The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1820-07-14 00:00:00

-•

• 1,

7vt

•
•N. • •,*

4 \ t

coMitom cousct&

for%sc'eseitterirdilapyuarposesCourl of Cosaa t! ges Council ;re, heft!s.
CALLING OkiT dt TOR MILITARY.
When the Chair bud town taken,
Mr. Alderman Waint*** salt h. wialwd to ask
• ipiraione dersrly Litestsecird wilt the rits sod
privileges of the City. liiseitig ungenaii
Hall 'withers had been pasted in different gaitti
the Cite. and there was opt oiderlritragnoil itotitlarA
at the door of the Nall.—(Hear.)—lt had beer;
given out in the Newipaperii that it was the Lord
Mayor *ho had called theta out he isiOlied to
whether it torte titer that Ms iortillllp kV 1% I
that 'frit, owl whether any and what coroep onde.
had taken place between bias awl the Secrecy% ~
State on that occasion—and .hop whether any tat: I
sod circunistatices had come to his knowledge to

kostify so novel awl extent/1111mq u prateeding ?
(Hear.)

The LORD MAYOR replied. that it was by
desire that the Secretary of State bad a•tt,red .t
troop of cavalry to the south side of
bridge and to liationsitarden. lie hal acted to
the manner hr had, because he had been charged
with the suleinit duty of the preservation of tte
pewee of the city, and that an example might hr
set to the rest of the country. Such bad. been Ira
volt feeling, and hr thought that he had dung
nothing more than his duty.
Mr. Fs•xt.t. said, it was, with pnin he felt himself
called upon to take a part in this dircusaintl,
be had received personal civilities from the Lard
Mayor—butt his public duty superseded, iu las
mind, every miser consideration. fie put it to is:•
brethren in the Court to decide with coolness :nut
candour whether any thing had been stated by hi.
Lordship to justly the strange and unconstitutional
measure to which their attention bad been drawn.
II the Lord Mayor could state any seflicient ma'am
for what he had done, he would with pleasure have
acceded to the propriety of it. The Court felt
every disposition to look over even the mistakes
and errors of the Chief Magistrate when they were
not or such u nature as to strike not only at the
privileges of the City, but the vitals of the Conan-

tutionof the country. The circumstance snider
consideration involved the dearest rights nut only of
the citizens of London, hut of all Englishmen.—
He did not wish to aggravate the feelings of the
Court, hut after what they had heard front his
Lordship, as the guardian's of the rights of their
fellow-citizens they were bound to notice the trails-
action. The Livery indeed were the constitutional
guardians of the rights of their fellow.cifixens---it
was they who possessed the elective franchise, the
right of sending Members into Pediment, and
they were an ancient body, whose 'etiolation, and
acts had always (notwithstanding the late attempts
to calumniate and lower theru)—(Hear)—been
ceived with respect. Were such a body of men tie
he intimidated in their proceedings by the cellist:4.
out of a military force ? If they looked back to the
worst periods of history, even to the time time of
Charles 11., when the Recorder went to the Privy
Council to make a report of the speech of an indi-
vidual, who was thrown iuto prison in courequence.
still they would find, that never, in these timer,
military force hail been celled out to overawe the
deliberations of the Continuo Hell.—(Hear.)—This
was a roost serious charge, and howver paiuful the
obligation might lw, it must be uccouuted for by his
Lordship. lithe Livery could not meet to deliberate
without the apprehension of danger sod mischief.
let the Court look in what extent that principle
might he carried. If such a principle were in any
case admitted, how long might the Common Coun-
cil itself be permitted to meet in twice ? This he
did not know, hut SOllle future Lord Mayor, more
feteful than emit his Lordship, might cause guards
to be placed in the neighLeourhooll of that assembly-
room.—(Cheers.)—lf the timeliness( legal and con-
stitutional bodies, such as the Common Hall and
Common Council, were interfered with, the cons's.
quence would he, that the people would meet as
they unfortunately and unwisely had done at Spa-
fields and other places. His Lordship had un-
doubtedly gained more credit by his conduct it,
the Chair than his predecessor; hot after acceding
to the requisition convening the Hall, and presiding
at it himself with other Magistrates. it was ex-
traordinary that he should have thought of bring-
ing out a military force to overawe its deliberations.
If such a system should be persevered in. he would
be placed iii the same situation with Mr. Fox in
the House of Commons. when he had exclaimed
in that assembly, under CIICIIIIWKIICCS of this
kind, " resistance is only a matter of expe-
diency." He would assert that in the face of hr,
Majesty's A ttorney-Genersl. for the Cotten oriole
was not founded ou the doctrines of uon-resistauce
and passive obedience—(Cheers)—it was founded
on principles very opposite. which the Court would
find stated with ability and force in the trial of
Sacheverel. This transaction would lead the coati-
tty to believe, that the citizens'of Losidbilleere ao
imbecile, or so disorderly, that they could not ha
allowed to meet without orderly soldiers, to give
notice when the military ought to approach. if
such a system were persisted in, no one•would dare
to come forward with a motion adverse to the in-
cliiiations of the Ministers of the day. To call out
an armed force was the must inexpedieut step in the
world to preserve tranquillity, bring that most
likely to create eouftnoois and tumult, and inflame
and exasperate the politic mind.
Mr. FAVELL the', proposed a motion—(fur
which see Advertisement.
Mr. OLDHAM seconded the motion. He leaoke,l
with great jealousy on the practice of eutplu}:tig
the military, on occasions where the civil power
might act with greater effect. It was one of the
readiest methods of breaking and putting dowu the
public spirit.
his The Lo
tao conduct. His
entered
lisniot, on ju
motive
had
been
tttatins. of otifipere.na
trct the deliberations of his fellow-citizens in
their Hall. They would be the snore disputed to
think he had acted right. when they recollected
what bad taken place in the mayoralty of Alderman
Wood. He lad been the store confirmed in the re•
solution on which he had acted, because there were
inflaussmitory placards posted up in various parts of
the City on the day is. questiou, which be lied caused
to be pulled luau. It was impaasulde wiry what
might have been the intentions and objects of
the advisers and authors of them, stud ender thew