The Express.
London, England, 1848-06-01 00:00:00

he would not condescend to offer a pledge—to
the freeholders of North Cheshire. His honourable
friend, Mr. Cheatham, had taunted him with having
said that the navigation laws were a difficult question to deal
with, and he was not unwilling now to admit it—to say that
it was one which ought to be disinsmitstaately considered; and
though he would never give a pledge to any constituency
how he would vote upon that question, whether his election
might depend upon the result or not. he would promise to
give the subjt et his best consideration should it come before
the legislature. He denied that he came there in violation
of any pledge: he offered himself on aialependent principles,
was suite determined that he would go to the poll, and at
the poll he had no doubt he should win.
Mr. T I) P. AerLer next presented himself amidst
mingled . :missions of applause and disapprobation, and pro-
ceed. d to address the freeholders, but a heavy shower of rain
having commenced towards the conclusion ot Mr. Legh's
address, he did not occupy attention more than a few
minutes. He said he felt his position on the present occa-
sion a amen more comfortable one than at the last election,
lecauee he could not now bo charged with disturbing or en-
daneering tne prospects of another candidate of similar
principles to his own. He did not expect to mono- olise all
tee von s of a great constituency like that, even under
the conditions of the compact about whish so much
had been said, and even supposing many gentlemen who
ought to have been bound by it kept their pledge.; but at all
events he had a reasonable hope that he should unite
majority. Those who thought that a c instituency of which
a great portion was manufacturing ought not to be wholly
reoresereed by agriculturists. those who h. Id the opinion
that agricultural prosperity had a dependence upon the
prosper ty of manufactures, [hot, who held that economy
and retrenchment in our national expenditure, with a reform
in our representation and a moderate and safe extension of
the franchise, was due to the enlightened progress of the
people—all these he hap, d, and he thought nut unreason-
ably, to unite in his support. His opinions on the great
leading ques•ions of the day were before the electors in
Lie printed address, and were mole fully expressed at
the last election, and he should not now trouble
the meeting with them again in detail. lie was for a de-
cided but moderate reform of our poltloal ingitetions. and
Le was a frectrader. (Great ch.grat.) Ile believed the
interests of agirLiaiture to be so mixed up with those of trade
and commerce, that by supporitte comes vial free-
' door he was the friend of both, and of the industry
of the whole country. his views of free trade did not tend
' to the removal of the corn laws alone, but to the removal of
that indirect taxation upon other great articles of minsump-
non which tended to the disadvantage of this enuntry in various
ways, more, specially by cchancing the price of ei rumoditiesto
th- consumer, whilst they retracted the markets for our
manufactures, and in the collection of which there ea- such
an acknowledged shameful waste of treasure. With regard
'o reform, he had seen on the continent so much of the evil
and danger of depriving those who were iottllig. nt and
quilifi.d to exercise them of their political tights; he had
.seen so much of the evil of denying those just reforms
which, whin too long withheld, ae d denied by peaceable
means, generally came by convulsion, and were precipitated
upon society. when in estate of mind rendering them less dia-
per .1 to receive them with good feeling; he had seen so
much of the bad effects of puttiog off r. terms too long in
&Trinity and Italy to be the opponent of a w.se and gradual
concession of popular r:ghts and the freedom of the people.
(Applause ) Ho agreed with his honourable opponent as
to the peacelul conduct of the people of this country,
whilst the thrones of the conttneut were tottering
to theh fall; but he dreg • different inference from
it. He did not draw the inference the such •
people ought to be denied their rights, but that they
deserved, and ought the more to have them yielded.
(Cheers.) He was a friend to a jute protection of the
veer, and other measures for the amelioration of the condi-
tion of the people ; and if he went to parliament he should
go, not seeking his own interest, or pleasure, or the mere
gratification of an idle vanity : his object was to serve his
neighbours and his fellow-countrymen in the brat way he
could, and his beat reward would be tie it approbation.
The Sheriff having put the question to a show of hands,
there was a large majority fur •.r. A.-tley, and he 4eclared
his opinion to that effect —Mr. Tattoo demanded a poll on
behalf of Mr. L.gh.—The Sheriff then stated that a poll
would commence on Monday m going next, and close on
Tuesday evening, and he adjourned the court till 'Thursday
morning.

DISTURBANCES IN MANCHESTER.
We stated in the Express that the friends and
sympathisers of Mitchel, the convict, had advertised a great
demonstraion in Manchester for yesterday, and that the
mayor, with a view to prevent any disturbance from the in-
flux of a concourse of people, such as it was known the
" sympathisers" were trying to organise and bring together
from the surrounding towns, had prohibited such de-
monstration. After our report was sent off on Tuesday
night, it appears that meetings were held at Oldham, Ashton,
and other large towns, at which resolutions were passed
' pledging the people to disregard the mayor's proclamation,
and to go to Manchester. Reports of these intentions were
conveyed to the authorities in Manchester, and yederday
morning preparations had been made on a laree scale to in-
tercept them and defeat their object, which, in addition to
an ordinary meeting, was also reported to contemplate the
turning out of hands from the mills and woekshops. A de-
putation profes-ing to represent the parties intending to
assemble waited on the authorities on Tuesday night, and
again yesterday morning, and expressed their belief that
the meeting, if allowed to take place, would be a peaceable
one, and a hope that the prohibition would be removed.
1 The magistrates, however, remained firm. One of the Mau-
-1 cheater papers (the Guardian) says :
" We may mention one or two facts, as showing bow little
the assertions of the deputation, that the meeting was to be
a perfectly pears able one, are to be relied upon. In the
course of Tuesday, George Archdeacon, whale name is
appended to the placards convening the meeting, as secre-
tary, was beard, in a house in Anceatsstrect, haranguing a
number of chartist', and urging them all to • come armed
to the meeting.' At a meeting on Tuesday evening, con-
sisting of about 150 mm, around the lamp at New-cross,
persons were hem d stating that there would be a considerable
lorce of chartists to go to the Town-hall in the m.rning,
and take poastuion of it, and seize the magistrates who
might be assembled there, the chief officers of the police
force, and all the arms they could get ; and that they would
detain the magistrates and officers in a ustody until Mitchel
should be set at liberty."
The whole borough police, amounting tonearly a thousand
men, including supernumeraries and a -body of special con-
stables, were placed in different parts of the borough, and on
the roads leading from Ashton, Oldham, aid Stockport,
where the principal bodies of men were expected to come
from early. in the morning ; and towards 11 o'clock infor-
mation being received of a large body of working men being
on their route from Oldham, and smaller bodies from other
1 tow..s, the military were called out 1,7 Limit-General Sir
Timms' Arbuthnot, and bodies of the I lt h Hussar* and 63rd
Int intry were stationed in Stevenson-square, where the
meeting was to have been held, and ire other parts of the
borough. Bodies of police also went out towards Fails-
worth, hearing that a mob had reached there and turned
out the working people from the mills ; and their presence
had the effect of preventing these parties from making that
place a general rendezvous and place ot meeting, as had been
eubwquently determined upon by the leaders of the move-
ment. Some of these parties were found to be women with
'ticks having pikes at the end, but they were readily dis-
persed by tae police and a body of mounted patrols, aided
by a heavy shower of rain which came on. Shortly after-
wards a messenger arrived thence, and stated that the mob
were rioting at Failsworth, and Lieut-Oeneral Sir Thomas
Arbutheot and a troop of the 11th Hussars proceeded thither
at once, and Mr. Metele and Mr. Murray, both county
magistrates, and who were in Stevenson's-square at the time
the information was received, proceeded thither with the
cavalry. They were both mounted. Sir Thomas intimated
that if he found the rioters with arms in their hands. he
should at once order the cavalry to disperse them.
We have since heard that the body of men advancing
from Oldham to Manchester, on learning from some of their
fellows in this city the ample preparations that had been
made to prevent their entering Manchester, changed their
determination—in all probability ftcr a nue communication
from the deputation already noticed,—and determined to
hold the meeting at Failsworth.
Wo understand that near the Newton-heath Toll-bar Mr.
Beswick, with a small police force, was keeping in check
a mob advancing from Osdharn towards Manchester, when
he perceived a second mob behind his force, advancing
from Manchester towards the her; and he requested
Mr. John Henry, who was acting as one of the mounted
atrol, to proceed at once to Manchester to obtain a rein-
forcement. Mr. Henry hastened forward, but instead of
taking his way down some side lane or street, so as to avoid
the advancing mob, he pushed forwards, met them, and
then tried to get through by urging on his mare ; and,
whilst in the mob, some fellow with a pike or dagger,
stabbed the animal in the side, and Mr. Henry received
several blows about the head and face, both from sticks and
missiles. One stone struck him on the side of the head, near
the ear, and inflicted a severe would of the scalp, but fortu-
nately did not fracture the skull.—Mr. IL,bert Worthington,
of Crumpsall-hall, who has the command of the mounted
pat:ol, finding Mr. Henry, after he had got clear through
the mob, bleeding from the wounds he had received, pro-
cured a brougham cab, and cony, yed him to the Town-hall,
and surgical assistance was speedily procured. We are glad
to state that his injuries, though severe, are not dangerous.
Mr. J. Henry is a ten of Mr. A. Henry, M.P.
At the Town-hall there is now in reserve a company of the
89th regiment of infantry, from Preston, voider the command
of Major Graham. A reserve of thirty of the police force
had just been despatshed from the Town-hall to Stevenson's
square, to relieve some of those on duty there. 7
P.K.—The close of the mills for the day has hberated the
workpeople, and the streets round Ancoate-lance Swan-
street, George's and Oldham-roads, are crowded try several
thousand people. A part of the mob toot up a patios of
the pavement, which they threw at the police, bat beyond
this no offensive operations have been commenced The
greater number of the people assembled harm heen at-
tracted by curiosity to the spot. The military aad police
are drawn up in the neighbourhood of the streets above-
named, accompanied by Mr. Maude and other anglereeres.
No serious breach of the peace is aaticipand, %he leaders of
the chartist and repeal parties being at mime with their fol-
lowers with reference to some of to-day's ps.aceedings. Mr.
Donovan, the delegate from Manchester the late Chartist
Convention, had, with soma other members of the com-
mittee, to escape over the garden-wall of a gentleman's
house in order to tiooil maltreatmea•- Th. Oldham rioters
were met by the military and poltee, and compelled to retire
without ltavinq Manchester,
1130 P.N.— rhe crowds have entirely dial:Klima, and the
town is to all appearance perfectly quiet, All is quiet at
Bradford.
Leans, WEDNESDAY Art LaNOON.—Shortly atter seven
ecifesk ...nig morning about sixty of the 52nd regiment, and
dime she ism twfs6eot Pnessossers arrived loom lit.atords