The Sun.
London, England, 1824-01-31 00:00:00

i their lives would,_ cause the admirationadmirationof posterity, and their
deaths would be recorded wits those. of
.a Hampden and a
Sidney in another land, but in he sanzc cause.—(Cheers.)—
Some there are, however, whom 1 more particular fate had fol-
! Towed, who yet lived to witnes their country's wrongs, and
to thirst for the day of retribition—patriots who, believing
in nothing but the common feling of freedom, among all
their brethren, had thrown themselves, in spite of the Alien
Act, upon the generosity of theßritish people. They had done
this country the singular lionme of selecting it as the place of
their retreat,—names, that woud hereafter be the stars of his,
tory—the gallant and invincible Mina—the eloquent and philo-
sophical Arguelles—the prompt and determined Alava—with
snore than 600 self-expatriatel Spaniards, choosing rather
liberty, without all the domestic and local enjoyments of their
own country, than any thine. aril every thing the tyrant had to
bestow.—(Loud cheers.)—Little prepared by their past lives for
the bitterness of poverty, or the contumely of dependence, yet
they preferred both to the ignoniny of political slavery.; many
lan honoured Italian, too, was anon them—and it was to the
glory of Albion, that her white ChM were sought by the sons
of freedom, as their seat, their :afeguard, and their sanctuary.
—(Cheers.)—Yet it was absolutdy heartbreaking to behold their
miseries, their ruined fortunes, their wretched families ; how-
' ever, Britain, he trusted, will enable them to visit their descend-
ants in South America, where tiey might kindle a new flame
of liberty, greatness, and glory.—(Loud cheers.)—Let our sup-
port of them not be degraded ty the name of charity. When
the Stuarts, by their arbitrary measures, drove many of our
patriots from their native land, hey sought succour -from the
states of the Continent, and new the sympathy of the British
people would show they were not forgetful of their former
obligations. (Loud cheers.)—though the tyrant of their
country might proscribe their names, confiscate their property,
condemn their lives, and destro; their families, he could not
rob them of that glory which a British people can always en-
joy ; this was entirely beyond his reach.—(Loud cheers.)—
Upon these grounds, I propose to drink—" The Healths of
Mina, Arguelles, Alava, and tie other Illustrious Spaniards,
who have sought protection is this country"—Drank with
three times three, and loud chters. Air." Tyrolese song of
Liberty."
Lord A. HaatinToree after a warns eulogium, and ob-
serving that it was a most astonishing circumstance that such
a man should sit for a set of Scots Burghs—proposed " The
health of Joseph Hume"—three times three and deafening
applause.
Sir R. C. FERGITSSON rose.—(Loud cheering.)—He observ-
ed that they need not be afraid he was going to make a long
speech at that late hour of the evening. He had attended Par.
liament for two Sessions, with a regularity alaiost equal to
Joseph Hume himself, but he found, that in the Committees
both of them were so . much veiled in with such a load of
Lords of the Treasury and other Ministerial Members, that
nothing could be hoped for. They had out-voted him upon
every question, and laid down a rule, that unless a special and
particular case of borough-corruption could be brought fore
ward, they would not listen to any thing that might be said.—
Ile took them upon their own ground, and brought forward two
strong cases, but the Lords of the Treasury, the Hacks of the
Ministry, the very respectable Member for this good city, who
attended even more closely than Mr. Hume himself—( Loud
laughter)—and who, like the rest, conscieutiou:ly. attended—
(excessive latighter)—contrived to out-vote them an every in-
stance. It was then, and only then, that lie (Sir R. Fergusson)
certainly said it would be folly to go on. He went to the
House, and, perhaps, in an unprecedented manner, declared
that the Committee was a mockery; that it was not to investi-
gate, but to check investigation ; and that it was an insult to
the British community that such a palpable mockery should ex-
ist at all.—( Loud cheers.)
Mr: T..Ttsoarsois, Advocate, rose and said, there was one
country that especially called on the Meeting, and there was
one man, in a degenerate age, who shone with all the glory of
genuine patriotism—he need not mention the name of Simon
Bolivar—the Washingbn of South America.—(Loud cheers.)
—After a few observations upon the present state of the
Brazilian Government, he concluded by proposing—" The
Health of Bolivar) and the Liberty and Independence of South
America." (Drank with three times three, and rapturous
cheering.) Tune—' Hearts of Oak.'
Mr. L. HORNER : My Lord, the toast I am about to
propose, is peculiarly connected witbehe purposes of the pre-
sent Meeting. The education of the lower order of the peo-
ple is the only ground upon which liberty can he reared, and
furnishes the best bulwark by which it can be supported.—(Loud
cheers.)—lt might fairly be questioned, as it had been. guess
tioned, whether liberty ought to exist, without corresponding
intellect; and for that reason the people of Ireland, from their
want of education, had 'not been thought fit to receive liberty.
The people of Scotland; however, were allowed on all hands
to be eminently intellectual • and though not eqoally celebrated
with the 'people- of England for political excellence, were,
certainly, able to enjoy it. The little hand, miscalled our re-
presentatives, did so entirely misrepresent and belie the feel-
ingi of the people of the country, that no mockery was ever
greater, more cruel, ox more coMplete.—(Cheers.)—The high-
minded, liberal, and spirited population of Caledonia were now
entirely excluded from any participation in the benefits of Le-
gislation; but he was well assured that when Scotland did get
freedom, she would show herself no less excellent in her poli-
tical, than in her moral character.—(Cheers.)—The toast he
meant to propose would call up the kindred enthusiasm of the
whole company.—( Tremendous, rapturous, anti long-continued
cheering.)—He concluded by.giving—" The health of Mr.
Brougham, and the advancement of education."—Three times
three.

Mr. J. W. BRouclra.m rose,. and returned thanks in the
name of his brother, He could not help alluding to those high
honours which had been bestowed upon his brother in Glasgow
—honours which lie must ever remember with pride, and could
never forget, while he continued to exist.—(Loud cheers.)—He
proposed—" The City of Glasgow,
and may its Prosperity keep
pace with its Political Principies.”___(Drank with three times
three, and immense cheering.)
Mr. Iv oRY rose, and with a few observations, proposed " The
Memory of Mr. Ricardo."--( Drank in solemn silence.)

rose and said—l have now
Lord Ancitxpal.r. HAMILTON
to propose to you a toast of the highest importance—a Free
Prem—and may it be daily extended to the confines of the
earth, as a terror to the Holy Alliance, and a safeguard of the
Rights of Man—(Loud cbeering.)—l am happy to think, that
the value of a Free Press is not only the palladium of Liberty,
but the very sine qua non of Freedom—(Loud cheers.)—There
never 'was a time when this truth was more prominent than the
present. It is now when the Holy Alliance have tried every
means of contractingthe Liberty of the Free Press, that it
ought to be tolled and thundered in their ears' as the knell of
their despotism, and the lorious bursting of the freedom of
m an.—( Loud cheers.)—The rancour with which the Free Press
had been persecuted, proved hownouch the tyrants were afraid
of it. They could not bear a Free Press, a free discussion, or
a free inquiry. They could not hear the light, because their
deeds were evil.-7( Loud cheers.)— They invariably attempted to
controul a free press, where it did exist ; and where it did not
exist, to take especial care that it should never appear. In con-
sequence of their measures, their subjects could never be in-
formed what their Monarchs were doing. It was only from the
newspapers of this country they gathered any information. It
was impossible that such a state of things could continue. The
suppression of the
press, aimed a fundamental blow at the
groundwork of liberty itself;
.yet, what was the conduct of
this country under these circumstances ? When the Holy Alli-
ance was attacking the, free press of Europe, our Government
was truckling in the basest and meanest manner. We were
viewing the Holy Alliance effecting the whole of their objects;
the invasion of Naples and Sardinia—the Congress at Verona
—the speech of the French King—and the attack upon Spain—
all came before us; yet our Administration affected not to see
the practices of the Holy Conspirators, until the Rubicon was
crossed. We suffered Naples to be seized—Verona to proclaim
—Louis to speak—and yet, week after week, our equally wise
arid patriotic Ministers told us Spain would not be invaded at
all. Our Mini;ters have either been dupes, or—worse.—(Loud
cheers.)—The Liberty of the Press was the only safeguard which
tlra public of Britnin possessed against the further schemes of
the Holy Alliance, and was likely to constitute the greatest
terror to those Crowned Spoilers, while it conferred the highest
benefits upon this country.--(Cheers.)—lt was, however, to
be lamented, that the Liberty of the Press was too fre-
quently connected with its licentiousness, and this city
had, not long ago, seen a paper of the most infamous
nature, which was supported by the highest authorities,
and the greatest official characters of the country.—(Cheers,
and cries.of shame.)—For my part, said his Lordship, I do not
complain of the observations they have made upon myself; I do
not complain that they should have attacked me • but they said
they would prove every thing. They said that ;hen it came to
trial they would prove all, and more than what they had said,
to be true ; yet I dared thern:to it, and what was the result ?
They skulked, and sneaked, vilely and tremblingly, out of
Court.—(lmmense cheering.)—lt was evident that they meant
nothing but political swindling ; yet, I ask, Who were their
supporters ? I ask the official characters of Scotland, who ? I
ask the judicial officeri, who ?—(Coniinued Cheering.)—Yet,
Gent:en:len, while we lament the licientiousness of the Press,
it has never ceased to support its liberty ; Tor, as some poisons
are antidotes to others, so will the liberty of the press be an
effectual antidote to its licentiousness.—(Load cheering.).—
If again I should be attacked by the base hirelings of a
faction, I now know that the liberal Press of Scotland is
able to confute and correct all the calumnies that may be
uttered.—(Cheers.)—Gentlemen, I am sorry to trespass so long
upon your time, but I conceive this toast ought to be, and is,
dearer to you, than any that can be drank. To Scotland—to
Britain—and to man—nothing can be more interesting than the
Liberty of the Press.—(Great cheering.)--We have far more
cause to rejoice from the blessings we have enjoyed from its