The National Register.
London, England, 1822-04-01 00:00:00

C0.V.110.V HALL.

On Thursday a Cottontail Hall was held in pursuance
of a requisition, very numerously signed, Mr the purpose
of taking into catioderation the necessity of a Reform in
Parliament, and So discuss the existing distresses of the
country.
At one o'clock the Lord Mayor entered the Hall,
iliowed by Aldermen Wood and %V.iithinatt, toe
Sheriffs., and a htlinb,r of Common C •thnen.
Ills LORDSHIP having informed the ttivetioa for what
purpose they were assembled, and expressed a hope that
an-impartial hearing would be given to every speaker who
should present himself,
Air. FAvELL came forward amidst loot! apnlauses.—te
The reqinsition which called them together, very pro-
perly, he said, originated with the Livery, although
Ise hail been requested to propose the resolutions
which were to Ise offered for their adoption. And &at,
be rhould beg leave to observe, that the Livery were
treated in a very vitt ratoiltnary and cotitemptuous manner
by moat of those who represented the City in Parliament,
nut one of the members for London, with the exception
of Alderman Vt'istel, having appeared in his place.—
(Cries of eltame.)—lt %es., hot, unfortunately, twee*.
wiry m remind the great body he addressed, how
repeatedly they had asked for redress in the liaise to
which they had sent their four 111enthers, or how often
their petitions hail been neglected. Tue predictions of
she Livery had now ben fatally verified. *l'lic Canal,
IplenCeS which they anticipated stood upon record, and
proved that out of the long and tenuous war in which
Etialatol had been to long engaged, arose the tiefarlotia
system of taxation which had rtilticed the country to its
present deplorable condition. A cons skiable change
had bent effected of late in the public mind. This had
been particularly exemplified its the great counties which
had been before in the habit of supporting ministers
through thick and this. In Surrey a namber was heard
upon an important occasion, to say, that lie lead sup.
ported Mr. Pitt for many years, but that at last he found
that Mr. P.tt was a jog, ler, and had cheated lout of his
property, and Isz would vote no inure fur such a clia.
r icier. (A laugh.) In the reply to the complaiws against
the system of that politician it was the custom to saz—
•" Tote who do not like the country may leave it.
Would it now be rash or injudicious to say—" It would
be of more advantage to the cause of libt ay if the friends
of that tertilie system had left the combry (Applause.)
—lt might be observed that. the Livery of Lotit„ni were I
rather late in coaling forward upon this quesiitai, but it
appears to him to be natural that they should wait
tutu the different counties made the access ity applica-
tions to Parliament to aacertain wbetlser Ministers
in-
tended to bring for ward measures of effectual relief. 'lite
conduct of Ministers upon receit ing the petitions of the
various counties slieweJ that no ethyl was meditated.—
One of their children had beets strangled in its birth.—
This was nothing less than might have been expected ;
but the people had real cause to be alarmed ao the decla-
ration of .Nlinisters. 11141 useless places and pensions must
be kept op for the sake of a pred ttttt imitate itifluetice in
the Morse of*Commons. (Hear, hear.) This was a des-
perate blow at the liberty of the subject, and it was time
indeed to make a stand ii pun an occasims so awlully
inters sting. It was needless to say that the citizens of
London sympathised with the landholders through the
country; that they felt deeply at seeing the respectable
eetsitieta awl farmers insolvetit, and the labouring man
eon!: in calamity. The dictates of common litimattity
prompted to that compassion. But the interests of the
a:Oulu of London wore interwoven with those of the
tiaticultural population oft he empire, and the commercial
and trading mitividnal snared nu proportion to the dis-
tresses of those who had recently made tildreCtUal appli.
carious fur relief. Tile universal operation of the system
had been felt. It was natural to complain of such es its.
It was impossible to deity that an unoecessary war had
produced debt, and debt taxation ; and this war had been
undertaken for the purpose of suppor.ing the iii exorcised
authority of Stn. relgliS abroad, and of preventing the
putiiug down of abuses at lionte.—(Hear, hear.---By this
sneatta exasperated feelings were promaced in the public
mind, and the entotioats of some irritated iudisidualt
seerecoosidered as a jusalietilion of the laze unprincipled
air tick upon the Ilritisit Constittniuti, the passmg of the
t.it acts. A military force was to he kept tip 00 this
totticiple—a tei nine di on upon our fmancial resources,
:ova holiang forth a triAlillUl appearance to the eyes at
loose who loved the Conetitutimi. All this wae, as
Ai:inters cometided. resulting Irons the increase of the
;emulation and the diffsisitm of knowital)te. 13.. s the
strength of the people awns a better reliance theta the
sword of a dragoon......(Mucli cheering)—\lr. Pavell
theta declared, that the only remedy for the evils cons-
plathed of was a 6.11 and fair representation of the people
Parliatilesit. lie 111.1•ke of the itnitienee popolatrun
auntie places, which had no members at all, and of
the desolate condition of others, which had several to
represent them. Ile wialsed that Sir Wm. Cur is was
present, but the old system or calling those disloyal who
appeared upon occasions hi which the interest& of the
public were involved, was begismisig to resive, autl the
Alentbers who o ere ready toe hornier nee:141011S in Weal(
of the love of their fellow ett,zais, itiajlit not be disposal
to meet them under such circumstances. He concluded
by moving a lona string in resolutions, &scribing the pre.
seta distress to las tall expeuditttre its tt e late war, to ent-
rain procee.imas in the House of Commons, and to the
want of such reform in t noose, as might cause its
member; to he positively and not as at ',resent, only
tionmally the repreeetitati.es of the 'stook.
M r. GALLOWAY said, lie felt great pleasure in second.
boa tile rrsmu,inns ss loch SO eleary stated the cause of the
punka mstress, and toe only adequate felneq.
Mr. lIANsoa sail, it was %%bony unnecessary to say
any thin..,pr.rol. of the want of ivinnit in harl,auuot.
ineinnetS its ate I.ll'ol (tile Givnvilies) had re.
eersetl b 3,0001 a year of the public imam); and the
whole Mal family 11,14 r:e,ieell would itow amount to
Iwo millions. It was lain elsinCt that any tiling
Lou a reoirin io Parlittuent would produce airy etatsidcr-
lit•le f,lIcHC:111.CO1 ui tr.e Isle. %;:i

Alderman WAlTtimAtr came forward to address the
meeting, and was greeted with the Wilt tuna applause.—
Ile said the OCC!S:011 MI w ltich they hail met Was most
momentous. The people year after year, had prerented
petitions to Parliament, praying lOr scions', without
producing way effect ; yet the tight to fßaition implied,
that the people should sometimes be attended to. The
distress was felt by all the classes of the people—the
causes obviously were, exorbitant taxation, and the fall
in the price of all commrttlities. It was not the want
of properly in the country, but the want of its disper-
sion among the people, the fundholiters having swept
the property into their own hands. Ministers say the
distiess proceeds float ,he excess of population, and the
excess of production—so that although there is too touch
food the people are starving. They say the machine of
government could not he carried on without influence,
and they say it truly of their own machine; hot a g00(i
government would want no such assistance, but would
find lot best support in the people's love.—lt was absurd
to say that the distress was confined to agriculture.—
Every one who heard ltim knew the contrary, and every
one who paid attention to the list of bankrupts in the
Gaulle, must be convinced that the distress of trade was
equally great.
Inc resolutions were then put and carried ottani-
tnously, as was a petition to Parliament, in which the
statements of the resolutions were embodied.
It was then resolved that the petition should be signed
by the Lord Alayor, two Aldermen, and twelve Livery
men ; and presented to the (louse ot Cotnnions by All
‘Vootl, and th it the other representatives of the city
should be instructed to support it.
A vote of thanks to Aldermati .Cool, foi his uniform
attention to the rights of his fellow citizens, was carried
by acclainwions.
Alderman WOOD declared he should present the pe-
tion with the greatest satisfaction, hoped it would be
supported by his colleagues ; fur Itimseli he was always
anxious to do his duty to the satisfaction or his coosiiitt-
cots, and to live in their esteem was tile only reward lie
covetted.—(Great applause.)
Mr. HALE motes a vote of Thanks to the Common
Council for their endeavours to have the cause of the
riot at Ktii2htshridge enquired into ; and a vote of cen-
sure on Su Witham Curtis, hut his conduct when their.
petition was presented to Parliament. Both of which
were carried unanimously.
Mr. Favxt.t. moved a vote of thanks to Mr. flume,
and the independent men by whom he was supported in
Parliament, for their persevering endeavours to procure
retrenchment in the public expenditure.
The motiott was carried unanimously, with the great-
est applause.
Mr. FAVELL next mewed a resolution, expressive of
the sympathy the Common flail felt for many persons
suffering for political olfatices, and partictitaly for Mr.
Henry Hunt, whose litatOlellt more resembled what
IMAIit have taken place wider the rei.ji of the Stuarts,
than what might be expected in the present enlightened
period
'This resolution, like all the others, was carried unani-
mously.
FAveLL concluded by moving a vote of thanks
to the Lord Nlayor, for the readinesa with which he
called the Hail, and the impartiality with which he
presided.
Tne resolution was passed by acclamation.
The Lotto MAYOR said, it was his earnest desire to
perform all his duties in a manner agreeable to his fellow
citizens, and lie was gratified to receive their ap-
probation.
'lnc Hall was then dissolved.