The Sun.
London, England, 1823-09-26 00:00:00

ham, and of the cotintry at lafge.—(Applause.)—Jf aver they
failed in paying to such characters a just tribute to their me-
rit, he should have to say that they would incur the censure
of a late Noble Lord who had used the singular expression
of their " turning their backs upon themselves.' —( Laughter. )
Mr. BIRCH said, that as senior member, he understood the
task devolved upon him of acknowledgin in the first instance,
the least which they had just drank. As'he would be followed
by men cf transcendent talents, he should not presume upon
the patience of the company by detaining them long while he
delivered his sentiments. lie felt that he was addressing con-
stituents who would interpret with candour and indulgence
his observations : he spoke with the experience of enjoying that
indulgence upon many former occasions. Ile was upheld by
the gratification of seeing old faces around him—men of 20
years acquaintance, with whom he had the satisfactioh of enjoy-
ing a long frindahip, and reciprocity of pursuits. lie had first
been recommended to them as a friend of civil and religious
liberty, and it was for them to say, whether by his Parlia-
mentary conduct he bad since redeemed that pledge.--(Cries
'of" You hive.")—He knew that the early recommendation he
had rece'ved, and whiclehe hoped he had sustained, had se.
cured for him the support of a large class of enlightened men.
A s a merchant (and he was proud of the appellation), he had
always watched their interests, and endeavoured to maintain
their independent character. He had now the pleasing task of
cotigratulatingthem upon the amended policy which had arisen
since he first knew them, and on the extension of their better'
policy, which had embodied among the members of their, corpo-
ration distinguished non-residents. Had they had such aid in
1803, the Bill which went no degrade their municipal privileges,
by extending them to the county, would not have been thought
ot. The .Hon. Member concluded by paying a high compli-
ment to the integrity and independence of their worthy Chair-
man, Lord Rancliffe.
2.11 r. DENMAN rose amid considerable applause. lie said he
was heopy to give precedence to "so potent, grave, and re-
verentlh eeigner" as his worthy colleague, and trusted that he
should long have to enjoy a similar gratification, for he was
perfectly convinced that his Hon. Friend had always acted a
manly, honourable, and consistent part to' his constituents.—
( Hear hear! )-e-He ventured to think, that it was the conduct
of the inhabitants of Nottingham-, in 1802, at the first election
of his Hon. Friend, which had lit the torch of liberty that had I
since blazed in so many other parts-of the United Kingdom.—
And it was 'due to the citizens of Nottingham to say, that in
no small degree was attributable to their early chines, the
subsequent progress which the great question of independence
had acquired among the public bodies, of the country. 'They
haft since that period achieved another great public service, by
rescuing hall' of the representation of their county from the state
of neutrality into which it had so supinely fallen: lie would
not disguise that., even in their last struggle, they had perform-
ed a public service—a service which those who on that occasion
contended with them, and who charged thein with intending to
make their representation a close borough, would have spared,
lied they (their opponents) gained their point, for then the re.
proach would not have been that the burgesses were making a
close borough of Nottingham, but that those who wished to make
it so had lost the power they aimed at, of handing it over as such
to the Administration of the day.—(Applause.)--They had in
their struggles established the triumph of principle; and Inuc7l
as he valued the honour of being one of the• representatives of
a body so independent, still more lie claimed credit_ for the
assurance of wishing perpetuity to the maintenance of *so great
a principle,' rather than for the continuance (highly as he valu-
ed it) ofany honour which was personal to himself.--(Applause.)'
—The burgesses of Nottingham had sent him and his worthy
colleague as their repreeentatiyes in Parliament, to consult
and wateliewer their particular interests, as well as • those of
the people at large. It was not their lot, .he admitted, to have
had the honour of originating in Parliament many new and
active measures but they bad atoned for that want of original
power, by watching and endeavouring incessantly to check and.
controul the heedless career of Ministers, backed, as these Mi-
nisters were, by majorities in the House of Commons, who, to
say the least of them, represented, if they represented any thing
at all, sentiments which were the the counter part of those felt
and avowed by the people of Nottingham.—(Cheers.)-The
country knew, that the Ministers and majorities of whom he
spoke, were not the friends of public liberty : it was perhaps
more the fault of their education than of themselves that they
were so; and under this unhappy delusion, caused how it may
the advocates of those Ministers had presumed to arraign their
opponents, by retorting upon thein the imputation of meaning
revolution instead of reform. Where was the proof of such a
charge ? Had the people abandoned the frank and independent
spirit of their ancient character ? Had they ever sent forth spies
and informers among their opponents ? 'lied they, contemplat-
ing.a daring and violent exercise of authority, dispatched by
their own contrivance the emissaries who were well adapted to
pave. the wee ter the ulterior infliction ?—(Hear, hear 1)-11ad
the people ever countenanced a publle delivery of thanks to
soldiers and magistrates, of whom they knew nothing, but
their last violent act of, cutting the throats of numbers in a
crowded assembly.-4114r, hear 1)-lied 'the people ever to-
lerated as Alien ltill, to consign to, the tender mercies of the
Secretaries of State all strangers who were either foreigners
or rendered so by :others who had an interest in their ex-
pulsion ? Had the, people supported such odious Measures,
then, indeed, they might heve been reproached with having
contemplated innovation. But not so had been the course of
popular feeling; they had on• the contrary opposed all these
odious measures ; they ha,: opposed the foreign enlistment bill,
which went to excliide British valour froth participating in the
establishment of the principles of freedom ; they had opposed
the base persecution of an injured and hapless Queen.—(Cheers.)
—They had established the ground-work of good principles, so
much so, indeed, that he was at a loss to conceive any place in
the country in which a public mart would venture to come for-
ward in the face. of his countrymen, and honestly deny the ne.
coed y'of Parliamentary Reform. If public opinion had gained
this great adrantage over violent and exploded prejudices, lie
was proud to feel that from Nottingham the example had been
set. Westminster had caught the glowing spirit, and evinced
it by, electing as its representative the illustrious man (Sir
Burdett) who sat by his side.—(Cheers.)—London, by a kin•
dreg effort, was about to manifest the seine spirit, by electing
as its chief Magistrate, the worthy Alderman (ilir. Waithinati)
who sat near liiin.—(Applause.)—lndeed the Metropolis was
always the rallying point of public spirit, and, like a citadel in
a besieged country, it held out for time maintenance of the last
rights of an assailed cotninunity.—CApplause.)—To the higher
classes of the country much was also due for an independent dis-
play of spirit in late times ; but, abdve all, that tribute must be
paid to the middling daises, who had mainly persevered in
prointe.ing and keeping alivo the great and essential cause of
reform, and by so persevering had indisputably secured its final.'
inevitable triiimplieL((,haers.)—The lion. and Learned,Mem.
ber, after some further observations in Itirtheriince of the great
cause of Reform, concluded by thanking; the company for the
honour they had done him, and proposing the health of their
Noble Chairman, Lord Rancliffe.—(Applause.)
'Lord RexontrrEreturned thanks, and expressed his cordial
approbation of the principles . which they had this day met to
celebrate. He took a review of the conduct of Mr. Brougham
and Mr. Denman upon the hate Queen's trial,antl said that it
justly entitled these distinguished lawyers to. the thanks and
confidence of Ilietr country. His Lordship concluded by pro.
posingthe healths of time independent electors of Nottingham.--
Three tunes three.
The CHM nan,: said, that he had now to propose the health
of a very distinguished individual, whom they hid long wished
to See amongst them—Sir Francis Burdett.—(Loud cheerio—
After naming a man so named and so admired, he was relieved
from the task of recounting leis ptiblic services, and the un-
(hunted perseverance he bad uniformly displayed in the cause
of the people, and above all in that cause of reform, without
which all other measures were but a mockery upon the public
understanding.—(Applause.)—To the steady and persevering
efforts of the worthy Baronet, aided by the good principles of
other public men, and backed by the people's voice he looked
for an ultimate triumph of their great cause.—(Caers.)—He
hail formerly observed, that sonic well disposed men in other
respects expressed doubts upon the question of reform ; happily
for the nation, these doubts lied now vanished, and those who
were originally lukewarm were now ssngulne in the ranee of the
people.—( A pplause.)—W hen lie named. Slr Francis Burdett
lie spoke of a man whom he revered in public, and loved in
private -life ; one whose health the freemen of Nottingham
would drink as it deserved.--(Cheers.)—To talk of Wellington
and Waterloo, was glory it was true, but inferior, indeed to
the glory of that man who fought the bloodless battles of his
country in the assertion and promotion of their dearest civil
rights. Such a man must, and ought to conqUer and in fro-
posing the health- of Sir Francis litirdett, lie felt be was bring-
mg before them the merits of a great public character, whom
to-designate in the language of their immortal hard—" Tjtke
him for all in all, we. flier, Shall look upon his like again."
The worthy Baronet's health was drank with great enthu.
siasin.

Sir Fu Arras BYTUDETT Slid, that lie felt so much indebted
to thirrindness of his' Noble Friend who had proposed his
health, and to the manner in which the company had received
it, that he was Unable to express as he could wish the senti.
ever, that mews which animated his bosom. believed, how

sitriplesivrayw7lltheVest, and more especially when he la-
bnur".ii under fe,lings so strongly excited. That'll(' had done
his duty towards the people of Nottinghani, and those of the
country at large; but more especially to all good Englishinen,
who like them had evinced a determination to maintain the
great and glorious principlea of civil liberty—those principles,
•steadfast maintenAnce of which had raised them formerly
the eyes of the world, and filled them with renown—this was
only his (Sir F. Burdett's) duty, and-he was proud 'at receiving
for the performance of it so warm.and. grateful an expression
of their thanks It was his pride to cherish these sentiments,
and watt Englishman he felt them strongly—((sheers);—they