Star.
London, England, 1828-12-23 00:00:00

PUBLIC DINNER AT MAIDSTONE.

Yesterday the dinner of tre friends of civil and. reli-
gious liberty was given at the Star Inn, Maidstone, the
Earl e f DARNLEY in the Chair; supported by
Lords Sondes, Torrington, Th:•net. Teynham, Clifton. Say and
&le, the Honourable J. 11. Wieh. the Honourable Twtsslston
Rennet, the ifor. Richard Wotan, Sir John Maxwell Tilden,
Mr. Warre; M.P. Mr. A. W. Itobarts, M.P. Mr. Bating, jun.
M.P. the Mayor of Hytbe, Alderman Cooper, of Canterbury,
General Miller, and about 950 Gentlemen of respectability in the
county of Kent.
lhe room was tastefully decorated will banners of
various kinds, upon which were inscribed appropiiate
motto,. Over the Chair was a scsoll of green talk, with
the words "Catholic Emancimtion." Near it were
devices, emblemric of Kirg mai Constituting), Civil
and Religious Liberty, Magna (hotta ; pro libertute
patriur—in defence of freedom, &e.
For the purpose of alford:ng adequate accommit4a,
don for so large a company, a tempo ary apastmen'
was thrown up over the yard of the inn, and s coin,
munication opened to connect • it with the great room.
Laurel boughs were tastefully di,tribi t d erns ng the
banners and scrolls, and the general arrangem. tits we:,
conducted with the best effect.

As soon as the cloth was temoved, the CUAIRMA
gate in succession the usual healths of the Kong and
Royal Family. to drinking the health ache King %ith
four times four, _

The Earl of DANNIRT said, ti.at behelAhg as
then did the bapneftsfAivil and religious liberty bef 1.
bini, he ei uld nithilp coupling wi.h his ton t same
allusion to the great cause which had placed the Ili.use
of Brunswick on the throne of this kingdom. He shou'd
therefore propose .6 The health cf his Maje‘ty. and may
he never forget the principles which had placed his
family on the throne of these realms—(Loud cheers).—
He was sure they would drink this toast with -.1111 the
enthusiasm which belonged to such a mark of tells et
to their Constitutional Monarch. The toast from the
Chair was thank with great enthusiasm.
In drinking the health of los Royal Highness the
Duke of Clarence, the Chair man paid a handsome core-
plintent to the uniform attention paid by that Prince of
the House of Brunswick to the energies and wants cf
that important and national branch of the public service
—the Bt itish Navy.
The nest toast was " The Navy and Army." Three times three.
The CHAIRMAN said that bating ..drsnk the Army,
they ought not to forget the illustrious Chief who so
often led it to victiry, and who no.* reposed upon his
laurels. During the last Session that illustrious person
had done himself great civic honour by taking a great
step in the c ause of civil and religious liberty, in sup-
porting the Bill for the emancipation e f the Dissenters.
He cordi illy hoped that in the next Session he wcttiPd
follow up the same liberal principle by ti.e emancipation
of the sti.l larger portion of his fel!ow subject', who re-
mained rests icted in the rights which belonged to them
as loyal and dutiful subjects—(Loud applause).
The CHAIRMAN said, that bef ire he gave the next
toast, he begged to trouble that la.ge company with a
few observations. They were not, in tl e strict sense,
brought there by their own est, but rather compelled to
come, as it were, in self-defence. If ever there was a
'county bereft of angry or party feeling, it was litnt—
(Hear, hear)—if ever there were men who ex inguished
political feelings in their stelal intercourse, or kept
them aloof from their local association, they were the
men of Kent—(Heat). A set of Gentlemen bad, how-
ever, thought proper to establish among them a poli-
tical Club. Much as he disapproved of that course—
much as he abhorred their principles—he felt that he,
or the friends who thought with him, were not justified
iutetfering. or a tempting to interfere, with the pti-
Tate movement-, however objectionable, of any portion
if their neighbours; but when the private association
was transfer red as a public act to the aunty, and the
general opinion challenged upon it, then he thought the
advocates ofgood and general principles were bound and
compelled, indeed,to come for ward and resist the attempt
to bind the county to the opinions of these particular indi-
viduals. This wasnot all; they were called uponito refute
the statement given—indeed he bad heard in writing by
one of their member!, he need not say which (a laugh),
that the majority of the Penenden-heath meeting was
in the propos tion of 6 to 1. and be knew at the other
side, that many thought the maj. rity was with the
growth of free opinions in the county. For himself he
could only say, that es far as he could from his ri •cc in
the meeting compute who was present, he thoiight that
the majority of real fieeholders appeared against the
question of Catholic Emancipation; tut be also be•
hewed th..t the same predominarce was against the esta-
blishment of Brunswick Clubs. In delivering this
opinion he begged also to state.--and here he spoke
the opinions of others who more narrowly watched
the movements of that meeting—that those who came
to support the Brunswick Clubs were a wejkorgnpized
compact bi-dy, not alone of freeholders, .butjeo-
men armed with bludgeons. Those who advocated
on that day liberal statements had no such body—they
sc irned to resort to such instrument—(hear, hear).
They had however in their own array some disad-
vantages; they (the, liberals) had to encounter the ad-
vccacy of that anomalous creature, Cobbete, who had,
thank GOD. since declared agaipst,them—(Hear, bed?).
They had likewise the appearance Or Hunt, and there
was also Mr. Shiel, whose specch so triumphantly rs.

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