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

.0111CSHIRE ',EST RIDING MEETING

Paursdn, a numerous 'teeing of the Magistracy,
lay Lieutenants, Clergy, Gentry, and other In-
'nuts, o( the West Riding of the County • of
W3l held at the Court House, Wakefield, to
sider the propriety of publicly testifying the ai
tde of the Riding to Earl FITZWILLIAM, for his
i• and valuable lervices, and their regret at his
lova' from the Lieutenancy. We never before,
.tr.essed so numerous an assemblage of men of
k, property, and influence in this Riding, and'
pry part of that capacious building, the Court
use, was filled to overflow by the Gentry, Yeo-
nry, and other Inhabitants, from various parts of
s populous District. Amongst the respectable
nonages present, were the follnwing:
Lord Stourton, Lord Althorp, lion. E. Petre, Iten. E. Stour-
Sir F. L Wood, Ban. Sir W. Milner, Bart. Sir George
Ran. Sir F. Smith, Bart. Sir John Itamsden, Bart. Bryan
Ilugh P :rker, Esq. Rev. John Lowe, Colonel Dear-
, Rev. Lamplusk Hird, Ben;amin Dealtry, Esq. S. W.
-04, Esq. J. P. Heywood, Esq. Joseph Scott, Esq. John Ful-
r.N. Rev. 11. S. Milner, LLD. E L. Hodgson, Fig.
IL Smyth, M.P. Thomas Walker, Esq. John Egremont, F.sq.
faun Bryan Cooke, Fr q. John Maude, Esq. Galley Knight,
High Sheriff fur the County of Nottingham, Samuel Shore,
• (Liver Gascuigne, Esq. Lempriere, Esq. Colonel
to CNA, L W. Childers, Esq. B. Sayles, Esq. John styles,
Vanua Wentworth, Esq. Rev. Mr. Vincent, W. Bright,
s. Captain P. Cook, Shipley Watson, Esq. Dr. Crowther,
arson Bumble, Esq. George Walker, Esq. Jas. Brown, Lot
li to Williams Brown, Esq. Bretvin, F.sq. Bowden
lifz, Esq. Dr. Hird, Charles Waterton, Esq. Benjamin Gas-
I, Es!. M.P. Daniel Gaskell, Esq. Colonel Vincent, Basis-
' lleytvotrl, F.eq. Francis Maud, Esq. T. Branson, Esq.
' thus, Esq. 11ev. Mr. Simpson, William Lupton, Fag.
41 IcAtham, Esq..T. W. Tuttle, Esq. Norrison Scatcherd,
'lamer Oates, Esq. Wm.WAlker, Esq. Edward Tew, By.
r-K.to Lte, Esq. Thomas liischoff, Es* W. Busileidi Fat
Pain,den, Esq. F. 0. Edmonds, F.sq. F. Havektrovrel, Rat.
fr. Mr. Trebeck, John Lee, Esq. S. Tempest, Estl• ate. atc-
0a the motion of SAMUEL SHORE, Esq. sezonded
Btx.ismiN DEALTRY, Esq. HUGH PAIWIttIIt, ES(I.
'fin called to the Chair, and addressed the Meeting
Cie following terms :
" Gentlemen—We are assembled by an Adverr
imnent, most numerously and respectably signed,
o:der to consider of the propriety of publicly tea
:1:1,3 the gratitude of the West Riding, for the
of the late Lord Lieutenant, during his coll.
is office; and of adopting such Resolutions
ni!y appear most conducive to that object ; and,
air., when I look around me, and see the nue
and respectable assemblage in this place, al-
must congratulate myself upon the sups
rt by this means derived to the obiect of the Meet.
I cannot but find additional reasons to la.,
. . ,
yo,ir selection of a rcrson to fill the situa-
4ich I have the how ar to be placed, has
•=a upon one mere able to do jthtice to your
:cc, :tad t!!exfore lam to throw myself upon your
in.hilgeace, and entreat you to second my
elf,rts in meeting the busines of tiv"
"tieallcnien, there is no person within lit) ecol-
''..."l wi:croen the West Riding of the Counl of

Yoe
k has beet assembled as a body distinct from the
County at large—but this is necessary, on the pre-
sent occasion, from the very motive of our meeting;
which,-being convened for the express purpose of de-
liberating upon the propriety of making our acknow-
ledgthents to the Earl Fitzwilliam, for his late admi-
nistration of Lord-Lieutenant of this Riding, must
be confined to that District over which his jurisdic-
tion extended. But, Gentlemen, although it was ne'
cessary, on this account, that the Meeting should be
thus confined, as it respected this District, .it was
not necessary that it should be" so, as it respected the
individuals, or the different ranks of society in that
District. The Lord-Lieutenant, by virtue of his
office, presides over every individual within the pale
of his jurisdiction. The Nobility, the Clergy, the
Gentry, the Magistyati, and all the other classes,
comprised under thO general denomination of Inha•
bitants, are equally the objects of his care and pro-
tection, and, therefore, ought equally to have an op-
portunity of expressing their sentiment', and exer•
cising their opinion in a business in which every
person must feel himself very deeply interested—
With regard to the motive for the removal of Earl
Fitzwilliam from the important station he held, I
must deprecate all discussion on this point, a&foreign
to the declared intention of the Meeting. We use not
met here, Gentlemeu, as a party, but a Riding, and
our object, and only object, in this view, is to con-
sider whether the services of our late Lord' Lieu-
ttnant have or have not any claims upon our acknow-
ledgments and, if they have, then to determine
upon what may seem to us the proper way of expres-
sing them. If we attend, then, to the proposed object
of our Meeting, it will riecesiatily confine us to weigh
his services by their merits—for, -by these merits
alone, and, Gentlemen, I might here avail myself, if
T did not feel in some degree restrained by the.sjtua-
tion in which I am placed, to expatiate upon these
merits, as exemplified in the vaticarcaets of thardig-
nified liberality, disinterestedeettL..*nd-imptitidiity,
which adorned every part of hiaorldsiiip's
cohduct—
that true and real spirit of entulatiOn Which is so ne-
cessary to soften the rigours of authority, and which
were so conspicuous in his Lordship's character—
together • with that unwearied care and atten-
tion to . promote (what his, high situation de-
manded of him, and what, according to his own
opinion, he believed to be such) the real prosperity.
of the country. These merits; 'Gentlemen, proceed-.
ing from principles, depend not upon office, and ton.
sequently may surviv.eit; and, thereforeccontemplat-
mg them in this view, •I haseonly further td observe
they are such as his. Noble successor may reflect .upon
with great satisfaction—a satisfaction only to be
heightened and improved by the approbation of his
neighbours and countrymen, and by the unanimous
vote of thanks to which I hope our present discussion
may lead. I must now leave the further discussion
of this business to those Gentlemen who have any
Resolutions to offer, and have only again to.beg that
the speakers will confine their observations to the
object for which we are called together."
dome Fota. A RTON, Esq.-0 It is a great satisfaction
to me w observe so numerous a Meeting on this occa'.
sion; and I cannot but extremely regret, both as it
regards myself, and the Noble Lord who is the sob-
ject of this Meeting, that the task had not been in•
trusted to abler hands. I am, however, perfectly
convinced, that all of you know how to appreciate
the valuable services of Earl Fitzwilliam. The pe-
riod of his administration has been a most eventful
one ; and the time when he was appointed was emi-,
nently one of great danger, alarm, and diffreulty
and. in every part, not only of his private life, but of
his arduoui piddle situation as Lord Lieutenant, he.
was governed by the purest principles of honour,
'virtue, and patriotism—and he has secured the estee
veneration, and affection, of every class of the cum:
mttnity in every part- of the West Riding. The'
Noble Earl entered upon his office independent, and
generally esteewed—and he retired from it venerated,,,beloved, and respected, and as independent as whew,
'he entered upon it. I will not further occupy your
time, but proceed to read the Resolution, which you
must be anxious to hear."••••fle then read the first Re-
solution.

-----
JOHN C. RAMSDEN, Esq. rose to second the Reso-
lution. The question which had called them toge-.
ther was one of the highest moment—Why was it
that Earl Fitzwilliam had been 'dismissed "froth the
Lieutenancy of the West Riding ? " Is it," said he,
" because Ministers have thought that Earl Fitzwil-
ham—that a man of his rank, situation, and above
all, his character, was not to be trusted in any way-
by the Ministers? No, Gentlemen, I think that is
not the case. But it makes me suppose that mea-
sures are about to be adopted which it was consie
dered Lord Fitzwilliam could not be a party t 0..-
(Cheers). Gentlemen, we know what has passed, not
only in this County but through the whole Country,
and that our already enormous military establish
ment is to be increased—(Ckers: one voice called,
Order,' and immediately exclamations of hear him,
burst from Me whale Meeting). Gentlemen, if
measures are about to be adopted, which --law
would not acknowledge, it is much better that the
force of this County should be placed in other ,
hands than those of Earl Fitzwilliam, for I know,
full well, he would be the last man to approve
of any povrer, or to acknowledge any power para-
mount to that of the laws--(Loud thesrs).-i-The
laws of the land we have all long lived under, and
happily, but we are none of us yet prepared to be-
lieve that the law will not be strong enough to court•
teract the evil designs of its enemies. I believe it
trust it will
it is the duty of every man in
these days to watch the designs of the wicked, and
see that they are punished according to that law, and
according to no other. I cannot help thinking that
Lord litzwilliam has been removed from his office,
because stronger measures are about to be adopted
for what reason iemains to be shewn to Parliament,
%%hose duty it is to controul those who would wish to
create mischief. It is well known that the true state
of the country would never be reported in A more core
rect way than it always has been by Lord Fitswilltam.
1 am c .afident, indeed--.nay, 1 would pledge myself,
that in the hands it has nuw fallen into, it would be
represented a. fairly, if the Noble Lord were lef. to,
lima elf, to ter-resent it. But we know that we are no*

about to have an inquiry into very serious transactions,
an f we also know the manner in which that inquiry
will probably be made. We have had enough of Gre*n
Bags—(Cheers—we know the constitution and forma-
tion of them—(heear). We know that the contents of
them are such only as the Secretary of State chooses
to put in—( Hear, hear). We further know that cer-
tain letters have been left out of those Bags, under
pretence of being misplaced.; and, to speak more
plainly, letters from the Lord Lieutenant of this Riding
—(Cheers).—Gentlemen, I wish to know whether
another inquiry of that sort will satisfy the Country ?
I think not, because inquiries of that nature should
be so open as that every man might perceive the evi-
dence, and decide on the fact. I have taken up too
much of the time of this Meeting; but I felt it would
not be honest in me not to express those feelings which
have long worked forcibly in my miad"—(Cheers).
The CttAIRMAN then put the Resolution, which
was carried without one dissentient voice.

Lord STOURTON—" Gentlemen=ln proposing the
second Resolution, which has been just put into my
hands, I embrace this opportunity, in the face of this
Meeting, and of the Country, to testify my personal
Attachment to. Lord Fitzwilliam ; and, at the same
time, my profound veneration for his private virtues
and his public conduct—(Cheers). Gentlemen, after
the rebuke which many of us have received, in the
person of the late Lord Lieutenant, it might, to Some
persons, appear more becoming ' in us, his ;emus
;slices, to receive, with becoming humility, thethas-
tisement which his Majesty's Ministers have thought
fit to infliet—(Cheers). But, Gentlemen,'Arse are
not my feelings : I conceive, on the contrary, that
those Ministers who have so hastily approved of the
events which took place at Manchester, have ho-
noured us by throwing on Lotd Fitzwilliam, and on
ourselves, the lustre of their disapprobation !—(Loud
cheers). I must, for myself, say, that 1 think they
have, in the person of their defender, trampled a se-
cond time on the liberties of the country.--(Cheers).
—Were I to single out of every class of society the
person most honourable and most honoured—were I
to select him from that House of which honour is the
essence—that individual would be Lord Fitzwilliam.
From the base to the pinnacle of our pantheon of
honour, its Erst ornament is Lord Fitzwilliarh (Cheers).
But Ministers, though they have not been able to dis-
grace their Officer, have disgraced their office (Cheers).
Henceforward, in my opinion at least, they have put
upon it their badge of Ministerial servitude. Who-
ever holds it forfeits the right of an Independent
Freeholder (Cheers)._ I shall acknowledge, and be.
the first man to acknowledge, that the Sovereign is
the fountain of honour; but there is a still nobler ho-
nour for the man who, in difficult times, does his,
duty to his Country. The Sovereign issthe ibuntain
of mercy too; but it appears to me, that the indecent,
indiscreet—l will not yet say, the guilty—hurry with
which his Ministers approved certain events, has done
more to trouble those Royal fountains of mercy and
honour, than has been done by the worst of his pre-
decessors for a century preceding (Loud cheering).—
Wseems as if they were determined that the moral
-should sympathise with the physical world, and that
the salOtary streams of Royal favour should fail with
the general drought of the season—(Cheers).—But
they tell us, through the medium of their public
prints, that they can no longer confide in Lord Fitz-
william I When they• have found a man of more dis-
interested patriotism, of more unblemished integrity,
more attached to the liberties and the happiness of
the country; more devoted, if they like the phrase
better, to the real interests of the Crown—for in my
hurnble Opinion, the interests of the Crown and the
People are identified—uwhea • they have found such a
man, let him' be declared worthy to supplant Lord
Fitzwilliam!—(Cheers).. For his successor, I am here
to :4; that I hope I share his friendship: for his pri•
,vate.virtues I have perfect esteem ; for his character,
it 'may be compared—and I cannot say more for the
character of any man With Lord Iritzwilliam's.—
But, Gentlemen, I certainly differ with him in poli-
tics. I should like to see some scars endured for the
People, as well as trophies-of victory in the service of
the Crewn—(Cheering)..—ln the service of the People,
I think, (but I do not speak with certainty) and there-
fore with diffidence) his maiden sword is yet undrawn.
But, Gentlemen) I confess it, I believe his' motives to
Leas pure a; my own. • Gentlemen, let us not deceive
ourselves; we certainly have lived in difficult times;
we have seen in our day anarchy and atheism, in the
language of One of their popular and favourite airs,
absolutely steeping the.. soil of their native country
with the best, the purest, and the most patriotic blood
of France ; I say I think these excesses have produced
something like a reaction at home, It has made peo-
ple, whose breasts were formed in the British mould,
too indulgent to the exercise of power, and too appre-
hensive of the energies of the people, The madness
lot an impostute liberty abroad has made them wish
yo confine their peopleat home in a strait waistcoat:
oollot I think our husiness an the present occasion is
its applaud the conduct, the long tried merits of Lord
Pitzwilliam, not to prejudge the conduct of his suc-
eessor ; and I have only one more observation with
which to trouble you. In whatever manner you may
think fit to testify your gratitude for the past services
of Lord Fitzwilliam, or your respect, veneration, and
love for his person and character, I think in reality you
are ennobling yourselves. Perhaps I speak the feelings
of many, though not of all the Gentlemen here assem-
bled, when I say, that were we to be most ambitious
of posthumoes or of present reputation, I see no higher
honour to which we could aspire, than that in the
battles which the Noble Lord has fotight for the
liberties of the Country, we should be found fighting
by his side--(Cheers), . I return you thanks for the
courtesy with which you have heard me, and con•
elude with proposing the .Resolution which I hold in
my hand."—aHii Lordship then read the second Itei
solution, and concluded amidst enthusiastic applause. 3
J. SMYTH, Esq.M.P. forCambtidge—., tientleaent
I come forward to second the Resolution just read so
, you. This Resolution appears a necessary consequence
of the lints'that expresses the grateful sense of this
Meeting for the services of the late Lord Lieutenant,
and the present esprestes our deep and unfeigned re'
wet for his removal. In addressing yeu'on this occas'
sion, I feel some difficulty—not arising from a fear
of nut obtaining your coissent to this Iresolutivo, out

.
ofmst a iiar of not bei 'able proper 'y to Klein& thi
etpression of my feelings on the transaction which
is the occasion bf this Meeting—(Cheers). I Valie
highly the advantage of unanimity on this occasion
far be it from me to disturb that unanimity: At
the same time, f trust I may be all Owed to ix-Press
sty feelings on the quesikin. I first heard of the
dismissal of Earl Fitzwilliarn with unfeigned sur-
prise and regret, and in all
_thy Subsequent re;.
flectidns on it, those feelings have not abated.—
When I look on Lord Fitzwilliam, during that long.,
and eventful period in which.he has held the office of
Lord Lieutenant of this Ridings:-when I look on the
affability of his manner to all classes of penons—on
his indefatigable Zeal in the execution of the orders
of the Crown, in the busiaess of this Riding, to which
on Many occasions he has sacrificed his time, his com-
fort, and even bis health, I cannot but regret his dis-
missal exceedingly. But I likewise regret it as a
public measure. What, I would ask with Mr. :Lams-
, den, are those Measures which men ...t the firmest in-
dependence, and the highest honour, are not' fit to
execute ? I cannot help wondering and-being amazed
that any Minister should be found, who coul.l take
an expression of the necessity of a public inquiry into
'any events, as an act, proceeding from a Nobleman ki
a situation of high trust, rendering him unfit for the
service of the Crown, and worthy a mark of its disk
pleasure. The conduct of Lord Fittwilliam is not a
matter of speculation either to us or to Ministers.
From his past conduct, we may judge what his sub
sequent cohdtict, if he had remained in office, would
have been—(Cheers).—For my own part, I think;
if any one individual was more fit than :mother
for that office, 'it was my Lord Fitzwilliam—
(C/teers).--Unawe'd by popular clamour, and un-
seduced by the smiles of a Court, he was the mart
to form a link of union and connection—if I may .:(1
express myself, to be a minister of peace between
the People and their Governors,=(Loud cheeriag).
For while his known loyalty and firmness of chr.
racter would have afforded security to the Croten—
would have been sufficient to repress insubordination;
so, 'on the other hand, his tried attachment to the .
rights of the People, would have afforded to them
also a security that they were safe under his care-.:.
(Cheers)—from any invasion of their constitutional .
rights •and privileges—(R eased cheering). Alike
attached to the Crown and the People, he was equally
independent of both. Lord Stourton has said justly;
that the interests of the two were identified, and woe
be to him who siould disunite them '.-Cheers).—
Our Constitution is founded on the broad basis of
common tights; and those men cannot be other'
than enemies to the cause they would maintain whd
would seek to disunite the Crown and the People ; who
would endeavour to advance the rights of one to
the- exclusion of those of the other—(Cleersl.
Therefore Lord Fitzwilliam, in using his influence
to promote an inquiry into the transactions of the
l6qt of August, at Manchester, discharged his ditty
to the Crown, and no less to the Sovereign than MB
the People. it was by no means my intention td
trespass so long on your valuable time; but I could
not forbear to express my undisguised sentiments or
a transaction of which the Resolution expresses deep
regret. I trust in this Resohltion there will be the
same unanimity as in the other ; and I thank you air
the patience and candcur with which you have heard
me."-(Continued Cheering.)
' The second Resolution was then put by the CtiAin.4
MAN, and passed unanimously.
• LOrci ALTHORPE.--" I have to apologize for offer.:
ing myself to your, notice, being wholly unprepared
to address you; but I feel so strongly en the subject
on which we are met, that I could not be content-Oa
remain a silent participator in the proceedings of this
day. • When the intelligence of the dismissal of '
Noble Lord was first communicated to Me, I felt the
strongest emotion of surprise; it Was so strange, that
I could scarcely credit the intelligence. I hope, on
,the present occasion, that my feelings will not lead
me into any excess, in the few observations which I
shall submit to you. It is unnecessary for me to ex-
patiate on the virtues and the merit's 'of your late
Lord Lieutenant. You know them better than I do;
you have seen him, in every part of his public auto
always ready to lead in every good and great works
Lord Fitzwilliam was of high rank, distinguished
ability, and large fortune; but though this rank,
ability, and fortune, were uniformly exerted for tl*
good of his Country, he had not the good fortune to
gain the approbation of the Ministers of the Crown ;
though I will venture to affirm, that no man ever at-
tended more conscientiously to the duties of his office,
or ever acquitted himself more to the general satis-
faction of every class of the reople over whom he
presided. The Noble Lord, whom his Majesty's
Ministers have thought fit to dismiss, is a man of an
independent mind; he steers his course right for-
wards ; he is neither. to be intiinidated by popular
violence, seduced by . the blandishments 'of a Cow t,
nor awed by despotic poteet. I may say of him, As
.was said of that great patriot; Charles, James Fori--a
A patriot's even course he steeeti,
Midst factions vrildist storms unmoy'd
• By all who mark'd his course rever'd; •
By ;all who knew his heart belov'tl:'
This is the man, of whose services we have been de-
prived—who has been dismissed from an admini-
stration of a district, which, though only a Riding;
is, in point both of population and extent, equal to a
large County. He has beer. removed from an office,
the duties of which he.has discharged in a manner at
once honourable to himself, and beneficial to the
County ! And why ? Because Ministers knew that,
during his administration, no unconstitutional meat
sure could be resorted to, without meeting with his
decided opposition—(Loud cries of Hear ! hear!)
But, Gentlemen, there is another, and perhaps stronger
,ground for the dislike of Ministers to this worthy
l'obleman, arising from the part which his Lordship
took in the detection and exposure of the infamous
Spy system—Meru, hear).—This, Gentleman, I -be-
lieve, is " the heat! and front of his offending t' and the
late Meeting at York has been laid hold of by Mini-
sters, merely as a. pretext for exercising nporthim a
base and pitiful revenge.' Lord Althorpe
.cancluded
with moving the third- Resolution. . •
H. G. KNIGHT, Esq. briefly seconded the itesuln,
tion, and it was carried unanimously:
The CUMlllMAN"lienticutrti, we have now gone

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