The Statesman.
London, England, 1809-10-06 00:00:00

tt.
mitts* individuals who trete *ovredly hotttle to
both, which the Court nem could have done, if
a diem. and illumination' were considered" as" tn.
dispeasible to the carrying into effect their Rase.
lotion. But a dinner, it. seemed, was so eery
:critics object to some Gentlemen in that Court,
that it was almost the only subject on which they
could ever be induced to open their mouths there.
There were several persons who might be seen in
that Court, when a dinner was the subject of de.
bate, who rarely made their appearance in it on
any other occasion—And some he saw who at:
tended the Court at no lime except when the:ab-
ect was connected with eating and drinking—
[ll2ar4 hear! and laughter.] Nay, so power.
f..11v were they attached to those pleasures, that
~.;:en a debate, even on the momentous question
,f a dinner, was protracted—they could not by
Elie means be induced to hear it oat and await for
t:w division--for fear their dinners at horns
should be spoiled by waiting--[4 roar of laugh-
ter.] It might be imagined that he was treat.
inq the subject ludicrously, but he really was
serious, for such had been his actual observe.
flues. The affectation of many of the Mem.
bets of that Covet, in disclaiming all political
considerations with regard to the prescut gum.
lion, he thought perfectly ridiculous ; for to him,
amt he believed to the world, nothing was more ma.
nikst.--it was, beyond all doubt, a mere political
question. He was aware that he had no right to ins.
pole improper motiverto.any of the Members of
that Coen for the intrimlittion of any proposition ;
but he was at liberty to state feet', and when he
should do so, it would-be impossible for the Court
to avoid inferring certain motives in cereal's kali..
ridssals. lie sa* many instances in which those
motives were too palpable, and in which it was most
manifest that the measures brought forward in that
Court, were lb. melt of previous communication
from certain Members of Administration. He
knew that certain Members of that Court had re.
ceived communications from Officers under
Government, wishing them to bring forward
certain measures, for the purpose of serving
misters. He knew many instance.: of that
netere.....some of them had been personally
Communicated to him. [Here Mr. Weithman
was railed on by Mr. Samuel Dixon, and several
ether Members, eo name the individual.] Mr.
W. observed, that such a disclosure by hint would
be wholly unjustifiable, although he was in pos.
be lion of the facts, and possessed considerable in.
formation upon the subject in letters, at that mo.
anent in his pocket—be possessed, in particular, a
certain document applicable to the very subject
now under debate. He had had it some time, but
}e had kept the knowledge of it within his own
t until that moment—The import of it was a
west to certain individuals of that Court, to
Whig forward this measure, obviously for the
purpose of etilling the attention of the public from
their own mismanagement of -public affairs. A
conimuoleallon had Indeed been made to several
persons, long before the Court had any idea what.
ever of adopting the present measure; there were
certain members of that Court who could vouch
for the truth of his assertion.
Mr. S. DIXON'. " Produce your vouchers at
once.),
Mr. WAITMIN replied, that ho was not
*Admixing himself to that Member ; bet weal be
to comply with his requisition, certain indivi.
duals who had communicated these facts to him ice
confidenre, might sustain serious injury.
Mr. WAITHMAN continued-..the fact how.
ever might be received without hesitation. Cer_
tain letters had been written by Gentlemen in high
situations ander Goerrement, to certain Mom.
bens of that Court, intimating, that it was. eve.
cheat to bring, forward a measure in that Cosa
forage neral Illumination —a feast—end all the
variuus ceremonies that had been suggested. He
speciry even the very particulars, bat he
would nrrly elk ' • zenerally to the practice of in.
ft:wining the Members of that Court, in which
ccrlain.Miltister: had been as active as they were
dl' the Caeholle Question, on which occasion, it
was notorious that they had written to Members of
the Court of Common Council, to take an active
part in the dile.ission of that questiorr.—[flear.]
And since he had been so closely praised to din.
close the names of individuals, the would descend
In ow particular, and put a questien to his Lord.
Ship himself—Whether coup he had nut written a
letter to that effect on the occasion ?—(Order
t hair !)
The LORD MAYOR.—I answer you, Sir,
by declaring, on my honour, that I never wrote
a single line on any such subject—[llear ! hear!]
Mt% WAITEIMAN was extremely happy that
he had put the question to his Lordship, w he, he
was certain, could not feel himself offended% as
It had niece him an opportunity of exculpating
himself from such a imputation. It was, how.
ever, by no means a refatattlltt of what he bad
asserted generally: his observations and',
time were in substance true ; and bad
no hesitation in broadly stating, that Ministers
had eseried their influence with certain Mem.
tiers of that Court to promote the present mea-
sure, solely with the hope that the public attention
Might be diverted from the ertentplation of the
disastroas,weab, and incapable measurer of their
slasinistraiion. There was considerable art em-
pluyed by those who had submitted to be the
toots of this artifice, for they had contrived so
to Mend the character of his MASIVIPT with that
et his servants, that it was diScult to keep them
so distind from each other, as was proper in a
public discussion. No man in his senses would
pretend to tell him that this measure was not
brought forward with a view to prevent that
Court from assenting to an Address for an In.
"dry into those iseasteres which had brought so'
much disgrace on his Majesty's Councils within
a eery few months. This Jubilee was merely an
"Pletilent to prevent that measure—and with the
glaring evidence of this fact before their eyes, it
was really astonishing to hear Gentlemen "gravely
Wen the Court that this was a genitive at.
telly indepeadtat of palettes. On a former
neeasioa he had stated that it was reediat
bad a political isamenntro to SCOVelt the ire-1
teal didennistrolien; bet aft am siesta Gen.