The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-28 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL POLISH LEAGUE.

A general meeting of the members of this League
was held last night at the Whittington Club, Strand,
very fully and influentially attended—Mr. Edmond
Beales in the chair.

Mr. J. R. TAYLOR, the hon. secretary, reported
the result of his mission to Birmingham, Manchese
ter, and Liverpool, and stated that in the two first-
named towns large meetings were about to take
place, upon num erousiy-signed requisitions to the
the mayors. The Liverpool meeting had not yet
been decided upon. Petitions to the number of 150
had beau sent out by the League to associations of
workmen and others, and were now coming in ex-
tensively signed,all praying for the acknowledgment
of the belligerent rights of the Poles. (Hear, hear.)
Thu CHAIRMAN said that with respect to Man-
chester a great meeting was to ba held in the Town-
hall on Thursday (this) evening, which would be
presided over by Mr. Alderman Heywood, and at
which himself and Lord Campbell would attend as
a deputation from the League. (Hear.) The meet-
ing at Birmingham would, he believed, take place
in the Town-hall, during the ensuing week, and the
groat meeting in London the week following, over
which it was expected the Earl of Harrowby would
preside. At all these meetings a resolution would
be proposed calling upon the Government to acknow -
ledge Poland's belligerent rights. (Cheers.) He had
just received some trustworthy information from
Poland, from which it appeared that the Poles were
more hopeful than ever, and that early in the spring
large and well-appointed bands would be ready to
take the field. Indeed, some of them had already
done so with great success in the eastern district
of Poland, as they might see by the telegrams of
the day. What the Poles were greatly in need of
were money and arms. They had plenty of men,
for the peasants were now almost universally rally-
ing to the insurrection. His correspondents assured
him that there was much more probability of a re-
volution in Russia itself during the next six months
than any suppression of the insurrection in Poland.
(Cheers.) He was also able to state that the subject
of Polaezd would be brought before Parliament im-
mediately on its assembling. He concluded by
proposing the adoption of an address to the Franco-
Polish Central Committee in Paris in favour of
common co-operation in the Polish cause.
Mr. M‘Ntooet, seconded the adoption of the
address, which was agreed to unanimously after
being read by the chairman.
Mr. P. Fox then proposed a series of resolutions
to the effect that it was neither for the he-lour nor
interest of England to go to war upon the Schles-
wig-Holstein question ; but that it would be both
for the honour and interest of this country that its
Government should take immediate and effective
measures for 're-establishing the nationality of
Poland, and protesting against the British Govern-
ment in any way co-operating with the Government
of Russia on the Danish question, inasmuch as the
conduct and character of the Russian Government
at the present time in Poland was a disgrace to
humanity and civilisation.
Mr. EeimetTole seconded the resolutions, which
were opposed by Mr; JOHNSON, who moved the
previous question. A long discussion ensued, but
eventually the resolutions were carried by a

majority.
Some arrangements were then entered into re-
specting the appointment of branch committees of
the League in the provincial towns; and other
routine business having been transacted, the meet-
ing terminated at a late hour with a vote of thanks
to the chairman.

THE INCREASE OF LAST YEARS VOLUNTEERS
over that of the year before, Colonel WMurdo has estimated
at 12,000.