Star. — London, England, 1819-09-14 00:00:00

7. ; course ; he despised his calumniators; he con that every Englishman ought to be free.— Ina he meant by freedom, his distinction between ;„rte and slavery, was this, a free ioeople ought to ; re a voice in the Councils of the Nation—.4he laws bind them should be made by their Representa• and with their consent—(Great applause)—but :.;7es are bound by laws that are made, not by their L.:pre ic ntatives and not with their consent. (Applause.) ne:er ye; heard any rational mill contend that F ortiJit of Englishmen ought to be slaves. He t. coo:ended and ever would contend, that every .- ought to lie free. He was requested to t.tke the Chair at the late Manchester. Meeting by a ::amerous body of the People—and here be would t ,, ke t h e o pportunity of rebutting a calumny. He was called an itinerant orator—he was designated by ee base Government Press as a person who went Ow country to inflame it. Now, be had only • : • ,ay, that he never attended any Public Meeting he was nut as well entitled to act as an Elector ~; Middlesex is at a Meeting of his County. He actc,l at Public Meetings at Bristol, at Somersetshire, Wiltshire, at Hampshire, and at London. But u•ai a freeholder of Bristol, of Somersetshire, and ; •Z ; he was a resident of Hampshire, and a U , :cry man of London—(Loud app/ause)—therefore :Lid a right to act in those places. When lie at tl.e Meetings at Westminster, he paid taxes acre, and was entitled to attend those Meetings. He attended Meetings at Spafields, it was true—but he Ltd no baud in calling those Meetings, he was in titel to attend them, and in accepting those invita tatians he only did his duty ppkasso I n the statement he would confine himself to particular facts. h was not necessary for him to enlarge on mattes ri.:6 those who have read The Star, The Times Globe, and The Statesman, must be acquainted but there were some facts which were not be the Public, to which he would advert. Gentle r..:l would recollect that a Meeting was originally vr..lcd to be held at Manchester, .which the Magi ,: declared to be illegal. The people did not 1.1:a bat they called another Meeting, confined to . 3 . , :rposet the legality ani propriety of which could r..tt be denied. The Magistrates did not previously •censure this Meeting —no placard was put forth by the M.tgibtrates—no caution was given to the people an to attend this Meeting—and the people attended it under the full conviction that the Meeting was le gal, and that they weie safe. A repent, on the Fri. day evening before the Meetins, having been circu lated, that a warrant had been isstNti against him, he went Manchester, had an interview with the Magi itrates, who informed him that he was misinformed`,. thaw) warrant had been issued against him, nor was there any intention to issue any such'svarrant.- Now Eow was this transaction announced in one of the Newspapers ? It commenced thus--" Another bounce of Hunt"—that is, when he went for infOrmation, in order to take even the pretence of exciting distur bance front the Magistrates at the Meeting, when he Et! what was his duty fairly, openly, and, he trusted, prudently, this was described as being n another bounce of Hunt." The Meeting took plate on the appointed day=there were at least 150,000 per sons present, of whom 20,000 were women and infant children. He had not been at the Hustings t:orc than ten minutes when the Yeomen,. M iczrishing manner, entzred the field. They drew up, fora moment, to fall into order. He that at 13ris- ha,. held Meetings, surrounded by the Military, where tne strongest Resolutions were passed in their hearing, did not suspect the object of the Yeomen.— A alarm was spread at the outskirts of the as scisb:age ; but he cheered the people—he desired Benin to stand, and they did so. Meantime the Ca ralry drew their swordeven the drawing of their swords set their horses in disorder.—(Loud laughter). The cheers of the people had not !ken finished, when those the unarmed multitude,, cutting and riding over all fiat were bdere them ; it might be truly said, that they spared neither sex nor age—they felt not for the beauty of woman, or the veneration of ate, or the helplessness of childhood, but cut all before them, vithont distinction, and without mercy. He himself saw one of these Numbers were killed and wounded—no rtsistance was made—the people assembled unarmed, as they had always done before. Naturally anxious to pre serve the public peace, he had constantly entreated of the people to assemble unarmed ; perhaps lac acted wrong, but he never would do so again. Until these ....., were brought to justice, he never would de- Lre the people to go unarmed in order to be cut to death by an Yeomanry. At this dread s:, anzck S(X) at least were badly wounded—(Lead (:us of—'" H orr id! horrid—Shaine ! shame n le people, in their despair and wretchedness, might r:ppose that he had brought them there to be cut 'cPteces ; but they did not think so—they were too iee,!roas and ton good to think so, and he was re e•:.r:d from his dungeon with an enthusiastic: wel ;.nz. When a Commanding Officer came up to him :7. a blustering manner at the hustings, he called a *:e officer and surrendered. He did so to try a pzat political question—(Applause.) lie knew he a right to shoot the man who disturbed him in exercise of his rights; but he knew also that he on thosehustings as a public agent, and had they i pieces, he would not have raised his finger thent. The consciousness of having acted good constitution—a fearless heart—and, . the certain confidence in the protection e• a ; - .•:.r este. POWER, who looked down upon e dannties of his country, enabled him to bear on that dreadful day—(Great applaitte4--As a. he received several cuts, some two inches' sabres of Yeomen were' ,i;:.:1:11t him ; but Nadia, monster as he is eons vi.is more humane than the cavalry. lie .11!) stood with Nadin—Nadin would have •a la but he (Mr. Hunt) kept him in : , ;4—aad one fellow, of the game of i•too., followed him with his pistols cocked. s.t lodge their contents in his (Mr. Hones) ' ;"- - -:';'rits (I 41 Oh .f the rile weasel's, gill he est to jnaice r).--liut he contrived to keep Nctween him and the assassin, as they pro ly caled him. When they were taking him from /. 'stings, h e saw one poor b oy on h i s knees beg '2g mercy, and he saw.-ohl he never could forget of the Yeomen whip the nose of the poor sup with a cut of bis sabre I.!—(B.riejes Vhorrar, 3 ' te 'r'm in:iignotiox all over the roans).—lle aft": , h' s • Z'3vt rod tbi el 211 saw the dead bodies of others lying on the field, and he beheld the cavalry abusing the remains of their victims by riding over them—but their horses, more humane than their masters, reluctantly trampled. over the bodies of the murdeted dead .—(Applause).— Ile was at length brought to the door of the house where the Magistrates were assembled, and how was he treated? He received at least 66 blows of the truncheons of the constables. Every man struck at him. A•Government officer, a scoundrel and a cow ard, with a thick stick, aimed a violent blow at him with both his hands, intending, no doubt, to dash out. his brains; his hat, however, protected him, when one of the humane friends of this base officer took off his hat, and left his head, bare as it was, exposed to fresh blows, which, however, he sometimes averted by turning his head aside. He was nex t con d uc ted along a dark passage threuo a number of consta bles, every one of whom bad either a punch or a blow at him—he merely cried out to them, 4 Ye cowards, don't murder me r upon which The Courier had said —" See, Hun:, oh! what a cowardly fellow, he cried out murder r —(A laugh.) He and his fellow pri soners were marched under an escort of dragoons to the New Bailey, and there they were incarcerated in solitary dungeons,under a charge of High Treason, for a space or:rl days: denied any intercourse with their friends, even his Attorney they would not allow to see him: his friends, Mr. WEST, and Mr. PEAR SON, the latter his Agent, after travelling from Lon don, would not be permitted to see him—he even asked for permission to see a Manchester Attorney in the presence of the gaoler ; but even this request was refused. At five minutes' notice he was brought up for examination, after blood-hounds had been sent up to London to pick bp a little bit of treason, if !ncould at all make it out—(Loud ut lo ! and behold ! after consultations with the Attorney-General and the Jailer-General, no charge of. High Treason was brought forward, but the charge was altered to a Conspiracy to alter the laws by force and threats. Amongst the prisoners was one poor woman, who, though in a distressed and fainting state, was incarcerated in a lonely dungeon for eleven diys. Her case was a shocking one. The Magis trates' Clerk drew up a deposition for a Police man to swear against her ; but the Constable would not swear up to the mark—(A laugh). He said he saw her in a fainting state, and he felt it his duty to take her to a place of safety ; but some of the Constables rescued her from him, and beat, kicked, and abused her, though in a weakly state, and seven months gone with child !! The Solicitor of the Treasury, after this wretched female was treated in this manner, found that he had no charge against her, and there fore -woad generously dismiss her. But the woman has sense ; she has received grievous injuries, and she have redress—(Applause). He (Mr. Hunt) had his friends in Court at the examination ; he had Sir ClurlesWolseley—a friend in need is a friend indeed! --(Ap#arsse)--and after being under examination for four :hours, he retired to change his linen, and to take a cup-of tea, when the humane Jailer told him he had but three minutes to allow him, and he must be off to Lancaster, a distance of 54 miles. Bail had been all day in attendance, but because it was not at a moment's warning on the spot, they were sent off; handcuffed, a journey of 54 miles—( Cries of Shame!). The fact was, that through the different towns they hid to pass, military arrangements had been made, middle Magistrates did not wish to disappoint those Military heroes. He was pursued by his friends, and found in a dungeon, six feet by eight. He had first thrown himself on an iron bed ; when he was re leased, he was drawn back to Manchester, and in leery town he and his friends were met by the gra talations of thousands and twenty thousands of his countrymen. They attended at the A ssi zes—Mr. house was charged with High Treason, on the oath of Owen, of Piatt, and Darbyshire ; he preferred Bills of Indictment against Owen, and nine witnesses sup ported the charge ; the Bills were found—he pre ferred two other Bills against Platt and Darbyshire, precisely on the same evidence ; those Bills were thrown out—and why ? the Solicitor of the Treasury sent up Bills of'lndictment against him (Mr. Hunt), against Moorhouse, and others—the evidence of Dar byshire and Platt was to be used against them, and, therefore, the consistent and conscientious Grand Jury refused to find the Bills for Perjury, founded as they were on the same evidence as that against Owen. Several Bills were presented for maiming and wound ing—one by a beautiful young women, about 23 years of age. She was at the Meeting of the 16th— she was pressed en by the Cavalry—she held her in fant child in her hands, and in a tone and posture of supplication she cried out for mercy ; but she cried to those who had neither manliness nor mercy about them. At that moment sbe received a severe cut of a sabre in the head; her child fell from her hands, and lay weltering in its mother's blood—(Loud shrieks of horror). In this situation one of the ruffian Ca valry rode up to her and inflicted another blow ! (Cries of s4arae and horror). Though she exhibited her wounds to the Grand Jury, .and chewed one wound full fivisinches long, the reply they made was, that she muss certainly have gone there for the put 'pose of being cut down—(Crieslf Shame). Another In dictment was presented by a boy of the name of Lee —he received four cuts, one of which was seven inches long—the boy was in the room, they might see him.— LHere this youth was introduced to the co m p an y; he is about 14 years of age, and a fineassoking boy 3 but the Grand Jury threw out the Bills in his case. He (Mr. Hunt) and his friends declined sending up any further Bills of Indictment to that Jury. In the mean time, true Bills were found against him andhlii associates; he refused bail until all his friends were enlarged.—(Applause)—feeling as he did that they' were equally guilty or innocent with him. This de claration went through the country like wild-fire, and there were ne less than fiftypersons them selves to go bail ; at Preston a person a premium of .4:5 to be allowed t. I Weei.,e.) But here the most capriclo' conduct was pursued on the part ,they refused to take Bail cdfered in some cases asked the prisoners whom the prisoners did not know.-.but many of them were : to the meter' " glishmon be it said, that in SS .application for sail refused. cored, they were drawn in triumph As for the scope of this day, it ins scribe ito—netter was such a scene - the %wait of Highgate Hill test:savor r and Anchor ; indeed he might say to the end of the liberty be the first lesson we learn, and resistance to Strand, the roads were crowded, and the air rung oppression be the fiat lesson we keep!" with the acclamations of the people, testifying at The CHAIRAIA.N said, that there were two Gentle once their approbation of his conduct and their ab- men now at Manchester who were zealously and ef horrence of the infamous conduct of the Magistrates.! ficiently employed-in the cause of humanity and the A miracle saved his life ; he escaped from an infa- I People. They had voluntarily conic forward to give mote and bloosly conspiracy ; he owed .his safety to the aid of their talents, without fee or reward, to the the fears pf his enemies—to his own firmness—and,' unfortunate persons who suffered at Manchester. Ile above all, to the dispensations of an all-merciful Gop! I himself, and those who had been lac trcerated v ids His sole aim had ever been to restore tothe poor Flan him, wer e COW placed in the hands of those Gentle the enjoyment of those rights of which nothing should men. He trusted, therefore, that the Meeting would deprive him. Ile had never said that there should be have no objection to drink their healths. an equal division of property, and that there should be The following toast was then drank— no poor people. No, the whole front of his offending, " The heaktit of Messrs. Pearsen and Harmer ; and may ore was an earnest wish that the poor and industrious man, s o . f , Law be filed with men to equal thtm in talent 2-141 integrity. —Three times three. VI 110 laboured from one end oftlie week to the other .Court The following was also drank— should have something more than the necessaries of life. e The Independent Press of this City; particularly that Frt.. If something was not rotten in the Constitution, he of it which faithfully recorded the pro:ceding% at ilanchester.' contended, that such a man would have some little A Gentleman connected with one of the Morning thing to minister to his luxuries, and have by him a Papers having been pointedly called upon by the something against a wet day—(Loud cheering.) Ile Chairman, that Gentleman felt himself compelled to had never said any thing more, and this he spoke rise, and stated, that he felt it impossible to resist the from his heart. If at any time, in an incautious mo- call% and, in the name of himself and Colleagues, to meet, any other sentiment escaped him, it could not give expression to that satisfaction which the kind be set down for his, for he felt no kindred feeling to approval of their conduct by any society of Engli h it in his breast —(Applause.) He said there should men must excite. Although for hiniselhe must ac he rich and poor, but the poor man's situation in the knowledge, that so far as he had entertained any d - scale of society was not to be taken from him. This terrnined political opinions, he might be found to dif he would maintain to his latest breath—(Great ap- fer from the political sentiments of the generality of plause.) Before he sat down, he would mention one the Meeting, still upon a question such as that which case. A poor man had his shoulders dislocated, and had now assembled them together, he felt that it was a bad cut on his forehead; he was taken to the Infix-- impossible for him at least, to dissent from them. mary, the Surgeons began to gibe him, and because The humble duties to which he and his Colleagues he said he felt more than ever the necessity of Re- were destined, demanded from them a perpetual dis (crap, he was taken, bleeding and wounded as he was, interestedness in political contentions, which was_ll - turned out of the Infirmaxy After reading a most incqnsistent with the formation of a political opi letter on the case of Mrs. Wroe and family, which nion, and still more with the expression of a decided one. the writer said would disgrace the time of Charles I, Nevertheless, with respect to the late proceedings at he concluded amid loud and long acclamations. .Manchester, one and all, they united with the COUII. Mr. HeNr then rose, and proposed the following try in the sentence of execration so emphatically pro toast:— nounced upon the Magistrates of that town. But as " Mr. Moorhonse and the nine other patriotic Gentlemen who it often happened that the perpetration of evil was were incarcerated in solitary dungeons on charges of lligh the source of good ; so was it to be hoped that the Treason, in order to screen the Manchester Magistrates from acts of the Manchester Magistrates woeld not be the consequences of their illegal and atrocious conduct." This was drank with three times three. 'without their benefit: and it would be for the impar. Mr. MOORIIOUSE, in a few words, returned thanks. tial pen of the future historian to describe to pos- The health of Sir CHARLES WOLSELET, and the terity, in becoming colours, the cowardly and cruel . rest of those patriots who so nobly came forward to conduct which distinguished that event. bail Mr. limit and the rest of the prisoners, was next This Gentleman's address was received with very drank, with three times three, and amid loud cheers. great applause. • Mr. FORRESTER, who announced himself as a Citi- The CHAIRMAN said it was now about time to zen of London, and a friend to Reform, rose to ad-' think of separating for the night. He trusted that as the Reformers had been happily united by the late dress the company, and congratulated them OR the , they would not now allow event good humour and unanimity which prevailed. After .disastrouss them saying that he conceived every map there had a right selves to be disgraced by divisions among themselves, to utter his sentiments, he concluded by proposin He implored' them to return home in peace and the health of Mr. GALE JONES.—This was drank wit h quietness= reat enthusiasm. - •Mr. HMIr then took his leave (half-past twelve), and the Meeting dispersed. The events of the day Mr. GALE JONES entered into a statement of the motives which induced the Committee of Manage- thus terminated, and in no single instance was it pes ment to persevere in their determination to usher Mr. Bible to discover any tendency to disorder. Hunt into the Metropolis by a Public Procession.— Other public characters, on occasions of-very ordi nary import, were received with that ceremonial ; and he would be glad to know in their history the oc casion that deserved it mere than that, where the individual they thus honoured was, at the same time, the sufferer, and the able and the determined - opposer of a base and cowardly conspiracy ?--(Hear, hear). He would not dwell on the notorious infamy of the; Manchester Magistrates and Yeomanry—they were mete Subalterns. It was against the sanguinary Ad ministration that impelled and encouraged them, that the public execration should be directed—(Tumults' .}'applause).—They had made war against thelia.: aicil Reformers. The blood spilt at_Manchester was the first experiment ; but he would tell them, that so entwined was that principle with the heart of an Englishman, that though they every day forged new fetters—though they imprisoned every honest writer for the Public Press, and silenced every speaker on the part of the People—were even the fires of Smithfield re-lighted for Political, as they once were for Religious Persecution, all was in vain ; Reform must, and would, ultimately triumph—(Cheers).— He felt it his duty to advert to a subject, which, if he did not avow, he should think himself deficient in honest feeling. It.was this —something like indiffe rence was felt towards some Members of the Com mittee of Management, viz. Dr. Watson, Mr. Thistle wood, and Mr. Preston, because, forsooth, they had been tried for Treason—in other words, because they had been persecuted, as the verdict of their Jury de monstrated ; and yet that distinction was strange in these enlightened times, when it was recollected that Sidney and Russell suffered as traitors under a flagi tious Goyernment, and that but for the treason of our ancestors, in 1668, the tyranny of the Stuarts would have been perpetuated ; and even the rights that remained to Englishmen would not now have. been enjoyed—(Continued cheers). Of these friends he would say, that they honestly and sincerely exert ed themselves, at every personal sacrifice, to further the great object of that day. He knew well, that the consciousness of a patriotic duty was to them a suffi cient reward ; but he also knew, that an English Assemblage of Reformers would not allow a preju dice to operate where an obligation was due—(Bravce Jones .1) He could not, therefore, withheld his ap probation from the active Members of the com mittee of Management. Dr. WATSON then rose, and, after a short preface, stated to the assembly, that it would be necessary to appeal to the generosity of the Public, as there fiad been a deficiency of means to meet the expenses of the Procession. The musicians, he said, were volute. teers, and would receive no remuneratipn for thew exertions. Mr. WADDINGTON expressed his inability as well as disinclination to indulge in any eloquent diseass. l sion• • The deeds of blood at Manchester b'aflied even, _ -61, the description of the • LANCASHIRE ASSIZES, SEPT. 11. • SEDITION. In our Report of the proceedings on Tuesday last, we mentioned that Sir CHARLES Wm-gnu and Mr, JOHNSOR were allowed to enter into recognizances of g5O each for a person of the name of Fitton, upon the understanding that .Fitton would appear per sonally in Court before the end of the Assizes to tra. verse and enter into recognizances for 1.300. Fitton, Knight, and several other persons, had been indicted before the Quarter Sessions for Seditious Speiches at AMeiting in grief:burn. William Elkin; a Surgeon, appeared in Court this morning, and stated, that having understood that bail had beengiven for him with an understanding that he- should appear daring the Assizes, he had come with the utmost haste to present himself, and he was now ready to enter into recognizances. Mr. Baron Woo —I cannot attend to that just now : you must wait till the Court is unoccupied. Mr. Fitton—lt would be of the utmost importance to me to get away, without delay, in order to attend to my professional duties. Mr. Baron Woon—You must wait, Sir. • Mr. Fitton, having patiently sat in Court till Al the trials were ended, at half-past six o'clock presented himself again to the notice of his Lordship, and said, he had come with all the haste in his power to answer any demands which the Court had to make upon him, Mr. Baron Woon.—Very well ; you can now tra -verse, and enter into recognizances. Mr. Fitton, having done so, said he was anxious to explain that he never knew hat he ought to appear there. He had given bail at the Quarter Sessions in the New Bailey, Salford, and had engaged to appear there at the next Sessions. But of the necessity of coming before his Lordship, he had never been told: nay, a regular Attorney, had advised him that he had DO OCORSIOU to come. Mr. Baron WOOD.—Well, the indictment has been removed from the Quarter Sessions into this Court, Has it not? Mr. Hopkins.—Yes, my Lord, it has. Mr. Fitton.—My Lord, I wish to put a question, which I bore is mot contrary to the law of the land, or inoonsisteat with the usage of this Court. I wish to know, who my prosecutor is? Mr. Barpn Wpon.—You have got a copy of the indictment,' Mr. Fitton.—Yes, my Lord, I have; but It is in general terms. There is no specific charge against me, and no prosecutor it named. 1 have to xenkark, that all the proceedings against sue have been ;nog inquisitorial. Mr. Baron Woop.--Let me hear twilling of inqui sitorial. The indictment has been found against you .by the Grand Jury, as in all other laSe4. Mr. 'Fitton.—l dpo:t wish to spy eny thiqg that ma;Pftend - r. Baron T - it at with him. This de- as disinclination to indulge in tiny eloquent cuscus- ,van. 1 ILLOII.I . :ountry like wild-fire, 'kW I, Wp may on iw7 w.f. ami ~..... sion. - Th, e deeds of blol at Manchester baffled eve may offend y9ur Lorlhi eao p, . rpersons offered them - the colouring of the pencil, or the description of 'the Mr. Baron Wool) (smiling.).-:say nothing then ! a rson even offered • • orator ; but e, would shew, even from the records Mr. fitton. -.-W e ß, ley Lord, I wisirto prevent any i, • • pe Ned to go bail—(4p ar.d precedents of their own Courts of Law, that undue prejudice fram.being farmed -against we on ; i,, i ,' • there were reasons why the judges c ould not refuse account of m y absence, when I was first ca4ld e up on I il capricious and unjust 1, ' art of the Magia lo4os, the removal of the trial Of Mr. Hum, and his noble in this Court, as if I wore 4fraid to meet the charge, . ii.' • • red brthe,anstiaal and and patriotic Compeers, from the County of Lau- lam not afraid 4.ta meet it. ( am most willing to i * j ? : Lens for 'persons as ihal caster to other Counties; where Juries might be ex- meet inr ar,ousers,.and. tp pros; my ioriocence. row.-.but sussisgent as petted to be unprejudiced, ' Mr. Wadding t on Alien "M., 13:Arop IoVoOR.-1 lipow , 4 , no kumiud,i4e , 1 . 111 sternal honour of K. proceeded tO cite cases from Law Authorities, to against you. . . • ins single 'Me 'Wag To. Owe tim,insimilar cases, inch removal was. allowed, - Thus the•animatea dialogue teriniMittt.' Illk: Fit- 1 i AAP Bail was ilsto - The COAIRIAAN 40W said, that there were a few ton is-a GUM aieß, masher good lookin , and about * . . • arionsph by she fasePle- othnr oasts remaining to be given; and Itsit was 304 tars clogs. His doses, hie and hes 144-. • L . t eras iiMpOSSible to els" growing late, 'he hoped 'ihe 44enahly - wonlititiose gauge, heselt f .44. 41 4 . 1 4444.01 , {4 1 0 1 1 1 : ksge Oe die. ,; , i iCedtt etilibitOsi is from ru m for dl Ship htthetn• It. 7s a .STT3t eV Sii sedirto .. .. . 4n4 Creat de4 0 dttatiet of th e Cm" l'he itiffoniing toast was then drank ; ..." May di goOd hu • ut, • .. . I ..-s_ _ . . r - ' . i s It ~~~ ~l ~I ill 1 ~i t l''' 1 , 11, 1: 1. ii I • 1 I t ~ i l ;I. p II , it iiT Ii 3