The Sun.
London, England, 1839-05-06 00:00:00

MANSION HOUSE.-THE CHARTISTS,

The Lotto MAYOR having been given to understand
that it was the intention of the persons calling them-
sel res Chartist to meet in Smithfield this even-
ing, as they had done on two former Mondays, to
the alarm of the neighbourhood, caused the following
notice to be issued, which it is hoped will prevent any
assemblage ;

" WILSON, Mayor.
" Mansion House, May, 1830.

" Whereas, a great number of persons have lately
met together in Smithfield-market, in the city of Lon-
don, at two several times, and divers inflammatory and
seditious speeches have been made by certain evil-
disposed persons with intent to excite those persons and
others to acts of riot and breaches of the peace, to the
great alarm of the inhabitants of the neighbourhood, and
the general disturbance of the peace of the city.
" This is therefore to give notice, that the Lord Mayor
will not suffer any number of persons to congregate in
Smithfield-market as heretofore, or in any other place
within the said city, and that any persons so assembling,
and by speeches and otherwise endeavouring to create
riot, disturbances, and breaches of the peace, will be
apprehended and dealt with with the utmost severity of
the law. By order of the Lord Mayor,
" FRANCIS HOBLER."

THE REV. MR. STEPHENS.
(From the Observer.)
On Saturday night, at 8 o'clock, the Rev. Mr. Stephens,
of Ashton-under-Lyne, commenced an address, in the
Crown and Anchor, to " the men of London," which
lasted upwards of three hours. The large room was
crowded to excess. The number of persons present
must have exceeded 2,000. In the course of his
address Mr. Stephens made use of the following
expressions :—" In the same newspaper of this
morning, which contains a proposition on the part of
Ministers to abolish the Constitution of Jamaica, with
the view of putting an end to the slavery of the blacks,
there is a proclamation by the Queen, which proposes
to abolish the British Constitution, for the purpose of
preventing the emancipation of the slaves in England.
—(Tremendous applause.) If the people of England
had one real representative in the House of Commons,
the first thing he would do on Monday (this night)
would be to rise up in his place and move for the
impeachment of the Ministers who had advised the
Queen to put her name to the treasonable document—
(Renewed applause)—and before sitting down, such
representative would move for a repeal of the Act which
prevents the people from training and drilling. The
police were taught to right about face,' and to quick
march.' He (Mr. Stephens) believed that they would
find some of those days, that they had not been taught
these exercises in vain.—(Laughter and applause.) If
the police be thus trained, they will perhaps find that
the people can train also. The time will come
when the people will form the determination
either to die or to be free.—(Deafening ap-
plause.) The proclamation last night issued in
the Queen's name, instead of being according to the
English law, is treason to the English Constitution. It
ought to kindle a flame of indignation in every breast,
and to raise every arm, and cause the people to come
to the resolution to suffer ten thousand deaths rather
than siitmit to he enslaved by it.—( Loud and long con-
tinued applause.) He believed the time was not far
distant when the dogs of war which were now barking
would be let loose, ard would not be satisfied until they
have pounced upon their victims. Then the latter will
feel disposed to take warning, but it will be too late.—
(Renewed cheers.) Much as he (Mr. Stephens) hated
the idea of bloodshed, he would rather be sent that
night, that hour, from that place, to unfurl the standard
of war, to take his station in the battle-field, stand at
the cannon's mouth, and face ten thousand deaths, than
live the slave of the Poor-law Commissioners.—(Deaf-
ening plaudits, which lasted for some time.) If the
throne and the altar protected and supported the poor,
then he would support the throne and the altar ; but if
they did not support and protect the poor, then he
would satv—' Down with the throne—perish the altar.' "
The Rev. Gentleman, in the course of his speech, made
use of several other expressions of a similar kind.

A few days last since Rev. Mr. Stephens appeared in the
Court of Queen's Bench, pursuant to a notice served upon
him by the Sheriff of Cheshire, to plead to the three seve-
ral bills of indictment found against him at the last As-
sizer held in Liverpool and Chester. The Rev. Defendant
pleaded " Not guilty," and afterwards moved the Court to
order that he be furnished with a copy of each indictment.
His application was immediately granted. Copies were
refused at the Liverpool Assizes. Mr. Stephens intends,
it is aaid, to apply to have the venue changed of the Ches-
ter indictment to Liverpool, in order that all the three
cases may be tried in one place, it being manifestly im-
practicable to be prepared for trial at two, separate Assizes
at one and the same time, as the Chester Assizes are held
contemporaneously with those of Liverpool.
The principal part of the indictments is this :
Lancaster to wit.—The Jurors for our Sovereign Lady
the Queen, upon their oath, present that Joseph Rayner
Stephens, late of Ashton-under-Lyne, in the county pala-
tine of Lancaster, Dissenting teacher, unlawfully, se-
ditiously, and maliciously intending to disturb the public
peace, and to raise and excite tumults, insurrections, and
disobedience to the laws, and to incite and persuade great
numbers of her Majesty's subjects to arm themselves with
weapons of offence, and to raise and make riots, routs,
tumults, and unlawful assemblies, and to attack and injure
the persons and properties of divers of her Majesty's
peaceable subjects, and to forcibly despoil divers of
her Majesty's subjects of their property, and to obstruct
the execution of the laws of the land heretofore, to
wit, on the 26th day of November, in the year of our Lord
1838, with force and arms, at Ashton-under-Lyne afore-
said, in a certain meeting-house, there did address a
certain discourse to divers, to wit, 500 persons, who were
then and there present and assembled, in the said meet-
ing-house, amongst other things of and concerning the
laws of the land and the Legislature, and of and concern-
ing James Jowett, Esq., then and there being a justice
of the peace for the said county palatine of Lancaster,
concerning a certain illegal assembly, called the National
Convention, and of and concerning his, the said Joseph
Rayner Stephens, going as a delegate to the said assembly,
and of and concerning the said persons so assembled at

the said meeting-house procuring arms and weapons
of offence to disturb the pub!ic peace and obstruct the
execution of the laws, and in different parts of the said
discourse did then and there unlawfully and seditiously
speak, publish, and address to the said persons SO present
and assembled in the said meeting-house, and in their
hearing, amongst o'her words and matter, the false, sedi-
tious, libellous, and inflammatory words and matter follow-
ing, of and concerning the laws of the land, and of and
concerning the Legislature, and of and concerning the said
James Jowett, Esq., and of and concerning the said illegal
assembly, called the National Convention, and of and con-
cerning his, the said Joseph Ray ner Stephens, going as a
delegate to the said assembly, and of and concerning the
said persons so assembled at the said meeting-house
procuring arms and weapons of offence to disturb the
public peace, and obstruct the execution of the laws ;
that is to say, " We have a set of men who call them-
selves law makers, who make laws by the operation of
which people cannot get a long wage for a short day's
work. There are only two plans—either to trample those
laws under foot, or break the skulls of those who made
them ; and if those laws are in existence, and you cannot
obtain sufficient for yourselves and families, you would
be justified in going to Mr. Jowett's house, and helping
yourselves to what it afforded, or to any shop in Stam-
ford-street, and help yourselves to flour, meal, butter,
cheese, or to any of the clothiers' shops, and help yourselves
to such clothing as you may need. lam armed, and am
g, ing to London as the delegate for this neighbourhood"
(meaning the neighbourhood of Ashton-under-Lyne afore..
sad), " to attend the National Convention" (meaning the
said assembly, called a National Convention) ; " and when
I go I wish to go as the armed delegate of an armed people,
so that when we come into contact with the Queen or her
Government, in the shape of a petition or remonstrance,
we may say—' We, your Majesty's loyal subjects, consist-
ing of 200,000 armed men, beseech your Majesty to
redress our grievances arid grant us our rights ; and if
not—'" whereupon the said Joseph Rayner Stephens
made a pause in his said discourse, and used a gesture
by which he meant, and which was then and there
understood by the said persons so assembled at the said
meeting.house to mean, that, in case of a refusal to
re dress the said supposed grievances, and grant the said sup-
posed rights, the said Joseph Rayner Stephens, and the
said other armed persons, would resort to acts of violence.
And in a certain other part of the said discourse the said
Joseph Rayner Stephens, further contriving and intending
as aforesaid, then and there unlawfully and seditiously
spoke and published to the said persons so assembled at the
said meeting-house as aforesaid, and in their hearing, the
further false, seditious, malicious, and inflammatory words
and matter following : that is to say—" We must look
upon every one who speaks against arms, or who do not
provide themselves with such, as traitors, and let them
share a traitor's fate," against the peace of our Lady the
Queen, her crown, and dignity.
( Several passages follow, varying the form of the indict-
ment, but they all run on the part of Mr. Stephen's speech
quoted.)
And the jurors aforesaid, upon their oath aforesaid, do
further present, that the said Joseph Rayner Stephens,
further unlawfully, seditiously, and maliciously intending
to disturb the public peace, and to raise and excite tumults,
insurrections, and disobedience to the laws, and to incite
and persuade great numbers of her Majesty's subjects to
arm themselves with weapons of offence, and to raise
and make riots, routs, tumults, and unlawful
assemblies, and to attack and injure the persons,
and to burn, injure, and destroy the property of divers
of her Majesty's peaceable subjects, and to obstruct the
execution of the laws of the land, arid to seduce
the soldiers of our said Lady the Queen from their duty
and allegiance, heretofore, to wit, on the 9th day of De-
cember, in the year of our Lord 1838 aforesaid, with force
and arms, at Ashton-under- Lyne aforesaid, in a certain
meeting-house there, did address a certain discourse to
divers, to wit 500, persons, who were then and there
present and assembled in the said meeting-house, of and
concerning the laws of the land, and of and concerning
the Legislature, and of and concerning a certain illegal
assembly called the National Convention, and of and
concerning his, the said Joseph Rayner Stephens, going
as a delegate to the said assembly, and of and concern-
ing the said persons so assembled at the said meeting-
house having, keeping, and procuring arms and weapons of
offence to disturb the public peace and obstruct the execu-
tion of the laws, and of and concerning certain Justices of
the Peace of our said Lady the Queen, and of and con-
cerning the Poor Law Commissioners of England and
Wales, who then and there had their office at Somerset
House, and of and concerning James Jowett, Esq., and
Abel Buckley, Esq., two of the justices of the peace
of our said lady the Queen for the said county pala-
tine, and of and concerning the said soldiers of our said
Lady the Queen ; and in different parts of the said discourse
did then and there unlawfully and seditiously speak,
publish, and address to the said persons so present and
assembled in the said meeting-house, and in their hearing,
amongst other words and matters, the false, seditious,
libellous, and inflammatory words and matter following,
of and concerning the laws of the land, and of and concern-
ing the Legislature, and of and concerning the said illegal
assembly called the NationalConvention,and of and concern-
ing his,tbe said Joseph Rayner Stephens, going as a delegate
to the said assembly, and of and concerning the said persons
so assembled at the said meeting-house having, keeping, and
procuring arms and weapons of offence to disturb the public
peace and obstruct the execution of the laws, and of and
concerning certain of her Majesty's justices of the peace, and
of and concerning the Poor Law Commissioners of Eng-
land
and Wales, and of and concerning the said James
Jewett, Esq., and Abel Duckley, Esq., and of and con-
cerning the said soldiers, that is to say, .. All things are
subject to change, but by perseverance and union, and
coming cheerfully forward with subscriptions in support of
the members you have chosen for the National Convention"
(meaning the said illegal assembly), " the present system
will be changed : the end of these things is come, and
upon the ruins I and my colleagues will build a republic,
which will give us a fair remuneration for a fair day's
work ; the National Convention" (meaning the said illegal
assembly) " will meet in open day, and sweep from the
face of the earth those who have so long made the homes
of the people the abodes of famine. I here solemnly
warn the magistracy and the cotton tyrants, that if they
will not change their system of tyranny and oppression,
and wholesale blood and bone murder, by putting up this
little finger, instead of one fire, Dukenfield, Ashton, and
Stayleybridge, will be one wide sheet of flame. I have
heard it whispered that Ashton is to be garrisoned. I
should like to see Lucifer Jowett and Saint Buckley dare
to insult the over-worked, tyrannised, trampled on, honest,
operatives of Ashton, by introducing a military body
there; but if they do come, you must change your
tactics : give the redcoats three cheers, offer your houses
to them, let them share with you, deny yousselves indul-
gences, grant the few comforts you have to establish a good
understanding with them, p iwn your clothes, do any thing
to treat them with meat and drink. If this flame and
steel be sauce for the Canadian geese, why it shall be
sauce for the Ashton ganders, and thus, according to the
immutable and unchangeable law of God, give them
burning for burning. Now we must have no more
torch-light meetings ; keep your guns and pistols and
daggers bright and clean, bide your time, be ready as
one man to act when called upon. I shall not have many
more opportunities of addressing you. On Christmas-day
the members of the Convention, those from the North,
and the Lancashire, Staffordshire, and Yorkshire districts,
will hold a solemn meeting in Manchester to arrange their
plans,
which shall shake this great empire to her centre. I
yesterday was presented in Manchester by a party of gen-
tlemen with a handsome danger silver-hilted, and scab-
bard, in token of their confidence and esteem. The men
of Bury have their eyes on you, men of Ashton ; all England
has its eyes upon you; you are their guide and beacon.
The noble stand you have made against the accursed
Poor-law places you on a proud pre-eminence, and I tell
the three Somerset-house devils, I tell the magistrates, I
tell Lord John Russell, before we will be separated from
our wives and children to be fed on skilly, not one, but
from Dukenfield. hill to Ashton, and the blood and
bone-houses between here and Stayleybridge (mark, I
don't mean cottage-houses), ay, and all Stayleybridge,
shall be one wide sheet of flame," against the peace of our
said Lady the Queen, her crown, and dignity.
( Another passage follows, varying the count.)
(Witnesses) WILLIAM BOARDMAN.
JOSEPH MARPLES.
ROBERT RIPLEY.
(Sworn in Court, A true bill.)