Common Hall.
The Times, 1824-09-21T00:00:00

* Yesterday a Ceowmron Hait was held, for the putpose of electing a fit and profer person to serve the office of Bridge-matteir, in the 'ootn of Mr. Qalabin, deceased. The attendance of the Livery was more numerous than on anv former occ%sion since the general elec- tion. At. o4e o'clock the' Lord Mayor, accolnpanied by Sir Peter Laurie, Mir. Slheriff' Whittaker, and the Officers of the Cor.ocation, caine in state to the IIusLings. The LoRn iMTAYOR stated the purpose for which he had. conven- edl the hall. flis Lordship then, wvith several Aldermnen, tetirel and left the Livery to their election. Mir. FAVE LL said, the office to which they had now to appoint one of their own bodv did not require a great deal of labour, and thcy had been accustomed to give it to some highly reapected citizen, whose meritorious life, firmness in misfortunes, and necessities, re- coinmended him to their notice. Ile did no more than his duty when he recomnmended Ar. flainwortis v. a fit person in evcry re- spect to receive at their hands the office of Bridge-master. He had beeR unfortunate in business, it was. true. but his character was irs. reproachable; he had a large family, who were dependent for sup- port on the exertions of his friends that dlav. His father was a re- spectabJe tradesman, vho founded the well-known frin of Lee,Wil- son, and Co.. of the 0ld Jewrv, the first gentleman in which firm had served his fellow-citizens with honour as an Alderman, until his years and infirnmities obliged himn togive tip the gown. As his last act in public life, lie was now present to givc his testimony to the worth of Sir. Hainworth. A1ii. l g2, who is a particularly venerable gentleman. then stepped forwa.d anid seconded the motion. He statedl that he bati been ac- quaintedl with Air. lainbwort1i since his infancy, andlhad ever known him to be distinguished for his integrity. Fle began buisiness with a good fortune, of which he was depriTed by misfortunes in trade. iTIr. TrioNIAs Moost eaid-thiat the claims of Air. Gillman, the candidate whom he had to propose, would, he trustel, be considered as superior to those ofeitlher of the others, reqpectable as they doubt- less were. Mrr. -tillman had been amonzst them for 20 years as a Liveryman * he had been I aster of tie Fotinder' Cotnrany, of whicih there was not one man who had seen his conduct that would not now comne forwardl in his support. lie had heen eminent in trade: but bv the re-action which teokplace in 11n5, he lost a large forttie, and his family were ruincd for ever. Ile had a large family of a vwife and six childlren, vho had been driven from a :tation of rank and onulence to onie of extreme necessity. One of his sorts was not only a cripple in body, bitt imbecile in mindl. The I,ivery were al- ways zealous to succour those of their brethren who were respectable in misfortune. They would therefore choosa Mr. Giltnan as an ho- nou.able citizen, who had fallen by a vicissitude to whic;h the most opulent wvere liable, and vhich na foresight could avert. They would prevent hiis days, vhich opened in splendour, being closed on himself and chilMren in destitution and misery. (Loud applause.) iMr. Deputy PuLL.EN seconded the motion. Seioe other ventlemen afterwards severally proposed Mr. Sparks N Molines, Air. G. Slhotler, Ir. T. Dale, Mr. E. Sage, and Mir. Ste- plieni Adams. as candidates. The Sheriffs were about to take the show of lIands in behalf of these several candidates, when lr. Hunt presented himselfin front of the hustines. His annvearance was the sizrnal for it dreadful uproar, and crieq of " Off, off! You have no right to interfere in thc elec- tion." He rwas asked by Sir Peter Laurie for what purpose he wish. eP to address the Livery? Hunt replied, that lie intended to adl. dress them upon the subjeet vwhich thiey were then considering-the election of Bridge-master. Sir Peter Laurie said, that if MIr. Hunt ronfineil himself to that subject, he certainly had a right to speak. illr. Hunt nledghed himself to confine his remarks to that qucstion. Alr. Sheriff' WItTTAK ER then calledl for silence, and htavinigob. tainetl it, heinformcd the Liverv oF the pledge whichi Air. Hunt had Inade, and begged them to give him a patient hearing so loung as he adhered to it. Mr. H7 NT waq about to speak, wheni Mir. SAVAGE, the Common Coumcilman, exclaimed, "Turn hin off: he has nn right to speak * his thune is gone bv !" Ilir. HluV T.-_Fellow Citizens! rhis little getitleman savs I have no right to speak, the Sheriffs say I hlave; which shall we attenil to, the Sherifts or ttic little gentlemnan ? (Loud laughter.) AlIr. [limit thee Proceleie, anit asked what those who hissad him were afraiil of, that they showved themselves so sensitive when lie miade his ap. peL,ance ? Before thev Tnroceeded to thie clection they should in- vestiwate the natulre anti dwities of the officcof which they were about to dispose, in order that they oght judec of the fitness of the candi- dates..a'.il if possible comr to an inanimous vote. It was the dity of the Brid tremaster to receive and keep an account of the income fronm the Brtidge-hotse estates, and pay them over into the liands of the Chamberlain. In fact, he was the represen ative of the Livey,, whose dltty was to managce their" estates, to receive " their" in. onme, anti to pity it over into the hands of i1 their" servant, the Chamberlain. It wvas clear that the property was theirs; anti yet on a former occasign,when he movpd to have their accounts printed, there were persons who had the effrontery to saV that the LiverY hadl no money vrhetever at their disposal. (Hear.) lie conternle(i that no monev coAuld tlej ttls, or cven Ietrallyapplicdl front thescestates with.l oiut the sanctios ofthcLiverv. (Applause.) Ile hoped thatihc Bridge. nactser whom they should iappoint would not hesitate to divulgc to them the state of their property, and let them knowv how their ac- counts stooi1. fie was totIl that the cluties were so eaLy asto reniler the place almost a sinecusre, antI that it oueht to be given to honotir able citizers who hadi fallen into unavoi(lable misfortunes, lie re- joiced that there were sich places to zive to sulch candidat t~._uNov, iHuntit," cried one in the lIall, " why don't you talk about vour blackine ?") V You might suppose," replied the orator in address- ing theHiall, ithat I bad fee'l that nman) to pnillt my blackiig,batt it is too roodl an article. antt nerdq non Puff." (This interruption created1 nmuch amusmenent.)-ifc rejoiced iltat therc werc suCh situations as couldl be given to such nten as hlatl hseen proposed to them, for he could r;atlher see an honest man maintain lhis faintly with the ntonev, than hlYve it eaten anti drark by the rosy-faceil and very intellectital gentry whom ihe saw arounnd him nn those boardls. (Laulghter.) The question was, whether they should give tile Place to a crawling sy. cophant anti hypocritical place-humter, or to;an hnnest man? lie hadl never henrd the names of any of the parties, and persnni. aultsi was unknown to!hemn; but lie hail hcarth ofrone of them, SIr. tillmnan, and it was not perhaps in the knowledge ofthe Livery that that gentlcma:n had, on a creat occasion, acted in a insuLer which diil honour to the city. anii rendered a service to the w1hole coantry. When lie hear(l of that circumstance on ga. tu,lay. he wvas abotit to leave town on imnortant business, but lie negler~.e llis private affairs, gave tip hbhcking, roasted corn. situ errty thing, to come anti give his suoport to the nimin usvio hail acteti firmly and mlared to be honest. (Lislghter and applauso.) The ci.- cuimstanee had not b1Yen mentioneti b y the friends of that gentlemmn, but he di1 iont see why it should not be blazoned forth to his credit, and, s lie wat sure it would be with honest men, to his advantage. Mfr. Gaillman then. he it known, onre stood in t;he situation of fore- man, when a browbeatinv, hullvitin, and corrupt judge, endeavour- edl t) deter n lhonest jury from dlone their dity,-(H-issitiig from all 'parts of the ha1l. with cries cf Off', oft'! yoi are doing Sir. Gillman an injury." Mir. Ilunt was proceeding, when he was in. terrupted by Sir PF.Tr: LAunIE, who said. " Myself and my brother Shie. nfftare the jideae of what is lure orderlv, and we declaTe ryol. Sir, to beotit of order. The conduct of tlie .eiidges does not 'ornt any part of the subject matter before the meeting, and we cannet allow 'niu to go froin tdie question thus to assail any Juidge. I t1)ink (Con- tinized the worthy kniglht, nddlressinz tite Liverv) that you will join tvilh mc in saving, that Mlr. Hiunt has h:id sufficient time to speakc in favour of the candlidate whom he recnnimendi, and that we oxghtt now to proceed to the celction." (Applause.) Sir. FfiNj.T said, lie tvas perfectly satisfied with the decision of the worthyv Sherift. The election was tlhcn proceedeti in, anti a sglow of hands taken, valtich ws lin favour of A!r. (illmian by a conqiderable tnajoritv. The othercanidaidates demannled alpol. and the books wereopertedforone hour, at the exetiTation of which Sir Peter Iuiric declared the numn bers to be as tiolmvs: For Mr. (Gilinman. . . . 172 .Mr. Hainworth . . . 93 Mr r. )toline ..I M or. 1 o on ,, the Chairman of Sit". Gilmnarl's Committee, came forward, aittI begged it to he unilerstood, that thier hatl nothing to do with Alr. Hunt. atid knew tothing of his coming forward ; neit1 er tlid he (Sir. Aloore) know to what it was to whicli that speaker hail thouight proper to alluile. Mfr. OsrT.s.aT.xN andt Mfr. IJAtrNWORT'l returned thanks. The poll continues open for seten days. CONJIYfOAT RALL..