The Sun.
London, England, 1844-10-24 00:00:00

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MR. SALMI/lONS AND HIS SUP
PORTERS IN THE PORTSOKEN WARD.
On Tuesday Mr. Salomon entertained a large party of
his friends and supporters in the late contest for the
aldermanic gown of the ward of Portsoken, at the Lon-
don Tavern. Nearly 300 gentlemen sat down to dinner.
Amongst the company who were present were the Baron
A. ;de Rothschild, James, Esq. (barrister), James
Thomson, J. S. Hall, Standing, E. James, Lush,
J. Saul, James Kilby, John Kenzie, S. Jutsum,
Scholey, H. Child, J. Charles Prior, Randall Glynes,
WM. Coates, and E. Smith, Esqs., and most of the in-
fluential and wealthy electors and inhabitants of the
ward of Portsoken.
The dinner was of a very costly description, and was
worthy of the long-established fame of Messrs. Bathe
and Breach. The wines were excellent. The portion
-of the repast provided for the gentlemen of the Jewish
persuasion was cooked and provided by Messrs. Meyers
and Sons.
The cloth having been removed, and the usual loyal
toasts having been given, and responded to in the most
enthusiastic manner,
The CHAIRMAN proceeded to give " The health of
her Majesty's Ministers." Though he did not seek to
make this a political meeting, yet it partook in some
respects, at least, both of a political and yet a private
meeting. Still there was this distinction, that where in
a meeting at one's own house certain toasts might be
dispensed with, on the present occasion, and on all simi-
lar occasions, he considered they must be anxious to pay
respect to her Majesty's Ministers.—(Cheers.) At the
head of the Administration was placed a Right Hon.
Gentleman, of whom the couatry ought to be proud—
a gentleman, who was, as it were, but one step removed
from themselves—a gentleman, the son of a manufa.;-
turer, who had risen by his own industry and skill to
the highest position to which a subject of her Majesty
could aspire.—(Cheers.) Sir Robert Peel was a man of
the highest talent, and of unblemished character, who
applied all his time and his talents to the service of his
country. They ought to try every man by the test of
his own conduct, and there could be no doubt that Sir
Robert Peel and his Ministry had made great advances
in favour of public opinion, and looking to that Rig'it
Hon,. Gentleman as the head of the Government, he
begged to propose " The Health of Sir Robert Peel and
her Majesty's Ministers."
This toast was responded to with acclamation.
Mr. SALomoris again rose and said that, though he
did not wish to make this a party or political meeting,
he must say he had great satisfaction and pleasure in
seeing around him those persons to whom he was in-
debted for having placed him in the position to which,
he had aspired in the Court of Aldermen.—(Great cheer-
ing.) He was very much obliged for that display of
generous feeling, though he stood in the equivocal posi-
tion as to whether he was an Alderman de facto or de
jure. Ile might be described as placed like the tomb of
Ma hommed, between earth and heaven.—(Laughter.)
The men of the ward of Porfsoken had done their duty
nobly ; and he was much obliged to them for their un-
bought suffrages, which had placed him in a proud po-
sition. The Hon. Gentleman concluded by giving " The
independent electors of Portsoken, particularly the 168
who had voted for him,"
SAMUEL HALL returned thanks in a speech of some
length, in which he acknowledged the high compliment
which had been paid him and his fellow-labourers by
their worthy Alderman—(Cheers)—for such he must
call him until he should be better instructed. Having
repudiated the calumny of the voters having been gained
over by pecuniary considerations, the Hon. Gentleman
concluded by proposing " The Health of David Salo-
mons, Esq., their Alderman."
(Here great cheering followed, in the midst of which,
upon Mr. Salomons rising to respond to the toast, the
toastmaster (Mr. Harker) called out "Silence for the
Alderman I ' and the cheering was then renewed.)
Mr. SaLomotis said—After the proceedings of the
previous day, he begged his friends to understand that
he;neither had the advantage, nor had he the vanity of
considering himself as their Alderman,—(Cries of " It
must be,")—although he did flatter himself that that
cognomen might shortly be applied to him; nevertheless
he was very much obliged to his friend, Mr. Hall, and
the gentlemen present, for the kind manner in which
they had been pleased to express their feelings towards
himself. Having boruP, testimony to the zeal and judg-
ment of Mr. Hall, 7•5 the chairman of his committee,
Mr. Salomons r,:oceeded in strong terms to repudiate the
malevolent and malignant calumny which had been
spread say his opponents, that the electors of Portsoken
hao.. been unduly influenced by any considerations what-
ever. In his own case, he had been met on one hand
by a legal technicality, and on the other hand by an
attempt equally malignant and malevolent, to make this
matter assume the character of a sort of religious
question. In his opinion, the question of personal
feeling being acceded, it then assumed that of a
moral aspect. Nine years ago, he bad presented him-
self to a neighbouring ward, who had considered him
personally fitted to the situation to which he aspired; lie
was returned to the Court of Aldermen. Now, the Ame
rican acceptation of the word " repudiate" was not what
the party would not do, but that it was not convenient
to 'ay. That expressed more strongly the position in
which he (Mr. Salomons) stood. It was not that he had
not been legally elected, but that it was not convenient
for the Court of Aldermen to admit him, or to elect him.
The Hon. Gentleman here took a lengthened view of the
various Acts of Parliament previous to 1828, which bore
upon the question of disabilities of various denomina-
tions. The Act of 1828, the abolition of the Test and
Corporationr Acts, had not contemplated the exclusion of
the vows. The Acts of 1837 and 1838 were made, it
VMS true, to apy to Quakers, Moravians, and Separatists.
They knew a,Quaker often by the shape of his hat—the
Moravian by the cut of his coat—but as to the Separa-
tist, how were they to distinguish him ? The true in-
tent and meaning of these later Acts of Parliament was,
that every man should take that oath which should
be most binding on his conscience. For himself, had
he chosen to enter by the by-door, he might at once
have come into office, but he would not violate his
conscience—he might have attained the object of his
ambition, if he had been willing to assume the cha-
racter of a " Separatist," which he had been advised
indeed to do. Against the highest legal officer of
the Corporation, he begged to say he made no com-
plaint. The effect of the present law was that many
honest men were kept out of office. In Holland and in
England, the two countries where the Jews enjoyed the
most freedom, commerce and manufactures had
flourished most. After many further observations on
these points, the Hon. Gentleman concluded by assuring
his friends that in any and every situation of life in which
he might be placed, he would feel delighted in serving his
fellow-citizens.
Mr. JAMES rose to propose " The health of the Lord
Mayor of London, and the Trade thereof." The Hon.
and Learned Gentleman adverted to the case of Mr.
Salomons, as being one of a very anomalous character,
for whereas a Jew had the right to issue the Queen's
writ, and to fulfil the most important duties, yet it was
said the law held that he should be excluded from muni-
cipal offices in the City of London, as regarded the
Court of Aldermen. The declaration which was re-
quired to be made certainly smacked much of Oxford.
The Jews were not hostile to the Established Church ;
on the contrary, he believed the great majority of that
most respectable body held it in high respect ; they
never offended its etiquette. The Jews contributed
largely to the trade, the commerce, and the well-being
of the City of London. He hoped that when her most
gracious Majesty visited the City it would be whispered
into her Majesty's ear that a vast body of her loyal sub-
jects were excluded from a fair and equal participation
of their municipal rights.
The CHAIRMAN next proposed " The Health of Mr.
Hall," with high eulogiums on the zeal and activity of that
gentleman.
Mr. HALL returned thanks.
The next toast was "Mr. Twisden Hodges and the
Kent magistracy!'
Mr. T. HODGES returned thanks, and bore testimony
to the high character and integrity of his brother magis-
trate, Mr. Salomons, whom he supported as an advocate
for the full freedom of religions opinion.
Mr. SALOMONS proposed " The gentlemen visitors and
non-electors, and especially Mr. Coates."
Mr. COATES returned thanks in a speech which we are
bound to say evinced much talent.
A variety of other toasts followed, and the company
separated at a late hour.
The ventilation of the splendid room in which the
dinner was given has been very much improved under
the system of Mr. Cubitt. The room, though crowded,
was kept at a comfortable temperature, and the improve-
ment is such that we think it will hereafter induce many
aged valetudinarians to venture again into crowded
rooms to partake of good cheer, without fear of endan-
gering their health.

ASSAULTING TRH POLICE AT WINDSOR CASTLE.
—On Tuesday a man, who gave his name John Rose, and
who had been remanded upon two former oacasions, wbs
convicted before the Mayor, Mr. Blunt, and Mr. I{.
Tebbott, of a violent assault on James Kinner, one ( f
the metropolitan police in constant attendance at the
Castle, on the day of the investiture of the King of the
French as a Knight of the Garter. It appeared that
the defendant, a Swede (who spoke French and English
fluently), went to Windsor on speculation, during the
visit of Louis Philippe to her Majesty, to act as inter-
preter and guide to any foreigner who might desire to
employ him in those capacities. In consequence of the
misconduct on former occasions of a set of fellows call-
ing themselves " guides," strict orders had been issued
by the Master of the Household, that none of this fra
ternity should be permitted to approach the Castle
nearer than the Norman gateway. This man, however,
managed to pass through the gateway, and proceeded up
to the tradesmen's entrance ; and, upon being ordered
away by the police, in pursuance of their instructions,
he resisted, and was taken to the station house. While
there, ho became more violent, and during the time he
was being searched (having made a threat that he would
stick a knife into Louis Philippe), he kicked Kinner ou
the neck, and bit his hand so severely as to cause the
loss of a considerable quantity of blood. The prisoner,
who made a long, rambling, written defence, stated that
he was engaged that morning by a foreign gentleman
t_t? act as interpreter, who had brought a present for
Yril?ce Albert from the Emperor of Russia. Ho denied
having lacked or bitten the police, but admitted that he
resisted on being taken to the station-house. The pri-
soner was convicted of the assault in the penalty of 40s.
and costs, and,
Bs. Gd., in default, to be committed to the
House of Correction at Leading for opn,
prison.
The I
man, having no money, was taken
DANGERS Or CROWDED TIIOROUGUFARES. On
Tuesday an elderly geatleman was standing on the kerb-
stone in Newgate-street, when suddenly the wheel of a
truck, heavily laden, ran against him, throwing him
kr violently into the gutter. Several persons immediately
raised him from the ground, when it was discovered that
he had sustained a dreadful compound fracture of the
left thigh, the bones protruding. A police stretcher was
'procured, and he was conveyed on it to St. Bartholomew's
floopital.