Star.
London, England, 1812-04-08 00:00:00

NAVAL INTBLLIGENCE.

COMMON HALL.

FALMOUTH, APRIL 5. Yesterdays Very numerous meeting of the tree!.
Arrived the Lord Hobart packet, HAMILTON, With ; of London was held at Guildhall, for the purpose
milfrom Cadiz, in ten days : the Dispatch packet of receiving the Report of the Sheriffs on their pro-
s
ceedings in regard to the mode in which the late Pe-
had arrived out, landed her mail, and proceeded on
tition from the Livery should be presented to the
for Gibraltar and Malta. Also arrived the American Prince Regent.
ships Archimedes, NEAL, from Philadelphia, in 45 The Loan MAYOR shortly stated the nature of the
days ; and Merchant, HOPKINS, from Baltimore, in I business on which they were now met. It was his
duty to tell the Livery, that the Prince Regent had
aa days, with flour for a market; the former spoke,
thought proper, in conformity to the usage of his
shout 20 days since, the American ship Horace, (on
Royal Father, since 1., 75, to decline receiving their
the Banks of Nesvfoundland) from Stockholm, bound petition on the throne; and they were now assembled
New-York ; and, about ten days since, the English to consider what steps were proper to be taken under
to
.hip Aberine, from Demerara for London, all well : the circumstances of that refusal. His Lordship
then proceeded to declare, that his utmost wish was to
h ner sailed in company with the Archimedes
%se 00
preserve impartiality on the present occasion ; he
for L'Orient.—Sailed his Majesty's brig PELORUS, of trusted that the sacred claims of the people on the
18 guns, with about 30 sail to join his Majesty's ship one hand, and the rights of the Prince on the other,
sawn, off the harbour with about ten sail for For- would not be called in question; and that the Livery
thgal, Spain, and the Mediterranean. Also sailed would remember that the Ministers alone were re-
the Marlborough packet, BULL, with mails for Lis sponsible for this refusal on the part of the Prince.—
-
He (the Lord Mayor) did not profess to be a poli-
ate ; and Chesterfield packet, with mails for Ja- tician ; it was enough for him to perform the high
mica, The Montagu packet, with mails for Cadiz, duties of the effice to which he had been chosen, and
is detained till Tuesday next. he had only to recommend that both sides of the ques-
PLYMOUTH, APRIL 5.- tion might obtain a patient hearing.—(Applause.)
Arrived the POICTIERS man of war, from the east- Tht Common Crier then read .the Report of the Sheriffs, which has been already before the Public, so
ward; Acoas sloop of war from tha Mediterranean far as respects their audience of the Prince. In this
FERVENT gun-brig, with a fleet of transports from Report they farther state, that they had since recei-
Lisbon, and the SPEEDY gun-brig,from Falmouth._ vied a letter from Mr. Ryder, dated Whitehall, April
2 'n which he sa rs that he had it in comand from
Sailed the ALERT sloop of war, with a convoy for , his Royal Highne) Highness to inform them, that m the Address
Newfoundland; WHITING, BRAMBLE, MACKREL, and would be received in the usual way, at the next Le-
, ALPHEa schooners, on a cruize. Arrived the INTEL- vee, on the 9th inst. and that no number of persons
LR.ENTgun•brig from a cruize. beyond ten could be admitted, except the Lord
PORTSMOUTH, APRIL 7. Mayor, Aldermen, Sheriffs, and Officers of the City.
Mr. WAITIIMAN then came forward, and began by
Arrived his Majesty's ship SPRIGHTLY, from a •
requesting the Livery to give every Gentleman who
cruize; and the LEYDEN frigate, with the following addressed -
them a full and patient hearing. In all
transports fromthe Mediterranean, as per numbers and public matters of this kind nothing was so advan-
letter, theirnames we have not been :able to ascertain : tageous to the cause of truth and its advocates, as a
—Nos. 310, 71, 56, 28, 174, 208, 392, 164, 351, 424, decorous attention on the part of the Livery ; and,
indeed, from all that he had seen of late, he was con-
US, 199, 27; Letters EA. FH. BF. CB NM. DK.
vinced that • • had been •
any Interruption experienced,
BM. IT. 0. CF. and BS.—Sailed his Majesty's ships it in'general proceeded from those wi; called them-
BRUTE, FREYA, and RosiuLus, for Lisbon ; and the selves exclusively theSfriends of social order. (Aft-
NORTH STAR and SPITFIRE, on a cruize. The LEY. iliqUie•) He would not detain them long on the pre-
sent occasion, because the right claimed by the City
ars is under quarantine. His Majesty's ships BRUNE,
of London, to address their petitions and remon-
Romutus, and FREYA, have taken the 42.1 Regiment strances to the Sovereign on the Throne, was a
out to Lisbon. His Majesty's ship PORCUPINE, for right which had been trequently discussed of late
Quebec ; VULTURE, for Guernsey ; and the SPITFIRE, years, in consequence of their having been refused, in
for the Downs, have hauled down their signals, and several instances, the exercise of this undoubted pri-
his Majesty's ship PnceeE is appointed in the room of vilege, which they had pcssessed from time imme-
mortal. After the City of London had been in the
the PORCUPINE. No other convoy is appointed at constant practice of exercising this right for ages, it
present. • was first refused to them in the year 1775 ; and on
that occasion they came to a variety of Resolutions,
which were in substance similar to those which he
should conclude with proposing. The field of argu-
ment was, therefore, narrowed on the present occa-
sion ; and he should confine himself to a very few ob-
servations only, as he flattered himself that the prin.
cipstl points were contained in the Resolutions which
he bad to propose. Every person who heard him
must be thoroughly convinced, that the privilege of
carrying their•complaints and remonstrances to the
ear of the Sovereign, was one of the most important
which they could exercise as subjects, and a privi-
lege which was peculiarly characteristic of the Bri-
tish Constitution. (Applause.). For some years
previously to the Revolution, when England was
cursed by one of the most detestable Governments
that ever disgraced a civilized nation, the right of
petitioning was wholly subverted—the Citizens of
London were denied access to the Throne, and even
deprived of their charter for endeavouring to exercise
their inherent right of petitioning. These acts of
despotic power produced a sullen calm for a dine, but
it was only that sort;of calm which is the usual pre-
lude of a storm ; and the family which then reigned
was soon swept tor ever from the Throne of these
kingdoms. At the Revolution—io accomplishing
which, the Citizens of London, to their eternal ho-
nour, took such a prominent part—the right of peti-
tioning was claimed anew as the undoubted and in.
valuable right of every subject ; and closets to the
year 1775 there was no Minister so abandoned as to
call in question the right of the City of London to
pour their complaints into the ear of the Sovereign.
It was most extraordinary to him, that there should
be kind any Members of the Corporation prepared
to barter away this privilege, or to overlook its in-
fringement. The interruption which it had expe-
rienced of late years only reminded him of the bad
times which preceded the Revolution ; and the con-
tinuance of that interruption was a bail omen for the
commencement of this new era. (4Mlause.) During
the sway of the Stewarts, and their worthless Mini-
sters, there were some men so base as to express their
abhorrence of petitioning--whence they were justly
stigmatised as " Abhorrers ;" and so now, also some
were to be found who would give up this inesti-
mable privilege, er, what was as bad, make it merely
the medium of flattering and hypocritical Addresses
to the Throne. Since 1775, this right of the City of
London had again been evaded on several occasions,
particularly in 1793, when the Livery protested
against the commencement of that war which had
now lasted for twenty years, and which had produced
such incalculable mischiefs. Let those, then, who
are in the habit of calling the assembled Livery of
London an indiscriminate mob, incapable of judging
correctly, whose opinions are entitled to no atten-
tion—let such men spew stay one instance in which
they were wrong, and where it would not have been
happy for the country if their Addresses had beea
listened 'to. If the prayers of the City of London
had received due attention, the American war would
never have taken place ; and all the calamities of
this war, of twenty years' duration, would have
been prevented. instead, then, of this sort of rail-
lery or abuse, which was cast upon the Livery, he
would call upon any man to amid up and state his
reasons why the Resolutions he had to propose should
not be adopted, and why they were not entitled
to carry their petitions to the foot of the Throne, ia-
stead of being conveyed through the medium of a
Minister, which left them no security that their com-
plaints bad ever reached the ear of the Sovereign.
—CHere a voice from the crowd made some perso.
nal .attack ;Ton Mr. Waithman,- which produced a ,
violent outcry of " turd him tat, tarn him out,'

v - .

DEAL, APRIL 7.

Arrived his Majesty's ships Mmtsfrom Portsmouth,
sad Coanzuvand Ftmous from a cruise. Came
down from the River the General Wellesley, Baowst,
for the East Indies.

BALTIMORE, FEBRUARY
Arrived the Sparrow, Staples, Irom Campeachy,
n days : off the coast of Gucatar was boarded by
Thatarengo French privateer, and off the Dry For-
inias was boarded by another French privateer. In
the Bay spoke the ship William, Dunkin, from Eng-
land, and six brigs, bound up. Yesterday the sloop
Betsey of Still Pond, was found below the rocks in
the river, on her beam ends, with four persons, three
whites, and a mulatto, on her side, who had perished
rib cold. She sailed from this for Stillj Pond the
evening before,and it is supposed she upset in a squall.
There were three more, two whites and a mulatto, on
board, whose bodies have not been found.

Yesterday a Court of Directors was held at the
'East India-House, when NEIL BENJAMIN EDMON.•
STONE and ARCHIBALD SETON, Esqrs. were appointed
Members of Council at Fort William.
Five sail pf French line,of-battle ships are said to
have dropped down the Scheldt to Flushing, ready
for a start.
His Majesty's schooner Joust Butt sent into Dover,
on Monday morning, a small boat with seven French
prisoners, which she on Monday picked up near
Beachy Head. The Frenchmen state, they made
their escape from Portsmouth, had been two days
and nights at sea, without any provisions, and, not
having a compass, bad mistaken Beachy Head for
the French land.
We copy the following from the Connecticut Gazette
of February 25 The ship Georgia, Capt. Stokes,
from Lisbon to Savannah, on the ill st of November
tut, in lat. 30. N. long. 23. W. about three P. M.
then distant from the nearest land, the Canary Islands,
at kat two hundred miles, while sailing with a fine
breeze from the south east, about eight knots, a black
cloud arose front the West, and the ship was all at
once becalmed ; a light air afterwards sprung up
from the north-east, at which time Clete fell from the
cloud an innumerable quantity of large grasshoppers
(locusts), so as to cover the deck, the tons, and every
panda* ship they could light upo: they did not
appear in the least exhausted, on the contr..ry, when
an attempt was made to take hold of them, they in-
stantly jumped and endeavoured to elude being
taken. The calm or very light air lasted full an
Imut, and during the whole of the time these insects
coatinued to fall upon the ship and around her, such
as were within reach of the vessel alighted upon her,
hat immense numbers fell into the sea, and were seen
ficating in masses by the sides. During the next day
many still remained about the rigging and decks, and
aete seen in quantities jumping and flying from one
',lace to another.
" Two bottles filled with some of the grasshoppers
preserved in spirits are kept for the inspection of
the c
u.nt have
nri°oB, and for, the information of those who may
an °PPortunity of seeing them, the following
eirseriPtion is given :—The insect is of a reddish hue
;with red and grey speckled wings, eyes black, two
"tns, Six leFs (four long and two short, which last
aid them in pimping) two wings on each side, length
of the body two inches, and including the wings when !n the
two inches and seven eighu. Land birds of
mferent kinds have frequently been found it a much
g'rettier distance at sea after heavy gales, but it is not
easy to account how such a number of grasshoppers
sot into the air, at so great a distance frame land, as
Mei are not calculated to By far."

which lasted for teme Minutes.] Order being at laift
restored, Mr. Vl/4faithman observed, that he'should be
very ready to hear any personalities againa
and should only beg a fair opportunity of replying.
to them.—(4/0/aute).—He then proceeded to allude
to another occasion in which the right of petitioning
had been refused. It was in 1800, when the Livery
prayed that the Got ern:tient would not reject the '
overtures for peace, then made by Bonaparte. He j
would appeal to any man, whether the greatest beneel
fits weuld not have accrued to this country and to
Europe, had that rejection not taken place ; and this
was another among a thousand proofs, that the sen-
timents of the Livery of London deserved at least
some consideration. Mr. Waithman then proceeded
to read the Resolutions. He observed, that it was a
most extraordinary fact, that while the petitions of
the Livery were refused to be received on the throne,
the petitions of the Court of Lieutenancy of London, 1,
a much inferior body, had been received that way, in
two several instances. It was said that this assemble
did not constitute the 3ody Corporate of the City of
London. True, but the Common Hall, composed
of the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Commonalty, did ;
essentially form the great Body Corporate of the City
of London. The Common Council could neither sue
nor be sued ; they could do no official act, but in the
name of the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Commo-
nalty, of which they were the representatives. The
truth was, that in ancient times, before the Common
Council was kmawn as a body, the Common Hall
performed all corporate acts, though it was after-
wards found more convenient to delegate the greater
part of that business to the Common Council, com-
posed of deputies from their number. The Citizens
assembled in Common-hall were, therefore, funda-
mentally the Body Corporate of the City of London;
and who would have thought, that after one race of
Kings had lost their Crown for denial of the right of
petitioning, any Minister would have had the auda-
city to advise his Sovereign to follow in any respect
such an example? The man who dared to give such
advice deserved the execration, not only of the Sove-
reign, but. of the people at large. He would c:111
upon the Livery to act with becoming resolution on
the present occasion. Before the Revolution, the ci-
tizens of London swore to stand by their Represen- ,
tatives in Parliament ; but he did not know that their
present Representatives would support the privileges
of the Livery, and thus merit a similar testimony et
approbation. He had seen it asserted in some Mini-
sterial papers, that whatever might be the resolutions
of the Livery, yet they were led at an election by the
merchants and banker s. Now this was the very mis-
chievous influence which he had to complain of ; and
he trusted, that at the next election, the Commonalty
would have the independence to exercise their rights,
even though beggary should next day be the conse-
quence of it to some of them. At this great crisis,
every man should be ready, not only to sacrifice his
property, but his life, for the liberties of his country.
Mr. Waithman retired amidst great applause.
Mr. FAVELL seconded the Resolutions in a speech
of considerable length. It had been hinted, he ob-
served, in some of the Ministerial prints, that if the.,
citizens of London were desirous that their wishes'
should reach the Throne, then their petitions should
be of a different complexion from that which they
had lately voted. Here the whole truth came out.!
If the Livery thought proper to send up flattering
and sycophantic addresses, then their path to Sr.
James's or Carlton-House would be strewed with
roses, and they were likely to meet with no rebuff.— I
But he trusted that he addressed high-spirited and in-
dependent men, whom no consideration would in-
duce to belie their real sentiments. He could men-
tion the instance of an independent Liveryman, who,
though poor, when asked some time ago to sign one
of the tavern addresses, declared he would rather cut
his hand off, than hold it up in the Common Hall
for one set of resolutions, and sign another set at a
tavern.—(4olaure.)—He hoped that, at the next
election, the same principles of independence would
be generally Acted upon by the Livery, who should
consider that the approbation of their own minds
would Cohipensate every sacrifice.
""More Joy Maecellus, even In exile, feels,
" Than Cz4ar, with a senate it his heels."
Standing so near the statue of ch141.211A11, he could
not help recollecting his words in the House of Lords:
" I thought," said he, " whett mentioned the City
of London, I saw a sneer in Tour Lordships' faces :
but they are such men as I am proud to associate
with. Let it be remembered, that a Lord Mayor
of London was amongst those individuals who ob-
tained from a tyrant King that bulwark of British
liberty—Magna Charta.' —Thls was the opinion
which Lord Chatham entertained of the Livery ; yet
of late years we had been accustomed to see them
driven from the royal presence, their Petitions re-
jected, 'and thcmse:ves severely reptimanded.
The Resolutions were then proclaimed by the Mace
Bearer, and all consented to with loud and continued
acclamations. . .

,
(birWai.Ctietis) stha spnite after hiel. awl uocatreJ&
as he raid, hontady, th.it lie required no instructions
whaterer, fife be possessed a eonecienet free MA id'
shackled of his own, which he was net prepared to
• bend. Let him therefore come forward and define
the sitnatgut of his conscience when he refuted io
Irote for the Walcheren Co Aye, let h m
'explain, let him explain," was the cry araund the
Hall.)--Conscience, he was afraid, was a very fickle
bond for performance of public trust, and he should
love to behold some better security for their integrity.
In the long continuation of a Septennial Parliament,
were there not danger of the throbbings of a good
, conscience being palsied by the shackles of corny-
' don, or made to beat in a more tree:aisle merinef hy
Mioisterial grants ?—(Lstuf applatu.e.).Anocher of
their Worthy Representatives (Alderman Shaw) also
declared, that on a particular .ceadon in the Home
of Commons he beheld a fortnieeble faction prevails
ing, therefore he left the Hines., and refused to vote
at all. 'These were wioolerful words indeed, and
plainly :hewed to the Hall that the Worthy Menthe
believed a Parliamentary majority was a faction.—
'‘ (Lord upplatue.)—lint onrnedidtely another Hon.
Baronet came nimbly skipping at the other's heels,
'and declared his belief that the House of Commons
was the parer: body of men in existence. How these
Honourable personages were prepared to extricate
themselves he was not aware ; but he hoped they
might be induced to attempt it immediately, peril-
cularly, should one of them endeavOurto clear biro.
self by his conscience, he must have, as Lassa&
Gobbo said, a very hard kind of conseiinee.oefZeddk
acclatnntitit.) • . .
Sir Wit. CURTIS then tame forward, and said, he
had always voted, and always should vote, as his
conscience directed him. There were many in that
' Hall, who, a year ago, were for 'addressing the
' Prince, to state their wisheoth ahe should hareem.
l: iced power ; but now that'he has chosen Miniseers,
who are not to their fancy, they seemed to wishidlni
he had no power at all: This was not his opinion,..—
As to the particular case of Colonel M•Mahon, he
iwas not in the House at the division ; and therefire
he had neither voted on one side or the other. As to
his general ccnduct, his constituents world soon have
an opportunity of expressing their opinion, as a genes.
tail election would probably soon take place. (Cr*:
of—you'll nal be returned again) At the next election,
it would be seen whether the Livery disapproved of
his public conduct, or whether they did not; but of
this he was perfectly sure, that whether the Parliaa
ment sat for seven years or for three, that circum-
stance slerildnot have ar.y effect upon his public tops
duct, which was always directed by his conscience.
Alderman Comas then appeared, amidstgresenps •
plause. He said it was the duty of Representa-
tives to obey the instructions of their -coestitnente
and that he felt pecularlyt happy in hit ovdppinion
coinciding with, those instructions, on every impala
cant subject,
Sir C. Fame repeated that he was prevented • fro,n
voting on the question of Colonel M.Mahlaiet sines
cure, by perceiving that there *as a faction ay_ work
upon that subject. He should never be the sappora
ter cif faction ; and he lamented that for near twenty
year, factious doctrines had been disseminated. in
speeches, in that Hall.—(The remainder of the Ho-
-Inourable Baronet's speech was received with loud tie-
' pressions of disapprobation).
Sir JAHR% SHAW then came forward amidst a ttlit
mull of disapprobation. He said, if lie had not voted
(against this sinecure of Colonel M.Mahoe's, it was
merely because he thought that the object of the mo-
tion was more to give the Prince Regent el slap in the
pre, than to abolish the office. A great deal had been
said about the right of Englishmen' to petition the
Throne. Who denied this right ? The only /rest
tion now between the Prince Regent and the Livery,
was, in what manner the,isetition should be, 'received.
—Whether it should be received like other petitions, at
the Levee, or whether it should be received upon the
Throne ; —(rhos the throne, from nantberz).—He knew
that formerly the petition.; from the Livery bad been
received upon the Throne ; but this was refused in
1775, when, as he must say, the proceedings of the
City were of such a nature as very much sunk their
character. (No, no, from way ',acre). Since that
time, too, very improper conduct hadibeen
.pursued,
and very improper doctrines promulgated at the Com-
mon Halls, and addressed to the Soeereign.• (Dino?
probation.' His Honourable Friend (Sir C. Price)
had used the word factiOn)e which might be applied
to much of those proceedings:—rThe latter part of
the Honourable Baronet's speech was received with
great disapprobation and loud hisses.]
Mr. Duettist opposed the resolutions, as disgrace.
tut to any, body of men. (Loud disappr.hation.)
The resolutions of Mr. WAITHMAN were then put,
and carried; not more than four or five hands being
held up against them.
A considerable cry was then raised in the Hall-.
Alderman Wood 1 Aldermen Wood
Alderman Woos then -came forward, and said,
that understanding an opinion was prevalent through.
out the City of his intention to submit a motion for a
Petition to her Royal Highness of Wales, he ap.
aproached them simply to state the reasons which in•
duced him to postpone his motion. He had, as in
duty bound, submitted the sketch of the Pet:tion to
the Lord Mayor and others, who were of opinion,
that it was highly improper to propose so serious a
motion without giving the accustomed and necessary
intimation. He begged leave, however, to give them
a short outline of tee Petition, which he had with
him. in his pocket, and which, at some future period,
it was his desire to lay before them. As an intro.
duc:ion to his subject, he expressed a wish to be to-
lerated to read to the meeting a portion of that Peti-
ton which the People of London had presented to the
Prince of Wales on the consummation of his nuptials.
Mr. Arrows interrupted him and said, that after
having submitted fur some time to a conversation al-
together unparalleled to proceed, in hopes of the inter.
ference of the assembly to prevent, hs now arose
simply to call to order.
Mr. WAITED/AN was of opinion that the Worthy
Alderman had acted very indiscreetly in persevering
in his motion when he knew the accustomed rules or
the Court.
Mr. Alderman WOOD immediately abstained from
persistmg to address the Livery.
Thanks we: e then voted to the mover and seconder
of the Resolutions (Mr. Waitbman and Mr. Farrell)-
, The Meeting.. which was exceedingly
then dispersed.

Mt. WAITIIMAN then came forward, and said, thst,
consonant to the adopted Resolutions, he should move,
Tbat those persons representing the Livery of London in
Parliament should be incructed by their Constituenti to use all
their power and eloquence in supporting all Petitions whose bene-
ficial aims were for the reformation of absses, the abolition of
pernicious sinecure places, and a re-opening of the channels of
commerce, and above all, fot a tree and equal representation of
the People in Parliament."

He next proposed a Resolution empowering and
ordering the Sheriffs, accompanied by the Deputy
Remernirancer, to deliver into the hands of his Royal
Highness a fair copy of the above Resolutions, in the
name of the Lord Mayor, and Aldermen, and Com-
mon Councilmen of the City of London.
Mr. WAITI MAN then remarked, that he was afraid
the advice which he had ventured to propose, should
it be given to the Representatives ot the Livery of
London, would not be attended with any good effect.
Oa a former and well-remembered occasion, he had ,
called upon those persons to come forward and explain '
their motives for not most decidedly voting for the ex-
pulsion of Colonel MdMahon, whose situation was
contemplated as constitutionally untenable by the ma-
jority ot Parliament. He hoped, that should those
persons be again permitted to come forward to justify
their conduct, the Hon. the. Livery assembled would
leag a favourable oar to them, for they world certainly
have to speak against themselves—(Mith applaure.)
One of their Representatives (Alderman Conine) was
a Gentleman so favourably inclined to perform the
desire of bis Constituents that any Counsel to him
yould be unnecessary is but the Honourable Baronet

1