Star.
London, England, 1825-05-24 00:00:00

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WESTMINSTER ELECTION DINNER.
The Eighteenth Anniversary of the of Triump% of
Westminster and Purity of Election," as yesterday
celebrated at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, in the
Strand. Sir FRANCIS BURDETT, M.P. took the C iair,
and was supported in it by his Coll. ague, Joan CAM
HORHOUSR, Esq. Among the guests were the following
Lord Nugent, M.P. Lord Elnington, M.P. Lord J. Women,
M.P. J. G. Lambton, Esq. M.P. Sir R. Wilson, M.P. Sic Bed-
worth Williamson, Hon. F. Prittie, M.P. W. P. Ilonywood, Esq.
M.P. J. Smith, Esq. M.P. Hon. G. Ponsonby, lion. T. Dunda.,
M.P. T.Coie, Esq. M.P. ---- Sturch, I?.sq. Jones Burdett, Esq,
Dr. Lushington, bt.P. Mr. O'Connell, 8. Rice, Esq. M.P. 8:
Whitbread, Esq. M.P. Maurice Fitzgerald, Esq. M.P. Sr G.
Robinson, But. M.P. acc.
Tie dinner was served up at biz o'clock. Ai soon as the cloth
was r.moved,
The first toast given was " The People, the only source of
legitimate powe -."—(Three times three )
The next toast was ,"I'he King ; may he always remember his
own declaration, that the Crown is held in trust fur the benefit of
People."—(lmmense cheering.)
Mr. STURCII said a toast-had been handed to him in
writing, which he felt proud in being deputed to pro.
pose. Although he was not then.an Elector of \Vest-
minster, yet he could neither forget that he once was so,
nor the services for which h: was indebted as such to the
distinguished and ableman whose health he was about
to propose to them—(Loud Cheers). He was harpy to
find still existing, without the slightest degree (f dimi.
nution, the same enthusiasm towards ther worthy
Representative, Sir Fret,cis Burdett, that they had ever
evinced—(Loud and continued Cheering). Fur his own
part he never proposed this toast With more perfect sa-
*tisfaction than he did at that moment; and that satis-
faction was by no means diminished by the pre ent
Session of Parliament, but quite the reverse. Wi h re-
ference to the proceedings ef the present Session, he (Mr.
Sturch) thought that there was nothing took place• pos-
sessing half so much interest for the friends of liberty,
as the noble stand which their worthy Representative
made in the cause of religious liberty, in his advocacy of
the cinest;on—of the Emancipation of the Irish Catholics;
and when he (Mr. Sturch) spoke of this question, he
viewed it not at all as a religious question, or as one
that involved whether one religion was better or worse
than another? but as a question purely of religious
liberty of conscience, connected with the question of
civil liberty, and altogether of a political bearing. He
regretted exceedingly that the successful efF 'its of their
distinguished Representative in the II 'use of Commons
had been marred by the intelligent dignity of the H use
of Lords. Their worthy Representative had, however,
done his duty nobly ; and was nobly backed, he would'
fay, by his colleague, Mr. Hobhouse, in endeavouring
to obtain for ail the people equal protection, equal
liberty, and equal rights. Mr. Scorch then proposed
the health of ei Sir Francis Burdett, the true, indepen-
dent, uncompromising, and undaunted Representative of
the People ; whose unceasing exertions in the cause of
liberty and the people have been as useful to his country
as they are honourable to himself."
Sir FRANCIS BURDETT rose, and was received with
loud cheers.—The speech of the worthy Gentleman
who has just sat down, after doing me the honour to
propose my health to this meeting, has recalled to my
mind a long series of years ; but particularly and
forcibly it has brought to my recollection circum-
stances the most critical in my life-lwhen my first
connexion with the independent body whom I now see
before me commenced. I recur to the recallectisn of
these feelings with a pleasure which I cannot describe;
tad I can pledge myself that they are lasting as they
are sincere, for to the latest period c f my life shall I never
forget the obligatilns and sentimeats of gratitude which
the first connexion engendered within me—(Applause).
To address a collection of Englishmen at any time—:o
address a meeting such as this, influenced by no impulse
but that of a principle c f freedom, l'ahle to no controul,
and und.r no sway but the sacred obligations of li-
berty, is a satisfaction to the mind of a freeman which
in no country in the world but this *can be enjoyed ; and
which, except upon occasions like the present, there are
few opportunities of tasting. Towards you, consider-
ing the relation in which we stand to each other, it is
to me a peculiar satisfaction. I congratulate you and
and all the warmest friends of freedom upon the great
satisfaction which you must enjoy, in contemplating
the progress of principles to which you are attached
throughout the world, notwithstanding their suppression
in some parts of the continent of Europe, in Spain and
in Italy, where tyranny continues to trample over free-
dom. But let us turn our eyes to ether parts, and we
shall be consoled by the struggle for liberty carrying on
in the immortal land of Greece. Let us airier our eyes
to the newly established States of the new hentisphere,
and to its triumphant condition in our former colonies
of North America, and we shall wit ess the progress
ch it is everywhere making, however much it may,
be smothered for a time in unfortunate Spain, and
though it has not yet attained all its strength and vi-
gour in Greece. We must not therefoie indulge in de-
sponding views by judging from abroad, for upon the
average of the whole world the .cause ce freedom has
been a gainer--(Applause).—The worthy Gentleman
who has preceded me has told you, that in Patliament„
at far as I could, I supported the Catholic Claims.
I did so, not from preference to any patticul it religion,
for I hold them all to be good; but upon the great
principle of religious liberty,-and le cause I felt that
men never could be content who were excluded from
those rights to which by their birth they were entitled,
on account of conscience ; and because I saw that the
more favoured class, if they did not look upon their
exclusion with satisfaction, at least did not sympathize
cordially with them in trying to break, through it.
They talk of the principles of this and that religi
ur
being obnoxious to liberty: I now challenge them, in
looking through the world, to paint out ally religio t,
of any description, the principles of which are head!
to liberty, to human happiness, to any of the virtues
that characterize mankind ; and above all, to the great
virtue of justice and charity amongst.mankind—(Hear).
I have great respect for prejudices, honest mistakes, and
errors; but I would beseeshGentlemenenterraining these
prejudices to consider the grounds upon %% Welt they tea.
I venture to say that they will find early educatio
early instilled nodes of thinking—pi osing over books--
the considering only the acts a f past ages—forgetting
the present state of the world—not making use of their
et es, which nature had placed ;n the ireta of their
heads, not in the back (a Lree/r)—all :hese to be the
sources of their prejudices, and that they would no
longer oppose themselves to the advancement of the
mighty, and I trust uncontroulable prop es-s which civ I
liberty is making. A century ago, at the tune of the
Revolution, toleration was thought to be the summit of
human liberty. At that tine a for beat ante to inflic: that
persecution which bras being practised in the neighbour•
tug States was esteemed an advancement in tole at ton.—.
Few now-a-days who would not dcpragte the le, rtg