The Sun.
London, England, 1836-12-19 00:00:00

GRAND REFORM DINNER AT
NORTHAMPTON.

(From the Northampton Chi oniele.)
The dinner which has been previously announced in this
journal to be given to George Peach, Esq., as the first Re-
former ever chosen'to fill the office of Chief Magistrate of
this ancient borough, and also to immortalize the first and
glorious triumph under the new Municipal Act, took place
in the Assembly-roorts of the George Hotel, on Friday,
the 16th of December.
Among the Noblemen and Gentlemen present were—the
Earl Spencer, the Earl Fitzwilliam, Lord Charles Fitzroy,
Lord Lilford, R: V. Smith, M.P., the Chairman, 'Edw.
Bouvcrie, Esq., Otway Cave, Esq., M.P.,
Raikes Currie,
Esq., Herbert Langham, Esq., Aldermen Adnctt, Cotton,
and Williams, and the whole of the Liberal Members of
the Town Council.
After the cloth was removed,
The CHAIRMAN rose and gave in succession—" The
King."—(Three times three and great cheering.) " The
Queen."—(Three times three.) " The health of the Prin-
cess Victoria, the Duke of Sussex, and the rest of the
Royal Family."—(Tremendous cheering.)
The CHAIRMAN said he now rose to propose to them a
toast which he might call the toast of the evening. Though
they had often met in a similar assembly before, and he
hoped they should often meet there again, yet this was a
signal and a very memorable meeting.—.(Hear, hear.) He
believed that it was the first time that among an assembly
of gentlemen, the toast he was now about to give had been
given with any satisfaction.—(Hear, hear.) He was sure
that when lie first came amongst them six years ago, they
would have little expected that be should have given the
toast which he was now about to give, they little expected
that they would have seen Mr. George Peach Mayor of
Northampton.—(Cheers.) He thought that the most san-
guine among them would have shrunk from saying, that
they expected that Mr. Peach would have filled the civic
chair. He owned that it was a matter of surprise to him,
how any Corporation, self-elected or otherwise, ever dared
to exclude a man like Mr. Peach from the Council. He
now appeared in office amongst them, having lived to enjoy
that honour to which he was entitled, not by the gift of
any body who might have chosen him as kmatter of favour
• into their company, but by the free suffrages of the whole
town of Northampton.-4 Loud cheers.) It was on that
account, mainly, that he felt it a high honour to propose to
them the toast, and it was also a noble triumph to their
own exertions, gradually and temperately achieved, which
had placed Mr. Peach in the honourable situation which
he now occupiecl--Cheers)—and it was a much more ho-
nourable thing to them to be entertaining the Chief Magis-
trates of the borough: than to be takir, a feast from him—
(Great cheering)—out of the funds of the town—(Hear,
hear.) He did not know what particular wit characterised
those meetings, but at least he did know that the funds
that were drained were taken from those which should have
been appropriated to lighting and improving the town.—
(Hear, and cheers.) He never met with a more numerous
meeting, or one more calculated to do distinguished honour
to the gentleman whom they had to meet this evening. It
was therefore with great satisfaction that he had to propose
to them the health of George Peach, Esq.,.the first Liberal
Mayor of this town elected by a Liberal constituency.—
(Tremendous cheering.) •
Mr. PEACH then rose, and begged to return his heart-
felt thanks to the meeting, numerous and respectable as it
was, for the kind and handsome manner in which his health
had been drunk. It was most gratifying to.his mind, parti-
cularly when he considered how many distinguished noble-
men and gentlemen had honoured the meeting with their
presence. He felt glad that the Reformers had achieved so
great a victory. He could say for himself, that he never
was particularly ambitious of corporate honours, but inas-
' much as he had had the honour of being elevated to the
high office which he now held as the Chief Magistrate for
this Borough, an appointment he owed to the great and
unprecedented exertions of his friends in placing him at the
head of the poll at the late election. He would endeavour
to discharge his duties with fidelity and satisfaction-to him-
self, while in that office, and he hoped that when the time
arrived when he should be called upon to resign it, he
should do so with the additional satisfaction of a groat pro-
portion of the inhabitants of the town. He always had
been a decided enemy to any exclusive system. He thought
it exceedingly unjust that a man should be persecuted on
account of his religious opinions.—(Loud cheers.) The
late; Corporate Body said the worthy Mayor acted en-
tirely upon that principle—and however anxious he might
have been, to have become a member of the late body, he
would have been met with the terms " Whig"—" Dis-
senter"—and not unlikely—" Radical," or at least--" Half-
Radical.—(Laughter.) But he rejoiced that all persons
were now placed by the Municipal Reform Bill on an
equal footing, for which the public were indebted to the
excellent Administration which now held the reins of
Government in this country.—(Loud cheers.) Indeed the
foundation of British liberties was laid by that Adminis-
tration of which the Noble Earl who had honoured them
with his presence to-day formed so able, enlightened, and
efficient a member.—(Cheers.). He should be exceedingly
glad again to see that Noble Lord in office, but he was fully
convinced that whether in or out of office, the Noble Earl
would feel the greatest pride in advocating liberal and en-
lightened principles. They would always find the Noble
Earl desirous to promote the cause of civil and religious
liberty. He hoped to see the Noble Earl placed in some
important office in the King's Council, to which he was so
well entitled. In conclusion, he begged to thank the town
for the very handsome and gratifying manner in which he
bad been lately elected at the head of .the poll, for the flat-
tei•ing reception he had met with on the present occasion,
and in return drank all their good healths, and wished them
• all the happiness and prosperity which this world could
afford.—(Loud cheering was long continued.)
Mr. PEACH again rose and said it was with great pleasure
that he rose to propose the•health of their much respected
Friend aid Representative, Robert Vernon Smith, Esq.—
(Bravo ! cheers.) He very well knew, that nothing that
he could say would enhance, or raise him in the estimation
of those who knew him. It was always the greatest plea-
sure to him to oblige every person, and it was his (Mr. P.'s)
most ardent wish that Mr. Smith should continue the Re-
presentative of this town for many years to come.—(Cheers.)
He would sit down by proposing the health of their much
respected Chairman, Robert Vernon Smith, Esq.—(Tre-
mendous cheering, which lasted several minutes.)
The CHAIRMAN rose, and was again greeted with consi-
derable applause. When it had subsided, he said that if
be had only to return them thanks for the honour they had
done him, as chairman of that meeting, that would have
been a very small duty ; but as he had the honour of repre-
senting the town he should have more to say than would
have otherwiie devolved upon him. They were met there
upon an occasion which, as lie had previously said, was rare
to them, but it was one of joyous sympathy to all of them.
—(Cheers.) His Hon. Friend proposed to them to drink
his health as a representative of the town, and as their re-
presentative, whenever he had met them, he had always
thought it his duty to state his views on the political pros-
pects of the cause in which they were engaged.—(Cheers.)
He did not think it would be quite fair to represent the con-
duct of an administration or representative by any single
session of Parliament. He thought that if they looked at
the conduct of the Administration since they came into
office, there would be no reason to be dissatisfied.—( Hear.).
What had become of the toasts and sentiments which used
• to be their rallying points on these occasions. Parliamentary
ReforM, that had been carried ; looking still farther back
--Catholic Emancipation passed, the Test and Corporation
Acts repealed, slavery abolished, Corporation Reform—
(Tremendous cheering, in which the remainder of the sell-
tence was lost.) Ile turned to his Hon. Friend at his side
for an answer; there he was seated, as the Mayor of the
town.—(Cheers.) • The Liberty of the Press again. In
this last session, Parliament had taken off the taxes which
encumbered the press. These were the claims of Ministers
to their confidence. Having stated this, he had no hesita-
tion in proceeding to the acts of the last session. They had
abolished two of the grievances of the Dissenters of this
kingdom ; they had passed the general Registration Act,
and the Dissenters' Marriage Act.--(Loud cheers.) They
had relieved the press, as he had before stated, from the
stamp duties, and had taken off the paper duties ; had
equalised the duties on sugar, and thus enabled their colo-
nies of the East to extend their commercial energies. They
had not been able to pass those measures which his Ma-
jesty's Ministers intended for the amelioration of the state
of Ireland.—(Loud cheers.) They had been defeated
upon the Irish question, and they were told that the mea-
sure was a phantom ; but whether it were a shade or a
phantom, or whatever it might be called, it involved a
great principle, which should be adhered to. (Loud
cheers.) In this he was borne out by former Administra-
tions, for when they recollected that in the beginning of 1835
Sir Robert Peel came into oCte, and was asked as to the
course that he should adopt, Whet' did lie say ? That there
was very little difference between him: and the preceding
AdroinistratiOn—( Hear, hear)—and that the reforms they
meant to bring forward were just the same as those of Lord
John Russeft. " Very well," said Lord John," we will take
this reform and that reform from you ; but there is an es-
Aeetfal difference between us," and he pointed at once to
`the Irish Church Bill.—(Clicers.) There was another
..;
measure which was brought forward last session and the pre-
ceding one, and that applied also to the country for which he
was sorry to say that so much of their legislation had been
required.—(Hear.) This question was one to which he also
hoped there would be the greatest adherence, that of Irish
Municipal Reform.—(Tremendous cheering.) He owned it
appeared to him that there never was so intense an insult
offered to so oppressed but generous a people.—(Cheers.)
To tell a whole mass of mankind—educated, intelligent,
and active men—that they were incapable of managing
their own affairs, was a most daring outrage.—(Cheers.)