Star.
London, England, 1809-09-16 00:00:00

GENERrIL JUBILEE.

COMMON COUNCIL, SEP!•EMBER IS. •

This day, in conseeteence of a Requisition addres-
sed to the Lord Mayor, sigued by a number of Al-
dermen and Common Councilmen of the City of
London, a Special Court of Common Council was
held in their H4l, to consider the propriety of holding
a Jubilee in honour of his Majesty, on the day on
which he enters into the 50th year of his reign.
The LORD MAYOR stated, that Resolutions hav-
ing been agreed to by the principal merchants of the
City of London, and by many of the public bodies
throughout the kingdom, to celebrate with more
than usual demonstrations of joy, the ensuing Anni-
versary of the Accession of his Majesty to the throne
of these lingdoms, it had been thought proper, by
many respectable Members of that Corporation, to
address a Requisition to the Lord Mayor, for calling
a Meeting of the Common Council to consider in
what manner they should celebrate that happy event.
Agreeably to a Requisition so addressed to him he
had called the present Court.
After some altercations, in which Mr. Sam. Dixon
and Sir Wm. Curtis seemed to contest with each
other the merit of bringing forward the proposition,
Sir WM. CURTIS addressed the Lord Mayor. He
was satisfied, that in rising to propose the celebration
of the day on which his Majesty entered into the 50th
year of his reign over these happy kingdoms, he did
nothing that could be ungratifying to a single man
in that Court. Whether of Whig or of Tory, he was
convinced-there was not a man in this kingdom who
would deny that his present Majesty's reign had been
equally prosperous, if not more prosperous, than that
of any other Sovereign who had ever reigned over
us. In point of length, too, it was equalled only by
the reigns of two of our Sovereigns for the last thou-
sand years. It must be gratifying to the people of
this country to reflect, that one of these Sovereigns
was Henry 111. justly denominated the Great, be-
cause he had restored to the people their liberties and
laws ; and it must prove equally gratifying, that our
present Sovereign had administered those laws with
equal honour to himself, and advantage to the peo-
ple. The first act of his present Majesty's reign had
been to declare the Judges independent, their ap-
pointments being for life, instead, as formerly, of de-
pending on the will of the Sovereign. This was an
act of grace, becoming a great man, and a worthy
and beloved King. In the time of Wilkes, too, how
had he behaved ? He had put an end to General
Warrants. That, too, was an act becoming a great
Sovereign, solicitous only for his people's good. The
battles of the Nile, of Trafalgar, of St. Vincent, our
victories even in Spain, were sufficient proofs, that
even in a military point of view, we could boast of
as great achievements during the present reign, as
during any which had preceded it. In such circum..•
stances, he could not conceive, how it was possible
for the first Corporation in the kingdom to forbear-
from evincing those feelings of joy and gratulation,
which not only the length of the reign, but the
auspicious consequences of it to these kingdoms
seemed so eminently to call forth. It was, he con-
ceived, indispensible in them, on these accounts, to
have a jubilee, and day of public rejoicing. Impres-
sed with these sentiments he had signed the requisi-
tion ; and his name standing first, he had now come
forward to submit the proposition to that Court. He
was sure every Gentleman in that Court, and in the
country, would feel a disposition to gratify their So-
vereign ; and when they saw all the other countries
in the world ruined, and their Sovereigns brought
down, while our Sovereign alone boldly maintained
himself, and, not only so, but reigned in the hearts
of his people, they were naturally led to inquire what
other Sovereign did so ? Their Sovereign, therefore,
became the admiration not of themselves alone, but
of every country in the world. He hoped that the
Court and those Gentlemen who now heard him,
would give him credit when he asserted, that in a
question of this kind he felt no leaning to one side or
to the other. He did not value it a farthing who
was in or who %I/AS out, but it had always been his
wish, and he should, he hoped, always continue so to
honour his King. His bringing forward the present
proposition therefore, he did assure them, did not pro-
ceed from anv political motive,but from what he felt to
be an incumbent duty, and from a gratification of his
own feelings, it being the impression on his mind that
where the venerable 'character, who was the subject
of the present motion, came under consideration, he
could not do less. He was satisfied that the Court,
and the great body of the people of this country,
would agree in the propriety of his motion, and would
girt to it the fullest effect. He should at present
content himself with moving, " That this Court will
celebrate the Anniversary of his Majesty's Accession
to tl,e Throne, on the 25th of October next, at which
time he commences the fiftieth year of his Reign over
these Kingdoms." And he should then move that
a Committee be appointed to consider of the best
means of celebrating that event, and should report the
same to the Court.
Mr. Alderman SCIIOLEY seconded the first Reso-
tion, Mr. DIXON still endeavouring to press himself
forward.

The RECORDER having put the Resolution, and de-
manded a shew of hands,
Mr. WAITMIAN expressed his surprise at the un-
usual hurry manifested on this occasion. It had hardly
been his intention to have troubled the Court at all ;
unquestionably he did not mean to have done so at
the early hour at which he now addressed them, being
anxious to have heard some arguments in support of
the proposition now made to the Court. No argu-
ments, however, had been submitted in support of
it, and though he knew that in opposing such a mo-
tion he should not only be liable to misrepresentation,
hut should be certain to encounter it, he must dis-
charge his duty by declaring the reasons which pre.,
ven:ed him from concurring in the present motion.--
lie could not forbear from seeing that it was meant
as a mere trick and deception---as a manoeuvre to
cover the errors of Administration, and the losses
which the country bad lately encountered. This, in.
deed, was the only rational ground he could figurefor submitting such a proposition. If he submtted
to the Court his reasons of dissent from the Jubilee
purposed, it was not from any disinclination to do
honour to his Sovereign, but becauie he was dragged
sward by the Honourable Baronet, in consequence
a the way in which he had introduced the business,
.04 which rendered it impossible for him (Mr. waith..
. •