The Sun.
London, England, 1822-06-05 00:00:00

LEICESTERSHIRE PITT CLUB.

The Anniversary of this Club was holden at
the Three Crowns Inn, in Leicester, on Tuesday, the 28th of
May, to celebrate the Birth of the late Right Hon. WILLIAM
PITT, and was numerously attended. Colonel BURNABY pre-
sided. After the cloth was removed, the usual series of toasts
and sentiments were given by the Chairman, in the following
order :
" TheiKlNG."—Three times three.—Song and chorus—" God

save the King."
The Duke of York and the Army.—Three times three.—
Glee—" Hail Star of Brunswick."
The Duke of Cambridge, and his Majesty's Loyal Subjects
in Hanover.—Three times three.—Song—" Loyalty."
The CHAIRMAN next propoied the Immortal Memory of the
late Right Honourable WILLIAM PITT.—IIC observed, in
introducing this toast, that it had always been customary with
his predecessors to excite the admiration of the company by elo-
quent panegyrics on the consummate Statesman whose memory
they were assembled to celebrate. 'Would to God he possessed
equal abilities to follow their good example ; but, though de-
ficient in those qualifications, he would yield to none in the ad-
miration be imbibed for the abilities of that illustrious States-
man, and in the gratitude he felt for the services rendered by
him to our country—services unequalled by any Statesman this
country ever had to boast of.—(Applause.)—lt was unnecessary
for him to enter into a detailed history of the eventful period
when the abilities and firmness of Mr. PITT were peculiarly
conspicuous, as that was perfectly fresh in the memory of every
one present.—Suffice it then to say, he stood fearlessly at the
helm of his country, when assailed by enemies without, and the
storm of faction and rebellion within ; and therefore well me-
rited the title of—" The Pilot who weathered the storm."
This toast was received with rapturous applause, and drank
with three times three.
Song—" Pitt, the Patriot's name."
The CHAIRMAN then rose to propose " The Protestant As-
cendancy," which was hailed with loud cheers. He took oc-
casion to dilate upon the extreme importance of supporting the
Protestant interest at the present eventful period. He firmly
hoped that the Civil And Ecclesiastical Constitution of the
Country, under which we had received so many blessings,
would be preserved inviolate by our Legislators.—(Loud ap-
plause.)
The toast was drank with three times three, and in
.a manner
fully expressive of the opinion of the company upon the Ro-
man Catholic Question.
Glee—" Rex, Lex, and Pontifex."
May the principles of Mr. Pitt ever animate the Councils of
Great Britain—three times thiee.
Song—" For Pitt the Patriot dear."—(Written for the occa-
sion ; vide THE SUN of the 28th of May.)
William Ralph Cartwright, Esq. M.P. and the London Pitt
Club—three times three.
Mr. CHESLYN returned thanks.
The CHAIRMAN then proposed the health of " The Duke
of Rutland, Lord Lieutenant of the County," observing, that
the well known excellencies and amiable character of the Duke,
rendered it unnecessary for him to expatiate on the readiness
with which his Grace at all times stood forward to promote the
welfare of the county, and whose prosperity was his anxious

wish.
Drank amidst the warmest demonstrations'of respect and at-
tachment—with three times three.
Glee—" The Red Cross Knights."
" The Duchess of Rutland, and the Fair Advocates of
Loyalty."—three times three.
Glee—" Here's a Health to all Good Lasses."
Mr. Gouoss then rose, and said that he entertained the
firmest conviction that by introducing the estimable character
whose health he was about to propose, he should fully atone
for the liberty which he assumed to himself. He then con-
gratulated the Meeting upon its numerical force, evincing a
becoming zeal to offer their annual tribute of veneration and
respect to the memory of that great political architect, by whose
design, and upon whose basis, the matchless beauties of our
constitutional fabric had been elevated; and the recollection
of whose gigantic abilities, splendid virtues, and consummate
integrity, every generous and grateful Briton must revere.—
The Honourable Gentleman, after paying a merited tribute
of applause to the public and private character of the Worthy
President; concluded with proposing his health, which was
drank with the utmost enthusiasm.
Colonel BITILNABY returned thanks in an appropriate
speech.
" The immortal memory of King George the Third" was
drank in silence, amid evident feelings of respect and venera-

tion.
" The Duke of Newcastle and the Nottingham Pitt Club,"
three times three.
Mr. CIIESLver, as a Member of the Nottingham Pitt Club,
returned thanks in an animated and impressive speech._ He
'recollected with pleasure the time when he was President of
that Club ; and could assure the Company that the principles
of Mr. Pitt were not venerated higher in any part of the coun-
try than amidst the Members composing the Club at Notting-
ham. The difficulties which they had to encounter, from pe-
culiar circumstances, served only to prove the sincerity of their
attachment, and the firmness of their principles.
Glee—" In Sherwood's Grove."
Mr. Po c Hier reminded the company, that the Corporation of
Leicester had ever been considered as warm supporters of those
principles which had for their object the maintenance of the
best interests of the Country in Church and State ; he there-
fore begged to propose—" The Mayor and Corporation of Lei-
ceister, which was drank with,three times three.
The MaYou of LEICESTER rose to return thanks for the
honour conferred upon the Corporation and himself, and for the
cordiality with which the toast had been received. He could
with truth assure the Meeting that, as a public Body, they were
firmly attached to the principles of that great and good man
whose birth they this day were met to celebrate ; and he should
be doing the Body Corporate a great injustice, if he were not
to declare, that they were at all times most anxious and desir-
ous of promoting any measure that had for its abject the sup-
port of our glorious Constitution in Church and State.—(Loud
applause.)
Mr. CifE.4l.Yet begged to propose the health of " Sir Frede-
rick Fowke," as a most valuable and efficient member of the
Club, and than whom no one had its interest more at heart, or
had been more active in its service.—Sir Frederick's health was
drank with great applause, and evident feelings of respect.
Song—" Should auld acquaintance be forgot."
The health of " Nathaniel Atcheson, Esq., the father of the
London Pitt Club, was then proposed, and drank amid loud
cheers.
Mr. STOCKDALE HARDY proposed as a toast, " the Lord
Chancellor, and Success to the Protestant Interest." He was
well aware that a diversity of opinion existed respecting the sen-
timents of Mr. Pitt on the Roman Catholic question ; but it
was a libel upon his illustrious memory to suppose for a mo,
ment that he would have consented to an alteration of the Con-
stitution he so much loved, to7please a part of its subjects, at the
expence, and against the inclinations, of the great majority of
them. There could belittle doubt as to the line of conduct which
the illustrious Pilot would have pursued; had he been spared to
Babe seen what were the sentiments of the Country, and he
was always a decided enemy to any thing like unrestricted con-
cessions. In the dawn oflife;Mr. Pitt wasthe firm friend of Pro-
testantism ; in maturer years, the intrepid advocate of civil li-
berty ; and on the couch of dissolution, a faithful son of the
Church of England. Upon these grounds, therefore, it was
matter of congratulation that the Protestant ascendancy"
still continued a standing toast of the Club. It would, indeed,
have beenatrange if on any occasion when they met to celebrate
the Triumph of the Constitution, that should not have been
drank which formed its principal ingredient.—(Applause.)—ln
! mentioning the name of the Lord ChanCellor—the firm cham-
pion of the Protestant cause, and the keeper, for so many years,
of an afflicted and revered Monarch's conscience—he was confi-
dent he was meeting the wishes of the Club in asking them to
join in a testimony of grateful recollection for his Lordship's
eminent services as a public character, and of cordial esteem
for his virtues as a private one. Though sinking into the
" vale of years," his Lordship would be found at his post in
the hour of trial, in defence of those institutions for which their
ancestors had fought and bled—for which heroes had fallen and
martyrs suffered :---bulwarks which, if once destroyed, could
never be replaced, and which constituted the surest, the only
guarantees for the safety of the Throne and the happiness of the
people. He begged, therefore, to propose " The Lord Chan-
cellor, and success to the Protestant interest in the House of
Peers."
The toast was drank with great enthusiasm, and with three
times three.
Glee—" The King and the Church."
The health of Mr. Jackson, the Honorary Secretary of the
Club, was then given, and drank with much applause.
Mr. JACKSON, in a speech of considerable length, expressed
his high sense of the honour which the company had conferred
upon him, and assured the Club that his services were always
at its command. lie congratulated the meeting upon - the in-
creased attendance of members, to what had appeared at some
recent anniversaries, and made some strong and pointed com-
ments upon certain 'local misrepresentations which had been
made with respect to the permanence and strength of the So-
ciety.
A number of other toasts and sentiments followed, and the
Meeting separated, highly delighted with the proceedings of
the day.