The Sun.
London, England, 1839-01-02 00:00:00

18:31, while he pledged his honour that the money was to
purchase arms to fight for the Repeal of the Union, if the
Whigs refused to concede it.—(Loud groans and hisses.)
There was a cowardly blackguard for them!—there was the
man who had sold England and pawned Ireland, and re-
ceived 1,0001. from Potter of Wigan to purchase the last
drop of the liberty of the poor factory children, which
was blistered with their blood !—(Tremendous groaning.)
Potter never denied that he had paid that 1,000/., and that
foul transaction sunk O'Connell deeper, if possible, in de-
gradation. Why had they not arrested him (Mr.
O'Connor) ? Because he was too cunning for them ; he
had been in the habit of watching rogues, and was too
cunning for them. If they deserted Mr. Stephens now, he
(Mr. O'Connor) would desert them. He would move
now the appointment of a Provisional Committee of
Public Safety, and he trusted their resolutions would
be so framed as to steer clear of all legal quibbles. He
had no doubt that he' should be singled out as the next
victim, but if the Whigs dared to send him there, the
brave working-men of England would come in their thou-
sands, their tens, their fifty, or their hundreds of thou-
sands, if necessary, and say, " Come out ; you have been
long enough there."—(Great laughter and cheering.) Mr.
O'Connor concluded an eloquent address, of which the
above is a mere outline, by moving the appointment of the
Committee.

Mr. WHEELER seconded the motion. He regretted
that the meeting had fallen upon that peculiar day, 'be-
cause all those who were most anxious to attend the
meeting were enjo)ing the society of their families. He
trusted they would not believe that there was any
apathy among the people of Lancashire or Cheshire, for
if Mr. O'Connor, or any other of the friends of the
people told him it was his duty, he would to-morrow have
ten thousand men at his back to release their champion
from his thraldom.—(Vehement cheering.) They were
all aware of the persecutions he (Mr. Wheeler) had
suffered, but he would never be deterred from doing his
duty.—(Cheers.)
Mr. DOYLE suggested the propriety of adjourning the
proceedings till to-morrow evening. He thought it would
be better for all parties that they deliberated fully before
they took any decisive step.—(Hear.)
Mr. COBBETT was glad an opportnnity had been afforded
him of giving them his opinions on the subject. He did not
think there was any necessity for the appointment of the
Committee suggested by Mr. O'Connor. Mr. Stephens
had been arrested, he believed, because he was one of the
most honest and indefatigable friends of the people.
—(Hear, hear.) He had undergone one examination,
and the result of the next would be, either
to discharge or to commit him finally. Under the circum-
stances in which he stood he did not see any necessity for
the step proposed. All they had to do was to show the
public and the Government that they were determined to
support him, and he was satisfied they would do that.—
(Cheers.) If the Committee was appointed it would con-
vince the public that he had not the hearts of the
people completely with him. It would be said that they
could not show their affection for him without Committees
and Unions and circulars. No ulterior steps could be
taken to assist Mr. Stephens—it was the same with him as
it would be with any other in similar circumstances, and he
must abide by the result. Mr. Stephens (as Mr. O'Connor
had said) might be tried not only for what he himself had
done, but for what others had done. The evidence would,
however, go before the Jury, and their proceedings, finding
their way into the columns of the Newspapers, would
be submitted to the Jury, and malice or misrepre-
sentation might in that way prejudice his cause.
He was therefore opposed to the appointment of any Com-
mittee—let them leave the matter to be conducted by his
legal advisers, and take no steps further than the meetings
which were taking place generally all over the country, ex-
pressive of the sympathy and confidence of the people, and
which would not, he was satisfied, be without their due
weight. Mr. Wheeler said he was ready, and that
the people of Lancashire and Yorkshire were ready,
to do whatever Mr. O'Connor advised them to do.
He believed that to be the case, and it was there-
fore showing a want of confidence, and taking unnecessary
precautions, to adopt the present proceeding. He thought
also it would be most injudicious to advise the people to
attend on Thursday next, because he felt satisfied they
would come without being required to do so.—(Cheers.)
He had given his opinion, and he left it to the meeting to
decide as they thought best.
Mr. O'CONNOR explained. There was nothing so ne-
cessary as unanimity, and he would go great lengths to
secure it. He would have no objection to postponement
if that were deemed necessary, but he objected strongly to
the proposition of Mr. Cobbett. The duties of the Com-
mittee would be various, and it might be found necessary
to collect funds, which could not he done without the
appointment of a Committee. When a trade was
oppressed, what was the first thing they did ?—Appoint a
Committee. When any great undertaking was on foot did
they not always commence by forming a Committee?—
(Cheers.) If it were asked, " who are taking part with
Mr. Stephens ? Who are Isis friends ?" Why, the answer
would be all Lancashire, disunited and unconnected. He
(Mr. O'C.), could not be one of the Committee, butthey had
Mr. Cobbett, who had hereditary claims upon their confidence
and gratitude.—(Cheers.) Let Manchester do its duty, and
all parts of the country would unite with it. He had not
recommended the people to organise themselves on Thurs-
day next, for he was satisfied every man in his heart resolved
to be there. He would therefore recommend them to appoint
a Committee, as a great centre and rallying point for their
future operations. They had nothing to fear from a Commit-
tee composed of their own body, for there was more honesty
and independence among the bard working operatives than
among the thin-skinned and white-gloved aristocracy.—
(Hear, bear.) He would, to promote unanimity,
.suggest
the postponement of the appointment of the Committee
to-morrow night, when they would have thousands of the
honest men of Manchester around them in the Carpen-
penters'-hall.—( Cheers.)
Mr. COBBETT seconded the amendment of Mr. O'Con-
nor. He misunderstood the meaning of Mr. O'Connor's
original motion, which he thought was to get up a demon-
stration in favour of Mr. Stephens.—(No, no.)
Mr. Itusd.rox would vote for the immediate appoint-
ment of the Committee, because he felt satisfied that the
more immediately they exhibited their strength and their
independence the sooner would be their triumph.—(Cheers.)
Mr. WHEELER trusted the Committee would be ap-
pointed to-night, and not leave the matter to a large public
meeting where their enemies might find entrance. At the
last public meeting they had held, a person in the crowd
called out—" Wheeler, why don't you tell us to go down
and liberate him at once ?" He (Mr. Wheeler) saw at
once that the man was an enemy, and scouted the pro-
position.—(Cheers.)
Mr. PRENTICE was for the immediate appointment of a
Committee, because if they did not act with promptitude
he feared it would be too late to do anything efficiently.

Some discussion then took place as to the night when
the general meeting would take place, and it was finally
decided that it should take place on Wednesday night, at
Carpenters' Hall.
Mr. F. O'CoNNoR, seeing that the feeling of the ma-
jority of the meeting was in favour of the immediate ap-
pointment of a Committee, would now move the appoint-
ment of a provisional Committee to assist Mr. Stephens,
and to support him in the prosecution to which he was sub-
jected—the Committee to consist of seven.—Agreed to.
The following Gentlemen were then named as the Com-
mittee :—Mr. J. Rushton, Mr. Heywood, Mr. Cobbett,
Mr. Willis, Mr. Prentice, Mr. Doyle, and Mr. Wheeler.
Mr. RICHARD OASTLER was then called upon, and ad-
dressed the meeting at some length. We must postpone
the insertion of his speech till to-morrow.
After some further discussion, the meeting separated.

THE REV. MR. STEPHENS.

MANCHESTER, TUESDAY NIGHT.

Mr. Stephens arrived from his house yt Duckinfield, near
Ashton, this afternoon, accompanied by Mr. Oastler, Mr. F.
O'Connor, Mr. Richardson, and a number of his friends. A
private meeting was held immediately afterwards, at which I
understand it was resolved to send for Mr. Charles Phillips,
the barrister, to conduct Mr. Stephens' defence on Thursday.
Mr. Condy acts as his advising counsel here, and Mr. Law,
who was his solicitor, when the case came before the Magis-
trates on Friday last, is also retained.
Mr. Stephens is rather low-sized, and of a delicate frame.
His manners are extremely mild and prepossessing, and
his disposition the very opposite, so far as any faith can
be placed in physiognomic characteristics, of the descriptions
given of him by Mr. O'Connell and others. Mr. Oastler
appears to be deeply interested in the r,?sult of the investiga-
tion, and is most zealous in his advocacy of the Reverend
Gentleman. _

The excitement in the neighbouring districts continues
unabated, and it is supposed that several hundred thou-
sand persons will march into Manchester on Thursday
morning. Meetings were held last night at Bradford,
Rochdale, (in which town the excitement is most
alarming), Staley Bridge, and several other places.
Two troops of the Queen's Bays were ordered this
morning from Manchester to Ashton, and the most erensive
preparations for the preservation of the peace are being made
by the civil and military authorities here.
I enclose a letter to Lord John Russell, which has been
very extensively distributed and placarded here in the course
of the day :

" Mr. Orme's Fallow Field, near Manchester,
" Dec. 29, 1838.
" To the Right Honourable Lord John Russell, Secretary of
" State for the Home Department, &c. &c,
" MY 1/04P,—:-YOll are aware ee the state of excitement into
which this manufacturing district has been thrown by the arrest
of the Rev. Josephißayner Stephen's, You are also aware that
this excitement has been increased by the extraordinary mea-
sures which Government (confiding in Taylor's veracity) have
thought it needful to adopt, in conscrenoe of the posityp
declaration of the editor gf the Manc tsip. Guardian, that