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cessary for the restoration of the happiness and character, and for the preservation of the Independence of the Country, in spite of the ma"chinations and the force of all its enemies, do"mestic, as well as foreign!"

This toast was received with the utmost applause. Major Cartwright again rose, and said-" Before I give the next toast, I beg leave to express my happiness in finding, there are upwards of 4000 free and independent Electors of Westminster, who are capable of reading their Bibles, and who are thereby convinced that a man cannot serve two masters. I shall now, gentlemen, give you"THE FREE AND INDEPENDENT ELECTORS "OF WESTMINSTER.-May the noble struggle "which they are now making against the combi"ned power of official threats, of corruption, of bribery, of undue influence, of every sort,

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serve as a practical example to Electors in ge"neral; and may it speedily lead to a perfect re"storation of the Constitution, with respect to

the Representation of the People in the Com"mons House of Parliament !"

This was received with loud and reiterated plaudits.

"The next toast," continued major Cartwright, "which I shall give you, is one which I am sure you will drink with enthusiasm ; but it is a matter of conscience with me, not to give the gentleman's health to whom 1 allude, till I put a plain and simple question to him; I desire to know from Mr. Paull, whether he himself is a friend to

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the cause of Parliamentary Reform? Without this acknowledgement, I will not propose his health." Mr. PAULL, in answer to this question, stated his determined resolution to support such a reform, upon which he was convinced the salvation of the Country depended.

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The Chairman then gave-

"Mr. PAULL-Thanks to him for having given us an opportunity of exercising our franchises, and of demonstrating our indignation at the proscription pronounced by a minister against "an upright member of parliament!"-This toast was given with three times three, accompanied with loud huzzas.

Mr. PAULL, after thanking the meeting, adverted to the obloquy that had been thrown upon him and his friends by the Treasurer of the Navy. "It had been objected to him, that he was not a man of high birth; and that his supporters, for the most part, were not of high birth: He had seen that those who possessed ribbons and stars might be bought, but he trusted that none who now heard him could either be bought or sold. He had risen by his own merits, which was more than they could say. He and sir F. Burdett were the real friends of the King; and he adverted to the instance of James II., who was soon abandoned by all the pensioners and placemen, in 'the moment of trial. If he had been an enemy to the King and Constitution, he expressed his conviction that major Cartwright would have been

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the last man to have taken the chair. object, and that of sir F. Burdett, had been, and was, to make the Constitution in practice, what it was in theory, which, at present, it was not. He exhorted his friends to perseverance, as their efforts ought not to relax while there was a chance of preserving the Independence of Westminster. As to Mr. Sheridan, he would say little of him. The apostacy of this abandoned man had, in the loss of the confidence and attachment of the people, experienced that punishment which it deserved." Mr. Paul concluded, with returning thanks, and proposing the health of sir F. Burdett. This toast was then announced from the chair, in the following words:

"Sir FRANCIS BURDETT-The man of un"blemished virtue, private as well as public, the "sincere and disinterested friend of both King

and People, and the decided enemy of hypocri "tical loyalists, and place-hunting patriots!"

The chairman, after a short interval, announced, that, by a letter which had been just received, he learnt that it was impossible for sir F. Burdett to be present that evening, and therefore he begged leave to return thanks for the cordial and energetic manner in which his health had been drunk. At the same time, he begged leave to make some remarks on the calumnies which had been thrown out against him, as if he was the enemy te his King and Country. He knew his sentiments to be the same as his own, and that he objected to those principles which would destroy the Liberties

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of the Country; but was its sincere friend upon constitutional principles.- (Applause). If sir F. Burdett deserved the odium of his country, for what he had said upon that subject, he (major C.) deserved it in a tenfold degree. He had, for 24 years, been endeavouring to inculcate the principles of defence, according to constitutional principles. He had reprobated the systems which ministers had brought forward; because he had seen, that the destruction of the Liberties of the country was intended. (Loud shouts of approbation.) He had equally reprobated those systems which had been suggested by Mr. Dundas, by Mr. Yorke, and Mr. Windham. On the first occasion of Mr. Dundas's system being circulated, he attended a public meeting in the county of Lincoln, where the magistrates were bringing forward measures to enforce its execution. He opposed it as unconstitutional, and moved, "that every person should provide himself with arms and ammunition, in the mean time; and that there should be a committee appointed to examine into the statute law of the land, to see how a force of free men in arms ought to be organised, and under what laws they ought to act." He had no person to second his motion at that meeting, but as soon as he retired, he wrote to Birmingham for a chest of arms to defend himself and family. (Shouts of bravo!) He had not done these things in secret; he not only stated his opposition before the magistrates, but did it through the medium of the press. He advocated that system which the Constitution

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stitution allows, and which is the grandest system of defence that ever was produced by human invention. With respect to sir F. Burdett, he knew that he perfectly agreed with those sentiments, as he had received from him his cordial thanks for what he did, and therefore he was convinced there was not a man more friendly to his country.After the applauses which ensued had subsided, major Cartwright proposed the following toast:

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"THE INDEPENDENT FREEHOLDERS OF "MIDDLESEX:-May they never forget that 100 mercenaries in the House of Commons, are more dangerous to their Country than 500,000 mer"cenaries, with the Emperor Napoleon at their " head!"

The next toast proposed was

"THE NAVAL AND MILITARY DEFENDERS "OF OUR COUNTRY.-May they be made to "participate in all those rights which will render "public Liberty as dear to them as their military "fame and may their deeds in arms prove here"after, as they have hitherto, that we stand in no "need of the introduction of foreign troops; an "introduction so strictly forbidden by those laws which were bought with the best blood of "" our forefathers!"

Major CARTWRIGHT next proposed the health of Mr. Cobbett, which was received with unanimous bursts of applause.

Mr. COBBETT said, he should have done no more than merely thank the company for the honour they had done him, had it not been for two

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