Tavern, in Threadneedle-Street, November 13.

November 13, 1795 At a numerous and respectable meeting, held this evening, at the Antwerp tavern, Threadneedleftreet, convened by public advertisement,

Mr. deputy LEEKEY, in the chair. The following refolutions were unanimously agreed to.

I. That a loyal and refpectful addrefs be prefented to his majefty, by the liverymen, freemen, and others, inhabitants of London; expreffive of their abhorrence of the atrocious and malignant attack upon his facred perfon, and their firm determination ftrenuously to fupport the glorious and happy conftitution of

thefe realms.

II. That a committee be appointed, confifting of the following gentlemen, to withdraw and prepare

the addrefs. Mr. deputy Leekey, chairman. Mr. William Angell. Mr. deputy Birch. Mr. Davis.

Mr. Irvine.

Mr. William Lane.
Mr. Parish.
Mr. Tate.
Mr Watlington.
Mr. White.

The addrefs was prepared accordingly as follows:

To the king's most excellent majefty.

Moft gracious Sovereign, We your majefty's moft dutiful and loyal fubjects, liverymen, freemen, and others, inhabitants of the city of London, whofe names are underfigned, deeply impreffed with unfeigned fentiments of affection for the father of his people, as well as a fenfe of the great importance of your majefty's fafety to the happinefs and profperity of your fub-jects, as forming an effential part of our glorious conftitution, think it - our indifpenfable duty to exprefs to your majetty our indignation and

abhorrence at the late moft atrocious outrages and malignant infults offered to your royal perfon, in going to and returning from parliament.

With extreme concern we have

to deplore, that the minds of any of your majefty's fubjects fhould be fo infatuated and defperately criminal as to imagine and contrive any mifchief by which the facred perfon of your majesty, and therein the invaluable conftitution of these realms, fhould be endangered.

Feeling as we do, that we cannot trace back fuch nefarious attempts to any other source, than to thofe dangerous and feditious meetings and publications which have multiplied in the metropolis and its vicinity, and poifoned the deluded minds of a multitude, till a proper fenfe of the bleffings of the government, under which they live, has been nearly extinguished; we cannot too gratefully own the paterual care of your majefty, manifefted in your late moft gracious proclamations; and we confidently rely on the wifdom of the united branches of our excellent conftitution, in the prefent crifis, to apply fuch wholefome meafures for its own fecurity and permanency, as will long infure the fafety of your majefty's perfon and government, the privi leges of both houfes of parliament, and confequently the happiness of a free and loyal people.

The addrefs being agreed to, it was refolved,

III. That copies of the addrefs be left at the following places, viz. the Antwerp tavern; Star and Garter, Pall-mall; London coffeehoufe; King's Head tavern, Holborn; and Crown and Magpye, Whitechapel; for the fignatures of the liverymen, freemen, and others, inhabitants of the city of London.

IV. That the addrefs, when

figned,

tranfmit it unimpaired to their pofterity; confidering the laws now in force, as adequate to the prefervation of the public peace, and fufficiently coercive and efficacious, even as to the momentous exigencies of the present times: And conceiving that certain bills now pending in your honourable houfe, entitled, "An Act for the Safety and Prefervation of his Majefty's Perfon and Government, against Treasonable and Seditious Practices and Attempts;"--and an "Act for preventing Seditious Meetings;" are utterly hoftile to the true and acknowledged principles of that conftitution they fo fincerely venerate and esteem, and deftructive of the undoubted and facred rights and liberties of the people of Great Britain,-do moft humbly pray, that your honourable houfe will not pafs the faid bills into laws.

Petition to the Houfe of Commons, a greed upon at a Meeting of the Electors of the City of Wefiminfler, in New Palace-Yard, November 16.

Sheweth,

That a bill has been brought in to your honourable house, fubverfive of the liberties which the people of this kingdom, at the period when they transferred the crown of England to the illuftrious family upon the throne, did claim, demand, and infist upon as their true, ancient, and indubitable rights.

That the faid bill is entitled, "An A&t for the more effectually preventing Seditious Meetings and Affemblies."

That the only mode by which your petitioners and the people of Great Britain can exprefs their fentiments, and make their grievances

known, is by meeting together either to inftruct their reprefentatives, to petition parliament, or to addrefs the king. This is their privilege, and fubject to the exifting laws, which have already provided against the abuse of it: your petitioners do in the language of their forefathers, claim, demand, and infift upon the free exercise of it, as their true, ancient, and indubitable right. The allowance and encouragement of free, honest, and open difcuffion of all matters, political and judicial, while it has afforded the fureft controul upon the encroachments of the executive government, has tended moft effectually to fecure the upright adminiftration of justice.

Your honourable houfe is humbly reminded, that the right of the people to fuch meetings is the best fecurity they poffefs against the abufe of power. If they who are delegated to defend their liberties, bafely or corruptly betray them; if they who are fent to watch over minifters become their accompli ces, what may the people do if they may not remonstrate?

By the bill now depending, no meeting can be called except with the knowledge of a magistrate, whofe prefence is made neceffary, not merely for the prefervation of the peace, but for the purpose of controuling the fentiments to be uttered. He is conftituted fole judge of the manner in which a grievance may be ftated, or a right afferted. To differ with him in political opinion is made a breach of the peace; to maintain that opinion is made a riot; and to perfift in it is to incur the horrors of military execution. We truft your honourable houfe will feel a proper degree of refentment against the principle of fuch a bill, as affecting the whole mafs

of

of the people; but we, as inhabitants of Westminster, ftand more efpecially in need of your protection. It is our peculiar fate to be fuperintended by magiftrates who are felected, employed, and paid during pleasure by the executive power.

Your petitioners further beg leave to call the attention of your honourable houfe, to a bill now depending, entitled, "An Act for the Safety and Prefervation of his Majefty's Perfon and Government, againft Treafonable and Seditious Practices and Attempts."

They humbly represent that this bill contains an arbitrary accumulation of treafons, calculated to harafs and opprefs the fubject without adding any fecurity to the perfon of his majefty; that it alfo describes the mifdemeanor at which another of its claufes is pointed with fuch studied ambiguity, as to comprehend in its penal operation, every exercise of the right of examining public affairs, and that this mifdemeanor fo defcribed, is fubjected to a barbarous punishment, which, as applied to fuch offence, is utterly unknown to the mild and merciful fpirit of the law of England.

Under all thefe circumftances, your petitioners, deeply impreffed with a fenfe of the dangers which impend over the peace and conftitution of their country, most earneftly implore your honourable houfe to avert them, by the rejection of meafures, which, by depriving the people of their most ancient and indubitable rights, have a tendency to alienate their affections from the conftitution, and to leffen their refpect for the laws.

Proceedings of the Livery of the City of London, in Common Hall affenbled, Nov. 20,

In a meeting or affembly of the mayor, aldermen, and liverymen of the feveral companies of the city of London, in common hall affembled, at the Guildhall of the faid city, on Friday, the 20th day of November, 1795, " To confider the expediency of inftructing their reprefentatives in parliament to vote against two bills now depending in parliament, for the declared purpose of preventing a public difcuffion of public measures, and thereby tending to deprive British fubjects of their unquestionable rights;" Refolved unanimously,

That the livery of London, firmly retaining that unalterable attachment to the conftitution of this country, as compofed of king, lords, and commons, which they have fo uniformly declared, reflect, with deteftation and abhorrence, upon the abominable outrage which has lately been committed against the facred perfon of the king; and they will each, in his individual capacity, give their beft affiftance to difcover the atrocious offender.

Refolved, That regarding, with equal veneration, the due preroga tive of the crown, and the just rights of the people, as afferted at the glorious revolution; and in the exercife of that privilege, which the livery of London have long enjoyed, they do hereby inftruct their reprefentatives in parliament to vote against palling into law either of the two bills now depending in the honourable the house of commons, entitled, "An Act for the fafety and prefervation of his Majefty's Perfon and Government, against Treasonable and Seditious Practices and Attempts," and, " An Act for the more effectually preventing Se ditious Meetings and Affemblies." (G4) Refolved

Refolved unanimously, That thefe refolutions be delivered to the right honourable the lord-mayor, requesting that they may be figned by the town-clerk, and printed in all the morning and evening papers, and that copies thereof may be prefented to each of the reprefentatives in parliament of this city.

Refolved unanimoufly, That the thanks of this common hall be returned to the right honourable the lord mayor for his upright and impartial conduct in this day's bufinefs.

Rix.

Proceedings of a Meeting held at the Paul's Head Tavern, in Catcaton Street, Nov 25.

At a very numerous and moft refpectable meeting of merchants, bankers, manufacturers, traders, and other inhabitants of the city of London, confifting of upwards of 800 perfons, convened by public advertisement, at the Paul's Head Tavern, Cateaton-ftreet, on Wednesday, the 25th inftant, to take into confideration an humble and affectionate petition to the king, most ardently befeeching him to difmifs his prefent minifters from his prefence and councils, and to adopt measures for the purpofe of fpeedily obtaining for his diftreffed fubjects the bleffings of peace,

SAMUEL FERRAND WADDINGTON efq. in the chair.

It was refolved, (with only 25 diffentient voices) That the critical and calamitous ftate of thefe kingdoms demands an immediate peace; and it is the opinion of this meeting, that his majefty's minifters have loft the confidence of the people.

That an humble petition be pre

3

fented to his majefty, praying that he would be gracioutly pleafed to adopt measures for immediately procuring to his diftreffed fubjects the bleffings of peace, and to difmifs his prefent minifters from his prefence and councils.

That the petition now read be adopted.

That the petition do lie for fig. natures at the Paul's Head Tavern, Çateaton-freet, until Friday next, at 12 o'clock.

That his grace the duke of Norfolk, his grace the duke of Bedford, the earl of Derby, and the earl of Lauderdale, be requested to prefent the fame.

That these refolutions be inferted in the morning and evening papers, and figned by the chairman. SAMUEL FERRAND WADDING

ΤΟΝ.

That the thanks of this meeting be given to the chairman, for his upright and impartial conduct.

To the king's most excellent majesty.

Moft gracious fovereign, We your majefty's most dutiful and loyal fubjects, merchants, bankers, manufacturers, traders, and other inhabitants of your ancient city of London, beg leave to exprefs to your majesty our firm and inviolable attachment to the conftitution of thefe kingdoms, and to your majefty's perfon and house.

But, while we reflect with the moft heartfelt gratitude on the wifdom of our forefathers in establishing and cherishing that conftitution, and their anxious and unremitted folicitude to preferye it unfhaken amid all the perturbations and convulfions of the most unfriendly times, we cannot contenplate without horror and indignation the conduct of your ma jefty's minifters, who, inftead of

proving