The Sun.
London, England, 1831-04-27 00:00:00

THE CITY OF LONDON.

Yesterday, a general meeting of the Livery of
London was held at the London Tavern, Bishops-
gate-street, for the purpose of abining •the most
feasible means of securing the return of four Mem-
bers who would pledge themselves to vote fur Lord
John Russell's Reform Bill. There were upwards
of five hundred of the Livery present.
Mr. PERKINS presided.
The CHAIRMAN said, that it was not necessary for
hm to enter into the present question of Reform, or
its merits; for they had been so fully discussed
before Parliament, that the whole nation was in pos-
session of them. The question in his mind simply
resolved itself into this, with respect to the rotten
boroughs, where corruption prevailed. What did
men buy for ? Why, to sell again.—( Applause.)
And the result, therefore, must be, that they would
sell either themselves or the country.-4 Cheers.)
When the public spirit on this question broke forth,
the King, whom they all loved and venerated—
(Cheers)—thought that it would be better to change
`his Counsellors; and in so doing he had collected
together a set of men of the greatest ability. But
the cry against them was, that they were not men of
business; but the answer to that was, that for forty
years they had been unjustly excluded from office,
and it therefore could not be expected that they did
not display that aptitude which arose from long
practice. The question of Reform, however, was
now in the hands of the people of England ; and if
they lost it now, it was their own fault.—(Cheers.)
If they did not carry it now, they never would.--
(Cheers.) The moral truth which the people of
England had to establish was, that the Constitution
did give them a power, which they were determined
should no longer be in the hands of individuals. He
would read to them the resolutions which would be
proposed to them seriatim:—They were to the
following effect :
" 1. That this meetingdesires, in the first place, to ex-
press the deepest sense of his Majesty's paternal anxiety
for the welfare and happiness of his people, and the most
heartfelt gratitude for the unequivocal proof which it has
pleased his Majesty to give of it in the dissolution of Par-
liament ; thereby referring to his people the ultimate arh;_
tration of trineasure, in which his Majesty and his Mi-
nisters argiopposed by a certain party, who have hitherto
enjoyed an undue influeuce in the representation of the
country.
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Parliament,B i l for Re fobrym ,i.,
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John
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for
the purpo.e of securing to the people an increased weight
in the Legislature of the country, having received from a
patriotic Monarch and his Ministers all the support which
established forme and usages would admit of, and being
virtually rcinitted into the hands of the constituency of
the United Kingdom, it is incumbent upon the electors
tirt
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not only to discharge the awful duty which has devolved
upon them faithfully and honestly, as they shall answer to
successfully with the combined and well directed efforts.of
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a 3. That it behoves the electors of the City of London,
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,4 4. That it is absolutely necessary to this end that
four Members should be returned to Parliament for the
enable
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influence.
t competehe i r
City of London, pledged in the most unequivocal and
solemn manner to the principles of the Reform Bil, pro-
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6. That it is deemed, by this meeting, highly expe-
dient, and, in its opinion, decidedly essential to the attain-
ment of an object of such vital importance to the cause,
that the'friends of Reform should refrain from giving any,
pledge of support to any individuil candidate from per-
sow' favour or predilection, but should reserve themselves
for those four candidates pledged to Reform, who should
appear to have the best chance of ultimate success.
7. That the individuals composing this meeting
pledge themselves henceforward not to give any vote, nor
the promise of a vote, to any candidate, except in con•
junction with the Committee now to he appointed for the
purpose of watching the progress of the election, and they
invite their brother Liverymen, present and absent, who
~pprove of these resolutions, to assist the said Committee
is carrying them jog vflegt, by signing Qr guiding their

The following speakers then addressed the meet-
.„2: in favour of the resolutions:—
Mr. M. CLARK said, that the question had prc-
luced the most dewily struggle, witleh was scarcely
yet at its height. The imporanee of the example
,f the city of London, therefore, became marefest
'or if it was in the power of the House of Com-
mons to thwart a great question like this proposed
I,y the Government, suppored by the King, ant'
ulvocated by the people, they had a right to doubt
the adequate representation of that House.-.--(Loud
cheers.) When the Bill had been lost in Parliament
the Ministers had resorted to the King; and the
Kng, in the most constitutional manner, had re-
orted to the people; by which he had shewn hi•
confidence in the nation on the one hand, and their
right to consider the question on the other.—(Loud
cheers.) And would the Livery of London slumber
under such circumstances? Would they not rather
rouse all their energies ? As yet they might not
know whom they had to support; but at least they
knew whom they had to oppose. They must opposi
llr. Ward.—(Continued cheers.) Every one was
'early to admit that that gentleman carried a high .
arid frank bearing with him; evety one would admit
that he was a most respectable man.—(Hear, hear.) ,
But it was because he was a respectable man that
he was more dangerous to the cause of Reform.
Mr. PERRING said, that though this question of
Reform was sent to the people by the King, yet they
should remember how small a portion of the people
had the privilege of interfering.—(Heir, hear.) It
was, therefore, for them to set a worthy example to
the rest of the empire of the course they ought to
pursue. Let them remember, that in this case they
could not split their votes without splitting the great
principle.—(Loud cheers.) For himself, he cared
not who the four representatives were ; but he would
take care, if no one else did, to be on the hustings,
for the purpose of obtaining from them all a most
unqualified pledge on the tepic of Reform.—
(Cheers.) He meant no disparagement to Mr.
'hard; but this he would say, that no one could
give that gentleman a vote and also vote for a refor-
mer, without saying that he had no pretence either
to principle or honesty.—(Cheers.) It should be
remembered, that the decision to which they were
about to come was not merely the decision of that
meeting; by means of the Press it would be dis- ,
persed throughout the country ; anti as the London
election was one of the first to take place, the ques-
tion was, whether the city should shew such unani-
mity and decision as should be an example for all
other Corporations and electors.—(Cheers.)
Mr. R. Smcrit said, that it was probably known
to many that lie had voted for Mr. Ward at the last
two elections, because he believed him to be a most
honourable and respectable man, but he felt bound to
sacrifice his friend to the public cause—(Loud
cheers)—that ought to be the principle with all who
wanted the great question of Reform to be carried.
The borouglimongers, they might be sure, would
not die without a struggle: they might already be
seen writhing in their agony, and making the most
desperate efforts against the cause of the people :
unless, therefore, the people were prepared to give
up their private partialities for the public cause, they
could not hope to succeed in their endeavours.
Other speakers having addressed the meeting, all
the resolutions were agreed to unanimously till the
last was brought forward. After a good deal of de.
sultory conversltion, it was at length arranged and
earried Unanimnticly, in ah.po.f an amended rc,,,u1.-
tion to the last, and was read by the Chairman, that
the meeting, and any of the Livery who might choose
to enter their names, should form an open Com-
mittee' and that the nomination of the four candi-
dates should not be entered into on that occasion.

Thanks were then voted to the gentlemen who
had called the meeting together, and to the Chair-
man; after which the meeting separated.

SOUTHWARK.
MEETING OF COL. JONES'S FRIENDS.

Yesterday evening a meeting took place at the
Three Tuns Inn, in the Borough, of electors in the
interest of Colonel Jones. The meeting was nu-
merously attended, and business commenced soon
after seven o'clock.

Mr. RAYNARD, in the Chair, in opening the bu-
siness of the meeting, said that the question which
they were then met to decide was, whether or not
Colonel Jones should be put in nomination ?—(A
voice in the crowd—" He above all men ought to be
a Memb(r of Parliament.") _

Mr. BROCKSOP moved the first resolution, to
the effect, that the meeting was of opinion that the
principles of Colonel Jones, his talents and know-
ledge, rendered him a fit and proper person to re-
present the borough of Southwark ; but that, in
order to prevent division amongst the friends of
Reform, the meeting would advise him to resign
his pretensions for the present, lest any disagree-
ment amongst the supporters of liberal principles
might endanger the return of Mr. Calvert; but the
industry, talent, and entire devotion of Colonel
Jones to the great cause of Reform, merited their
deepest gratitude. ,
Mr. WALKER seconded the motion.

Mr. ARROWSMITII supported the resolution, and
proceeded to charge Mr. Hall with inconsistency in
his conduct with respect to the introduction to the
borough both of Sir Robert Wilson and of Lord
John Russell, when the Noble Lord was invited,
but did not stand for the borough.—(Upon this a
scene of great confusion ensued, some persons pre--
sent maintaining that the conduct or consistency of
Mr. Hall had nothing to do with the matter before
the meeting. It was in vain that the Chairman en-
deavoured to restore order.)

Colonel JONES at length rose, and was received
with loud cheering. He besought the meeting not
to transform themselves into that ill-behaved body
the House of Lords—(Loud laughter and cheering)
—he entreated them to controul their feelings.

The resolution was then, amidst much tumult,
put to the meeting, and declared by the Chairman
to have been carried A vote of thanks to Colonel
Jones was then unanimously agreed to.
Colonel JONES then rose and addressed the meet-
ing, observing upon the painful and difficult situa-
tion in which he was then placed ; but before he
said any thing personally relating to himself, he
would say, that their warmest and best thanks were
due to that noble-minded and patriotic King, who,
by a single act, established their liberties upon a
solid and immutable basis. Could he fail in that
expression of gratitude to which such an act was
entitled, he should be undeserving the protection of
any body of men, and worthy to be execrated by
every man in the British Empire. The extraordi-
nary firmness exercised by his Majesty was beyond
all praise. He knew something of what passed ir.
the interior of the Palace, and there never existed
a deeper conspiracy than that which was formed to
deter the Sovereign from gratifying the vtishes
of his people, and promoting their true in-
terest. He was not only assailed by the
menaces of his male relatives, but the tears of
the female members of the Royal Family. He was
beset, actually besieged in every corner of the Puluce
and told by more than one, that to agree to a dins,
lution would amount to signing his own abdication.
Ile next proceeded to call the attention of the meet-
int,► to the inestimable service conferred upon the
nation by Lord Grey, for he was the author of the
great Bill, and the other Ministers were but instru-
ments in his hands. He should now say a fev%

words of himself, which, on the present occasion,
was no very agreeable task. He assured them that
he bad not been induced to come amongst there
from any feeling of personal ambition, for that very
tie riling a carriage was brought to his door, and
money offered to pay his expences, with an it vitae
tion to stand for a very important and populous
place. He then reminded them of his introduction
to the borough, the motives which led him to with-
draw upon that occasion; the delicacy he felt
towards Sir Robert 'Wilson, it having been said that
he (Colonel Jones) had, by one of his letters in the
public prints, put an extinguisher on Sir Robert,
land, therefore, he had resolved not to come forward
lin opposition to their late Member—but the com-
mission of a political
.fdo de se left him at perfect
liberty. They recently had presented to them the
brother of a great man, but that circumstance of
.ts• If was not sufficient to show that the brother of
the great man had any claims of his own to the
reitre emtation of any independent place; but eo
popular was the Lord Chancellor at the present
moment, that if he sent his wig to the people
of Southwark, they would adopt it as a substitute
for a Member.—(Laughter.) Whether he sent hie
brother, his wig,- or his puppy, they would have
the nominee of the Lord Chancellor and no one
else, though, on principle, the Lord Chancellor
ought to be ashamed to send his brother amongst
thern.e=(gotee applause and much confusion.) TI e
Lord ChaneaUr N't a s the patron of Law Reform,
oul proposed making the Masters in Chancery
Judges; he ought, therefore, not to encourage a
Ma-ter to become a Member of the House of Com-
mons. He did not resign for the purpose of enabling
Mr. Brougham to come in, but to prevent a collision
amongst the true Reformers.—(A voice in the crowd,
" Go on, we will genre you plenty of plumpers.)
He proceeded to observe, that Lord John Russell
did exceedingly wrong in coming on the preceding
evening to interfere on behalf of Mr. Brougham.
It was conduct highly objectionable on the part of
one connected with the Administration; but it was,
like the rest, in perfect accordance with the eri3
villainy of the Whige.--(Great applause.) .He
added that Sir Francis Burdett had promised_ to
attend the meeting of Mr. Brougham's friends, but
did not come, hearing that Colonel Jones was in
the field. Whenever returned to jParliament he
had determined to labour by the side of Joseph
Hume arid Daniel O'Connell.

The meeting soon afterwards broke up, List
nothing approaching unanimity appeared ; on the
contrary, a large proportion of those present seemed
greatly disappointed at the retirement of Colonel
Jones.