The Sun.
London, England, 1818-05-29 00:00:00

BIRTHDAY OF MR. PITT. •

The 4nnirersary'Celebration of this Day took
place yesterday at the City of Lond'on Tavern.-
-I he Company was numerous, but more select than
on' former occasions. Lord LASCELLES took the
Chair, the LORD CHANCELCORNOSI.iIiS hold,
and Lord HARROWBT on the left. The Lords
LIVERPOoL, BATHURST, WESTMORELAND, the
CHANCELLOR Of the EXCHEQUER, Sir WILLIAM
SCUTT, Sir R. WIGRAM, Sir R. VAUGHAN, and
many of our most eminent and opulent mercantile
Gentlemen werc present.
The cloth being removed, "Non nobis Domine"
was sung ; atter which, " The Ring" was pro-
posed, and drank in silence. " The Prince Re-
gent," " The Queen," and " The Duke of York,
and the other branches of the Royal Family,"
were drank With three times three.

Lord 14ASCELL83, in proposing the memory of
Mr. Pitt, which was the next toast, owned be felt
it would be difficult to state any thing to a Meet-
ing, like that on the present occasion, which
would engage their attention by its novelty. He
could tiOt hope to do this alter the numerous
meetings which had taken place on the same sub-
ject ; but at the same, time it must be felt that
those very meetings redounded to the honour and
credit of that great man whose birth they were
then assembles) to celebrate. In considering what
they owed to Mt. Pitt, it was impossible for them
to discard from their recollection the arduous dil-
-1 ties which he had had to perform--the character of
the war in which the country
,had been engaged,
and the principles on which be had acted. All
that Mr. Pitt had believed he could foresee bad
actually taken place. That this country had sub-
mitted to great privations was true—that it had
been involved in embarrassments from which it hau
not yet recovered could not be denied; but it any man
-condemned the policy of Mr. Pitt's measures on such
grounds, be would call that man an erroneous
calculator. Mr. Pitt's views of the power, in-
fluence, and grandeur of this country were all
taken on a scale the most extended ; but he would
ask if any man, viewing the power, influence, and
grandeur whit h the country had actually attained,
nor only in our own opinion, but in the eyes of all
the world, could say that Mr. Pitt had deceived
himself ? He wished the present state of the na-
tion to be compared with the situation in which
it was found on that day in the last year. Then
it was unquestionably much depressed, in conse-
quence of the exertions it had made to bring the
war in which it was engaged to a successful ter-
mination, as success could never be bought without
its price being paid. But it the state of the coup- '
try now were compared with what it was then, he
thought there would appear but little ground for
despondeticy, and if tires looked to the prospect
now b. fore us there would be still less. The' cor-
rectoess .of Mr. Pat's views was now so generally
admitted, nor only by his hiends, bus by those who
had been oppused.to his system, that no difficult
question could arise, ipit their eyis were, thrown
back on what he would have done on such ait'occa-

sion, and his was the honour, m a place where he
(Lord Lastellesi had frequent opportunities of
hearing political questions debated, to be equally
quoted by his opponents and his friends. It was
with great satisfaction that hecontemplated the state
in which we bad come out of the war; but on
one point be. felt son►c appiehension. He knew
that a deeply rooted. plan was in existence for the
total demoralization of the country. Of this he
Could entertain no doubt, when he saw that in
that part of the country where he resided there
was no obscure corner which was not filled with
the most pernicious, abominable, and blasphemous
publications. What could be the motives of the
wretches who put them in circulation ? It could
not be to give information to any class in society,
for these could give no information to any human
being ; but the doctrines they contained would

demoralize all those who should he weak enough
to lend themselves to them. While they produced
this evil, they also at the same time had the effect
of checking those benevolent persons who were
desirous of bestowing on the poor the greatest
blessing they could receive--Education. It would
thus be seen that they produced in every respect
the most mischievous consequences. The prac-
tices of which be had spoken might in some in-

stances be carried on- so as to escape the law, but
it behoved every man in his private capacity to
discourage them by every means in his power.
He had thought it not wrong to touch on this
subject, RS it was one intimately connected with
the circumstances of the times in which Mr. Pitt
had lived. That great man had indeed had such
manifold difficulties to combat, that it was hardly
possible to conceive one which bad not been in
some degree known while he was alive. 'faking,
therefore, into consideration what he had to con•
tend with, and what he had done, be anticipated
universal approbation of the toast which be should
now give, by proposing to drink to the " Im-
mortal Memory of Mr. PITT."
The toast was drank with three times three and
with loud shouts of applause.
Mr. SWIFT recited a Poem in honour of Mr.
Pitt, with great applause.
" The Army and Nary of the United Kingdom," and
ae The House of Brunswick, and may they never forget the
principles which seated them on the throne of these realms,"
were the next toasts.

The glee of "The King and the Church," was then sung
with thunders of applause, which interrupted its performance,
and were often repeated at its close.
" The Protestant Ascendancy" was then drank with three
times three, and followed by a glee written by Mr. Taylor,
which was honoured with universal applause.
4. The Ministers of the Prince Regent, and may the prin-
ciples of Mr. Pitt always animate the Councils of Great Bri-
tain," was the next toast.

The Earl of LIVERPOOL, in returning thanks,
stated Ministers to know, in common with their
Noble Chairman, that attempts were making to
corrupt the public morals, and they considered it
an object of great importance to raise a barrier
against such designs by an association of good and
honourable persons. With this feeling they at-
tended the Pitt Club with peculiar satisfaction, as
they were of opinion that the evil designs of the
disaffected might be more successfully met with
their assistance in the metropolis, than in any
other part of the kingdom. Associations of this

character would, be—trusted,, be Still kept 'up, as

he sincerely hoped:that noW,(and for ever, a re-
, spectahle body of men would be found to do jus-
tice to the'principles of Mr.,Pitt.—(Applause.)
Earl BArntinsi proposed, the health of the
Chairman, Lord Lascelles, which was drank with
three times three., , ,
Lord LASCELLES returned thanks, and declared
he did not lollovy
ulilipdly the principles of Mr.
"Mit, or those 'of,any set-of men professing to act
on his principles. He, however, was of opinion
the present Ministers adhered to them as far as
circumstance would permit, and therefore, as a
Member of the Legislature, he thought them en-
titled to his support.
The LORD CHANCELLOR bad been fearful it
would not be in his power to be present on this
occasion. He had pledged himself before, and
he again pledged himself now, never to be
absent from the Annual Meeting of the Club, un-
less ill-health should keep him away, or those
duties which pledged him to the public, so that
be should be sure of standing .excused to its
Members. He was attached to this Club, be-
canie he believed in his conscience that atten-
tion to the memory of Mr. Pitt, and adherence
to his principles, afforded the best security that
the interests of the country would be proptrly at-
tended to. He strongly insisted on the necessity
of supporting the Church and State, as they were
established at the Revolution, as on these the
Constitution of the Country depended. Mr. Pitt,
be was confident, would have suffered any evil in
the world that could have befallen him rather
than have done any thing that should disturb
those establishments. He was nevertheless a

biend to toleration, to the greatest extent that
could be safely conceded, and there was no-ko-
nest man who was not friendly to such toleration.
It was, however, to be remembered that the es%

tablishments of the country must be supportedi if
the country were to be supported, and they should
also remember that it was these that enabled them
now-to say—" we are as we are." These were the
sentiments on which he had always acted—on
which he would still act—Nhich would never let

in) be absent from these meetings when it was

in his power to attend them, and in conformity
with which he now gave, with all his heart and
soul, " Prosperity and perpetuity to the Pitt
Club."

Tke toast was received with enthusiastic ap-
probation, and drank with three times three, after
which the Ministers and Lord Lascelles retired.

Admiral BULLER then took the Chair, %%ho was
shortly succeeded by Mr. WC/Li EEN.
" The Duke of Wellington," "The Duke of Richmond,"
" The Pitt Club of Scotland," " The Duhe of Buccleuch,"

and " The Health of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge,"
having been drank with appropriate bOnours,
M‘QtJEEtv pronounced a warm eulogium on
the late Mr. Gifford, but congratulated the Club
on the able manner in which the arduous duties
which devolved on his successor had been per-
formed by the present Secretary, Mr. Welsh, and
concluded by proposing the health of that Gen-
tleman.