The Sun.
London, England, 1839-03-07 00:00:00

MOVEMENTS IN THE POLICE

TO THE EDITOTI? OF THE SUN.
SlR,—About ten days ago this town was visited by be
twcen thirty and forty of the A division Metropolitan Po-
lice, who have since taken up their quarters amongst us,
but why, or wherefore, not a soul unconnected with the
Magistracy can form the least idea, though I believe the
Duke of Newcastle is at the bottom of it. Cumber, his
Grace's seat, is, I understand, garrisoned, and mounting
sever.d pieces of brass cannon; but still the noble owner
cannot rest his Tory head in peace. The Sherwood
Rangers ( Yeomanry) are called " a real Conservative
corps," yet the Duke can put no trust in them, or his
tenantry in the inhabitants of the neighbourhood. No-
thing will serve him but the A division of Police--a fine
set of young fellows, who are as ignorant of the cause of
their coming as I am.
On Monday there was a meeting of Magistrates at
Southwcll, convened by the Lord Lieutenant, and about
thirty attended. Sir Charles O'Donnell, Brigadier-Major
of the District, and another military officer, were sum-
moned, and the whole were in debate for four hours. Re-
porters were commanded by the Duke of Newcastle to
withdraw—even the csaistable who generally attends the
roam door was excluded ; and, from what transpired after-
ward-s, it appears that some vow of secrecy was entered
into, for when applied to for information the Magistrates
declared that they were bound to preserve silence. The
liberal-minded and !.ighly esteemed Colonel Wildman and
Mr. Coke were present; as was also the Duke of Portland.
Wliat it all means nobody can tell. Either the Lord
Lieutenant has been hoaxed, and wishes to keep the thing
all snug, or some busy, meddling Jack-in-office is trying
to provoke an outbreak amongst the working classes. It
is a most injudicious affair, and manifests the rabid spirit
of prseeution which the Tories cherish against their hum-
bler brethren. Surely some Member of the House ought
to institute an inquiry into this affair, for it appears to have
been kept very snug. If any danger is apprehended, it
should be the duty of the Lord Lieutenant to place the
peaceable inhabitants upon their guard by means of a pro-
clamation : and if there is no danger, why is a large, in-
fluential, and respectable population to be insulted by plac-
ing them under the surveillance of the London Police ? Is
is a most discreditable thing, and reflects disgrace upon
those who have beer. instrumental to it. By giving this
publicity, probably something more may come to light.

I am, Sze.,

A PEACEABLE MAN.

Munefield, March 5, 1839.

ANTI-CORN-LAWDELEGATION

A most interesting letter has Unit received from a farmer near
Alitwick, stating that the agriculturists are bestirring themselves
there, for the total repeal of the Corn.laws, seeing very clearly that
they are not only not benefited, but deeply injured by them, from
the irregularity and fluctuation which they occasion in the price
of productions, and the deprivation of consumers, which is sure
to follow. They do not anticipate any great fall in the price of
food from the repeal of the Corn-laws, but they expect that an
equalization of prices would be brought about, making markets
steady and prices fair. They think that those persons who expect
such very cheap corn and other food froat the repeal, will be ve..y
much disappoi' led, as the natural effect of an increased demand
must tend to keep up prices ; and they Point at the repeal of the
duty on Foreign Wool, as an instance of the tendency of free trade
to produce increased demand and fair profit.
While the gret landlords of the district, my Lords Northum-
berland and Tankerville, with several less influential, but equally
zealous partisans of the Corn-laws, are getting up petitions in favour
of their continuance, several of their more enlightened tena,.ts
are signing a petition for their repeal, which contains the following
intelligent statement', :

" That the present Corn-laws are, in the opinion of the petitioners,
the cause of great privation to the labourers, and are equally inju.
rious to the farmers."

" That these laws must eventually prove ruinous to the Agricul.
Wrists as well as the Merchants."

"That the greatness of the Empire is owing to its commerce and
manufactures."

" That this nation has borrowed from the funds of the capitalists
nearly nine hundred millions of money, and that most other States
have borrowed from them, and that these sutns could not have been
obtained from agriculture, or Poland and other corn.growing coun.
tries could lend as well as England."
That the only means of securing good and steady prices are
to be found in the increased employment of our manufactures."
These arc so many texts on which so many politico_economical
lectures may be delivered; and it is possible that a landowner now
and then may he informed a little better on the subject by means of
such texts. When it is recollected that these things are being
done in the neighbourhood of Alnwick there is nothing hopeless
about the cause.

A letter from Leeds states—" There is a German agent at Liver-
pool, from Hamburgh, who is taking orders for woollen cloths, ho.
siery, Bec.oranufactured in Belgium and Germany; a.id he gets a
good many orders for low goods, which the purchasers say are much
cheaper than anything in this country. The discussion on
the Cern laws, has given rise to a great deal of ecti•ity among
foreign agents. The woollens which they furnish are for our mar_
kets in South America and Calcutta."

A circular of the agricultural queries has fallen ilito the hands of
one of the other side, and the replies which he has sent are such
excedent specimens of the nonsenseand absurdity usually uttered by
that party, that it would be worth while to publish it as Pro.Corn-
law intelligence. Among other things, he says, that when the
duty on the importation of foreign wool was removed, the price of
wool at home fell full three hundred per cent. That is, it was sold
for twice less that nothing. That must be the amount of the car.
respondent's intelligence on these matters!

NATIONAL CONVENTION.
(TUESDAY.)

Dr. AI‘DotTAL, of Ashton-On-the- line, in the Chair.
A letter enclosing ten pounds rent from Coventry, was
handed in.

EARLY INTELLIGENCE.

A motion of Mr. Cleave, requesting " An explanation
from the Proprietors of the Northern Star, as to the
means by which they acqured a copy of the Address to the
People of Ireland, which appeared in that Newspaper on
List Saturday, before it was submitted to the Convention,"
was .;arried by a large majority.
LANGUAGE OF THE MISSIONARIES.

A warm debate took place on a question raised by Mr.
Halley, as to the necessity of those Delegates who address
public meetings in London confining themselves to proper
and temperate language when addressing those meetings.
Mcsssrs. Cleave, Carpenter, and others reprobated the
language used by some members of the Convention at
public meetings.
Dr. Ft.ircnEit said that all was a mistake, for, as to the
language of those persons alluded to it was no more illegal
than any other act of which they were guilty. Was not
to call those persons who were the means of administer-
ing slow death through what was called the New Poor-law
Amendment Act to the suffering poor, murderers, giving
them then a proper designation ? But were they secure from
the power of the law, if they did so designate them, and
yet it was done every day. Was not the presentation of
their petition an illegal act, because it had such a multitude
of signatures attached to it? Yet they were determined to
present it. _ _ _

After some other Members had expressed their opinion,
the precious question was carried, by a majority of eleven.

CONDUCT OF MEMBERS.

Mr. WIIITTLE brought forward his motion, " That Mr.
}l4rney, Mr. Marsden, and Mr. Ryder be requested to apolo-
gize for their conduct in assisting to pass resolutions at a
public meeting of the London Democratic Association re-
flecting on the measures of the Convention, anti for using
language of a tendency to impress the people of this
country with wrong notions of the intentions of the
Convention as to the propriety of what ulterior objects
should be adopted.
Mr. KNOX seconded the motion.

Dr. TAILOR was opposed to the resolution, as the sub-
ject was not of such importance as to deserve their atten-
tion. He ther,fore moved that the previous question
should be gone into.

Mr. MALT seconded the amendment.
Mr. 'MARSDEN defended himself and fellows, and con-
cluded by reminding Mr. Whittle, who was now so sensi-
tive, that at his ( Mr. Marsden's) election at Preston,
Mr Whittle recommended the people to arm themselves
gunswith and pikes, and said that formerly a King's head
had once rolled from the scaffold, and he (Mr. W.) hoped
to see the day when corrupt Ministers would receive the
same fate. —( Hear, hear.)
Dr. 8.F.-mime said that there was no parallel between
the language used by Mr. Whittle and that used by
those persons whose conduct was now under en-
quiry.—(property. Hear, hear.) The language of Mr. Whittle was
necessary, inasmuch as the people were thinking of them-
selves about arming privately, which system was one
that should be reprobated by all good Englishmen—
d(frelulfmeenaretheeae nfmdtalteeeeiler) cheers)—for
el
iirvese)sw—hafi andrdh hsome 0 f t h e
I,:
members had
recommended the people at the meeting in question
to arm themselves with daggers.—( Hear, hear, and
cheers.) Daggers were only the instrument of the assassin.
They were only fit for the hired bravo of foreign coun-
tries, and ho hoped that no man with the blood of free
England in his veins would be found to stain his hands by
private bloodshed.—( Hear, and cheers.) He was afraid
that emissaries of the
Government were now going about
the country endeavouring to raise in the minds of the peo-
ple the necessity of an outbreak.—( Cheers.) This should
claim their utmost attention—they should guard against the
introduction of such notions amongst the people.
It would
only give an opportunity of injuring their cause, which
nnw was in such a prosperous condition._( conditto,
' Hear, and
cheers.) If ever the necessity should. arise for them to
take the field, he would be found at his post. No matter
how imminent the danger, or how fearful the sacrifice.—
( Hear, and loud cheers.) He never would flinch from
exposing life and property when
the necessity of so doing
h id come to pass. But, until then, let i
act with dis-
cretion and dignity.—( Hear, aed cheer?. ) Our cause
warrants it. We have no necessity for violent language.
We can afford to be temperate.—( Loud cheers.)
Mr. RYDER said he was not sorry for what he had done.
He was ready to stand by what hc had done, and would not
apologise for his conduct.—( Hear, hear.) He only re-
peated on this occasion what he thought, which was that
his constituents gave him his instructions as to what ho
was to do; and by them alone would he be directed.—
( Hear.) They were on the occasion alluded to not so very
blood-thirsty (although charged with brandishing daggers)
as some of those whom he now addressed, when they
proposed that the heads of the Ministry should grace
Temple-bar.—.(Hear, hear.) He hoped these members
would recollect how often they. had used much stronger
language than was ever put forth by himself, and those
other members.—( Here Messrs. Hetherington, Mills and
Sankey reprobated the use of strong language, but
recom.
mended the withdrawal of Mr. Whittle's motion.)
Dr. Wade and Mr. Halley supported Mr. Whittle's
motion.
Mr. HARNEy denied the right of the Convention to call
on them for an apology, and he would not apologize

r, having acted as he had done. If any disunion might
unfortunately occur in the Convention, it was not to be
attributed to any language that had been used at out-door
meetings, or to any censure which might be implied by re-
sedutions pasted at such meetings against the Conve:ition,
but to the discussion on this question which had occurred
on the last day of meeting.—( Hear. )
Mr. Wurrrt.E. would withdraw his motion, if the gen-
tlemen implicated would say that they never intei.ded to
insult the Convention in the resolutions passed at the
meeting under notice.

Mr. Harney, Mr. Marsden, and Mr. Ryder said they had
no personal intentiun of insulting the Conventim.
Dr. Taylor withdrew his amendment, and Mr. Whittle's
resolution was put and carried by a majority of Lur.
Among the majority we reckoned seven necvspaper editors.
The CHAIRMAN called on the of members to
apologise, which they distinctly refused to do.
A notice of motion was given by Mr. WHITTLE that the
conduct of those M-mbers should be reported to their con-
stituents, that they may elect other Members in their place.
After some other motions had been disposed of, the
meeting dissolved.