The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-10-29 00:00:00

SHEFFIELD MELTING.

A very numerous and highly respectable meet.
int; of the inhabitants of this town and the neivh-
bourlinoil, for the purpose of taking into conside-
ration the late proceedings at Manchester, was held
on Monday last, on a vacant and very spacious plot
of ground, called the Brocco, having been previous-
ly adjourned from Paradise-square, the place where
town meetings are usually convened. The sis 7.
t:tation of the Brocco is admirably adapted' for
such a purpose; it lies on the declivity of s hill,
at the bottom of which the hustings were tiara,
forming, ns it were, a natural theatre, where
every individual, by being elevated above those
before him, commanded • perfect view of the
sfskakers, as they successively presented them-
selves oni_this important occasion. Early in the
morning the greatest bustle was observed in every
quarter of the town, and as the time approached
for bringing the scattered groups into one compact
mesa, the interest of the scene was gradually height-
ened. A very large hotly met in the IVicker, un-
der the direction of the General Committee, which
was joined by companies from different parts of the
neighbourhood ; and the whole paraded through the
poincipal streets in procession, accompanied by
b Inds of music, playing " The Dead alarch_is
Sind," " Scots who hue era' Wallace bled," and seve-
n, oilier impressive and solemn airs. Most of the
iu-
stividuala in this mostly group displayed some em-
blem of mourning; the females being for the most
part attired in black, and the men wearing white
bats with crepe sod green ribboor.
Upon arriving at the place of destination, the
People arranged themselves into a regular and com-
',set body, without the least uproar. The effect
now, from the bottom of the hill, became truly
imposing, end such as we never before witnessed in
this town. Numerous banners were interspersed
throughout the great assembly, bearing a variety of
(leviers and inscriptions. We selected those within
the reach of one eye :
- -

to front of the hustings a large green bag, labelled—" Be-
ware! beware! a plot! a plot!"
" Civil and Religions Liberty is our birthright."
" Britons, unite ■ud be free—May our soldiers be brave,
an•l our 3lagioirates merciful."
A black flag, with red 1010.1—'4 Innocent blood crieth
stolid for vriivaner."
" The Right, of Man—Liberty, Truth, and Justice."
" 1 haii shalt do no mu rib r."
Blick ilsig, white Irtti To the immortal memory of
the Reformers massacred at Manchester"
a Eweland, Scotland, and Ireland, hold to the Laws"
One of the deuces was a cavalry man vetting down a
woman.
The hustings, at the appointed hour, were com-
pletely occupied by the Committee '.l Nlanagr.
merit, and many highly-respectable Gentlemen of
the town and .ieighbourhood.
On the motion of THOMAS RAWSON, F..q. se-
conded by Mr. Jolts; BAILEY. SAMUEL. SHORE,
Esq. of Meersbrook, was called to the Chair.
This proponal was cordially received by the whole
assemble, and that Gentleman immediately pro-
created to open the business of the meeting in a brief
ato.l appropriate address.
The Requisition bring read—
Mr. Ritursou rose, and addressed the meeting as
follows Gentlemen, I have always been ac-
costomed to consider it to be an inalienable and an
iridinpotable right of the people to meet fur a re-
.l•esa of grievances, and that too without any re.
e.rirtion in point of numbers. There are souse who
nine object to public meetings, alleging that they
c•snuteiact, by their very violence, the cause which
they are intended to support. Thin was not the
nninimi of our ancestor*: if it had been so, where
►hnuld we have been now ?—in a state similar to
that of Spain or Portugal. Wheat our ancestors
felt themselves, aggrieved, they petitioned, ad.
dressed, fought, bled, and died for their liberties;
aiid, dying, bequeathed us this right of meeting to-
i!rtlser on all matters as au heir-booth, to be preserved
to our latest posterity, uncontal ll i ll died and unim-
paired. It ill becomes Britons to condemn any peo-
ple without being heard in their defence; but, un-
fo►tunately, it so happens that the Ministers, inter-
',using between these Manchester Magistrates sod the
people. prejudge the question, and not only give
t;!nse Magistrates • verdict of acquittal, but the weed
prairie and the thanks of the Regent. I firmly be-
-I:e‘ e iu my conscience, from what has passed since the
16th August to the present time, that the Ministers;
hese for a long time been preparitig for another
Green Bag exhibition, and from the strenuous en-
deavours made in this county, as well as most other
parts of the kingdom, by their pensioners and abet-
ters, they may I►ave souse hopes of success. You
sorely have in full remembrance the Green Bag
iteposition. [Here a green bag suspended from 14
pf,it! V{ 24. held up en the hurting% which produced
a universal shout from the assembly.] Where is
our old Common Law, our Bill of Rights, our Act
of Settlement, which placed the Hanover Family
nn the Throne ? But, above all, where is our Magna
Charia ? I heartily join in the sentiments of Mr.
Fa,, Is es, once our independent and honest County
Prietilher—that I have no wish but to live quietly
tom honestly among my neighbours. 1 scorn bond.
mgt.', I will be a freetnall'.”
At the termination of Mr. Rawson'a speech, the
'appearance of Lord Milton was announced by
se-
t. rail Gentlemen that stood around the Chairman,
nod his Lordship's pre►ence on the hustings was
greeted with universal acclamation*. When silence
son' restored, Mr. Rawson read the first Resolution,
which was seconded by Mr. T. A. Ward.
After which. Mr. J. BAII.EY door' forward, said
observed, that the town of Sheffield had been al-
ws•.s foremost in expressing reprobation of those
acts *Web appeared oppressive and tyro 111 l i 1111 l and
he was surprised, therefore, that this meeting had
not been sooner called together. it was not always
necessary to have great eistues attached to Requi-
sition% there was no need at all times for Unless,
Flllll Lords, and Sheriff's, au such occasions, II gh
their countenance. when it was offered. was not to
be refused. It has heels said of this meeting, that
it was summoned by what was called the riff-ma'
of the people, but with such rill'•raff lie was proud
to co-operate. It was objected also that it pre.
judged the transactions at Manchroter ; this was
not true : its sole object was to descend en inquiry.
Upon Mr. Rawson's proposing the second
isnot', B. S. WAKE. Esq. rest to second it. He
said lie was es warm an advocate fur the preservation
of the rights of the people mod the laws of the land
arawy man at that meeting ; and he as severely de.
precasted every infringement of them rights. That

it prima Ark appeared to him, that the meeting
at Manchester was a legal one, and that it was
peaceably conducted ; it appeared also that military
force had dispersed. it, and that such military force
had received their orders of the Magistrates so to
act ; that therefore inquiry, whether the Magis-
trates and the military had acted legally and consti-
tutionally, was necessary, and ought to be de-
manded. lie strongly deprecated, however, every
act which could be construed as prejudging the
case. and he was sorry to observe the word " Venge-
akce" incrilsed upon one of the banners at this
meeting.—[Here Mr. W. pointed to a flag on his
right hand, on which that word was very coloppicii-
outs, and which justly excited the indignation of all
around.]-11e begged that his presence there might
not be con,idered as identifying himself with per-
sons who could act so inconsistently as to blame his
Majesty's Ministers for prejudging, and yet pre-
judge the question themselves. If the Magistrates
and yeomanry were right, and had acted legally, lie
would support them ; if, on the contrary, they had
acted illegally, and trespassed 'port one of the most
sacred rights of the people. lie would then, and not
till then, call down rengegnre of theist. Mr.
%Vake concluded by expre.sing. iii animated terms,
his attachment to the King and the laws of the
conntry.—" I lore," said he, " our venerable King,
and 1 venerate the laws ; but most of ell that law
which gives the people a right peaceably to meet,
and represent their grievances to the Throne."
K NIGHT then stepped forward, and expressed
his cordial concurrence with the sentiments of his
friend, Mr. Wake.
Upon Mr. Itawson's proposing the Jd Resolution.
Mr. Swallow rose and remitted it.—lllere a little
confusion arose on the hustings in consequet.ce of
sonic Geutlemen wishing tlfit strangers might have
the liberty of speaking ; and sonic altercation took
place, during which it was proposed that Mr.
Mason, of Leeds, might be permitted to speak.
This, however, the Chairman hesitated to allow, as
it seemed equally the opinion of Lord Milton, and
some of the Resolutions then passed unainnionaly.l
'Flue 4th, sth, and 6th Resolutions were suc-
cessively put by T. RawsoN, E•q• and seconded
bv !Messrs. SWALLOW and THORPE, and Dr.
IIvtGHT.

- -
Lord MILTON now advanced to the front of the
hustings, amid great applause. The Noble Lord
courteously bnwrd to the assembly, and addressed
them in the following would:—
" Friemis,Countryisen, and Neighbours !—Be-
fore the conclusion of the business of this day, allow
me to propose for your adoption u vote of thanks to
our venerable Chairman. I address yon emfriends,
because I have always experienced at your hands
the kindest proofs of eafection and regard: and I
trust you have never found me backward in acknow-
ledgiug them, but that I have always manifested a
corresponding disposition, and done every thing in
my power to return your kindness. I Rehires, you
as cottntrynien, because. I um connected with you
by that common tie which unites us all as a people.
(address you as neighbunrss because I have in this
town considerable property. and am thus snore
im
timately connected with its interests ; and in thii
last character I would be snore particularly under-
stood to address you. I congratulate you on the
proceglings of this day, a day peculiarly appro-
priatalfor • meeting of this important and in-
teresting nature. I say peculiarly appropriate,
for I know not in whist better way we can cele-
brate his Majesty's accession to the throne of these
realms, than by siodicatiug those laws which
placed him there, and which he pledged himself to
administer. 1 congrattilate you, my neighbours,
that you have confilied your proceedinge to a de-
mand for investigation, because I would not have
you in this instance join with those who prejudge
the question ; who have formed their opinion with-
out examination, and from only • partial view of
the evidence, hastily pronounce on the guilt or in-
nocence of the parties concerned iu the transaction.
I congratulate you as a magiatrate, for I believe
that you will all lie ready to testify that I and my
respected friend, Mr. Parker, Dever in that capacity
adniiiiistereel any thing but law. I congratulate
you at a yeoman, but I trust you have a softie:trot
knowledge of my character not to identify me with
the yeomanry of Nlancliester, when I assume this
appellation. You have to congratulate yourselves
this day no hinting that venerable gentleman in the
Chair, who lima always skirt) himself forward in
advocating the liberties of the people, and I shall
conclude my address, to you with proposing a vote
of thanks to Mr. Shote, fur his kind acceptance of
that office.
Mr. RAwsos rose to second the motion of the
Noble Loud, aiul rilewreetl, that this was the 59tli
Anniversary of his Majesty's Accession. " The
Noble Lord bats told you," cnntinurd lie, " that
the King is bound to administer those laws which
placed him on the throne. And is not the Prince
Regent, as the representative of the Sovereigo,
bound to do the same ? All duties that belong
to the Sovereign equally belong to the Regent.
Let us unite together, and go to the Prince Re-
gent, and repeat the words of our ancestors, ex-
pressed ii§ Magna Charts, ' We trill that the laws
of En Arland be not chunged'."
Mr. Balm again requested the attention of the
Meeting, while he alluded to an expression which
had escaped front a.Gentlernon who lied addressed
them in an earlier stage of their proceedings. He
was sorry to see—[Here Mr. B. pointed to the
flag]—such a sentiment as " Vengeance" obtruded
on that assembly ; and lie was inure grieved to hear
that soy Gentleman should express a wish that the
Manchester Magistrates, if found guilty, should he
visited with vengeance: such • 'sentiment was ab-
horrent to the feelings of every Englishman—it was
not vengeance that was wanted, but justice. Mr.
B. then intimated a wish to say a wad un the sub-
ject of Reform, but was interrupted by the Chair-
man and the other Gentlemen use the hustings.
• On Mr. Batley retirimr.„ Mr. W••• begged to
be allowed to explain. The word had inadvertently
escaped bias ; he was uncouscious of it ; and he
requested to rent it, as being quite foreign' to every
wish amid feeling of his mud.
The venerable CHAIRMAN. now came forward,
and after adders:tog the assembly in • very appro-
priate speech, dissolved the meeting amidst reiterat-
ed applause.
After the Chairman, Lord Milton, Mr. Rawson,
and several other Gentlemen had retired, Mr.
Willa°, of Dewsbury, at the call of many Wiwi-

LONDON.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER '29, 18!9*

A Flanders Mail arrived last night with Paper.
from Brussels to the 27th instant. The yellow fever
had abated in the other parts of Spain visited by
pestilence, but at the date of the latest accounts
from Cadiz, it raged with unmitigated virulence
in that city and its vicinity. Twelve captains of
transports belonging to the grand expedition pre-
poring for South America, had perished by this
disease in the course of two days. The South
American Patriots grin nothing by this apparent
diversion in their favour. If we may form an
opinion from the fate of the previous expeditions,
the troops from Cadiz, once landed in South Ame-
rica. would not be likely to swell the ranks of the
Royalists.

In our preceding columns will be found an ac-
count, extracted from the Sheffield Iris, of a very
numerous and respectable meeting held in Sheffield
on Monday last. for the purpose of collecting the
sense of the inhabitants of that town on the neces-
sity of a st►ict inquiry into the unfortunate events
at Manchester. The meeting, it is calculated, con-
sisted of from 40,000 to 50,000 people ; but al-
though flags were waved at it, hearing the usual
devices, and hands of music performed several po-
pular airs, the tranquillity and good order of the
town and neighbourhood were in no in►tance dis-
turbed. Lord MILTON. attended by several Gen-
tlemen of respectability, was present, mid addressed
the assembly.
It was well remarked by arre of the speakers, that
the anoirenary et oar revered SollsatttuN•a

r • •
• • A 4,

• 4‘
•

sion to the Throne could not be intim solemnly
not more appropriately celebrated than by bolding
an that dad a meeting of his faithful subjects, for
the purpose of demanding an inquiry into the con-
duct of men charged with having violated the laws
to which his MAJESTY owes the Crown of these
realms. To this point was the meeting strictly
confined, for one of the speakers (Mr. BAILEY)
having expressed a wish to address the people there
the subject of a Reform in Parlia-
ment, he was prevented from so doing by the Chair-
man, who acted in conformity with the opinion of
Lord IiILTON and the other Gentlemen on the
hustings.
Coosi:leriog how very generally the voice of the
people has been raised to demand an investigation
into the occurrences at ;Manchester—for in the tie-
cessity of some inquiry even Mr. STUART WORT-
LEY and the Marquis of BUCKINGHAM acquiesce—
we believe it may be safely affirmed, that the only
persons in the country who have really prejudged
the question are his Majesty's Ministers. They
waited 1.4. tin investigation—received no evidence,
except from one party—nay, even discountenanced,
by themselves and their agents, every attempt to
bring forward evidence upon the side of the
people—msd yet now, when the most respect-
able Noblemen and Gentlemen in the country
express an opinion upon the necessity of instituting
an inquiry, without uttering a sentiment upon the
actual guilt or innocence of either party, the
Minister* insult •nd taunt them as desiring to
prejudge the matter ! What a vast store of ill.
blood and angry feeling had been spared upon this
unfortunate subject, if the Ministers of the Crown '
had suffered the laws to pursue their natural course,
without attempting, by the use of the PRINCE
REGENT'S name, to stifle inquiry, and to bias the
opinions and actions of any portion of the commu-
nity ! Fortunate is it for the country that Perlis-
meld will so soon meet, for then the apparent
mystery which is still hung around this subject
will he dissipated, all doubts will be removed,
and the defence of the Magistrates of Manchester
will be exposed so clearly and fully to the public,
that every man in the country will he enabled to
determine the propriety of their conduct. We
sincerely hope that the defence will prove satisfac-
tory—not merely because it will rescue the charac-
ters of Gentlemen and Clergymen from as foul a
reproach as could by possibility be attached to
them, but because it will chew that the liberties
of the people have not been violated, their rights
invaded, or their lives and limbs wantonly sacri-
ficed to a rash and capricious cruelty.

A meeting of the burgesses and other inhabitants
of the burgh and parish of Rutherglen was held on
Saturday last, at one o'clock, on Rutherglen Green,
" to express their sentiments on the late proceedings
at Manchester, and to take into their serious consi-
deration the necessity of a Radical Reform in the
Commons (louse of Parliament." At this meet-
ing, among the various emblems and devices which
were exhibited, an imitation of the Roman (laces
is *aid to have been paraded in front of the hust-
ings, and from this circumstance a Treasury news-
paper infers, that a Republic (we presume after
the Roman model) is the form of government
contemplated by the Radical Reformers of the
Northern counties of England and of Scotland.
But if this cootlusion cannot be drawn from
the speeches of their prominent orators, we see
no reason why it should be deduced from the
appearance of this emblem, particularly as this
thing which the Treasury writers denominate the
consular fasces, is nothing but a bundle of sticks
bound together, to illustrate the strength lipid con.
sistency which the Reformers expect to derive from
their close and solid union. Considering the rank
and 'probable attainments in literature of thot.e who
regulate and attend these Reform meetings, it is
much more likely that they should look for
emblems and devices to the familiar fables which
must be known and recognised by all, rather
than adopt obscure allusions from the stores of an-
cient history, in which very few among their mobs
are likely to be versant. We do not remember bar-
ing in any of the speeches of the Radical Reformers
seen any suggestions respectink the expediency of
converting our limited monarchy into a republic.

A Supplement to the London Gazette was pub-
li►hed last morning. It contains the orders from
the War-office for recalling the Out-pensioners of
Chelsea Hospital fur the purpose of forming a
Royal Veteran Battalion. It will be found at length
in our preceding columns.

Although yesterday was professedly a holiday at
the Bank, yet business to a very considerable ex-
sent was transacted iu the public Funds. Consuls

for the Account, at oue o'clock, • were 66t.
Ten adilititmal field-piece*, with a proportionate
number of artillerymen, have been ordered by Go.
versos:tent into the District* under the command of
Major-General Sir JOHN BYNO.

The Evening Paper from which we copied Mr.
CAMBRIDGE'S account of the death of the Duke
of RICHMOND, sepi—
a We are requested to stale, that the ammo of the Duke
of Richaiusd's death, which appearsd is our Paper of
Tuesday last, purporting to be as Official Dispatch from
Charles Cambridge. Esq. -to Earl lathers.; is erroaralmor
We copied the article from The Belfast /V err Letter, a dra
22d inst. No sorb dispatch hashes received at the Colo-
alai Nice, sod we are farther Ildtemed that the statement
is, in easy tapas, hscameet."

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