The Sun.
London, England, 1818-06-05 00:00:00

WESTMINSTER MEETING,

Yesterday is pnhlic meeting of the Electors of
IVestininster tea. held at the Crowri and Anchor,
pursuant to advertisement, for the purpose of
hearing the farewell address of Lord CoCtreasre,
and of considering ho were fit and proper per-
sons to he returned as their Representatives.—A
little beforemne o'clock, Mr. Shod', Lord Coch-
rane, and' Mr. Hoot, accompanied by their re-
speetieefriends, curet ed the room.
Mr. STURCH being called to the Chair, briefly
stated the objects tor which the meeting had been
called. lie then paid the ir!lial common place
comphoents-to the impartiality and independence
of those who heard him, concluding with expres-
sing his conviction, that the Geot!einem who now
attended were as well acquainted with their rights,
and as determined to defend them, as any other
body of Electors in the kingdom. After a dis-
sertation on opinion, was mock-
represent at ioo , and the necessity of freemen
preserving those rights, without which life
is of no value, he reminded the Electors
that eleven ye,-Ura had elapsed since they had
made the attempt to choose a Representative
of their own, who was not a servile tool
of the Court, and return hint free of expence;
and from that hour to this, he had proved himself'
so firm a friend to freedom, that it was impossible
they could repent their choice. He had no doubt
that their choice ;would fall on Sir Francis Bur-.
Jett as one of their Representatives; and though
lie had no idea who or how many Gentlemen
would be this day humiliated, as tit to be the suc-
cessors of the Noble Lord about to leave them, he
hoped that by their conduct this day, io affording
as impartial heariog to every person who wished
to speak, the Electors of Westmiuster- would
prove that they were no mob, as they bad been
called, but the enlightened friends of liberty, or-
der, and peace.
Lord COCHRANE then addressed the meeting.
He said, that probably in a few days wool(' de-
volve upon the people the right of giving their
votes to those who were to g ye away their pro-
oerry-. A toimb,r of )ears' experience had con-
vmeed him that Parliament could wily speak the
will of the people by a Reform, and that a Re-
form could he brought about only by the people
themselves. Rut his opinion was, that except in
a hew places, the same system of col ruptiou would
go Oil, and the same sort of people be returned.
He was therefore convinced that a Reform would
not take place till the measco es of Ministers bad
.brought the people to such (listless that they
could no longer endure it. "Ilie mode in which a
spirited person, afterwards called a Usurper,
once reformed the Parliament, seemed to him to
be the only means by •which it could now be
reformed, unless, indeed, the people adopted the
right of their eleciive franchise. Ile had always
voted according to his conscience, and had never
considered his individual interest. Ile was now
shout to leave the country for a purpose that would
be hereafter made known.; lie could only say that
it wits blended with the principles he had always
supported—those of liberty ; and if he had gone
before the dissolution, he should have deemed it
his duty to sot render his trust into their hands.
He then adverted to the subject of the persecu-
tion he had experienced, end repeated his promise
of an exposure of his ettetni,s, of some of whom
the -public had yet no suspicion. He asserted
that at the time he came from the King's Bench
t:tth: House of Commons, in order to vindicate his
chutracter, he received ant intimation front the high-
est. Authority of the kingdom, that if he would
quit the count►y he should be ena,hlra to leave it.
His answer wits, that he would see till the foreign
descendants in this kingdom go first. Atter re-
peating the hackneyed assertions of Government
employing spies to hang nom, that they might
juStity their at hittary measures—of corropt Judges
believing .petjured witnesses, Stc., he concluded
with hoping that whenever he returned he should
find more spirit among the people : meanwhile he
advised then' to meet where their sentiments
might go abroad to die wof Id, but no more peti-
tioning. The preseut House of Cominons was a
thousand times more base alit! infamous than
the Senate of Rome before t he tall of the Empire,
as-there was no species of infamy of which they
were not guilty. lie did not regret leaving those
hypocritical pretenders to relieihn who bUilt
Chinches and gaee away Bibles, but took the
money out of the pockeis of the people ; he did not
regret leaving the tax-gatherers and taxeat ers ;
but he regretted leaving his -native laud, in .which
hi: left the bones of his 4ineeStors and everyahing
he held clear, ahul, above all, his friends the
Elettors of Westminster, whom; lie hoped, on his
retain), to find restored from oppression, by' theit
own exertions. It, at such a time, no other man
could be found to convey their oppressors as exiles
to St. Helena, he would do it„. He would even
.be teddy to do more ; for it ever we should have
a corrupt Parliament that tyrant zed over the li-
berties of the people, he should be happy to under-
take the task of Cromwell, and root them out at
once. He then thanked the Electors for their
kindness in standing, by him when he thought the
whole world had deserted him, and assured them
that his whole life should he devoted to the cause
of liberty and their interests.
Mr. WALKER proposed an Address of Thanks to
Lord Cochrane, for his conduct •in Parliament,
which was seconded by a Mr. Ilivpos,and carried
unanimously.
A wretched looking person of the name of Hut-
, Ley then got" upon the table, and atter a few in-
' coherent sentences against boroughtoongers and
corruption, proposed Mr. Hunt as a fit and ,pro-
per pet son to represent the independent City Of
Westmitister, he being a friend of atonal Pal lid-
ments and universal snffrage; and however he
had been ealumnated., it would soon be returned.
on the heads ot his henemies! This curator it vain
attempted to proceed. He Was huOted down.
Mr. G&LE Josies got up to second the propo-
sition of the preeediug speaker ; when, titer
two or three sentences about Mr. Hoot's
independence, atid asserting that he was abused
by Miiiisters because they feared him, and was
hated by those who hail out the coarage to d 4 as
he had done, a scene of coolusiciu rind uproar
a. se, which seti all desCription at du fiance.
He
coot hotel Oil the table for about iwo hours, al-
, ttrwitely speaking or actiiii; its Ott.e.co soot, but

be
not one wordthat he gait! Wog suffered .„
heard andi at halt-past three o'clock, the C"it,
man, after many fruitless stterni,t9 to reV0".11,4
der, dissolved the meeting in disguit.
contusion became greater, and the Ch63ywoi
taken by a ftiend of Hunt's. Twe, !test)lotPt
were moved, but not heard; aft#r
attended on the 'hustings by liratson,
and several others, addressed the meerilig*
veral gentlemen were threatened to be futile(' orj
and an attempt'W39 made 00 one, whlch cr,l:
a great tumult. This last attempt weg
CtLoot
consequence of the gentleman being Al
by Hunt from the busting,, hot it tailed ;4-g-aIP
last, the Chair being vacated, this tomot, "
sided. No. other Candidate was picrOsed