Star.
London, England, 1813-04-03 00:00:00

1.114 W ARIIIF ZIA Lars IFITIF-vr Low. ILY.
•••ik : "
• Vilr MEIREES TO THE PRINdESS OF WALLS.

T

-Yeetetday a Common Hall was bald, in pursuance
of a Reqeisition presented to the Lord Mayor, to
take into consideration the propriety of presenting an
„Address to the PRINCIM of W uses.
The Requisition having been_read by the Officer,
and the Lotto Mayne having stated the object of the
Meeting, and requested a patient hearing for every
Gentleman who might be iuclined to deliver his sen-
timeits'
Mr. Alderman WOOD then came forward, and
began by regretting his inability to do justice to.the
subject ; he wished it .had fallen to other hands.—
Great pains had been taken to check this proceeding
I—persons1—persons who were ysually in the habit of acting
with him, had called upon him on the bisiness. What
could be the motive for their conduct he could not
eonceive„unless it were to stop the channel of public
justice. He had also to complain, that he called
three times on the Lord Mayor, before he could.iearn
when the Hall was. to be "asseMbled, and only one
day's notice had'been given, which aocounted for the
thin attendance of.tha -Livery* .He was sorry for
this. circumstance, as, he tends: have wished .that every
man should have been.spresent, to give his opinion,
whether the Princess of \Wes should not be
.Che-
rished by the Lit'ity.of *London ? 4 had been stated
lit a paper, that the party who usually acted together,
Weald be divided an this occasion ; he hoped that his
friends would not desert him, but come forward and
disappoint such an issertion. He wouild riot trouble
them at length the cause was pet fectly known ;
body at least ought to know that excellent
every
defence of the Princess, which had been drawn up
by Mr. Perceval, a man whose pOlitics he never liked,
-but whose memory he should ever honour for this
vindication of an injured lady. Great credit, also, was
'ape to the other profeasional Gentleinan whose let-
ker had produced the late discussions. He could not
kihiceiVe who could oppose the present motion for an
Address ; it .surely could not be that party of the Li-
very which was usually so loud in its professions of
loyalty: 441litkaae, and a We.) It was inept ssible
Abet the koyal Family should not be gratified at the
acknowledged purity of one of their own body ; it
was impossible that the Prince Regent should not be
-pleased with the declaration of the innocence of his
•own wife. (ifftidentre.) He did not act now from any
,arty motive, thou.gh he was not entirely free from the
Influence of politteal considerations. He had been
asked whether he expected to be able by this motion
to change the Administration (a latish) t.-.-he cer-
tainly had no such expectation, nor was be anxious
on this subject, for he thought both parties were much
alike ; hut he brought forward this Addrtas, because
. the subject was one which tame. home to the bosoms
of all--became no less a matter was involved in it,
than whether there Might not be a civil war for the
suGeession to the Crown? It was for this reason lie
was anxious that there should be a public declaration
of the innocence of the Princess. (Great illielaate.)
The rank of the person, was no motive with him—he
would have stepped forward to vindicate the charac-
ter of the lowest as well as of the highest degree.—
.But he must call to their attention' the magnanimity,
forbearance, and moderation of her conduct, under

the petaecutions which she had suffered; he must
:tall upon them to slew that they were satisfied with
the innocence of ah irlistred woman : he must request
them, in the name, and by the love which they bore
for their own wives and daughters, to come forward
to vindiCate the calumniated honour of a wife and a
mother. (Leedifm/aure.) He concluded by moving,
46 That a dutiful, loyal, • and humble Address be
presented to her Royal Highness the Princess of
%Vales, congratulating her Royal Highness on her
escape finm the exposed cruel attempt Against her life
Land honour."
The motion was seconded by Mr. JONF.S, who said,
("the Princess was as innocent as a woman could be—.

(A laugh.) There had been an abominable conspi-
racy against her, and that people ought not to rest till
;hose persons were brought to condign punishment.
• Every true Briton must feel the cause of the Princess
' to be his own ; he had by seconding the motion done
his duty to his wife, his children, and all the female
sex. (A laugh.)
Mr. THOMSON came forward, he said, to bear tes-
mony to the character of the Princess of Wales.—
,he Hon. Baronet, whose toast had been—a speedy
6ti,
peace, and soon !—would, no doup,ht, also recommend
a /reedy reconciliation. (Laughing) The Princess of
Wales asked for justice : surely it ought not to be
said; that her appeal had been made in vain : that
the Livery of London had rejected her application.
What was her situation ? She had no father and mo-
ther to support her under her persecutions ; she could
not even look to the mother of her husband for conso-
lation :—where, then, could she look, but to the peo-
ple of England ? The charges against the Princess
were altogether false : he would not imitate the un-
toverned language of a Noble Lord, and say they ,
'were false as hell ; but the evidence was utterly con.
*radictory ; and the greater part of it proceeded on,
a principle d revenge, which was enough to vitiate
'tiny testimony. Sr; John Douglas had made an irts-o
pudcnt atteibpt to bolster up his evidence by a peti.:
non ; but he well knew the prayer of his petition
could not be granted. The House had been compel.-1
ed to a Grand Jury; but would any Grand Jury sof,i
for any witness to re.swear the evidence whjch
had once been pronounced false ? There were other ,
•eitcunrititnctoi of a black dye, connected with the
;lame of Lord Meira : that Nobleman ought imme-
diatdy to disavow, or prove the allegations which
were notv .auctioned by his name. (Aptilause.) He
h„ped the resolution of this Hall would give a tone to.
the rest of the nation—that they would press forward
to declare the innocence of an insulted woman. He
hoped that the feelings of the Prince of Wales would
be kiMilar to those of Charles 11. who, when his inte.
reseed Ministers advised him to repudiate hib Queen,
indignantly answered, that be would never consent to'
oppress an unprotected woman. (Loud allitlmise.)
Mr. 'nom came forward to state, that he was one
of the persons alluded to by the Hon. Alderman,
-led to avow the reason for the
giv(ri to him. He thought, and
le opinion throughont the king-
was :in injured woman; that
iy and shamefully treated; but
come to that Hall for the via-