The Sun.
London, England, 1826-03-18 00:00:00

REPRESENTATION Ok"rii E CITY.

At a Meeting of Liverymen of London, resi-
dent in the W'ard of Farringdon.without, held on Thursday
last, at Mr. 111AINE's, in Smithfield, the following requisition
was unanimously agreed upon, and a deputation appointed to
present it to Mr. Alderman WAITIIMAN
We, the undersigned Liverymen of the city of London,
strongly impressed with a sense of the importance of the public
services of Mr. Alderman Waithman, during -a period of more
than 30 years, in the various offices of Common Councilman,
Alderman, Sheriff, Lord Mayor, and Representative of the
Metropolis in Parliament, feel that his return to the House of
Commons, at the ensuing General Election, would be a mea-
sure highly creditable to the good sense and public spirit of his
tens, for whom he has cheerfully made so many sa-
crifices, anti we therefore respectfully request the worthy Alder-
man to afford the Livery an opportunity of demonstrating their
gratitude and respect, by becoming a Candidate for the Repre-
sentation of the City in Parliament.
(Signed) WM. GRIFFITH., Chairman:

March 18.
A Deputation from the Meeting, in consequence, waited
upon the Worthy Alderman yesterday morning; and having
presented hini with the requisition, as above, Mr. ViTarr it MAN
gave the following reply :
Gentlemen—lt is impossible for me to express my feelings
in adequate terms on the very favourable view you have been
pleased to take of my public services, and on the honourable,
spontaneous, and independent assurances of your exertions to
place me in the important situation of one of the Representa-
tives of the City of London In Parliament.
I have ever contended for the freedom and purity of election,
and considered it a most essential part of our constitution, that
representatives should be freely and independently chosen ;
anti so strongly am I impressed with this opinion, that a seat
in the House of Commons, obtained upon any other principl:s,
would not he an object of desire with me.
The power delegated to a Parliamentary Representative is
the most important trust that you can bestow upon any indivi.
dual. To him is confided the maintenance of your rights, the
defence of your liberties, and the support of your interests. It
becomes, therefore, a serious duty on the part of electors, to
examine well the conduct and pretensions of candidates; and
in their selection to be guided rather by the test of past expe-
rience, than to repose confidence on promises and professions.
Under these impressions, I feel, that however unequal my
exertions may have been to the occasions that called them forth,
those exertions have been long and arduous ; they were fre-
quently made under circumstances of great difficulty, and often
attended with no inconsiderable personal sacrifices; they have
been made, too, in the highest and most laborious offices that
i must
could et:itfer, and it is upon your appreciation of them that
public spirit and good sense of the
Livery of London, than to succeed by the means of any unjust
iteui stiti rest
renityancc laellns, upon detehlening it more honourable to be de.
fei
influence, or by the use of those unworthy practices which are
but too common on such occasions.
There appears to me, Gentlemen, another most important
consideration that ought to weigh deeply with the Liverymen.
The great body of the electors of London is composed of shop.
keepers and traders, and are they to be considered so insignifi-
cant a class that no one of their own body is tit and able to re-
present them ? Arc they who have the principal share in the
election to be told that no one is to found amongst themselves
capable of understanding and representing their peculiar inte-
rests ? and that they must on all occasions step out of their own
ranks to seek the individuals on whom they are to confer that
honour ? That this has been too much the doctrine and the
practice, requires no proof; but it xemains for the Livery to de.
termine whether such a reflection upon the body ought to re.
main, or whether they
will assert their own independence and
respectability by selecting some amongst themselves whom they
can intruat with this important business.'
Gentlemen, begging you to accept my warmest thanks for
this testimony of your esteem and approbation, I can only add,
thatl4titd
iloin)l. Inprop
or
tionyourmy want of influence will be the
to hands, and rely your
i y
Ia wholly
in
greater extent of your triumph. Whatever may be in fate,
or that of any individual, is of little consequence but the free
and honest exercise of the elective franchise, is of the highest
importance both to yourselves and to your country; and I' can
' have no doubt but that the Livery will discharge this public
duty in such a manner as to set a most praiseworthy example
t ) the electors of the whole kingdom.
I am, Gentlemen,
ROBT.
With the greatest gratitude and respect,
-Your obedient and faithful servant,
W ! Woburn-place, March 17. AITIIMAN.

Yesterday upwards of 130 of the gentlemen who have offered
to act upon the Lord Mayor's Committee, on the occasion of
the approaching election, assembled at the Mansion-house, for
the purpose of adopting measures to car 7 into effect the re.

turn of his Lordship as a representative of the city of London.
One o'clock was appointed for the commencement of business,
but Mr. John Smith, M.P., who was to have taken the chair,
not having arrived at that time, and a number of gentlemen.
being present, Mr. Deputy Routh was called to the chair, and
briefly stated' the object of the meeting.
Mr. NICHOLS moved the first resolution, which stated that
the Lord Mayor had acted in the various public situations
which he had filled during a period of no ordinary difficulty,
with independence and intelligence, which was the best test of
his eligibility as a representative of city; and Mr. Launce-
lot Haslop seconded the motion. •
Mr. Deputy Fisirxit moved, that the meeting should pledge
themselves to use every exertion in their power to secure his
Lordship's return.
This resolution was seconded by Mr. CAZENOVE, and both
motions were carried unanimously.
A deputation then waited upon the LORD MAYOR, who was
in another part of the home, and ,who, upon entering the room
where his friends were assembled, was received with great ap-
plause. His Lordship then addressed the Meeting, and after a
few preliminary observations, said that his own conscientious
view of the duties of a Member of Parliament would prescribe
to him, fn the public situation which he professed himself will-
ing to fill, a course of the most laborious duty. His utmost
exertions should be used for the purpose of advancing the inte-
rests of his fellow-citizens, and proving to them the sincerity of
his gratitude; and he trusted that those who knew him were of
opinion that he might refer to his past conduct as affording tes-
timony of the future.
At the end of the Lord Ajayor's address, Mr. JOHN SMITH
entered the room, and regretted that he had been detained.
He could not, lie said, although the irliness of the meeting
was concluded, help saying a few words upon the subject. He
knew no man who was better qualified, froM his constitu-
tional principles, and from his knowledge of the interests of
his fellow-citizens, and his activity and talent in discharging
the duties which at present devolved upon him, to represent
this great metropolis than the Lord Mayor. He should be ex-
tremely happy to act upon the Committee, and suggested that
his Lordship should be considered as having the power to call
upon any of the meeting to act immediately.
This suggestion was unanimously adopted.
All the Resolutions having been unanimously adopted, the
' Meeting separated.