The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1808-01-05 00:00:00

aad pretty generally dispersed over
Iseightottrhood, Amongst the company as-
sembled, were many boys, and many loose and dis-
orderly "people ; but the great Majority, and all the
chief actors upon the occasion, were inhabitants of

ROYTON, pot of OLDHAM, and or that dais,
whose political opinions are notorious for being-ini-
mical to tlm present established form of Govern-

meld. ••
We believe there were not more than twenty
persons present from the town end immediate vi-
cinity of Oklhain, and those not concurring in the
measure proposed, or participating at all in the bu-
siness brought forward, but attracted by cariosity
stoney& string of Resolutions was read by a per-
son, from Roytou ; but hurried over in so low a
tone of voice, and in a manner so indistinct, that
very few people present could hear him, and there
Was a general cry, from all parts of the crowd, of—
" We cannot hear."
The Resolutions mention a Committee and De-
legates, and are signed by a President and Secre-
tary ; but no such Officers were chosen by the peo-
ple present, nor was the name of Henry Whitaker
or James Kershaw, or ally other individual whatever,
mentioned.
From the gross misrepresentation of the numbers,
es given in the advertisement above alluded to,
there is an evident design to represent a partial, tu-
multuous, and disorderly assembly, as the great
body of people of this neighbourhood; and from
the appearance of order and regularity falsely given
to their proceedings, it is intended to describe the re-
solutions in question as the public voice of this popu-
lous and respectable parish, expressed at a full and
general meeting of its inhabitants.
To prevent the public from being deceived upon
these heads, and to enable them to judge with ac-
curacy as to the number and description of the peo-
ple present, and the township or place to which
they belonged, are our object in layingthis statement
before them.
[Here fullow the Striatum]
LEEDS, JAN. 2.
The General Meeting of the Woollen Manu-
facturers in this part of the county, in conjunction
with the Merchants and others interested in the
object of the Meeting, is announced to take place
in the area of the Mixed Cloth-hall, at Leeds, on
Tuesday, the loth instant, at twelve o'clock.
The object of the meeting is to consider of the
propriety of petitioning the King on the subject
of Peace; and the spirit and language of the ma-
nufacturers and others assembled on this oecasiou
will, we believe, prove, that while they ask for
Peace, it will be only on terms that will neither
lower the national character, nor endanger the
public security. Such a Peace all parties ac-
knowledge to be necessary, and to endeavour to
procure such and no other, will, we apprehend, be
the object of this meeting. We regret to find
that the Insurance Brokers, Government Con-
tractors, Loan Jobbers, the whole swarm of Money
Dealers, interested in the continuance of the War,
intend holding a Meeting in London, to express
their approbation of the conduct of Ministers,
and to encourage them to prosecutq what they are
pleased to call this glorious straggle. Our readers
will recollect that these are the very men who set
up a shout of exultation on the rupture of the late
ilegneiat ions ;—a shout that would have disgraced a
;;soup of inferuals--and that stamped with looting
odium every man participating in the diabolical yell.
Instead of lamenting the necessity, from whatever
cause it arose, of continuing a War involving the
destruction of thonsands. and the ruin of hundreds
of thousands of their countrymen, these men, ab-
sorbed in the selfish contemplation of their own
private advantage, absolutely gave vent to their
joy, and made the walls of Lloyd's resound with a
war-whoop that ran through the Kingdom. Un-
happily, Ministers mistook this shout for the voice
of the country. And now, when Petitions for
Peace are likely to find their way to the Throne,
these Brokers, Contractors, and Loan Jobbers, are
again to assemble to drown the voice of the manu-
facturing parts of the community with their reel-
feratiou. But we hope they will be disappointed;
we trust, the Petition from Yorkshire will speedily
find its way to the Royal Presence; and on this ac-
count it i- desirahle that the intended pacific meet-
ing should take place rather before than after Par-
liament assembles, that our Legislature may have
the most early and unequii-ncal expression of
the sentiments of the manufacturing part of the
community, and that Ministers may thereby be in-
duced to make such public communications, and
take su.li steps towards procuring the speedy return
of peace, as shall not have regard to the emolument
of a few in ergrown money jobbers, but as may best
comport with the general 'interest of the country.
It has been objected to the Yorkshire District
Meetings that they are not numerously attended ;
the futility of this objection we bare already sliewn,
by contrasting the attendance on the pacific Xs:f-
logs with the attendance on the * No Popery"
3laetings. And if the rue:nisi to prtiti,.i..s rest