The Express.
London, England, 1848-06-12 00:00:00

THE CHARTISTS.

On Saturday placards were issued by the Chartists,
headtd " Thc ancisnt Right of !sleeting in Public defended,"
and addressed to I. ad John Russell, which commenced
thus:—

That they bad read with much astonishment and concern aweport
of his lordship's declaration M the Howe of Commons, "Shut he did
not believe the people desired the charter," and they hal accordingly
made arrangements to convince hie lordship on Whit-Monday that bay
supposition was utterly unfounded. Then intentions were to hold
peaceful deruonstrati •ns, and their efforts would be employ.' for the
pie-emotion of life and property. They repudated the violent lan-
guage used at Clerkenwell meetings; in short, they deprecated sill
rioting; bait they wished to know his lordship's intentions, after the
treatment and murderous am of the police. they and their associates
were the alter..aim the disturbers of peace, and the destroyers of
property. They had been fully informed of the atrocious system
adopted by the pllee. They were accompanied night and day by idle
burs who infest all meeting* and break windows on a signal
being given by the police, was to justify an attack upon as por-
tion of a peacetul meeting. They doubted much a hobs t Sir George
Grey had been correctly reported when he was represented to have
said that it was the inuntion of the government so put a stop to all
meetings. ll such a report was true, it would imply that his lordship
was afraid of a public denial being given to the public challenge.
They regretted that several meetings had not been Famed to lisp erm
without being invoiced in a conflict with the police, who were kept in
ambush until the greater portion at the people had dispersed, who
were then let loose, half drunk and completcy mad, upon the people,
and who, in their ferocious onslaught at llonner's fields, paid no
regard and showed no mercy either to age, sex, or condition. They
trusted that no such disgraceful assaults will be sanctioned by his
lordship on Monday, whilst they are assenabled to report the reception
of memorial to the Queen. If such were made, the people would
hold Li lordship responsible." The tall concludes by stating that they
"trusted his lordship would not force them to Iterend their right of
public meeting. They were satisfied that ill the chartists will disperse
quietly it unmolested."
The document is signed by James Leach, P. M. M'Dowall,
E. Jones, J. M'Crae, and S. Kydd.
Three o'clock is the hour named for the meeting to begin
in Bishop Bonner's fields; at the came hour meetings are
to be held in Cumberland-mark. t, Islington. Bethnaagreen,
Clerkenwell, Linn house, the Hippodrome, Notting-hill, and
several other places. Seine of the bills convening the meet-
ings wind up in the following language , •• Come, men of
London, and maintain the riAite of your father,' fathers!
Let peace, right., and liberty, be your watchword."
B. sides the London meetings, the chartists have pledged
themselves to hold monster meetings at the came hour in
Northumberland, Manchester, Nottingham, Sutton-in-Ash-
field, Huddersfield, Liverpool, Durham, Birstal, North Staf-
fordshire, Bradford (Yorkshire), South-east Cheshire, War-
rington, Bristol, Be' h, Cambridge, Snigsend, Herta (ac' a-
mnion), Loughborough, Rochdale Newark-on-Trent,
KeiAley, Leiesster, Paisley, Lincoln, Dublin, Glasgow,
Paulton, Steleybridge, Sunderland, &c.
In the course of Saturday and yesterday the chartists as-
sembled in considerable numbers at their several diefiCt
meeting-houses, every precaution being used to prevent the
intrusion of strangers' and all applications far admission
were positively refused unless recompanie dby a car proving
the hearer to be an enrolled chartist, the members of the
public press not excepts el. Sufficient, however, transpired
to enable us to state that these misguided men are organising
themselves, and that they are divided into brigade., earned
the Emmett, Washington, &c., each brigade divided into
sections, and again subdivided into classes every ten me n
havii g their appointed class leader, whom they are expect. el
implicely to obey. Most of them possess arms or offensive
weapons of some kind, and pike-venders during the past
week have been openly pursuing their calling amongst them.
At the South London Chartist Hall, it was announced
last night that a large isody of their friends had arrived in
town since Saturday from the north. During the ..hole of
Saturday night a large number of persons in groups of tens
and half darns passed through Barnet on their way In
London, from Se Albans, Dunchurch, and other plate on
the al: rah-road, to which circulars had been forwarded; and
last night. Fletcher (of Leda), Watson (Birmingham).
Maynard (Huddersfield), and about 20 of their c dtpaidOna,
delegate., reached town by the Birmingham line. At every
one of the lodges last evening, physical force, in the event of
interruption, was the popular topic.
Meanwhile the authorities have been on the al-rt. Si titles
the police force, the military will be in readiness to act, and
several thousand special constables were re-sworn in on Kane-
day, not merely at the police courts, but also at the work.
houses anal vestry halls of the metropolis. Sever al well known
friendly societies that were in the habit of walking in procession
on Whitmondays, in order to show their loyalty have agreed
not to walk, in cane any handle should be made of it by the
chartists. The total number of troops to he concentrated in
the metropolis and environs will be 10,000, horse, infantry,
and artillery. They will garrison the banks, public
buildings, and government offi, es, a portion acting in con-
junction with the Royal Artillery Company, and the reserves
below stationed so as to commend the leading thorou a Marts, or
act in concert se occasion may require. in the City, at a
Court of Aldermen, it was arranged that the alderman of
each ward should undertake the arranfems nts of thcr re-
spective juriad;ctions for the preservation of the public peace.
On Saturday new cutlasses and hilts were forwarded to
each of the police stations in the metre,' es for nil the con-
stables, in case of an emergency. They ware directed to
assemble at tee various stations at seven o'clock this morn-
ing, to await any orders that may arrive from the police
commissioner.. In fact the most active and determined
measures have been adopted to put down the slightest
attempt that may be made to disturb the public peace. All
the public buildings will be put in a similar state of defence
to that in which they were on the 10th of April. All
the military and civil power within miles of the
metropolis will be so brought around it that in an instant
they can be brought into action, and to its immediate relief.
At 'Chatham, Woolwich, and the several doeityards, every
man capable of bearing arms will be in readiness for action.
The pensioners will be also under arms, and, although the
same external appearances of defence that showed them-
selves last 10th of April will not be so prominent to the eye,
yet the arranzements made for any contingency that may
arise are not less fermidable, nor will they prove less effective
than they would have proved had they been brought into
play in April. On Friday the Grenadier Guards at rived in
London from Winchester, and on Saturday the Itayal Horse
Guards (Blue) marched up from Wirielare Government
is resolved to put down with a wrong arm any attempt to
disturb the public peace, or interfere with the property or
trade of citizens. During the week several communization*
have reached the authorities of the metropolis to the effect
that is is the intention of evil diuponed person. (not
chartists) to avail themselves of the present political
agitation for the purpose of public and spoliation.
Yesterday (Sunday) afternoon, at one o'clock, the whole
of the superintendents of the metropolitan police met at the
chief office, Great Scotland-yard, for the par, use of receiving
their final instructions as to the proceedings they are to
adopt this day in preventing the intended chartist demon-
strations. The commissioners were in consultation with the
various superintendents a considerable time, and the orders
given arc of such a character that, if any resistance is offered
on the part of the mob, the most stringent measures are
to be resorted to to suppress the same. The whole of
the mounted force is to be under the command of Mr.
Superintendent Williamson, of the T division. As the
chartist leaders will conceal as long as possible some of the
places at which they intend to hold their meetings, so that
the police should know nothing about them until the pro-
ceedings begin, to guard against any proceeding of that
nature, provision is made throughout the metropolis, and on in.
formation being conveyed to the proper quarters, a sufficient
force can be immediately summoned to prevent an, illegal
assemblage. The special constables will also be placed so
such quarters as to be able to render instant assistance.
The superintendents are to support each other with their
whole force, if necessary, and it airect communication is to
be kept up between the metropolitan and city commis-
sioner., an that in the event of large bodies of people attempt-
ing to walk in procession, or creating any disturbance, the
services of each force may bccalled into action, and the
mili-
tary will also be ready to assist. Another precaution on the
part of the government is the following : A number of steam-
boats have been ordered to be filled with solders, who are to
move off to any part at a moment's notice, if their
services should be needed. The Bank of England,
although not outwardly fortified as it was on the 10th
April, will have a double guard inside, and the soldiery will
he so arranged within the building, that every part of it can
be amply protected. Similar precautions have been adopted
at the Mint, Custom-house, and the various government
buildings. At the houses of parliament not only is every