The Sun.
London, England, 1839-03-20 00:00:00

rican ship, during the blockade—but did he not know about
the laws of the blockade, that a ship should not approach the
shore without the consent of the blockading force. —( Hear,
hear.) But there was a British sloop of war present from
January to July, there was a sloop of war at Sacrificios, and
she wa, relieved by one which sailed from Jamaica. He (Lord
Palmerston) must object to the returns of the Hon. Member
for Belfast. He found that by the 107th article of the Treaty
of the Congress of Vienna, which was renewed in the treaty
between Portugal and France in 1817, there was restored
to the King of France that part of Guiana which
extended to the sth degree of latitude. The treaty
then went on to state, that the parties were to name
Comm'ssioners to fix the limits of French Guiana, and that they
were to conclude their labours in the space of two years, and
providing that they did not do so, then the high contracting
parties were to proceed to make another arrangement
under the sanction of Great Britain. The Commissioners
had never made their Report, a discussion had taken place-be-
tween the two Governments, and the French had taken posses-
sion of part of the contested territory, but not to tke extent
stated by the lion. Member for Belfast. Heshouldtherefore feel
it to be his duty to object to the production of the papers moved
or by the Hen. Member for Belfast. lie could, however, assure
him that the subject had not escaped the attention of her Ma-
jesty's Government. With respect to the British subjects in
Paraguay, application had been muk for compensation, but
the Brazilian Government having denied the claim, they were
still under consideration.
Mr. R. PALMER seconded the motion of the Hon. Member
for Belfast. _ _ _

Mr. M. PHILLIPS trusted that the opinion expressed in
the House that night would be read elsewhere ; and that the
time was not far distant before the grievances complained of
would meet with redress.

Lord SANDON stated, in reply, that he should comply with
the suggestion of the Noble Lord, and withdraw his motion.
The motion was then withdrawn.
Col. SALWE Y presented a petition from the merchants of
Glasgow, relative to the Mexican blockade.
EXCISE LAWS.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved for leave to bring
in a Bill to consolidate and amend the laws relating to the levy-
ing the duty on bricks.
Mr. HUME protested against the continuance of this tax,
which was only rendered necessary by the extravagance of the
Government.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that this
Kas no encouragement to the Government to persevere in the
useful task of simplifying the Excise-laws, which the Hon.
Gentleman had urged on them. They were charged by the
Hon. Gentleman one moment with extravagance when the
House was urging an increased expenditure, and at another
with penury.
Col. SIBTHORP said both charges were true; the Go-
vernment were penny wise and pound foolish.
Leave was then given.
_ .

Mr. HUME then moved for certain returns relative to the
proceedings of the Exchequer Bills Commissioners, but after a
few words from the Chancellor of the Exchequer he withdrew
his motion.

Mr. HUME moved for a Return of persons who are at pre-
sent confined for Contempt of Court in any of her Majesty's
Gaols in Great Britain, under process issuing out of all Courts,
Civil and Ecclesiastical, stating the time at which and
by what Court each person was committed, and the
cause of committal. Similar Return for Ireland.—Ordered.
The Hon. Gentleman also moved for a Return of Persons who
are now confined in any •f her Majesty's Gaols and Houses of
Correction for Offences against the Revenue Laws in Great
Britain and Ireland ; stating the nature of the offence, the
amount of penalty incurred, and date of imprisonment.—
Ordered.
Mr. PARKER brought up the report of the Committee of
Supply.
The Duke of Wellington's Estate Bill, and the Copyhold's
Enfranchisement Bills were read a second time.
The House adjourned at a Quarter past One.

REV. MR. STEPHENS.

GREAT PUBLIC MEETING AT THE CROWN

AND ANCHOR.

Last night the friends of the above Rev. Gentleman assem-
bled at the Crown: and Anchor, in the Strand, for the pur-
pose of testifying there sympathy with him, on the line of
conduct he has pursued, and also for adopting measures to raise
subscriptions for the purpose of defending him at his ensuing

Long previous to the time appointed for taking the Chair, the
large room was crowded to suffocation. Among the crowd
were a large number of females who appeared to suffer much
from the pressure.
Mr. FROST was called to the Chair with the most enthusiastic
marks of approbation, and made a short address relative to the
object of the meeting.
Mr. HETHERINGTON moved the first resolution. The rea-
son he was appointed to do so was that he was in the habit of
making short speeches. He was not surprised at this great
meeting coming forward to express their sympathy for the
persecuted Mr. Stephens, who was going to be tried for sedi-
tion, which was committed by him, as his enemies said, in his
opposition to the horrible New Poor-law and the cannibal
factory system, for the good of his country. Mr. Hetherington
they read the resolution, that was to the effect that the meeting
were determined to give Mr. Stephens their confidence, and
hoped that he would get a glorious triumph over his enemies.
Mr. ROGERS, of Bloomsbury, seconded the resolution.
Mr. RictrAansorr spoke t o the resolution. (Shortly after
he commenced his address Mr. Oastler made his appearance,
upon which the immense meeting arose with a simultaneous
shout of applause, and continued cheering that gentleman for
several minutes. )
The resolution was then put, and carried with acclamation.
Mr. WHITTLE proposed the next resolution.
"IThat this meeting is of opinion that the attack on Mr. Ste-
phens was an attack on the liberties of the country, and that
they feel themselves bound to use their utmost exertions towards
his acquittal."
Mr. 0s Bo IiNS seconded the resolution.

Mr. Fxsuuus O'CONNOR said that he was glad that after
having Mr. Stephens before the public for three months, to
have it in his power to get him tried by an impartial jury. He
therefore called on that great assembly to testify their certainty
of his being innocent of the crimes laid to his charge to hold up
their hand,..—(All held up their hands.) He now called on all
who thought Lord John Russell guilty of attempting to subvert
the constitution to hold up their hands. All held up their hands
with loud execrations against Lord John Russell for several in-
stants.) Mr. O'Connor then continued to address the meeting
for some time Vonger, and then introduced to their notice
Mr. Oastler, who, he said, although a Tory, had done his ut-
most to forward the cause of Rulicalism. We have tried, peti-
tions in one hand and hat in the other, for a long
time without success. We are pretty much in the
situation of the old man in the table, who tried
clods and fair words long enough, and found them
of no avail. They were in the same situation ; and he
would say that after trying the clods unsuccessfully they wouli
be compelled to take to the stones.—(Hear, hear, and much
cheering.) He was tired of going on ;it was now their turn to
go on ; he was tired of being a leader, he would rather take his
station, where his height would entitle him to stand, that is, in
the ranks. He felt that, notwithstanding the opposition of that
old worn out grunter the Morning Chronicle, and that Downing-
street'pig, Lord John Russell, the people would attain their
liberties, if they put themselves in a proper position.--( Hear. )
The resolution was put, and carried unanimously.
Dr. TAYLOR proposed the third resolution, which was to
form a Committee to carry out the objects of the meeting.
Mr. O'BRIEN seconded the resolution in a speech which
elicited great applause.
The resolution was carried.
Mr. OASTLER then came forward at,d said they saw before
them an individual whose proudest boast was that he was the
friend of Stephens. He travelled far to see him, and to agi-
tate his cause in the neighbourhood in which he was adored
He was glad to say that he again felt proud for being before a
London audience in support. ef the man whose every wish was
centered in the amelioration of the people. Three times he
had now appeared in London to agitate for the people's
cause. The first was in presence of the Lord Mayor,
in favour of the factory children. On the second occasion it
was in presence of an English Nobleman, whoalways was found
endeavouring to promote the extension of true English liberty.
Now he was to speak in the prosence of a Chairman, who by
his independent conduct, showed what ought to be the position
of a Magistrate in the discharge of his duty.—(Cheers. )
That gentleman had by his conduct on a late occasion
entitled himself not only to the gratitude of the English
people, but to the administration of all those who had the inte-
rest of their fellow-creatures at heart. He (Mr. Oastler) was
nearly worn out in the cause of agitation, and no wonder he was
so. From his earliest days he was found to be in the ranks of
the true advocates of liberty. He was glad, before the lamp
of his life was extinguished, to be able to have to say
that in his holy work he left a successor who would
not fail to give his energies towards the maintaining of that
cause of which he was the ardent, he would say the evangelical,
advocate. Mr. Stephens had always done his utmost to pro-
tect the suffering and the helpless against the machinations of
laws which were enacted at the instigations of a Government
which he (Mr. Oastler) would call unchristian and unholy.—
(Hear, hear.) The character of Mr. Stephens was not, as it was
portrayed by the Ministerial press, who omitted no opportunity
of tradu :ing him to the country. Even in the House of Lords
there was found a Noble Lord who had been raised from our
order to the honour of a title, if honour it was to stand up with
a newspaper in his hand and denounce him—that was Lord
13rougham—(hisses)--ves, Lord Brougham forgot the princi-
ples which he advocated, and was found to traduce that man on
the report of a paid newspaper. Also Lord John Russell—
(hisses) —if there is any of the police here
in plain clothes, let him carry that hiss to Downing-street—
did riot fail to denounce him and another, who had not the
excuse of being swayed by newspaper reports. Would they
guess who that was? It was Mr. O'Connell.—( Hisses.) Yes,
he also denounced him. In order to make more sure of Mr.
Stephens the Members of Parliament were paid to go about
the country to say that Mr. Stephens had been setting fire
to a mill in Ashton. Mr. Fox Maule did this three or
four hundred miles from the scene of the burning.
This was the first part of the plan. The next was, to induce
the people of the south of England to believe that it was the
work of Mr. Stephens, for the purpose of creating anarchy and
revolution. Those torch-light meetings were got up for the
reasons which he would detail to them. It was well known
that those poor people who had to work in the factories were
bound to remain in them from morning to night, shut
up in those prisons, while their energies were exhausted,
to procure a Scanty subsistence. It was also known
that if they dared absent themselves but five minutes
they were fined a quarter of a day. Well, at the great meet-
ing of Kersall Moore, Mr. Stephens was expected to speak,
and when this was known to the working classes of Manches •
ter, what could prevent them to see and hear the man who they
always knew to have their interest at heart? Accord-
ingly a great many attended the meeting, and six hundred of
were people who had the temerity to go to thig meeting
been discharged in one day. This wholesale tyranny put the
friends of the people under the necessity of calling the meetings
by torch-light, for the purpose o: giving the people an opportu-
nity of assembling after work hours.—( Hear, hear, hear. )
[Mr. Oastler then went into a history of the whole
proceedings that took place at and subsequent to Mr.
Stephens's arrest, the particulars of which appeared in
'the Sun at the time the transaction occurred.