Star.
London, England, 1819-07-24 00:00:00

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could not help expreasiug some surprise why his
Worthy Friend (Aldermaa Wood) had not done the
same to the author of the Spa-fields bill, who had so
wickedly endeavoured to inveigle the feelings of the ,
public. He should offer a reward also to discover
those persons who were instigating the people to acts
of violence on the late occasion : " and, continued
he, "if 1, standing before you and the rest of my
countrymen, should screen any person froth justice,
I should merit the contempt and condemnation of
you all. Fall on whom the guilt may, I shall feel it
my duty to hold him up to the general execration of
all the classes in the community.
Mr. S. DIXON remarked, that the name of the Lord
Mayor would go down with credit to posterity, on
account of his conduct on the late occasion, in spite
of the malevolent opposition which some interested
individuals were directing against it. Even if he had
been mistaken, his conduct ought not to have been
so violently attacked, as all mast allow that he was
acting on what he thought was the best. A warrant
had come to him from the country regularly backed,
and if he had failed to execute it, those who were
now the first to condemn him for his ardent zeal
would then have been equally ready to censure him
for his timidity. If the same vigorous conduct had
been pursued lay other Magistrates as had been pur-
sued by the Loid Major, the country would not have
had to lament many of the evils under which it was
at present labouring—(/icar, hear).
Alderman &HOLEY expressed his marked appro-
bation of the Lurd Mayor's behaviour ni Wednes-
day last.
Mr. GRIFFITHS was with his Lordship enWednes-
day last, in Giltspur-street C,olnister;4l4l on hit
Lordship's asking him, on.the.receipt of the jarrant
tc apprehend Harrison, what was to be done. he.iss
plied, " that there was only one thins 'to be den,
and that was his duty." . He had advised his terd
ship to have two horsemen to convey his ord4tii.lael
had likewise assisted in the execution of the warrant,
deeming it to be his duty not to be backward on
such an occasion. Indeed, he should always be found
first in the held, and last out of it, when any danger
threatened the metropolis—(laughter). He consi-
dered the Lord Mayor to be entitled to the gratitud:
of his fellow-citizens, for the active part which he
had taken in the arrangements of Wednesday.
Alderman Noon had another question to ask of
the Lord Mayor, and that was, whether he was aware
that a number of Life Guardsmen had been stationed
in the Green-yard--(hear, loner)? Knowing that all
interference of the military power had been most
strongly deprecated in the Court of Aldermen, he
thought it incumbent on the Lord Mayor to explain
the circumstance. They were not secretly but openly
rsted there, and though they were only three in
number—(a loud laugh from Mr. Dixon mid others)
kept perpetually parading the streets in the vicinity.
Li the -remarks which his Lordship had just offered
to the Court, he had made an error, which he (Al-
ckrrnan Wood) deemed it necessary to correct. In-

slead of allor.ing the author of the placard, " Spa-
fields. Now, go it, my boys," to escape with impu-
vity, he had made both him and the publisher of it
find bail for the offence which they had committed.
lit had subsequently done every thing in his poWer
to have them brought to trial; but the Court of Al-
dermen were averse to thAt proceeding. then, from
an idea that they had no wrong intentions in pub-
lishing the placard, which, however, he could not
help denominating as atrocious a placard as ever was
posted in the streets of the metropolis. With regard
to the attacks which had been made upon himself by
a Gentleman on the floor, he must say, that they

troubled him very little—( Hear,hear ). Ilis public
c‘, iduct had received such a reward from his fellow-

citizens as had never, scarcely, been bestowed on
. anv Citizen of London, before him—(loud cheers);
and, therefore, he had no occasion to shrink from
any animadversions which that Honourable Gentle.
man might think proper to make on him. Warmly
as he was attached to the best principles of liberty,
still he would maintain his loyalty to be equal to that
of the most loyal Member of the Court ; indeed, his
whole life, fur the last nine or ten years, bad been
sacrificed to the service of the public, and employed
in the preservation of tranqnillity and order--Vrear).
Ile was not much in the habit of reading the Public
Papers, or of noticing what they contained : he had,
however, observed that some of them had said that
he was riding in Smithfield on Wednesday, between'
eleven and twelve o'clock. Now, there was no foun-
dation whatsoever for such a report he had indeed
been there on horseback about half-past nine o'clock
in the morning; he had ridden through it, because it
was his nearest road to the place where the Gentle-
men who had volunteered to act with him were sta-
tioned: at that time in the day when the Papers re-
presented him riding through the crowd in Smith-
-field, he was with the volunteers of his own ward.
Mt. WILLIAMS thought, that on a question of such
dencaOlia the present., they ought to proceed with
delicacfand with temper. As an individual, he was
aware trust lie had no right to censure the I4rd
Mayor's conduct ; but when his Lordship appealeto
the Court, he had an undoubted right to deliver his
opinions en that conduct. The Worthy Alderman
(Woithman) had been attacked, and it would have
been cowardly in him not to have replied to that at-
tack: That Gentleman stated, that peace and good
order would be preserved, if the military and consta-
_ _
• and its this, undoubtedly,

feeling : indeed, the greatest
the earnestness and zeal of
of hear). In saying this,
Lorn Mayor, who, he ad-
ireseive the public peace,
military in Ctiltspur-street,
lounging about ; he con-,
thus to tempt the idle and
sways to be found at such
appearance of an armed force
-'t out of sight, unless their ap-
v. The Worthy Alderman
impropriety of sending a
: crowd to arrest Harrison.
right to do so, no one at-
tamly it was unwise to do
, Lordship were as anxious
as he was to preserve it, he
more effectual step to create
breach of the peace commit-
, persons.who are enemies to
a police ;officer, rode into

the Meeting, and finding 'sortie obstruction in the
crowd, drew a loaded horsepistol, and presented it
at those airired This man was taken before the
Worthy dermal; whose conduct -the Lord Mayor
censured, and who, with great credit to. his judg-
ment, committed him (the officer) to prison. With
respect to the Lord Mayor, he had only to state, that
if his zeal had not beenteld in by his Brother Alder-
men, the Meeting would not hive terminated so
quietly—(Hear, hear). There were no men so anxi-
ous to preserve the public peace as the constitutional
friends of Reforni—( Cheers). They issued no sedi-
-tious hand-bills or pamphlets—they employed no
Castles or Olivers to delude and ensnare the people—
they used no efforts to disturb the public peace ; on
the contrary, they were always to be found at their
post in the hour of danger, and were ever foremost to
teppress riot and preserve good order—(Hear, hear).
Mr. JACKS was surprised at the degree of party
feeling which had been manifested during this dis-
ctission. If he could collect any thing of what was
urged against the Lord Mayor, it was his having
`arrested Harrison in the middle of the Smithfield
Meeting. But it should be recollected, it Was hit
Lordship's duty to have done so, twill by any nth-
Once in performing that duty the man Itsdeseaped; •
the Lord Mayor would be liable'to artsic** fer tioe-
hiving arrested him—( Hear, hear). ' ••••-•"
Mr. OLtirrisre said, no man respected the-,
'Magistrate more than he did, yet he could not help
expressing his surprise thathis Lordship Should 140*
'used the words indecent and " intemperate,'' in
speakidg of the conduct of the worthy Aderrna
(Waithman). If he might be allowed to make use of
'the organ:eat= ad honitnem, he would call his Lord
ship's attention to an observation made by him a few'
days since to a Member of that Court (Mr. N. Wil-
liams). ig If," said your Lordship, ,‘ that Gentleman
has any thing to say to me as Mr. Atkins, he had
better take an opportunity of saying it elsewhere."—
ahe Lord Mayor shook his head, as if, denying
hovisz used, those words).—He, in his turn, would
say,' that if"-those words were to be used, they had
better be used elsewhere—(Hear, hear).—He was•
aware that oft the day in*question hisLordihip had a
very ardnot4 duty. to pet form—a duty, in the per-
formance of which even men of very strong minds
might have erred as well is his Lordship. If any thing'
had occurred likely to disturb the Meeting, it was the
arrest of Harrison before the close of die Meeting. It
would have been Truth more judicious, as well as
more convenient, to have set persons to watch him
until the Meeting • had dispersed, than to endanger
the public peace by such a proceeding. Of the Ra-
dical Reformers he believed aere was but one opinion.
He always viewed them with alarm ; he questioned
their motives, and doubted their. conduct. If there
was any thing which could alter his opinioni towards
them, it was the mildness of their conduct when a
leading partirm of theirs was arrested before so large
a Meeting. He again repeated, that his Lordship's
duties were of an arduous nature, but he trusteJ drat
when the irritation of the moment had sulisided. he
would perceive that the expressions which he had ap-
, plied to the worthy Alderman, were not proper to
be used in that Court.

' Mr- Sluts expected that a vote of thanks to the
Lord Mayor would have been eagerly proposed by
his brether Magistrates, as this had net been done,
he should propose it before he sat down. He was
present at what took place between Alderman Waith-
man and the Lord Mayor, but he should not attempt
to raise the question on that Gentleman's conduct,
were it not that he himself commenced it. Mr.
Waitliman wrote to his Lordship, that the firemen
were seen in Smithfield, and expressed his disappro-
bation.of their being allowed to make their appear-
ance. Mr. Alderman Wood had himself explained
the reason why those men were in Smithfield. Ile
(Alderman Wood) said he had merely passed through
that place in going to the place- of his duty. So it
was with the firemen, only three or foul of them
had appeared, and it was only in passing along to the
rendezvous appointed for them. He (Alderman
Waithman) also wrote a letter to his Lordship, corn•
plaining that the military were in the city ; those,
however, were only three Gentlemen • of the City
Light Horse, who were going to the posts assigned
to them. When Harrison was brought into Giltspur-
street, Mr. Waithman entered (this he declared on
his honour to he the fact) and that with a violent ma'
:ion of his hands, and in a loud tone, protested against
such a proceeding—this was done in a manner quite
unbecoming one Magistrate to another. Ile added,
that if any blood should be shed, or any violence
take place, it would he his Lordship's fault.' The
Lord Mayor asked, if he was aware that he had
merely done his duty in arresting the prisoner—that
he had done so on a regular warrant. Mr. Wahl-
man also, on seeing some Gentlemen- of the City
Light Horse in the streets, protested against their ap-
pearance in so loud a manner, that the mob who
heard him, hooted and hissed those Gentlemen.—
He could assure die Court, that his Lordship mani-
fested the most laudable anxiety to preserve the pub-
lic peace. Several Gentlemen offered to tale; down
that bloody flag whicth bore the words .g Liberty er
liireadi," but his Lordship refused to allow any thing,
to be done inconsistent with the public peace. He,
concluded by moving a vote of thanks to the Lord
Mayor, for the able and judicious arrangements be
had made on the 21st instant, for the preservation of
the public peace of the city ; which arrangements the
Court considered as not only adequate, but fully ef-
fectual in so doing.
Mr. Jury seconded this Motion. It was his Lord-
ship's duty to arrest Harrisoa as he had done; and
any delay in executing the warrant would have been
a dereliction of his duty to the Public. He was en-
titled to the warmest thanks of his fellow-citizens for
conduct on that day.
Mr. Puta.zu detailed the measures taken by the
Sheriffs to co-operate with die-Lord Mayor ia pre-
serving the peace of the City.
Mr. Alderman WAITIIMAN felt himself called upon
to make a few observations, in answer to what had;
fallen from some Gentlemen on the other side. lie.
had not the slightest intention of entering into the
private observations which had passed between the
Lord Mayor and him. He trusted the Court would
do him the justice to believe that he was aCtuatedhj-
higher motives than any of a personal nature.. He
hoped it would be allowed,ihataii•far as, In.hilinisty,
he had given the Chief Marntrate every • support,
Rid that even where the conduct of that' Officer' was
Blameable in a private way, he had passed it thine-

tact.' moat venueman stai
V ./; order would be preserved, ii
.bles,were kept out of sight,
i ••• : haexpressed the general fee
tear 'entertained was from t/
his Lordship---(Lood cries
• 1 . :1 lie.meant no offence to the]
• , ,-, . A :flitted, was anxious to pr
g 4
lie himself had seen the n
1
1 • ;.
•; • t , and also several constables
.
' -, sidered it extremely wrong I
.! i.
i ill.slisposed, who were alsi
~ Meetings. Every appear
l' ought to have been kept ou
Avarance became necessary.
had also alluded to the ii
• posse of constables into the
1 fiat his Lordship had a r
tempted to deny; but certl
so at thai time; sod if his,
for a breach of the peace as
; • . could not have taken a mor
1 • ' diituFbance. The only bre!
tea was by one, of those pei
all Ile/orris,. A stout man,
.1, • 4 , •‘• .
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