The Sun.
London, England, 1839-07-01 00:00:00

THE EADICAtiSM OF COLNE AND
THE GOVERNING TALENTS OF ITS 3108.

(FROM A CORREPONDENT.)
The Radicalism cf Colne is of the very best specie,
hat injustice and oppression, and a virtuous and a just

hatred of them, can produce. If the Radicals of Comae
had been educated at the Cambridge University, and in
the narrow, vicious, political schools of the Peels and the
Wellingtons, or in the anti-social and bigoted intole-
rance of the Philpotts, as they hare no ricks to burn,
they would have turned their attention to the buruing
of factories. But fortunate!y for the peace of the town.
and of society, they have gained their information from
the public press, which though it disseminates many
errors, corrects them by the publication of the most im-

•
portant truths, and that collision of opinion which is in-
sepirable from its freedom. It is the often repeater'
observation of an intelligent . Whig Gentleman 01
Colne, whose official duties should make him r.
competent judge, that no town in this kingdom
is so completely under the controul of the mob
as Caine. Wcat then, nas been, and what is, the state
of this town ? Why, for upwards of thirty years, not
one breach of the public peace has been committed,
with the exception of a disturbance about the rate of
wages, which the gentlemen of the place promoted by
giving money to the parties who were keeping up ihe ex-
citement! If, then, the mob, who have no real power
but public opinion, are such admirable preservers of the
peace, except when encouraged to break it by gentle-
men subscribers, and that too during a period of the
greatest depression in trade, connected with the most
dreadful suffering and starvation, the just and legiti-
mate inference is, that in ordinary times, and when pos
sessed of actual power, the mob would make the mos-
adinirable governor) and legislators ; and their admire
ble talents for governing, and their peaceable policy.
when isolated from gentlemen, will not merely enticl,
them to a share in the Constitution, which is all thei.
conscientious and proper appreciation of the rights o
others lead them to ask, but to the highest offices in the
State, when legislation shall have emancipated itself
from its present barbarisms, and shall be placed upon
just and equitable basis. Seeing then that the mob, b)
the mere force of public opinion, and without any ex.

pause, can govern so well, and so peacefully, the inquir)
may arise, why all this intolerable, insupportable pa
rade, pomp, and extravagance about government, whet
the mob at Colne, by the mere force of public opinion,
without expense, and without-power, preserved the town
and its vicinity in perfect peace for upwards of thirty
years, except on one single occasion, when th,
gentleman interfered ? Indeed, it is high time foe
the Government, who are so fond of Commis-
sions, to send one down to Wire, to learn th(
art of_g.overnment from its mob !!! It might, toe
be equally proper for the Mayor of Cambridge, and tln
learned and Christian University of that town, which s.
recently mobbed an eminent lecturer, to send down de-
putations to take instructions upon the art of governi4
and preserving the peace from the Colne mob ! ! ! Nay
as Lord Melbourne is sick of office, and has expres3eo
his doubts whether any persons can be found competent
to its arduous duties—and as Sir Robert Peel and th
Duke of Wellington dare not take office, it is re
spectfully suggested that no persons in the kingdom,
with better qualifications for governing, can be found
than the Colne mob, and that they immediately he ceder
upon to take office. They are not raw and inexperi-
enced, but real, tried, practical governors ; and as their
character for governing is not given, by an ignorant, par-
tial friend, but by an intelligent and determined oppo•
nent, or seen in the practical and peaceable results of
their government, nothing can surely be more condo
sive than such evidence in favour of the legislative ta•
lents of the Co'ne mob! Hurrah for the Colne mob'.!
Goa save the Colne mob ! ! !
The following petition is now in the course of signa
ture, and so far as it has proceeded, has received two-
thirds of the sgnatures of the special constables. Thesr
are facts, strongly indicative of public opinion in this
district.

CHARTER PETITION.
TO THE SPECIAL CONSTABLES OF THE CHAPELRY OF

COLNE.

GENTLEMES,—A long series of extravagance an

misrule by the factions who have presided over the des
tittles of this nation, have produced such oppression and
distress to all classes of society, and such poverty and
starvation to the Working Classes especially, as to en-
danger and threaten the existing Political lnstitutionQ
of the country and the peace of society. The ilisaffec
tion which has so long existed is now no longer fugitive
and ephemeral, but has assumed a character and import.
ance, and a magnitude, which justly alarms those now
in power, and who would gladly escape the difficulty by
giving up the reins of Government into the hands of the
Tories, who, however are too cunning and too sensible
of the perils of office to accept them.
Under these circumstances, the faction now in power
instead of conceding the. cntlstitutional and good old
Whig- doctrine of representation co-extensive with taxa-
tion, and thus, by granting the just demands of the peo-
ple, effectually and peaceably subduing the present
alarming disaffection, have determined to have recours
to that principle of coercion and physical force, which
they so much reprobate in others ; and have, as you are
well aware, sworn in an unexampled number of special
constables.
Now it must be admitted on all hands that violence,
insurrection, and anarchy cannot ;bo. too much depre-
cated ; and the important question naturally arises ;
how are-these evils to be prevented? The answer tnus'
be, by no other means than by concession and change
of system on the part of those now in power.
Toe plain state of the question is this :—The ex-
cessive taxation amounting to about one half of the

wages of the labouring population, the restrictions and
duties on the first necessary of life, food, inevitably

drive the great mass of the people to a lamentable state
of poverty, distress, and destitution.
Now, when driven to this state by vicious legisla-
.

A SPECIAL CONSTABLE.

Lion, our rulers pass a Poor Law to. imprison those
whom they thus make poor, to tear asunder the tender
ties and sanctities of domestic life, and to feed them
upon worse than felons' fare: : :
Gracious Heaven ! Can such a system continue
to exist ? Impossile : The distraction of both fac-
tions in the state on the one hand, and the genera!
growing and fixed disaffection on the other, announce
its dissolution. It has already roused into alarrnir.g
and portentous activity, probably the most peacealie'
population in the world. And we, the Special Con-
stables, of this chapelry; -are now called upon, yes,
compelled not to assist in obtaining the just demands
of the people, not to feed the hungry and clothe the
naked, and thus effectually allay the disaffection ; bu,
to aid and support the system which drives men to dis-
tress and poverty, and consequently and inevitably to
disaffection. Our legislators proceed upon the childish,
doltish principle that men may be expected to be con-
tent, peaceable, and obedient, under privations, poverty
and starvaf on ; a doctrine which would disgrace tht
intellects of a savage, yes, it deserves repetition, and it
would be a libel on the savage that roams the inter-
tninable forests to accuse his of maintaining the mon-
strous doctrine, that meat can be attached to a system
which raises their food, injures trade, and takes ono
half of their low and hard earned wages, which shoule
go to support their own ill-fed, ill-clad, wives and chi!•
dren and gives them to opulent strangers.
And yet our rulers haiellie assurance to talk of
the ignorance of tha working classes!! Those however
who now assume to be the superiors and instructors of
the working classes, will - beiorced to become their
pupils when it is hoped a skilly • diet may sharpen their
intellects. Under a consideration, then, of the appal-
ling sufferings and privations of the working classes, it
is confidently anticipated that the Special Constables of
the Chapelry of Caine, will take the side of equity,
justice, and mercy, and sympathizing with their deeplt
oppressed countrymen, will spew their benevolent feel-
ings by signingra petition to Parliament in favour of thi-
People's Charter, viz.:—
Universal Suffrage, Annual Parliaments, Vote by
Ballot, and no Property Qualification for Members of
Parliament ; and thus we who are stigmatized a,
' Physical Force Men' will do all in our power morally.
and peaceably, to convince the Government that to do
justice, and to love mercy, is to stop the 'commence-
ment of a.deluge of anarchy Which threatens to over-
whelm the land.

The petition will be first signed in the Town and
afterwards sent to the different Townships in the
Chapelry.
Gentlemen, Sign, Sign, Sign, for the sake of your
rulers, and give them a correct idea of your political
opinion ; for the sake of justice and the cause of general
Reform ; for the sake of your families and the rising
generation, and by doing this you will be making such a
use of your authority as yuur enemies never anti-
cipated.

ABOLITION OF RAG FAIR.—Rag Fair, so
proverbially known as the resort of the perambulating Jews
of the metropolis to dispose of their purchases, is about to
be abolished. The Commissioners of City Setters ' &ma de-
clared it to be a public nuisance, and have given a month's
notice to the dealers that it will be suppressed, and that any
person exhibitin,7, articles for sale after that time will be
taken into custody, and the property forfeited. The Jews
are in consternation at the announcement, as they consi-
dered usage tantamount to a charter. The course pursued
by the Commissioners has, however, given great satisfaction
to the neigh Louring inhabitants.
MATRIMONIAL INCIDENT.—Last Tuesday
week, two weddings were celebrated together at the parish
church, Silkstone, when out of the nine persons who took
part in the ceremony, five of the name of Marshall entered
the chnrch,.and although each of the brides changed their
names, the same number of the name of Marshall still re.
mained. The parties met quiteaccidentally, and no family
relationship existed between them. The circumstance
seemed greatly to perplex the clerk when entering their
names, and also afforded considerable amusement to the
parties themselves.— York Courant.
THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE.--A friend who
was presont at Princess Charlotte's marriage said, that
when Prince Leopold repeated the words, " with all my
worldly goods I thee endow,” the Royal bride was observed
of George IV., rol. 3.
to laugh.—Diary of the Times