The Express.
London, England, 1848-04-05 00:00:00

int Court. Mr. J. A. Fuses.t.t. (Birmingham) said that the middle
Sea-
I clanadsseetteopfpli: town had dde,clac,Zinthfeayywouroulodf th.ewerhartenainr,
A cabinet council was held at 12 o'clock
terday at the Foreign-office. The ministers present were I petition the legislature. They were willing to give every
Lord J. Russell, the Lord Chancellor, Sir G. Grey, Viscount I support to the convention in their endeavours to work out
Pelmenton,Eul Grey, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, I these objects by every legitimate means, but if these failed
Sir J. Hubhouse, the Earl of Auckland, Lord Campbell, the I they were determined to have the charter by whateve: means
Night lion. H. Labouchere the Marquis of Clanricarde, might be necessary to secure it.
Viscount Morpeth, and the 'Right lion. T. B. Macaulay. 1 Mr. 13_ Kenn (Oldham), stated that in this distrizt the
The council sat two hours. great majority of the working classes were mat r f employment
A deputation from Norwich, on the subject of the —that many of the middle classes were bordering upon bank-
Poor Removal Act, had an interview with Sir O. Grey yes- ruptcy—and that u. iversal discontent prevailed. They bee
terday at the Home-office. The deputation consisted of the lived that the contir.uation of starvation was worse than
Mayor of Norwich, Mr. G. L. Coleman, the Governor of the death itself ey entertained a notion that the excess of op-
Court of Guardians, Mr. A. A. 11. Beckwith, Mr. 4. G. John- I pression begot excess of re .istance ; and though they were
von, M r.J. Seltzer, Mr. It. Chamberlin, Mr. R. N. Bacon, . very desirous to protect property and life, they were dccid-
Ald. Sidney, M.P., Mr. H. Hausa', the Marquis of Douro, I ed of opinion that if society uid nut undergo an organic
kI.P., and kir. S. M. Peto, M.P. . and if the Commons did Let enfranchise the people,
A deputation from the illaekburn Commercial As- a war change,f iatereeta wc.‘uld become a war of cla ees, and, in re-
soeiatien, consisting of Mr. J. Pilhington, M.P., Mr. M. J. alit y, a war of Mira
Mr. D. DONOVAN (Manchester) said if the government
Fielden. and Mr. D. C. Aylwin, had an interview with Earl
Grey yesterday at the Colonial-office. could but see the present condition of the people who had
Despatches were sent off yesterday evening from 1 s lit him there as a delegate they would not hesitate to con-
cede the charter. The people els eiri tt to eee the charter es-
the Colonial-offim for the Governor of the Falkland told:shed witt.out tke shedding rue drop of blood, but they
Islands. said they did not fear life in a qui Mien of liberty. They
• " dings but these of cent,. mpt for the insults hereto-

(From last night's Gazale.)
Wien'Eirott, APRIL I.—The Queen has been
ples.sed to grant unto the Rec. W. Jacobson, M.A., the ogle •
and place of Regius Proteas.r of Divinity in the Culeersity
of Osford, together with the place and dignity of a canon of
the cathedral church of Christ in the said University, void
by the promotion of Dr. R. D. Hampden to the ace of H, re-
ford.—The Queen has also appointed J. G. S. Leferre, Esq.,
to be Clerk Assistant of the Parliaments, in the room of B.
Currey, Esq., deceased.

had ao irelings but Les.. _
fore offered to the charter by the Worms of Commons.
Mr. E. JONES (Liverpool) described the misery, want, and
deetitution which prevailed in that town and post. Poverty
bed reached thi, middle classes. The people were there, to a
mart, arming themselves, and they tell the government that
though they bad no desire for biciodehed—they were not
anarchists or promoters of confusion—yet they desired to res-
cue from the hands of despotism the right to live as men,
and not as paupers and slaves.
Mr. JAMES CUNMING (Edinburgh) said the chartists of
Edintmrsh were so not from poverty but on principle, and
were prepared to stand by the convention at all hoards.
They were almost united with the Irish repeaters, and did
r.ot wish the convention rashly to invite government perose-
cation. They were lovers of peace, but were not afraid of
war it it should be rendered necessary by aggressions from
without. The recent events on the continent had added
considerably to the chartists ranks in Scotland,and they felt.
as liberty, equality, fraternity, had achieved a republic for
France, Gnat Britain must have its charter. (Cheers.)
Mr. J. DRAM/in (Dundee) mid he represented a popula-
tion of between 60,000 and 70,1,00, which was determined
that the pier nt was the last attempt of a moral nature they
would make to carry the rights for which they bad so long
struggled. Seeing that other nations in Europe hod gained
their lib, sty, they felt that nothing ought to prevent them
from achieving they own, and they were prepared to back
the eonventinie either by moral or by physical means.
Mr. Lvsio (Lancaster) said that the generality of the
working people in Lancaster, Kendal, and Preston were not
prepared for any physical demonstration for the acoomp:ish-
merit of the people's cherter, but they would abide by the
de onion of the convention, whatever that decision might be.
They were averse to eiolent measures; unless there appeared
• probability of their success.
F. Idiarteen, a band-loom weaver, and delegate from
Barnsley, stated, that his constituents were willing to carry
out any measure which the convention might consider neces-
sary to make the charter the law of the teed as room as pee-
'l hey were of opinion, that if parliament rejected
their petition, it eight to be regarded as a declaration of war
by the property classes against the working elassee of this
country.
Mr. J. WA76ON (Newcastle) said his constituents were
determined to have the chart, T. come what might. They
we re not poverty-stricken chartists, but so principle were
determined to atiord every aid and assistance to gain the
rights and privileges which the charter would confer.
Mr. 11. Same (Liverpool) correberated the statement
made by his colleague Mr. Jones, and added that at a re-
cent meeting it hau been declared that if the charter was
not granted the people would carry it to the Ileum of Com-
mons on the point of the bayonet. (Hear.) Ile had head
that the people in Lirerpoul were preparing arms, but he
had cot received pity instructions to say so.
The hour &zed :or adjoureieg for the day (6 o'clock)
having now nearly arrived, tome routine business in the ap-
pointment of door. keepers and messengers was disposed of,
and the convention adjourned to 9 o'clock tomorrow (this
day).

THE CHARTIST MOVEMENT.
Yesterday the " national convention" of the dele-
gates of the chartiets met for the despatch of business in the
Lecture Hall, Jchn-street, zreyaquare At 10 o'clock
most of the delegates had assembled, and the hall wis
attended by rather a numerous body of aus'itors.—Mr. P.
Dit'Gri.th was called to the chair, and Mr. C. Doyle was ap-
pointed to act as secretary to the convention.
Tl.e CIIAIIt3IAN said the first business to be proceeded
with was the production by the delegates of their credentials.
He therefore called upon those who were now present
to band them in to the secretary.—The following, showing
the returns, were then handed in. and read in the subjoined
order : " Exeter, Mr. J. T. Wilkinson ; Ipswich, S. G.
Francis; Bolton, M. Stevenson; Halifax, E. Jones; Wigan,
J. Hitchin; Leicester, G. Buckby ; Nottingham, G. J.
Harney ; Birmingham, J. Linncy and J. A. Fussell; 01d-
hum, S. Hydd ; Manchester, D. Donovan and J. Leach;
Liverpool, E. Jones and H. Smith; Eiliatnagh, J. Cum.
ming; Dundee, J. Graham; Lancaster, J. T. Lund; Barns-
ley,F. Mirtield ; Newcastle. J. Watson; Northampton, W.
Ashton; Burr, T. Tattersall; Stockport, J. West;
Staffordshire ' Potteries S. Devington and E. Sale;
Aberdeen, J. Shirrow •' Derby, 0. W. M. Reynolds; Hull
and East Riding, 0. Stephens; Paisley, It. Cochrane;
Glasgow, J. Adams; ' Irish Democratic Confedenlists of
the Ward of Cripplegete,' C. Macorthy ; Bath, C. Baldwin;
Bradford. D. Lightowler ; Leeds, Mr. F. O'Connor, M.P.
and J. Shaw; Carlisle, J. Lowry; Merthyr Tydvil, D.
Thomas; Ashton-under-Lyne, It. Wilde; Worcester, E.
Walter; London, W. Cuffay, H. Child, and J. B. O'Brien
Plymouth, J. Petrie."
On the return of Mr. Charles Macarthy as the delegate of
the Irish Democratic Coofederelists being read, Mr.
CVFFAY objected to its receptien, as the return was in vio-
lation of the instructions issued by the executive committee
of the National Meter Association. The committee, in
order to keep within the provisions of the Convention Act,
had authorised 49 places to return delegates, and none other
had authority to make a retarn. He moved that tlese cre-
dentials
he not received.
Mr. FRAN els seconded the motion, which was opposed by
Mr. E. Jones, on the ground that the conventi,n had a
paramount authority to that of the committee, and had a
rirtht to admit a new member if they so thought tit —Mr.
WHEELER moved the appointment of a committee, in the
nature of a parliamentary election committee, to examine
this and any other disputed returns, and to report thereon.
Mr. F. O'Connon, M.P., who bad entered the hall a
short time previously, and had been received with loud
plaudits, seconded the amendment, which, after a protracted
diseussien, Wa put to a show of hands, and carried by a ma-
jority of 25 to 7, and the following delegates were named of
the committee—viz , Messrs. Leach, Fussell, Adams, West,
and Cuffay.
Mr. Wit emelt called the attention of the delegates to the
fact that some of the members of the executive committee
had been ele.ted as deli gates, but according to the princi-
ples of the charter they could not vote, though they might
submit :nothing and speak Upon them. He wished the point,
if any doubt existed upon it, to be considered by the com-
mittee already appointed.
Mr. F. O'Connor, said he was in the position Mittel,
but he would . put an end to the difficulty by waiving his
right to vote in the convention.
Mr. BRONTEREE O'BtttEN objected to such a surrender
of the right to vote. The hon. member had been elected a
delegate not as a chartist but as one of the people, and he
would not submit to the hon. member's escapieg from the
responsibility, whatever it might be, that he hail incurred
by his election. If the executive committee were to be
allowed to dictate to the convention, he (Mr. O'B.ien) would
be no party to the proceedings.
Mr. WEST said this IVES not sirnp'y a chartist convention:
it was a convention of the nation to superintend the pre
sentotion to the Commons cf a petition in favour of the
people's charter, signed by many persona whe were not
membi is of the National Charter Association.
Mr. F. O'Coxacat said, if this w.is rot a chartist conven-
tion, he fee one would not consent to sit there. As to re-
seonsibility, so long as he remained a member cf the associa-
tion, which would be until the charter had become the law
of the laud, he would not throw off any responsibility which
be had incurred, and which the votes of the majority might
cast upon him.
A long debate ensued, in the CORM of which no less than
four distinct propositions were moved and seconded, and
eventually a motion, moved by Mr. West, to the effect that
the members of the executive committee who had been
elected delegates should be allowed to sit and vote in the
convention, was carried by a large majority.
At this stage of the proceedings the convention (at
one o'clock) a Ijournel for ginner wail half past two o'clock.
Oa its reassembling, owing to the absence of the chairman,
Mr. F. O'Connor was voted to the chair pro tempore, and
called upon the delegates to make their reports from their
respective localities.
Mr. WILKINSON (Exeter) stated that the locality from
which he came had not yet been very forward in the cause
of chartisrn, but he was happy to say that the cause was
daily gaining ground both in Exeter and the neighbouring
districts, 'Tiverton included. They were however opposed
entirely to physical force, and through him expressed a hope
that at this the most important juncture of elides ever
known in this kingdom, the greatest prudence, wisdom, and
caution would be *domed in all their proceedings.
Mr. S. O. Fitancia (Ipswich) said his report was neces-
sarily short, inasmuch as the Chartist society in Ipswich bad
only b. en in existence about six months. The body how-
ever comprised a few staonch souls, who were determined to
live and die by the charter, and who would not he satisfied
with any reform that might be passed until the charter
became the law of the land.
Mr. MATTHEW STEVENSON (Bolton) said he tepresented
on this occasion 70,000 working men, who were unanimous
in the feeling that they would be sunk for ever unless some
great change was effected in the institutions of the country.
To them it was no use to presets patience any longer. Free-
trade had been tried in the balance, and been found wanting
—the system had signally failed—the trade, foreign and
domestic, was stopped, and the result was, that the people
had been brought to a starvation rate of wages, and were in
I a most destitute and pitiable condition. The products ef
improved machinery went into the pockets of the free-trade
capitalists and mill-owners, and yet the wotking classes, thus
reduced, were milled upon to bear an intolerable and in-
creasing burden of taxation. The question with theca was,
that either they must perish or a change be made in the
nation's institutions. They did not desire to injure any class
of individual., but they desired the rights of labour and in-
dustry —the means of living ; and those means andrights they
were determined to have. His constituents desired him to
convey through the press to the government and the country,
that they would not quietly submit to such scenes as had
been enacted in Ireland during the last eighteen months.
They would no longer listen to the promises of John Bright
and Co., but claimed from the government some provision
to enable them to live on their native lan% tales some
change for that object was made, he (Mr. Stevenson)
would not answer for what might follow.
O'Cosxoa claimed permission to quit the conven-
tion in order to attend to his parliamentary duties. This
was conceded and the hon. member left the hall amieat
loud cheers. Mr. Philip fil'Grath having resumed the

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