The Sun.
London, England, 1827-06-20 00:00:00

On Thursday a grand dinner was given at Fish-
mongers' Hall to a party of the most eminent Mem-
bers of the Fishmongers' Compauy, and some distin-
guished visitors, it being in the nature of a parting
dinner before quitting the ancient Hall, which is to
be pulled down to form the approaches to the new
London Bridge. Mr. STURCH, the Prime Warden
of the Company, presided.
Mr. Hume, M.P., and Mr. Denman, both of
whom are members of the Company, were present.
After the usaal loyal and patriotic toasts were
drunk, _ _

The PRIME WARDEN rose, and proposed " Pros-
perity to the Fishmongers' Company."
The toast was drunk with great enthusiasm.
The PRIME WARDEN next proposed the health
of their brother liveryman and fellow-citizen, Mr.
Joseph flume.
The toast was drunk with the usual honours.

Mr. HUW, in returning thanks, observed, that in

his situation as representative of an important class
of the community, he felt himself at this time placed
in a delicate situation. Whilst he acted with his
Majesty's Ministers so far as they advanced certain
general principles, he felt he could by no means
give them his unqualified support. Solely influ-
enced by the duty he owed to his constituents, he
had remained on that side of the House where he
had always acted. In that place they would always
find him, attending to what he considered the moot
important duty of a member of the House of Coni-
mons at the present juncture—advocating retrencli-
ment and watching the public expenditure, in what-
ever hands it might be placed.
The PRIME WARDEN, after eulogizing the services
of Mr. Denman as a Member of Parliament, and his
conduct both as an Advocate at the Bar, and in his
judicial capacity of Common-Serjeant, proposed that
Gentleman's health, which was drunk with loud and
unanimous applause.
Mr. DENMAN returned thanks for this flattering

testimony from an assemblage of so many enlighten:
ed friends of constitutional freedom—the banner
under which he had always served. Adverting to
what had fallen from Mr. Hume, with reference to
the late political changes, he observed, that if he had
retained his seat in Parliament, he could have offered
no indiscriminate support, and much less would have
denounced uncompromising hostility to the new Ad-
ministration, for he happened to be rather peculiarly
situated in the House of Commons, inasmuch as
he was sent there by constituents. He should
therefore have been bound to consult their inte-
rests and wishes, 'and, like his Hon. Friend, mutt
have decided on the measures proposed according
to his opinion of their merits, not by a simple re-
ference to the question whence they might proceed.
He trusted the new Ministry would feel where their
real strength lay; that they would seta just value upon
public opinion, and prove their superiority to vulgar
statesmen, by rejecting the miserable props of cor-
ruption, and boldly throwing themselves upon the
country. On one of the great topics which had
most divided the nation, he could offer a little per-
sonal experience, having received a practical lesson
on the meaning of the word exclusion. He had
been taught to consider himself a proscribed mail,
during a life which we all prayed that God might
long preserye—(hear); and " if any friend of mine
now present (the Learned Gentleman continued,
with peculiar dignity of manner) warmly enters into
the feeling (not of the most agreeable nature) which
he may ascribe to me on that subject, let me, in
passing, entreat him to reflect on those which are
likely to agitate the thousands and millions of
our fellow-subjects in both islands, who, with all their
posterity, are doomed to a similar proscription, on
account of their honourable attachment to the faith
of their forefathers. In my own case, whatever
_ _

may be said or insinuated against one too high for ex-
planations, God forbid that I should be either arro-
gant or disloyal enough to believe myself the object
of personal animosity in such a quarter. The first
principles of the Constitution teach me where to
look for the responsibility that belongs to all official
proceedings, pronouncing my exclusion not to be
the act of the Crown, but of those intrusted with

the dispnsatien of its legal patronage. That they
have given correct advice, I may be allowed to
doubt, without presuming to play the judge in my
own cause, because the very conduct which is made
my crime first procured for me the favour of this
ancient and loyal city. The freedom of London was
presented to me for the zealous discharge of my
duty as an advocate in the most important process
which this country has beheld for ages. Almost a
stranger to every member of the Corporation, I was
enrolled among the citizens, on the proposal of my
Honourable Friend near me (Mr. Oldham), seconded,
• .

if I mistake not, by the highly respectable gentle-
man who now fills the office of chief magistrate,
and adopted without a division. That resolution of
thanks and praises (too flattering to be alluded to
by me, except in my own defence) may save me
the humiliation of a superfluous profession. I will
not stoop to declare myself incapable either of
abusing my privilege as an advocate, by wounding
the feelings of the humblest, or of shrinking from
its plain ditties, for fear of offending the highest.—
(Loud applause.)—The voice of the city of London
was not heard alone, or for a moment; this patriotic
Company received me as a member, and the Corpo-
ration, after a lapse of two years, deliberately placed
me in the judicial seat. With the same zeal I have
laboured in that calling also, and, acting under the
Royal commission, have done my best to represent
his Majesty to his people, as a just and merciful
King would desire to appear in his Courts. If,
with the assistance of upright Magistrates and ex-
cellent Juries, I have had the good fortune to render
any useful service to the public, the opportunity had
been derived from that portion of my life which his
Majesty's advisers have deemed it right to stigma-
tize. I trust that those with whom the exclusion
originated, and those by whom it is continued, may
always reflect on their counsel with as much satis-
faction as I can on my conduct. But I could not
forego the earliest occasion of vindicating myself and
you—you from the charge of giving countenance to
a factious firebrand, and myself from that of per-
verting the office of an advocate to objects equally
abominable and absurd. We feel in common that we
are not guilty.—(Loud cheers.)—You feel the diffi-
culty and danger of the task imposed upon me. It was
" a noble task,
With which all Europe rang from side to side ;"

and I will venture to assert, that my performance
of it found a faithful echo in every English bosom.
I offer, then, no uncalled for apology ; I utter no
unfelt regret ; uor even will I enter into any•ex-
planation ; for what could exceed the injustice of
demanding ally, at the end of seven long years ?
Who can answer for words that came from the
heart, when those feelings are most strongly ex-
cited, to have wanted which, or to have suppressed
them, would have proved me the meanest of man-
kind? Thank God, I have no apology to Make
for sacrificing my illustrious and unfortunate client
to any hopes of advantage to myself. I avow that
I look upon the past with pride; and if in future I
shall be called to a similar conflict, casting aside all
regard for personal consequences, I will again go
through it in the same spirit, and on the same prin-
ciples ; and, in whatever lot may befal me, find con-
solation in the approbation of my conscience, and
the esteem of men like you."—(Loud and enthu-
siastic cheers, which continued for several minutes.)
The company remained together until a late hour.