The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-10-06 00:00:00

W&VTMINSTER MEETING.

•
• Yesterday was held at the Crown and Anchor Ta.
Tern, in the Strand, a very numerous meetint of the
Electors of Westmiester, Friends of the Parity and.
Freedom of Election., . •
About one o'clock Mr. Sxuecn was enanimonsly
Called to the Chair, and proceeded shortly to open
the nature of the business on which t‘ey were UMW
,hied. He observed, that they had been called togs.
ther ta consider of two it and proper persons to ten
present the City of Westminster In the ensuing Para
fitment: The vomit, however, was not to be ens
derstood:as o general meeting of the Electors, but bt
1-those only who were friendly to the purity of eke%
Um. The friends of parliamentary corruption were
net understood to be invited ; and if any were noel'
present who were not friendly to the purity of elec.
I lion,—who preferred corruption, slavery, a:blind
I confidence in Ministers, and interminable war, be.
fore liberty, security, commerce, and peace,-40.
would beg leave to remind them, that they came nue.
: invited, and had no business there.—[Applaure.l.
But he *as persuaded that those who now heard bins
were of a very different description ; he was coo.
vinced that while they were firmly attached to the
great principles of the Constitution, their .hearts
beat high with the love of independence, which was
the very essence of the Constitution , itself. If the
country was to be mired at all—threatened as it
was by Corruption and excessire taxation within;
and by formidable enemies, Abroad—it could only
be saved by the principles ,that had . been so maw.
fully maintained and acted upon by the Citizen*
of Westminster at the liat Gtneral Electioa.--•
it bad been the pleasure of the Ministers of thp
Crown,
.no doubt for-theit own privateends, to We
dulge as *Ph a nevi, election, considerably. owe
than a year before the late Ptirlianient could her.
died a natural death, is the law now stood. Oppow
tunities of this kind, however, .we by no means se
Often enjoyed as we ought to tlo. According to the
ancient Statutes of the iealm, a new Parliament
ought to be assembled one in.every year, or oftener
if need be;
,but by an Act pasted in the last century,
' which he would not scruple to assert Was little short
of high treason against
,the Constitdtion, we were
reatriined to the exercise of the rights of election
only once in seven years; unless indeed, more fre.
quent opportunities were granted es, by the special
grace and_ favour of the Ministers for the time being.
[A laug.4.] But whether we were abridged of
but Constitutional rights, of Which he had no
doubt 'air Whatever might,. be the motives of- Mi.
. '
nisters for, dissolving•the late Parliament, our duty
rotas at present to return two,men as Our Repre4.s
ientatives, in ,whops we had ,reason to confide,' anti
who; we ere thoroughly coalmen, will not only
lie the vigilant defenders of thit ,portinn of liberty
which was still left to ifs,
.but• the strenuous advo.
pktes for righteof Which we had been deniived. [Loud
*plane.) There was , one • conslderittion ;Thick
should not
;be omitted ,
were
the, present iiccasioni
namely, that ell elections ere necessarily attended
with , some • expense.. True, it was, that the ex.
penses usually attendiug the election far Westminster

had been greatly and ;Jost ,laudably redeced ; 'brit
there was o ;ate Act of Parliament, Which specl
Ocally iweecrl4ed What charges the silting Member.
were Ileitis to; Auld though he via far from approvT
lag of thlilegislathe .onacr 'at; yet so It

. -. .Ig w. _. ~ ,:tment yes _- .. was, ail
applul He mold therefore state, that he had in this re-spect the !_ . . • . v_. . •
law. now stone, that, it appeereas pinpospible.eveg,
done some particalar service to the Lhopkeepers of London. It
was, however, upon hi, general ronduet teat he relied for sop-, for their two
.Memheret to walk over the course
pert ; and if they though him qualified in nthet respects for the 1 wider an expense of .8001. leaving out of the quests
high .itudzion of their Represenuttive, he hoped that it would be . ..
nu objection to him that he came from their teen ranks, ;fiat be i hen every consideration of contest. This he coital.
was .upported by none of the great lending interests, but that to ' dered as a great grievance-,but such was the law—
the freedom and purity of the election be looked only for sue- I -
cern-Cuero! applause.]
and the etpense must etther fall on the Electors or
,
Upon the names of the Alderman and Candidates helng isle- the elected.. One .preiciple had.gpided the Citizeng
seated to the Livery. of -Westminster at the last Geneve' Election—it wall
The greatest thew of hands was decidedly for Mr. Waithinan , .. -, -
i this,—that they returned the men of their choices
who appeared the principal favourite. The next fur Alderman
Wood, and afterwards for Alder n' it ('nmhe and Sir W. Curtis. ! without a farthing.of expense. to him.—[Applause.l
There is as a moderate spew of hands fur Alderman Atkins and ! They were determined to act on the constitution
Sir .1. Shaw, but very few hands were held up for the Lord ! ~ •
Mayor. .. . . • • ! doctrine that. no man having bought his seat by
The Sheriffs then declared Mr. Walththan, Alderman Wood, I • t
great expenditure, should have it In his pouter to situ
Alderman Combe, and Sir W. Curtis, to have the thew of hawk. that he was obliged; expenditure,
to reituberse himself by selling
The several Candidates then again addressed the Livery.- I
The roar who had been nominated returned thanks for the situa- i Ids vote to the Minister of the day. This coeducg
Lion they bad been placed in. lin the city of Westminster I. excited a pew, spin'
t
sir JAMES SLAW said, that from the audrances of support 1 s
.n
.he country, which had been,. and would be, pros bad had from all quarters, he felt sure of ultiutete success. •
Alderman Alarm *id, that this was•a disappointment, bid . ductive of the most lelieficial effects -. and if we did not
not a defeat ; he also expressed confidence in the final issue of ' ..
now iollow it iip••
we, should.only obliteratethegreag
the election. • • . . s. •
The LORD M.: vole, at first, emplessed his reliance upon the example which was.now doipg,so muck ghoci. Litp.•
plause.) , He felt copdtleet that the prin6ple noel&
promises of slipper( be had rectified ; hot shortly afterwards he
came forward -again, and said, that as there had been so small a ,_ . , . 4 ' •
.est eo .tiset a fiery. small 'cl t
she* of hands in his favour among such an immense, is
of , .tle lealtltalnisa—Vd it Was
the Livery, whatever confidence ht• might feel in the ptomlses of 1 Contribution. train every elector tindivideillys would
support.which be had received, yet he could Mt spate sufficient lat ogee defray ally exPevie hat might be incurred
time from the duties of the.high situation he held, to make those ! a
exertions which would be necessary to bring the Electors in his I lie trusted that po,man.woul hesitate to put down kill
mite. It was nut ttecessary or him to remind them°,
favour ap to the poll. Ho, therefore, thopght ic would be more
had already done. They. had chosen as their
consistent with the dignity and the duties of the high atuatitils he' ;,,,,
beld,.for him* retire from the contett,-I.lpplause.] ~ . . I Fee'. they . . ,
...The Poll was then proceeded is for about an hour, when the ! represeptativeithe map who was the strenmous defender
atitubers were:—. . , . iof the. liberties , that still remained to them, and the
.
Alderman Combo • lel Nevi*. Clink. - • 51 ! andactitek signior or rights which they ought to
ble. Watchman ° - 1115 Alderman Atkins • 89 !
- " sir A. slaw , ,„
Alileyssan Wood
formerly given their votes for Sir Francis Burdetti,
• 12 jet the Pell beta g exhibited on the beards, there was very i
lead acclamations, athl great deatenstratioss of joy thtoughout he trusted there Was.not one who would not comer
die bide . . ' ' ' " • ' ' forward and do the same new ; nay, that they woul&
1. ..Aiderniaa Comae said a few wank, •but in so linen tone i •;A 1. •
! pe joined y
ntLonusands of other', who had marketsmarketsig Inswoke that we could not collect a sentence of his address.
. Jile_ ,Warrnisav then came forward, aid assured them, thAt ' his Parliamentary career, ,hip admirable talents, hll
wfroy sought to tong:ter-ilk. many-beetled monster with wbiah sound cotistilutiOnai principlesa fie had been, ittio
orraidri waged such long, though hewer* uninceessful, War-
rare. the spot on which they then stood was Chit op which formedby a friend of the Honourable Baronet, that
!such conquest was is he achieved.-f I.oud cheering.;-Hurd- it was a principle with ,him that the electors shoal&
bye as was the individual who mow addressed them la his prt- themselves look .out for their Representativethat
tate capacity, be might .not want fee greatness resulting from . t : .
the cause with which he *as idea lfied-..he might dot. wain fur he could, neither for their votes, her request
r greatness, if popular support were afthrded him. "PI PriPoy- others to apply for him ithet, in short, his election
den as I am bumble (continued Mr. Waithasan). you, upon*at .ti matter, which entirely rith. themselveg
whose favour t rely-you, whose power will be evinced by the
election of an humbfe stalemate, in that proportion yon are ?ugh, howeor, well, precisely the feelings of
`great..{ Load sad protruded chreringl--Aouredly yon
..!I"i'.! .ord, tothraite, . for e hid .Writtep . two letters tot
elect 1.11 humble individual for his own sake,
.gut because he sit it
speak your sentiments, an because speptirg year sentiments
ha *lli, so far as his tat s peemit, contribute to the safety Lion, in Which he explained his sentiments and prin."
gal melLbeing of the British kanpiret' If you will now elect
ciples, and declared his intenticid of becomiege cane
Ildnodid.Za who will feelthe due influence if your favour, of
' power, when deliiering bisjentiments in the (hand Court- dictate for Westminster; These letters Would bn
el ef the Nation, you will hare done more to secure your II ber- fetid,
ties thaehas been *me for a centnry. ( f mid spplault.) I have . .
and having made • these introductory obserta%
;whip( to add but to earnestly desire as you :ere heartx Its the clone, the Meeting would now hear-any •prepositionb
tause, that you will not fail to piill, early yourselves; or each . that mitlit be made. ... „
thee wlien.he leaves this Hall 03 tevitiem Barn his friends a like Mr. Akati, jun. then rose, fAr the yarposil at
anti awed:Jur" • • - .. s
resseti . • . ' '
I,ol;.:Awidieiircro Wean theu add , . the Meeting In a brief submitting several Resolutions. pit observed, thiS
!"1- too favourably reut'lied to admit of 16 Wog after the able speech which they had heard front theit
aegadtely reiloweed. • . • •a . Pr Chihli-oth, it would not he necessary for him to des
Sir Wit. Curs? god the Win+ Candidates thee severally pre, ,
seated themselves, and, after Moine and .smiling for some ini- tain them long particularly as they were tradesmen
note, amist esteem of di:tappet...atlas, *tired without! "wing like himselfr end had not much leisure to spare.-se
obtained isennissioa to open their lips. •
The poll was then ordered to ro,vomoidace at owe this morn-' He :Melia **tent himself with observing, that op.
big. . . - pressed as they Were with an overwhelming taxation,
and threatened by a formidable enemy, it became
A new signal tower is about to be erected on the them to choose men who would defend their liberties,
high ground near the centre of St. Zgary'a Island,,, bud restrain the progigite expenditure of th 3 Ohba
SOW: • Inner. They should alsO Aloasider, that if •ma
•
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