The Sun.
London, England, 1839-03-19 00:00:00

Mr. FROST thanked them for this testimony of their
kindness, but he believed the best return he could make
for their kindness, would be to convince them that they
had not bestowed their confidence on an unworthy object
—he still held the Commission of the Peace for the
Borough in which he resided, and while he held it he would
execute the powers of it independently and freely, but if
be were to bold it dependent on the will of a Secretary of
State, or any other man, it would not then be of any value
to him. He believed the leaders both of the Whigs
and Tories, hated him cordially. When he was first ap-
pointed to the Commission of the Peace, a representation
had been made by the Tories to Lord John Russell, stating
what a desperate fellow he was ; of this Lord John Russell
took no notice. Lord Wharncliffe was then applied to to
bring forward the subject of his appointment in the House
'of Lords ; but he thought it best to ask Sir B. Hall, who
advised him (Lord Wharncliffe) to let him alone : and he
thought if Lord John Russell had known as much about
him as he did now, he would have let him alone too.
(Laughter.) He had had a letter from the Lord Chan-
cellor, relative to a speech he had made in London, which
he bad answered more than a fortnight ago; he Ind not
yet received any reply, but when he had, he wculd make
that cos respondence public. He had answered the Lord
Chancellor courteously, because be had addressed him like
a gentleman, and not in the manner of that little fellow of
Woburn Abbey, who was clothed and fed upon the spoils
of the Church ; be might suppose that in Wales the
manner in which the Russell property was acquired was
unknown ; but be could promise Lord John Russell
that within less than three months every collier in
Wales should know the history of Woburn Abbey
and Tavistock Priory—these who were the victims of the
New Peer-law should know that there was public property,
which, if it were in other hands, could be better applied
than at present. He had seen Lord Stanhope yesterday,
who expressed alarm at the progress of the movement; but
he had told his Lordship, that if the Houses of Lords and
Commons would resign their legislative functions for six
months to the Parliament of 80lt-court, they would settle
the country to the benefit of all classes—they would laugh
at the threats of Russia, and place the artisan in comfort
and happiness—he hoped they would meet again in better
days and more prosperous circumstances.—(Cheering.)
Mr. WATSON in proposing as a toast "the General
Convention of the industrious classes, may all good men
assist it to establish our liberties in peace, and rally round
its righteous standard, should Whig and Tory oppressors
declare war against it," urged the people .to rally round
the Convention, and say to the Government that it should
be at their peril to interfere with a body which possessed
the confidence of the, people—the time was now come to
prove they did mot intend any child's play. For
years past, those who never laboured spent thou-
sands, while those who laboured, were obliged to
be content :with food that a Nobleman would not
give his dog. Mr. Cobbett ha& said, that sooner or
later they must have a reckoning commission, and Lord
John Russell might find that the Convention was that
reckoning commission. It was time to show that they had
heads as well as bands, and right arms as well as heads.
The toast was drank with three times three.
Mr. FRARGUS O'CONNOR said this was his seventeenth
year of Irish, and his seventh year of universal agitation,
and their cause had never looked more prosperous than at
present, because the people were never more determined
Before he spoke to the toast, he would make a few obser-
vations on the importance of the office of magistrate. All
informations were laid before him, and he could issue a
'supersedeas to suspend the warrant of his brother magi-
strates. It was on his information that the Government
acted, and not a shot could be fired, or a sabre drawn
against the people, but -by his order. All magistrates,
therefore, should hold their authority from the people.--
(Cheers.) But the real cause of offence given by Mr.
Frost was, because he had, in his magisterial capacity, re-
fustd to obey the orders of the three Devil Kings of
Somerset House, to hear the complaints brought be•
fore him with closed doors. He had answered the
old man like a gentleman, and the young man like
a puppy.--( Hear, hear.) The House of Commons
would not suffer the House of Lords to interfere with them,
neither would the Convention suffer either House to inter-
fere with them. Moral force and physical force were man
and wife. Moral force was the wife, and knew when to
call in her husband to her aid. They would never pay
respect to any unconstitutional authority, and he consi-
dered the present House of Commons an unconstitutional
authority ; that was the strongest phrase he had ever made
use of during his whole career of -agitation. He contended
the poor had.a right to be fed and ,clothed out of the pro-
duce of the lands belonging to Woburn Abbey, because
those lands were originally given for the purposes of hospi-
tality, and to keep up a farm-house for widOws and or.
phans. Now, with regard to the Press. The Morning
Chronicle had noticed their proceedings in a quaking arti-
cle, as rats avoided a falling house, and he thought this
conduct of Mr. Rasthope very significant. Then there
was The Sun, which about ten weeks ago, gave four or
five columns of the Convention, btit it war, want of com-
pany welcome trumpery—the moment Parliament met the
proceedings of the Convention were cut down into
nine lines of nonpariel, and the Parliamentary
proceedings occupied the s,.:ace. It was all very
well for reporters to come there and ask for tickets.
What cared Mr. Murdo Young for them ? and were it not
for the reporters, who corrected the speeches, the daily
papers would be the most complete farago ever seen. He
was determined not to yield to the press, but would sup.
port the Convention. They had not been interfered with,
because the many mnneymongers were afraid of the debt
which Pitt bad intended for a golden chain, binding them to-
gether,but which thepeople now kicked against. With regard
t:) physical force, what did the moral force men depend on
for upholding their power but physical force ? The Go-
vernment used their moral force physically, and they (the
Convention) would use their physical force morally. Hav-
ing continued for some time to contrast moral with physi-
cal force, Mr. F. O'Connor sat down amidst loud cheering.
Dr. TAYLOR said a battle was approaching in which all
must take a part, as those who stood looking on as idle
spectators would be considered' is enea ies, and treated as
such. They would wish to obtain their rights peacefully
—but obtain them they would. They might be martyrs,
but from their blood, as from the dragon's teeth of old,
I
around they would spring up. If the people did not sup-
port Ae Convention, they would go down link after link