The Sun.
London, England, 1839-01-18 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, PRIEM Y, JANUARY 18, 1830.

abolition of the Corn-laws, and be hoped that this moderation
would secure an attentive examination of their claims.

The TOWN CLERK then read the petition, which was a copy
of the resolutions, with the addition, " that this act of justice
to thepeople might be accomplished as speedily as might be
consistent with a due regard to the equitable claims of the
parties concerned." It concluded with a prayer that the
petitioners, by themselves and Counsel, might be heard at the
bar of the House of Commons in support of the allegations
contained in the petition.
Mr. Alderman SHELL rose and proposed an amendment to
this effect :—" Your petitioners therefore humbly pray that
your Honourable House, taking the premises into considera-
tion, will be pleased to adopt immediate and effectual means
for the immediate and entire repeal of all the laws restricting
the importation of food. And iu support of the allegations of
this their petition your petitioners pray to be heard by them-
selves, their counsel, and agents at the bar of your Honourable
House." Mr. Sheil thought that the boast of having exhi-
bited a consideration for the interests of the landowners was
entirely uncalled for. The agricultural interest was para-
mount in the Legislature, and was well able and willing to
take care of itself. He would not, on any such conditions,
forego one iota of the just demands of the people.
Mr. TnomAs HARVEY seconded the resolution.

Mr. HOLLAND advocated Mr. Shell's amendment at great
length.
Mr. BOLTON, in reply, contended that they should not seek
to obtain justice for themselves by doing injustice to others.
A long discussion here ensued on the amendment, in which
Mr. Booth, Mr: Rathbone, and Mr. Cerrie advocated the
petition as originally moved, and Mr. T. Harvey, and Mr.
John Taylor, the amendment.

Tho amendment was carried by a large majority, amidst
loud cheering.

Mr. R. E. Har.vEy expressed his pleasure that the amend-
ment had been carried. He then moved a resolution to the
effect that the petition then adopted be transmitted to the
Members of the Borough for presentation to the House of
Commons, and that the Member., for the Borough, as well as
those for the County, be requested to support t its
prayer. Mso,
that Earl Fitzwilliam and the Fail of Sefton be requested to
present it to the House of Lords, and to support its prayer.
And that a Committee be formed, and a subscription raised,
for the purpose of carting the objects of the petitioner's into
effect.

Mr. FREME briefly seconded the motion.
A short conversotia❑ took place on the propriety of asking
the Mernlsers of the Borough to presct.t the petition.
Mr. EARLE said that if the Members did not do justice to
the people of this borough, they bad their remedy when ano-
ther election took place.
The motion was carried without opposition.
Mr. R. E. HARVEY then moved a vote of thanks to the
Mayor for his services as Chairman, and the meeting broke up
at five o'clock.
The meeting was crammed to suffocation.

SCOTLAND.

EXTRAORDINARY MEETING OF THE RENFREWSHIRE
POLITICAL UNION.
On Monday evening a meeting of the. Members of the Renfrewshire
Political Union was held its tke Old Low Church, for the purpose of ap.
proving or disapproving of the election of Dr. John Taylor as representa-
tive of the Union in the National:Convention. At eight o'clock, the
hour of meeting, the church was nearly full in every corner, and a
short time after the commencement of business, every passage and every
seat to the backmost in all parts of the house, was crowded, while
numbers were at the door unable to procure admission.
At the conclusion of the proceedings, the Chairman decided, en a
second show of hands, that the majority in favour of Dr T. was
considerable. This announcement was received with great and long-
continued cheering by the majority ; and, after a few words expres-
sive of thanks from Dr. Taylor, the meeting broke up about three in
the morning.
The Glasgow Argus states that it " was undoubtedly one of the most,
exciting meetings that has taken place in Paisley during the present
age. All classes seemed deeply interested in the result. The speaking
did not occupy much more than two hours; but the k eenly-ex cited
feelings of the audience against each other prevented the business from
being proceeded with, from eight in the evening till the time specified."
We transfer from the columns of our respected contemporary the
substance of a speech of each of the principal speakers on the occasion.
Dr. TAYLOR said he had been arraigned before them, and put on his
trial, and he met them with tho greatest pleasure, though at some in- '
convenience to himself. He would not say anything that would give
offence or create division. While he said this he had to tell them that
be had been most unfairly treated by the paper which John Henderson
was editor of—the Reformer—and he would never acknowledge John
Henderson as the Chairman of any meeting before which he was to ap-
pear in his defence.
Here the CU AIRNIAN interrupted Dr. Taylor, and spoke to order, but
it was a good while before he could obtain a hearing.
Dr. TAYLOR insisted, amidst great confusion, on not acknowledging
the Chairman. After a while, a little quiet was obtained, when the
Chairman again appealed to the-meeting. After a little more confusion
the mutual calls of the two parties subsided, and Dr. Taylor said he
would give in and address the Chairman. He then eluded to an ex-
tract from the Northern Liberator which had appealed in last Reformer,
and which he said had treated him most v.nfair'y. He next took up
the reported proceedings of the Council of the Union, and the speech
of Mr. Henderson against him,' wherein that gentleman was reported
to say he would not remain in connection with any body whom Dr.
Taylor might represent.—(Cheers and hisses.) He (Dr. T.) held that
this was fairly prejudging him without a bearing. He denied holding
the sentiments regarding resistance to the Government imputed to
them by Mr. Henderson. He was no advocate fee physical
force till every other power failed.—(Cheers and disapprobation.) As
was well known to them all. He had established the Dhurna Societies
against the GOvernment, on the groend that men who would not sacra_
lice their luxuries from principle, would not fight from principle
He was determined to make a great moral effort to try this plan agiost
the Government, and if it did not succeed then he would not hesitate to
say he would resort to physical force to carry his object.--(Great cheer-
ing from Dr. Taylor's supporters.) The speaker then repeated his fix-
merly published statement about the aristocracy, at some length, to the
meeting. If they renew that body as well as he did, they would know they
had no fear of death ; they would walk up to the cannon's mouth with
the greatest coolness ; but it was otherwise when they touch their
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mover and seconder of the motion. He denied the statements brought
forward by Eaglesim. 'He had never said that he would shoot the first
man that would attempt to apprehend him as a member of the Conven-
tion. What he said was, that if he was in the Convention, and if an at-
tempt was made to apprehend him illegally, then he would shoot the
man that attempted to do so.--;Cheers—cries of " Oh, oh," and great
laughter.) This was the expression he had made use of, and he wculd
prove it. Dr. I'. next alluded to what had been said about his speech in
the Green of Glasgow. He avowed the sentiments imputed to him
there. He again repeated his determination to try the Dhurna upon
Government; he would use that and every other means he could think
of earnestly to secure the people's rights; but when that failed, he did
not hesitate to say he would resort to the sabre.—(Cheers from Dr.
Taylor's supporters.) He next alluded to the statements made by Mr.
Glassford ; he avowed himself the author of the letters signed " A ris-
tides" and imputed to him. Before sitting down, Dr. T. again repeated
his resolution never to give in to the cowardly sentiments of submitting
without resistance to the tyrants, and by expressing his resolution to
resist when other means failed.
The Rev. Dr. BREWSTER had been prepared to prove the continued
use of illegal language by Dr. Taylor, but he was glad his honest ad.
missions before that meeting had saved him a great deal Of trouble, and
them a great deal of time. The admissions of Dr. Taylor would save
him from troubling them with a great number of documents which he
was prepared to have read. He alluded to the manner in which Mr.
O'Connor had ridiculed the efforts of Dr. Taylor to establish
Dhurna societies. He had styled them the attempts of the Scot-
tish philosophers to bring down the Governments with the
tobacco-pipe and the tea-pot, attempts which were foolish, and which
would never be gone into by the men of England. When he (Mr. B )
first saw these attempts of Dr. Taylor set on foot, he considered him a
moral-force man, fairly resolved to work out their freedom by the tea-
pot and the tobacco-pipe alone. He afterwards found, however, he was
mistaken; and that when the tobacco-pipe and the tea-pot failed he was
resolved to resort to the sabre. He considered Dr. Taylor right that a
nation should not submit to be deprived of their rights—(Hear)—and
he gave him credit for the candour with which he had stated his senti-
ments; but he begged not to be misunderstood; when he said so, he d.
not approve of the means which the Doctor recommended.—(Cbeers.)
He was one of those who thought the plan of Dr. Taylor was.not the
best way, but the worst way, of at.empting to redress their grievances;
and he would say farther, that every man who used such language
acted illegally, anti put himself, as well as those he acted with, at the
mercy of the Government.—(Cheers.) It was play to the Govern-
ment to force them to the use of arms, or a resort to physical
power : they want this ; and were no doubt employing their spies
and their traitors, and were sending them forth amongst them.—(Great
cheering and disapprobation.) Nothing was more foolish than the po.
!icy recommended by these parties, when not more than a tithe of the
people were united, and expressed their conviction of the necessity of a
change. Let the people all be united—let them all be fairly convinced
first of the necessity of an extension of the suffrage, and then he could
assure them they would not need to prate about guns and sabres; the
Government would soon have to give into them.—(Cheers.) He
again adverted to the highly improper conduct of the parties who
were running over the country, endeavouring to stir the people up
to the use of arms against the Government. They should watch nar-
rowly the conduct of these men. Many of them had no lawful em-
ployment, yet they always boasted of the distance they travelled, and of
the great sums of money they expended in the cause. Where did they
get this money? That was a question the people should look into;
and, if they did not see a proper source, they should suspect every
such man.—(Great cheering and disapprobation.) He (Mr. B.) was
deeply devoted to the forwarding of their cause. It was nothing but
an earnest desire for their welfare, and a desire to see them get
justice, that had called him forth. He had risked his all in their cause,
and that was a proof to them how much he was in earnest; and if this
was not the case, and if he was not really in earnest for their welfare,
he would appeal to them if they thought he would submit to the contu-
melious reproach so widely and daily heaped upon hint.—(Great cheer-
ing.) Mr. Brewster next, at some length, adverted to the propriety of
the people declaring against all violent men, and all violent language ;
but iv the course of what followed, he was interrupted at almost every
sentence by the friends of Dr. Taylor, and calls of " Why did he not
meet Feargus O'Connor." He had met Feargus O'Connor, and he had
challenged Feargus O'Connor, but Feargus O'Connor dared not meet
him, and would never accept the challenge.—(Great cheering, and dis-
approbation.) After some general observations on the propriety of the
people having nothing to do with any person avowing the sentiments of
Dr. Taylor, Mr. Brewster concluded amidst the warm plaudits of a nu-
Merous portion of the meeting.