Star.
London, England, 1820-03-08 00:00:00

casions similar to the present. If he had a hole in
his coat, he had nothing to expect but that it would
be exposed, and rendered larger; if be had no hole
in it, there was always some kind good-natured friend
ready to pick one!—(Disapprobation, which continued
during the remainder of his speech, and was expressed so
loud y, that it was wily at intervals Me meaning of the
fonouy able Baronet could be caught). As far as he
could be heard, he• spoke to the following effect:—
Great noise had been made of late about a Fund

called the Orphans' Fund it was the Tale of a Ttib.!
That Fund had been long since extinct:. no orphan
had made a claim upon it for the last fifty years :

some part of the stock had been sr: and lead be-
come, like other stock, open to the Public. Pains
had been taken to prove that large balances were in
his hands. Every thing regat ding that subject had
already been published by order of the House of,
Commons, aiid proved that there was not an atom
of truth in the accu,ation preferred against him.—
Another charge was, that "be ISir William Curtis),
being a person who had much of the public money
lii his hands, had refused to lend any part of it, al-
th:nagh it was much wanted by the City. He would
ask the worthy Gentleman next him, on his right

hand (Mr. Favell) whether that was the case or n-Ot?
(Mr. Favell appeared to indicate a negative).—" Then,
(continued Sir William Curtis) how dare you, Sir,
hear a charge brought publicly against m; which
you know to be false, and not stand up against it?"—
With respect to thc.collection of the money (£50,000
a-vear, from 500 or 600 different ships), he could not
help observing, that he had to give security for it,
and also that the attendance necessary to collect it
was excessively great. The balances now in his hands
would not meet a charge upon the Fund of £1 per
cent. whereas in all other cases in which orphans were
concerned, £5 per cent. he understood, was allowed.
The Corporation had no reason to complain of this
charge, as they had allowed another officer to receive
£lO per cent. out of the funds which he collected :
Under these circumstances, I am not so much under
obligation to the Public as the Public are to me, for I
take upon myself great risk, and I collect their reve-
nue at a small charge r The Baronet then proceeded
to say, that with regard to the Fire Act Clergy Bill,
he had only supported the poor Clergy, who wanted
wr:ile he opposed the rich ones who did not
want it. There were many persons ready enough to
tell the Livery of his mal-practices, but they were
not willing to say a word regarding the good which
he had done—(Because we don't know it, Sir William,
said a voic.efrom tke crowd). On the Corn Bill he had
been most unjustly abused and vilified; and yet,
would it be believed that lie had voted against it!—
What also had he done with regard to the Property
Tax? Had he not obtained a Petition, signed by
60,000 individuals, anal carried it into the House of
Commons, n ith greater triumph than he had ever
tarried any other motion? Had he not opposed the
Ministry, and had he not carried his point? He
should not trouble them with many more observa-
tions; he did not like long speeches, but he was a'
fi lend to smiling faces. He should therefore con-
clude by saying, that, if they gave him their support,
he should have no doubt of success---q The Honour-
able Baronet then retired, amidst a storm of mingled ap-
plause and disapprobation).
Mr. Alderman WOOD--.-" Gentlemen of the Livery,
you are now assembled to perform one of the most
sacred duties which an Englishman is called to per-,
form—namely, to chose four fit and proper persons
to represent this Metropolis in Parliament. It is for
you, and for you alone, to say who are or are not
deserving of that important trust. For myself, I
have no claim whatever on you, except such as
! springs from my having, to the utmost of my ability,
done every thing consistent with my duty. My con-1
duct has long been before you; it is for you now tq!
say whether it has been such as to justify me in'
hoping it will meet your approbation. This is the
fourth time I now thus publicly appear before you,
and I should be doing injustice to you as well as to
my own feelings, were I not to express my grateful
sense of the spontaneous exertions you made in my
behalf. Should I again have the honour of being
returned, I need .hardly assure you that I shall be
as anxious as ever to do my duty. The high 'situ-
ation in whiCh you placed me at the head of the
poll, was a more than adequate reward for anything
I have done, and I hope your kind efforts will place
me again as I then was. You are all aware of my
politics. I know there are many who do not agree
with me in these, but it was peculiarly gratifying to •
me, in the course of my canvass, that all parties re-1
ceived rue with the utmost urbanity and kindness.l,
But I may be allowed to say, that neither the smiles
nor frowns of any shall induce me to change my prin-
ciples. Early and late I attended the House of!
Commons, anxious that no dereliction of duty on
my part should take place ; for I am with the Peo-
ple, and ever shall be the friend of the People.—
Nothing is more common thin to profess attachment
to the Constitution on occasions similar to the pre- I
sent ; but without going into these, or detaining you!
longer, 1 shall only pledge myself, that if again se-
lected by you as one of your Members, appointed
to watch over the local rights of the City, I shall
studiously exert myself to protect those rights, as
well as to guard the property, liberty, and lives of
the People from any attack which the ruthless hand
of an assailant may attempt to make."
Mr. Aldermau Timor, in again offering himself
to the Livery, observed, that however few his pre-
tensions were to talents, still he had the strongest
encouragement to present himself, from the generous
support he had met With at the last Election ; a sup-1
port which, he was well aware, was not given to him
alone, bat to the principles which the Livery had so
nobly advocated on so many occasions. The worthy
Alderman, then, in a very able speech, stated his'
Parliamentary conduct, and the principles he had
maintained, to which he would always adhere. He
strongly deprecated the Bills lately passed by Admi-
nktration, and assured the Livery, that should he
again be successful, he would devote himself to their'
service more than ever.
Mr. Alderman WAITEIMAN, after some prefatory
observations on the nature of the duty they had now
to perform, observed, that this day was one of solemn
examination into the character and conduct of their
Representatives,, and as one of these, he declared
himself ready to submit to any inquiry, or to answer
any charge that might be made. He assured the
Livery, that it was only by themselves, acting as in'
dependent men, that they could possibly secure

Menlers of the same kind. He called on them,'
therefore, in justice to themselves and the country, to
examine the pretensions a the Candidates, and to
elect such only as would be amenable to them for
their conduct in Parliament. Calumnies of the most
unfounded nature had been revived against him,. but
this only slie"wed, that when his enemies Were obliged
to go back twenty years for such stories, their cause
was hopeless, and that they had not the means of at.
tacking his public conduct. When he last appeared
.before them, he did so on, the general principle,
that the traders of London, who were necessarily
Freemen, and of course subjected to all the burden
and expense of office, should have access the
highest honours of the City, without being branded
as unfit to discharge these. On this point he rested,
and on this the Livery had triumphed. He asked
them now to support their own independence, and
not to permit themselves to be dictated. to by any
person whatever. To pretend to be a free man, and
yet to be subject to controul, was a solemn mockery
of freedom. He had opposed the increase of the
Standing Army, the late very obnoxious Bills, and
the Three Millions of Taxes ; and if, in doing so, he
had satisfied them, then he asked for their support.
Mr. WILSON said, that when he reflected on his
being lately a perfect stranger to the Livery, be
could not but feel increased. confidence from the sup-
port
be had received, as well as the encouragement
he had met with. He had endeavoured to pay every
attention to their mercantile interests, and had indeed
been able to do very little to improve these, but he
had been open to the solicitation of all parties on that
subject. Ile had to own, that he was rather at-
tached to the Government of the country than to the
Opposition, but his conduct had been independent,
and every vote had been given with a Sincere con-
viction, that he 'was thus doing the best foi• the
country. If he did not please all, he at least tried to
serve all.

The several Candidates were then put in nomina-
tion. According to usual custom the Court of Alder-
men were severally put up, when the public opinion
was decidedly expressed on their several merits and
demerits. Sir JAMES SHAW, Sir W. Dom vli-LE, Al-
dermen THOMAS. SMITH, J. J. &turn, &c. were
loudly cheered as their names were held up, but it
would be utterly impossible to attempt giving any
idea of the reception given to the name of Alderman
ATKINs. The Hall resounded with groans, hisses,
and loud shouts of " Fire! fire ! murder !" which
lasted IT some minces. The Sheriffs having atten-
tively observed the Mew of hands, declared it to be
for the following Gentlemen :
sEirriivir wool), Esq. Alderman; JOHN THOMAS THORP,
Esq. Alderman; Roam WAITHHAN, Esq. Alderman; and
Thomas WILSON, Esq. Merchant.
The result was received • with the loudest cheers,
•. waving of hats, !plazas, and every demonstration of
joy. A poll was instantly demanded by the Lonb
MAYOR and Sir WILLIAM CURTIS. It commenced
at three o'clock, and continted till four, when the
numbers were announced to be—

Alderman WOOD -
Mr. \lrmo* - -
Alderman 'None -
Alderman W.arrnmAx
Sir WILLIAM CURTIS
The LORD MATO., •

- 108
. 105
- 103
- 94
- 70
- 60

The three first Candidates returned thanks, and
urged their friends to be early in their attendance
at the poll.
Mr. Alderman WAITHMAN, in returning thatiks,
said, he was not astonished• at the situation he now
had on, the poll, in being not so high as some of his
friends, but he could assure them that this was solely
owing to his having been marked out as an object of
vengeance by those who had so long trampled on
the Livery. He heard now some of them behind
him hissing, which proved they could at least do
that, though they could not speak. He had sinned,
he was fully aware, beyond the hope of forgiveness,
because it was an old maxim, that we never forgiVe
those whom we injure. A determined persecution
had been raised against him for the stand he lately
made .in defence of the rights or the Livery, and the
wish of his enemies, be knew, was to pursue him to
destruction. At the last Election, he went into Par:
liament free of all expense, but, thank GOD, he did
not go there with a single penny of the public money
in his pocket. The enemies of the Livery were now
attempting to thrust upon them a political jobbei.,
a Baronet, who, for the last twenty.seven years, had
enriched himself with loans and public jobs. This
was worthy of those men, whose-nephews, in some
instances, had been honoured with Ecclesiastical
preferments, at the public expense—(llenr, hear),
The Livery knew that the Court of Aldermen were
only the guardians of the Orphans' Fund, yet they
had appointed one of their own body, viz. this poli-
tical jobber,•the Baronet, to take care of that money,
with a salary of £l5O a year, and a balance in his
hands, for the last ten years, of £14,000. And all
this was done—for what? Why, a Deputy per-1
formed the duty, and the Honourable Baronet had
only to go to the .Chamberlain's Office! Was this a
man fit to Represent the City ? Would any person
say, that a man who refused to lend the City £5,000,
while he had £14,000 of the Orphan Fund money in
his hands, was a proper person to be their Member?
The Livery owed it to themselves, to the principles
they had so long maintained, and to the country, to
at once refute the wish of such a jobber—(Loud and
long cheers). The worthy Alderman concluded by
describing the efforts which he had made for the re-
formation of abuses, for the better management of
Insolvent Debtors, and for the general good of the
Public, and expressed his decided conviction of final
and triumphant success.
Mr. T. CURTIS next stood forward ; but the tla-
mour was so great that he could not be heard for
some time.
Mr. Sheriff PARKINs interposed. Ile entreated
the Assembly to remain silent, and to hear every
Gentleman express his sentiments. If they did not,
many hours must elapse before the business could
be finished.
Mr. T. CURTIS resumed. He claimed his right,
as a Liveryman of London, to state his thanks for the
honour they had that day done to his father. Still,
however, he begged to remind them, that much re-
mained to be performed ; but lie could assure them
that his father was determined to persevere to the
very end. The good cause, he was convinced, would
ultimately prevail, notwithstanding all the malevo-
lent calumnies which had been directed against his
father—(Cria if 48 maitre* ure.all-true 1 you're a