Star.
London, England, 1819-11-20 00:00:00

rejected were men of high-flying Tory principles;
but that aggravated, instead of lessening the offence.
—( Cheers ).—He trusted that the Meeting would
almlv and fairly discuss the question before them,
and if a prison was to be the consequenCe of honestly
expressing their opinions, then he would have the
honour of being one of the sufferers. He, did not
wish to give way to any personal feeling on the ques-
tion at issue between the Corporation and the Livery;
it was to be decided by a Court of Law, and there
he would leave it. But it- was strange that this
charge should have been brought by persons who,
.however they differed with the Livery on certain
points, always professed to support the interests of
the City: This, however, was for them to explain on
some future occasion. After some observations on
the impropriety of refusing so large a Body as the
Liter), of London the exercise of their right to dis-
cuss questions of a public nature, Mr. Favell con-
cluded by reading the followingwtsolutions
Prat the Livery of London, in on Hall assembled,
lave an undoubted Right, on Midsummer. Michaelmas, or any
other day, to discuss any matter of Public Grievance. •
That this Common Hall have learnt with surprise that at-
tempts are now making to deprive them of this established and
.Constitutional Right; and that the Court of. Aldermen, without
- any previous Intimation of such intention, have directed criminal
proceedings to be commenced against several Liverymen, among
whom is one of the Magistrates and Representatives in Parlia-
ment for this City, and also against one of its Sheriffs.
That the Court of Aldermen, Common Council, and Livery
• of London, are separate and distinct Bodies, possessed of sepa-
rate and distinct powerr—that the Court of Aldermen have no
authority or jurisdiction over the Privileges of the Livery, who
conceive the said proceedings to be an unwarrantable attack,
not only upon their Privileges as Liverymen, but upon their
flights as Englishmen ; and, if the same could be carried into
effect, must tend to the total subversion of such Rights, and
leave them without any means of discussing or Petitioning against
I üblic Grievances—subject entirely to the caprice and arbitrary
will of a Chief Magistrate, however he may be unduly or cor-
tuptly influenced—and that it is thtrefore the imperious duty of
every Liveryman, and every Citizen of London, to watch with
jealousy and alarm this unprecedented and unwarrantable attack
upon their Rights and Privileges, and to use their strenuous ex-
ertions to resist any invasion thereof.
That the Court of Common Council, as Representatives. of
the Citiaens of London, are bound, by their Oaths, as well as
their duty, to protect their Rights, and prevent any misappli-
cation of the bonds octhe Corporation, for which purposes the
'Common Hall do therefore earnestly request their co-operation
a:'d su?port ; and the Right lion. the Lord Mayor is most re-
.speettaily requested to lay these Resolutions before the Court
o: Common Council.
That the Chamberlain of this City be directed not to pay any
eipenee. tira insy have been, or may be incurred in such Pro-
secutions; ar4 that the Auditors be directed not to allow any
such expense*
That a Committee, consisting of _ti Liverymen, be now ap-
pointed to watch over the Rights of the Livery, With power to
acid to their numbers, and to take such measures as they shall
be ad4ised.
That the Thanks of this Common Hall be given to Mr.
Sheriff Parkins, for his manly, i:ependent, and impartial con.
'dent at the Common Hall on Mishaebnas-day last.
That John Atkins, Esq. late Lord Mayor, by refusing to sum-
mit •Conunon flails, on three several occasions, when required
so do by respectable Members of the Livery; by abruptly
dissolving two Common Halls, when Liverymen were about to
express their opinions on subjects of great public importance;
and by now attentpting to deprive them of their ancient tight
of meeting to discuss and petition against public grievances, has
shiver: a disregard to the constitutional rights of Englishmen,
and a marked contempt for the feelings and opinions 'of his fel-
low-eitizens, and can no longer be entitled to their confidence
and eitet:m.
That the Thanks of this Hall be given to Samuel Favell, Esai.
the Mover, and Allen Purring, Esq. the Seconder, for the able
;id judicious manner in which they brought forward the ljeso-
lations agreed to this day.
Thatthe Thanks of this Hall be given to the Right Honour-
able the Lord .Mayor,. .
for his readiness in calling this Han, and
lit his upright and inv, ..rt conduct in the Chair this day.
Mr. Penn's° commenced by observing, that hav-
ing, on the 29th of Septornber,•given his. cordial and
warm support to the Res(lutions then proposed to
the Livery, it was net surprising that he shoeld ex-
press his satisfaction at having the honour of second-
Inc those which had been just read. He hoped that
in thus coming forward, he should be considere'd as
one of the Livery, and not as giving, from a.profes-
sion which he-had long left, any additional Weight to
his opinions. It had been well observed, that We
Nee in ardnous and eventful times—in times when
every thing dear to Englishmen were equally threat-
ene. from two quarters, which quarters it was
equally their duty to watch and guard against. It
had been urged from a high quarter, he would not
say from high authority, for he disbelieved it, that
there was a large portion of this country disaffect
to Government--terirs of No, so !).—He denied that
this was the case; but he would concede that there
were a few dangerous characters, who, taking ad-
antage of the public distresses, and anxious to gra-
tify their ambition or their avaricei seized on the pre-
sent occasion to agitate the minds of the people; thus
giving to the whole body a character which they do
not deserve. In considering these matters, it was im-
possible to shut' their eyes on the causes which gave
si,.e•to them. His opinion was, that the meeting of
large and tumultuary bodies cf persons was calcu-
lated tti endanger the rights of the people, by sub-
jzceltig their conduct to misrepresentation ; but he
was at the <arne time convinced; that these Meetings
ev..r.re of a legal character, and that any invasion of
this right ought to he firmly resisted, as an offence
against the great body of the people—(applause).—
if one restriction of the people's rights were allowed
to pass with impunity, many similar innovatiptis
would soon be made. The conduct of the people,
he had already observed, arose from distress, and
rot from disaffection ; but there were persons high
in authority who watched for opportunities of in-
vading the public liberties, and who would not scru-
ple to make the errors, or the sins of a few indivi-
duils, a ground for punishing the many. He re-
gretted that violence had been used to attain this
object ; but it was their duty to resist such proceed-
ings. The people had an undoubted right to asserti-
ble and discuss their grievances, and if the Magis-
trates were allowed to prevent or allow such Meetings
at their pleasure, and to compel the adoption of their
opinions, then there was at once an end to the liber-
ties of Englishmen—(Chetors).--Aie concluded by
giving his warns support to the Resolutions.
The first Resolution was then put arid carried una-
ritnously.—Con the second Resolution being put,
Mr. Alderman Warrroraw said,_ he stood, on the
pvevent occasion, in a very peculiar situation, *cause
he appeared to be personally interested in the ques-
tiot,• and, therefore, he should feel more difficulty in
addressing the Livery, than he probably had ever
done at any preceding period. That difficulty did
not at all arise from a' want of a number of very im-
portant topics, to which he was inclined to call their
attention, but rather from the vatiety and magnitude
of those circuasstatitis-whicti-ctowded oa his mind,

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