The Sun. — London, England, 1839-05-18 00:00:00

EVENING EDII lON. ARREST OF DI- LEGATES. (FROM OUR ON% REPORTERS ) BIRMINCiRAM, FRIDAY MORNING, 11 O'CLOCK Brown and Fussell were arrested at two o'clock this twe Wing by the Birmingham police. I understand affi dttvits have been made before the Magistrates that the above parties " had made use of inflammatory language tt nding to excite her Majesty's liege subjects to a breach of the peace." Both surrendered without any opposition. This step has thrown the borough into the greatest ex citement, but the members of the Convention, much to their credit, are exerting themselves to the utmost to prevent any outbreak. As soon as the fact of the arrest became known, peo ple began to crowd round the public office in Moor street, and by 10 o'clock there could not have been less than 600 or 700 persons assembled. At 9 o'clock in the morning Dr. Taylor met the people in the Bull-ring, and implored them not to resort to violence, but to leave everything to the discretion and deliberation of the Convention. The following handbill was distributed among the crowd, and bad been posted round the town : CHARTIST ARRESTS !-CONSPIRACY BY THE POLICE. " Men of Birmingham,—An attempt has been made, b an arrest of one of your Delegates, and threats against the others, to rouse 3ou into a partial outbreak ! Be calm and steady. Trust to the Convention and dis appoint the malice of your enemies. All the London Chartists are already liberated, and you have nothing to fear for your friends, Brown and Fussell, if you do not injure the cause by a premature outbreak. As soon as the charge against them is known, you will be advised how to aqt, and in the mean time they shall be pro tected. " Friday, 16th May, 1839." Tnere wat an immense congregation of persons in Lawrence -street, where the Convention sit, and Mr. 0 Brien was loudly cheered by the populace on ap proaching the Chapel. It is understood that Brown and Fussell will undergo an examination before the Ma gistrates this day, and will be liberated on giving bail for good conduct for the future. Should they not do so they will be sent to Warwick Gaol. At the sitting of the Convention this morning, a messenger announced that the multitude in Moor-street was increasing frightfully, and that he feared an attempt would be made to liberate the prisoners. He was de sired to inform the people that the Convention would adopt every means to procure their liberty, and to beg cf them to disperse. In the course of the night, all the Chelsea pensioners were sworn in special constables ; who, together with the police, were kept in the Barrack-yard ready for action, if necessary. EXAMINATION OF BROWN AND FUSSELL, Tnis morning considerable excitement was caused in all quarters of the town, by a report that John Fussell and Edward Brown, two of the Birmingham Delegates to the National Convention, had been arrested during the night, and at an early hour the streets in the imme diate vicinity of the Police-office were crowded by an immense number of persons anxious to know the cir cumstances connected with their arrest, and the result of their examination. It, was at first rumoured that the prisoners, immedieely on tbeir arrest, had been sent off under an escort of soldiers, to Warwick Gaol, but such appeared not to have been the case. At ten o'clock the following Magistrates made their appearance on the bench of the Public Office. The Mayor, J. T. Lawrence, Esq., John Bootle, NI.D., W. Chance, Esq., Thomas Boulton, Esq., Thomas Beilby, EN., Thomas and Francis Clark, Esqrs., and Jos. Walker, Esq. F. O'Connor, Esq., soon after entered the Court, which was filled by a considerable number of the respect able inhabitants of the town. Brown and Fussell were then placed at the bar, charged with having assembled, in a tumultuous man nor, large numbers of the people, and uttering inflam matory language, with a view to excite the violence of their hearers, to the great danger and inconvenience of her Majesty's peaceable subjects, and against the peace of our Sovereign Lady the Queen. Mr. O'Connor said, that he appeared as counsel for the prisoners, and requested that the Magistrates would order the warrant, by which they had been appre hended, to be read over, if such was not contrary to the practice of the Court ? Mr. Gem, one of the Magistrates' Clerks, informed Mr. O'Connor that it was not the practice of the Court. Mr. William Charles Chapman, principal collector of taxes for the Birmingham district, was sworn and examined by Mr. Gem. He said that on the 21st of March last, he was in the Bull-ring, Birmingham— there was a meeting there in the evening, which was at tended by probably about 200 persons. He saw the prisoner Brown there addressing the crowd. lir,. Gem—State as nearly as possible the words he made use of. Witnese---I feel I am placed here in rather a delicate situation, and the Court will allow me to say in ex planation— _ ... . Mr. O'Connor—l will not allow you to go into any explanation. Go at once into your evidence. 'The witness said he had made notes of the observe. Lions of the prisoner, which he wished to read in evi• dente. Mr. O'Connor objected, and said the course to pursue was to give his evidence in the first instance, arid refresh his memory, if' he found it necessary, from his memo raindums. Witness—l can only swear according to the minutes I have made. I went into the Bull-ring, and listened to what was said by the prisoner ; and when I retired from the meeting I went home, and on considering the expressions used, I acknowledge that it made an im pression on my mind of which I had no expectation. I sept , very little that night, thinking of what I had heard, and after recalling to my mind the different sen tences made use of—. Mr. O'Connor—l object to this course. It is gi6ng a colouring to the evidence. The MAYOR requested Mr. Chapman to state facts as nearly as he could. Mr. Chapman then proceeded to say, that having thought the matter over on the following morning, he made memorandums, and was prepared to swear to their truth, except as to tho order in which the language was used. " Our leader, Mr, Thos. Attwood. called upon the Government the other night to strengthen the navy fgainst the powers of the Continent and he was received with sneers." The next sentence was this, " I call upon you all to do as I shall do—arm your selves and be ready, and then you will be prepared to meet your enemies, whether they come from France, or Germany, or Russia, or your own domestic trrants." The next sentence was this :—" I don't know how long you mean to bear the tyranny of the rich aristocrats, but I can tell you I mean to bear it very little longer. The man that does consent to do it, is a rank coward. Arm yourselves, and be ready to resist your oppressors. Depend upon nothing but the Almighty God, and your own right arms. Gentlemen, you know that the aristocrats have left you scarcely enough to support nature, while they are wallowing in wealth and luxury on their sofas, and rolling through the streets in their carriages ; and if a poor beggar looks up to them and asks for a trifle, they throw themselves back in their carriages, and treat him with disdain and contempt.' Then, continued Mr. Chapman, followed this expres sion, which the prisoner repeated several times during the evening, " D—d scoundrels—they rely on the sol diers for putting us down, but they won't—they are taken from among our own ranks, but if we are united what can the soldiers do ? We have only to walk arm in arm, and we could trample them under our 'feel:" This was followed by an allusion to a flogging lately given to a soldier, in which the speaker attempted to work up the feelings of his hearers, and from the state of the soldiers' feelings generally, to rely on their non resistance. The prisoner then went on to say " The Whigs are greater scoundrels than the Tories—hypo crites who, under the pretence of liberty, deny us all our rights. We will demand our rights, and if our aristocratic tyrants do not grant them we must seize them by force of arms. They are violating the Constitution every day—they are the enemies of the country, and we must arm ourselves to resist them. They may hang me up at the rope's-end if they like—l am ready to shed my blood for the sake of posterit3. Prepare yourselves with pikes and muskets, and bayonets, and swords, and be ready to fight for your lives and liberties, whether your enemies are foreign or domestic tyrants. Read ' Paine's Rights of Man,' 1 say nothing about his theological works, but I agree with every word of what he says in his ' Rights of Man.' 1 stand upon the rights of nay order. We, the working classes, will not submit to the tyranny of the aristocrats," Frequent allusion, olasei ved Mr. Chapman, was then made to the idea of" retributive justice," con veyed in a threat to the enemies of the working classes ; but the worst expression I heard was one conveying the idea of their commencing the struggle by arms, as a sacred duty, succeeding in it, meeting the Almighty at the day of judgment, and receiving from Him the fullest approbation in the words of Scripture, " Well &we, thou good and faithful servant," &c. There was afterwards another expression used by the pri soner : " Let the aristocracy make their laws ; we, t h e working classes, will make ours—we will do no ,work for them, and we will take care they shall have nothing to do with our rights." The witness then deposed that he was present in the Bull-ring on the following evenher, when he note" the foll ow i ng expressions made use of by Brown :—" M y 1 opinion of physical force I have often told you. It is this. I b e li eve we shall never get our rights without I it." Then th ere was a pause :" I don't mean to wait much longer." Then he went on . '‘ My opinion of Universal Suffrage is, that we shall get it in three mo ots, though some think it will be three or four rs ; but if we get it in three or four months it must by force, not persuasion." Another sentence fol d :--', The fellows in the House of Commons will othing for us if they can help it." y Mr. Gent--1. - low was this address received? pt , ,sp zi ,p ik i rl „ ~,,, ' l / 4 4.,,.:4-, R , _'.• 4 THE SUN, «'itnes•—By loud cheers. I believe the more lolent the language the more it was cheered. Cross-examined by Mr. O'Connor.—Are you a re- I of surety required, which, in fact, considering the station m life of the pris oners , amoun t e d to a co mmittal. rhe Al AGISTRATEs said they had well considered the subject, and could not reduce the amount. They agreed, however, to take four sureties of 1001. each from Fussell. Bail to that amount was tendered, and Fussell was liberated. Brown was then removed from the bar, and in about half an hour after wards he was removed in a car, accompanied by Spittal, one of the Birmingham police officers, under a strong escort of the 4th Dragoons to Warwick. There was an immense crowd of persons around the office at the time, probably amounting to 5,000, who loudly cheered the prisoner as he was conveyed along the streets. porter ? Witness—No. I never was a reporter. Mr. O'Connor—You did not form any opinion o' the words used until you went to bed ? W itness—l never said so. Mr. O'Connor—You did not think of them at the time they were used Witness—Yes, I did. Mr. O'Connor—Did you write down your notes at the time. Witness—l did not write them down then. I wrote them down next morning. Mr. Chance—lf you had not written them down you could not have given a correct statement of the language The town is in an alarming state of excitement, and a large meeting is holding at this time (four o'clock) at Holloway Head. The general impression however is, that no serious disturbance will take place, as several Delegates are at the meeting, and are not likely to re commend measures which would lead to collision with the local authorities. used. Mr. O'Connor—Were you in Birmingham in 1832 ? Witness—l was. Mr. O'Connor—Did you ever attend any of the political meetings at that time ? Witness—No ; I did not. This was the first poli tical meeting I ever attended. Mr. O'Connor—Sit down, Sir ; you arc a child in politics. I may want you again. Mr. Robert Jenkins, Inspector of the London Police, then deposed as follows :—On Tuesday the 14th of May, between seven and eight o'clock in the evening, 1 and Charles Frederick Field were at Four o'Clock—Brown is committed to Warwick Gaol, and at half-past one o'clock was taken off under an escort of cavalry (the 4th Royal Irish Dragoons). Eight hundred pounds bail was demanded, and it was determined, under the advice of Mr. O'Connor, to pur sue the same course, as, in the case of Mr. Vincent, by allowing the defendant to be committed in order to have him brought up by Habeas, to try the right of the Magistrates to extort such enormous bail, and to ex pose as early as possible the foul conspiracy which has been hatched by police spies ; to commence the break ing up of the Convention, or the exciting the people to acts which might serve as a pretext for the Whig Mi nistry to gratify the demand of their Tory coadjutors by a suspension of the constitutional safeguards of per sonal liberty. The witnesses against Brown were In spector Field and another London policeman, and a tax-gatherer (Mr. Chapman), whose evidence was so worthless that he was not bound over to appear. Holloway-head, near Birmingham, where there was a large assemblage of persons amounting to seven hundred; the meeting was addressed oy the prisoner Fussell and an other person not in custody. John Fussell said" A meet ing will be held in the Horse-market to-morrow (meaning Wednesday), and he hoped the Convention would at tend to give an account of themselves and their proceed• ings. As for himself, if the authorities or the COrn missioners of the Market refused to allow them, they would go to the Bull-ring or the Town-hall. He cared not for the authorities ; he knew they could net hurt him ; he was only doing a public duty to the work ing men of Birmingham, and he would not flinch from it. They had paid for the Town-hall ; it was a public place ; it was their property, and they would have it, or any other place they thought proper. If it was refused, they would repel force by force. What did he cure for mayors or magistrates, for their proclamations or the military, their The people are in the highest state of excitement ; if farther arrests should be made, it will probably be no longer possible for the Delegates and others who have influence over them to prevent breaches of the peace. I should think there are not less than from 8,000 to 10,000 persons in the Bullring, end Moor-street. Dr. Taylor has just addressed them, exhorting them to go home, but it is feared the excitement will not easily subside, and there may, before to-morrow morning, be a serious disturbance. special constables or police ? They dare not do any thing—he would defy them." There was great cheering and huzzaing by the persons assembled during the de livery of this speech. Fussell said, at the end of his speech, that " as the Convention wished to meet there again on the following night, they would do so, and ar- see rangements would be made." On the following night I BIRMINGHAM, FRIDAY. and Field were at Holloway-head. There were several The Convention sat this morning as usual, at the hundreds of persons present. When we arrived, Fus- Chapel in Lawrence-street. The building was crowded sell was addressing,them. Fussell said " they would cer- to suffocation with strangers. On Mr. O'Brien enter tainly meet in the Horse-market to-morrow. He did not ing, he was loudly applauded. care for the proclamations ; if they (meaning the consta- ARRESTS. bles) laid hold of him, he would repel force by force. We Mr. COLLINS said as there were various rumours find the Government are arresting the members of the abroad as to the cause of the arrests made that morning, Convention one by one, and we are anxious to have he thought it was the duty of the Convention to send others appointed to fill their places, and if they were all two of the members to ascertain the nature of the arrested, a second Convention would be formed." charge—to see whether it was connected with the, Con- Fussell then said to the persons assembled, " Will you vention—and whether hail would be taken. He under stand by us ?" and several hundred voices exclaimed, stood Mr. O'Connor was there, but he would move that We will ! we will !" and several hundred persons Dr. Fletcher and Mr. Richardson be requested to go to shouted with a great noise. The prisoner Brown was the public office, and make the necessary inquiries. present at the same meeting, and said, "I am glad to Mr. J. TAYLOR seconded the motion, and it was un find that a second Convention is to be formed, and that animously carried. there is to be a meeting held in the market, where I ADVICE TO THE PEOPLE. wish it always had been." He also said, 'he should Mr. O'BRIEN, in accordance with his promise yester be prepared, and if the police or anybody struck him, day, had drawn up the following Resolutions. The first was, "That ' Peace, Law, and Order' shall con personshe would strike them. Won't you ?"—(addressing tho assembled) —to which they replied, 44 we tinue to be the motto of this Convention so long as our will ! we will ! "oppressors shall act in the spirit of ' Peace, Law, and noand shouted and made a great se. On Thursday evening, the 16th instant, Order' towards; the people ; but should our enemies sub- I was in the Smithfield Market, where there were statute war for peace, or attempt to suppress our lawful between 600 and 700 persons assembled. Fussell ad- it to be the sacred duty of the people to meet for ce and orderly agitation by lawless violence, we shall deem dressed the meeting, and after reading from a paper called the Birmingham Advertiser (a copy of which I with force, and repel assassination by justifiable homi ." now produce), the whole of the article headed " Mani - cid festo of the General Convention of the Industrious M e r. O ' BRIEN then moved the second res o l u ti on : Classes," the 4th article of which he read twice to them, " That in accordance with the foregoing resolution, til e said, " provide yourselves and act as the manifesto Convention do employ only legal and peaceable means states." He also said, " they had a right to meet at in the prosecution of the great and righteous objects of Smithfield, and would do so, let the consequences be the present movement. Being also desirous that no what it might. The authorities knew well that they handle should be afforded to the enemy for traducing could not interfere, and he would assure them that if our motives, or employing armed force against the peo the men of Birmingham were to unite, they need not pie, we hereby recommend the Chartists who may at care a d—n for their petty tyrants. He conjured them tend the approaching simultaneous meetings, to avoid to protect the Convention, and if any of them should be carrying staves, pikes, pistols, or any other ofensive arrested, immediately to appoint others in their places." weapons about their persons—we recommend them He further said, " there would be a meeting at the to proceed to the ground, sober, orderly, and unarmed, same place on the following night. Brown was as also to treat as enemies of our cause any person or present and said he denounced the threats which persons who may exhibit such weapons, or who by any had been held out to him. He said, " Sup- other act of folly or wickedness, should provoke a pose we are interfered with and the Riot Act be breach of the peace." read, go away quietly." The people here called out, "We will see them d—d first." He said, " Stop—let me finish my sentence—meet again the next night and don't came empty-handed. Be prepared — repel force to lead you and the last to leave you." the meeting. Mr. O'Connor regretted that the prisoners had been Mr. WOODWOUSE seconded the resolution. This was TO He going on day after day, that they should be calking Mr. MARSDEN thought it rather absurd while arrests of peace, law, and order. Those arrests would destroy by force—we will soon teach them, and will be the first the energy of the people, and the g reatest movement would sink into insignificance.—(Cries of " No, no.") He thought that portion of the resolution which said ceived by the assembly with great cheering. I then left the people ought not to go to the meetings with pistols and other weapons, should be expunged, because they so uncourteous to the authorities, but was glad to find all knew what the result of such a course being pursued that Brown had given the people advice to disperse if the at Peterloo was. The people, by following the advice Riot Act was read. He had no questions toput to the wit- of Mr. Hunt, were brutally massacred without having ness as there was nothing in the evidence against Fussell. the means to resist the enemy. Mr. Charles Frederick Field, another Inspector of the Dr. TAYLOR said if they were to adopt the sugges- London Police, was next examined. He deposed, that tions of Mr. Marsden, they would be playing the game on the 14th of May he accompanied Robert Jenkins of their enemies better than they could play it them to a meeting at Holloway Head, where there were selves, because it would be then in the power of the several hundreds of persons assembled. He heard police spies to goad the people on to use arms.--( Hear, the account given that day before the Magistrates, and hear.) He had been in London this week, and had it was correct. He was also at the meetings on the there been informed a conspiracy existed in Manches- Wednesday and on Thursday, and the account given of ter, on the part of the Magistrates, to take advantage such meetings, and of the language used by the speakers of the slightest outbreak, and already orders had been was correct. He went. with the Birmingham Police last given to the military Commander to charge on the night to apprehend the prisoners. Fussell was found people. He had also been informed the soldiery were in bed, and Brown they met in the street. In the house in favour of the people, and that the Commander would where they found Fussell he found 27 papers and letters not obey such order unless there was a decisive out -some addressed to Brown and Fussell, and others to break.—( Hear, hear.) That message had been sent to a man named Donaldson, all of which he now pro- to them in order that they might keep within the law. duced. The battle was winning itself. What cared they for Mr. O'Connor here said, that he should certainly the arrests. People were arrested one day and dis tender information against him for burglary, as he had charged the next—no charge being capable of being no warrant to search the house. substantiated against them.—(Cheers.) There were Mr. Field—Allow me to explain, I said to Fussell Magistrates in the country—and there were some in when I apprehended him that I had no search warrant, Birmingham—who would glory in an attack on the but that if he allowed me to search the house I would people, but he trusted the Chartists would not give do so. Fussell replied " You may search every part of them that opportunity. He hoped Mr. Marsden would the house." withdraw his opposition.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. O'Connor—Show me your notes. (The notes Mr. Woonstouse was an admirer of peace, law, and were here handed to Mr. O'Connor.) order, and the obtaining the rights of man by peace, Mr. Field—l wrote the notes and I will swear to law, and order, but to obtain them at any rate. He thought, however, it would be very imprudent to adopt them. Mr. O'Connor—When d id y ou come to Birming- the advice of Mr. Marsden, although no doubt well meant, and he should, therefore, support the resolution. ham ? Mr. MARSDEN merely wished to leave the people to Mr. Field—We came down on Sunda y ; we were udge and act for themselves. sent down to preserve the peace ; we had a warrant to j Mr. LOVETT said the people bad on some occasions arrest Fussell, but we had no wa rrant to search. Mr. O'Connor—When did y ou make oat these acted foolishly, and the object of this resolution was to prevent a repetition of such conduct.—(Hear, hear.) notes ?• Witness—l made them out when 1 retu rned from the Mr. DEAN, of Manchester, said he had received the Mr. Jenkins and I took same information which had been communicated to Dr. meeting—about an hour after. Taylor in London. No doubt the tools of the Go separate notes and compared them together, after which he (Fild) vernment would avail themselves of every opportunity swear t t o them. wrote out the notes, and he was prep ared to to incite a breach of the peace, and he should there- Mr. O'Connor—Have you the first notes you wrote ? fore support the resolution. Witness—They were destroyed. Mr. PITKEITHLEY thought this resolution placed Mr. O'Connor—Could you, without your notes, re- the Convention in a very critical position, and iterate what you have just read ? he sympathised with the remarks made by Mr. Witness—No ; I made the notes about an hour after Marsden, respecting the meeting at Peterloo. He I left the meeting. thought it was going too far to advise them not to carry Mr. O'Connor—And what time has elapsed since sticks, but at the same time he did not wish the people you gave your evidence from these notes? to make any physical force demonstration. Witness—Not much. Mr. O'BraEN could not sec the difficulties suggested Mr. O'Connor—And yet you cannot repeat what by Mr. Marsden, and Mr. Pitkeithley. There were you have so recently sworn to. two ways of guarding against danger—one was to afford Mr. Jenkins was here questioned by Mr. O'Connor the enemy no pretext for employing brute force, and as to the language which he (Mr. O'Connor) had us e d the other was to have ample means of resisting a t liolloway-head on the Monday, and he admitted any attack. If he (Mr. O' B.) were t o a dvise them to that Mr. O'Connor's advice to the people was consti- bring any weapons at all, it would b e t o bring the b es t tutional, and was intended to induce a respect for the weapons. The question was, which was the best way laws and authorities. to protect the lives of the people. He thought by not The Magistrates here inquired whether the prisoners giving the authorities any pretext whatever for i nter s had any observations to make ? fering.—( Hear, hear.) These meetings had been Mr. O'Connor—l recommend the prisoners to make denounced simply on the ground that the people carried no observation whatever. 1 think they may safely leave with them pikes and bludgeons which created alarm. the case where it is. . Let the people go peaceably, quietly, and orderly, but Mr. S. Bray, solicitor, said he was authorized to ap- at the same time, if any murders were committed by pear on behalf of Fussell. He (Fussell) had expl a i ne d the authorities, that would do more to rouse the people to him that he had no intention whatever to excite the than all the agitation for the next seven years.—(Hear.) people to violence ;he might have spoken under feelings Mr. OssolitNe begged to state distinctly and delibe of excitement, and was willing to promise never to he rately that he would not entrust hi s p erson, thou g h it guilty of anything of the kind again. He had been was but a small one, at any meeting where he believed misled, and he trusted under the circumstances no harsh the spies or tools of the m agistracy would attend, with proceedings would be lesorted to. out being prepared, if any attempt were made to destroy Fussell was then asked by the Bench if he were him, to put in force that law which was above all human willing to adopt the language of Mr. Bray, and said lie law—the law of self-preservation. He thought they would only pledge himself not to meet in the Bull-ring ought to leave it to the judgment of the people whe again, and denied having used the language attributed ter they would prepare themselves for view individual de fence or not, and he concurred in the s expressed to him. 'nit! BENCII—TIICII we understand you will not by Mr. Marsden. Mr. MILLS said that if anything had a te ndenc y to attend a public meeting again ? Fussell refused to pledge himself to any thing of the damn th e c a u s e of Universal Suffrage, it would be the kind. He should be unworthy the name of an Eng- l ang u age ae hull had heard that mornsng made use of. orities wanted wo break up tbat lishman were lie to do so. The Magistrates retired, and after consulting for peaceable agitation which at present was being carried about half a n hour returned when the MAYOR said— on. He had the greatest confidence in the people ob- The Magistrates are of opinion, that in reference to both taining Universal Suffrage by their own peaceable agi prisoners th e ev id enc e i s so s trong and so clear as tation.—( Hear, hear.) The Government were employ to l ea ve no d o ubt as to the use of violent and in- ing spies to disseminate the same doctrines that Mr. flamm a t or y l a nguage, and that they should not be per- Marsden and Mr. Osborne had urged. As a working forming t h e i r d uty , but falsifying the oaths they had man, he was anxious that his fellow-workmen and fel taken w h en appo i nte d to th e i r o ffi c e, if they did not send low-sufferers should show by their conduct that they both th e p r i soners to triad—it was of course u nderstood were worthy of the franchise.—(Cheers.) A brave man that the o ff ence was a b a il a bl e one . They wished to never threatened—he never bragged of what he would make a distin c ti on b e t ween the charges against the pri do—and he hoped the good sense of the majority of the seners, as they w ere i m p resse d with the conviction that Convention would oppose all attempts to make a dis the language used by Brown had been of a stronger play of any thing like arms or other weapons. and more violent nature than that used by Fussell. Mr. POWELL supported the resolution. There al- The prisoners were then informed that they would ready appeared a disposition on the part of the people be committed to the Assizes, and th a t the bail required to go too fast, and the Convention ought tohold the reins would he for Brown, personal security for 400/., and two tight, and keep them within bounds.—(Hear, hear.) sureties in 2001. each ; for Fussell, p ersona l secur ity in Mr. CAMER was going off that morning with Mr. 200/., and two sureties in 100/. each. I Osborne to Ipswich, and he was not prepared to act on Mr, O'Connor protested against the excessive amount the principle Mr. Osborne had stated he would :,;t on. NATIONAL CONVENTION ,ONDON,SATURDAY, MAY 18, 1839. Dr. M‘Dotram. moved that the following be added by way of addenda, to the resolution : " And this advice be adopted, provided the authori ties of the different districts where meetings are to be held, do guarantee a deputation of the people that neither the military nor police shall be employed against the people, as long as the people conduct themselves in a peaceable and orderly manner." Mr. DONALDSON and Mr. STOWE supported Mr. O'Brien's resolution. Mr. O'BRIEN thought the objects contemplated by Dr. M'Douall would be better attained by a substantive proposition. He would recommend that the Magistrates in the different districts should be waited on by the De putation, for the purpose of ascertaining whether there was any intention to interfere by force, stating at the same time that they wished to conduct every thing peaceably and orderly. No Magistrate would refuse to give an answer. If they said they would interfere, which he (Mr. O'Brien) did not believe they would, that would be telling the people what they ought to do. Dr. M‘DouaLL would persevere in his amendment. The question was then put by the CHAIRMAN. There were— For the Motion l9 For the Addenda 4-15 The following resolution was carried unanimously. " That the marshals and other officers who may have charge of the arrangements for the simultaneous meet ings, are particularly requested to use every moans in their power to give effect to the recommendations em bodied in the preceding resolution. We also recom mend that the aforesaid officers do in all cases consult with the local authorities bef ore th e meet i ngs ta k e p l ace ." Mr. O'BRIIN, in moving the next resolution— " That in case our oppressors in the upper and middle ranks should instigate the authorities to assail the people with armed force, in contravention of the existing laws of the realm, the said oppressors in the upper and middle ranks shall be held responsible, in person and property, for any detrim en t t h at may result to the people from such atrocious instigation"—observed that large bodies of the middle classes had been sworn in as spe cial constables, and it appeared that they had, in some instances, acted with great brutality. They had not only beat the men, known to be Chartists, but they had ill-used and beat the women and committed other excesses contrary to law, humanity, and justice. He therefore moved the above resolution to show that while they themselves were determined to obey the law, they were also determined the authorities should obey the law. The resolution having been seconded, was carried unani mously. [Mr. O'Connor here entered the Convention, (one o'clock), and was saluted with the most deafening cheers.] to sit in London to superintend the presentation of the National Petition, to prepare the People's Charter, and to confer with Messrs. Fielden and Attwood as to the best mode of bringing such Charter before the House of Commons." Dr. FLETCHER then submitted for the approval of the Convention the following address to the Queen, which is to be proposed at the simultaneous meeting to be held throughout the country : TO THE QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY. May it please your Majesty, We your Majesty's most loyal and faithful subjects, the inhabitants of , in public meeting assembled, have witnessed with great satisfaction the proofs which are every day occurring, that neither of the aristocratic factions which have, for centuries, usurped the executive power, by corrupting and controlling the legislature of this deluded, op pressed, and degraded country, do now possess the confidence and support of any large class of the people in such degree as to enable them longer to exercise despotism under the mask of Constitutional liberty, or to plunder and debase the great mass of the people under the wily pretence of Libe ral Reform. The honest and intelligent working people—that class with whom all useful Reforms have originated, because they are the first to auffer from corrupt and bad Government, have long expressed their detestation of the system by which the Constitution has been destroyed, and our ancient laws and institutions have been rendered a mockery. While they deprecated the continuance of that system, they pointed out the consequences which those who attempted to stifle their just complaints and demands by brute force, are now compelled to admit. The experiment has been made of widening the basis of oligarchical despotism, by extending a part of its privi leges to the middle classes, but those classes, who vainly imagined that they were about to share the substance, as well as the semblance, of political power, have not found their newly acquired privileges sufficient to prevent the natural progress of despotism, which, first attacking the humblest and the weakest, involves in its career all but the highly favoured few in one common ruin. The fruits of Aristocratic Legislation were the plunder of the national property for the benefit of the great oligar chical families—a publics debt of an amount, which, were we not familiarized to it by habit, would stagger credulity, a consequent amount of taxes, which it would be found impossible to collect, were not the people kept in sub jection by a military force, which, it is no longer concealed, is kept up not for the defence, but for the sub jugation of those from whose industry is wrong the means of maintaining it. The results of middle class legislation have only ren dered the actual existence of despotism more obvious, and brought those who have exercised it more effectually into contempt, by substituting palpable falsehood and barefaced fraud, for those covert manoeuvres and intrigues by which oligarchical despotism had been clothed in the garb of constitutional law. Conscious at once of the dishonesty of their projects, and the feebleness of their power, your Majesty's Constitutional advisers have attempted to evade the re sponsibility of the treasonable inroads which have been made and are making on the ancient and inalienable rights of the people, by delegating the executive, and to an awful extent, the legislative powers of the Constitutional estates of the realm to irresponsible Commissioners, whose very existence is illegal : and by seeking the advice and instructions of magistrates, and other local authorities, whose business it is to administer, and not to interfere in the making of the laws. Thus while the manufacturing and commercial interests of the country are sinking into ruin ; while we arc notori ously without sufficient means of defence against power ful states anxiously watching for an opportunity to destroy the last remains of our once-boasted wealth and power ; we are in effect also without a responsible Government. We view all these evils as the natural result of the people being deprived of those ancient Constitu tional Rights which have never been formally abrogated, and which, in part, were guaranteed to them by the very act, which secures to your Majesty's family the throne of these realms. Seeing the reckless determination of your Majesty's advisers, to put down, at all hazards, the peace ful agitation of the people for the restoration of those rights, we pray that your Majesty would be graciously pleased to dismiss your present Ministers, and to call to your councils men possessing the confidence of the people, and ready to carry their will into effect. That your Majesty may live to reign over a really pros. perous, powerful, and united people, is the sincere prayer of your Majesty's truly loyal subjects, the inhabitants of —..— EXAMINATION OF BROWN AND FITS - SELL. Mr. O ' CONNOR then rose, and said that perhaps the Chairman would excuse him for intruding oa the Con vention, while he gave a short account of what had taken place at the public office. As soon as he heard of the arrest of Brown and Fussell, on an application from rown's broth e r, and Fussell's brother-in-law, he determined ß to go down to the office and act as counsel. He did so. The evidence against the prisoners was thatsed h of a tax-c o ll ec t or , w h o sw ore to some language u Fussell, o n th e 20th and 21st of March last ; and lnspector Field, and a metropolitan policeman, namedJenkins,who gave evidence against both. It might not be unimportant to observe, that all the rules of evidence were entirely dispensed with, that the evi denceof the t wo p o li cemen w as exactly such evidence as policemen always gave—namely, evidence which it was impossibl e to b rea k d own , because they s wore f rom written docume n t s . Wh a t they swore to was, what was said_ at the meetings held on Tuesday night, Wednes day night, and last night. They swore that Brown said, "Meet again to-morrow night, and come with some thing in you r h a nds, to repel force by force." Nothing whatever appeared against Fussell. He (Mr. O'C.) di rected the attention of the Magistrates to the rules of evidence. The evidence the policemen gave was that they each separately wrote their own notes after they returned from the meeting last night, and then they di gested one piece of written information from the notes they took. They de s troy e d the notes they separately took, and swore t o th a t com bined evidence on one piece of paper. It was in the writing of Field, and Jenkins swore to it. The course he ( Mr. O'C.) pursued was not to cross-exami ne the tax-gatherer at all, because he gave no e v id enc e against the prisoners that could in the slightest degree operate against their liberty. The policem an g ave evidence which could have been subverted, but he could assure the Conven tion and the public that they might as well talk to the wall as talk to the Magistrates of Birmingham on the rules of evidence.—(Hear, hear, and a laugh.) The Magistrates bad frequently attempted to stop him, but he told them he would not be interrupted, and that if he was not to make speeches they were not to make inter ruptions. If the case had been closed according to his (Mr. O'Coenor's) directions as counsel, the prisoners would have been at large. He gave his advice to the prisoners to abstain from saying anything. Fussell and Brown afterwards addressed the Court, and did not do much damage to themselves ; but a Mr. Bray , a so licitor, who, he understood, had been instructed by F, sell's friends, made such an impression against the pri soners, that he believed it led the Magistrates to adopt the course they did. He begged him to be quiet, but Bray said he was actir ° , for Fussell, and he (Mr. O'G.) said to himself, " God save me from my friends."—(A laugh.) No evidence was given on which a man ought to have been committed. The Magistrates deliberated for about an hour, and they decided that the enormity of _ the crime charged on the two prisoners was such that (FROM OUR OWN REPORTER. ) they would be guilty of a dereliction of their duty if FRIDAY NIGHT, ELEVEN O'CLOCK they did not commit the prisoners into the hands of the The excitement caused by the arrest of Brown and gaoler. Jenkins swore he would not be able to repeat Fuss i e n ll th tl e iis eo morning has not altogether subsided. There the evidence he had given from the paper in his hand, was between evening a meeting in Smithfield, five minutes afterwards, and yet he swore he was able, at which there were een6, b oooand 7,000 persons pre at eleven or twelve o'clock, to recollect what he sent. They were addressed y h Mr. O'Brien and Dr. Taylor, a report of whose speeches we give below, and had heard at seven o'clock sufficiently to commit it to from which a little information will be gathered as to the paper.—(Shame,, shame.) Field was the celebrated intentions of the Magistrates, and what proceedings will Inspector who, on all occasions, was sent by the Govern- be adopted by both parties. ment to act as a base spy to ferret out evince, and well h .lenkins and Field, the police spies, ventured to make he performed his duty. He (Mr. O'Connor) asked the their appearance in disguise, and were immediately recog- Magistrates what amount of bail they required, and he by some person in the crowd. On finding they were had no hesitation in saying that the conduct of the Ma- known, they attempted to walk off in opposite directions, gistrates was illegal.—( H ear , hear.) What bail would portions m be e t ueed elr of the d mob followed each of them, and corn the meeting suppose was required i 8001. for Brown vethoi a_ yelling and terrifically. Those who ac and 4001. for Fussell.—(Shame, shame.) He told the companied y Jenkins soon closed round him, and be- Magistrates that that amounted to an act of tyranny— gan " bonn p eting" and i r m th a e b r out ; but finding that the bail should be considered in referenceha there was a likelihood of j h s is lbnfin werea mirsoturly.handled, man's station in life, and that he would he assured the " gentlemen" they g regard brought up by Habeas to try the validity of the bail.—mi to his person, and in the most piteous terms bes e o n t u o i g n e ht them r not to harm him. This appeal induced them (Hear, hear.) There was one gentleman .who a whether they had possession of a spy, and prudently consider to be the mouthpiece an d th e organ o f the Court—a PPear advantage of this cessation of "physical force," the u a nf l o n r g .. Mr. Chance—a very good name, for everything before tupate Jenkins contrived to sneak off. Had te fellow re that Court was as complete a chance as if the dice ceived a sound drubbing, it would have been no more than were taken and thrown for it.—(Laughter.) The mat- every creeping scoundrel who lends himself to so vile and ter then stood thus : those men were in custody, on the odious a system, and which is so repugnant to the evidence of a tax-gatherer, from whom there was so little feelings es'ery honest Englishman, richly deserves. Field information that he was not bound over to and appeareldpwoapshiisnsbtodyl into a shop in Smithfield, against them, and on the evidence of Jenkins, the door of which instantly closed ; but 200 or 300 who said he was sent down on Sunday night. made persons still remained outsit a l pressed an eager desire to give hooting, , some of whom ex (Mr. O'Connor) yesterday in the Conventioniifh him ' a ducking." Their attention, however, was quicklyw which h ested by h the arrival of some allusion to the dress of a spy, they had Dr. Taylor and Mr. O'Brie, ssen the manner in which Jenkins w p a y ;d a r n essed as iel e d s t ig o nal for a simultaneous shout of huzza ; and leavi w n fumed, they would be satisfied he did not support it ho- consider whether he would show his face at any further meetings of nestly by his wages. He would take that portunit o y - the men of Birmingham, they proceeded to the spot from of impressing on every one who heard him the fact, . which the speakers were to address them. that there was no law f or the p o or man in this country O'BRIEN said—Men of Birmingham, I have had an and that he must not look for p rotection either from the; Nr. intimation within the last half hour th f at I ought not to come here—that it was the intention in o tro c d e a r c t e ain mi v i a t rties to executive, the administrative, the judicial, the legisla create a riot in this meeting, and tc. live, or the representative powers.—(Hear, hear.) police force. That intimation was given to me with ar and tlic Such conduct, however, would prove to the people intention b of keeping me away from this meeting ; but I . that the makers of the law, and the administrators of eg L to ou t d ell you that was the very reason why I came here. the law were against them, and he had no hesitation in ers and laughter.) It is the duty of a people,m — e ( Mber the a o lw f che Convention representing 3,000,000 of the saying, that if the Magistrates went on acting as they had done, that instead of the people relying upon their e s b t e o e place I himself s in the post of danger. moral exertions, they would in disgust and despair resort —(Renewed cheers.) not his interest—it is not to outbreaks on their ow n accounts.—(Cheers.) his business—it is not his t duty to create danger or to There was no security for the life , the liberty , p rovoke danger—it is his duty tolourguard against danger in al and the property of the poor man : and as ever y way ; but in spite ofefforts to prevent his friend M r . O'Brien ha d said yes t erday , if there was danger, and to prevent breaches of the p s e e ac ni e, d w et e er c m ai i i n n e o d t do it, for the magistrates and the police e not there ought to be no protection for the life, tiro do possible to create a di,turbance. It is our duty, then, to liberty, or the property of the rich man.—(Cheers.) exert our influence so as to prevent the people being led One of the Magistrates of Birmingham—and he wished into tll the snare.—(Cries of " Hear, hear.") I have to this to go forth to the public—had told the people on a in e Jli o s u, m t o h v a e t m e e v n e t ryman who at this moment takes part former occasion, when there was considerable excite- runs h j o s considerable e aro ble ah r r i o s a k d of danger— ment in the country, that " there was no use in their the enemy is abroad moral nonsense—that they ought to establish rifle corps, legions are abroad—they are scenting and snuffing his armed blood of the people ; but our object, g as the guardi f a o n r s th o e f become marksmen and sharpshooters, and that, then, the people, is if f s that t t h o ey see are dettheremyn determined d n not have bave t i li t e h blo vv o i d ol o tah f ti t o h g e " liaa l -e f they mi g ht hope for a redress of theirigieriemvaingchets. p h e e op la le w ; s, then, if they have our blood, we will l y ia Brown had followed that advice ii.s exchange.—( Cheers.) Let them come now if th e ey li i k r e s —let police and military come if they like—here we arc. rendered himself liable to imprisonment, but the Magistrate who gave that advice was held harmless, You 6,000 or 7,000 souls are evidence that we have met was the poor man who did not follow the advice here for political objects. If spies or traitors—if police in was held to bail.—(Cries of " Shame:) He hoped the coloured clothes it' military assassins were to come here people would behave themselves well —they would find and say " You clothes—if disperse at this moment," my advice the law in such hands was too powerful for them, if' they st e p pe d one i nc h beyond it. He hoped, however, would be, — kno n vv r ' s inf that , you h are unarmed and incapable of e u v n c u s a — sbtiod ‘ re t doe e r, o y r . d et er to is p g re iv s e e n rv , e an th d e tlioughit this would not discourage them, but that they would protecting knit them se l ves together in one firm bond of union, for, is an illeg g al yo and peace— come what would—" come weal, come woe"—they to show that we can j advice is quietly and peacefully to disperse, ra,cr:uddr time —my any danger leave would have that which would put an end to that order and no mistake,-_. it to use who arc threatened of things—Universal Suffraee, onted at twelve o'clock to-night. Mr. O'Brienthen . we a nt res (Cheers.) One result of the arrest of Vincentto say h th e at arid th e others would be, that they, being to guard the people against danger they must brought up by Habeas Corpus, would be able against illegality. The moment be had receive g d an t int? ' mation that they ought not to attend the meeting, if the to try, n o t merely the legali t y of the arrest or the regarded their own safety, he went with Dr. Taylor to the commit men t, b u t the legality of the Charter itself, not public office to see the Magistrates. No Magistrates were befo re a J ury o f M ag istrates, hut under the directi on of there, s but they saw Mr. Redfearn, and they told him if he wa a constit u ti ona l J u dge and befor e a Jur y of their coon- anxious ithe to preserve the peace they could pre try.—(cheers,) 'The result of such a course, he had serve break rretalikan the could; bat that if their ob. no hesitati on in saying, would operate to their advan- ject were to tte ev pea w c .o e ul a d nd to get up disorder, tags. He hoped, however, that in the meantime, the they promised him t th e 0. e s for t aw fairant giveT them They d not of people would not give the enemy an excuse or an op- it than they would like.—(Cheers.) disorder—all they wanted was a fair day's - wa portunity for seizing and arresting them. He trusted he day's work—they wanted a share of political 6 power, 1) had s a id enoug h to persuade the men of Birmingham that which they would be able to protect their wivesandhil y . there we re m e n steady and resolute at the head of their dreg.—( Cries of " A good government and a cheap one.") cause, and that to the advice of those men they mus t Yes ; and they wanted to have good institutions and laws look f or comfort and support. He had discharged all that should be made by the poor as well as the rich. The dutie s faithfully, and he trus ted every one who h eard fair remuneration for industry was e v e r y year decreasing ; him wo u ld b e equally faithful in the dischar g e of his ; they knew the cause of it, and were determined, with but the p eop l e w ould not discha r g e their duti es faith - God's blessing , with the aid of intellect and energy, and, fully if i n thi n ki n g of themselves they did not at the if necessary in the last resort, to the right arm of English same mento put a' stop to it.—(Hear, e h ae ear.)_ They_ did no time think of the cause.—(Cheers.) want to provoke a breach of t , h , e N p o.,)) e— u th ut ey th h e ad ir n en o e i m at i e e; EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. rest in doing so.—(Cries of It was th en mood by Mr. RICHARDSON, and seconded wished it, in order that they might have an excuse for by Dr. FLETCHER, and carried unanimously, " That striking a blow before the mass of their fellow-labourers an Executive Committee of three persons be appointed a were prepared to co-operate with there.—( Hear, hear.) Signed on behalf of the meeting, Chairman, On the motion of Mr. O'BRIEN, seconded by Mr. MILLS, the address was adopted and ordered to be printed. RENT. The SECRETARY stated that he had received that day from the Bliswork Working Men's Association, 31. 51. ; from the Working Men's Association, Gosport, l/. A vote of thanks was then given to Mr. Lovett, the Secretary, for his impartial and manly conduct. A vote of thanks was also given to the men of Bir mingham. for the warm reception the members of the Convention had received at their hands. The Convention then adjourned till the Ist of July unless the Secretary should find it necessary to convene it earlier. It was announced that if any one at the simultaneous meetings made use of any violent language, or carried weapons, he would act on his own responsibility, and that if arrested, the shield of the Convention would not be thrown around him. Three loud and hearty cheers were given for the Convention by the strangers present. BIRMINGHAM. Their duty was rigidly to obey the law, to maintain peace, order, and tranquillity, unt such time as the mass of the people were similarly informed, similarly disposed .and similarly determined ;as they were, to obtain their rights, peaceably if they could, but by any means to obtain them.— ( Cheers.) When the masses of the industrious classes had come to that determination, then if the tyrants of the country chose to strike a blow—if they attempted to assas sinate one portion of the people and to intimidate the rest by virtue of th© organization he had alluded to, they would understand their rights ; and if the tyrants spilled the blood of any portion of the people, they would not be able to do so without their own blood being shed an hour after.— ( Cheers.) When the upper or middle &asses bad a meet ing in the Town Hall, did the working classes interfere with that meeting ?—( Cries of " No.") Then what right had the upper or middle classes to interfere with a meeting of the working classes ?—( Hear, hear.) The working classes never sought to disturb their meetings, although they were backed by a posse comitutus that would ensure their success. If they were all organised and prepared he would tell them not to he peaceable until they had got possession of the Town Hall. They were told the Town Hall could not be opened, except a requisition was sent to the 'Mayor, signed by a certain number of respectable householders—that was persons who ate better dinners and wore better clothes than the poor working man, although were it not for him they would neither have good clothes nor good dinners, because they were too lazy to work for such things themselves.—( Cheers and laughter.) They had a perfect right to meet in the Town Hall, but that right would never be conceded, until the people had a voice in making laws, and electing the constituted autho. rities. If the officers ,if the Corporation were, elected as they were all over the United States by the people, then their signatures to a requisition would weigh as much as the signature of any shopkeeper, or master manufacturer, or any grinder of the poor, or any bastile builder, or any dealer out of skilly.—( Cheers and laughter.) He was told not to attend that meeting, because he would excite the people. Why, he wanted to excite the peopli.; but he excited them on the side of justice and law ; and though he had a most diab heal hatred of the law, yet so long as he knew it was the law, and that the people were not able to grapple with it, his regard for the safety of the people would induce him to advise them to obey the law until they had sufficient power to overthrow the rascals who made it. Did they under. stand that ?—( Cheers, and cries of " Yes, yes.") He wished to speak so that he could be understood ; he hated humbug, and he was not easily humbugged. Why should 700,000 make law for 7,000,000? • Tnete was a desire to send some of the people off to the Cape of Good Hope— there was what was called a " Children's Friend Society," who sent off poor orphans across the sea, and sold them to aristocrats and slave masters, and when breathing their last they had no consolation but such as was administered to them by their kidnappers.—( Shame.) The people did not wish to take anything from the rich that justly be longed to the rich, but only to enable the poor to keep what little they were already in posses sion of. Look at the House of Baring and Co. Ba ring was one of the four partners, and by buying cheap and selling dear, he was enabled from one year's trading to realise a profit of 651,000 f. That fellow was one of their law-makers who said that he (Mr. O'B.) was a seditious character because he told the people they ought to have more wages and less work. Why, if Baring worked he would not get Gd. a day for what he did ; and if he had his deserts, instead of getting Gd. a day he would be transported for life.—( Laughter.) One of the Barings had a poor fellow, an Irish labourer, named Corke, hung for striking him on the arm. Bingham Baring shoved him along and the young chap being spirited,:gave him a blow on the arm, and he was hung like a dog for the benefit of that aristo cratic villain.—( Shame.) Yet that fellow had an income of 651,0001. a year, which was equal to the wages of 65,000 Irish labourers, earning 10/. a year, and that was more than the majority of the Irish labourers earned. These men came to him (Mr. O'Brien) last night. Mr. Redfearn was one of them, and told him to get out of the town as fast as he could. He said, " Why the devil should he go. Why should he desert his post at that moment, and run away from those vagabonds? They ought to run away from him—they ought to be ashamed of looking in his face ; he lived by honesty, and why should he run away from fellows who lived by robbery, and who hand cuffed fellows better than themselves—there he was, let them come I" The fellows did come ; he treated them with great respect, because they were very re spectful to him. He said—" Gentlemen, if you want any person here, here we are—we say nothing behind your backs or before the people that we are afraid to say before the Magistrates." He had never promoted a violation of the law—he had always advised the people to obey the law as long as there was any chance of reforming it—and had it not been for their love of peace the law would have been broken a century ago. If the police came for him that night he would go with them and see them at the public office the next morning. ' It is your duty," said the speaker, " to unite as one man, and say in a voice of thunder—Hitherto we have obeyed your laws, because we did not wish to risk the lives or property of any individual; but now your laws are so bad we don't think we can obey them any longer, and so help us God, we don't think we have either security for life or property.—(Tremendous cheering.) Dr. TarLort then stood up, and was loudly cheered. He would not have been there that night, nor would he have advised the meeting to be called, but that the excite ment which had existed, and was still existing, demanded that the people should be made fully aware of the steps their leaders were about to take—of the plans they pro , posed—of the objects they bad in view, and of the inten tions of their enemies.—( Hear, hear.) The people were all powerful so long as they were peaceable, because, as ho told them before, the game was winning itself, and unless they destroyed it by sonic act of indiscretion their liberties were secure. Nothing could put them in a false position but giv ng a handle to their enemies, by creating partial outbreaks, to trample on them.—( Hear, hear.) He (Dr. Taylor) had been engaged in revolutions—he had been in dangers, and he thought his character was a sufficient guarantee to them, that when such men as O'Brien and himself recommended them to be peaceful, orderly, and united, and to keep within the law, that they ought to follow their advice until they should, by their own acts break the law, and give them a hint of danger as well as an example of courage.—( Cheers.) He had a letter in his pocket which he would take the liberty of reading. He had purposely torn off the name and the address. It was directed to Feargus O'Connor and himself, and was as f o ll ows I feel it my duty to apprise you of the dan gerous situation in which you are placed, together with the Delegates of the Convention, as every means will be taken for arresting you before morning, if a meeting should take place, as is anticipated to night. I have been informed by one of the authorities, that the soldiers are under arms—that the official constables are on duty—therefore I trust you will see the necessity of postponing the meeting ; for if you should be arrested riot and tumult will be likely to follow, and consequent ruin to our cause." If ever there was a time when a meeting was necessary it was that night.—( Cheers.) It was from the Delegates whom they honoured with their confidence that they should regard the command, the request, the hope, the prayer that they would give no handle to their enemies at the present time.—( Hear, hear.) Had the people been left, an excited multitude, with police spies, on the one hand, and the military on the other, how easily might an outbreak have taken place and the people become the victims !—( Hear, hear.) It was because he would not lead them into danger, unless he took the first post himself, that he had met them there. They could not lose the game, unless they played a wrong card out of their own hands. The Government and authorities might arrest the Delegates, if they pleased; but he hoped the men of Birmingham would disappoint them if they hoped those arrests would lead to tumult.—(hear, hear.) Do not (said the Doctor) let the arrest of the whole Con vention ever lead you to break the peace. Wait until you have a declaration signed by us, and thrown like a firebrand into the country, stating that the time for anarchy has arrived, and that confusion must reign for ever. ( Cries of " Bravo, bravo.") But that time will never come.--( Hear, hear.) Their attempts to arrest us will only have this effect—to supply our places with better men. (Cries of " That cannot be done.") They will keep up the excitement, and a little more will make the cup, now brimming, overflow, and let those take care who upset the chalice, for it will be a poisoned one.—( Cheers.) We shall be more powerful as victims than as instigators to a bloody revolt. Feeling that, I thought it my duty to come down and tell you, that, let the consequences be what they will, we entreat of you to take no step which can in the slightest degree endanger your selves, because anything that endangers you endangers the cause.--( Hear, hear.) I shall offer no opposition to those gentlemen arresting me—they shall have every opportu tunity of doing it. I and O'Brien told them at the public office tn night that they might stop the meeting if they liked, but that our object was to tell the meeting to be quiet, and that that duty we would perform. I make no secret of my intentions, which are to change the habits of this country. I make no secret of my views, which are that no sacrifice is too great to attain that desirable end ; but I won't allow the enemy to choose the battle field—l will choose it for myself---( Loud cheering)— and I will take care that whenever I address you it shat not be to goad you on to useless violence, surrounded b superior troops, but to give you energy, knowledge, dcci sion of character—to form yourselves into better ranks choose a better battle-ground, raise what banners you please—be it " Wife," " Queen," " Country," " Home,' or " Law ;" but to stand by it to the last when the day of struggle comes.—(Cries of " Bravo I Bravo!" and, loud cheers.) In ten days the simultaneous meetings will take place throughout England—in ten days more my northern brethren will be up to work, and if you now by partial violations of peace, give any excuse to your enemies to interfere, the vast moral power these simul taneous meetings would give will be lost by your indis •retion, and with it will be lost your liberties for 100 years.—(Hear, hear.) Wait calmly then, the re-assem bling of the Convention in Birmingham, when we steal have collected the opinions of the m asses of the people of England. The Doctor then told themthsse ws another duty they had to perform which was of a publi and a private nature. Brown had been carried off tha day—he was in no danger, for there was not a jury in all England that would be found to convict him. The Convention would take care that a writ of habeas corpus was moved for, and, if necessary, that there should be not one trial, but two trials. The first of these would be the trial of Brown for doing his duty, whatever he thought that duty was ; and the second would be the trial of the Magistrates, for an unconstitutional act in demanding excessivecontrary to the laws of England.—(Vehement cheering. i ) The act was done, and those two trials would give a greater impetus to the cause , by putting the people in he right, and their enemies in the wrong, than wht le ages could have achieved for them.—( Hear, he. But while Brown was in no danger, there were others ron whom the eye of pity might be turned, and to whom the hand of charity m i g ht be extended—there was B rown ' s wife and f a mily—(Cheers)—and he knew that while Brown was in custody his family would want for nothing. --(Cries of " They shall not.") Let them enter into subscriptions—it would be but a miserable trifle—s.they were not Aristocrats, who required 10,0001. or '''o,oool. a year, and he (Dr. T.) would ho proud of seeing his name in a list, not being afraid of protecting those whom the law EVENING EDIT:SON. I had left without a protector.—( Cheers.) He wished to give them another word of advice, which wits that he thought wcult! .s advisable to have no m cre meet ings until toe great meeting, at which he l i e tiedto be present, in Birmingham, that day week. fie int se ' plored them to give no handle, by meetings or otherO, to their oppressors, until they should have men among them, simultaneous with other places, to guide them. The address of the Convention would be out the next daY ( Saturday)—they would then see that the views of the Convention were peaceful, legal, and constitutional, but that the same weapon which was attempted to be used against them as an offensive one would be equally poWCr • in their hands as a defensive one. — ( He ar, hear.) ife presented to him little worth living for, except to see freedom flourish; but he would ten thousand times rather die with the consciousness that he had o btained for the people their rights without bloodshed, than that he had marched at their head, and effected a revolution amid streams of blood, while their object could have been attained by peaceful means.—( Hear.) Hopi!'' that until orders were given they would take no step-- that they would be in tact, conserve tors of the peace, he would leave them, with the proud satisfaction that that night at least they had proved themcdves competent to the task they had assumed to perfoi m, and that it would be impossible for any spies to goad th of into a single action detrimental to the g reat cause ot humanity and justice.--( Loud cheers.) He had been told that perhaps the recommendation he rave just no w not to hold any more meetings. might interfet e w ith thei d r Sunday morning devotions at Hollowa' -bean% He ha had no such intention, becahse his countrymen had been accustomed to worship their Msker on the hill si. le 1 the tyrants refused them Cuurches. In conclusion wished them ail good night. The cause was a g° °l one, if they did not destroy it thorns. Ives—it m ust b powerful, because it was based on principle. The Witiel was mighty, and would prevail in spite of all their ope nests.—( Cheers. ) 1 Mr. NFasost then addressed the meeting. When the present Mr‘gistrates, a few years ago, made use of violent language, for the purpose of achieving what they con* sidered to be their rights, no notice was taken of their e on duct by the Government ; but when the suffering' In starving poor met together to discuss their grievance4i police spies and constables were sent among them , C o p t, they were deprived of their liberty.—(Cheers , ) Such houl duet was not very consistent , and was not suc h as .. be adopted by those who professed to be the impartial SQI ministrators of justice. Three cheers were given for the Convention; throe: cheers for Brown and Fussell, and three gro ans fur Magistrates, and the meeting adjourned. An immense crowd, however, soon collected round the, Red Lion in the Bull-ring, where most of the Deleg ate d put up, but on being addressed by a man who had attendeb, the meeting and advised nut to impede the publi c thoteug fare they began to disperse. A great number o f p er l - ii however, still lingered about the streets, and e ven ?tries t late hour eleven o'clock) there are groups of workin ew in the Bull-ring, Smithfield, and adjacent streets, etv versing together, apparently discussing the events of day, and forming conjectures as to the result. METROPOLITAN POLITICAL SUMMARY. The Times of this morning, in the course of a wordy, leading ar.icle on the subject of the late ra,311 w e mentary explanations, the object of which is to white-3:3, Sir Robert Peel„ says :—" The public are nose aPPri5,. authentically and distinctly, t,:iat the difference whic h P -e e vented the completion of a al:nistry was not a differeneta of degree or detail, but a differ once of principle ---n° mere unwillingness of her M. • t to surrender the ou d ajcs y ordinate members of her suite, but a personal and pre fi _f e e e , resolution to uphold every single individual in her se ' her even at the hazard of some mist Instruction as ° et .' motives, and of much inconvenience t o her Govern; e ute d It . is but a few days since our Contemporary Mil l i t he Sir Robert Peel's failure to trickery on the part :11,01,'' Whigs, whose resignation was declared to be a, " Queen a " vamped up one." It now seems that " tu e , dis hes done it all ;" and that the Right Hon. laaronet s . s as comfiture is exclusively owing to her—an hyPether:l Sir false as it is disrespectful, for evell ° f r om Robert's own showing, her Majesty, so J ar „hold betraying " a personal and prefixed i esolution t° ds him every single individual in her service," behaved Wa tt •,h as in the frankest and fairest manner, and armed h im much power as ever yet was accorded to a Pr ime Mir a john In another mischievous article on the subj ect of Lor coo. Russell's scheme of National Education , our Cori °n a t t e i c ism , rary rings the alarra.bell of intolerance and i t a h resc ue and summons every knave and fool and bigot and Pro.. in these brazen and uncompromising terrna;"— t education. I test against this whole scheme of Governments forehead. We see the mark of the beast plainly morality, Under the pretence of religion and , degra des grossest insult to the Established Ch u "' recog the Clergy from their duties and functions, as the nized guardians and instructors of the people, It f o r p a ve the promote schism and heresy, and thus to the eventual triumph of Popery and infidelity.' tells the 1 't offers the The Morning Chronicle boldly and frankly de- Ministers that they must move briskly forward, sire to retain power and save the country from the h of Tory domination:—" Under the present state o f h! ...si the Whig Ministry cannot long keep the Tories t_ure, power ; for if it be determined to remain where we f il er ,' place after place must fall into their hands. When O r de r if theoyrrors Melbourne consented to resume the Government, in ° „ve to afford protection to hi,. Royal Mistress, he mutt " s intended to make such co ncessions to the Reformer would alone enable him to give effect to his views. are only, therefore, giving him credit for cony mon sense, if we suppose him really desirous to keep the Queen out of the hands of th e Tories, when we assume that he will abando n finality, and enable the Reformers to defeat the 01 garchy. The people are now every where indignant the base and cowardly attempt of the Tories ; and, °° suitable encouragement, they would make exertions Or: responding to the demands of the exigency. The Refor ts Bill was carried in a beroughmonger P arliament; and ts'i, enthusiasm of the people, which achie ved this, may allg:0, be roused. But they will not waste their exert;ons cessant struggles, which have no other result than tlistet% ming whether this or that set of men shall be in ° Let the Ministry do their part—let the people only , an e assurance that there is to be an end of finality-- sea the overnm ing secure." The P ost Morn insinuates that Ministers are likese to come to terms with the Radical party in tho Commons. We sincerely hope that such may be h e be et: We subjoin our Contemporary's remarks on this sti,aiis.. —" As far as we can learn from various quarters, Te'rtaio ters have been able to create an impression a mong a c . lere d set of sneaking Radicals that they will be more c ons!. ca , than they have heretofore been by the Government. 531;e0 gerly—at the very first sound of a possibility of being sho o into favour—these sneaking personages have begun t? 0110, their aptitude for servile adulation. Poor Mr. W 4 r e ' s b a rp though Member for Sheffield, is any thing but bo• Member, has been among the first to ente r upon t o l d be , nourable functions of a parasite. This is as it S i b i ° vr, it i 5 As Mr. Ward is one of the shallowest of the 0 3 1 oft h e fitting that he should also be one of the nics" t e e s agat e 5t mean. He never could muster up courage to that was the Whigs, poor man, for all makingg to no purpose beyond that of himself r i. l min i s terg , The Morning Herald is quite frantic wit",' e Queen; and in its exceeding rage does not even spare t" f oul° Had her Majesty become Tory, our C o nternP rari ge ribe g i have shown himself the most loyal and devote d of . 5 ar tily but she has preferred to continue Liberal, henc e bi di t ioria l indirect sneers against her. Such is the c° 11 , 5 oa r , loyalty of Toryism 1 " The contamination," ohserls Contemporary, "of Irish barbarism is on the ceort%i tb the Crown. Its crimes would soon become farniliareleistrf land, if the evil influence of the Lichfield House : ji ,jorei should much longer overshadow the throne and k ' n 'eite c ' If it were even possible that the delinquent Wh i g s ' s tbe r by feelings of shame and penitence, dared to reset-let 5 tb ° selves from the thraldom of the faction that mc d , ita c o d i '; utter destruction of the Protestant religion aflu ta l en t, membernient of the empire, they have rl°. x ta r -e l n tiel to capacity to extricate the country from its 47 0 ; t u rr i e v , e r e e - e o s home or abroad. For some years they have crawl on in the possession of power without pah lic , e diee ti or confidence, by the means of artifices and Or d noc l i worthy the lowest caste of political sharpers, 8 0 ° 00 5c ° finding those arts fail them, even in their own 'tecti°l3 Commons, they have, as a last resource, fled for Pr° ,„ to a PETTICOAT CAMARILLA in the Palace." to" The Morning Advertiser conjures the people ‘S'S round the Government, in the following term 9 "'nor' ut should deprecate a needless dissolution of Parliame „ every effort should be made to render it unnecessary' the Government must be permitted to move en'eloe`" en greater the difficulties in which public affairs Are the more necessary it is that all loyal and true Inc- ' peal who - really love their country, and desire to mainta' ri flow and order, and the security of life and p r oper 5 e 1 )6 :: rally round the Government, and check the vindict'hot sions of a fallen faction, regardless of everything gratification of its vengeance." - LLOYDS' SHIPPING—THIS Ottl) 3D r a DEAL, MAY 17.—Wind W. S.W.—Arrived so garetta, from Cadiz. Came down from the R r , iv ,:piSa P ' sailed, the Shepherd, Jardine, for Swan River; stor a ft Christie, Quebec. the PORTSNIOUTH, MAY 17.—Wind W.—Arrived v•vi°: Atkins, from Leghorn; .:Eolus, Smyrna; Janea' „:01; Taragona. Off port the Earl of Hardwick, :41arc from Calcutta—sailed from Cape of Good Hope 17, and St. Helena 28 . )15' her 0 . PLYMOUTH, MAY L —Wind S.W.—Sailed ;fessioi, jesty's ship Powerful, Lisbon ; Dolphin , Fortin, fres" FALMOUTH, MAY 16.—Wind N. N. W. to N : ": La di breezes.—Arrived the Marquis, Laws, from Da big t k%tn a/li t * Cornwall, Poe, Demerara ; Fanny, M‘DowstiV fl-qa0"; buco; Alexander Liddle, Thompson, Odessa; ‘ l°- ff P ar Hawkins, Trieste ; Trewartla Tanker, Odessa. .ve° a Camoens, Baird, Odessa. Art LIVERFOOL, MAY 17._Wied f res h f ro m 5. )1 0 ° te the Cassiopea, from the Mauritius; Philomela, Spret„,t'fobil.ee, Video; Gleaner, Savannah ; England, Oaklef , Larioorl t' Persia, ditto ; General Parkin, St. Mark's; C " Waithe, Madeira ; St. Lawrence, Huggup, Od6.ses!ditt,°. Ann, Bartlett, Trieste ; Tiber, ditto; Rings° . .I' l° Jones, Mediterranean ; Liffey, ditto; Eroe, M'l lta it'ata cia; Mure, Neustadt. Sailed, the Samarang, Ab bot, ° r Little Catherine, Williams, Demerara ; Govern:or 40 Batman, New York • West Chester, Ha rr ' s Ziueb ee t ? Ganges, Jones, ditto ; 'Matthew Bell, Huntley, G i o rs ' Racer, Hayti. Off port—Richard, Monte Video ; zi adol ,° ' Cearo; Dibdin, Mobile; Rawland, Charleston ; '"Giotr‘' New 'York, sailed 25th ult. ; Sarah, SrnYrn" Lisbon. , r sna The Countess of Bridgewater will gi , re :4 1 04' 4 dinner, this evening, in Grosvenor-square. Her or d Al' party, on Wednesday evening was attended by W 1 ford, Lord and Lady Delawarr, Lady Elibetnh 0 10 °` Lord and Lady Clive, Lord Maidstone, and t he Dorset. I , i" ii~ sc i qicf Sc ye] dis Pcol cite obje of Say in in r e li t nati Pea st ar and and pea axis, wiR