KINGSTON UPON HULL.

This meeting was held on Wednesday, April 19, Andrew Hollingworth, Esq. Mayor, in the chair; when it was resolved unanimously :

That it is the duty of this meeting to express their detestation of the corrupt practices proved to exist in the military administration of the country, and in various other departments of govern

ment.

That Gwyllim Lloyd Wardle, Esq. by his intrepidity in preferring charges of corruption against His Royal Highness the late Commanderin-chief, and by his ability and perseverance in establishing the same, is eminently entitled to the thanks of this meeting, and to the everlasting, gratitude of his country.

That the thanks of this meeting are also due to Lord Viscount Mahon and John Stanniforth, Esq. our representatives in Parliament, to Thomas Thompson, Esq. our fellow townsman, and to Lord Viscount Milton, and William Wilberforce, Esq. the Representatives for the County of York, together with the rest of the independent minority, for their votes and exertions on this occasion.

That this meeting, seeing the shameful venality that prevails in the different departments of the

state, and also, as has been recently evinced, in the disposal of East-India patronage, feels it a duty to state their conviction of the necessity of a complete change of public measures, of the abolition of reversionary grants, and unmerited pensions, and sinecure places, and of the restoration of the purity of parliament, according to the genuine principles of the Constitution.

BEVERLEY

Meeting was held in the Guildhall, on Wednesday, May 3; Richard Fox, Esq. Mayor, in the chair:

It was Resolved unanimously, That this meeting, deeply deploring the too evident existence of abuses and other practices of evil tendency in various branches of public affairs, do highly approve of the firm and independent spirit evinced by Gwyllim Lloyd Wardle, Esq. in instituting and steadily prosecuting the inquiry into the conduct of the late Commander-in chief, and that by his patriotic exertions he is deservedly entitled to, and has, the thanks and gratitude of this meeting.

That the thanks of this meeting be presented to John Wharton, Esq one of the representatives of this Borough, for his support upon the said inquiry;

and to William Wilberforce, Esq. and Lord Viscount Milton, the members for this county, together with the independent minority, for their votes and exertions on that occasion.

R. Fox, Mayor.

SHEFFIELD MEETING

Was held at the Cutlers' Hall, on the 11th of April, and adjourned from thence to Paradise Square on the following day. Upwards of 6000 persons attended the meeting. Mr. E. Rhodes was in the chair.

Mr. Thurgar moved the resolution in favour of Mr. Wardle, and concluded a very ingenious and argumentative speech in nearly these words:

"I think no person can doubt, that the inten tions of Colonel Wardle were upright and honest; that he brought them forward from an anxious desire to do his duty to his constituents, and to serve his country. If ever there was a circumstance, which more than another entitled an individual to the thanks of his fellow-subjects, that circumstance was the one alluded to in the resolutions, and that individual was Colonel Wardle: under that impression, I give my most hearty assent to the resolution."

Mr. Thomas Rawson warmly supported the resolution.

A separate resolution, thanking Lord Milton and Mr. Wilberforce, was then voted.

Upon moving a vote of censure upon ministers and their adherents, the Rev. Rich. Lacy, a magistrate for the county, made the following spirited observations: "This inquiry has not only exposed the corrupt connivance of a Royal Duke, but it has clearly evinced to the world the corruption of Ministers.-Look, gentlemen, to the majority who voted in defence of the innocence of the Royal Commander, and you will behold a band of soldiers, placemen, and pensioners. With unblushing effrontery those guardians of our privileges have disclaimed all attention to the popular voice. If the voice of the people, which from the days of Mr. Pitt dare scarcely be heard above a gentle whisper, is not to be attended to, of what use is Magna Charta? Of what utility are our elective franchises? Of what service is our House of Representatives? The late change of ministry, gentlemen, is no doubt fully in the recollection of you all. How stood then the popular cry with these patriotic hypocrites, when, "Down with Popery" was the order of the day? But now, when down with corruption is the cry, the ministerial myrmidons scorn to be braved into political virtue, though it is the voice of the people. The great may be compared to edifices erected on the summit of a

hill, and consequently seen from afar; they are as flaming torches, whose splendour exposes and betrays them to public view; they are as public pageants, on which every eye is fixed; their manners form the manners of the people; their examples are the rules of the multitude; for we wellknow it is human nature to copy those above us. Under this infatuating spell, the city forms its manners from the court-the town soon adopts the pernicious excesses of the city-the humble village quickly inhales the pestilential contagion, and the cottager, who would otherwise have been, if not an ornamental, at least an inoffensive, member of society, is brought by bad example before his country's tribunal, convicted and condemned: for crimes, of which, under a more palliating* name, his superior is pronounced innocent.

"Such, gentlemen, were the sentiments which flashed on my mind, on hearing an observation made by one of my parishioners to another. It was about the period when rumour was extremely busy with reports, that Parliament, instead of censuring, intended to thank the Duke of York for his late conduct. But I must first premise, that › when the ignorant get hold of a tale of this na◄ ture, they seldom take the trouble to inquire for what the thanks are due. Well, neighbour, what I have often told you is at length proved to be true? Religion is merely a bugbear to frighten