The Sun.
London, England, 1810-01-05 00:00:00

RECONCILIATION DINNER..

Yesterday about 300 persons, consisting of icon-
siderahle numbenof those who bad been chiefly in-
strumental in compelling the Proprietors of Covent
Garden Theatre -to rescind their new Regulations,
and many friends of the latter, assembled at the
Crown and Anchor Tavern, in order to confirm the
amicable sentiments which had taken place in both
parties, And to bury all sense of former animosity.
Mr. CLIFFORD, who was appointed to the Chair,
entered the room about five o'clock, accompanied
by Mr. KEMBLE and Mr. HARRIS, km. The'din-
ner was excellent, and served up with all due rep•
larity and attention. As soon as the cloth was re-
moved, Mr. CLIFFORD arose, and gave as the first
toast, " THE KING," which was received with
such a loyal enthusiasm, as to shew, that though
‘. foul things. may have crept" among the party
who opposed the Managers, the general body had
no seditious objeas in view, but were animated by
what they considered as the rights of the public:—;
The second toast given by the Chairman was "The
Voice of the people;". and this of course was well
received by the company. A humorous song was
-then given by a Mr. JONES. The Chairman's third
toast was ," The Trial by Jury ;." and this was'na-
turally heard with shouts of approbation, and with
" three times three." Three musical Gentlemen
then gratified the company with a glee, which was
followed by another toast from the Chairman,
" The Stage," and it was warmly applauded, as •
well as the next toast, " The ancient and inalien-
able 'Judicature of the Pit." The Wailer, whO re-
peated this toast, proved, by
.his manner of deliver.-
intit, that he was not quite learned enough to-.
comprehend it, and his ludicrous variations from .
the text excited no small degree of merriment in
the company. The next toast in order was; "May
this happy Reconciliation prove equally advanta,,
-geons to .the Public in amusement,, and to the Pro-
prietori in emolument." Here the liberal feelings
of JOHN BULL broke forth, for the latter part of
the sentiment seemed to gratify- the company much
more than what related to themselves as a part of
the Public.. This toast, and the cordial manner in
which it was received, drew up Mr. KattaLE,.-who,
in the name of Mr. HARRIS and himself, warmly
thanked the company, and heartily drank to their
health.

After another song, a Mr. MILLER proposed
"the health of Mr.CLIFFORD, the wort hyChairman."
The same warmth which had marked the pre.
ceding toasts and sentiments was excited by this,
and when the applause subsided, Mr. Clifford ad-
dressed' the Meeting as follows :
. ".Gentlemen—ln returning you my most sincere'
thanki for the honour doneme- by placing me in this
Chair, and the more so by now drinking my health,
I am unfortunate in not being able to gratify any ex-
peetation which might have been formed, that I
should enter into a discussion of the circumstances
which 'occasioned this Meeting, it having been
thought desirable, that all that had passed should
be buried in ottlivion, and it having been my fixed
intention to say nothing that could 'oe construed by
the ill-intentioned; into a reflection upon what has.
occurred. Let me, however, Gentlemen, be per-
mitted to say a word or two, on a.circutnstnnce col-
lateral to the present subject. In a late cause in which
I was the Plaintiff, it was stated in the reports in the
newspapers, of that trial, to have been said, that
I was the leader of an infuriated mob, who sought
to revolutionize .the Country, to subvert the Consti-
tution., and overthrow the Monarchy. Gentlemen,
in a late investigation in the House of Comrnoes,
respelling the Duke of York, brought forward by,
Col. Wardle, rather a dangerous assertion was made
by Mr. Cawing-, that infamy must rest somewhere,
either on the head of the accused, or' the accuser.—
We all know the result_ of that investigati6n..:-.
Gentlemen,. with respect to the assertion relateye les
my conduct, stated to have been made, it'haS been
declared by you all; it-has been declared by the pub-
lic voice, from the Orkneys fo the Lands End, that
infamy cannot rest with me ; I am sure it cannot rest
with you ; let it then remain not as a brilliant and
splendid light, but as a dim and:pale halo round the
hoary head of him 'who dared to utter the calumny.
Gentlemen, I happened to be placed in a situation
in which I had an opportunity of supporting the
rights of the public, and I endeavoured to do my
duty. ' Something was said on a late trial for ^a con-
spiracy, of a de?irts to court poptilarity, and the
Counsel on the opposite side seemed very anxious to
'repel the charge. Something %s as 'also said on the
uncertain nature of popular opinion, and the man-
ner in which it deserted those to- whom it had for•
merly been fondly attached ; but an error has some.:
times arisen upon this subject, in supposing that
popularity is attached to an individual, instead of the
principles which he espotises. - If he only makes po-
pularity'- stalking-horse to his ambition—a mere
ladder to mount to the objeals to which he aspires,
then he aught not to be surprised if popularity leaves
him when he ceases to support those principles, his
attachment to Which first obtained, him the approba• •
tion of the Public. It is in vain he asserts that he
is unchanged ; he i ;in the situation of the lands-
man, who, on his fist voyage at sea, imagines that
the houses, the trees, the Cattle, and even the land
itself, recedes from his view, till at length he dis-
covers that it is he alone who moves. Thus it hap-
pens frequently with him who complains of losing
popularity, when he himself has deserted those
principles which first obtained for him popular ap-
plause. Gentlemen, I have only to repeat my thanks
for, the honour you have done me, and to drink all
your healths."

It is hardly necessary to observe that this speech
was received with reiterated applause. •
After a short time passed in conversation, -a Mr.
BONNAM arose, and having pad a few compliments
to the Chairman and to the company, introduced the
name of Mr. BRANDON, and reCornmended him as a
fitohjeCt to share in the general amnesty, as all he
had done must have proceeded fro:-.1 a zealous senie
of duty.-
_

;This speech was received with mingled censure
and approbation, but Mr. CLIFFORD arose, and
again addressed the coma any to the following
evert. He observed, that the subject now intro-
duced. had not been overlooked by the Committee
Who bad,proposed and arranged the present Meet-
ing;, but. that atter 'due consideration, it was deter-
mined; that-as the dinner was essentially designed as
a reconciliatory testival, it would be proper to avoid;
every thing that might tend to interrupt its harmony.