August 2nd. A common hall was held for the purpose of getting up an
address to be presented to Queen Caroline. Mr. Alderman Leman presided,
and Mr. Sheriff Taylor introduced the subject, declaring that their duty
was not merely to vote an address to Her Majesty on her accession, but to
protest against the proceedings adopted by His Majesty’s ministers,
against her “whom we ought to honour as our Queen, and esteem as a
woman.” He denied the imputation that this meeting was held for factious
and seditious purposes. He reviewed the various charges which had been
brought against Her Majesty, and mentioned several instances of noble
conduct on her part. He regarded the erasure of her name from the
liturgy as a gross insult, and spoke of the firmness, and sagacity, and
judgment which characterised her determination to return to England. He
reminded his hearers of the enthusiasm which attended her entry into
London. But no sooner was she arrived than a large green bag was laid on
the table. Now he had an instinctive horror of a green bag, as he had
once the honour of occupying a small corner of one. He then challenged
the ministers, through Mr. Coke, to prove any one of the charges brought
against him in the green bag; and he received an answer that it was all a
mistake, and that Norwich should not have been inserted. The resolutions
were carried by acclamation, and he afterwards presented an address to
the Queen at Brandenburgh house.
There was but one opinion here as to the character of George IV., and
with respect to the Queen, all the world agreed that she was much to be
pitied. Men’s passions were so strongly excited, that whichever side
they took, whether for her or against her, her conduct was viewed through
a false medium. Nothing showed this more strongly than the behaviour of
the two parties upon her death. The blue-and-whites, many of whom had
never put on black for a royal personage before, were to be seen dressed
in black and white, while on the other hand the orange-and-purples, not
content with appearing in their ordinary attire, flaunted about in the
gayest colours.
December 12th. In consequence of the numerous robberies committed in the
city and county, public meetings were held, and resolutions passed to
grant high rewards to watchmen who might apprehend offenders. More
burglaries had been committed in that year than in the preceding twenty
years. Increased poverty had produced crime, and the “Old Charlies” were
of little use.
* * * * *
1821. March 7th. E. T. Booth, Esq., (sheriff) was elected an alderman
of Great Wymer ward in the room of the late William Foster, Esq., who had
died on March 3rd. There was an opposition; at the close of the poll the
numbers were, for Mr. Booth 444, Mr. R. Shaw 433.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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