The Sun.
London, England, 1819-11-20 00:00:00

COMMON HALL.

A Common [Tall ti-a 5 yesterday held. to take
into consideration the Proceedings instituted by
ihe Court of Aideimen against Mr. Alderman
?Jr: Sheriff Parkins, Mr. hompson,
and others.

At five minutes past one, the Lord Mayor, Al-
derman Waithtnan, Wood, and Thorp, entered
the Ilan amidst loud cheers.

The LORD MA von briefly opened the business of
the day by Ktaring the object of the Meeting, by
requesting that ►tn impartial hearing might be
given to every one, and by recommending it to
them to confine themselves as much as possible
to the matter of the Requisition.
The Requisition was then read by the Town
Clerk.

Mr. Faveu., after submitting the Resolutions
intended lo be moved to tilt- Lord Mayor, tame
forward, and addressed the Hall. He congratn-
lated himself on having the pleasure of tneting
them once more in their aoeient Guildhall. It
some persons had their wishes, lie believed their
doors would rust on their hinges before they
would be opened to free discussion. Happily,
they had now a Gentleman for their Chief Ma-
gistrate, who readily consented to call a Common
Hall, in compliance with the wish of the Lively ;
though, at the same time his Lordship did this.
he by no means gave up aoy political opinion
that he might have formed, nod was not to be
considered as pledged to the sentiments contained
in any of the Resolutions. He commented with
some asperity oo ;be conduct of the late Lord
Mayor, and proceeded to set forth the high im-
portance of the question which they were called
upon this day to discuss, The Livery of London
claimed the right of free discussion on Michael-
mas Day. and on any other days in the year,
when they met for the pnrp,se of making their
elections ; and whet, this right should be taken
away, there would he no more gagging hills
waived for the Livery of London. It was said
there wet e conspirators in this great city. lie
believed that there was something in this, and
that there was indeed a conspiracy against the
lihetties of the people. 'file offence committed
by tic citizens he believed to be this,—that
they had taken care to assert their rights, by re-
turning tree and independent Repiesetuatives to
Parliament, and throwito: out certain highflying
Torieirwho had claimed their soffragts. lie (Mr.
Favell) had not been present at the proceedings
on Nlichaelinas•day, but trom the character of the
individuals accused, he was satisfied that they bad
only, offended by standing up for the lights of
their fellow-citizens. Ci,cumvanced as they had
hecn, it was very natural that they should seek for
an opportunity of discussing their grievances,
which had. previously been repeatedly denied
their respectful requests. That some irregulari,
ties had taken place was not improbable ; but he
was confident the greatest offence which had been

committed was that wliich he had before de-'
scribed. The, Livery knew, from the statements
made by Mr. W. on a former day. !he obligations
they wete under to Mr. Jenkes, Mr. Pilkington,
and other pattiotic Citizens, for their exertions
in the cause of Liberty before the Revolution.
The parties then concerned, in asserting the rights
of the Livery, had afterwards been prosecuted ;
but the proceedings against them having been re-
versed at the period of the Revolution, he now
called upon the Livery to take their stain! on the
prowl eminence on which their ancestors had esta-
blished themselves in 1688, Whatever dungewis
and chains might be prepared for those accused,
on account of what passed on Michaelmas-day,
he hoped to be permitted to share them. He,
however, could not but wish that if there were
any persons in the country who were really ene-
mies to liberty, that the chains prepared for. the
people and their advocrtes would be broken on
the heads of their oppressors. tie concluded by
moving a string of Resolutions, declaring the
right of the Livery to discuss their grievaners on
Michaelmas-day, or ort any other day : expressing
concern at the. late proceedings of the Court of
Aldermen against Mr. Alderman Waithman, Mr.
Sheriff Parkins, &c. calling on the Lively to
watch the progress of this attack on their rights
and liberties; desctibing it to be the duty of the
Common Counoil to prevent any misapplication
of the funds of the City ; requesting the Lord
Mayor to lay these Resolutions before the Com-
ment Council, directing the Chamberlain not to
pay, and the Auditors not to allow, any expellees
incurred, or to be incurred, by the prosecutions
now in progress ; and appointing a Committee of
26 Gentlemen to watch over the rights of the
Livery.
In retiring Mr. FavELL remarked, that it would
be necessaty that the Livery should support the
Committee, not only with their good wishes, but
with their purse, though no proposition to this
effect appeared in the Resolutions, which he had
just read. •
PERRING having, on the 29th of Septem-
ber, expressed his warm applobation. of the Re-
solutions then carried, it was not surprising that
he should now feel much pleasure in Seconding
those which had just been proposed. He_ begged
that his opinion might be taken nwrely as a Li-
veryman, as it could derive no weight from his
having been of a profession which he had long
since left. He spoke at some length on
the extraordinary circumstances of the times.—
He denied that a large portion of the people
had become disaffected ; but he' admitted
that some dangerous persons, urged on by am-
bition or avarice, 'night be found wickedly dis-
posed to take advatitage of the unexampled
distress which prevailed in the country to inflime
chic passions of the populace. He most decidedly
disapproved of the meetings of large turnhltuary
-bodies ; but disapproving of them as he did, he
wished them, however they might offend, to be
treated in a legal way. He believed that it was
bout distress, and not from disaffection to the
Constitution, that those disturbanCes Ilsd occur-
red, of which so touch notice had been taken ;
and he could not but suspect that there was a dis-
position- in certain quarters to take advantage of
the excesses of the few, in order to punish the
many: He disapproved of the conduct recently
pursued by the late Chief Magistrate of that City,
and strongly asserted the right of the citizens to
meet when they pleased to discuss their gi ievances,
and take into their consideration the best means
of seeking for redress ; and finished by seconding
the Resolutions.

Mr. IVA:THMAN stood on the present occasion
in a very peculiar situation, because he appeared
to be personally interested in the question under
discrission, and therefore he should labour under
greater difficulty than lie had experieuced on any
former occasion. Though he might appear to be
personally interested, he did not feel that he was
more interested in it than any other Livetyttran of
the City of London; for however he might be
harassed by these proceedings, lie telt that he was
placed in a high and proud situation, since he had
to defend, not himself, but the rights of the whole
"community of the City of London—(Applause.)—
lie was much beholden to his fellow-citizens for
tie honours which they had bestowed on him,
hut if he felt that he no longer merited the con-
fidence which they had repOsed in him, he
would immediately lay all those honours at their
feet. Great allowances were to be made for
that irritation which the Livery had caused in
a certain quarter by selecting him as they had
done, to over;hrow those who welt., considered
unworthy of the confidence of their fellow-
citizens. This must be expected to rankle lit
their hosrtnis ; and in consequence of this,
they had attempted, by attacking an humble indi-
vidual like hint, to put down, chat right of free
discussion which had led to those defeats and dis-
appoiotments which their opponents had to de-
pl:tre. He had always considered that the poli-
ties of an individual ought to have nothing to do
with the election of a Lord Mayor. lle had
therefore declined takirg part in the contest set
on foot for the political exclusion of Mr. Alder-
man C. Smith, as on a former occasion he hail
opposed the attempted political exclusion of Air.
Alderman Conthe. Ile e6lnniented on the proceed-
ings of the Court of Aldermeo, and stated all the
evidence which they had heard to have been on one
side, arid he had had no opportunity afforded him of
defending himself. It was on Saturday, Nov.o, that
these proceedings were directed, at a time when he
was absent on a sick•bed. Ott Friday i! stiaa s:)
late before they could get the opinions of ihe
legal Gentlemen consulted, that the sammoning
officer was knocked tip to serve the summonses on
the following morning on those Nit-libbers who
Artre to form the Coon at one. Ila ss illetl it to

" Because, when a difficult job's to be done,
Many hands can dispatch it much quicker than one."
This seemed to be the feeling in the presetA in-
stance, and a whole family of Blunderheads were
engaged in these proceedings. INltich remained
behind, which must yet be brought before tl►e
public ; but he would not enter into the subject
now, because while these matters were pending,
it would be imprudent to let their enemira know
exactly their case before the trial came on, and
because he did not choose personally to attack
those with whom these proceedings originated, in
their absence. He would give them an opportu-
nity of defending themselves, and acting thus,
be returned good for evil. In what be ltad done •
he had acted from himselt, in behalf of his fellow
citizens. Others had acted from their ideas,
and with .those individuals, though he had no
connexion,. yet they had all been jumbled together,
because this suited the views of his prosecutors.—
He would ask any man to come forward and say,
it, in a crowded Flail, where a business was to be
contested, he had-ever seen the procet-ditpls con-
doe ed with less tumult, and with less appearance
of t:or. It had always been his way to support
any proposition that he might bring f:+r►varcl
such bumble talents as God hail given him, an,.►,
if he could not beat his enemy, be fairly yielded
the victory. Such was not the conduct pursuf d
by those who were combined against hint. He
than animadverted on the course about to be takers
by the Court of Aldermen, which went to dilapi.
d te. the funds of the City, to pay the Laws
Officers, who ought to defend their rights, tar
attempti •g to subvert them. To oppose suck
proceedi •gs now, became a duty. He had on
other occasions defended the legality of the:•
meetings which had taken place out of doors,
but lie had never attend[ d any one of them. He
had thought them imprudent, and was of opinion
that it was better that the people should nteei in
a regular way in their ancient halls. But when
this had been refused to them, as it was to the Li•
very of London last June, when new taxes to the
aintolllt of 3,000,0001. were about to be imposed,
and on several other occasions, when chits pre-
vented from meeting in their Halls, where were
the people to meet ? This was no political or per-
sonal question. The Livery were now called upon
to determine whether they had a right to meet or
not, and whether they would uphold the right of
free discussion, or surrender it to their enemies ?
He concluded by exhorting them to maimaiti their
rights and liberties.

Mr. THOMPiON congratulated the Livery on
seeing them again in their own 11411. lie con-
.sidered the late Lord Mayor to have been highly
reprehensible. Pointing to the monument of
Lou! Chatham, lie described him to have been a
friend and a blessing. to his country. Ile then
directed the attention of the Meeting to the. monu-
ment raised to the memory of Mr. Pitt, whose
character he gave in very different terms. These
monuments commemorated a gout and a bad Mi-
nister. In another part of the Hall, he said, there
was a monument to the memory of a patriotic
Magistrate. Opposite to that, he would raise a
monument to the memory of John that
they might have monuments to a good and a bad
Lord Mayor. 11e compared the transactions which
now occupied their attention to those which took
place in 1683. Then, however, the prosecution
ser on foot was dictated, no! by the Court of
Aldcrtnen against their fellow-citizens, but by tha
Privy Council. The Common Scrjeant and the
Recorder were then, as now, against the Livery,
and that Recorder, he believed, was Sir George
Jefferies. Thcse men laboured to establish despo-
tism, and the renit was the expulsion cf the
Sttlart, and the glotious Revolution. Those who
bad been the tools of tyranny before, then de-
serted their master, and were amott,-: the first to
adhere so the nevi., dynasty. Thus, he doubted not,
the present enemies of the people would act on a
occasko. Their attachments were wholly
regulated by interest. This reminded him of a
Gentlettmi, %rho being P4ed during the la“ war
what had led him to join a volunteer corps, he re-
plied, bt cause he washed to " ILlit for his God."
This answer excited some surprise; lint when it
transpired that this individual hail to toake the
te2imentals of the corps, thin it was no longer
difficult what he meant by " fighting for his
God," A Worthy Alderman, one ut the Sher Lf
himself, and every man who stood forward in th, it
cause, was now to he proseented. Siurilar po-
c,edings :ook place in the year to which he ha,l
before referred, the year in which Sidney, Russell,
1711;141 were tried; two of WhOin lost their.
tiles, and the third escaped not severe punishment.

Similar measures liati now been resorted to, end
as might be expected, the same causes seemed
likely' to produce the same effects. The
couttuct of those to whom the people were op-
posed, reminded him of a table which he had
learnt when a boy. The wolves had long waged
war tvith the sheep, but the litter were protected
by their faithful dogs. The wolves at last said to
the sheep, " we will make peace with you if you
consent to give up your dogs." The silly sheep
assented to this insidious proposition, and the
consequence was, they were devoured. A fable
wes.nothing without its application. The wolves,
who were the enemies of the Livery, would not
1611 them—their fleece was too valuable for that ;
but they would very often shear them. He,
however, was convinced that the Livery of Lon-
don were not like the sheep in one thing : he
was certain that they would never give lip their
faithful dogs to the wolves, who would fain de•
your them.
The Resolutions were then read and agreed to,
very few hands being held up against them.
Mr. CROOK moved the Thanks of the Hall to
Mr. Sheriff Parkins, for his manly, independent,
and impartial conduct on Michaelmas Day last ; a
Vote of Censure against the late Lord Mayor ;
and Thanks to the present Lord Mayor, for his
impartial conduct on this occasion.
The Resolutions were severally put and carried.
Mr. Sheriff PARKINS returned thanks, but -ex-
pressed his reluctance to address the Livery till
be had seen what his enemies meant to do to
him, that he might prove he was not to be ftight-
ened, that he was not to be deterred loin doing
his duty. He had been called " a radical ;" he
did not know what vas meant hy" a radical ;"
he however owned himself. a radical reformer of
abuses, a radical friend to the chartered rights of
the City of Loudon, and he hoped to be found a
radical Englishman to the last. He felt himself
placed in a proud situation by the vote of the Li-
very. He hoped to deserve their thanks slid bet-
ter before the close of his Shrievalty, for he would
devote every hour of his life to their service.
Mr. Hu NT came forward to express his senti-
ments. A Gentleman near him said, lie woold
" Spoil all."—(Hissing, laughter, and applause.)
—He hoped, however, that notwithstanding this
rettiatk, he, as well as another, might be per-
mitted to deliver his opinion. He could not
Spoil all," as they had already carried the
principal Resolutions intended to be submitted to
them. If what he said should appear imptopee,
he would not be offelided at their tellirie hiot so.
In that place, on various occasions, while Gen-
tlemen had asserted the right of the Lively to
meet, they had thrown a slur on meetings that
bad taken place elsewhere.— (Cries of " No,
no)")—He contended words to this effect had
been used by the Seconder of the Resulu ions
that day, and by the Gentleman who had follow-
ed him.
Mr. Rowe:B.oer spoke to order, and contended
that the Resnlations being carried, Mt. Hunt had
no right to speak, but on the question about to
put on the proposed vote of thanks to the Lord
htityor, which which was the very Resolution that
bad not
.yet been agreed to.
Af T. HUNT insisted on his right to speak.
Mr. Rowcaoer maintained that he was out of
°rite!, and the tumult became so peat that nei-
ther could be heard.
The Resolution was then read, and silence be-
ing partly restored.,
Mr. AUNT said, he would now only—(Here he
was agaioloterropted by loud and vehement op-
position front all parts of the Hall, mixed with
cries of " Hear trite," " Order," " Silence," Ste.)
their permission, he said, lie must be Wood,
(Hisses.)—Did they come there, he would ask,
detertnined to hear but one side of the question ?
(Ike noise continued, and he appealed to the
Crier if he had not a right to be heat d.)—He
!lett, told them that it was decided that lie had
a right to address them, and addresS them he
would. He bad attended many Poblie Meetings,
but be had never seen any Meeting so tnmul-
Nona as a Common 11311.—(After vainly attempt-

ing to gain a hearirg, alter angrily remonstrating
• whit the Crier, and haiously repelling Mr. How-
croft., who appeared desirous of expo4tulating
with hint, he found it impossible to proceed, and
it length consented to retire.)
Thanks having been voted to the Lord Mayor,
The LORD MAYOR re!urned thanks, and ex-
- pressed his readiness at all times to do his titny.
He regretted that the speakers had '' travelled

out of the record," as a lawyer would say, to
censure a brother Magistrate (Alderman :Atkins),
for such he was not ashamed to call hint, not-

withstanding all that bad been said against him.

He had acted with that Gentleman' on various
occAiions, and had,altrays found biro anxious to
do his duty. 'hough he might differ from them
un certain points, be 5 'mold ever be anxious to
defend the rights and privileges of the Livery of
L

Thanks were given to MCFS.I's. Elven and Pe
ring, HWI these haying_ been 4cknnwledged, the
Meeting was closed with Thr.:e,.cl:eets.

COURSE OF Nov. 10.
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BULLION.

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Foreign Gold, iu liars 0 A 0
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New Dollars 0 5 0
Silver in Bars, Standard

COAL MARKET, Nov. 19.
Ships at• Market. Ships sold. Prices.
52 Newcastle
' Sunderland 13