The Sun.
London, England, 1835-12-02 00:00:00

BRISTOL-TUESDAY.

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A very numerous and highly-respectable meeting of the
7rated burgesses of the Central Ward, comprising twelve
I.4rishes, was held last evening, at the Merchant Tailors'
Broad-street, for the purpose of nominating nine
gentletnen to represent that district of the city in the New
Town Council.
The meeting excited particular interest, in consequence
of lists having been put in circulation in the course of the
preceding week, containing the names, exclusively, of some
?f the most violent partisans of the old Corporation ; and
it was, therefore, deemed desirable that an opportunity
should be afforded the electors of demonstrating how far
the- ,
• y were prepared to sacrifice so valuable a measure as
that of Municipal Reform, to the insolent dictation of a
knot of men who yet manifest a desire to cling to the old,
corrupt system. It is proper to observe, that the Church-
Wardens and Select Vestry gentlemen, those ready tools at
;dl tim.es of corruption, immediately on the list above re-
ferred to being put into circulation, commenced an active
car.vass for the parties therein named.
The meeting was convened by circulars sent, without
distinction of party, to every person possessed of a vote,
and, to prevent undue interference, none were admitted but
such as produced the circular at the doors. Care was thus
taken to procure an unequivocal expression of feeling ; and
if the result of the meeting might be taken as a test, the
Tories are destined to experience a complete overthrow.
The room in which the meeting was held, calculated to
contain from six to seven hundred persons, was completely
full, and yet the most perfect unanimity prevailed, not the
I.ightest opposition having been offered to any one of the
nine gentlemen who have been nominated for the Liberal
interest.

Precisely at seven o'clock—
W. P. TAUNTON, Esq., having been called to the Chair,
said he had been requested at a moment's notice, to fill a
situation, the duties of which he was less qualified to dis-
charge than almost every other man he saw around him.—
(No, no!) He said so because the present meeting was
composed of gentlemen in trade, who were much better
qualified than he was to select fit and proper persons to re-
present their interests. But as they had thought proper to
confer the honour• upon him, he would upon that, as on
every other occasion, endeavour to discharge the duties Con-
' &led to him to the best of his ability.
RICHARD BLIGH, Esq., then came forward and said he
begged to propose a fellow-citizen in every way worthy of
their confidence as a representative of the Central Ward
in the new Town Council. Thuiname of the gentleman he
alluded to was a passport to their hearts ; it therefore re-
quired no effort on his part, no puff, to awaken a proper in-
terest in his behalf. He begged leave to propose Thomas
Stock, Esq.—(Cheers.)
THOMAS RANKEN, Esq., seconded Mr. Stock's nomina-
tion—a more respectable meta certainly, was not to be met
With in the city.
The CHAIRMAN, in proposieg', Mr. Stock's name to the
meeting, said good wine needed no bush, 'and therefore no
one need make a speech in recommendation of that gentle-
man. Mr. Stock's name was received unanimously, and
with loud cheers.
JAMES CUNNINGHAM, Esq., said he appeared before the
!meeting for the purpose of offering to their notice the name
of one of his fellow-citizens—a name which, he felt confi-
dent, was every way worthy of respect. He would crave
the indulgence of the meeting for a short time while he laid
before them, not the character of that gentleman-he alluded
to, who, if elected, would, he was certain, serve them to
the utmost of his ability ; who, if he promised to protect
their interests,' would perform that promise strictly—but
while he indulged in a few observations on men of an oppo-
site character, whose promises, as experience had shown,
were mere professions, and who, if trusted with their
confidence, would be very likely to forget them alto-
gether. He held in his hand a list of gentlemen
who had been put forward as proper persons to be
elected to the Town Council. On castir's his eye over
that list, he would not tell them that -the feelings which
arose in his breast were those of indignation, but he could
truly say they were those of pity—pity, that gentlemen
whom they ought at least to respect for consistency,
should so far forget what was due to their own characters
as to render it impossible for them to award them even this
meed.. For what was their conduct during the progress
of the Municipal Bill through the House of Commons ?
Did they not do all in their power to oppose it ? He
would not say that they moved heaven and earth to gain
their object, but they moved their pockets ; they sent up
their lawyers, to show how very unfit a measure it was for
a city having so much reason to be satisfied with its Cor-
poration as Bristol ; and, not content with standing by and
watching the progress of the struggle, they sent up a peti-
tion for the purpose of getting the city exempt from the
operations of the Bill in the event of its passing into a law.
And why ? Because, as they alleged, you were so well
satisfied with The old system.—(Shame, shame.) -• He
(Mr. C.) must confess, for one, that he was not satisfied
either with the system, or the manner in which it had ope-
rated. He would give the meeting a sample of their
management of the public property. The WTard in which
they were then assembled was bounded by the river
Froom, and the river Avon, the walls of which were
called the Quays. These walls and quays were the pro-
perty of the city ; but some time since they were leased to
• the Society of Merchants—for how much did they think?—
for 101. per annum—(Shame)—the Society having subse-
quently let them to a contractor for 1,4001., who, to
realize so large an.amount is compelled to lay very heavy
• contributions on the trade of the port. lie (Mr. C.) had
himself remonstrated against the enormity of the charges
which were thus created : if they were requisite to pay
the poor men who perform the labour necessary in loading
and unloading the vessels, there would be something of
reason in it ; but going down to the quay one day whilst
one of his own ships was discharging, he incidentally en-
quired of the labourers what they were paid, and, being
informed, he made a -calculation, and found, that for
labour which was only about 3/. 14s. or 3/. 165., he was
charged upwards of 14/. Where did the difference, amounting
to 111., go ? Into the pocket of the contractor first, but
ultimately it found its way into the hands of the Society of
Merchants. To this body, then, he had felt himself justified
in addressing a memorial on the subject. But what was
the result ? Up to that moment he had never received any
reply to it.—(Shame.) There was another part of the city
property—the town dues ; these formed another heavy
burden on the commerce of the port ; but that was a trifle
when compared to the purpose to which they were applied—
to maintain the splendour of the Corporation—and there-
fore they could not be dispensed with. It was a fact, that
in the course of the last. twenty years, the trade of the port
had been taxed to an enormous amount, very, very little of
which had been appropriated for the benefit of the city.
lie (Mr. C.) had told the meeting before, and he would
tell it again, that if they elected the gentleman whom he
• should name to them, he would, as far as in him lay, put a
stop to such proceedings as those he had alluded to. He
trusted the meeting would see the propriety—the necessity
taz:' of electing none but such as were well known to be favour-
able to the principle of open corporations, for it was only
by such that the new Act could be expected to work effi-
ciently. He had been told that day, that it was to be re-
gretted that a coalition had not been formed with their op-
ponents. " Oh, Sir," said one, " can't we effect a compro-
mise.? Would it not be to the interest of all parties to send
in twenty-four Tories ?"—hc begged pardon, they were not
called Tories now—Conservatives was the new term—
"twenty-four Conservatives, then, and twenty-four Whigs ?"
Ah! it was all very fine in theory, but what would the good
people of St. James's Ward say to it ? Would they he
likely to fall in with the scheme, or would they not rather
say, "We will choose for ourselves ?" But let the subject be
put on a proper footing. The Government had entrusted
the electors with an important power, which it was not less
their duty to their fellow-citizens than themselves to dis-
charge honestly and fearlessly. Let them then, in the per-
formance of this duty, not place their trust in men whose
Past conduct offered no guarantee for the future ; how-
ever much they might now condescend to stoop from
their high and mighty consequence, address them as their
" dear friends," and assure them, if they succeed in getting
back into their old quarters, they will become their most
obedient servants—of such he would say, trust them not,
for they had been tried and found wanting.—(Applause.)
He spoke not of them in their private capacity ; as such •
there were some among them whom he was proud to call
his friends ; but speaking of them as he was, in their public
capacities, though he should offend his brother, he would
fully speak his opinion—which was, that as public men,
they never had done, and therefore never could be expected,
to do, one good act for the city. If the city did not now
take care to insure a complete revision of the system on
which the business of the port had been conducted, Glou-
cester would go beyond it, and encouragement would still be
given to places that had learnt to rival them. They had
one of the finest ports in the empire. He had himself at
different times entered the kingdom by both channels, and
he could say that there was no commercial port superior for
shipping to that of Bristol. But all its advantages have
hitherto been thrown away. The foreign trade was nearly
gone, what little there was left being confined chiefly to the
West Indies. Some spirited gentlemen; it was true, had
lately embarked in the East India trade, and here it was
found that if the town-dues had been enforced, they would
have amounted to a prohibition of the cargoes. He (Mr. C.)
begged them to bear in mind that the men who were then
soliciting their confidence, had signed a petition, or what
was equivalent, had attached the Great Seal of the city to a
petition to the Lords, praying them to reject. the Municipal
Reform Bill. It was true, casting his eye down the list,
there were the names of some who could not be said to be
•mixed up with that transaction—but, what then ? Why,
they were mixed up with other secret bodies—the select
-Vestries--e•and there was one in particular, who on a former

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occasion had been elected to serve in the Committee of
Deputies, but who, on an individual joining that Com-
mittee as the representative of a populous pdrish—
an individual who, for his great talents and industry, he
would venture to say was second to none in the community
—on his joining the Committee, the select vestry gentle-
man declared he would not sit down in company with him,
because he belonged to the Political Union, and so with-
drew himself. Now, what would be the consequence, if
that gentleman should be returned for the parish of St.
James's.? He believed it was pretty certain that the,
friend to whom he had alluded would have
,a seat in the
town-council (and he hoped he himself should have the
pleasure of taking a place beside him), would the select
vestry gentleman disgrace himself by sitting in company
with them ?—(Laughter.) He (Mr. C.) would take that
opportunity of telling the electors of St. James's that, if
favoured with their confidence, he would devote all the
time which, as a mercantile man, they could reasonably ex-
pect of him ; nay, he would give more—rather than their
interests should go unguarded, or than anything should be
kept back from them which they ought to be. made ac-
quainted with. It was high time that an end should be
put to a close end exclusive system ; and impressed, as he
thought they all must be, with a conviction of that fact, he
hoped they would well weigh the qualifications of such as
might be proposed as candidates for their suffrages. For
himself,' he felt it to be an honour to ask them for their
votes for the individual he was about to name, inasmuch as
there was not, perhaps, a more determined opponent of the
old system—a man to whom the working of the new sys-
tem might be more safely trusted, than Samuel Waring,
Esq.—(Cheers.)
C. B. FRIPP, Esq., said it was not in his power to ad-
dress.them with the animated eloquence of his friend Mr.
Cunningham, though he could support his nomination with
the same earnestness and sincerity of feeling. He had had
the pleasure of co-operating with Mr. Waring ou several
occasions, and he only spoke his conviction, when he said
that he knew of no man who could he depended upon to
work in the new Corporation with more correctness or with
greater firmness than that gentleman. He, therefore, most
cordially seconded his nomination.
On the name of Mr. Waring being put_to the meet-
ing, it was received with loud acclamations.
Mr. W. BnowNE said he never enjoyed such pleasure
as at that moment, in, proposing a gentleman as one of
the Town COuncillors for the Bristol Ward. It was only
necessary for him to name the individual he was about
to proffer to their notice. He begged leave to propose
Charles Bowles Fripps, Esq. as a fit and proper person to
represent their interests in the new Town Council.
Mr. B. SMITH, in seconding the nomination said, it was
not necessary for him to say much in recommendation of
time gentleman, whose name was before them, because the
meeting was fully aware of the advantages they would rea-
lise in securing Mr. Fripp's services. He should, there-
fore, content himself with most cordially seconding the no-

mination.
Mr. FRIPP'S name, on being put from the Chair was
enthusiastically received.
Mr. SAMUEL MORGAN begged to assure the meeting
that he used the language of sincerity when he expressed
the pleasure he felt at beholdinc, so large a populai• assem-
bly, convened for the purpose of conferring as to the indi-
viduals they should entrust with the future administration
of their affairs. Four years ago he little expected he
should ever witness such a scene as the one before him. At
that period that venerable and great patriot to whom the
country was so much indebted, was struggling for that
great measure of reform, which, under his guidance, was
so happily consummated, and which had so soon been fol-
lowed by the important Municipal Act, from which they
all hoped to derive so . many benefits. What was the prac-
tice heretofore in making the appointments in the Corpo-
ration ? Why, when a vacancy occurred, instead of con-
sultinc, the wishes of the people who were chiefly inte-
rested,
the members of that body looked around them for
a person most acceptable to themselves, and excluded the
people from any part or lot in the matter ; the first inti-
mation of the election being given by the notice of a feast
having been held to celebrate the inauguration. The case
was now altered ; they were assembled for the first time
to exercise a great and important right. He had
heard with peculiar pleasure what had fallen from
Mr. Cunningham. The statements •relative to the burthens
of the port, and the leasing of the City property to the So-
ciety of Merchants, came with peculiar grace from that gen-
tleman ; and it was for them to say whether they were pre-
pared to elect men who, in considering those questions in
the new Corporation, would, by their connection with that
Society, stand in the position both of lessee and lessor.
The speech of Mr. Cunningham, by placing the relative
positions of the two bodies in a strong light, has shown that
it would be highly improper for them to elect any of thosf
individuals who had an interest apart from that of the ei'

zens at large. The Society of Merchants stood in the same
relative position as many of the London trading Companies,
who stood upon their prescriptive rights, and obstinately
defended them in opposition to the more enlightened and
more liberal requirements of the age ; and he would there-
fore put it to the meeting whether it would be proper for
them, looking forward as .they were to the realising of a
surplus revenue, and to the applying of that revenue, if any
should arise, to the improvement—he put it to them whe-
ther, under these circumstances, it would be proper to en-
trust the management of its property to men who pos-
sessed an exclusive and separate interest ? With this view
of the case, he had taken the liberty to address a letter on
the subject of the approaching elections to a highly popular
print, the Bristol Mercury, for the purpose of arousing the
electors to a due sense of the duty they had to perform. It
was from having seen a list attempted to be forced on the
Ward, comprising the names of several gentlemen who bad
been abettors of the policy, that he was provoked to write
the letter in question ; and he did so because he, for one,
would regret if power should again be given to a body of
men, who had shown how ready they were to ride rough-
shod over the, liberties of the City. He had ever been
an enemy to self-elected bodies ; it was on that account
that ha had thrice declined, when asked to connect him-
self with the close vestries, by filling the office of Church-
warden.—(Hear, hear.) He had replied to the solicita-
tions made in that respect " No : you are a self-elected
body ; but, if ever the time should arrive when the vestry
will be thrown open, then I shall be free to act, but not
otherwise." His bumble exertions had ever been devoted
to the cause of reform, to forward which he bad also con-
tributed his private funds ; and he could assure them, with
the greatest sincerity, that there was no fatigue of mind—
no sacrifice of labour or time, that he was not prepared to
make for the good of his country. As he had stated in
his letter, be was quite ready to vote for men of ability
and integrity, without reference to their politics, so long as
they were moderate in their views and deserving of confi-
dence ; men of talent, who, without looking to the right
hand or to the left, would act solely in reference to the
good of the city. With such men, whether Tory, Liberal,
or Radical, or with a body composed of all, he could even
willingly co-operate. But, if the list which had been put
forth by another party was attempted to be forced upon
them, it was for them to say, whether they would not ex-
ercise their -own discretion, and not submit to be dictate(
to by any poldtical junta, however constituted. He wishet.
'to see every-class of his fellow-citizens represented ; and as
some were interested in the mercantile prosperity of the
city, and others, again, in its manufacturing proAperity, so
also were there others, and a very large class, alike in-
terested, as being connected with her retail trade. He
thought he was not guilty of any presumption in thus
claiming for the claSs to which he belonged their proper
share in the councils of the city, and in asserting that they
were not unworthy of associating with the more wealthy—
he could,not say the more intelligent of their fellow-citi-
zens, for the common good, or of taking scats by the side
of the nobs who figured in the list to which he had alluded.
If any thought otherwise, he hOped his fellow tradesmen
would show a proper spirit—if they submitted to the dicta-
tion that was attempted, they would deserve to suffer for it as
long as they lived. The power to help themselves was in their
own hands. Thanks to his gracious Majesty, who had not only
given them that great charter of their liberties, the Reform
Act, but also the Municipal Act, they had now the means
of helping themselves. As he desired that every interest
should be duly represented, he had much pleasure in re-
commending a gentleman who had long evinced a devoted
attachment to the welfare of the City, and whose family
was deeply connected with its manufacturing and trading
prosperity. He was quite sure, if honoured with their con-
fidence, he would sedulously devote himself to their ser-
vice. He begged to name Frederick Ricketts, Esq.—
(Applause.)
Mr. Ricketts's nomination having been seconded by A.B.
ALENNEER, Esq., the meeting expressed their unqualified
approbation of that gentleman as one of the objects of their
choice.
T. R. GurPY,Esq. said, until thisglorie- - epoch, but few,
comparatively,connected with their comrnegal interests could
call themselves freemen. It was true that in. the City of
Bristol the term, freemen, was un novelty ; but who were
they so called ? Those whom it pleased a certain body to
nominate, who sought the title to facilitate their commercial
transactions, and from whom a sum of money was demanded
in proportion to the value they were expected to derive
from it : beyond the amount it was thought they could
afford to pay, there was no consideration of the value of the
commerce he brought to the port, the transaction being re-
garded simply as a matter of pounds, shillings, and pence,
and estimated solely by the amount it transferred to the, so
called, coffers of the city. It was on that ground that he
appeared before them to offer to their notice a gentleman,
who, by his talents and industry, had raised himself to a
very honourable situation among them. He was a gentle-
men who bad distinguished himself by the introduction of a
certain trade into the city, fi om which it might truly he
said it had largely benofitte i. He was not, he believed, a