The Sun.
London, England, 1832-05-24 00:00:00

COMMON COUNCIL.

(Concluded from The Sun of yesterday.)
Mr. ATTWOOD then appeared at the bar at the
head of the deputation, and read the address, and
was loudly cheered.

Mr. STEVENS moved that the address be framed
and glazed, and hung up under the direction of the
committee.

The motion of Mr. Pearson, that the freedom of
the city be presented to Mr. Attwood in a box made
of heart of oak, was then put, when—
Mr. FIGGINS said, if ever man deserved the gra-
titude of England Mr. Attwood was that man : it
was not so much for his exertions in the cause of
Reform, but for his interference at Newhall-hill, and
the probable calamities which he prevented. He
appealed to all who heard him, and sere aware of
the throbbing anxiety that beat in the breast of every
citizen of London a week ago, to ascertain the news
from the north of England, whether the man who
stood in the breach when there was not the breadth
of a hair between the country and a bloody revolu-
tion, did not deserve a higher tribute than the free-
dom of the city.—(Cheers.) The feeling which
was ripe in the north would have spread, and if it
had not been checked by the mere force of Mr.
Attwood's character and example, would have set
London in one blaze of revolution.—(Hear, hear.)
Now was the time to show the King, the Lords, and
the Tories that the calm was not ushered in by in-
difference,—that there was no reaction. Let them
see that the people were still alive to the merits of
the friends to Reform and the country ;—let them
have no triumph by witnessing the rejection of the
pretentions of Mr. Attwood.—(Loud cheers.)
Mr. SAMUEL DIXON said, the constituted authori-
ties would not be safe, if the present proposition
were agitated. He deprecated and dreaded the con-
sequences of the spread of knowledge among the
people.--(Great laughter.)
Mr. Under-Sheriff WOOD, Mr. R. TAYLOR, Mr.
HOWELL, and Mr. WILLIAms, opposed the motion,
which was supported by Mr.PEWTRESS, Mr. THORN-
HILL, Mr. RIDLEY, Mr. JuPP, Mr. GALLOWAY, Mr.
JONES, and Mr. PEARSON.

After a long discussion, the vote being put whe-
ther Mr. Attwood should be admitted to the free-
dom of the city, there was raised a thick show of
hands for the affirmative, accompanied by shouts,
which were echoed by strangers outside the bar;
and for the negative 13 hands were raised. This
poor exhibition of opposition was the signal for deaf-
ening acclamation. The tumult having subsided,
Mr. Attwood was conducted from his seat near the
bar by Mr. Pearson and Mr. Stevens, to the area
fronting the Lord Mayor's seat. (Then there was
another burst of acclamation.) After undergoing
the customary process of installation, the Chamber-
lain delivered an address of congratulation, in which
he dilated on his eminent services as a civilian, and
eulogized the great temperance with which he
wielded the power intrusted to him at the excited
a-semblages of men in Birmingham and its vic,nity ;
and said, that not only as a citizen, but as one in-
terested in the peace and prosperity of the empire,
he tendered him his warmest congratulations for the
honour to which his virtues, his talents, and vast
services to his country had raised him.
Mr. ATTWOOD then addressed the Court as fol-
lows My Lord Mayor and gentlemen of this
high and honourable Cour'. It is not possible that
I, on this great occasion, should not feel as a man of
rue sensibility and honour should feel ;—it is not
possible that the true spirit of a Briton should not
be kindled within me. I am here this day crowned
with a great and lasting glory. You have conferred
upon me an honour which kings and emperors have
coveted, and deemed it an honour to obtain. It is,
00, an honour which warriors and statesmen have
looked to as an accumulation of their glory. Why,
then, should not 1, a plain and humble citizen, plod-

'ling my calm but steady way through the wear
end dangerous course of politics, feel more than usualY
exultation and gratitude at the conferring of such a •
honour ? I have, however, one consolation, one
cheering hope, one buoyant principle to uphold me,
—that I have never swerved from the duty which
ny cram conscience and the good confidence of my
f.dlow-countremen era calculated to inspire. I feel
hat I have (lone my duty, and it is to me a source
of great gratitic aloft that an honourable and upright
line of conduct has secured for me this lofty and
irermatient reward. I have for some time adopted a
lecided, perhaps bold, line of politica,—l have, per-
laps, made myself obnoxious to many whose ex-
perience, wisdom anti intellect, are fir superior to
ny own; but I acted on my knowledge of the
.xigerteies of the tio,es, and the wants and wishes of
he people. I never resorted myself to measures,
nor countenanc.•d their adoption by others, which
.vould trench on the law, until I saw that great,
-errible, and general emergencies arose. I have
ever respected the prerogatives of the Crown,
the rights and privileges of both houses of
Parliament, when fairly and constitutionally
exercised. But when I saw the foundations
of society loosenieg and breaking under our feet,—
aien I saw storms and tempests gathering and black-
ening in the distance,—when I felt the incipient
;leavings of a political earthquake Ora, I knew would
disorganize and crush all the institutions of this
powerful empire,—then I thought it right to step
forward and stand between the people and rebellion.
I saw there was still a door left open for reconcilia-
tion. I did not wish to close it. My efforts and
those of my colleagues were incessantly and vigo-
rously directed to inculcate the necessity of obedi•
epee to the laws, and the preservation of public
order and respect for property. Thanks, first to God
~nd next to the people, we have succeeded; but
while we did this, we strove to lift the people to the
proper standard of moral energy. For this useful
and well designed work we have had already a noble
portion of our temporal reward. We have been
honoured with the approbation of this mighty cor-
poration—boundless in influence and wealth, as it is
great in character, in talent, and independence.
From the remotest period of our history this body
has been the bold and able asserter of personal
worth, of popular rights, and national glory. It has
ever stood in the van of the people in their fight for
liberty, and how proud shall we of Birmingham be
to adopt so great a precedent, and be tutored by
such masters. It might be said that the men of Bir-
mingham and all the populous districts that sur-
rounded it were guilty of indiscretion. But let their po-
sition and circumstances be considered. They were in
some degree cut off from all communion with the
State—thetr ignorance Was not instructed, and no
anodyne of good legislation was applied to heal the
burning sores of their political wrongs. They were
left unrepresented, unheeded. They were con-
signed to themselves,—to those of a superior sta-
tion whom accident placed and choice kept amongst
them,—to accident, and the dispensation of Provi-
de.iee. When the news of the rejection of the Re-
form Bill reachrid Birmingham, they assembled at a
moment's notice in tens of thousands—despair and
sullen rage painted in their faces. I then strove to
calm them. Well, another meeting full of the same
terrible resolution was held. I saw it. I was col-
lected, though appalled. Then came the news that
Lord Grey was reinstated, and I witnessed a scene
that I nevi r saw equalled, and could scarcely think
on : resolute and gigantic men shedding tears of
joy,—true tears of gladsome emotion. My nerves
never failed me till then You cannot believe me until
ou see the men of Birmingham. I have read of
the tears of valiant men : I never saw them until
then, and it was a sight enough to shake a man to
the heart. I Lye only again to say that lam de-
voted to the constitteional privileges of the throne,
the altar, the Lords, and the Commons ; and be-
cause I am so devoted, would resist to my utmost
the usurpation of either order. And for the great
and lasting honour conferred on me by the corpora-
tion of London,
be directeddon, to meritwillonlysa 2
say, that" all my life and
efforts shall
Successive peals of acclamation followed this
address, arid the meeting broke up.