Star.
London, England, 1810-05-24 00:00:00

SIR FRANCIS BU.RDEIT.

ANIIIVItSARY OF TILE ELECTION OF SIR FRANCIS
BURDLTT.
A nnmerous assemblage of the inhabitants of
Westminster dined together, yesterday, at the Crown
and Anchor Tavern, to commemorate the Return of
their worthy Representative to Parliament.
At five o'clock the room was full, although covers
were laid for 400 persons, and in a few minutes after-
wards, Lnrd Coctin AXE, the Chairman for the day,
attended by Jones Burdett, Esq. Colonel War.!le, Co.
lonel Bosville, Major Cartwrig,a, and Mr. Coke, the
Member for Norioilt, entered the room, and were re-

ceivcd with enthmi..stic applanse.
Dinner being finished and the cloth removed, Lord
Coclm.tNE proposrd the following toast :

44 'l'h2 King, awl the principles cer,.l his
family on the 'Fhrone," which w.ts d;•:nk with three
times three, amidst univers:ll uf!;atii-
faction.

The next toast proposc.,:l waF.-
64 Westminster's Pride, and England's Hope—Sir
Francis Burdett." The applinie which followed re-
sounded through the room for several mi:mtes, and
was reiterated several times. Silence being at length
obtained,

Mr. Jogs Bvnnr:rr rest... He claimed the in,lia-
gence of the meeting, as lie could not attempt to de.
scribe these feelings which pressed on his mind on
hearing so general and entausiastic an expression of
approbation towards the conduct of Sir Fnaxcts Bun-
Darr, to whom he wa-. so nearly and dearly allied, of
the purity of whose meli ves lie was so well aware, and
in whose sentiments he so deeply participateci.—(k--
plauses.) He had the satisfaction to inform the meet-
ing, that his brother enjoyed his usual health and spi.
tits, and notwithstanding his inglorious situat. o and ,
would never relax from his endeavours to maintain I
the Laws of the Land, to support the Rights of the
People, and the Liberties of the Country.—(Ap- !
phases.) They met that day to celebrate the anni-
versary of a proud triumph of the People of England
in returning to Parliament a man whose noble exertions
for the public interests had been attended with the most
beneficial effects. It had been observed, that a part
of the people did not look upon the House of Corn-
mons with that dignity and respect which they ought to
do ; to this he had to answer, that the House of Com-
mons could never be degraded but by its own acts.—
. ( Applauses.)—Those acts were the fair criterion by
which it ought to be judged, and in looking to their
conduct the people would he best able to judge how far
they were deserving of public confidence- and public
' opinion. He would not enter into a detail of all those
fla;itious acts which had been sanctioned by a ma-
jority of Parliament ; they were too well known to
require repetition, and the manner in which the cul-
pr:ts were allowed to pass unpunished was a sof& I
ci,..nt cause to raise the indignation of the people.
Notwithstanding the crimes laid to the charge of, and
proved against, Mr. Perceval and Lord Castlereagh.l
those men were still countenanced in their iniquities,
an I continued in the fall enjeyment of their official
siteations, while a poor criminal for stealing a few
shillings would be condemned to lose his life. Plate
sin with gold, and the lance of justice harmless breaks;
clothe it in rags and a piny straw will pierce it."
—So much had been feud and written on the sub-
ject of p:ivile:T, that he had little to say on that sub-
ject. He conceived that the question was reduceable
to a very few considerations. The Statute Law of
the land he thought was the only snide, and the con-
duct of the House of Commons, be continued to pro-
nounce, was diametrically opposite to the principles
laid down in Mara and confirmed during
succeeding reigns. This question, however, had been
explained by Lord flr,kine, in so able and constitu-
tional a manner, that it would be useless for him to
enter farther into the topic.—(Applaeses.)He could
not but lament that the country was still destined to 1-
remain under the influence of a Borough faction, by
which any Noble Lord might, if he pleased, put in
his groom, the barber of the parish, or any other ig-
norant blockhead who might, by iris servility, answer
his political purposes, into a seat in Parliament
(Applauses.)—He had also to express his sincere re-
gret that Sir Francis Burdett was not present. He
trusted, however, it would not be long before he
would have that satisfaction—(Applauses.) The ,1
Chair was, however, so well filled by his Noble Col.
league (Lord Cochrane) on whose virtue, talents, and
patriotic conduct, he felt at a loss for terms sufficiently
strong to convey an encomium, that there was not
much room for lamentation. He congratulated the
Electors of Westsuinstet• in having two honest and in-
dependent Representatives, whose constant study it
bad always been to promote their rights and welfare,
end concluded by 'proposing the health of the 8, Elec-
tors otWestminitee," which of course excited thun-
ders of applause.
Mr. &mat, Scan as Elector, felt himself called

upon to return thanks for the holies& which Lad lie I
conferred upon him and his brother Electors. He coo-
ceived the struggle the people were then carrying onot
pursued with a firm, manly, and constitutional exer-
tion,would finally attain the great objects oft le P.: it ich
Nation. fie passed an high eulogium on the ingerib!e
integrity of Sir Francis llardett, and then plopre.,:st
the health of " Lord Cociiran;," shich w.is drank
with the warmest mark of plti.ttire and satis:actie.i.
Lord CoennaNz expressed his gratitude hir the pe-
culiar marks of favour r.nd attention with which he
had been treated. lie congrmulated the company
on the purpose for wh.ch they met, and deplored do!
absence of his worthy colleague:in whose sentiment;
lie at all times most cordially joined. (Applause.)
Without Parliamentary Reform, things could nil be
conducted in this toilful, Of what avail was it that
the people of England werv.wid that the Ccurt of
Star Chamber and Inquisition *etc done away, if, at
the beck and call of Ministers, an interested and cor.
rupt majority of the House of amnions could, with-
out trial and without fault, send a fellow-citizen to
confinement for an indefinite period ? (Applauses.)
Of what avail, in fact, were the written Laws of the
Land? There was sufficient experience of the horrors
attending cavil contention in our own time, without
recur? ing to the page of history—and there was suf-
ficient ground, since the Revolution, to sec the impu.
bey of agitating any question, however obnoxious to
the public, otherwise than by constitutional means.—
( Applauses.) He prayed to GOD to open the eyes
of Ministers to the danger to which they had brought
the country, and earnestly hoped they would stop
their pernicious career, before they dashed the crani-
a./ headlong into destruction ; and concluded a very
ellovent speech, by declaring his firm intention to
premote the interests, and meet the wishes of his Con.
sAtients, to the latest hour of his life.
The next toasts given, were—
" Parity of Election.
" The first principle of justice, that none be judge in his own
cats.."
" Mar.: CL.rta, and may its wilolesonte provisions nov.ir b.
sun, rseded by undefined privilege."
" Lord ErNltine and Trial by Jury.''
" Sir Samuel Romilly and the dominion of the Law."
After which Lord COCIIRANE proposed—
. " The :Me and courageous exposer of corruption—leolonel

Colonel WARDLE declared himself inadequate to
the task of expri: ...ng tile sentiments of his heart at
the great kindness with which 1:e had been treated.—
They met on a peculiar occasion, at a moment when
they were deprived of a beloved and revered Repre-
sentative. It was no small consolation, however, to
know that extreme good had arisen from die confine-
ment of Sir Francis Burdett ; by his confinement, in
fact, he bad done more good than he could have
done by his being at I arge.—(A p pla use. )—S uch
were his feelings, and, he was glad to find, such
were the feelings of the Meeting. (Applause.) He
felt peculiar happiness that the Meeting were inclined
to grant him an indulgence which had been refused
bias a few nights previous by the Ihnouratle House
of Commons. He then proceeded in a strain of great
eloquence in vindication of his own political conduct,
and condemned, in the most glowing terms, the
im-
potency and ignorance of his Majesty's Minister;
describing, with peculiar force, the sufferings of the
r people under a system of government so ruinous as
the present, and depicting the indispensible necessity
of a radical and general Refot m. He adverted to the
pl in of Sir Francis Burdett on this subject, which he
preferred to that of Mr. Brand. But so conscious
I was he of the necessity of R form, that if it was even
preferred to select the first 658 men that crossed
Westminster-bridge to the ref resentation of the pa-
' ple in Parliament, he would give his vote in favour
of such a measure, and this from the conviction dint
it was utterly impossible for the people to be worse
represented than at present. He then reprobated the
committal of Sir Francis Burdett to the Tower, and
the present system of Borough-mongering. If the
I House of Commons granted Reform, all other bless-
! ings would follow of course; but without that, con-
; sequences the most dreadful might ensue. He con-
. eluded, amidst loud applause:, by giving the follow-
ing
toast :

" A full, fair, and free representation of the People in the
Commons House of Parliament."
Which was received with unbounded expressions of
pleasure, and was drank with great applause.
The Chairman next gave—
" The Independent Livery of London."—(Loud applauses.)
" Mr. Coke, and the Freeholders of Norfolk."
Mr. Col: e returned thanks for the honour which had
been done him by his invitation that day. He could
not go the same length with Mr. Wardle in his ideas
of Reform. During a long Parliamentary life he
had invariably followed the same course, and opposed
those measures he thought inimical to the interests of
the people ; this he had always done, and would al-
ways do.—(Applauses.)
Mr. Powctt proposed the health of Mr. Cobbet,
which he trusted would be a sufficient apology for so
humble an individual attracting the attention of so
respectable a Meeting—(Loud applauses)—more es.
pecially when it was considered that Mr. Cobbet was
the great link between the people and the true prin-
ciples of the Constitution.—(Applauses.) He then
gave'
u William Cobbet, Esq. and the Liberty of the Press." (Loud
and reiterated applause.)
Lord CocuRAKE joined most cordially in the toast,
which he had in contemplation to suggest himself.—
irAzplauses.)—The following toasts were then given
the Chair :
" Mr. Brand, and the Minority of 115 in favoar of Patti.
mentary Reforn;."
" The Independent Citizens of Liverpool." •
" The Independent Citizens of Worcester."
" The independent Citizens of Canterbury."
" The People of the United kingdom."
" The Progress of Public Opinion."
" The Will of King Alfred, and may every person be as free
in his thoughts as his person."
• Lord COCHRANE then gave,
"M. jor or Captain Cartwright."—(Loud applauset.)
Major Cstirrwatctrr addressed the Meeting at con-
siderable length.
At ten o'clock the Chairman left the Chair, at-
tended by some cf his friends, and .shortly otter the
rest of the company dispersed.
During the evening several appropriate songs, com-
posed for the occasion, were sung by Mr. Smalley,
Mr. Donne, Mr. Major, and Mr. Lem.titre.

The present Lottery will be drawn in a
in the usual place, Cooper's Hall.

w days.