The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-05 00:00:00

The Primrose-hill Garibaldi Meeting,

A special meeting of the Working Men's Garibaldi Com-
mittee was held last night at the Whittington Club, Strand,
Mr. Nieass in the chair. There was a large attendance of
delegates. Messrs. Beales and Nicholay were also present
as a deputation from the City committee.
The secretary reported that the sub-committee had made
their arrangements for holding the adjourned meeting on
Primrose-hill on Saturday evening next. Mr. Beales had
consented again to take the chair, and several influential
members of the City committee and members of Parliament
were expected to be present. There was every reason for
believing that the meeting would not on this occasion be in
any way interfered with by the police, but at all events the
committee were resolved on maintainieg the right of the
people peaceably to meet in the parks, if they thought proper,
to discuss their grievances. He had been in communication
with Mr. Cowper, 1-1 er Majesty's Commissioner of Public
Works, during the last few days upon the point; among other
matters ho had asked him whether he would give a clear
and distinct reply to the following questions:--First, whe-
ther he, as First Commissioner of her Majesty's Works,
claimed the right or power of preventing, with the aid of
the police, the holding of a meeting by the people on Prim-
rose-hill, or in any of the parks, for legal and constitutional
objects ? Secondly, if he claimed such right and power, then
upon what grounds, under what act of Parliament, or by
what construction of law he claimed that right and power,
either on the part of himself or the Commissioner of Police.
He had also asked Mr Cowper to receive a deputation to dis-
cuss the question. Mr Cowper, however, had declined to
answer those questions, or to receive the deputation, saying
in reply. "That he could not admit that it would be proper
or expedient for him to enter into discussion with any de-
putation upon the legal questions put to him." The com-
mittee had now carried the matter to this point, and it
would be for the meeting on Saturday to decide what fur-
ther steps should be taken.
Mr BEALES said that he considered the way in which Sir
G. Grey and Mr Cowper had evaded a direct answer to a
direct question tantamount to an acknowledgment that they
were not justified in law in exercising the right and power
they claimed, and ho should consider the meeting on Satur-
day next bound to assume as much. The matter could not,
however, rest in this unsatisfactory state, and the metropo-
litan members must be asked to bring the question formally
before Parliament, and compel both Sir G. Grey and Mr
Cowper to justify the right they claimed, or give it up. lie
for one would not rest satisfied until the question was settled
beyond a doubt. The police, by their unjustifiable conduct
at the former meeting, had raised the question, and it was
now in the hands of the people to have it settled. The com-
mittee he was addressing had received praise from all par-
ties for the dignified way in which they had acted under the
gross provocation they had received, and he felt the matter
might safely be left in their hands.
Mr NICROLAY supported the view taken by Mr Beales,
and should feel it his duty to attend and take part in the
meeting on Saturday.
It was then resolved that the resolutions respecting the
forced departure of Garibaldi on the plea of ill-health, but
in reality to servo the political purposes of the Government,
as proved by documents in the possession of the committee,
and demanding from the Government a full explanation of
the intrigue, intended to be moved at the suppressed meeting
on the 23d ult., should be submitted to the forthcoming
meeting for adoption, subject to such alteration as the new
facts which had come before the committee should warrant.
It was also resolved that the following resolution should be
moved on the conduct of the police :--" That this meeting
declares the conduct of the police in interfering with a
peaceable and orderly public meeting on the 23d of April
last to have been wholly unjustifiable, illegal, and unconsti-
tutional, and deserving of the serious attention of all mem-
bers of Parliament interested in the preservation and pro-
tection of popular rights."
The Finance Committee then brought up a report of the
receipts and expenses incurred by this committee as their
share of the demonstration on the entry of Garibaldi into
London, from which it appeared that £5l had been received,
and £5O 19s expended. The subscriptions received since
that account had been made up, and ail future subscriptions,
would go towards the testimonial fund, and be paid through
this committee to the City Committee.
The SECRETARY stated that the testimonial fund being
raised by the City and Working Men's Committee was the
only fund recognised by Garibaldi. It was stated by the
intimate friends of Garibaldi that he would not accept the
annuity proposed by the Stafford-hcuse Committee, fearing
his independence would bo thereby compromised.
Some routine business having been transacted, the
committee adjourned, to meet at Primrose-hill on Saturday
next.

EARLY POTATOES.—Twenty bushels of DOW p 0•
tatoes have been taken up at Penzance, and forwarded to
the London markets, where they have realised 2s per lb.
The potato crop generally in the west of Cornwall is for-
ward and looking very healtby,