Star. — London, England, 1819-09-23 00:00:00

..hr which Oligiichl is equal in its efforts to disgrace the' , d r ender oblioxious our Prince, as it is indefatigable K ne, 3n its exe rtion. to opprdess and enslave the 'People. fi. That the charge our Prince has been advised to make late p roc lamation, against the Reformers, is with-nit any , clie g ion in truth, and Must ha v e been given for the vile pur ,f ga ming the minds of the Reformers against their lawful igri, in o rder to afford the Borough-mongers another up. of deeriving many of liberty, and probably of life h .:. , c hile We, the Reformers, have invariably proved our the most loyal of h is Maiesty's Subjects, inasmuch as we po sed to corruption, alike the enemy of Prince and Peo for, as the strength and glory of our Prince proceeds from tran gth of his People, and as the People are strew , in pro yn as they are free, every effort, therefore, we make to pre aer Freedom, is at the same time an effort to increase the ,„;:h of our Prince ; aevey successful effor we make to F anlost additional I cany : :a s upport the 'lntone of our Monarch. Mat, considering how the great and the opulent have tr: ,, op posed, or sneakingly secluded themselves from the v olous and meetings of the People—anxious only to display t'aicalte in venal and fulsome Addresses—we conceive that p e ople are wider obligations to any who now stand forward gland advocate their cause. That for the more effectually promoting the cause of :1 1 Reform, and guarding our Fellow-Countrymen front e,;.llinations of Spies and Police Incendiaries, and that the dins of the Public may no longer be said to be the act ir on individuals, we deem it advisable that persons should k ta lly and openly chosen in each district throughout the , w, a nd appointed guardians over t h e ir res p e c tiv e f ri e nds :lectors, to act as mediatorabetween the King and the Peo ci forwarding Petitions, Remonstrances, &c. to their re destinati ins ; and to promote the Peoples' cause and in • is all ways to the utmost of their power, that we may the be freed from those despicable men, who now threaten e solationiu our country; and that particular regard be had choice of men of probity, wisdom, and firmness • :VI. That this Meeting views with indignation and abhor -the outrage and murders cominiued at Manchester on the August last, and declare that they will never rest satisfied, i s ? erpetratoraof such wanton - and horrid acts of cruelty re.b:;:ohl to justice. tub. Mat the conduct of Henry Hunt, Esq. throughout ofic life, and mute especially previous and subsequent to swung of the Path August, 1819, at Manchester, is such es the praise and thanks•of all true friends to rational and demands that our sincerest pledges of support be • aim, both in person and in puree, to enable him to seek obtain jto :ice for the injuries he and our friends had inflicted then on that day. a lA. That out Catholic Brethren of the United Kingdom ! vested strenuously to unite with • us, for the p of ' ca•iperation 43 the great and glorious work of • from all our mutual grievances. chi" and rniillinns ; wit. That a Subscription be entered into nowt for the Pur of ! , eivg sent to the General Fund, which is collecting to • :bole wretches who perpetrated such horrid deeds at Man- to justice." T: . .e Resolutionsl?eiag read, Mr. WILLAN said, be , they are put to the vote, I beg leave to address a words to you. I never had an opportunity of rc:ing before such a mass of Englishmen, panting :c liSerty ; but I trust the flame burns bright in all hearts. Much has been written, and much has teas, on the Constitution. It has been said it WIZ of King, Lords, and Commons. Ido not roan to contradict it; but, from the present asser- ion of the enemies of Parliamentary Reform, it *p eas it does not. They tell us if we, the Commons this nation, were represented, the band would be hosed, and the country destroyed. Were we, by turcising our natural rights, to dissolve the civil Compact, it cannot be a compact of King, Lords; .d Commons; and, if tt is & compact of King, Ids, and Commons, 'Commons include all but Rat are on the parish. A man of 10s. a week is a ommoner. But they want to establish a fourth, to call it King, Lords,Commens, and the lower , der—(Applaute);—ar; if Tou like, in the classical I gue ct Burke—the swinish multitude! But we of the Commons ; it is our station, and we claim •r natural rights. Remember, the story of the etonsket used to be . .applied to a haughty Nobi lity. Those who would 10 it over us say, we are a taperiur class; they are bat the common. people. Iley say they ought to goVern us ; we say we ought lo govern ourselves. The''' . lay, the sacred right of Reny would be destroyed; we. say, the sacred rill of property is destroyed ; and they who pretend lobe the'Commons ef England are amongst those who have destroyed it. But a revolution has taken puceinpublic opinion, and common sense seems to ler sway with men who have been led by the nose, 1y what they call loyalty. • I look at the conduct of the people ar Oldham. They have laid aside their ms !;earing. Well may our oppressors say, we are ift for nothing, btu for them to wipe their feet on ; bat when we prove to them that common sense is an guide—when we deny all violence, and endea- VDU: to do as we would be done unto, then shall we re. , in the moral scale, and, if we act as men, who rethey that dare use us as brutes? The poor have 'Pressed themselves--thousandi and tens of thou sands have licked the dust, and bedewed the plain sith their blood, to raise a hero to fame--(Criss Ike will do so no more).--1 am glad to hear it, and remember, when poor people's children cease to go for soldiers, heroism will be at an end; we have sere and felt the evil effects of our folly, we are on the stool of repentance, and I trust it will be sincerp, or 4 that we shall do so no more. Tee CHAlRNlAN—Gentlemen, you have beard the llesolutions, and it remains with you whether they oto pass or not ?—(Th ree Cheers). The Resolutions were agreed to unanimously.. %Joan' BLACKBURN .— In times like the presents 'then Ministerial, and Magisterial, and Military dee- Xlisen are displaying all their terriZ a lappearances, d hav e a l rea d y drawn their d readful sword, and ii_eatlled it in a part of our fellow-countrymen, it Incses every Briton, in whose veins remain the least 'IOI blond, or in whose breast is the least spark nglish freedom, to come forward boldly, and c l rgeously a ,l vocate t h e cause o f F ree d om an d L "l; ;Isis being the case, I need snake no apo- Ty for hamducing myself to your notice. The it ) il'inary 5k...,J which has cau s ed us to come toge talt44i), is oi.c tii a t di sgraces the history of Britain; 11 Ind a parallel, we must go hack into ages of barbs is twu one left upon record, except that of the :9Pd - thirsty Herod, who caused all the children of '4lehem, 5 (Ail two years old and under, to be wur °7d- I are we to be delivered from such arbitrary 4 , cr i c i P"wers? .. By a full and fair Representation for had we been 'represented, this san s “rl 4 1,f ; , ld never : have been committed in this Ile need only take notice, that Yorkshire, 1 1 : „, R utland, the smallest county, send me numla?p of Members to Parliament ; while the tivoniite seat of an Oligarchy, sends Parliarnsint as Yorkshire, Rutland, and to,-,,..ther. Old Sarum sends too Members ~" "mem, and other insiguificant Boroughs send ',twister. Oldborough, in Yorkshire, sends .1. " 111 %c to Parliament, and Ripon, a small market torn, sends two. I should hare said, Gen- I tlemen,Miss Lawrence sends them, that the people of Rip on do not send th em ; an d, t h ere f ore , we may at tribute to this cause the introduction of the Corn Laws, for one of the Members for that Borough, I 'believe, introduced that measure. You will agree that these things should not be ; it is the right of l every Englishman to b e f u lly an d f air ly R e p r e s e n ted ; then I hope you agree with me, that Parliaments ought also to he of a shorter duration than that of the Septennial Act, that Suffrage should be Universal, that is to every sane person of the age of 21, the Elective Franchise should be extended. How is this country to be preserved from the present faction, if the greatest part of its population is to be denied their Elective Franchise ? Such scenes as have passed in Manchester, must soon pass in various parts of the kingdom, if the present system should continue. I hope, then, that you will firmly join your voices, in order to make known your dissent from the measure, and join in a cool, yet firm voice, to deirtand your le gitimate rights. I would direct my voice to those who profess Whiggism and moderate Reform—l would say to those Gentlemen, if you wish Anarchy on the one hand, or Military Despotism on the other, to be established in this kingdom, then hold your p'eace, join not with us in the laudable cause of Re form ; but if you wish the country to be preserved from both these extremes ; if you wish the People to be Represented, and the King to enjoy his Prero gative, come forward and join ns fix the laudable cause. I would direct my voice towards the large Manufacturers, and I would say tcsthiin, if you wish the Manufactories to be destroyed, and the labouring classes, and the middle Manufacturers to be driven out of the country ; if you wish to send our commerce and trade away, then dissent from us, Five your voice against Reform : but if you wish our Trade and Ma nufactures to flourish, it you wish to keep our me chanics at home, all societies to prosper, come, like men, unite your voice with us, and in a calm and re solute manner demand a Reform ; such a Reform as shall put every man in possession of his just rights. There is another class of persons that I would desire to address, that is the Ministers of the Gospel ; but, mind you, I don't mean such men as read the Riot Act upon the steps of a certain house, in a secret man ner, that they might have occasion for an excuse in shedding the blood of their countrymen—(Hear.)— No, friends, my voice is directed to those men who wish well to their country, who regard the laws of their peaceful master, that hate every false way, that warn the people against every vice ; I call upon them to join with us in the general voice, and not to charge the people who are placed under them, from joining or sanctioning the cause of Reform'. Do they wish to put an end to the most diabolical and wretched bribery and corruption that ever disgraCed any kingdom in the world? Let them then declare it, by sanctioning the cause of Reform. Look at our present Elections, see their beastly drunkenness, their wretched bribery—read the accounts of the last Par liament, there you see such bribery as disgraces the basest of mankind. Look at Penrhyn, where it is said a certain Divine was engaged to negotiate for a ma jority of the Electors. It is said that £6OOO was given to 15 Electori to secure their votes. The •Borough only contains 29. I direct my voice to all Radical Reformers, and friends of freedom now around me, and in all parts of the land—l say'to them, let your eye be 'single, then your body politic will be full of light; you •have one object, and only one object; I advise you to have in view a Radical Reform in the Commons. House of Parliament; all other subjects I advise you to give up, if you have had any idea cf them; we want no more, let every object be disbanded, and this one object kept in -view. You have been charged with wishing to esta blish Deism, I trust that this charge is not well founded ; all questions of theology I would have you to set aside; politics is what yotf ought to have in -view, and particularly Reform in the Commons, House ; leave all subjects of a minor nature to be: discussed by those who despise the cause; I say, at; the same time, embrace every object that tends either, more or less to advance the cause of freedom, and to restore you to your political rights, as such I advise you to abstain from all exciseable articles, and by that means you will deprive your oppressors of their means to oppress. Will you spend your money in order to purchase instruments to cut you up; or will you spend your money with those persons in whose hands is a weapon to slay you ?—(Cries of" No, no") —I trust the hint is sufficient, and that you will take it ; " I speak as unto wise men, judge ye what I say" —(Loud cheers). Mr. JOHN Ssirrnsost—Mr. Chairman and Gentle men, when I view this large and peaceable assembly . —when I contemplate the unparalleled distress and privation that has caused such an immense mass of people to meet together, and when I look round and can neither see an Alderman nor a Merchant coming forward to take the lead in this important business (I beg leave to say I do not see a merchant of this town—l have not the opportunity of knowing all the Gentlemen that have done themselves the honour of addressing you), I have the vanity to hope the ab sence of such men will be an apology for me intro ducing myself. But why is there so much back wardness in men who would do honour to themselves and their neighbours? Why will they not come for ward to assist you in removing the load which lays so heavy on their own shoulders? I warn my poli- I tical opponents, those honest men, of whom 1 know there are some, not to trust the guidance o f their 1 opi nions to the under operators who stand at the•helm. I warn all classes of society, not to trust to those, whose business is to amuse the mind and beguile the attention of the patient, while the Ben oughmongers dose is swallowing—depend on it, you had better trust your own judgment,than depend on either of them, for while one party rings the alarm-bell of revolution, the other prates about moderate Reform, to take your attention from the main obj ect,while both laugh at your credulity. Awake from your lethargy, you who have any thing worth your preserving—leave such men to keep fish ing in troubled waters, condemning men when they are in danger, and applauding them when tle storm is blown over—let them remain grovelling among the quicksands of inconsistency till they are brought to reason, by being dashed against the rock of eternal truth, or politically drowned in the waters of public opinion. I am not speaking for a Party, I am speak ing for a Public. The blood of the slain, the gaping' wounds ) the dreadful groans of your dying brethren and sisters, plead your cause, and bid you now take' your own ground and keep it ; that ground is on the rock of Universal; Civil, and Religious liberty ; Major Cartwright's Bill, or a proof you have !to right to it. Stick to this, and yoti have nothing to fear ; lose it, and England will stand a chance of being I dismembered, and being sold in lots to a number of; Continental Robbers. Think to what a state are we come; the despotism of Faction has been succeeded by the despotism of Law, And the despotism of the Sword has entered ; the Liberties of the World are in the hands of the Paupers of England. Think not that I mean to insinuate that none but paupers are our friends : we have some of the most enlightened men in the world on our side—( Hear, hear, hear). There is no argument to cope with hunger, and if you are soothed into a moderate Reform, this land of shopkeepers will become the bedlam of the world. Gentlemen, the greatness of this project, the danger of taking one false step, and the fatal consequences that would follow, overwhelms my mind. I know to what obloquy I expose myself. I have not, with out reflection, taken upon myself this responsibility ; but seeing as I have done, men prejudged before trial, and when the door of the Bastile was closed upon them, it was forced upon me by an imperious sense of duty ; and if the people of this country are to become " hewers of stood, or drawers of water," to men who care little about their interests, I am clear of this great transgression; and if in common with my countrymen, my children are destined to yoke in with negroes ; or if they are lodgers and be slaves to householders, they will have this for their consola don—they will be able to say, our father was not guilty of bringing us into this state. * Then go on peaCeably, and if you meet with opposidon, regard it not ; follow the example of our friends at Manchester. The CitAtrtmAs.—Gentlemen, it is necessary to apprize you, that Sir Charles Wolseley was wrote to, and it is supposed the letter has never reached him. He then read Mr. Hunt's answer as follows : " Sts—Tour favour of the 11th inst. has this moment reached me ; I have neither any letter nor parcel from you before. It is impossible for ine to attend your . Meeting at Lteds, although I wish you every success in the holding of it. I shall be engaged in bringing the Manchester murderers to justice, and unless the people of England join hand, heart, and pocket, their property, their liberty, and their lives, will be at the foot of a military despotism." Mr. MITCHELL called upon the Meeting to observe that their worthy friend, Henry Hunt, the moment he got the letter from Leeds, that moment, though so busy with the endeavours to bring the perpetrators of the horrid deeds at Manchester to justice, he sat down instantly to answer it, and what says he? He says, unless the people of England join hand, heart; and pocket to du this, to bring them to justice, their property, liberty, and their lives, will be henceforth at the foot of a military despotism. What ought to be done here? particularly so when the whole country are pouring forth their mites as fast as they can, to bring the wretches to justice ; what ought to be done now ?—(Cry V —A subscription.) Aye, I think so, I need not repeat it myself, it would be a dereliction not to suffer it to pass into a Resolution. It was immediately passed with acclamation, and a large sum of money was then collected, which Mr. MITCHELL placed on a Chair, and• drew it in front of the hustings, saying—" Gentlemen and Fellow-Conn. trymen, I hope, if I have taken aliberty to-day, by introducing this subject, that the proceeds will amply excuse me ' (laying his hand . on the money collected), saying, " Here is the needful; Gentlemen; it is this that enslaves us, and without it.we have found we can by no means get our freedom. -In this large pile there is a great quantity of silver." He. conducted by stating that' he knew Englishmen would sonttir bute their last mite, and shed the last drop of bkreif, to save their country—(Cheers.) - - Mr. MeecnELL proposed a Vote of Thanks to Sir Charles Wolseley, Messrs. Harmer, Pearson, and Denison, for their Manly exertions in the cause of the persecuted Reformers ofManchester ; and. the propo sition was'adopted with acclamation. A motion of Thanks to Mr. Hunt, the steady, intre pid champion of liberty, - was agreed to with the mcst 'signal display of enthusiastic approbation , . Thanks were also voted to Mr. Cobbett, accom panied by the expression of a wish for his speedy re turn to England. Upon the proposition of a Vote of Thanks to Mr. Banks, the Mayor of Leeds, for his uniformly kind and humane conduct towards the people, Mr. CHAP:- MAN said, that he felt peculiar pleasure in putting this motion, as he understood that this worthy Magistrate, instead of evincing the arrogance of power, consulted the wishes of the people, and maintained the cha racter of the laws—(Applause). The motion was agreed to with the warmest testi monies of approbation. Mr. MITCHELL proposed Thanks to Mr. Chapman, the Chairman ; and the motion being adopted with acclamation, Mr. Citarstaw returned thanks, expressing the pleasure he felt in meeting the esteem of his country men, and declaring his resolution always to maintain the rights of his country—(Loud plaudits). A proposition for abstaining from spirits, wine, tea, beer, tobacco, and all exciseable articles, as far as possible, was adopted with the most expressive evi dence of •resolution, several in the crowd exclaiming upon the first mention of it, " We have abstained for some weeks, and we are determined to persevere; 'our enemies shall not be furnished by us with the l, means of supporting their system of oppression." Mr. WiLwor (of Dewsbury) said, that he, for a considerable time, had used agrimony tea, in prefor ence to that so heavily taxed, and that his tea wzs sweetened by the reflection that it contributed nothing to the produce of the Taxes, or the support of the Boroughmongers--(App/ause:.). A Resolution was also passed, That the Thanks of the Meeting be given to the Female Reformers, who' have so boldly and nobly stepped forward, to join in emancipating the country from that cursed Faction that was clamming them and their infants for want of bread. The CHAIRMAN said, I doubt not this will meet your approbation more than any other, as they arc your wives, your daughters, and your sweethearts — (Immense applause). The Meeting broke up about half-past six o'clock, without the slightest disorder. . After the Meeting had closed, the Committee, with whom the Requisition originated, dined together, and spelt the evening .iu a .very rationally -convi visl maser. LEEDS, SEPTEIVBER2I.--Ten7p. tn. FROM OUR PRIVATE CORRESPONDENT. I am happy to say, although such serious appre. hensions were entertained yesterday, the night passed off quietly ; and the peace of the town and neigh bourhood still remains unbroken. The great bosly of the Reformers, after the Meeting, travelled to their respective homes ; but several large prrties of the most respectable among them, met afterwards at-dif ferent houses in this town, where Suppers had beet provided for them, and where they kept it up untila late hour, although, it is said, they abstained from all exciseable liquors ! The Female Reformers have become .extremely numerous, and are rapidly augmenting their num ber—as is the case also with the other sex: During the Meeting yesterday afternoon, upon Hunslet Moor, about the middle of the business, much alarm was created, and serious mischief had like to have been the result i a silly peison, on horse 4 back, rode furiously on the Moor, and spread an un. . _ - , founded report that the cavalry were approachieg to disperse the Meeting. Considerable alarm and panic prevailed for a short time, and there was a great rush among the crowd. It was, however, soon disk covered to be a hoax, and order was shortly restored, During the confusion several persons were thrown down, but no material injury was sustained by any one. The three troops of Dragoons stationed here were in readiness during the whole of the afternoon and evening. They were kept out of view of the Meet ing, and there was, luckily, no occasion for their _ ser vices.far. the conduct of the numerous asseme blagesof Reformers at this place, give the lie to the Manchester Magistrates. The Subscription on the Moor, yesterday, for the relief of the Manchester sufferers, amounted to £l5 15s. and lid. and among it there were five separate farthings: the money was chiefly copper. • KILMARNOCK REFORM MEETING. EXTRAOT Or A LETTER FROM A GENTLEMAN IN Kit: WARNOCK, DATED SATURDAY EVENING, SEPT. 18. 4 , You will be anxious to know the result of the Reform Meeting of to-day, in this place, and in great _ _ haste I take the first opportunity of giving you an ac• count of it. Every one was in readiness to suppress rioting. A troop of Hussars arrived this morning from Ayr, those stationed here having been called to Paisley at the beginning of the week. The Con• stables were convened in the Town Hall, where the Magistrates and Justices of the Peace were assembled. After deliberating, they came to the determination; ifwti Violence was offered, or if decorum was not violated,' that they should allow the people to meet and say what they chose, and that it - flags : with 'Ob. tious inscriptions should be displayed, they had per:. sons to note them down, and if reprehensible, tobring the bearers afterwards to account for so doing. It is well there was no occasion for the inter ference of the Public Authorities, for the much-feared Kilmarnock Meeting of Radicals has just turned out what I Suspected—a quiet, peaceable assembly. The Committee, about half-past twelve, went out on the Newmilns-road, to meet their friends from that guar* tier, and in a short time they entered the town, to the number of six or seven hundred, in a very orderly manner, without music, and no flag was to be seen; instead of these, many of them had Scotch thistles placed in their hats. They went up to the ground, when the business of the day was commenced at the appointed hour—one. ~,. From the flattering appearance of their good conduct, numbers of respectable persons and cansta. bles went up to see what the Meeting was like, and at the dinner hour, with three or four Gentlemen, I walked that length. We were agreeably surprised ut the peaceable spirit which seemed to reign among them. It was any thing but a great Meeting, as I have seen more persons at a tent-preaching in the neighbourhood of Glasgow. There might be front 1500 to 2000 persons, as near as I can guess. The person who was addressing the Meeting while I was there gave a pitiful account of the times, in rather • an eloquent manner. g , Most of the speeches were violent, however, though containing a variety of melancholy truths,- It is very pleasing to the inhabitants of this place that they have behaved in such a manly, becoming manner ; indeed, to their credit, every speaker in voked them to abhor every thing like riot and cOn fosion, and -to detest proceedingsiike those in Glas gow and Paisley, as ruining the cause of Reform. " The Meeting has dismissed ; the country Re formers are all on their way home ; the town is quiet, and as if nothing of the kind had taken place." The Committee of the Societies of Political Pro testants, lately established at Leicester, have put. lished . an Address to their Fellow Townsmen, in which they profess to give a statement of their prin.. ciples and the object they have in view. Their sole objects, they assnre us, are-:.to obtain the repeal of the laws which -affect the liberty of the people, to -destroy the corrupt influence of an insolent Arista cracy in the Commons House of Parliament, to pre vent those . who vote away the public money from receiving it themselves, and to render the Represen tatives of the People more dependant on those who are the legitimate fountain of all power. Convinced that the diffusion of political information is the lest means of obtaining these objects,. they have formed themselves into Societies for this purpose. Equally averse to despotism on the one hand, and anarchy on the other, they wish to see the Constitution of their country (which faction, they say, has almost de stroyed) !escort(' to its original purity. f . I , _ 7.1 'U ':'~~ • ; 4 ; 11 I ~i~ FI II 11 11 AI 1 MI 1l I &MI •