The Sun.
London, England, 1838-11-02 00:00:00

the collection of dues for that purpose. Mr. Attwood,
however, had applied to the Government, and had stated
that steamers were entitled to the same exemption, which
had been procured. This application bad been favourably
received ; the result bad been equally favourable, and thus
the duty had been taken off all coals on re-shipment there.
They owed this to Mr. Attwood.—(Loud cheers.) And
he (the Chairman) would now say, that•any opposition
which had been given to the Ramsgate Bill had been con-
ducted with the utmcst good nature ; but it was still, be
would assert, their determined intention, whin any Bill
might be presented for the purpose of imposing a local
duty upon the shipping interests to oppose it to the tit-
most--(Loud cheers)—and whilst they had such leaders as
Mr. Attwood, all their efforts would doubtless prove vic-
torious.—(Cheers.) He would now beg leave, in conclu-
sion, to propose the health of Matthias Wolverly Attwood,
Esq., and thanks to him for his services on the occasion to
which he (the
,Chairman) had referred.—(Loud cheers.)
The toast was drunk with three times three.
The CHAIRMAN then proposed " the Navy."
Lieutenant WHITFIELD, R.N.. in returning thanks, re-
grated that there was not an ()Meer of superior rank to
his present to acknowledge the kind manner in which the
toast had been given and received. It was out of his
power adequately to express his feelings, but there was an
old saying that " the British navy had done their duty," and
they would be ready to do it again.(Loud cheers.) And
although there had been now nearly twenty years of
peace, still the navy was grateful for any mark of atten-
tion which was paid to it by the British nation, and more
especially by such gentlemen as were now assembled
around him. He would, therefore, thank them not only
on the part of the Admirals of the fleet, but for all por-
tions of the service do,k n to the collier boy, .and begged 44).
drink their healths in return.—(Loud cheers.)
Song—" Rule Britannia."
The next toast was " The Army," which was received
with loud applause.

The CHAIRMAN then said that he had great pleasure in
proposing " PrOsperity to the town and port of Margate."
—(Loud cheers.)
Mr. MoTTLEY said that in returning thanks for the very
handsome and cordial manner in which the toast had been
received, he was induced to refer to the card which con-
.

tained the objects of their present meeting, which were not
only to bestow their thanks upon Mr. Attwood for his
exertions in procuring the repeal of the export duties upon
coals in Ramsgate—an object which, although many of the
inhabitants of Ramsgate had been opposed to, they would
ultimately feel obliged to him for having obtained—(Hear,
hear)—for if the duty had been continued they would
have been injured and crippled in their commerce and
their intercourse with other towns.—(Hear, hear.) And
although they might have procured a trifling income
by the imposition of the duty, still they would have lost
by it much more otherwise than ever they could have
gained by it—a loss, the nature of which they might not
have found out until it was too late to remedy the cause
which created it.—(Hear, and cheers.) This was not, how-
ever, the only object of the present meeting, for their pur-
pose was also to induce that gentleman and other Members
of the House of Commons to exert themselves to extend
the benefit which had been procured for Ramsgate to the
Isle of Thanet generally.—( Hear, hear.) This was indeed
the most important object of the meeting, for it was
obvious to them all that Margate must be unable to corn-
' pete with its rival ports; unless it procured the advantages
which had been bestowed upon other towns.—(Hear.)
The Chairman had said that Brighton had been taken as
a model in reference to the Bill which had been alluded
to ; but had not the people of Margate to compete with •'
Brighton ?—(Hear.) The facilities for reaching that town
were becoming greater every day—Ramsgate had been
successful in shaking off the incumbrance sought to be im-
posed on it, and if Margate were still to continue subject
to this imposition, it could not attempt to compete with
those towns for the approbation of the. London visitors. In
fact, the hand of decay was clearly on the town—its trade
was already gone, its shops were shut up, failure after fail-
ure rapidly occurredthere; and this, he thought, might most
justly be dated to the pressure of local taxation, which was
greater in proportionate amount than that imposed upon
tiny other port and town similarly situated.—(Hear,
hear.) Both the Government and the majority of the
House of Commons were unfavourable to a coal duty, be-
cause it pressed chiefly upon the poorer classes.—(Hear,
hear.) In Margate, however, this was felt with great
severity, and by direct and indirect taxation the duty there
was four, five, and- sometimes six times greater than at
Ramsgate.—(Hear, hear.) The amount of paupers, too,
was three times greater than that of Ramsgate, although it
had not more than one-fifth of the population of the latter
town.---( Hear, bear.)' Therefore it was imperatively neces-
sary that attention should be directed to Margate, for the
purpose of :affording to it some relief from these burdens;
and as the Chairman had said that Mr. Attwood would
anxiously take the lead in promoting any measure for the
amelioration of the condition of his fellow-subjects, or for
the lowering of the coal duties, he (Mr. Mottley) hoped
that their Chairman would represent to that gentleman the
situation of Margate, and endeavour to procure his aid in
forwarding a measure to alleviate it, in the House of
Commons.—( Hear, hear.) Another point of the subject
into which they sought inquiry, was the administration of
the local revenues .in the Isle of Thanet.—(Hear, hear.)
He hoped that it would be inquired into as respected
every one of the towns in the district ; but the situa-
tion of the revenues of the Margate Port and Harbour
Company especially demanded inquiry.—(Hear, hear.) It
had been said that the people of Margate were a quarrel-
some race, who continually kept up a paper war with each
other ; but what in reality was the case ? It was well
known that the only_persons who thus indulged, or whose
correspondences could be rightly deemed a paper war, were
the shareholders in the Pier ; and that it was they alone
who quarrelled with each other.—(" Hear," and loud
cheers.) The administration of the funds in the hands of
these parties, formed a fair ground for inquiry ; for he was
persuaded that if the matter were narrowly looked to it
would be found that the Pier and Harbour Company could
be justly charged with the misappropriation of funds.—
( Hear.) It was for the purpose of endeavouring to pro-
cure an inquiry into this that he (Mr. Mottley) had at-
tended this meeting, but as the gentleman whom he desired
to compliment was not present, yet they still had an ad-
mirable representative of his ability in their Chairman.—
(" Hear" and cheers.) The subject to which he had re-
ferred would be brought before Parliament, and he hoped
therefore that they would have the assistance of the Hon.
Member for Greenwich in promoting it. As a philanthro-
pist, he felt sure he would field it to them—he felt sure
that he would desire that this inquiry should take place ;
for he (Mr. Mottley) was certain that unless it did the
prosperity of Margate would be no more —(Loud cheers.)
Tile CHAIRMAN then said that he had been in some
doubt whether he should propose the town of Margate or
that of Ramsgate first. Both towns were of great impor-
tance in the Isle of Thanet. In reference to Margate,
however, he considered that it was a matter of great im-
portance, in a public point of view, that the coal tax should
be repealed, as he was sure that this could tend materially
to the advantage of its trade.—(Hear, and cheers.) He
had given the prosperity of that town first, but, he would
new propose " Prosperity to the Town and Port of Rams-
gate."—(Loud che2rs...
Captain Hoeeks regretted that in the lack of more able
hands he was compelled to return thanks on behalf of the
town and port of Ramsgate. The majority of his towns-
men felt extremely grateful for the interest which had been
taleen by Mr. Attwood in the prosperity of Ramsgate, and
h.: had no doubt that this would be extended most willingly
to Margate also, and with a certainty of success ; and that
Margate would be thus enabled to participate in the ad
vantages which had been obtained by Ramsgate.--(Cheers.)
He was proud to say, that whatever rit airy might exist be-
tween these towns, yet when their inhabitants met to-
gether, the prosperity of Margate formed the leading fee-
tore amongst the obj, cis of the people of Ramsgate, next
to tilt it own.—( Loud cheers.) Ho felt extremely grateful
f),r the very.bandsome manlier in which the toasf had been
given and received,—(Caters.)
The CHAIRMAN next said that he had now another toast
to propose to them, which he felt sure they would all drink
with extreme pleasure. He would call upon them to drink
a bumper to the health of the ladies of Kent, who were as
much tamed for their beauty as its men were for their in-
trepidity and bravery.—(Loud cheering.)
Glee—" Here's a health to all good lasses."
The CHAIRMAN then referred to the advantages of
steam navigation as applied to the isle of Thanet, and pro-
posed the health of Mr. Stride and the Margate Steam
Navigation Company.—(Loud cheers.)
Mr. STRIDE, briefly returned thanks.
The CHAIRMAN
Mynbeei Von Dunek."
Inc CHAIRMAN then said, that he begged to call upon
those assembled once more.to drink a bumper toast. They
had been to-day favoured by-the company
ef several gentle-
men connected with the Press, amongst whom he observed_
one whom he hoped he.tnight be permitted t ).call his friend
-Mr. Anderson.:L( Hear-, hear:) That gentleman had in
twQ Papers—the Morning, Advertiscr and ,The Sun—never