The National Register.
London, England, 1819-08-08 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER. •-

MANUFACTURING DISTRICTS.

The following letter from Earl Fitzwilliarn to
Earl Stamford, the Lord-Lieutenant of the county
of Chester, will be read with mu' h interest :
.• Wentworth, July 21,1819.
" 1.0111).-4 had the honour of your Lordship's letter on
4Lie 16th inst.. conveying the resolutions of the Magistrates of
Lhethire, passed on the 13th inst. in general quarter sessions, for
which communications I beg your Lordship to accept my best
thanks As a meeting of the people was fixed for Monday, 'lie
Itrtli inst., to be held on Ilunslet-moor, near Leeds, which r
thought likely to furnish the means of forining an opinion re-
specting the important consideration of the temper and disposi-
tion of the pfyulation of that great town and extensive district, I
deferred acknowledging your Lordship's till I had received ac-
counts of what passed on that ocrasian. The professed objects
of this meeting did not differ from those of one already held at
the same pace recently. They were Parliamentary reform, by
means of universal puttrage, election by ballot, and annual Par-
liaments, grounded upon certain aberact principles of the rights
of men; but to these were added, on this occasion, another reso-
lution (rather inconsirent with the spirit of the former, which
would produce a complete new House of Commons,) to send a
representative to the present house, whenever a proper one could
be met with. Notwithstanding there appears no abatement from
the large extent of their claims, &till I am given to understand.
there appeared in their manner a nraniftst humiliation of spirit.
in the more humble tone. and means proposed for attaining their
ends, since they even expressed an inclination to petition Parlia-
ment. But without entering into particulars of what passed. it
is a great satisfaction to me to inform your Lordship, that the
numbers who attended at this meeting did not exceed halt' of
those that attended the last; and that of the numbers present, a
much larger proportion of women made up this meeting than at
the last. At the close of the busineas, the meeting was dissolved,
and the people dispersed without tumult or insult to any one, in a
nianner the most orderly and peaceable. On the whole, I think
I tray confidently assure your Lordship, that though there are to
lie found in this riding a certain 'modar of very seditious, design
ing, and dangerous clutractets. who are endeavouring to instil
into the minds of the uninformed, doctrines subversive of every
thing valuable in our con aittitional establishment, these men arc
few in numbers, without character or influence; the mass of the
population is by no means disaffected, but, on the contrary, con-
tented with the present made of things. If they attend rich
meetings, it arises in a great degree from want of occupation :
they have the ntisfortune to be unemployed; however willing
to work, under the present stagnation of trade, they can find
none; and arc thus reduced to the cruel distress, which every
man, whose daily support depends upon his daily earnings, must
be in when employment fails. This is their hard lot at present,
which, to their credit, from every thing I hear, they lam, in
hopes of better times, with patience and resignation. I have
run into length, but 1 thought your lordship might be anxious
to know the general disposition of a great population, so conti-
guous to parts of Cheshire. I have the honour to be, my Lord,
your Lordship's most obedient, kr.
(Sigel) FITZWILLIAM.
" To the Earl of Stamford, &c.

" Y.S. I find I have omitted to say, that the orators, on Mon-
day, were mostly the same as on the former occasion ; indeed.
they are a sort of itinerant orators, who have attended all the dif-
ferent meetings."

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