The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-12-02 00:00:00

THE CONSTITUENTS OF SIR CHARLES

DILKE.
On Tuesday evening the opposers and supporters of
Sir ('harks Nike met face to face in the Kensington
Vestry-hall, London, and the reioilt is not to be de-
scribed in the ordinary terms descriptive of disorder,
for a worse scene of tumult 11:18 scarcely ever been
witnessed in modern times in any assemblage of English-
men.
The meeting had been convened by Sir Alfred Slack,
the lion. Mr. Curzon, the Rev. Mr. Reed, ails! other
gentlemen connected with the constituency, for the
purpose of taking into consideration Sir Charles Dilke's
Newcastle speech. However, an hour before the pro-
ceedings were advertised to commence the hall doors
were surrouniled by throngs to a great extent ticket-
less, but none the less iletermined to be admitted. And
they had their way, to the exclusion of the ticket-
holders. Police were sent for to preserve order, but
they came too late, for those who were insole, aided by
a Vestryman, carries! a resolution that the doors should
be spened to all, and by 8 o'clock every inch of room
in the place was occupied, and those present were in
great part the vs ry people whom it had been desired to
exclude.

The tumult which commenced before the general
rash, soon became defined. Those who represented
the conveners, the Hon, Mr. Curzon, Mr. (harks
Mercier (the well-known painter), Mr. Durtant, and a
few others, mwle a vigorous stand for the right to
nominate a chairman, and for the time it appeared as
if they would 14(ye succeeded, but the opened doors
aildei I to their opponents, and amid A general uproar
Mr. ,iass, a phi who is not unknown to fame in
connexion with was deelareil to be elected
chaiiman if ti. • • . mid many vigorous protesta,
witi. h were it • ....I by physic:al manifestations
Of an unpleasant ci. Mr. Nines was esciated to
the meat intended fir Alfred Slade.

It Wits tbea attempted to (Ten the pmeeedings. no
chairman bionin l,vdl iring,that Ids fellow working-
men were there a+ Englishmen, with the right of being
present at a publi, meeting, and had onlv exercised
their right by electing him as chairman. Ile bad got
co far when he was declared by his opponents nit to be
elected, and a threat was made b • turn him out. The
most hideous hooting + arose, the chairman's sup-
porters shouting with all the strength of voice common
to those following .aitiloor occupations, " Stick to it,
Niass." the other sibe deelaring, with quite as effec-
tive a glamour, that the chairman was not elected, lie
declared he would " sit iek to it," and, amid the hubbub,
cheesy for the Queen were called for and given, and
the like followed for Sir ('harlot Nike. The National
Anthem was then struck up, and when a verse hail
been sung it appeared as if both sides were really ex-
hausted. The me:tuned chairman again attempted to
speak, and again it was threatened that he should be
turned out. At the repetition of this threat the storm
broke out again, and a strong body of men, apparently
of the building trades, arose in the body of the hall and
nialo a shay of physical foree against the possessors of
the platform. A most threatening attitude was assumed
on both sib.-3, rinal blows being alone prevented by
neutrals— the ri•jnotei A- being wedged between the
contending parties, and so stopping for a time the ex-
pected collision.
When the uproar was at its height some part of a
standing gave way, and this diverted attention for the
time. Ord+ e WMS thus partially restored, and a gentle-
man who was stated to be it Dissenting minister rose
in the ineetin, nnb. calliol Upon toqi sides ti cease
their tUItIIW, CO that a .Lfinito eon., e of action might
he taken. Thif: gave time to the chant:mu to nay that
he WoOtt iicept the pregramme if th.se Olt) hadron•
vened the meal rig, am would allow it to he fairly
placed before the assendbage, if they would accept him
as their chairman, and thus acknowledge the right of
the mvAing to elect the chairman.
After a time the truce was made, and the pro-
gramme it had been proposed to adopt was laid 'fore

the reporters. The first resolution it had been pro-
posed to present was an address to the Queen, declaring
devout loyalty to Her Majesty's Royal person and to
to the Monarchy which Her Majesty represented. The
second was -
" that this meeting of electors of Chelsea, resident in the
parish of Kensington, having considered the lecture lately
delivered at Newcastle by Sir Charles Mite, one of the repre-
sentatives of Chelsea, considers tint the opinions therein
expressed are not those upon which he was returned as re-
presentative of this borough, and we therefore call upon
him to resign his seat"

These resolutions were dictated to the reporters, and
the Hon. Mr. Curzon proceeded to propose the adop-
tion f the address to the Queen. Ile said every as-
semblage of Englishmen would be glad to show their
loyalty to the Throne and their respect for the Queen
by supporting an address like this, for he WAN sure that
no class of his countrymen would wish to he like their
neighbours over the water—continually at strife as to
the form of I :overnment which should be adopted, a
strife which was the fruitful cause of misery, more es-
pecially to those who formed the bulk of the nation.
Ile concluded by saying that the country had pros-
pered under the Queen'in rule, and he trusted that
beneficent rule would last for many years to come.
The aklrtss WM seconded by Mr. Durrant, who
stood up on the table the better to be heard, but, his
purpose bring misunderstood, he was assailed with
somewhat strong language. Even when permitted to
speak, he Was not heard even by those who were at
his feet, so great WWI the noise, and all that could be
made of his speech was that he protested against Sir
Charles Mike's speech, and declared that the baronet
was unworthy to represent the borough.
An opposing orator rose in the person of Mr. Mason
JOlllOl, WllO was intrisluced by the chairman as an
elector who had au amendment to propose. Ile
received a Wamlll welcome from the majority of the
meeting, while a large section of the meeting struck
up "Rule Britannia," following this national song
with the National Anthem. The other side tried the
" Marseillaise," but no few knew the tune, and no one
appeared to be acquainted with the words, this fell
through. The orator attempted to get a hearing, but
in vain. Some of his rougher supporters then attacked
tine platform, and enjoyed the sport of dragging their
opponents from this 'vantage point. I ree fights
went on in several parts of the hall at onee, and
those in the front of the platform made a rush across
the table to assist in ousting those they regarded as
the conveners of the meeting. When Mr. Mason Jones
obtained a hearing, he dwelt in strong terms upon the
indecency of dragging the Queen's name in the mire,
and he saiii Inc thought Ifer Majesty was entitled to all
the sympathy which the other side proposed to vote
to her. He objected tin the purpose which, he said;
had been intended--that of stabbing Sir Charles I hike
in the back by holding a ticket-meeting, and he pro-
ceeded in vigorous language to defend Sir Charles I filke
against the charges ef having slandered the Queen.
The Aneaker dealt with Sir Alfred Slade's speech at
Taunton, and declared that the insn who had made
the statements concerning Sir Challis Dilke such SS
were contained in Sir A, Shule's speech would com-
mit assassination. The Her. Mr. Reed, as one of the
conveners, and Lord Chelsea, as having spoke upon
the question against Sir Dilke, were strongly de-
nounced. The speaker ended a portion of his iyeech
against the conveners of the meeting by turning to
the platform and calling out, " \'lrene are these linen ?"
The question acted like a signal upon the rougher
portion of the crowd, for the upniar became terrific,
and with many imprecations the gentlemen referred to
were sought fur by the impassioned mob. The speech,
the fighting, and uproar continued until nearly ten
e'ebsic, when the ameiehnent proposed by Mr. :Tones
was that the meeting should be adjourned until the
14th of January next.
The amendment was seconded by Mr. Bickley, who
said that was inn occasion of which tine working men of
Chelsea might be proud.
The amendment Wan carried unanimously, and a
vote of thanks to the chairman, proposed by Mr.
Sheen, seconded by Mr. Mason, brought the proceed-
ings to a termination.