herrr)-a mooed 'taint between
the Whigs and the people, by bringing about a timely, a
cautious, sad a rational Reform, may happily prevent a re.
voltaic's', and cause the Houma Brunswick to reign in the
hearts of Englislimea for ever.---(Cfreerinp.)—Kent, ever
foremost to adopt those measures which the coosereptiou of
ptiblie liberty requires--Kent, in rallying round the long.
r►spec.ted name of Houywood, has exhibited an auspicious
example of that union between the people sod their heredi-
tary leader% by which Moue the country ean escape the storm
of a revoliitioe us the one hard, or the deadly calm of des-
potism or the other. I shall therefore, Gentlemen (again
returning my inadequate thanks for the honour you have
done we, mud the favour with which you have beard me)—l
shall tlwiefoce, with the permission of your Chairs..., pro-
pose as a nowt, w Giscominered Ken►, awl may she wow, as
Isennuface, slew how the liberties of our cavalry may be re-
covered and pemerved applause.)

DARING Hossunr.A few evenings hark • fel-
low dressed a-la- Dangly entered the Grosvenor cor.
fee-house, krpt by Mr. Mot.i.otr, New Botml-street,
end unperceived got into the bed-room of Colonel
WALLureatt, and stole a han,lsotne frock cost,
but in his way out lie was detected. sod lodged in
the watch-house.

Olt the eve nn g of Christmas Day the shop of
Mrs. Our
haberdasher, in the Simla,
Catherine-street, ea. broken into, and robbed of a
quantity of stock in 'lade, consisting of caps, lace,
istv. wash which the thieves got clear off.
Tuesday se' •ght. between six and seven o'clock,
as the Canterbury Newsmen, each in their carte,
were via their road from Hythe to Romney, when
%titbit' alniut half a wile of Dynichurch, a RUM sud-
denly sprung I the side of the road, and at-
tempted to seize the horse of the first cart, hut
missed his aim anal fell under the horse, which went
over
was then got some little distance, when one of the
newsmen pursued, overtook, and brought him back
to their carts, where they met an officer with two
men, on the coast duty, who immediately recognized
the man, tool; charge of him, and marched hint a
prisoner to the officer of the party to which he he-
lunged. The fellow is a marine, and one of those
appointed to the duty of watching the persons con-
cerned in the contraband trade, upon the coast of
Kent.

ettatovs CIRCLUSTA NCE.—A. Mr. CoctutAlsE,
landlord of the Robert Burns Tavern, Strand, was,
in humble imitation of Mr. NIATMEWS, esitertaiii.
mg a numerous audience by au olio of singing
and recitat. at the Lyceum Theatre, ou Monday
reeipiug, the harmony of the company was suddetily
iuterrispted by the unexpected appearance of a con-
pie of bailiff. on the 4:•;•iie, who came forward 111)(1
seized the tuneful minstrel, in the midst of the spec.
bitora, as their prisoner. On his representing to
them the 46:44ppoilitaakent which 1).0 audicitee (who
bad paid 6‘. each for their Otitis* ) would exPe•
riwisve, tisiltme iiit: sports of the evening were allowed
In proceed, on his applying. perhaps, some
non- cuovincing rhetoric to their pecuniary feelings,
they permitted Mr. Cut:HßAvf to continue his TF
eut3ttotis. At the close of them, two of ilti friends
came forward, soil put in bail for his future sp.
peatance.