The Statesman.
London, England, 1810-05-17 00:00:00

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.EETING AND DISPERSION
07 THE 47
MIDDLESEX COIJNTER-DEcT4itAritiOntri'
Yesterday was distinguished by one•of the most
unparalleled and audacious' insults against the, dc.
claret! sense of the County of bliddlese;# that
perhaps was ever offered by the pliant and•sereilo
tools of Ministerial corruption. It was a bate
attempt on the part of a few Contractors and
Tax-gatherers, with Mr. Mellish at their head, te,
decry the recent eoination of patriotism among
ihr Freeholders of Middlesex, which, with ons
accord and sentiment, bunt • forth as the Wei
J
County Meeting at Hackney. This insidious ef-
fort of the Supporters of the Borough-mongering
system recoiled upon themselvei. They were'
completely toiled and vanquished, and obliged to
leave the field to their victorious opponents.
It should seem that the Meeting had been called
not by any Requisition of the Sheriff of the
County, or even by an'Advertisement in the usual
way. but by a mere paragraph in the Govern-
meet Journals, announcing that at twelve o'clock
on Wednesday, the .16th instant, there would be
a Meeting of the Freeholders of Middlesex at the
Freemason's Tavern, for the avowed puipose of
taking into consideration the Proceedings of the
late Meeting at Hackney, and adopting such Mee.
sures, by a Counter-Declaration or otherwise; as
might be best calculated to counteract the effect of
the same.
From twelve o'clock till near one, there had
assembled perhaps, altogether, fifty .persons.;
certainly not more. When it was nearly one
o'clock, 'they began to imagine that some trick'
had •beeti played upon them, and that there wouW
be no business transacted ; those who had first
entered the room had paid a shilling a piece for,
thvk:admission, and had also been obliged to give
in their names and places of abode. The payment
of the shilling admission money to this Private
Theatre of the Independent Electors was at
length resisted ; but it *ns in rain that any resti.
tution was demanded...the door-keeper predoilly
disappeared with the cash. Another occurrence
deserves mention also. Those who first assemblef4
and had given in their names and places of abode,
began to inquiro into the reason for such an un-
usual ceremony being resorted to, naturaNy sup.
'posing that it had been done only with a view of
ascertaining whether the. company was composed
of Freeholders and persons of respectability.--
?They were told, however, that those who had 'so
given in names were considered as having pledged
-themselves to support Mr. Mellish and the Coon-
ter-Declarationists. It very-soon became evident
there were but few of 'that description in the
_room ; for they nearly all rushed towards the
door in order to strike out their names again—they
met with some little resistance, in consequence of
which, one of the Freeholders seized the paper
' and tore it ; but here again it appeared that ano-
ther waiter or door-keeper, equal in dexterity to
the man who had carried off the shillings, had
fairly copied the signatures, and taken them into
Mr. Mellish's Committee-room. The room had
now nearly filled, and a general dissatisfaction
appeared to prevail, when—
Mr. BYNG entered. He was surrounded and
hurried to thei upper part of (he hall, and after
a considerable degree of clamour obtained t hear.
ing ; he spoke thus: " Gentlemen, I only wish to
say a few words tut you. About half an hour 'ago
I received a letter from -a respectable Constituent
of mine, stating that a Meeting was to be held
here, the object of which was to counteract the
proceedings of the, late Meeting at Hackney.
It appeared to me, that it was my duty to come
here and sec the gentleman who sent me the letter.
At the same time I think it fair to say, that those
who do nut approve of the proceedings of this
Meeting, have no business here, and that by re.
maining here we can do nothing but what' will
lead; to tumult and disorder. [Some plefirliir,
some hissing.] Gentlemen, they do not profess
this to be aMecting of the Freeltulders at large,
but only a Meeting of those who disapprove of
the proceedings of the recent County Court at
Hackney. Ai lam not one of those who disap-
prove of the proceedings, I have no right here.
If they open their doors and admit all Free-
holders, I should wish to state thii as my opi-
nion."
Ai this moment Mr. MELLISH, apporently
heated and agitated, entered the r00m,.-roltowed
by his'Cominittee. flu rose, and appea:ed inclined
to speak. Therevas a tremenilmot (Lutcry.. Ti.o
Freeholders expressed their indigeition at ids con-
duct, and insisted that Mr. BYKO should be heard
out first. Fur sollle time it was ail guise and coo.
fusion ; at length , •
Mr. IniNG
proceeded GCnttemen, per
haps it will be necessary, as twiny have corn, lut4
the room since I Addressed you, that [ should re,
peat whotit was I said. I was staLuip that halt


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PRICE elp. '?'
1r 17,, 1810.

, me, ~, . ~ -... .• ....o. (7-..
an hastrago, Iliwelestaletter from a Freeholder,.
desiring I wouldettead a 'Meeting et the Freenitta
,soles' 'latent, to hey arid oppose thelt.solutions,
*bids had fur their object to counteract the life
proceedings. at „Hackney. I have attended sc.
cordingly ; but, Gentlemen, as such Is the 'verve&
object of those who hate called the Meeting, I
think that the.persons who do not concur with
them, havemo business here.—['c Very fair, in.
deed!" exclaimed a number of person,. A
number q Freeholders cried oat, " No private,
Neat Meetings! We have aright to be present!"]
Glentletnen, I certainly distin. sly declare to you
that I approve of the' proceedings of the Meeting
at llackoey, and I have no fault to find with any
thing.bet the violence of a few of the expressions
Is soma portent the petition. I isafflitt it; .be..
ant eee I have ever found in the course of my ex.
patience as'a friend of freedom that. binlence hat
always failed of 'doing any good. It violence
would add strength to our cause, I would be as
violent as any of you : but 1 have uniformly ' _ •
found that violence always hurts even a we'd
cause. Such being my feeling on the subject I
think I have no business to remain here. [" Very
handsome, very fair"! said many.] Gentlemen,
I think, however, I 'have a right to 'say, that all
the Meetings which our adversaries may hold in
taverns and secret places can have no influence on
the public opinion. In my mite they cannot ex.
press or be supposed to express the sentiments of
the County of Middlesex ; I can only look to
Meetings regularly and cunstitutionelly con%eneg
by the Sheriff of the Cuuoty. [Great applassm
" Bravo! Bravo! Now let Mr.Mellish be hamar"
resounded through the Hall. in about jive wil.
notes there was something like silence, and],
Mr. MKLLISH, amidst inermurs, was hesrd t.
say—" Gentlemen, as 'try colleague has addressed
you, it is my duty- to address you in a f..vr words,
and only in a few words. I wen, Gentlemen, I
was surprised at seeing my colleague, w hett I camp
Into this room, speaking to yon• -it is feriyou to
judge whether he has made a sufficient apnl..gy.—
e" Yes, quite sufficient—there was no apologi ne.
cessary.ll—Gentlemen, his presence was not c,4114:d
fur, ewe warn I perceived him, I considered that
he must hive been deceived as to the object of the
Meeting. Gentlemen,. I rebeived a letter (coat a
person, who informed me that the Slee.ijiii) „was -
fur the porpose urn. Counter-AMIN*. 'here
* was . a Violent burst of indienation, torte said
" there has been 'no Adair-Us' anent 'to ctifl the
Meeting."—'t 1%," .said. others, G‘ theix.,fisio6
Paragraph in.the filortring Posi.— Fie, apon you,
Mellirk—ditgracefid.") 'Gentlemen--My Col.
,league has told you that he thinks he has no busi.
ness here, and he was aknut to have retired, but I
wished him to Kop, my opinion being contrary. to
his, and nip-proving of a Courder.decletation.—
[nines 041staiks of di:Pleasure.) Gentlemen,
I received thistsleffeei:-Iti contents ire--
'° Sir—'You are deslied 'tig`meei the Freeholders of AlM-
allesex, this day, at TWeitielo'clotqc, at the Freemasons' Ta-
ma, to lake into consideration the Proceedings of the late
Meetiug at ,Ilackney, and adopt sad, legal Measures )3y a
Countewdeklaration, or otherwise, as may be best calculated
to counteract the of the same."
[lie was not allowed to proceed. S.me of the
• Freeholders exclaimed, " Ytll4 sent last night
.to the Attorney-General for his advice—Oh!
Mellish ! are not you ashamed of • yourself?
Who is the letter signed by —ls it not the letter
of a Secret Junta?"—Mr. Mellish • acknow-
ledged that the letter was not signed by any ont.
The disorder, eoise, and tumult became general,
there were as many voices heard as at tie lay-
ing the foundation of Babel—all speaker: and
no hearers.]
Mr. THOMPSON mounted' on the table, hut
we could only observe his lips move, for it was
impossible to hear him distinctly. We collected
that he was proposing to call Mr. Bentley to the -
Chair.
Mr. MELIASII then, with a very loud voice,
exclaimed, " All who approve of the counter.de.
claration adjourn to at:other room."—According.
ly, a small part of the Assembly quitted the room',
and went into the one where Mr. Mellish and his
Committee had been previously sitting, and there
theylocked •themselves in. The Freeholders who
remained behind were highly incensed at this out.
rage, and they expressed their determination to
be present at • whatever proceeding, should take
}place; and resolved, if necessary, to hunt 'Mr. ,
Mellish 'iodide Committee from room to room.---
lln' execution of .this design, they proceeded in a
firtp Online to the room •which the Coenter-De-
clarationists had occUpiteres the scene' if their
deliberations. By the. preseure Orstrch a' milli- ,
tude, the door instantly ;gave way, ate 'they
marched tritimphanily in, to the unireisal •terrifi.
cation of the Mellishiltes. This it may' lie 'pee.
sumed caused a lieent-:of tumult which ded not
soon subside. However, in about itwelity"ml.
notes a person Orthe nettle of Thelwill, notelhe
celebrated oratorof thieviente, but a pious and
Reverend ;Clergyman, got'. tsp; ind in e *Heels
which it wet: impossible to hetet-, tnoveft that Sir
Wm. Gibboni shookd be•Celled,tu the Chan..
Sir WM. GIBBONS 'waif sparse tie the 'Chair,
and attempted to reatetheeutitte4Ctfeelnratieve:s •
Mr. M II:LI:TSB -,:-'‘‘,Hertsk''read ! never mkt(
whether they hear yo&-ipr'nut."
'•Sir WM, GIBBONS' th<‘n tons. " . Cal lod
upon toteipress',.iur ablliirrence of those spurious
• doctrines which are iiitlefkrinuely prnpagseel by's
' 46* fertiotts• ifidividukisVgat if ritilent f 1 i IN,,oess
Wetitads manifested at •thete words ]•--.‘ who,
klififier ilionttok lb( itr for tn,96,- [./.llises find groans
totertlepter in4l--a1 sicy -bitdMuot: .1, 'd 't 11 ,re is
nu mask of Rifurua we will het.i.ileforue" lie

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