The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1820-02-26 00:00:00

MEETING OP till feIIENDII or . .
• MR. ALDERN4N irdmiMAN.
tesserrlay a General Public /11‘eting of the
Friends of Mr. Alderman Watiestmau was held at
the City of London Tavern, Rishopagate-street, to
adopt the most effectual means fur 'retiring his re-
election as one of the Repteseutetives iw Parliament
fur the City of London.
At one o'clock the worthy Alderman, Mr. Alder-
man THOMAS SMITH. Mr. FATRIA, and several
others of his friends. entered the room amidst loud
cheerr.
On the motion of Mr. F•TILI.L. Mr. Alderman
THoM•11 SMITH was voted unanimously iuto the
Chair.
The CHAIRMAN then addressed the meeting.
It afforded him infinite pleasure to see so numerous
and respectable a body of his Fellow-citizens as-
sembled in support of the cause of his worthy
Friend, Mr. A lderinan Waitliman.—(Hear.)—A
set of Resolutions would be presently submitted to
them. They all had long known his respected
friend; they had known him, too, us the tried
friend of his King, his country, and hie consti-
tuents. It was utinecessery for him to tell them that
throughout the long period of 25 years, during which
Alderman Weidman had held a seat in the Common
Council, he had distinguished himself ae the able
and intrepid defender of the rights and privileges
of the Livery, as well as of this subject at large.-+
( Hear.)—Under this impression they had sent him
into Parliament. Dud he not done his duty there
also ? Had he not rather surpassed than fallen
short of soy expectation concerning him ?—( Ap-
)—At the time of his lust election lie had
been a simple Common Councilman—since that,
howevet, he had been prevailed upon to take die
Aldermanic gown ; he hoped, however. that they
avoid not deem Jinn the less eligible, to represent
them on that account.—(Hear.)—He should take
leave to aay only thus much more—they had re-
turned Alderman ‘Vaitliman to Parliament free of
all personal expense before, lie trusted that they
would do so now also.— (Applowse.)—lle should lint
trespass longer on that time which ought to be
devoted to businesi.

Mr. FA,EI.I. then rose—lt was with honour and
pleasure he presented himself before so many of
his Eellow.ci!ixens, met together for the purpose of
securing the return to Parliament of his old friend,
their tried and intrepid advocate. Impressed with
a sense of the abilities, the integrity, and itideiwii-
(fence of Alderman IVaitlimen—cunvinced that lie
hail for many years, and on very trying occasions,
manliilly stood forward in defence of the rights and
privileges of the City of London, they had sponta-
neously, us the best reward of his services, dele-
gated him to speak their sentiments in the House
of Commons. They had gained a proud victory
before, and he was confident that they would now
follow up those exertions which had emancipated
them, and burst those shackles with which they had
long been hound, nit it were will, iron; that they
would eerie a glorious triumph, and establish, on a
firm basis, on independence worthy of the first city
in Europe.—(Cheers.)—lt had been hinted at else.
where that is dissolution of Parliament was promptly
required, because the Ministers wanted a more
compliant Parliaineot than the present. Whatever
the rest of the kingdom might do, he hoped the
City of London would not *end into the House
Members more compliant than the last. However
othei.Gentlemen might act, he was sure that Al-
deemed Waithmon was made of too stern staff to
be brought by Ministers to content to any thing
which would appear to him inconsistent with the
rights of his conatituents.—(Applause.)—At the
present period it was me perhaps more than
on soy preceding occasion, to oppose both men
and measures, as well on other grounds as be-
cause it was a fact in the recollection of every
one, that an attempt had lately been made
by Gentlemen. to decry and undervalue the privi-
leges of. the Livery of LOndon—(Hear)—and so
far had it been carried, that a prosecution had been
even instituted in the King's Bench against their
excellent Representative and several other indi-
viduals, for dis.Asssing questions of grievance in
their Common Hall.—(Hear.)—Bot in proportion
as their rights of any description were invaded, it
became them to stand up in support of the whole.
Certainly the Gentlemen who had derided and en-
deavoured to undervalue their other rights, had
still not forgotten that the Livery of London were
allowed by law to interfere in the election of Mem-
bers to serve in Parliament, and accordingly had
of late, in some manner, changed their tone, sod
become somewhat polite and attentive.—( Laugh-
ter.)—But the electors might to bear in mind
that these were the persons who, when the City
attempted to interfere of Late, on a very important
occasion, had laboured to prevent it, had heaped
insult sod indignity on the Livery, and treated it
as.a Fare!l then proposed
the first Resolution (fur which and the others see
Adrertisement), which wai carried unanimously.
Mr. JAME* WILLIAMS moved the second Reso-
lution, which was carried unanimously.
Mr. OLDHAM introduced %the third Resolution
by a speech of some length, which was passed in
the same manner as the preceding:

Sir Wu. Itwwl.lNs and 11r. BIACKETT moved
the next two Itesolutimis, which were carried unit-
uimoutly.
Alderman WAITHMAN next rose, amid the loud
applause of the Meeting. Ile had, he said, to thank
his fellow-citizens tor the exertions they had sdready
made. In the course of his life lie never felt him-
self at a loss to fight the battle of their indeptinleoce
—he never shrunk from a contest which a sense u(
duty and devotion imposed on hint : • but 'lowa
standing amongst them, Ise confessed that he wain.
ed words to express Ins confessed that
those feelings were overpowered. But his friends
would appreciate the silence that proceeded from a
difficult) •.) give expression to feelings of gratitude'
—deep, uliaffected, and sincere. It was to him an
additional gratification to see his old and respected
friend placed in the chair. The effort which he
made iii coming up to town fur that purpose Iffil,4
au additional proof of his personal kindness, and of
his public spirit. worthy and respected friend,
he was sore, would pardon him for alluding to his
time of life, for it was Hot an unplesionit topic to
those who could look back on a long course of
yeast; spent in the exercise of private "virtue
and In the discharge of public: duty. The