The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-12-15 00:00:00

BRITISH PRESS.

LONDON.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1819.

The following coninsunication was received last
evening from a Correspondent at Manchester
Il MANCIMITER. DECEMBER 139 Isl 9,
Four o'clock, p. m.

" It is with extreme pleasure I announce to you,
that this place remains in quiet up to this hour.—
The meeting which was intended to be held by the
Reformers has not taken place. Various causes
are assigned fur their not meeting, but the prevail.
lug opinion, in fact, the visible reason is, the ex-
tensive arrangements and determined disposition of
the Magistrates to repel any such attempt on the
part of the Reforsniats.
" The town is crowded in every quarter from the
grout influx of strangers, and, doubtless, had the
meeting taken place, it would have beets mat less
numerous than that of the 16th August. The
greatest apprehensions were entertained this
inn g by the peaceably-disposed inhabitants,

as it was feared the Re!ormers would vigor-
ouvly rtsist any hostile measures adopted by
their opponents ; however, it has given the high-
evt satibraction to the moderate-thinking pert of
the population of this place. that the Radi-
cals have abandoned their intention to meet ib
fu►ure. From the display of military, we resemble
a garrison more than a menufeeturioy, district ; for.
tilicatitis and gunnery appear* to be more oar

study lima the sale of cotton psis Se oath for
the blessings of peace under the existing quoit I
I understand the meetings at Eccles sod other vil.
loges in the neighbourhood have not taken pl lee.
Il is feared there may be disturbances during the
night."

Great anxiety was naturally felt its town in cense-
quesice of the very extrusive and onuses' prepara-
tion* made by the civil and military authoritirll
Manchester. in anticipation of the meeting whirls
was advertised to he held there no Monday. *We
lately published a copy of a circular letter which
was said to have been transmitted by the borough-
reeves and constables of Manchester and &lined to
certain of their friends, announcing their apprehen-
sions that the Reformers were on the eve of break-
ing Mtn Open violence ; and now we find. in esir -
roboratiou of this intelligence. that in a placard
which they have caused In he extensively circulated
in Manchester, they " epprelsend that seasons dis-
turbances and outrages may arise out of the meet-
ing advertised to be held ow Monday in St. Georges;
Fields, Manchester. and from other similar wee-
ings to be held in the neighbouring villages." The
Magistrates, however, do not forbid the meeting,
bat they CAUTION the inhabitants to remote it
their own houses on the day of the meeting. and
recommend the wellsdisposed, in the event of any
disturbance in the streets, " to place lights in their
upper windows.-4i measure which may moot esseo-
tially contribute to their own safety. and to die
assistance of those engaged in the preservation of
the public peace." The greater part of the 115th
regiment marched into Manchester last week, the
Cheshire yeomanry are quartered in the neighbour-
hood, and an additional military force is so disposed
as to be summoned, if necessary, at a short Notice.
Rut the very means of safety imply the extent of the
danger, and we must again say that in our view
of the case. the Magistrates of Manchester ought
Hot to suffer a meeting to take place from which
they have so much reason to apprehend dangerous

consequences ; for in the event of a tumult.
should any unfortunately arise between the troops
and the people, no alarm can be entertained so far
as the general tranquillity of the country, or even
the safety of the town of Manchester are concert-
ed, because the military force in the towu of Man-
chester and its vicinity. composed as it is of pro-
bably the best troops in the world, and led by
some of the best officers, must be sufficient to
crush any feverish indication of iuquietude on the
part of an uodisciplined mob ; hut humanity most
shudder at the thought that any blood should be
spilled in domestic quarrels, when by a seasonable
exercise of authority so great • calamity might
have been avoided. Considering the recent occur-
rences in Manditsters the angry spirit thence ex.
cited. the alarming character of that part of the
country, and the nature of the intelligence which
appears by their public notifications to have been
received by the Magistrates, there is imt, we be-
lieve, au intelligent man in the kingdom who
would nut applaud the Magistrates if they prohi-
bited the meeting altogether.
It was remarked a few evenings since by one of
the Treasury writers, that the Radicals hoped to
accomplish no incousiderable part of their derv..
rate object by the operation of panic, and by spread-
ing throughout the country a mysterious alarm. It
such be really their purpose, mid that it is known to
the Moisten, and their agents, we cannot sufficiently
admire their simplicity to call it by nu harsher
name, in giving such effectual aid to the enemies
of our peace, for undoubtedly whatever panic and
alarm are felt in the country were principally excited
by the mysterious denunciations of the Ministers
and their partisans. Had the Government earnestl♦
set themselves to a fair consideration of the state of
the country, and whereier they discovered danger
applied vigorously the powers of the law, the evil
we now deplore and dread had never reached its
present alarming magnitude. But by such a quiet
mode of proceeding no eclat could have beet► ob.
tained, nor would the great services of the Minis.
ten have been recognised. The danger undoubt-
edly is of no sudden growth, and might have been
checked with much less difficulty and more effect
if it bad been treated with proper energy at the

The Seditious Meetings Bill was introduced
yesterday evening into the House of Lords, and
there read • first time. It was arranged, that the
Bill shoald be read a second time on Thursday.
but that the debate upon the principle of the mea-
sure should not take place until the qatittou was
proposed for resolving the House into a Committee..
The several enactments of the Bill will be dis-
cussed on the Monday following, so that the third
reading may be had on Tuesday, and the BiU be
passed into a law o►► Wednesday. The Marquii of
LAMSDOWN remarked, that if the circumstances of
the couutry required the adoption of such a mea-
sure, the sooner it was passed the better.

The proceedings in the House of Commons last
night were singularly important, and will, we con•
fidently trust, be sn effective mesas of removing
much of that irritable feeling which now unhappily
interrupts the harmony and threatens to compromise
the tranquillity of this country. Lord Joni Ros.
SELL, in a speech replete with constitutional lao►u-

ing and deep research. and bearing the dimity:
Oohing marks of an aeote rad resealing thin/.
submitted to the Hoaw his prisised