The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-11-01 00:00:00

Laving gentlemen dining in his house during church
time.
Mr. Scott (to the M ogistrate).—l enhtnit, Sir, whether
a tavern keep-r hia a right to p.reisit persons even to barrel
dini.er at his 4! •Iret tim• ?
[•An exclamation of surprise from the auditors immedi-
ately followed tbis observation.]
Mr. Hansom—Yon may as well say a person shall not I
breathe during the harm of chnrch ”rvice.
Mr. 'locus, after consulting Mr. ',Aiwa, gage his
opinion that no rase was made nut against Mr. Smith. To
a•oroidrr the present as an . Ir•tve srould be straining the
• law 00) far. •tvbich „aameant,andtoarerent persons dining
duri•ig chnrth time, but to pr-vent tippling. Coaches
ate in the habit of stopping at this house; and it would'
be inverting the established order of things too mach, to
say that they should not ..tart •nt Sundays at three o'clock.
or that persons gninq by them should nut be permitted
Mt tine at such houses as they were about to start,
from.
The office was completely crowded daring the period the
ahove us's ass being heard.—On hearing the result,
symptoms of general exultation were pretty freely ex-

PUBLIC DINNER AT SHEFFIELD TO EARL
FITZWILLIAM.
On T burglar last a public dinner was given by the in.
h .bi,atas of Sheffield to Earl Fitzwilliam, to testify their
r-speet for the 111 tny virtues of that venerable nobleman,
atm their sense of the important services he had rendered
that town by a residence of upwards of seventy years in
its vicinity. On this occasion there was no idea that the
entertainment should partake of u political character, and
party spir.t was discarded. To provide in Sheffield a room
sufficiently spacious to accoinuitnia te the c rowd of respectabie
persont.who had expressed their anxiety to be preseithwas a
matter of difficulty ; but the Assembly Room in Norfolk
Street, at last. was chosen ; and covers were laid out there
for two hundred person., to which amount the
tickets were necessarily limited. The dinner con-
sisted of every delicacy of the season, comprising
a bountiful supply of turtle, venison, and game, and the
dessert was distinguished by an abundance of pineapples,
hot-house grapes, and other scarce fruits. The room which
was elegantly decorated with festoons of laurel interspersed
with the fed ashberry and antnninal &were. was illumi-
nated with a profusion of wax li,hts, placed in elegant
chandeliers and candalabras but these were almost lost,
amidst the effulgence of a triumphal arch erected over the
entrance to the Assembly Rouni.formed of gas pipes,whieb
was surmounted by stars, the letter,' E. P. and a coronet of
living II tine, emitted from all parts a dszzling splendoer.—
The pillars in front of the Assembly room were likewise
covered with spiral wreaths of leuiel. While the indivi-
duals, with whom the plan of the dinner originated, were
thus anxious to render every thing worthy the occasion, the
operative and humbler inhabitants of Sheath' were not
less desirous of testifying how fully they participated in the
precailiug sentiments, and with that view they called a
meeting among their own body, at which it was resolved,
that they should assemble at a place called the Wicker, at
the entrance of the town, towards Wentworth (louse, by
which his Lordship was expected to arrive. to form a pro-
cession,and accompany hies to the Assembly lio.ins,antidst
the expressions of affection and respect which they so
u ifeignedly felt.
The hour appointed for the assemblage at the Wicker
visa 3 o'clock ; but long before this time, notwithstanding
the unfavourable stare of the weather, the whole point.
lation of the town seemed to he proceeding in that direc-
tion; and before his Lordship arrived, the concourse col-
lected in the streets exceeded all calculation. The
avenues leading to the Assembly Room on boih sides were
crowded to excess, and the windows of the houses were
fined with spectators. The multitude at the Wicker had
provided themselves with a hand of music, and a flag bear-
ing. the arms of the Fitzwilliam family, and we believe it
was their intention to bare taken the horses from his
Lordshio's carriage, and to have drawn him in triumph to
his destination. However honourable those intentions
were to those by whom they were framed,
as well as to hint whom it was meant to com-
pliment, they were unluckily frustrated by the rapidity of
'the Noble Earl's motion, who being unapprised of the
wishes of the people, was driven forward with such speed,
as to prevent the possibility of accomplishing the arrange-
ment which had been agreed upon. The moment his
Lordship was recognised, however, he was welcomed with
the most enthusiastic cheers, and was followed by the
delighted populace to the Tontine Inn, where be alighted
for some minutes, and was met by several of his friends.
, The crowd now congregated in front of the Inn, and
something like a procession was formed; but that joy
which prevailed seemed to forbid all regularity of move-
ment. The police of the town led the way. and were fol-
lowed by an excellent band, playing lively airs, after which
came the Noble Earl in his carriage accompanied by
Lord Viscount Milton, and.the Hon. Frederick Poosonhy ;
this was followed by other carriages, in which were John
Charles Itamsden, Esq., the Rev. J. Lowe, Francis Mani',
and Pierce, EMI. The whole moved on precisely at
half-past four, and the cheers of the throng were reiterated
until his Loidship reached the Assembly Room by a cir-
cuitous route. As his Lordship proceeded, lie was greeted
from the windows by repeated blessings, and by a con•
tioued waving of handkerchiefs. His Lordship appeared
to be deeply. sensible of these spontaneous effusions of
humble but sincere affection and admiration.
On reaching the Assembly Room, the Noble Earl was
received by Hugh Parker, Esq., the Chairman; by the
Vice• Presidents, Thomas Dewsnapp, Esq.; P. Brownill,
F...eq.; Dr. Yount, and James Rinunington, Esq.; and by
the Stewards, Lieutenant-Colonel Fenton, Dr. Knight,
111. Ellison, Esq.; 11. Wheat, Esq.; John Watson, Esq.;
a J. Wake, El.; S. Fatell,Esq ; and 'l'. A. Ward, Esq.;
and conducted into the Anti-room, in which were assembled
the remainder of the guests, among whom we noticed, Sir
George Sitwell ; J. Fullartoo, Esq. ; Vincent Eyre, Esq.;
W. S. Milner, I). D.; Samuel Shore, Esq.; John Parker,
Esq.; Rev. Wm. Dagshawe; George Lampriere, Esq.; and
Thomas Rawson, Esq.
Shortly before five the dinner was announced ; and Earl
Fitzwilliain, attended by the Chairman, and the remainder
of the guests. proceeded to take the respective seats as-
signed to them. The arrangements throughout were ad-
mirable. and every thing was accomplished with the utmost
regularity. The Noble Earl was placed at the right of the
Chsirmac ; while his sou, Lord Viscount Milton, sat on
left ; and the four Presidents and Stewards were so situetud
as to secure the accommodatioa of all.
On the cloth being removed, the CHAIRMAN announce
the first toast—" The King. and long may he reign," with
three times three. His Majesty's health was drank with
the strongest expressions of loyal and constitutional
affection. • GOD save the King' teas played by au excel-
lent band.
The toasts of " The Doke of York and the Army,"
" The Duke of Clarence and the N tvy," followed. Music,
The Commander-in-Chiefs March,' and the National
Anthem of • Rule, Britannia.'
The CHAIRMAN then rose. with the intention of proposing
that health, to render homage to which,had that day assem-
bled in the town of Sheffield men of all political descrir
tions, and in a speech,of which our limits will not &Rowena
an outline, and a speech of considerable length, and which
gave a glowing sketch of the character end conduct of the
high minded. patriotic and venerable Earl, in those parti-
culars which entitled him to the tribute he now proposed, be
called upon the company to drink his health with three
times. The toast was received with the most enthusiastic
plaudits.
'the Venerable Earl then rose, bat was so overpowered
by the strength of his feelings, as lobe scarcely aWeto give