Star.
London, England, 1821-01-13 00:00:00

agsrpi :PUBLIC MEETING.

Tuesday. laet„in tosiseq. uence of a Requisition to
the MAYOR, most respectably signed, a Meeting was
held at the Town Hall, for the purpose of taking into
consideration the propriety of presenting a Loyal
Address to his MAJESTY, expressing the unim-
peached attachment of the citizens of Chester to his
MAJESTY'S family and person, and to the Constitu-
tion of this Country as established at the jilorions
Revolution of 1688; and of tendering to his MA-
JESTY and Parliament their sentiments on the present
critical state of public affairs. By twelve o'clock,
the Sessions-room was completely crowded. Lord
BzLo a AVE entered the Meeting at a few minutes after
twelve, and was received with loud acclamations.
Mr. Witaaastson moved, that Mr. Alderman
BRADFORD take the Chair, which being seconded by
MG BENNETT, and carried by acclamation, the
worthy Alderman opened the business of the day by
stating ttfht the present Meeting was called in con-
sequence of a Requisition to the Mayor, signed by
many most respectable names, to call a Meeting for
the purpose of voting an Address to the King; and
he hoped every person who might think proper to
deliver his sentiments on the question, would be fa-
voured with a patient hearing.
Lord BittoRAVE rose and spoke to the following
effect :—" Mr. Chairman, I hold in my hand a Re-
quisition presented to the Mayor, who has appointed
a. Meeting to be held in this place on this day, and I
new rise, Gentlemen, to address you, in the two-fold'
capacity of one who signed this Requisition, and of
one who has the distinguished honour of being your
Representative in Parliament. As such, I think it
my bounden duty to address you ou this occasion,
anxious as I am that this ancient and loyal city'
should be eager to mite fot ward upon all occasions
where its loyalty and patriotism are concerned. Yet
I feel myself called upon to request you to pause,
before you affix your names to any document what-
soever. It is true that a Loyal Address now lies for
signature ; but any one who reads the public pints,
especially those which proceed from the side of Go-
Vernment, will see that a mere Loyal Address, un-
accompanied by any further comments, entails
upon those who sign it, the appellation of adherents
to the present Government, while those, pn the other
hand, who for this reason have refused to sign it, are
by them branded with the name of Radicals, or by
any other opprobrious epithet the English language
may afford. You are, therefore, now called upon,
in addition to the effusions of loyalty, to express your
flee and'enlightened opinions upon the present crsis
of public affairs. True it is that much discontent
prevails. There are also in many parts of England
intriguing and turbulent spirits, who hope alone to
swim in troubled waters, and to rise in the downfal
of their country. But, that general disaffection is
universally prevalent, I will take upon myself to
deny ; I will not libel the People of England, or the
men of Chester, by asserting that they would not
rush eagerly forward to maintain the Constitution.
and uphold the Laws. They have borne difficulties
unparalleled with unparalleled patience, and have
learned to distinguish between disloyalty to the Nli-
nister and disloyalty to the Throne. They venture
to disapprove of the conduct of those who will not
Open their eyes to thekpinions and wishes of a free
nation--who prefer coercion to persuasion--and
*his, whatever may be the real merit of the ques-
tlon, have irritated the public mind, and outraged
the public feeling, in their late unjust and mis-
managed proceeding against our gracious Queen.—
I cannot conclude the tew remarks I have to make,
without alluding to the late visit this City received
from the Master-General of. the Ordnatice. None
can appreciate more highly than myself the talents
of that great Commander, his praise is deservedly
sung from one end of Europe to the other. His con-
duct and renown are equally conspicuous in the
plain of the Peninsula of Spain, or upon the field of
Waterloo ; but for these very reasons, I the more
deeply and seriously lament that he should have
made himself the partisan of any Ministry whatso-
ever; I care not whetherof the present Government,
or of the present Opposition ; and above all, that be
should have lent his great name to support the tot-
tering fabric of a weak and unpopular Administra-
tion ! And even such support has proved, in this
instance, of no avail. Gentlemen, I do not address
you for the purpose of exciting your feelings ; but I
call upon you to present a loyal and dutiful- Address
to his Majesty the King, to shew that, alike free from
blind obedience, and mad radicalism, you are de-
sirous of expressing your geneious sentiments on
passing events—of tendering to your King and
country the glorious and inestimable offering of free,
enlightened, loyal, and devoted hearts ; that Eng-
land may stand as high as she has done in ages past,
and that her Monarchs may enjoy that inheritance
of which no other nation in the world can boast,
namely, that they reign over the hearts of a free and
loyal People."
Mr. SWANWICR then read the Resolutions.

Some conversation then took place between' Mr.
Fora.tor and Lord Eno/lava, which ended in Mr.
FOLLIOT declaring that as soon as the Address to the
'l'hmne was moved, he should wish to gain the at-
tendon of the Meeting, and that he should probably
occupy it for five hours—(A general laugh).
' Lord BaLcatava then read and moved the Address
to his Majesty, which was seconded by Mr. Lowa.
Mr. FOLLIOT—." It is a principle implanted in the
breast of every man, to be attached to the place of
his nativity, and as a native of Chester, I come for-
ward to delare rtiy sentiments to my fellow-towns-
men, and ten thousand times to declare; that I enter
my protest against this Radical Address—( This sen-
tence was instantly followed ty a thmendous. hiss front
every part of the Hall). I shall say no more here,
but shall publish my speech in the London Papers,
where all Europe may read it; and I move that the
Meeting be immediately dissolved !—(Laughter).
The mirth excited by Mr. Fouaor's threat of a
five hours harangue, and his disapprobation of this
Radical kddress," having in some degree sub-
sided, Mi. SWANWJCIt urged upon the Meeting the
propriety of disregarding any little intemperance in
the language of their opponent. To his hard words
they might rely upon it strong arguments should be
opposed; but as to a five hours' hearing that was
another affair; to be five hours cracking a nut, with
The anticipation of a diminutive kernel, would be
rather a severe task upon their patience; but still,

raid Mr, Snlnwick, do let ns by some means rt at
the kernel, and its essential value and flavour shall be
fully ascertained. •
Mr. FoLutyr declining again to address the Meet-
ing, Mr. FINCHETT, the Town Clerk, put the ques-
tion upon-the Resolutions and Address, which were
carried, with four dissentients, amidst acclamations.
Mr. Swastwtcs then rose to move the Petition to
the House of Commons, and began by expressing his
sorrow that Mr. Folliott had not been heard through a
greater portion of his five hours Address.—" Much
as I differ with that Gentleman upon the subjects we
are now met to discuss, I verily believe there is not a
kinder heart in the city. Twelve months ago, he
and I, with many other Gentlemen, were fellow-la-
bourers in an attempt to relieve the keen distresses
of our poor fellow-citizens: and I can truly say; that
Mr. Folliott's exertions were assiduous and zealous,
and sheaved that his feelings were habitually humane
and excellent. This consideration, Gentlemen, ought
greatly to outweigh any little degree of intempe-
rence in language, in political discussion. But as,
that Gentleman declines again appealing to you, I
shall proceed to read the Petition to the House of
Commons which is submitted to your approbation,
and shall then offer to you a brief statement of the
reasons which called upon us to agree to it. Mr.
Swanwick having read the Petition, proceeded to
reprobate the laborious and systematic attempts to,
defame the.great mass of the People as disloyal, and
to separate society into disjointed and hostile frag-
ments. He insisted upon the wicked use which had
been made of unprincipled men, as spies upon the
mischiefs they had iacited to and effected, and on
what he called the most frightful feature in the busi-
ness, the unprecedented avowal and defence of the
Spy System, as a regular branch of Government Po-
lice. Upon these grounds, and because agriculture
and trade and the finances languished under their
rule—because they were hiding themselves behind,
the Throne, instead of manfully standing forward as,
its vanguard—he thought the country was called
upon to petition for their removal, and the adoption
of a policy the very reverse of that upon which his
Majesty's present Ministers acted. He concluded by
moving the Petition.
It was then moved that Earl GROSVENOR and
Lord CREWE should be respectfully requested to
present the Address to the Throne, and carried.
Mr. LOWE moved that the thanks of the Meeting
be given to Lords GROSVENOR, GREY, EasKtNe, and
the other Noble Lords who had distinguished them-
selves in defence of the Quees.
Mr. Lvoxs seconded the motion in an able speech.
The thanks of the Meeting being cordially voted
to her MAJESTY'S legal assistants, Messrs. Bnouon AU,
DENMAN, LOSIIINGTON, and WILLIAMS'
Mr. Swastwicx proposed the thanks of the Meet-
ing to their Representative, Lord BELGRA,E,Tor his
able co-operation in.the business of the day.
Lord BELGRAVE having returned thanks, proposed
a vote of thanks to their north)? Chairman, and this
immense assemblage dispersed.

h&_.