The Express.
London, England, 1848-05-31 00:00:00

PROVINCIAL.

YORKSHIRE.
DRILLINO AND ARMING OF T FIE CHARTISTS.—.
LEEDS, TUESDAY. —The chartists of several of the manufac-
turing towns in the West Riding, acting upon the bad
counsel of the trading political agitators who have been for
some time busy amongst them, have recently been arming
themselves with the pike and other weepers', in the vita
hope that these will assist them to accomplish their oiled,.
They have also been actively engaged in drilling, and ii some
towns, especially in Bradford, have put the peaceably dis-
posed inhabitants in great fear by their demonstrations of
physical strength in marchings and counter mar' kings
through the streets. In Leeds, Bradford, Halite:, Bing-
ley, and other places, the chartists have enrolled them elves
members of certain clubs, which they denominate" Life
and Property Protective Societies," or " National Guards
Societies ;,' and these clubs now assemble regularly for
drilling and other purposes.
BRADFORD, TUESDAY.—On Sunday last them was a
1 gathering of chartists at Wilvdcn, about an equal diAance
from Bradtord, Bingley, and KeighleT, at which training
and drilling were openly practiced. 1 rom 2,000 to 3,000
men, seined principally with bludgeons, and preceded by
individuals bearing black banners, each surmounted by the
head of a pike, marched in military order to the ground, and
west through various evolutions preparatory to the gi neral
meeting. A determination was there expressed by the
speakers to resist by force of arms any attempt by the
authorities to capture the leaders. The authorities
of Bradford have from the first been aware of
these illegal proceedings, end some time ago 2,000
special constables, including men of all ranks, were sworn
in, and the police were armed with cutlasses. Os
Saturday last, in consequence of the menacing attitude
assumed by the ehar ,i , te, two companies of the 39th Foot,
two troops of the sth Dragoon Guards, and about 30 torso
artillery, and two field pieces, were despatched from Leeds
to Bradford; and two companies of the Slat Regiment of
Foot were ordered up from Hull. The 2nd West York Yeo-
manry and the Yorkshire Hussar; were also called out for
active service. The first actual outbreak occurred at
Bingley on Friday, when two chartist leaders were cap-
tured by the pollee, charged with drilling some "national
guards, and taken before Busfeild Ferrand, Esq., by whom
TO THE EDITOR OF TILL "FREEMAN ." th 23, Merchant's-quay.ey were committed to Yerk Castle. Upon the police
attempting to convey the prisoner' to the railway station,
Sir,—Whether the following statement may tend in an they were surrounded by two or three thousand persona
decree to support charges laid in open court by
icamblitchelt some of whom beat and maltreated the officers in the mot;
" der ertizige," against Henry Sneyd. French, high sheriff of
savage manner, and the prisoners were rescued, and made
this city, the public will determine. That it proves a cue their escape. ndeed, so emboldened were the offenders,
of the cruelest tyranny spinet the high sheriff, or the Castle and so confident were they that they could set the law at
government, or both, I entertain not the shadow of a doubt. defiance with impunity, that one of them was a speaker at
My object in publishing it is to extend and intensify the the Wilsden meeting, on Sunday, and was vociferously
holy hatred against all such institutions which it is John cheered when he described how he had been liberated. The
Mitchel's glory to have kindled throughout this land. Mr. magistrates of Bradford, who had, up to this time, taken on
Mitchel having apprised me of his earnest anxiety that I public measure+ for putting a stop to the arming and drilling,
should procure an interview with him before he left the now resolved to put the law in fore to replete, sock pro-
country, in the event of his being sentenced to transports- ceedings, and on klonday morning a notice was issued to
tion, I applied for that purpose to the governor of Newg,ate, that effect. Immediately after the issuing of this notice, a
and was by him referred to the high sheriff, as alone author- body of special constables were called out, for the purpose of
lied to permit such interview. To the high sheriff, accord- apprehending two of the most violent and dangerous of the
ingly, I addressed the following note : Chartist leaders, named David Lightowler, who was a mean-
Rev. Mr. Kenyon desires to intimate to the high sheriff of Dublin her of the National Convention and National Assenshly, and
city that Mr. Mitchel is anxious that he (Mr. Kenyon should he ad- Isaac Jefferson, usually called " Wat Tyler." The last
mined to a short interview, and requests and order to that effect.
Saturday, 20 minutes pat 12 o'clock. named individual is the principal pike manufacturer of the
To this application Mr. French returned • verbal answer, district. About 40 special constables started on this mission,
importing that, as he (Mr. French) had not authority to the men they were directed to apprehend living in the midst
make the order wanted, he had laid my note be tire the of the strongholds of chartism in Bradford, namely. Man-
sitting judges, Lefroy and Moore, and that they bad C. ....itled chesterrood and the small streets leading into it. The
that the interview which Mr. Mitchel deAred cmli not bo emstables arrived in that vicinity about seven o'clock in the
procured except by an order ol the govern meat, which e rd. r, morning, at which time Lightowler and " Wet Tyler" were
the sheriff added. Me doubted not but I should obctin upon at home ; but by the tideless of their friends, when the con.
application at the Castle. A mos' respectable clergyman stables arrived at the front door, the two "leaders" slipped
was present in my company while Mr Frencri was thus out at the back and escape& After the lapse of a raw
speaking, and of course can verify, if it be questioned, this minutes, a ferociose attack was made on the constables
relation of his words. Accompanie I by the clergyman by many hundreds of men armed, with bludgeons, pokers,
alluded to, I then proceeded to the Castle, and .4dressed the and other formidable weapons. Atter a severe edittict,
following letter to ker, Redington, enchains the note which the conqablee at 'myth succeeded in effecting their libera-
-1 had previously sent to Mr. French, sad which he had re- tion; and when a little more room had bee n grilled,
turner.. to me: heads were broken pretty heely on both ski et. When

letter.
There was some curiosity this morning in the
Qaeen's Bench to know whether the Attorney-Gene-
ral would apply for a day to fix the second trials in
the case of Smith O'Brien and Meagher. No motion,
however, was made, and none such, it is said, will be
made. On the other side, Sir Colman O'Loghlen in-
tends to serve an early notice for the discharge of the
Tergiaances:of Messrs. Meagher and O'Brien.
United Irishman newspaper is extinct. It
gyms that the crown has fully carried out the
mqnsatmtion against the property of Mr. Mitchel,
as far as the printing materials are concerned. The
only goods returned on Saturday were certain fix-
tures claimed by the landlord of the house. As Mr.
Mitchel was the registered proprietor, the stamp-
office has the right to reject any other persons seek-
Jag to register themselves as his successors ; but
already a new journal, or rather the United Irishman
revived, is announced, as you will perceive by the
following extraordinary notification, published in the

Freeman:
"TEE UNITED IRDIHMAN."—To THE PEOPLE OF IRE-
LAND.—JOIIII Mitchel is a captive in the hands of OUT
enemies. His office, types, and newspaper machinery are in
the possession of the police—the Untied Irishman is at and
end; but, under another name, we are anxiously preparing
to restore it; and, as soon as we can get together the neces-
sary material of a newspaper, the United Iris/mum again
appear under the sovereign style, title, and dignity of the
Inoh Felon, to sustain the principles and accomplish the
intentions of the illustrious man who is taken from amongst
us. In this case we but discharge our clear duty to our
country and to him. The prospectus of the /risk Felon
shall be issued in a few days.