The Express.
London, England, 1848-04-11 00:00:00

aese-------------------
arrests wermad and the mob, which nclined for
a minute toe make , a stand, were uniformlyteeme repulsed by the
horse patrol, the sight of whose drawn sabres wielded over
the heads of the mob soon put the more noisy and impudeat
to flight. Both on this and the other side of the bridge we
saw numbers of men with their heads bleeding, and being
led away, by their friends. The arrests number, we were
informed, above 30.
Waterloo-bridge—thanks to its toll—would, but for the
police, have presented the same peaceful appearance as
on other days. We passed over it at about one o'clock,
during the hei,ht of the demonstration on the " common."
The toll bars were guarded by osmpanies of the force, while
the seats over the piers were occupied by those of their com-
rades, either lounging, or sleeping, or eating, or enjoyinp
the pleasures of a pipe. Could they have been seen by then
busy brethren on the neat bridge they would have been
much envied.
The toll of the Charing-crow bridge seemed also to have a
protective influence over it. It was as quiet as ever we saw,
to spite of the police.
Westminster-bridge being that over which the gigantic
petition was threatened to be drawn in procession, was, how-
ever, tilled with bustle and mounted and foot police.
At an early hour in the day crowds of persons lied assem-
bled in its neighbourhood, and in that of the House lei
Commons, to await the arrival of the proc -mien, which was
expected to cross the bridge from Kennington-common.
Up
to twelve or one o'clock very little preparati
ton
appeared to
have been made for their reception ; eee but few
policemen about, although we understood that there was a
large number quartered in the vicinity—in the committee-
rooms and other portions of the houses of parliament, and
elsewhere. But as the day wore on, and the crowd be.
came more dense, the police might be °buried walking
about in large bodies, and compelling the people to " move
on "—a command which was obeyed sometimes with an ill
grace, but in no case that we observed with any manifesta-
tions calculated to lead to, or which resulted
re in a breach of he
peue. Weatminster-bridge was the gat pidnt of attractiotn,
as it was apprehended that it would be the scene of any
collision which might take place. The report which had
been set afloat respecting artillery, &c., appeared to he
totally unfounded: we saw no signs of anything of the kind.
Bills were posted on the bridge warnieg the public not to
assemble there lit large numbers, as it was apprehended that
the wooden hoarding which supplies the place of the former
stone balustrade w0..1d give way on a pressure of a mature
by no means inconsiderable. The public, however, which
always considers itself the best judge of matters connected
with its own safety, treated thew arning with a degree f
contempt, which was manifested by the increased density of
t crowd un the roibited spot. Shortly before two
o' lock, however, the polhice began to emerge from their
hitherto inglorious state of inactivity. A troop of the hone
patrol proceeded on to the bridge, and set about the some-
what arduous task of clearing it. Stationing themselves at
the foot of the bridge, on the Surrey side, they succeeded in
driving the British public somewhat ignominiously, inch by
inch, and step by step, comeletely to the other end. At
the corner of Bridge-street there were sev.ral a
trine' helies of the force to receive them, so that
the majority had no resource but to escape up parliament
street, the road to the house being efficiently guarded. A
consul table number, however, still continued to occupy
Bridge-street. They consisted principally of idlers and bad
characters, having no political object in view, and being
employed fur the most part in the indulgence of various
little Repulse pleasantries at the expense of the police and
the special einstables, the latter being away, g especiuntially l
thevictimised
in this manner. Thus the time pa
PRECENTATION OF THE PETITION,
which took place shortly before three o'clock. The demon-
stration was not very strong or alarming in its appearance.
It censisted simply of two hackney cabs containing three
members of the deputation, and the petition itself. The
paper, WWlic conveyedste by instalments e
iuty po
the house, and de-
livered over to the proper authorities. The deputation re-
turned immediately on foot, and was loudly cheered on its
'lithe great event being brought to a close the crowd began
gradually to disperse, and in a comparatively short space ot
time the thoroughfares were clear. Aportion of the police,
however, remained for some hours en the spot and in the
immediate neighbourhood.
Except what is recorded above, and in our police reports,
we have heard of no casualty, either arising from accident
or unpleasant feeling between the executive and the public.
We have indeed received one or two letters from parties
complaining of isolated cases of harshness or of misconduet
by the police; but these were perhaps written in the heat 01
the moment and while the parties wer thisa under
injuries they have forgotten perhaps by time. Upon
the wh&e therefore the conduct of all parties—of the regular
as well as of the special police on the one hand, an.l of the
people eat the niter
the to have been exemplary.
It is also due to the htlter authorities to point out that
their arrangements—with the single exieption of keepin.:
the bridges closed tome hou longer than neeessary--appear
to have been most efficiently rs
planned.
Happily, however, these formidable and skilfully con-
trived precautions proved—as we predicted they would prove
—rutly disproportioned to the occasion *hick called them
into existence.

IRELAND.
Dratts, Aram 9.
The outline of the new bill is the general topic of
club conversation ; and, so far as I have been able to
collect, the measure is popular with that class.
But of its unpopularity with the masses there can be
as little doubt. I understand the confederate leaders
are resolved to abate nothing of their high tone, or
mitigate the fervour of their language, whatever be
the penalties. The new measure will place them in
a very awkward position. If they abate their preten-
sions, they grow unpopular; if they stand by them,
they are overtaken by the severity of the law.
A novel and very efficacious mode of subduing the
confederate spirit was tried at a late meeting in Bel-
fast. While Mr. Rea, the gentleman in green, who
some weeks ago upset the tenant-right meeting, was
provoking his lungs to the full patriotic breadth, he
was suddenly deluged with a torrent of water dis-
charged from the well-directed hose of a fire-engine !;
The hydropathic treatment completely subdued the
feverish symptoms, and the confederates dispersed, I
like Cowper's rose "all washed in a shower."
The evictions in Limerick and Kerry have attracted
she attention of the government. On Friday last the
police went around and took a return of the houses
levelled on the estates of the Marquis of Conyngham
and Mr. Westley, together with the number of fami-
lies ejected and the deaths the ensue.l.
The Limerick people's club have been assiduously
at practice during the week. The shooting, we are
informed, has been generally fair, and some of the
riflemen have proved themselves close hitters.

..-------•--------------___
EDINBURGH, Aram 10.
A Chartist meeting is to be held here this evening,
on the Caltonill. The special constabulary are in
readiness to prevent any outbreak. A Chartist meet-
ing was held in Paisley on Friday, when, amongst
other resolutions, it was carried :
by •
That the righ., of Ireland to be governed distinct and
independent legislature is undeniable, and what every
country should enjoy, and that the act of 1800, called the
Act of Union, has become a signal failure, and a source of
misery to both countries—apartnershipunfortuthousand.fold
nate—having
iscreased England's taxes, and multiplied a
Ireland's poverty.
The speaker compared the Union to the assumption
by the Glasgow town council of the business of the
Paisley council. The seconder (an Irishman) shook
hands with the proposer, and, amidst muct. applause,
declared the marriage between Chartism and Repeal
now accomplished, after which edifying ceremonial
the chairman announced that the collection amounted
' to 31. 3s. 2d., which, with laudible celerity in mental
arithmetic, he stated would at one halfpenny each
give a gross attendance of 1,500—a fact which he
hoped the reporters would duly notice.
THE BISHOP or RIETER.—Some party in Dundee
having written to the Bishop of Exeter, requestin
of g an
Rev. ex-
planation of hie lordship's alleged persecution the
James Shore, as detailed by the reverend gentleman at pub-
lic meetings in Dundee and other towns a Scotland, Dr.
Phillpotts has written in reply that Mr. Shore'statements
are for the most part calumnious t that • licence
not by the bishops caprice, but by the refusal of the incum-
bent of the parish to not&nate Mr. Shore to the curacy ; and
that, so for from the orders of the latter being indelible, the
bishop offers to depose him gratuitously within smooth if he
will offer no resistance.
RETURN Or FOOD RIOTERS.—Cm Wednesday hat, the
young men who were under sentence of tnuispoat Hrtatioopa for
rioting at Burghead last year, were landed eman
arbORT from the Duke of Richmond steamer, and received
Harbour from the l)ukr of Richmcnd steamer, and received
(nays the Elgin Courier) with acclamations of joy and tears
mingled.
-----------.

----"•••""'"--- .„._._
the retained and stated wickw. lanes had no knowledge of
the defendant.—Mr. Bard considered the explanation
of the defendant so unsatisfsetory that he ordered him to be
remanded until Thursday next.
SOUTHWARK.—Tan CHMITIST DEMONSTRATION
Two young men named Stephen Uridge and Charloe
Cations were charged with having assaulted the police in
the execution of their duty.—A policeman stated that while
on duty in Blackfriare-road, at half-put 1 o'clock,
on the return of the crowd from Kennington-common, a
large number of persona, amongst whom were the defend-
ants, halted is the road, and prevented others from passing
along. Be (the policeman) went up and desired them to
move on, but had scarcely spoken when he was tripped and
fell on the ground, and while When there I.:ridge came up
and kickeu him on the side. he recovered himself he
laid hold of his narailant for the purpose of taking him into
custody, but bad no sooner cl-ne so than the other
defendant interfer and attemted to rescue his com-
panion, and would have succeeded had not other police-
men come up at the time ; and, although there was much
hissing and groaning amongst the mob on seeing the defend-
ants in the hands of the police, still the latter conveyed them
to the station-house.—Four other policemen congealed the
above statement.—Mr. Cottingham inflicted a fine of 20s. on
Cadge, and 10s. on his companion.—John Edward Cart-
wright, coffee-shop keeper, of Itederou-street, Cripplegate,
was neat charged with aesaulting Sergeant K
elly—The ser
to-
geant stated that he and a perty of the polie belonging
the 24 division were stationed on the south side of Black-
friars-bridge that their orders were not to permit persons
whiles over the briOge from the Surrey side ; that
in the performance of that duty, at about half-past
three o'clock, the defendant, with a long pole in his bands,
came along, and was approaching the bridge, when he went up ,
and civilly told him the orders he had received. and at the same
time informed him that he could pass over the Southwark or
London bridges without molestation. The defendant, how-
ever,
announced himself a chartist, said that he had carried
a Bag to the meeti, g on Kennington-common, and that he I
was determined on crossing over the bridge. lie then pushed I
forward, evincing a determination not to be prevented, and,
when the sergeant interfered, the defendant lifted up the
I
pole and aimed a blow at his head, which, however, he par-
ried off by holding up his arm. The sergeant then seised his 1
assailant by the collar, and closed in upon hint, when the
latter gave him a violent kick on the leg, but he was ulti-
mately secured and conveyed to the station-house.—Thef+
Magistrate, after some remarks, inflicted a fine of forty shibl-e r
(11.
lings on the defendant, or in default of payment to
imprisoned for one mowh. g
1
LANIBETH.—A SPUCIAL CONSTABLE.—E. Palmer, a a
special constable for the parish of St. Martin's-in-the-fields, I
was charged with throwing a knife at a
in police consezecution istable, i
with the intention of injuring him, while
that that afternoon !!
of his duty.—Constable Legg. tt deposed
he was on horseback near the Westminster-bridge. lie saw 1
the prisoner draw a knife from undernewh his dress, and g
ling it at him. The weapon missed him (witness), and I
glanced along the shoulder of the horse on which he was I
mounted ; but it did not inflict any injury on the animal. s
Two or three of the police corroborated the evidence of the 1
last witness, and Mr. a Taylor said that, seeing the prisoner
a good deal excited, he recommended him to be quiet and go I
home, and he subsequently saw him throw the knife at the I
patrol. The i risoner, who gave no satisfactory account for •
having the knife in his possession, was remanded to a future
day.------------------

S
!13

. T did.
d Td.

I[llii