Loma MAYOR'S DINNERS.—Anotherof the civic feasts took place on Wednesday.
On the right of the Mayor sat Prince Talleyrand and Mr. Hume, and on the left the Bishop of Landaff and the Master of the Rolls.
On the health of Talleyrand being given, his Excellency a the compliment by drinking to the union of England and France. His short speech on the occasion was given in theFrench tongue—"Messieurs, j'ai l'honneur de vous proposer de boire a Punion des deux grands peuples, qui, regeneres et gouvernes par he 'name principe, oft he rare bonheur d'uffrir a l'Europe le spectacle de la liberte protegae par la loi, et garantie par la popularite de leurs Souverains qui connaissent tous les avantages de la paix, et reunissent tons leurs efforts pour la conserver.'' 'Then the healths of the Aldermen were drunk, Mr. Waithman re- plied, that, after what he had recently witnessed, he could now expect no other reward for long services rendered to hisfellow-citizens, than the consciousness of having discharged his duty.
This introduction of his services, and their anticipated reward, seems to have stirred up the bile of his friends ; for when Mr. flume's health was proposed, the announcement was received with hisses—Mr. Hume was one of Sir James Shaw's Committee.
The Lord Mayor said he was sorry to perceive this interruption : whatever difference of opinion they might entertain as to Mr. flume's conduct, they might avail themselves of other times and other opportuni- ties to e.rpress it. At present they ought to bear in mind that he was the guest of the City of London.
Mr. Hume, on rising to speak, was received with the same inauspicious welcome as hii health had been. The member for Middlesex is, however, too old a stager to be put down by retailers of raisins. " If," said he, " I thought that one individual was better qualified than another to fill a particular situation, was I to be prevented from expressing that opi- nion? I now candidly declare, that if I had five hundred votes in the City of London, instead of not having one, as is the case, I should have considered myself a dishonest man if I had acted in any other manner than as I have done."
Mr. Deputy Figgins—" You aint no Liveryman. You hadn't no business in it all. You're no better nor a meddler." (Applause from Alderman Waithman and his friends.) Mr. Hume—" I have the same right to interfere as any other British subject ; and I repeat I would again pursue a similar course, if neces- sary." (Applause from the gentlemen, and hisses from Mr. Deputy Figgins and the other friends of Alderman Waithman.) Soon after this manifestation of City politeness and hospitality, the dinner party broke up.
OFFICE or Ctrx CHAMBERLAIN.—The contest for this office has been carried on for several days with great spirit. The result, however, has been wholly in favour of Sir James Shaw ; who may now be looked on as elected, the poll since Wednesday having been kept open merely pro forma. The numbers declared yesterday were—Shaw, 3,488, Waithman, 2,041. The poll finally closes to-day. Alderman 'Waith- man has made many and bitter complaints of desertion by his old friends during the contest. He seems to think that no man ought to act as a patriot without the prospect of wages ; and that the refusal of the public to give to honesty the reward of a hreling, will prove destructive in future of all public principle. Of such principle, as Alderman Waith- man's now seems to be, it may. His conduct on the occasion of the meeting held to express the opinion of the City on the French Revolution, proved him either a very capricious, not to say hollow friend to freedom, or a very simple gentleman—perhaps both. His backwardness to act and his forwardness to lecture on that occasionwere not forgotten in his canvass for the Chamberlainship. There Wag, however, another and a more valid cause of failure. Sir James Shaw, a man Of strict integ rity and most amiable manners, and, though not a Reformer, at least a consistent and honest politician ; he has, we understand, for a number of years, been looked forward to as Mr. Clarke's successor ; and his fortune is not so large as to render the salary of Chamberlain other than a highly agreeable addition to it. Waithman was regarded as an hi t eta oiler, who, on the strength of a few bad speeches, wished to step between a man and the office for which he had long been training, and which lie was every way qualified to fill. Besides, the disappointed candidate has, its his export question, and in various others, proved himself so notoriously ignorant of the most ordinarily received principles., and even of common arithmetic, that it a-as not without rea- son that Mr. Hume has declared him incompetent to the duties of Cham- berlain. It is an ill wind, however, that blows no paid; Alderman Waithman has declaral himself a convert to ballot in consequence of his failure ; this is one vote more for a go al measure. Ballot might not serve Waitliman much, but Waldman can serve the ballot a little.
R F on m EET NG s.—A meeting of the parish of St. Andrew's, Hol- born, took place on Tuesday, its the Inquest-room. Mr. Blackmore, the churchwarden, was in the chair.
Mr. Fcaron moved the first resolution against rotten boroughs ; in doing whieh, he wok occasion to remark, that—" ballot was the only means of guarding against the undue influence of the aristocracy, and be would say mobocracy too; for it appeared from accounts from Ireland, that Sir Henry Parnell and Sir John Newport, two of the honestest members in the House of Commons—had no chance of being returned at the next cleetion, because they opposed Mr. O'Connell on the ques- tion of the Union. Mr. O'Connell (whose disinterestedness he doubted very much) bad lately boasted that he could command the return of members for seven counties in Ireland. Now this was a power which no man should enjoy in this country ; and he was satisfied that it could not exist under the ballot."
Dr. Bowling, in moving the resolution for vote by ballot, said—" On this, as well as on all political subjects, the present Lord Chancellor is deservedly looked up to as a great authority. Now, this I know, front a personal conversation with him, that his mind has been much shaken by the discoveries of the people on this subject. Only three days before he accepted his present high office, I had a conversation with him, and he then said, I shall henceforward be an advocate of Radical Reform: To which I replied, That by which we Radical Reformers test the ho- nesty of a man, is by the ballot ; for they are the only Radical Reformees who are ready to remove the voter from the influence of hope and fear, so that they may be able to discharge their duty without fear of punishment or expectation of reward.' His answer to this was, 'If I cannot support the vote by ballot, or go to universal suffrage, at all events I Would support a plan which should give every householder an opportunity of freely exercising his opinion.' To this my answer was, 'o far so good ! ' And I have an opportunity of knowing, that within these few days, his Lordship has said, that to the question of the ballot he is indifferent."
Mr. Tooke moved a resolution for the abolition of sinecures. The whole resolutions were carried unanimously. A committee was then appointed to draw up a petition in terms of the resolutions a and the meeting broke up. A ffieeting for a similar purpose was held at the Piazza Coffeeroom, Covent Garden, on Wednesday.
COENTy RATE or ahnnaastx.—The rate is fixed at id. in the pound of gross rental; which will amount to about 17.000!; the rental' is above live millions. By former rates, 22,000/. remains to be collected and 40,0001. additional is proposed to be raised on a mortgage of the aca ailing rates, for the purpose of building a new prison.
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