Star.
London, England, 1821-12-07 00:00:00

YORK WHIG CLUB.

The Annual Dinner of this Association took place ,
at the Assembly Rooms, York, on Monday last,
when about 400 of the members and visitors sat
down to a sumptuous entertainment. MARSIADUKI
Wirvita., Esq. in the Chair; Alderman DUNALEY,
Vice-President. Among the company were Lord Vis-
count NoastANay ; Hon. T. DUNDAS, M.P. J. G.
LAuaroN, Esq. M.P. D. SYKES, Esq. M.P. Colonel
CRADOCK, T. S. DONCOMBIL, Esq. H. WITHAM, Esq.
GioRGS PALAIRR, Esq. Colonel M.LEAN, M. STA-
rvia,oN, (Myton), &c. After the cloth had been
removed,• Non nog, Domine was sung in fine style.

. The CHAIRMAN then gave—" The King, and may
he speedily dismiss his present evil advisers," which
was drank with three time% three.
The next toast was—" Xbe King and Constitution,"
which was followed by "'The memory of our late
injured and beloved Queen." The latter was drank
in silence and standing.
Vie CHAIRMAN then rose, and said that he felt
the highest satisfaction at seeing, on that occasion, so
numerous and respectable a company, for he attached
the utmost importance to associations of that descrip-
tion. The formation of the York Whig Club had
been the means of rousing public spirit ; it had de-
feated the Tory faction; and, by the exertions of its
members, had secured the independence of their City.
He did not look at it as important in a merely local
view, but he consiiered it to be of great general ad-
vantage. When they saw associations formed for
purposes hostile to public-freedom, and particularly
to curtail the Liberty of the Press, it behoved the
people to take such measures as would effectually se-
cure their liberties; and he thought they could adopt
no better mode to frustrate the designs of their ene-
mies, than by establishing associations similar to the
York Whig Club. With these impressions he pro-
posed the health of " Sir George Cayley and the
Whig Club of York," which was drank with cheers.
W. HARGROVE (Editor of the York Herald), read
a letter from Sir George. Cayley, who was now on
the Continent, which had been received by him in
answer to an intimation to attend the Meeting, as
signing the reason of his absence.
Mr. LAMSTON rosaamidst enthusiastic and long-
continued cheers. It was, he observed, in such a
union as he then beheld that he looked for that si irk
which alone could awe the minions of despotism, and
abash the slaves of power--(Applause). Whatever
difficulties they had experienced—whatever obsta-
cles they had met with, they had completely over-
come them. They had succeeded in discomfiting
the Tory faction, as his Hon. Friend had justly ob.'
served, in their City, and established its indepen-
dence; and he would tell them, what his Hon. Friend
could not tell them, that they had elected for their
Repre.sentatives two as honourable and independent
men as any in the kingdom, whose_ every vote, so far
as be could judge (and he had been almost a con-
stant attendant on the Houre), had been regulated
by a sincere attachment to the liberties of the people,
and a veneration for the purity of the Constitution—
(Applause). Those liberties and that purity could
on.y be restored and maintained by a union of the
middle and the upper classes; and it was on that
principle he considered that the York Whig Club had
set a noble example—(Cheera)—and in the present
times was calculated to produce great public benefit.
They had seen but recently, a Bill of the most atro-
cious nature brought into Parliament—a Bill of Pains
and Penalties—a Bill at variance with every princi-
ple of justice—a Bill, of which he trusted he should
never witness a parallel. The voice of the people
had on that occasion been exerted with success ; it had
prevented the Bill passing, and had at last extorted
that reluctant ustice in favour of the Queen, which
would otherwise have been.denied her—(Great ap-
plasue). She gained a momentary triumph, but the
struggle cost her her life ; the frail constitution of
woman could not sustain the momentary assaults
made upon her character and peace ; and thotigh she
gained her cause, the malice of her enemies sunk her
tb the grave.—(At this part of: the Hon. Gentleman's
speech the most affecting silence prevailed, as every
personseemed under the influence of the deepest feel-
sngs).—At such a moment, it might have been ex-,
petted that her enemies would have desisted fro's't
their unmanly course; that her; errors, her misfor-
tunes, and the enormity of her persecutors, would
have found a period. But even then the Ministers
could not abstain from venting their mite of empty
spite over her remains, by endeavouring
.to deprive
the people of the last opportunity of evincing their
respect, attachment, and regret towards her. The
Meeting knew that on the occasion of her funeral the
peace of the Metropolis had been endangered, and
that two Englishmen lost their lives—he might al-
most say were murdered. But that atrocious act
would pass, as others equally atrocious had passed,
with impunity—it would be screened by the same
veil that protected the authors of the outrage at Man-
chester-;•-( Applause). The Ministers knew that they
were guaranteed by the majorities they could com-
mand. But there was a trial which they could not
escape—a Jury that could not be packed—a Court
that could not be influenced, but which would un-
dauntedly pronounce the unerring dictates of justice
--,he meant the bar of public opinion—(lmmense
cheering),. At that bar their majorities would not
avail them ; from that bar they had retired con-
demned, and public execration would pursue them
even into the recesses of the Cabinet—(Applause). In
the same spirit in which they persecuted the Queen,
they had dismissed Sir Robert Wilson, advising his
Majesty to that act upon the ground of anonymous
depositions and secret slanders—elpp/ause). His gal-
lant friend had demanded the names of the authors
of the information secretly given against him, but
they had been refused. He (Sir Robert Wilson)
wished to know who the informers were, in order
that he might prosecute and bring them to justice:
But there was no ground for an insinuation of crime.