Star.
London, England, 1820-05-29 00:00:00

P 177 CLUB.

About 250 /Wen= and Gentlemeb of this es.
ciety assembled at Merchant Tailors' Hall, on Satur-
day, to celebrate the Anniversary of Mr. Pitt's birth.
That Minister was born on the 28th of May, but the-
day falling this year on a Sunday, the preceding day
was selected for the celebration, a circumstance
which seems to have been one cause of so this a
Meeting, many Gentlemen not having thought the
inducement sufficient to remain in town for the pur-
pose. A much fuller muster was anticipated too on
account of this being the triennial commemoration,
when many members who do not attend the annual
meetings make a point of being present. Lord
LIVERPOOL sent an excuse on the score of indispo-
sition ; but neither Mr. VANSITTART not. Lord HAR-
ROWET, who were both expected, honoured the Meet-
ing by their ?recence. -Earl Common was in the
Chair. On his right hand sat the LORD CHANcet.-.
LOR, the Duke of 'WELLINGTON, the Duke of RICH-
MOND, and the Earl of HAREWOOD ; and on his left,
the Earls of WESTMORELAND and LONSDALE, Sir
WILLIAM SCOTT, and Lord LOWTHER. The re-
mainder of the upper table was filled by Members
of Parliament, and other persons of distinction.
After the removal of the cloth, Nos Nobis was
sung in fine style by a very complete band of vocal
performers, and was followed by the usual toasts of
" the King," and the " Duke of York and the rest
of the Royal Family."
The CHAIRMAN then rose, and after briefly expa-
tiating on the great calamity that the nation bad
sustained since the last Meeting of the Club, by the
death of the late King, in grateful recollection of the
talents that had conferred glory on his reign, and the
virtues that had endeared him to his people, propo-
sed " The immortal memory of George III." which
was drank in solemn silence.

The next toast was, "The immortal memory of
William Pitt."—The Noble CHAIRMAN in proposing',
it regretted his inability to do justice to the character,
of that great Statesman. He was convinced that to',
his counsels the salvation of the . country was to be
attributed—unfortunately he did not live to see all
their effects realised, but as his successors had
brought them to maturity by treading in the path
which he had pointed out, his was in fact the merit,
and their gratitude was due to his memory. He
considered Mr. Pitt as the greatest man of his age.
This toast was drank with great enthusiasm and re-
peated cheering. The veteran Dignum then sang
The Pilot that weathered the Storm.

The next toast was, 4, The House of Brunswick,
and may they never forget the principles which seated
them on the throne of these realms."

In rising to propose the health of Ministers, the
Noble CHAIRMAN observed, that the toast was of.
fered to that Meeting, not because they were the
Ministers of his Majesty, but because they were thel,
successors of Mr. Pitt, who had acted on his prin-
ciples, and followed up his plans with success. To
the Duke of Wellington in particular the extraor-
dinary distinction was due, of having terminated the
war, not merely by a single campaign, but by a
single battle. In allusion to the restrictive measures
lately imposed, be expressed his persuasion, that,
although some difference of opinion had certainly
existed concerning their necessity. the great mass of
the community concurred in them, and were sensi•
ble of the additional security and protection derived
from their enactment.
The Loan CHANCELLOR returned thanks for Mi-
nisters at some length. The Noble Lord dwelt on
his early acquaintance and intimate connexion with
the political measures of Mr. Pitt, whose character
he had always estimated most highly. To his exer-
tions it was owing that a French Bag was not at this
moment waving as the broad pendant of that noble
vessel—the Island of Great Britain. He expressed,
in the strongest terms, the veneration he felt for the
character of the late Sovereign, and his persuasion
that George IV. would follow his example: The
Noble Lord concluded by saying, that the commer-
cial, the agricultural, and the manufacturing classes
were all at the present moment complaining of se-
vere distress, and appealed from all qitarters to the
Legislature for relief. However to be regretted, this
was a state of things Mr. Pitt distinctly foresaw, as
a necessary consequence of the struggle then making
by the country. The calamity could not, he feared,
for the present, be averted, but it could hardly be
considered as purchasing at too dear a price the state
of security and elevation that the country had there-
by attained.
" May the principles of Mr Pitt always animal,
the Councils of Great Britain," was the next toast;
after which, the Noble CHAIRMAN, with a short en
logium on his services to the country, proposed the
health of the Duke of WELLINGTON, which was
drank with long applause and waving of handker.
chiefs ; and his Grace returned thanks.
The health of the Earl of HARZWOOD was then
drank, as President of the Pitt Club, an honour in
which he succeeded the late Duke of RiciamoNn.—
In returning thanks the Noble Lord observed, that
the society could only be maintained in its purity by
a constant recurrence to first principles. The real
event that assembly had met to commemorate was
the preservation of the liberties of the country. To
Mr. Pitt those liberties were owing. He had placed
himself as a bulwark to the People, protecting them
on one hand from the encroachment of Sovereign
power, and, on the other, from the wild anarchy and
misrule of the mob. It was by following up the
principles of that great man that the liberties of the
country, established by him, were at present main-
tained. He concluded by alluding to the melancholy'
death of the late Duke of Richmond, and ex
his sense of the honour conferred by electing rinisilshit
successor as President of the Pitt Club, which be
should ever consider as a proud distinction.
In proposing the toast of "Protestant Ascendancy,"
which produced the memorable secession of Mr.
Canning from the Pitt Club, the Noble CHAIRMAN
took occasion to qualify its more absolute interpreta-
tion, by observing, that it was not meant to express
any opinion as to the mode by which that ascendancy
was to be maintained.—[Some disapprobation was
expressed by a part of the company, on the above
toast being given out.-Hs regretted the discord that
had been produced by its adoption, but he concurred
most sincerely in i:s propriety, and felt certain that
the possibility of giving offence to any one by it had

t tweer bee tonteriplatel This taasetiiil a* thithit
with any remarkable degree of enthuditillb
0 The memory of the Duke of amain a
then drank in solemn silence, and was; : , by
" The health of the Master and Wilde& '
fait
Merchant Tailors' Company, with thaniti fee
of their Hal '.-The Loan CHANCIILLOt next pfb:
posod, " Prosperity and perpetuity to the Pitt Club r
after which the greater part of the guests of the up-
per table quitted the Hall. Lord Comrrms, however,
collected round him a recruit of choice spirits from
the lower tablesb and immediately gave " The Earl
of Mrron, and the Pitt Club of Scotland." When
the toast had been drank, Mr. N. Anus:tom called
for leave to propese a toast, and he therefore pro-
posed—" The health of the Bishop of Peterborough."
After the toast had been drank, he asked for leave
to call for a song, and called for The King and the
Charch. The company expressed dissatisfaction, and
The CHAIRMAN interfered. He should be sorry
to give cause of pain to any Member of the Club,
but he thought the call for that air after the health
of a particular Bishop, was conferring a censure on
the remainder of that Reverend Body. He.hoped
that he would be pardoned whop he did not permit
that air to be sung. 'He proposed the following toast
—" Lord Kenyon and the Pitt Club of Wales."
The CHAIRMAN then expressed his thanks to the
Assembly, for. the kind manner in which they had
attended to. him throughout the evening. Whatever,
mistakes he had made were not intentional, and be
hoped they would be forgiven and forgotten. As-
suring thent that the prosperity of the Pitt Club
would always be dear to him, he would take his leave,
whilkhe wished them many returns of the festival.
The Noble CHAIRMAN then withdrew, preceded,
as on his entrance, by the Stewards; and the com-
pany soon after left the room, with the exception of
a few, who remained until about a quarter after
eleven o'clock, when the whole departed.
The arrangements were all very complete, and the
Stewards were extremely attentive to the general ac-
commodation. A military band, belonging. to one
of the Regiments of Horse Guards, were stationed in
the gallery, and were ably seconded by the vocal per-
formers under the conduct of Mr. Leers.
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The opening at the upper end of the Hall was
filled with Ladies, who appeared to take great in-
terezt in the proceedings. To give them more facility
of observation, the painting which usually hangs
there was removed from its frame, and a number of
well-dressed females being grouped within the space,
before occupied by the canvass, produced a very pic-
turesque and striking appearance.