The Sun.
London, England, 1822-10-21 00:00:00

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NORFOLK AND, NORWICH PITT CLUB.

The Anniversary Dinner in commemoration of
that enlightened Statesman and true Patriot, the late Right
Hon. WILLIAM PITT, was held at the Assembly Rooms in
Norwich on Thursday last. The great room was completely
filled. About 5 o'clock, the company, consisting of 203 persons,
sat down to dinner, EDMOND WODEHOUSE, Esq. M.P. was
in the Chair, supported on his right by the Right Hon. Lord
Baying, anal on his left by the Hon. and Rev. J. Nevill. R.
Hawkes, Esq., Mayor of Norivich, presided at the right hand
table, and the Hon. J. Wodehouse at that on the left. A. A. H.
Beckwith, Esq. acted as Vice-President at the centre table.—
Among the company we noticed--
Sir Wm. Kemp -Bart., Sir E. K. Lacon, Bart., Sir Thomas
Preston, Bart., John Stracy, Esq., Major-Gen. Kelso, Admiral
Stevens, Major Cameron, Major Wilson, the Mayor of Yar-
mouth,
the Rev. Archdeacon Oldershaw, the Rev. Dean Wood,
J. J. Bedingfeld, sq. Robt. Marsham, Esq. Marsham Elwin,
Esq. Rev. Dr. San iford, Rev. Dr. Ederidge, Rev. Dr. Sutton,
Dr. Blake, Rev. Prebendary. Wodehouse, T. Hoseason, Esq.
CoL Lucas, Capt. Davy, R. N., S. Tyssen, E 5. Wm. Mason,
Esq. John Penrice, Esq. W. Jarry, Esq. H. W odehouse, Esq.
T. Cubitt, Esq. —Styleman, Esq. Thos. Harvey, Esq. John
Orris, Esq. J. Gooch, Esq. R. Herring, Esq. J. G. Fisher,
Esq. R. Butcher, Esq. W. Rackham, Esq. John Harvey, Esq.
J. H. Cole, Esq. William Hankes, Esq. C. Brown, Esq. J. S.
Patteson, Esq. T. S. i9ay, Esq.. E. T. Booth, Esq.:A. Beloe,
Esq. J. Gibson, Esq. J. Ives, Esq. James Hales, Esq.' B. Kh-
mer, Esq. Only Harvey, Esq. M. Kerrison, Esq. D. Coleby,
Esq. &c. &c.
After dinner, Grace having been said by the Rev. Archdea-
con Oldershaw, the Chairman gave
c" The King," which was received with loud plaudits, and
followed by the natibnal anthem of God Save the King, sung
1 by Mr. Smith, and chorussed by the whole company, up-stand..

Lug.
The next toasts were—

" The House of Brunswick."

" The Duke of York and the Army."
" The Duke of Clarence and the Navy," drank with the
usual compliments of three times three cheers, and the band, to
the one last mentioned, by the President's desire, played the
patriotic air of Britons Strike Home.
The Hon. PRESIDENT then said, that having paid those
marks of respect which were due to his Majesty and the Royal
Family, it now became his duty, holding as he had the honour
to do the situation of their Chairman, to propose a toast directly
referring to the immediate cause of their assembling. He
meant " the Cherished Memory of Mr. Pitt."—" In submit-
ting this toast to your attention, Gentlemen (continued Mr.
Wodehouse), I am sure you wil agree with me that there is
nothing so rare in this world as the qualifications for political
faviour, and that nothing is more essential to the correct for-
mation of public principles and attachments, than that one
should become thoroughly acquainted with the moral and po-
litical qualities which distinguished the individual so selected ;
that a fair estimate should be taken of the circumstances under
which that individual acts who has the, direction of national
affairs, and a candid reference made to the exigency of the
times under which his services are employed. Gentlemen, I
esteem it to be a peculiar excellence in the character of Mr.
Pitt, the expression of which no lapse of time can weaken or
destroy, that having, as he had, a fearful alternative presented
to him, he embraced the right cause : he presumed not upon
the duration of the struggle, but he relied on the people whom
he served, the tide of whose opinion went with him, that they
would support him steadily to the end. The fact, that this
manifestation of the public confidence was repaid by him with
a degree of energetic ability scarcely ever excelled, and with
an integrity. and a disinterestedness never surpassed, every
day's experience—every hour's reflection—serves but the more
completely to confirm. If such then is our persuasion, it
seems to me that it would exceed, in point of ingratitude,
every thing that we have ever read of in ancient times, and
exceed even the vacillation of these our modern days, could we
withhold for one single instant the tribute of respect where it
is so justly due—and whilst pledging one another to his me-
mory, let us not regard it as the cold cup of custom to which
no meaning is attached, but as the real symbol of political
unison, to be held in sincerity and in truth.—.(Applause.)—
11l would it become me, at this time of day, to cuter upon a,
laboured panegyric of the whole political life of Mr. Pitt ;
equally inappropriate would it be for me to allude to any par-
ticular part of his political career. But I would take his cha-
racter as it was in the gross. I would submit it to the test
of a fair retrospect of the times in which he lived, and of the
difficulties with he had to contend. And that, Gentlemen, in
my opinion, is the way justly to estimate the claim which the
memory of the Illustrious Statesman has to be cherished in
our grateful recollections."—" The Cherished and Immortal
Memory of William Pitt" was then drank.
Song, The Pilot that weathcr'd the storm.
In giving the " Health of the Duke of Wellington," the
worthy CHAIRMAN said—" 1 trust, Gentlemen, that we shall
never meet, on similar commemorations to the present, without
cordially drinking the health of a man to whom this country
and the world at large is so much indebted.—(Applause.)—
But at this identical point of time such a compliment is parti-
cularly appropriate, to be paid him as the successor of an un-
fortunate and justly lamented Nobleman, in the highly im-
portant capacity of Great Britain's Representative at the as-
sembled Congress. Let it not be imagined that lam desirous
that you should attach any. particular weight to my individual
opinion of the late Marquis of Londonderry as a public cha-
tatter ; but, when I consider that we all of us derive credit
from the importance of the station which we are called upon to
fill, and that I am standing here not merely as the President of
this day's meeting, but as a Parliamentary Representative, be.
fore a numerous and most respectable portion of his constitu-
ents, I shall offer no apology for rendering the tribute which
I owe to the memory of that unfortunate Nobleman. For I
know too well that there has been, and still continues to be,

the disposition in some to give an extensive spread to the basest I
calumnies against him, and with equal falsehood and malevo-
lence to represent him, as having been indifferent to public
distress. Yes, Gentlemen, there are those in this country who
have not scrupled to say thus of him; and of all the slander-
ous assertions that ever were uttered, there never was one more
unfounded or more wicked. Of that distinguished Nobleman
it may readily be supposed that I hi i a full opportunity of
watching his conduct in Parliament ‘'for I had not to boast the
advantage of private intimacy with him); and I can safely af-
firm, that.never was there on individual more alive than him-
self to any species of distress in which the country became in-
volved, whether in its internal or its foreign relations. To
Lord Londonderry:B memory I render this simple tribute of
justice; not detracting, however, in the slightest degree from
the merits of the Duke of Wellington. His merits must re-
main high in the estimation of every Englishman who has a
heart to love his country and be proud of her renown. And
while we reflect on the glory of his exploits, our minds are in-
spired with still livelier interest in the issue of his appointment
to those high diplomatic functions which he is now exercising
fbr the security of that peace which we owe to the valour of his
arms.—(Loud and prolonged plaudits.)
A song followed.
Lord BAYNING rose and proposed a toast for which he anti-
cipated a most favourable reception. Observing that he should
make no further remark than that the approbation of the corn-
pany would be its worthiest comment, his Lordship gave
" Lord Wodehouse awl the House of Kimberley." It excited
a succession of the loudest acclamations, which lasted some
minutes. After which
The Hon. Colonel WonEuousE rose and begged leave to
return his sincere and respectful thanks for the very flattering
manner in which the meeting had complimented Lord Wode-
house by drinking his health : such flattering marks of attention
from a body of friends, the Colonel added, were always most
sensibly felt by his Noble Father ; but they were peculiarly so
on an occasion like that which had the means of assembling
the present company together. " Gentlemen," said the Hon.
Colonel, " I cordially congratulate you on the appearance of
our present meeting. But it would indeed have excited my
surprise and mortification, if on any occasion when the prin-
ciples of Mr. Pitt were to be commemorated, we did not meet
at least as strong as we now do in numbers and respectability.
Too good reason have I to give credit to the steady fellings of
the sound and loyal part of the county not to be fully assured
of this result; but I am equally well aware that the kindness
which my family have always experienced from you and so large
a portion of all that is good and respectable in Norfolk and
Norwich, is mainly and primarily to be ascribed to the support
which we deemed it our duty to give to Mr. Pitt and the print
ciples of his administration. And here, Gentlemen, I cannot
avoid adverting to a question so, much agitated as that of Par-
liamentary Reform. I know that it has often been charged
upon Mr. Pitt that he was once friendly to that measure. He
did indeed at one time advocate an alteration in the present