The Sun.
London, England, 1825-05-24 00:00:00

PURITY OF ELECTION.

Yesterday-. the" Etio'hteOlth 'Celebration of the 1
Independence of Election in Westminster took place at the
Crown and Anchor Tavern—Sir FRANCIS BURDETT, Bari.,
M. P., in: the Chair:—At half-past tive o'clock, the hour an,:
nouneed for dinner, Sir Francis Burdett entered the great room;
preceded by the stewards, with their wands, and accompanied
by Mr. Coke of Norfolk, P.,. Mr. Lambton,i M. P., Lord
Nugent, Sir Robert Wilson, 111: P., S. Whitbread, Esq.
M. P., Mr. Williams, M. P., J. C. Hobliotise, Esq. M. P.,
Daniel- O'Connell, Esq., Mr. O'Connell, jun., &c. etc. Their
return was hailed with the loudest acclamation._Dinner being
over, and the cloth removed, the CHAIRMAN proposed, as the
first toast—" The People, the only legitimate soured of power,"
which was drank three times thrde, with great applaUse.—Th6
CuAr RMAN next proposed the health of the King, and:may
he never forget his own declaration, " That the Crown is only
I held in trust for the: Benefit of the People." This toast was
also received with every demonstration of loyalty end pa;
_

' Mr. STußcu now rose, and said that he held in his hand a
toast, Which. had heennanded to him in writing, and which he
felt proud in being-deputed to propose. Although he was not
then an Elector of -Westminster, yet he could neither forget
that boonce was so, or the services .for whiCh he was indebted
as suer) to the distinguished and able man whose health he was
about to propose, to theni.—(Lotid cheers.)—He. had for the
last-eighteen years. attended many meetings.to this
in that very room, and heard the same cheers that now met
his eat on the proposal of the same. toast. He was happy to
find still existing:, -without the slightest -degree of diminution,
the' same enthttsiasin; towards their worthy Representative,
Sir Francis -.Burdett,
.„ that they 'had ever evinced.-(Loud
and continued cheering.)--Foe- his own part he never pros
pdsed this toast with more perfect satisfaction than lie did I
at that Moment; ,and that satisfaction was .by no mean's-I
diminished by the, present &Seidel 'of ParliaMent, but quite
' the reverse. It visa noaseigliteenyeare since lie (Mr. Sturch)
with some few 'otheis, waited upon Sir F. Burdett, to solicit
him to become a candidate' for the representationeof West
-
Minster ; and froM that time to the present, not -a day 'had
'dense(' that his reapees .and,gratitud,e did not increase for
the,distinguished cervices of that honest representative. With
reference to the proceedingS. Of-the present Session, by (11r.
Sturch)', thoughe,that 'there was nothing; ok place possessing
half so Much inteipesfor the friends of liberty, as the noble stand
which their worthy RepresentatiVe made in' the cause of religious,.
liberty,. in his- tideocaey of the gliesiions-of the emancipationof
the. Irish Califolice-s(Cluiering.)-sand when lie (Mr. Sturch)
*Spoke of this gliestion, be viewed it riot at all •as.a religious
,question, or as one that involved whether one religion- was better
'or worse than arrother, but as a question purely of religious
*liberty of 'conscience, connected with the, question of civil
liberty, and altogether of a political bearing. Ile regretted
exCeettingly . that the suecessful efforts • of their distin-
vuislied It epresentatiYe in the House of Commons had
been marred i by the intelligent, .dignity of the 'House of
Lords. Their worthy Representative had, however, done
his duty 'nobly ; and was nobly hacked, he would say, by
his colleague, Sir. Hobhouse, in endeavouring to obtain for all
the people equal protection, equal liberty, and equal rights.
Mr. Sturch. then proposed the health of " Sir Francis Burdett,
the true, Mdepentlent; -Uncompromising, and undaunted repre-
sentative hf the people es whose unceasing exertions in the cause
of liberty and the people, have been as useful to his country as
they. Are honourable to hirfiself."
The 'drinking of this toast was followed by bursts of enthu-
siastic 'applause, accompanied by the waving of handkerchiefs,
and the loudest and most ferYent cheering we ever witnessed,
which lasted for many niinutes. The Hon. Baronet now got
upon the table- to address the Meeting, and his appearance in
that elevated'situatioivrae the signal for a renewal of the same
defrionetrations of nttachment and regard; which again cone
tinned to a Ibrigth, that it was sonic time before the worthy
Baronet Could, be-heard. Silence being at length obteined—
BtittisSeTT laid, that the appearance and voice of the'
geraleinan who had done him the 'honour of proposing his
health (Mrs Sttircii) erthattneeting, recalled to his mind sir.
cumstanees- ictuineeted:with many years now gone , by, which
must, td the last morn* of his existence, impress hint with
the deepest gratitude t 6 the' electors of 'Westminster, 'and fill
his: mind with the highest Satisfaction, that he still continues to
be:fleeted .bythxt enlightened and independent body with the
seine edeilielity.that he had ever been. He could not but recol-
lect, that it was at -every critical moment of his life, that the-
electors of Wesminster did him the honour to choose him as
their representative; and he shoeild be the basest of nied, it' lie
were not ready, at-.all- times . to, forward those
:principlei of
liberty and independinie Which-Were cherished 1u Westmin.
aver abcrvesall °did! parts of, the empire.- The Meetings
of the People of NA'estininiter were always in faiour of
liberty, and nothicg- -hat liberty., - and his • principles being
in perfect aecendan4 with those of his constituents, he never
hesitated, boldly andfearlesely, to come forward and advocate
their sentiments With all the ability that his humble pewers.
enabled ' Viraie'etnincessiiry to indulge further.
upon these topics, or to express more at large his feelings re-
apecting cher/1,415. hieleiendsof Westminster knew already very
well, by this time; what his Principles were. It is, after all, a
pleasure to bfi enabled to express; with some degree of liberty,
one's sentiinents -; and he believed there was no country where'
a person may do so, notwithstanding certain objections
,to the-
Government, than in tins. The friends of liberty have reason
to rejoice at the present position of -the nations of the world;
for, netwithstanding the melancholy examples of Spain, and
of 'ltaly, there *is a consoling view for the eye of -every friend'
of liberty in turning towards Greece,' and tovtards the western
iortion of the globe; 'when they will-see -in the South Ameri-e
can Provinces a spirit -of rational. liberty gaining .xyray to the
'annihilation of despotism and oppression.— Mr. Sturch had'
alluded' to the efforts matte lately in Parliament in favour -of
liberty at borne; he meant in 'favour of the great principle of
religious liberty.ss-.( Loud cheeting.)—lt was asserted by uomee
that certain religious tenets. were' opposed to the principles of
liberty ; for his (Sir Francis) part, he did not believe that there
Was in any relit ion of itself any thing Incompatible with rational
liberty. In America, for instance, has religion any effect in
checking the progress of' liberty there? Arenot the Peoteitarits;
the Roman Catholicise the Baptists, and every other denomination
Of religious sect, -united in that country in.the one great object—
. the liberty and independence of their country. There is no
roan has a greater respect for conscientious differences oropi-
Mon upon religion and religious subjects than he has; he.was,
and ever should be, ready to make the most extended allowance
for an honest mistake, or error in questions of religion ; but he
*ld not make inticisallowance for persons who, notwithstand-
ing the progress .of the human mind in this and every other
country, for the lest,century, still at this day persevere in talk-
ing seriously of the same bugbears that; at the distance of a
century ago, used -to -stare our worthy ancestors with affright.-s-
Had the person's-t 0 Whom lie alltides, had the misfortune not to
have, had the advantage oreducation, or be able to read ; or,'
had they the defect of haring their eyes placed in the back of
their heads instead of the front; then some alloniance mightbei
made for them, as they to-ald not be expected to lookforwardS
But, in this enlightened day, in this age of explosion of the hue
mind anti intellect, to hear any religious creed spoken of *as
being in itself opposed to libeitySis something more than one's
patience can well bear. A
,century ago, bare toleration was
considered; by our, enlightened. forefathers to the fulleit extent
Of religious' liberty. M'ho will tidy iii the present day that his
so ? It matters very little; in, point of principle, whether you
• burn a.rnan for his religion in fire and faggot, or withhold, from
.him for the setsie reaesio his . right as a citizen. Toleration is
barely removed a degree-NM intolerance ; it is assuming in an
equa degree'to man the pourer ofinterfering between man and
his ellaker.--(Clieers.)..slC is saying to the Deity, you shall
not receivgisuch and such a form of' worship, and to Man you
.shall not offlir it.--e(Applauae.):—A-s Mr. Brougham said the
other night, no religion could, in itself,
..be opposed to liberty,
because if it hitt], it never could have become the religion of
any people e but the secret' is' power, and the priesthood
' having cinthectied*errisitivek. with.: -religion., 'have made
pear to- be. irreconcilable . with liberty. The connection of
religion with the. State is the, erfor--in that the poison lies. Ile
wculd tell theslectors of Westminster that the great question of
.religious fseedom is deeply blended. with the cause of civil li-
berty and rights; the two- questions cannot be difided, hot
must progress forward together; and the day of _civil rights
must be paved by religious liberty to all classes 'of our fellow-
subjects, and for teeth theeegreaa principles he (Sir F. Burdett)
would, as he hadat the 'beginning, contend to'the last period of
.his existence. It had to be sure been said, by very high au-
thority, or at least by persons very high in authority—(a
laugh)—the thirty Bishops and Lord Liverpool, that the
Roman Catholic religion was inconsistent with freedoM or
civil liberty. It is not very easy to convince persons who are
determined not to be convinced, and therefore he would not
argue the question with the' Right Reverend Bishops, whom-he
will leave in. the self-satisfied possession of . that arrogance,
which power always gives ; but Lord Liverpool has told
us, that we cannot bear an extended religious freedom in
this country, as they do in America; that is, that we in this
country are not yet free enough to bear freedom of conscience.
(I.aughter.)—Now he. (Sir F.) would ask our Catholic ari-
eestors, net the supporters of freedom. Another Noble Lord
had said, that freedom of conscience might do very well on the
Continent, hut that in this country we were too free to allow of
it. He (sir Francis) could not-certainly expect to convert the
thirty Bishops, nor would he attempt the task. But when he
heard them accuse the Catholics, and object it to them, that
their's was a proselytizing religion, he must say, that be could
not think that any thing else but a proof of the fervour .with
which they adhered to their religious creeds. He would
not accuse the thirty Bishops of being much- addicted to
proselytising; for, the fewer Protestants' there were, the

less number there would be to share the good things of .
the church.—(Lauehter)—When the, Jew's daughter, in
The Merchant of Venice, was converted to. Christianity, and
that the Duke was _told she was, he said, " he did riot at all
rejoice at it, for there were Christians enough in .the state
already.—(Laughter.)—But to be candid, be, (Sir F.j did not
give the Bishops credit for being even honest bigots. He ad-.
mired honest bigotry in prefience to selfish hypocrisy. It was
the honest scruples of Catholics, and nothing else, that excluded
them from civil rights. But I would ask, can six millions of
our fellox.subjects be much longer deprived of their rights,
and it will be a consideration for the people of this country
whether they.-Will continue to pay four million of taxes more
than they have the slightest occasion to do, for the purpose of
keeping the Irish people from the -enjoyment of their
justtrights. This is the simple question, and would it
not Thai insanity to say that we ought to do so. Shall
we not rather have the Irish people go hand in hand
With us, to insure the safety and independence of the United
Empire. At present.lreland.is a burden of four millions an.
nually upon this Country, to keep up an army therei and sup,
porta 10.00poly of thirty Bishops, and other great personages.
--In opposition to all the epeec)ies made in the HouSe of Lords
against the claims of the Catholics, he would put the sensible
and manly speech the other day at Manchester, delivered by a
working manufacturer of the. name of Hodson. There was one
consoling circumstance; that in the late vote of the House 'of
Peers, all .tact was independent and indent in the nobility
-of the land supported the measure of . Emancipation, and it
was opposed -by :many who had little right to be in that
House; who obtained their titles for services-which the pub-
lie knew very bile of, and which scarcely any man can
point -out. If a House of Lords be of any Ilse, it is as
being the independent „proprietors of the landed country; and
ther,:fore .not supposed to be capable orbeing teazel by a
Minister of the CrOwn ; but in the room of that description of
the House of Peers, we have now created a stick jack nobility,
mere tools of lords, something such as rotten boroughs are to
the Commons. The Iron. Baronet then referred to the manner
in which America was lost to this pommy by re sing her her
rights, and, whatever
.benefit we might derive from our trade
.with drat country, it was but a pool substitute for the loss of the
brightest gem in the Crown of England. would pledge his
life that there was as much love for liberty in the Roman Ca-
tholics of lielaad, and AS strong a tlesire.to share. the blessings
of it with this country, as we possessed ourselves; and with this
impression he would never cease his exertions while he lived
thej 'Obtained their' ,fights.—(Loud applause.) The
people of Weiniiiiiiter, the statinch friends of liberty, he was
atire,' had the kune feeling—(cheers)_,ntid they might rest as.
cured that there could be no hope for free trade, free rights, or
free-any thing else, UntiLthere was a freedomiirst of religion,
which he found could not be expected in the time of the present
disjointed administration, a non-descript sort -ne animal, pre,
seating some fine features and eimie'great.infirnrities—a fine
bust and face, but then tapering and turning into a serpentile
sort of animal. He would therefore impress on the people of
-thii country that the true path to civil liberty is-by granting
re-
ligious freedom to their fellow-subjects of all classes and deno-
mination of Christians. Sir Francis then said, that he should
conclude by proposing as a toast the only remedy for all our
national grievances—" A full, free, and fair representation of
the people in Parliament."—This toast was drank, three times
three, with the utmost enthusiasm, and loud cheering, which
,continued some time after the lion. Baronet sat down.

Sir FnANcls BuRDETT rose to 'propose a toast, which he
was - sure-all would drink with high pleasure. • Alr. Peel had
lately brought in a Bill, for which mankind was deeply indebted
to him—the Bill for the improvement of Juries—a measure of
the- verygreatest importance to the civilized world.—(Cheers.)
The.:Hon.Citairtnau then gave ‘."Thanks to Mr. Peel for his
Bill now before. Parliament, for the Improvement of- Trial by.
Jury."—(Drank enthusiastically.)
• Mr.- C6xE, of Norfolk, rose to propose ttv.thealth of Mr. Hob-
house. He had he said been 50 years in Parliament, and he had
seen in that time, as his friends around him might suppose very
well, much tergiversation—much backsliding.—(Laughter.)—
liow,ruuc.h, then, must he be disposed to support such men as
r the: Representatives of Westminster ?---(Cheers.)-, The . great
question which had lately agitated the conimunity, was the Ca.
tholii; Question, and he would 'lay, :notwithstanding what. had
occured, that he expected to see before he died the complete
emancipation of that numerous and enlightened body of his fel.
low-subjects.-(Continued cheering.)—He rejoiced in finding
that the people'Of Westminster so powerfully advocated the
great cause, and he Vowed, that if his constituents were not de.
;ermined to support the principles of'civil and religious liberty,
he- would not repreient them at all, 4‘ so help, him God."—
(Great laughter and applause.)—He concluded bygiving the
health of Mr. Hobhoune.. •

. _
;Mr. Honuotist thanked his.: constituents for the testimony
their approbation.'. He rejoiced to find that. Session after
*Sion he round them approving of his oonttitct in a part
-width had not been allotted- to him for the
.gratification of
his' vanity, but to. which he was attached, from the resistance
'which it enabled him' to make to the encroachinents• Of arbt- •
trary power.—(Applauie.),-
Mr.-Sruncit said, that the toast. that he was-going to pro-
posed was perfectly in consonance with 'his feelings. He gave.
,1-." The Cause of Civil and Religious Liberty throughout the
World, and thanks to the Minority that atiPported the Catholic,'
Question--'-and may tha rejection of it bye Parliainent not injure
the tranquillity of Ireland."
,The next toast was—" Lord John Russell' and the. Re-
formers of England."
-Lord Jouw RussEtt.' in returning thanks to the company,
said,. the Merits of ,the Representatires of -Westminster .were
Sufficiently great to make up for the blemish which the repre-
Sentation of other places` cast upon the people of England. The
mast _anxious Wish of his heart was a -Reform' in Parliament„
and he assured the Meeting that he would'have pressed the
question in the present Session had not the public mind been so
luny occupied with the other great national subject of Catholic
Emancipation.—.(Cheers.)—lt was common amongst the satel-,
lites of -the Ministers to saY, " the people must reterm them-
selves... He would say, the people had reformed themselves—.
(Cheers)—that, whenever they had the power to act, they exer-
cised their right fairly. • Ile concluded by• assuring the corn-
pay.that be wished a free ,Representation for England, Eman-
cipation for Ireland, and Freedn, for the World. •., ••
'Abe CHAIR MAN then gave-" Lord Ehrington, and the-Re-
formers of Devonshire."
IliS LoRDsiIIP returned • thanks, and • gave the health of
" Lord Nugent." •
Lord Nu GENT returned thanks. * He had. come there to '
testify his warm approbation of Sir F. Burdett, for the part that
he had taken on the Catholic Question, and to express his un-
changeable concurrence in the opinions- that had actuated that
Hon. Baronet.-,-( Hear, hear !)---He considered the cause • of
Parliathentary Reform as becoming -every year more urgent
(Hear !) ; and he had no small hopes of the time arriving when
it should be so urgent as to met•with no opposition.—(Cheers.)
'—The Friends o Reform in Parliament, hewever, could have.
but - little interest in to question. The first blow must be
struck by the people without.--(Cheers.)—For himself, he
would only say, that if he should again be honoured with a
seat in Parliament, the twin stars that should guide his
course should he Parliamentary Reform and Religious Liberty.
( 41 pplause. )
The nex t toast was " George John Lambten, Esq.,-and the
Reformers of the North of England."
Mr. bastrerost_rose amid loud applauie; as it satheided a
single hiss was heard, but it was overpowered by the applause.
When silence was somewhat restored, Mr. Larnbton said, that
he thought he had heard a single hiss from an individual,
whom he presumed to be an Elector of Westthinster; by his
being at that. dinner; and, as he was not accustomed to be
greeted 'at such meetings in that manner, he requested the
person who had so expressed his sentimentsi to state the grounds
en.which he proceeded.-4 Hear, hear!) • - ,
FEA RON then mounted the table at the lower end of the
room, and' was received with considerable uproar of hisses,
mixed with some applause, His accusation against Mr. Lamb,
:ton was divided into two parts—his opposition to'Sir Francis
• ett in the Elective FranebiSe Bin,: and- that he bad some
days afterwards 'entertained at , illustrious person,
whose principles were well known to be in opposition to the
great Catholic Question.—(Hear, hear ! and hisses.)
Mr. LAMBT ON then 'Mounted the table.for a second time,
amid universal applause. He' regretted that such a theme
should have been introduced, when. all -minor controversial
points ought to have been set at rest. He regretted that angry
fei.linis should exhibit themselves upon an -occasion like this,
-
when the electors of Westminster assembled to celebrate one
of the brightest events that' had ever occurred within its pre-
cincts. He was sorry to find that there was one individual
who' had objected to the general sentiment, but he expected
to give •him a most triumphant refutatiOu. He had been
charged with. having acted- independently. He had certainly
declined to vote upon the Catholic Question, because he
thought it inconsistent to support a measure which was united
with one in direct opposition to the elective franchise, which
lie had maintained through his whole life. He had his own
right of re-action. With respect to the charge of having en-
tertained the Duke of York, he should only say that he never
alloWed politics _to interfere with his domestic arrangements.
He should also declare that he highly applauded the Duke of
York for openly stating his sentiments.—(Applause.)
Mr. W HITE READ, Sir ROBERT WILSON', and Mr.
LION-moor) returned thanks on their healths being drank.
The healths of Mr. M. Fitzgerald, Mr. J. Burdett, Mr.
Ponsonby, and Mr. O'Connell, were then- drank with enthu-
siasm.
• Mr. M. FITZGERALD returned thanks for the honour that
had been done him; after which, there-being a very general
call for Mr.O'Connell,
Mr. O'CONNELL rose amid loud applause. It had been his•
fixed determination, on entering the room, to pay a slight testi.

Home'
Con-
sumption.,

2,799
130

211;
10
2

14,189

230
1,263
8,174
29,639
723
17,433
1,077
263
-29

STEAM VESSELS.—There
shipwrights yards iu Liverpool
vessels,, most of them of a supe

1,246
831
11,610
1,837
80,382
10,87%
1,106
4,064
1,662
331
734
74,636
1,366
3,447
36
4,853,
26
6,060
137
650
6,306
6$
3
932
126
4
1S
94
190
ri

201

215 i
22,273
16,993
376

22
82

24
46,735
31

t ~ e

647
3,209
34
111
476

2,710
12,643
_67

079
4,261
3,142
33

256#
5,591
1,497

.4421
124$

7,010
55f
6,600
4,071
31,953,

ire now building at the different
4, no fewer than fifteen stentri
trior class. •

SWEDISH AND DANISH WATCHMEN.—The
men of Stockholm, like their brethren of Copenhagen, cry the
hour most lustily, and sing Anthems almost all
,night, to the no
little annoyance of loreigners who •have been accustomed to
confine their devotions to the day. These important personages
of the night pera,mbnlate the town with a curious weapon like
a pitchfork, each side of the fork having a spring barb, used in
securing a running thief by the leg. . The use of it requires
some skill and practice, and constitutes no inconsiderable.part
of the valuable art and mystery of thief-catching..

MELANCHOLY SulernE.--7011 Wednesday after-
noon, Doctor Thomas Peall, for many years Veterin'aiy Lec-
turer to the Dublin Society, put a period to his exist-
ence, by siiallowing ',a quantity of sulphuric acid. The
effects of • this acid, commonly known by the name of
oil of vitriol, were, of course, almost immediately fatal.—
The Surgeon4leneral.'waS sent for, but by the time he . ar-
rived the unfortunate man was a lifeless corpse. His mouth,
face, &c., we understand, presented a hideous aspect, from the
corrosive effects of this powerful poison. Dr. Peall, it is said,
had for some time past betrayed frequent symptoms of men-
tal derangement, and it is supposed that an action which had
heen commenced against him by one of the porters of
a society, for an alleged assault, and which was to be tried yes-
terdays had increased his mental malady, and had thus driven
him to the perpetration of the dreadful deed. - Dr. Peall :was
not only distinguished by a great and intimate knowledge of
his profession, but he- was also possessed of a highly tut, •
tivated intellect, . and his literary attainments were of
no ordinary description. His lectures on physiology, we .have
heard described by •scientific gentlemen as not inferior in
matter, while, probably, they were superior in diction and ar-
rangement, to those of any of the medical professors of which
our city can boast.-(Dublin Morning Register.) -• • •

THE SUN.

1184 EX LWIS DICERE FALSUM 41IDE4r

LONDON,
TUESDAY EVENING,MAY24, 1825.