The Sun.
London, England, 1823-12-16 00:00:00

SHEFFIELD PITT CLUB.

SHEITIILD, Dzc. 13.—The celebration of Mr.
PITT'S birthtook place on Thursday last, J. A. S. WORT.
Lay, M. P. in the chair. The company was more numerous
than on some former occasions, and influenced, apparently, by
the zealous attachment of the Chairman to the principles of
Mr. PITT, who was as hearty as ever in manifesting a regard
for his immortal memory and incomparable character. lire
must, to be just, give mr. and Mrs. LAMBERT credit for a
most excellent dinner, and wines of a very superior quality ;
and must further remark, that at no former time has there been
a more general appearance of satisfaction, or a greater display
of sound principle and proper feeling among the members of
the Club. The proceedings were as follow
After the cloth was drawn, " Noe Nobis Domine" was
sung, and the following toasts were given from the chair :
The King—God bless him.-3 times 3.
Songs and Chorus—" God save the King."
The memory of his late Majesty George the Third.
The Duke of York, the heir presumptive to the Crown.
The Duke of Clarence and the other branches of the Royal
Family.
Glee—." Come, thou monarch of the vale."
Mr. Woluet.r.v said, " Gentlemen, it is now my duty to
call your attention to the toast which celebrates the memory of
the person in whose name we are now assembled. Gentlemen,
the toast I have to give you is, " the immortal memory of the.
Right lion. Win. Pitt :" and in doing s 6; I say that, as Britons,
we should show overselves unthankful for the favours which
have been bestowed upon us; if we did not do our best to celebrate
the memory of that great man. (Applause.) There have been
seasons, when, from the pressure of the times—there have been
people, so weak and faint-hearted as to think he had gone too
far, and was the means of bringing this country into difficul-
ties. But we have now gone through those difficulties; and
I now ask the people of England to.say, whether they have not
reason to be proud of such a man—and have reason, notwith-
standing the loss of blood and treasure, to rejoice at the final
issue of the contest. For years, undoubtedly, we had to struggle
with an enemy. Mr. Pitt said to us, " continue, persevere,
and in the end you will acquire not only glory, but safety."—
Gentlemen, his words have proved to be true ; no such harvest
of glory was ever reaped by any country as this during the last
war, and we are now the most flourishing, the most free, and
the most happy state in the world. If I am told the posses-
sion thereof has been bought at a great price, I say it is im.
possible such a struggle could take place without great sa-
crifices. Ilut what we have acquired is worth infinitely more
than the sacrifices which have been made: and this country has
reason to pride itself that it went through the contest in the
war it did. Gentlemen, I now conclude by giving you--
The immortal memory of the Right Hon. William Pitt.—
Three times three.
The Oran SIAN then said— _ _ _

" Gentleroen,—A a this is the first time I had the honour
of presiding at this Club, I got my friend, Mr Brown, to put
down the toasts which have usually been drank on these occa-
sions ; and the next toast is one which, by some means or other,
the Whigs littVe appropriated to themsaves, and which they
are in the habit of giving. I am quite sure that we are as much
desirous that the Rouse of Brunswick should not forget the
principles which seated them on the throne of these realms as
they are .1 and, therefore, I for one am not for allowing the
Whigs to appropriate to themselves this toast."
The Rouse of Brunswick—and may they never forget the
principles that seated them on the Throne of these Realms.
Duet.—" All's well." _

next," said the Chairman, " is a toast which I cannot
give without making some remarks upon it—lt is the " Pro-
testant Ascendancy." Gentlemen—You all know that since I
have been in Parliament I have voted for the Catholic question;
but, I am as ready as any of you, to drink, " The Protestant
Ascendancy," for neither I, nor a great majority of those who
vote for the Catholic question, have any idea that our doing so
will destroy the Protestant Ascendancy. The government of
this country is Protestant, and the Protestant Ascendancy must
continue if we mean to go on as we have done. While we vote
for the Catholic claims we arc under the perfect persuasion
that when we do so the Protestant Ascendancy will be duly
guarded.
The Protestant Ascendancy-3 times 3.
Our glorious Constitution.; venerable from age, unequalled
in wisdom, inexhaustible in blessings.
The Army and Navy.
Song and Chorus—" Rule Ilritannit."
Mr. WonT LEY, itt proposing the health of "Ilia Majesty's
present Ministers, said, " These Ministers were the disciples
of Mr. Pitt, and have nobly followed his example."
Ills Majesty's Ministers--3 times 3.
May the Principles of Mr, Pitt continue toanimate the Coun-
cils of Great llritain--•3 times 3.

JOSEPH DIX'ON Sitx ti:r ore-, En. then rose and said, " Gen-
tlemen, I am extremely sorry that it does not fall to a much
more able person than myself, to propose the next toast; but,
I ant, however, very happy to propose the health of our worthy
Chairman. I am sure you will agree, and duly appreciate with
me, the honour the President has done us In accepting the
chair this day. The Club fors number of years has been
very desirous that this event should take place; and until the
present year they have not been favoured, on account of our
Anniversary being celebrated at thesame time as the London,
and other I'i t Clubs. I trust the Club will feel it much better
hereafter to have the Anniversary Meeting at some other period
Of the year than May. After the manner in which the Chair-
man proposed the last toast, wishing that the principles of Mr.
Pitt might continue to animate the Ministers of this Realm, I
think now is a proper time to propose the health of our worthy
Chalitllan." (Great applause.)
The Health of the Chairman, Mr. Wortley.,--3 times 3.
%lr. WoaTLEY said, " Although I hive scarcely drank a
glass of wine this evening, I mean to drink one now. I quite
agree with my worthy friend who had the goodness to pinlitme
my good health, that it will be better in future that the club
should hold its sitting et thin time of the year.
Gentlemen,—Whilo I thank you for having done MC the
honour to drink my health, I can only receive into as a com-
pliment to myself from having pursued the line of duty pointed
out by Mr. Pitt. Ever since I had the honour to represent this
county in Parliament, those who recollect when I was proposed,
and when I had the honour of being chosen, I then said I
stood forward upon grounds of perfect independence. But the
word independence is now used upon all occasions, and, by all
parties ; and, if you are to believe the Whigs. it conslats
only in opposition to Administration. I have certainly thought
It my duty to support the measures of Administraeon, and I
have done it independently ; I thought they were right; I am
still of opinion that they are right, and I do say, I give inde-
pendent votes upon those occasions. My view of Independence
Is in following the feelings of your Own mind in ascertaining
what in your conscience you thing right; and then it is the
business of an independent man not be moved either by the
hope of reward, by the influence of government, or to be swayed
by his constituents, if he cannot bring his own opinion to that
of his constituents.

" It has been my fate to ?tit myself in array against a great
body of my constituents ; I did it, because in my conscience I
thought It was right, anti I was determined to chew to the
country that I would be independent. To represent the county
of York is the greatest honour a commoner can receive. I be-
lieve, in my conscience, that the Ministers of this Country have,
through the most arduous period, navigated the vessel of state
with great skill ; and, in my opinion, they hare brought that
vessel into safe harbour. I should, therefore, consider myself
ungrateflil to myself and to my constituents, if I did not give
them, this Majesty's Ministers) the support of an honest and in.
dependent man " Mr. Wortley then proposed—.
May the energy of the loyal ever defeat the views of the
factious.

Glee—" Glorious Apollo."
" The next tout," said the Chairman, " is the health of a
man to whom we, our children, end our childrens' children lie
under great obligations."
His Grace the Duke of Wellington-3 times 3.
Glee—" The fled Cross Knights."
The Chairman gave—
The Lord Lieutenant of the West Riding, the Earl of
Harewood.

May we be sensible of our blessings as a people, and ever
ready to defend them.
The. Pitt Clubs of the United Kingdom, and the Supporters
of the Pitt principles in every part of the world-3 times 3.
The Chairman then proposed a worthy officer of the Club,
who, from ill health, was unable to attend.
Our worthy Treasurer, Mr. Eadon.
Mr. WM B . ROWNELL said--." Gentlemen, I rise to do that
which 1 am sure our friend, Mr.. Eldon, would have done had
he been present—to thank you for the honour you have done
him in thinking his health. Ilia political feeling, I am sure
perfectly 'corresponds with the feelings of this company, and he
has not a sentiment but: what Is accordant with its sentiments.
I very much regret his abscnw, and more so the occasion of it,
which is indisposition of no ordinary kind." -
The Secretary of the Club, Mr. W. Brownell.
W.- BROWNELL then siiid--;“ I assure you, Sir, I ans
fully sensible of the flattering compliment that ias been paid
me, and respectfully solicit, your and the company's accept.:
ance of my sincere thanks. 11'1 thought I should not be tree..
passing too much uponthe time and patience of the meeting. F
should feel disposed to make a few observations upon the oe.
easion of it. 1 must admit, however, that the political chit..
ratter of Mr. Pitt has been so often alluded to, and so frequently
eulogised by the members of this Society, that almost every
thing that can now be said upon it has been already anti:
cipated. The opinion that he was not only the saviour of
England but of Europe, that his genius influenced
.the
Continental States, and prompted them to resist the power

of a nical usurper, has been often expressed Inv
to in terms of enthusiastic applause. His attach-
!intent to the Constitution? and firm adherence to the prin.
Ilciples on which it is established, have also been the theme of
„some who are now present; and who, I hope, will meet here for
'tnany years to come, for thepurposeof paying this annual tri-
lute to his widelY extended and well earned fame.—(Ap-
, plause.)—The present time, however, seems to me a peculuutly
proper one for manifesting-our approbation of Mr. Tiis's pa.
Hey. There are circumstances belonging to it that are well cal-
culated to justify an approval, and to spew that the principles
on which that policy proceeded were essentially the causes that
have led to the present, and, I will add, glorious results.—(Ap-
plause).—Sir, it is to the influence of such causes that we are
indebted for the greatly improved and still improving state of
our public affairs, is owing to them that we are in possession
of privileges that other States are strangers to, that we excel in
arms and arts, and have acquired a title to renown which, all
things considered, I do not think has its parallel, no not even
in the annals of either Greece or Rome, great as they once were,
and first in the scale of empires and of- nations. To place a
just value upon Mr. Pitt's principles, we ought to contemplate
the effect of opposite ones, and the situatimi in which we should
in all probability, have been placed, provided we had followed
the counsel of the Whigs. It is my firm opinion, that to have
done this would have been to ;five up the government of our
public affairs, to have established for ever the Ituonaparte
usurpation, and suffered it to dictate what should be our land
and maritime force; nay, I question if ere now the entire in.
dependence of England must have fallen beneath the over-
whelming influence of France, and every man in it been sub-
ject to some branch of the usurpation I have named.—(Ap-
plsuse.)—ln speaking of the higs, it is scarcely possible to
overlook the wretched dilemma to which they are reduced.
The genial influence of our own political atmosphere only
seems to increase their malady, and make them wretched ;
they are evidently distressed for want of a cause of complaint,
anti would be more so if France, or Russia, or Prussia, or
Portugal, and, in short, the whole Continent, did not abound
with governments suitable to their splenetic purposes, and
calculated, as they imagine, to call forth the torrent of their
abuse : I speak, Sir, of the ultra Whip, or what some would
call Radicals.—(Applause.)—As for the Monarchs who are at
the head of those Governments, the tread-mill would be much
too lenient a punishment--(a laugh)—for the best, were they
half so wicked as the Whigs say they are ; but surely the de-
signs imputed to them owe their dark colouring more to the
sombre imaginations of the Whigs themselves than to any other
cause ; they meditate upon some diabolical scheme in the first
place, and then cast about to find a father of it in the next, and
whether it be the Russian or any other monarch is of no great im-
portance—their hatred of authority is gratified, and their was-
faction is derived from the abuse of elevated station. That the
scurrility which is so frequently applied to foreign potentates
owes its existence to a motive of this description I verily be-
lieve, and to prove it there are many recent examples; neither
am I sorry that there are such, for Whig disappointment, or at
least the expression of it, is a sort of experiment from which
we may learn the increase of national prosperity. It would be
strange, then, if the politics of such a man as Mr. Pitt were
not the subject of complaint, and still more strange if those pa-
wns who support them were not sometimes scandalised. Inde-
pendent, as I am sure Mr. Pitt was, if caring for neither ho-
nours nor riches could make him so, it is a glorious tribute
which is paid to his principles, that on all occasions of treason
or disaffection they are never to be recognized ; they appear to
the most advantage where the love of order is most apparent,
and wherever there is a loyal feeling or a wish to promote the
kindly influence of peace and prosperity. As a shining exam-
ple, generations that are unborn may have reason to rejoice in
the lofty acquirements of Mr. Pitt; they may regard him as a
model of imitation, as •
a superior pattern of human excellence,
and very justly think they honour themselves by honouring
him. if I did not think that honour was thus reflected, I
'would eay farewell to all, and leave my country, if I could, as
a worthless inheritance to any grumbling demagogue or dissa-
tisfied Whig that would accept of it—(Applause.)
" I will no longer trespass upon your attention than merely
to observe there is one fact which cannot well be denied, and
it is that the voice of discontent has nearly ceased to be heard ;
there is little, if any, complaining in our streets. How the
case might have been under a Wing administration I have no
great pleasure in conjecturing ; but, recollecting what fell from
several of the leaders during the last session or Parliament, I
am more than half inclined to think our days of lamentation
would have included even this day ; and that at this very mo-
ment, if 1 had been desirous of proposing a sentiment suitable
to the times, the least appropriate one
could have given is
that which appears to me the most appropriate at present, and
d.
which, although a homely one, with the Chairman's pemn.e
sion, I will give—
and ProsPeritY.
A continuation of the blessings of Peace
and Thomas
Our worthy Vice Presidents. " John Brown
Dew snap,
T. 18314517.: E'
the honour the
he begged leave to return thanks fore
lee_
_.„
company had done them In drinking theirs. leaveltn
of the
Air. SzEt.Toti said, t, aentlemen, with the
leman that I am
Chair, I beg to propose the health of a geiniet
Tr first 'President of
sure you will drink with enthusiasm.
this Club—
Dr. Corbett—Three times three. _ e Company
Es said, "On behalf of his colleague and
Dr. ConnETT in returning thanks, staiiisdheiallgcuiled
upon
having done hini 'the honour of drinking
in this iteighbourhood
of 'Sheffield. He considered it his
re-
spect from the inhabitants
principles of Mr. Pitt. He considered it
duty to maintain the
_f the human mind to place a just
was one of the noblest efthrts o
of
rti* ary faculties which him
living in
return thanks. As lont
n the talents anti extrao in.
estimate upo
e
1 cter.
ap-
peared in Zr.A Pitt's c lam as :die
rustba d
withh the
the pglreerteulte
' he Rev. Gentleman con-
the applaUse of his country.
eluded by oi
1 f"ing—whieli led to this day's celebration, not
May
.t re eelings,
but in every town in the Kingdom.
only exist in this town,
patronag,e
osed—
The Chairmen then prop
his was not paid form lelle'reenprirenetofn uo
nc h o et
ce er honu st
in s
" Could a man be secure."
returned thanks, and pro-
Mr. Wac.'Hoeitovn, of Leeds,
'ATE Visitorsr_ Of the Club then present.

- 1
The Magistrates of the West Riding, and particularlyple. those
pa,,,,,dp!isoetty in the peo
are,
three times three.
o.:TP:leilhlte:enshtAd:ll):3l.antstritelee!f said, "worthy of our best thanks, and
theivirirs,erwv services are duly dyu,lyianptphreecniaatmede.'n'f The
smears
at
nw:stghlavet no: with
is
brother Magistrates, returned thanks. He assured the cora-
kany that nothing eauld be more agreeable to them, than to
now that their services were appreciated by the inhabitants of
Sheffield. lie had sat as a Magistrate but a few days: his
friend, Mr. Parker, had borne the burden; and, although he
was a Whig, not a worthier man ever existed upon the face of
the earth. He could assure the company. that, he greatest re-
ward the Magistrates could have was, that their services were
appreciated by the inhabitants of the town, and if they were,
they had all they wanted. .
The Chairman the proposed—
The Town and Trade of Sheffield—three times three.
The Master Cutler then proposed—Capt. Shirt, who had'con-
tributed greatly to the cheers of the company Three times three.
This toast was received with three distinct rounds of applause..
Captain Shirt returned thanks.
Mr. SKELTON then pro.posed the health of Major Wortley,
the son of the worthy Chairman. In proposing this toast, he
could only wish, in common with the company, that he aughv
tread in the steps of his father; for, in whatever light they
viewed the worthy Chairman, whether as a Member of Par-
liathent, a Magistrate, or a private individual, he was sure they
could only wish his successor to tread'in his steps. He there-
fore begged leave to propose the health of
Major Wortley—Three-times three.
Mr. WORTLEY returned thanks for the honour conferred
upon his son. In doing which, he said, •'He was just enter-
ing
.into public life, and he hoped that as far as his parliamen-
tary and political conduct was concerned, his son would tread
in his steps. Had he been in this country, he would have wished
him to be present at this meeting. lie told hint what he thought
was right, and endeavoured to impress upon hiM the principles
by which he himself was actuated ; but all he asked of him
was, to ilet as an independent . roan. On another occasion it
might perhaps be in his power to be present, and he should ex-
express his wish that he should.
Aong—By T. Dewenap. Esq.
The CHAIRMAN then proposed_
The Landed and Commercial Interests of the United Kingdom
Song—" John Shirt, Esquire."
Mr, fIOUNSFIELD proposed the health of J. D. Skelton,
,Esq., one of the original, promoters of this Club.
Mr.SKELTON rose, and returned thanks for the honour done
him'; but lie feared lest the company might have overstepped
the hounds of truth. Ile did not know that he was thefounder
of the Cloh, but, he did assist in the formation of it. He could
rurdlet 84: and he thought the company would bear him out
in it, that if he assisted in the ibmiation of the Club, he had
always .adheredtcv.the,principhat of it.—(Applause.)—lle had
haznhh6redtruuitepdtatitihaetsieleperyinercilleosurdliedoll.d always peoetieed them,
At twenty minutes past.nine o'clock, the Chairman, previous
to leaving the Chair, proposed, as atoast—
May friendship, harmony and loyalty ever pervade this
company."
He then left the Chair amidst the loudest cheers. It wss
afterwards, taken by Thomas Dewsnap, Esq., and the hanu"'Y
of the meeting was uninterrupted during the evening.—
Shejla Mercury.)