The Sun.
London, England, 1840-10-06 00:00:00

THE MAYORALTY.

MEETING AT ANDERTON'S.

Last evening a numerous and most respectable meet-
ing of Liverymen was held at Anderton's Coffee-house,
Fleet-street, for the purpose of promoting the election
of Mr. Alderman Harmer.

The Chair was taken at seven o'clock by Mr. Deputy
Blacket.

Mr. ANDERTON in moving the first resolution said,
that although he had been designated as the bustling
Common Councilman of Bridge-street, the landlord of
that Inn, and a person who had nothing to do with reli-
gion or politics, yet he was not to be deterred from
doing his duty honestly, fearlessly, and independently.—
(Cheers.) If he said that he was not disappointed,
he should say that which was not true ;! for he had
thought that men would be found amongst the Livery
of London, and in great numbers, who would not be
deterred by calumny from placing a worthy man in the
office to which he was entitled by his public and private
character, and his previous services. In all the attacks
that had been made upon Mr. Alderman Harmer, no
individual attempted to throw the slightest censure
upon his personal character, private or public.—(Hear,
hear.) In the early part of his life he belonged to a
branch of the legal profession, which was not consi-
dered very reputable until he took it up and made it
honourable and respected. As a husband, parent,
and friend, his character was well known to them all.
—(Hear.) They knew he had discharged his duties
as their representative in the Court of Common Coun-
cil—( Hear, hear)—and for his conduct in the office of
Sheriff' he had received the unanimous thanks of the
Livery.—(Cheers.) How could those who joined in
that vote of thanks say that he was unfit to represent
them in the Civic Chair ?—(Cheers.) He (Mr. A.)
did not think it was too late to regain the ground they
had lost, and he still hoped and trusted his worthy
friend would be placed to-morrow in the station to
which he was entitled. Mr. Anderton concluded by
moving—

" That Alderman Harmer, in all the relations of
life, public and private, has manifested a strict confor-
mity to the duties and obligations of a Christian. As
a man, he has always been honest, upright, humane, and.
charitable ; as a husband and parent, kind and affec-
tionate ; as a friend, warm-hearted and sincere ; in his
practice as an Attorney he was honourable ; and es a
Magistrate be has proved himself at all times intelligent
and independent, awarding strict justice alike to rich
and poor."
Mr. WOOD seconded the resolution. It was unne-
cessary for him to say anything in the defence of Mr.
Alderman Harmer's character, for his enemies had not
dared to impugn it, and they acknowledged in their ad-
vertisements that the question was not with him. Yet
they sought to sacrifice the man and they called that
religion.—(Shame, shame.) On their own showing
they were convicted of hypocrisy and. cant. They said
that this was a question with the .Dispatch. But would
the citizens of London allow themselves to be dictated
to by the Times and 2,500 Liverymen, who wanted to
put down the Dispatch, because it circulated to the
number of 65,000 a-week ?—(Cheers and laughter.)
Was the Times become so powerless that it could not
exist along with a weekly journal of such a circulation ?
And was it necessary to sacrifice a man against whom
not one word could b. said by themselves in order to
get at the newspaper ?—(Cheers.) This question was
really one of civil and religious liberty, and if every
friend of that cause which Mr. Alderman Harmer
had supported throughout his life, exerted himself,
there would be no difficu:ty in placing him at the
head of the poll.—(Cheers.) Their opponents stated
that the Livery amounted to upwards of 11,000 ; but
he was sure that the number was not more than 9,000
or 10,000. It would be easy to poll to 1,000 or more
in one day, and to gain such a triumph as the Livery
had gained (in the case of Mr. Alderman Thorpe) when
the Tories were in their full sway.—(Cheers.)
The resolution was carried by acclamation.
Mr. RICHARD TAYLOR regretted that he had been
absent from England when this contest commenced,
for nothing could have given him greater pleasure than
to have fought with them in so holy a battle.—
(Cheers.) He had been detained in a distant part of
Europe, and the first he heard of the progress of the
election was upon his arrival off Gravesend yesterday.
Ho fully concurred in every word of the resolution which
he held in his hand, and bore the strongest testimony
to the great worth of his excellent friend Mr. Alderman

Harmer, in all the relations of life. Much of the
improvement of the criminal law and the diminu-
tian of capital punishments, since the time when
Sir S. Roinilly commenced his labours to effect that ame-
lioration, was owing to the exertions of Mr. Harmer, and
to the enlightened and practical evidence which he gave
before the Committees of the House of Commons.—
( Hear, hear.) The charitable disposition, the libera-
lity, the love of justice, and also the legal experience of
that gentleman eminently qualified him for the office of
Chief Magistrate. Next to the unworthiness of raising
a malignant outcry against such a man would be that
of deserting him in his persecution, and, for his part,
he (Mr. T.) would stand by him with all his power.—
(Cheers.) He concluded by moving—" That Alderman
Harmer, by his public and private conduct, has shown
himself eminently qualified to fill the office of Chief
Magistrate of the City of London, and this meeting is
well assured that if elected to that station, he will dis-
charge the duties attached to it, with honour and credit
to himself and satisfaction to his fellow-citizens."
Mr. CHARLES cordially seconded the resolution,
which was carried amidst much applause.
Mr. PRITCHARD said that the real object of the ma-
lignant attacks which were made on Mr. Alderman
Harmer had been lost sight of. There was nothing

personal is that object, as indeed his enemies avowed.
It was a deeply political object—(Hear, hear.
hear)—and if the, Livery allowed the opponents of
their political rights and liberties to succeed on this
occasion, they would find it very difficult to return their
four Liberal representatives to another Parliament—
( Hear, hear.) It was not, however, too late for ex-
ertion. The numbers polled altogether was so small
in proportion to the whole body of the Livery, that
be could only account for the little interest mani-
fested by supposing that people generally thought the
whole question was purely personal between Mr. Al-
derman Harmer on the one side, and Mr. Alderman
Pirie or Mr. Alderman Johnson on the other.—( Hear.)
He was satisfied that if the Livery could be made aware,

even to-morrow, that a great political object was at
stake, they would rush to the poll and give their ene-
mies a compete and signal overthrow.—(Cheers.) He
concluded by moving—" That this meeting invite their
fellow-Liverymen and citizens (particularly those who
are resident in the ward and neighbourhood of Farring-
don Without) to join the friends of Alderman Warmer
in procuring his return as Lord Mayor, whilst there is
yet time to do so, and thereby prevent the disgrace to
the City of London which would follow the success of

the calumny and hostility which have been excite
against him." . _ _

- Mr. MORTON seconded the resolution, which, like
the preceding, was-carried unanimously.
Dr. MARSDEN then moved thanks to the Chairman,
after which the meeting separated.

MEETING AT THE SALOPIAN COFFEE

HOUSE.

Yesterday evening a highly-respectable meeting of
the friends of Mr. Alderman Harmer was held at the
Salopian Coffee-house, Charing-cross.
The Chair was taken at 7 o'clock by Mr. THOMAS
DE VEAR, who, in an able speech, observed that the elec-
tion of Mr. Alderman Harmer was made a mere party
question. They should recollect that the Lord Mayor
elect had an influence over at least 500 votes in the
City, and thus it was probable the rejection of Mr.
Alderman Harmer might cause the return of four Tory
Members for the City. He still did not despair of
Mr. Alderman Harmer's return, and he would car-
nesCy entreat the gentlemen present to attend early
to-morrow morning, and by their exertions place him at
the head of the poll.
Mr. WILSON proposed the first resolution, and in
doing so he begged to bear his strongest testimony—a
testimony founded on a close acquaintance of thirty
years' standing—to the honourable and humane cha-
racter suntained by Mr. Alderman Harmer. This was
admitted oven by those who voted against him. He
could assure the meeting that this day the worthy
Alderman could command the votes of 500 Liverymen,
at 10s. a head. After some further observation, Mr.
Wilson proposed the following resolution :
‘‘ That the election for Lord Mayor as far as it has
at present proceeded, has convinced this meeting that
Mr. Alderman Harmer is a gentleman of untarnished
honour, and that there have been no facts produced
which affect his character as a gentleman, or his im-
partiality as a Magistrate."
Mr. F. LE PLASTRIER seconded it.

The next resolution was proposed, after an excellent
speech by Mr. Rees. It was to the following effect :
" That this meeting see with sorrow and alarm that the
question of the election of. Lord Mayor has been made
a political one, and in many instances a feeling of
malignity manifested by those opposed to Mr. Alder-
ma❑ Harmer."

A gentleman, whose name we could not catch, se-
conded the resolutioc.

Mr. SMITH proposed the next resolution. He said
It would be unfair to hold Mr. Alderman Harmer ac-
countable for all the doctrines promulgated in the
Dispatch. He (Mr. Smith) had a property in several
provincial papers, and even Mr. Alderman Pirie himself
was the part proprietor of a newspaper; yet it would
be unfair to make them responsible for every line these
papers might publish. After a very able and eloquent
address, Mr. Smith proposed the following resolution :
"That it now becomes the duty of every Liveryman tostiow
whether he will protect the City from annual successive
elections, and continue tile Mayoralty as the reward
for honourable conduct and successful industry, or whe-
ther he wishes it to kicome subservient to political pur-
poses and party animosities."
Mr. HEATH moved the next resolution, which was
seconded by Mr. Smith. It was as follows That
Mr. Alderman Harmer having at great expense, and in
the most munificent manner, served ad tlt, preliminary
offices, and proved himself a diligent and impartial Ma-