The Statesman.
London, England, 1809-09-27 00:00:00

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JUBILF;
COURT OF CO‘INION COUNCIL.

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11

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TUESDAY, ShIbTENINO ft 26.
The Court was occupied till near two o'clock,
I;6 transacting business reapecting- the City Estates,
and in debating the right of Mr. Dance to alienate
his office, at the conclusion of which
Mr. Alderman WOOD, m Chairman of 'the
Commit' e appointed to consider of the most pro.
per mimes of celebrating the ensuing Anniversary
of his Majesty's Accession to the Throne, pre-
tested their Ratpore.—lt- stated in substance, as.
the opinion of the Committee, 66 That the Cor-
-4C poratiod should attend Divine Serrice at
66 St. Paul's Cathedral ;—that they should
66 afterwards proceed to St. James's with
a Congratulatory Address to his M.s.
" JESTY. and that the front of Guildhall should
•" be illuminated," hut it was the unanimous
opinion of the Committee, " that it was neither
46 eNpetlient nor necessary that the Corporation
•4 should dine together on that day.—[A loud
ss and almost universal laugh.] Mr. Alderman
Wood then said that, although as Chairman of
the Coanittec, he hail felt it his duty to sign the
Report, he by no means conceived himself pledged
to the support of the propositions which it con.
• tained. So far was he from agreeing to the prin-
ciple, that he held in his hand copies of two mo-
tions, which, howeier, it was not his inten.
tion to press, which were in direct oppo-
sition to the recommen.lation of the Report.
As to the dinner, he had certainty attended the
.Committee with the express view at opposing that.
He had nut the slightest objection to attending at
St. Paul's—nor to going up with an Address, pro-
vided that it oas nut made the vehiele of political
opinions. The illumination be had steadily op-
posed, as itn,.ruper in every point of view ; to
preserve the I.eace of the City was highly im-
portant ; and no man could be so blind as not to
.perceive that, although the resolution of the 'Corn.
mittee confined it to the front of Guildhall, the
illumination there would be the signal fir a gene-
rut and compulsory one throughout this ittinteuse
metropolis.
Mr. GRIFFITHS observed, that the Worthy
Alderman appeared to be irregular, as there was.
no Motion before the Court.
Mr. NI ARRIOTT was surprised that any Gen-
tleman could interrupt another Gentleman in his
Motions.---[A loud laugh.]
Mr. Alderman WOOD replied, that the obser-
vations he was making were prefatory to a mo.
tan ne was about to make ; and he believed he
was by no means irregular, even though he should
consume even. half an hour. The situation of
.the kingdom was in every point of view such as
to render a general illumination little better than a
.I•neral insult. With what sincerity could those
. peva oti obey the mandate to illuminate, whose
' parents, relatives, and friends, hail pe-
.hielted in Spain, or were dying in the Hospitals at
'Walcheren ? lie hoped that the feelings and good
sense of the Corporation would induce them to-
tally to give up the idea of illuminating. In
presenting the Report, he felt it incumbent on
hi* to /novo that such Report should be received,
and the recommendations contained in it adopted
..--but he should hold himself at liberty to state
his objections to such parts of it as he deemed
objectionable, before the question was finally put.
Mr. H ERN E expressed much dissatisfaction
at the Report, which, in his opinion, was directly
mtrary to the sentiments of that Court, when
tie Committee was appointed. But nothing bet-
ter could be expected from a Committee, in which,
with the grossest inconsistency, Gentlemen had
been appointed who were known to be against a
• Jubilee altogether. The propositions were ab-
surd and monstrous : first, they were to go to
Church, and then tl.l were to go to Court, and
Then they were to go quietly about their hilliness.
Was this a testimony of respect from a Corpora-
tion so noted for their [eve of good eating and
drinks',:_ [a laugh]. Instead of meeting toge-
ther, and enj..ying .1 good substantial dinner, and
a glass of good old port, that it should be said of
. the Citizens of London. that they sneaked home,
and finished the day on a mutton chop, was most
monstrous, and would never be believ d by poi-
terity. It was inconsistent with the dignity of
the Corporation, and calculated to throw as
odium on all their proceedings on this important
occasion. It hail been said that attempts wen's
made to bring politics into the discussion. Gen.
• tlemen had indeed no:a made it a political question,
and that of the highest importance....[Peals
laughter.]
Mr. Alderman SCHOLEY was of opinion that
the Committee ought to have prepared an Address,
and presented it to the Court fur their considera-
tion, to ether with the Report.
Mr. GRIFFITHS observed, that he was one
of those wh,. had signed the Report, and he could
toot help observing, that theGentlentan who spoke
last but one (Mr. Herne) had been prejudging
others by the tieasuru of his own conduct. The
duty of that Gentleman had very often called for
his attendance at Church, 'where he (Mr. G.) did
not, how( v••r, remember to have seen him.—
Omit the coarse, we Will not say civic, excla.
illation of " that's a falsity," was heard, on
Which there was a general cry of Order, accom-
. !Relied by very stroug expressions of indignation.]
Mr. KEMBLE intreated the Lord Mayor to
ezet else his authority to repressing those indeco-
rous breaches of decorum ; in which, he could as-
sure him, he would ho frilly supported by the
Cow t.
Mr. GRIFFITHS remarked, that the surprize
of Mr. Bumble at the expression which had been
' Used, would be considerably diminished by re.
11..cting on the manners, character, and education
. of the party from whom it issued.
[Here Mr. G. w ist in his turn called to order.]
He (Mr. G.).hacl as much loyalty as any man,
although it had been insinuated that the Committee,
it not diatu6 at, had recommended measures by
wh ch 14. e City of Lender' would be disgraced.
in his (linden, the Committee had recom.
mended those measures, which, if adopted, would
do butt Our to the City of Loudon. Was a ditinet


TUE S'

the sine qua nun •f a Meeting of the Corporation
of the City of London ? Could not even the
solemn act Of returning thanks to God for the
lengthened life of his Majesty be perforated, with-
out a sticereiling feast ? Was eating and drinking
indispensably connected with every act of the Ci-
tiseus of laumlon iu their corporate capacity ? lie
was a.•hained to hear sentiments so degrading, so
humiliating to the City, which, he trusted, the
good sense of that Court would rescue from the
i►nputatiun of habitual characteristic gluttony
Mr. SAMUEL DIXON was of opinion that
the recommendations of the Committee in the Re-
port should be discussed separately. With re-
spect to a dinner, he was not one. of those who
could see any otteuce to the Almighty in eating a
goof/dinner, ur in drinking a few glasses [Bottles,
said a Member near the bar, In a low tone of
voice] of good red port, (Mrs D's favourite
liquor we presuine.)—Applauses. The greatest
proof of our love, regard, and adoration, was
cheorfa/ness ; and the most effectual way to pro.
mote that was, in his opinion, by a good substan.
tial dinner, and a glass of good zinc, a motion
for which he would second oith all his heart and
with all his soul. [Applauses]. Mr. Dixon
concluded by moving that the Report be read
clause by clause.
Mr. WA !TIBIA N said, that although he had
attended the Committee, and put his name to the
Report, he felt himself whollpt liberty to object
to any of the recommendations contained in it.
Willi respect to the first observation made by a
Member of tkat Court (Mr. Hearn), that many
Gentlemen were appointed to the Committee who
were not favourable to its objects, he should an-
swer, that at least four-fifths of the IN:embers of
the Committee were composed of Gentlemen of
the other side, and that it had always been the cos.
torn of that Court not to choose their Committee
entirely from one party. It was somewhat ex.
traurdeuary that this Gentleman (Mr. Hearn),
who was himself a Member of that Committee,
and attended its proceedings, should now find such
serious objections to the Report, although he
had never stated these objections in the Com.
mittee. By his. attendance, however, in the Corn.
mittee, he most have known that the Resolu-
tions of the ',resent Report had been prepared
not by him, but by a worthy Gentleman (Mr.
Clarke), who very often differed from him in that
Court. Au Honourable and most loyal Baronet
(fir William Curtis) did not attend at the Coin.
ui.•.tee, and was also absent on the present ucca.
sion. This absence &hewed pretty clearly that
here was a point, beyoud which the loyalty of
,he Iloitourable Baronet would not carry Jii:n.

Re, fur his part, had gone so much at laic iwu
the subject on a former occasion, that he felt
some reluctance now to trouble the Court at any
length ; but, although be hoped that he had
briefly brought many most important subjects
under their consideration, still there were many
essential points which he had overlooked.
—When he mentioned to some of his
friends, before the last Court, that it was
his in:ention to come forward and expie-i
his sincere opinion upon the subject, they must
earnestly dissuaded bim from doing it. It was
not that they were not perfectly aware of the art.
ful contrivance from which the business origi-
nated ; they were not ignorant of the calamities
which have befallen the country during the present
reign ; or of the foolery of calling for a day of
rejoicing in a period of unexampled affliction.
They knew that the object of the contrivance
was to set up a cry of loyalty, and throe
the odium of disloyalty upon every uue who
ventured to express a difference of opinion.
Note itiistanding this advic:., he had determined
to speak his opinion. Whatever odium theme
might he attached to opposing an artificial cry of
loyalty, he had never afraid of encountering'
it. As to popularity, if he should cant it, ha
would be content to wear it ; but he never did,
nor ever would decline speaking his real senti,
meets from any view connected with obtaining pre.
pularity. Ile did feel some self.applause in re.
collecting that he had resisted a cry e hich way
Set op from interested motives, and that he had
preferred the risk of beilig impopular. to the
sertion of his duty in that Court as a Itepresenta-
tive of the City of London. With respect to going
to Church, he thought that was a very proper thing ;
but still he vi as a little surprised at the qoarter
from which it was proposed. As to the congra.
/Watery Address, he declared that lie was utterly
at a loss to conceive what topics of congratulation
could be selected, and he should think it a must
puzzling thing to shape any Address of Congra-
tulatiosi without filling it with the most gross and
infamous falsehoods. When his Majesty first
ascended the Throne, we were a free, happy,
and united people, and our public affairs were
managed by the great Lord Chatham, the
ablest Minister this country ever produced. The
Laves then amounted to very little more than seven
millions ainsually, whereas they have now in.
creased"to seventy millions.- In the commencement
of the reign, the union and happiness of the people
were much disturbed by the squabbles of the Go.
vernment. During Mr. Wilkes's time, or until
the commencement of the American war, he could
see no subject of congratulation. Passing over
then the earlier years of his Majesty's reign, and
coining directly to the American war, he must
gay that this was one of the most wicked 414 ca.
lamitous wars that ever the country had been en-
gaged in ; that all the objects of the war,
and America itself, were lost ; and that the
debt of this country was increased to a pro.
digious extent. lle could say more—that
he believed that all the evils which have over-
rnn the Continent of Europe, and reduced this
country to great thug r, might be directly traced
to the wicked policy which dictated the American
war. He therefore could not see room for con-
gratulating his Majesty on that portion of his
reign which went down to the dismemberment of
the Empire, and the loss yf America. If we
were to came to more modern times, and look
at the history of the last 16 years, we should
find that this country has been involved in a
Must bloody and 'calamitous war, for an object
which 'the &tilde never understood. The Cuuts-