Star.
London, England, 1820-04-13 00:00:00

CIIARLFS THE FIRST.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE 3T TI.
s;:t-4;1 par Paper of the Istinstant, in com-
menting upon the report of a letter from the King of
Spain having been intercepted by Mina, and proving
by its contents the insincerity of the Monarch in his
s`stcceptance of the proposed Constitution, you men-
tion a similar circumstlance having occurred to the
unfoTtuaate king Charles the First of this country ;
and that—
" thl this -?ery letter hinged the fate of his Majesty. Crom-
wAl and his party ',you add) were satLfied no pledge of sin-
c-rit ; eo,ld ba obtaiaed from the King, and we all know what
was the result."
Now, Si:, as there is the strongest possible ground
to believe that the letter to which you have thus al•
hied is an infamous forgery, and as I am able to
refer you to high authority upon this-subject, I feel
• fully assured that you will readily and immediately
i sert the observations which I have now the pleasure
oz transmitting to you.
In a note by that accomplished Scholar,.Mr. Ma-
lone, in p. 272, of Spence 's Anecdotcs Men and
Blob, just published by Mr. Murray, you will find
• an interesting discussion of this very subject, too
long for me now to transcribe, but to whit.b 'your
Readers can in a moment refer. I wjll'only trespass
on your columns by the following,uttract :
" With respect to Lord Oxford's 'pretended letter, it is only
necessary to observe, that if Charles had beensb lax in his prin-
ciples as this story represents him, and had thought himself at
liberty to recede, at a subsequent period, from his engagements
with the execrable wretches with whom he bad to deal, he
might on many occasions have closed with them, and saved
both his crown and his life. But, in his treaties with them, he
firmly adhered to the maintenance of episcopacy, and ether
points, which he thought himself bound to maintain, and by
this means these treaties were broken off."
Mr. Malone continues—
" This proves decisively that the letter in question is a for-
gery : and hia answer, on the Sunday helve he died, to the
proposal then made to him by Cromwell, Ireton, and the rest,
is also a strong evidence to the same point : as aeon as he had
read two or three of the propositions, he threw them aside
with indignation, saying, that he would rather become a sacri-
fice for his people than thus betray their laws, liberties, lives,
and estates, together with the church, the commonwealth, and
honour of the crown, to so intolerable a bondage of an armed
faction."
Be assured Sir, that uo otTe more sincerely disap-
proves the whole political system of the deluded and
bigoted sovereign of Spain than myself ; but you
must be fully aware, that if historical calumnies and
forgeries are attended with the most injurious conse-
quences to future ages, nothing but the most certain
and incontrovertible evidence, should induce us to
circulate a report which (if even totally false) may,
in the present agitation of the Spanish people, be
attended with the worst of consequences. Your own
'observations on this subject evincing the same prin-
ciples, I only send you the above remarks as a lover
-of historical truth and the strictest justice.
Ipswich, April .5, 1820. PHOCION. •

ARTISTS' GENERAL BENEVOLENT FUND.

The Annual Dinner in aid of this excellent Asso-
-elation took place yesterday, his Royal Highness the
'Duke of SUSSEX in the Chair.
When the usual loyal toasts had been given and
drank with an enthusiasm which shewed how sensibly
the company felt the countenance bestowed upon
the Arts by the KING and Royal Family,
Mr. DOUGLAS KINNAIRD' after a suitable eulo-
glum, in which he adverted to the loss which every
benevolent Institution had sustained in the Duke of
KENT, proposed the health of the President, which
was received with acclamations.
The ROYAL CHAIRMAN rose, with feelings evi-
dently overpowered by the allusion made to the la-
mented death ei his illustrious brother. It recalled
to his mind, as it did to that of every individual
present, the bitter loss which he had, in common
with the country at large, endured, in the death of
a personage whuse life had been devoted to pursuits
of philanthropy and benevolence.
His Royal Highness was merely able to articulate
a few words expressive of the interest he felt in the
promotion of this Institution, when, as he said, the
allusion to the melancholy death of his illustrious
brother so overpowered his feelings, that he must sit
down and claim the considerate indulgence of the
company. The company sympathised in his Royal
feelings--the band struck up GOD save the
King, and the musical Gentlemen present sung that
Cue anthem in exquisite style.
His Royal Highness becoming somewhat more
able to express his sentiments, remarked, that the
introduction of his lamented biother's name by the
lion. Gentleman was as natural as his own subdued
feelings on hearing it, for tile Duke of Kent had
been the first Chairman of this Society, and had,
with the zeal and activity so peculiarly belonging to
him, used his utmost efforts to give effect to its laud-
able and benevolent objects—(Loud applause).—
The
Royal Chairman then made an eloquent and
feeling appeal to the Meeting in behalf of this Insti-
tution, and alluded (without disparagement) to ano
ther flind fainted for the relief of Artists, but the
present, he said, had the decided advantage, from
the wider sphere and greater universality of its ap-
plication, as it embraced all Artists, while the fund
to which he alluded only assisted those Artists who
had been subscribers to it. He assured them that
he should ever feel a deep interest in the success of
:t its Institution, and he trusted they would on the
present occasion, spew by their subsvriptions, not
only their regard to the Society, but their affection
'ard revcrenc.? to his lamented brother, who took so'
deep an interest in its original formation—(Applause).
" The Royal Academy" was toasted, and due ac-
knowledgment made by Mr. PitatiPs. The like
compliment to the Institution called up Sir
T. BARINfi, one of its Directors, who, in an able
speech, pointed out the national value of the Arts,
and insisted upon the purity of the British School,'
which lent not itself to the corruption of the coun-
try, but contributed largely to the moral improve-
ment, as well as the refinement of the people.
The City of London" being drank, Sir T. BELL
returned thanks, and enumerated the particular in-
stances in which the Corporation had patronized the
line Arts.,--Many other patriotic and convivial toasts
'followed, and the pleasures of the evening were
heightened by charming glees and songs, in the latter
• of which Mr. Broadhurst got immense applause for
his Sects scha ha'e tee Wallace bled, Green grow the
rushes, and John Anderson iuy Joe. •
• About tea o'clock, his Royal Highness retired, and

the company soon'after separated, *ratified with an
entertainment which did great credit to the Tavern
and to the Stewards, while it tended so larply to the
support of a Charity, (judging from six or itiestsases
stated to the Meeting) most deeply required and cal-
culated to confer the dearest of blessings upon ob-
jects the most deserving. -
The Collection amounted ta'between three and
four hundred pounds.

DINNER TO ALDERMAN WAITHMAN.

A numerousbody of the Livery of London, friends
to the political principles and parliamentary conduct
of Mr. Alderman WA ITHMAN, dined together, yes-
terday, at the City of London Tavern. The great
room was crowded, not less than 350 persons being
present. About 84 individuals dined in a room be-
low stairs, who were afterwards admitted to the great
room to hear the addresses of the different speakers.
At half-past five o'clock, the Stewards ushered Mr.
Alderman WAITHMAN into the room. He was ac-
companied by Mr. BYNG, Mr. SAMUEL WHITBREAD,
Mr. G. BENNETT, Mr. CALVERT, Mr. Hdanovse, Mr.
Wictrams, Mr. WISIIART, and several other public
characters. SAMUEL FA VELL, Esq. immediately took
the Chair. After dinner, the Chairman rose and pro-
posed the health of " the King, and may he never
forget the principles which placed his Family on the
Throne," which was drank with three.
The next toast was, " the Queen, and the rest of
the Royal Family," which was proposed to be-drank
with three, but was received with ambounded and
long continued shoats of applause.
The CHAIRMAN then, a.ter a warm eulogium on
the public and private virtues of the late Duke of
KENT, proposed the memory of that Royal persqn-
age, which was drank in solemn respectful silence.
He then proposed as a toast, " A speed y.and effectual
Reform of the Commons House of Parliament,"
which, he observed, would be a security against to-,
mult and violence on the one hand, and against des-
potism and arbitrary power on the other. The moral
sense and justice of the country could not be satisfied
while they saw great personages dealing with impu-
nity for seats in Parliament, while Sir M. Lopez and
Mr. Swann were imprisoned for bribery and corrup-
r don. It was impo.,sible such a system could go on
consistently with the good of the People, unless they
thought with Mr. Canning, that the more rotten the
component parts of the constitution were, the sounder
must be the whole body—(Laughter and applause).
The toast was drank with great applause.
The CHAIRMAN then proposed the health of Mr.
Alderman Waithman. He prefaced the toast with
a long and animated eulogium on the public charac-
ter of that worthy Gentleman, to whose energy and
perseverance for twenty- five years in the public cause,
he ascribed the present independent character of the
Livery of London. He stated, that when Mr. Al-
derman Waithman first began his political careers
scarcely more than two or three Members of the
ICommon Council were found to support him ; but.
he had, by his unremitting and zealous exertions,
brought over to his side the great body of the Livery,
and even of the Corporation of London. At that
-time London was little more than a rotten Borough.
He had, however, encouraged the timid and stimu-
lated the wavering, and finally raised that spirit
*which it was not flattery, but justice to say, entitled
'him to the support and esteem of his fellow-citizens
—(Applause). He had to regret the termination of
the late contest, but they had compromised no prin-
ciples, they had lost no honour; and the Livery were,-
in some degree, chargeable with the fault imputed to
the ancient Greeks of abandoning their friend ; yet he
hoped that they would take the earliest opportunity
of wiping off so foul a stain—(lannense applause).
The toast was then drank with the must enthu-
siastic applause.
Mr. Alderman WAITH MAN then rose to return
thanks. He said, he was now placed in one of those
peculiar situations, in which even are most experi-
enced speakers laboured under great difficulty. It
was difficult at all times to address large assemblies,
relative to one's self, but it became eminently so un-
der existing circumstances. If he had, in consequence
of the late defeat, felt that he had abandoned any of
those principles which he professed to contend for—
if he had felt that he was liable to a charge of dere-
liction of public duty, and had thereby lost the con-
fidence of his fellow-citizens, his mind would have
been severely wounded: But, taking a view of the
whole of .that cctitest, and looking round to the re-
spectable assembly he had the honour to address, he
was convinced that he had not incurred a charge of
that kind, and had not lost the confidence of any of
his friends—(Appleuse).—He should deeply lament
if such a charge were imputable to him as an indivi-
dual ; but he should feel still more, if it couldjustly
be charged on the great body of the Livery of Lon-
don, that they had given up the principles to which
he adverted, and that the cause of corruption was
likely to prevail in the metropolis of the empire. But
he was quite convinced, that the sentiments of the
citizens at large were favourable to him, and, he be-
lieved, if an Election took place to-morrow ina the
Livery were suffered to proceed to poll uninfluenced,
he should be returned by a large majority—(" True,
true").— Although he was assured of the truth of
this position, yet it was no less true, that by the
event of the late Election the character of the City .of
London had suffered exceedingly. It could not be
concealed, that from whatever cause it occurred,
whether from indiscretion, or carelessness, or undue
influence, it reflected on the conduct of those who
had allowed k. He had scrutinized the last poll with
considerable attention, and it was really curious to
observe how individuals might be induced to vote
when there were six candidates. It appeared, that
very many modes of voting had been adopted by
some of those who supported him, while, on the part
of his opponents, the greatest unanimity was ob-
servahle. Certainly " the children of corruption
were wiser in their generation than the children of
light"—(Applause).—lle had seen great consistency
amongst those who supported the Ministerial Cendi-
dates ; but he was sorry to see, that amougst those
who voted for.him, there were a thousand who had
divided their votes with the Ministerial Candidate,l
and must therefore have acted against principle.—
Great influence must therefore have. been used on
one side or on the other : no man could say that i t
could have been exercised on his (Mr. Waithman s)
side, and no man could have the effrontery to deny
that it was made use of on the other side--(Applause}.

Sin hundred persons had voted for tl'e I ord Mayor
and . himself, from a Mistaken notion, that by se-
curing the Lord Mayor they were weakening the
cause of his (Mr. Waitliman's) adversary ; but they
thereby defeated the individual whsan they meant to
serve. He trusted, that when the battle was
,to be
fought again, whoever /night be the individual se-
lected to support their cause, that they would consi-
der all these circumstances, and so use their exer-
tions as to ensure syccess—(Great applause).—The
worthy Alderman then entered into a defence of his
Parliamentary conduct, with respect to the question
of Reform, and shewed, by reference to his speeches,
that he had omitted no opportunity, in the House of
Commons, to express his opinion on that important
subject, fairly, plainly, and boldly. He was as de-
termined a friSod of Refoeln as any man in the king-
dom, but never had, nor ever would lend himself
to any wild or dangerous protects. If lie could rot
get all by one grasp, he would get all becould—
icreat applause).—lie conceived public men ought
not to fall out about tints of difference in opinion,
but ought to unite as one body in support of great
political principles. In conclusion, the worthy Al-
derman observed, that though, if placed in the si-
tuation, he would zealously perform the duties of a
Representative of his fel:ow-citizens in Parliament,
still he had by no means fixed his mind on that ho-
nour; but he expressed a fervent hope, that, sshen
they were again called on to exercise the elective
franchise, they would act with such vigour and una-
nimity as would ensure the return of persons who
would make every effort to preserve their liberties.
The worthy Aldermen then proposed " The health
of tbp 4119 Liverymen, who maintained their princi-
ples at the lost Election."—Given amid loud cheers.
The CHAU:AJAR said, it was true they had to re-
gret the unsuccessful contest in the City of London,
but they had, on the other hand, to rejoice in the
triumph of the county of Middlesex. The Free-
holders had ousted an individual whom Ministers
had kept in for a very long period—and they hod re-,
turned their veteran Representative, who, for thireir
years, had supported the good cause, and with him
the son of one of the most respectable-und honour-
able men that had ever advocated the cause of the
People in Parliament. If ever any individual de-
served the esteem and confidence of Britons, surely it
was the father of that young man—(Arplause). He
then proposed—" The health of Messrs. Byng and
Whitbread, and the Independent Freeholders of
Middlesex," which was drank with enthusiasm.
Mr. BYRD, in returning thanks, said, he felt, on
this occasion, (and he always felt thus) as a man who
really loved the People, and the whole object of
whose life was to serve them, and not himself—(Ap-
phrase). He was happy to support a person whom'
he so much respected as he did Mr. Weidman ; and
he assured the Meeting, that he felt as great an in-1
terest in his Election, as if it had been his own—(Ap-
plause). He felt thus, because Mr. Waldman had
exerted himself in the cause of freedom, at a time
when very few persons dared to do so--(Applause).
With regard'to the result of the late Election, nothing'
could be more gratifying to his heart. During thirty
rears that he had Represented the county of Middle-
sex, he never had a colleague with whom he could ,
act. It was, therefore, most pleasing to find a Gen-I
tleman returned with him, who was the son of a man
whose memory was dear to every friend of freedom'
—(Applause). Fruits the commencement of his peps
litical life, he always wished to see the rotten Bo-
roughs done away, and the right of returning Repre-
sentatives transferred to those towns and cities that had
grown up during the last century ; he was also de-
sirous that the right of voting should be extended to
copyholders, and he had ever been a friend to Trien-
nial Parliaments. These were always his sentiments,
and to those sentiments he would ever adhere.
Mr. WHITBREAD said, it was with feelings of high
gratification he saw so many. firm friends of lil'erty
assembled together on that day. He only wished
that they had met to celebrate the complete triumph
of a man whose talents and character they all ad-
mired---(Applause). He could not see so many inde-
pendent Erectors of Middlesex sitting around him,
without thanking them for their generous efforts in
his favour. They had fought and conquered under
great disadvantages. He came forward untried and
unknown—and it was said, by his opponents, that
he only stood cat a name. But he would tell those
who said so, that so long as • a name implied prin-
ciples, he would be proud to put forward such a
claim—( Great applause).
The CH A IRMAN then proposed the health of the
Honourable Grey Bennett, the friend of liberty and
humanity. This toast was drank with three times
three, and ,loud cheering. •
Mr. BENNETT said, he hoped he should ever prove
himself to be the friend of liberty and humanity—
two principles drat were always united; and he felt
that he• should have ill-executed the duties which
had been cast upon him as a public man, if he had
not devoted his time and his limited abilities to the
furtherance of those measures which appeared to'
him best calculated to promote the happiness of his
fellow-creatures. He felt great pleasure in being
present on this occasion, as it was selected to do
horfour to his friend and the Iliend of the Livery,
whcse public conduct had been before them for up.
wards of twenty years. Though he had long known
Mr. Waldman as an acquaintance, as a Member of
Parliament he had only witnessed his exertions during.
"two years—two little years." And he would eayo
in defiance of the.coatse ribaldry with which he had
been assailed, that no man in the House-aif Com-
mons, speaking the voice of the people, contributed
more to the good of the people than lie had dooe—
(Cheers).—llis abilities, in fact, placed him not
amongst those who were to follow, but amongst
those who ought to lead—(Applause). He felt—
he said it without offence—greot indignation at the
manner in which he had been treated by that City
of London, which ought to have set an example of
honour to the country. He trusted that the Livery
would, at a future day, guard themselves from that
greatest of all stigmas—the stigma of having re-
turned again a man whom-they 111 di i yen from their
presence, and who was obliged to represent his own
money, as the representative of a rotten borough.—
He (Mr. Bennett) could not now but feel shame, o hen
he entered the House of. Commons, and, on looking
round for those who once represented the City of
London, beheld that gross tool of powerwho bad
been recently elected—(Shouts of applause).
The then proposed the health of "Mr-

C. Calvert, M.P. for Southwark," which was drank
with much applause.
Mr. CALSERT returned thanks in a short speech,
in the course of which he
,stated that Sir Robert. Wil-
son would have been present, but had been übliLed
to leave town on important business.
The CHAIRMAN next pioposed,. " the health ef J.
C. Hobhouse, Esq. and the glorious example of Welt-
' minster"—(Loud
Mr. Hoes:cruse exrressed his gratitude for the ho-
nour.that had been conferred on him. He alru:!e?,
in the course of his address, to the vote of the ficese
of Commons, which occasioned his being for some
time a resident in the City, and observed, that had
such a man as Brass Crosby or Mr. fiawbridge been
seated on the " City Throne" when he was arrested,
he would have applied to him fcr the services of that
old-fashioned law officer, " a Constable: But he
could not get a man bold enough to touch an Officer
of the House of Commons, on account, he supposed;
of the insignia dangling from his button-lsole—(A
laugh). He regretted the result cf the contest En the
City of Loudon; but the Livery men, and the Colin.:
try at large, would gain erperience by it. They
would whianately find, that although Sir William
Curtis, and men like him, ini.ght do very well for fair
weather, it was necessary, when they wished to s:cer
the rinfortunat^ bark into a sale haven, t!,at men of
bold and determined character should be employed.
—(Applanse).
The CHAIRMAN then propooed the health of Don
Josef Alvarez, and two other Spanish Liberales, who
had honoured the Pdeeting'with their pmence. In
doing so, he adverted to the refulgenPblaze of liberty
which row illuminated Spain, and expressed a hope
that the ;dorinns Ferdinand would blazon the stand-
arils of freedom with as much pains as he had pre-
viously embroider ed the petticoat of the Virgin Mary!
—( Laughtrr). The toast was loudly cheered.
After several other toast', &c. the company broke
up about eleven o'clock. The c :erring was spent in
the utmost harmony.

1 , 1
Ii
, iv,'
li ! i
! 11' '
1 1,
,
, •,,, ,
i 1
1i
1
, ,
i
)
,i'i •
11, I
t. 11.1,.
E 4.
illt:1)
.-.:.ti.,
li
ii