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268 State of Public Affairs.
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Transcript
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Lit Various Period , Different Questions...
deerned to he insults on tne House ; and in this censure are involved the petitions of the county of Middlesex , of the city of London , and of Major Cartwright ; but the petitions of the cities of L anterturyand Worcester , and of the towns * of Liverpool and Reading , have been received , and the proceedings on these petitions have led to important results . At the meeting for tire y county of ^ Middlesex , there was scarcely a dissentient voice to the proceedings . The address to Sir Francis Burdett was directed to be presented to him by the sheriffs and the members ; and , in consequence , the sheriff waited on him in hi >
statecoach , and was accompanied by Mr . JByng , the member , the other member declining this honour . The agreement of the county at the meeting mortified several persons of the contrary side of the question , SLnd they called a private meeting at the freemasons Tavern , to counteract it . notices being sent round
to persons in whom they thought they could confide , to come themselves , and to bring what freeholders they could depend upon with them . The con equence ivas , that a notice ftll into the hands of some gentlemen , who brought with them so large a body of friends , that the original movers of the business found
themselves in a minority . Their resolutions were scouted , and they got together in a small private room , where about half a dozen of them pretended to form a meeting and to draw up an address , which was to be palmed upon the county as a declaration o £ its sentiments . To get subscribers to this address was
the next point , and every art was used upon the occasion which might be expected from the manner in which the meeting was planned , and the address was passed . The persons who signed it will , however , give no weight to tjie measure , as , in point of number , they
bear no proportion to that of the free * holders who will not sign it , and when Out of the lists are tajien all those who a ^ c looking up to the good things of government , either a $ placemen , contracr tors , ship license holders , <& c . & c . & c . the mutilated catalogue will be held in contempt .
The city petition gave rise to a similar line of conduct . A very numerous comdon-hall w ^ is hoJden , and it was agreed to with almost perfect unanimity * An address to Sir Francis Burdett was voted , and it was agreed that it should be pre-
Lit Various Period , Different Questions...
sented to him by the sheriff and a deputation of the livery . In consequence , the sheriff went in his state-coach , and was followed by a large body of the livery to the Tower , where he was received at the barrier by the Earl of Moira , the governor , who conducted him to the ^ parade before the apartments
of Sir Francis Burdett , who came down to them , and the company forming a circle , the sheriff presented the resolutions and address , with an appropriate speech , and received in return a most dignified answer . The whole account
t j * was afterwards printed . The earl then attended the sheriff back to the barrier , where he took a polite leave of him , and the company , and the procession returned in the same order us it came , to
Guildhall , accompanied by immense multitudes , expressing their approbation by reiterated shouts of applause . The malcontents of the city not being able to meet their opponents in the common-hall , determined to have a
surreptitious assemblage in the London Tavern , and called together by private notices those they thought they might depend upon . But in this measure they were baulked ; for one of them fell into the fiands of Mr . Waithman , a most
active and spirited member of the city , and he attended the meeting , where it soon appeared that the majority was on ¦ his side of the question , and the ma icontents formed a sort of seiect committee in a private room , where they drew up an address and put it forth for signatures . A considerable number of names
was soon affixed to it , and it is said that they are to be analysed , and the game re . uh will follow as in the case of the Middle ^ tx address . A complete proof x > f this appeared in the rejection of the city pttition by the House of Commons * for another common-hall was soon after
holden , and the leaders of the malcontents appeared Jit itiand took especial care thar ' none but the livery should be admitted Mow , if there had been any zeal in the signers of this address , there could bfc . no doubt that a sufficient num * bi r of them rni ^ ht have been collected in thf hail ; luit with , all the efforts of th < ° leaders , they could not be brought
to hoid up their hands in opposition to the resolutions , which passed almost unanimously , as did the petition to rhe House of Commons . In fact , } &**& cannot be a doubt that , if * he city of London could he fairly polled , and »<*
268 State Of Public Affairs.
268 State of Public Affairs .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), May 2, 1810, page 268, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/mrp_02051810/page/52/
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