The Sun.
London, England, 1839-09-05 00:00:00

NATION AL CONVENTION.

ATTEMPT TO STAB.-On Tuesday Southby
Marshall and William Clarke, two American sailors, were
charged before Mr. Hardwick, at Lambeth-street, with
being drunk and making a disturbance at the Old Rose
public-house, in Ratcliffe-highway. Marshall was also
charged with attempting to stab the landlord. The Ma-
gistrate convicted the prisoner Marshall in the highest
penalty of 51,, or in default of payment to three months at
the tread-mill, and discharged Clarke with a severe ad-
HIRING A STREET DOOR.—" I went to thp
man who keeps the house," said Brag. " Now, Sir,"
says I, " I want to•rent four square inches of your panels."
lie was puzzled for the moment ; but I was down upon
him in no time, and no mistake. Out I pulls from my
pocket a brass plate of those precise dimensions, whereon
is engraven, " Mr. Brag." " What will you take per
annum," said I, " to let, this be screwed on to your door,
and let your servant take in my cards and letters?" Star-
tled him a little at first ; however, he entered himself' for
the plate, acceded to my proposition,—and so for the tri-
fling consideration of four guineas per annum, and a tip to
the slavey, I get the credit of five windows in front, three
stories high, in one of the best streets in London." " But
do none of your friends ever expect to be let in ?" said
Mrs. Brag. " Yes," said Brag, " for a good thing now
and then—and so they are, pretty often—long head, mo.
ther—have it here"—tapping his forehead with his fore
finger—" look simple with my fresh colour and curly hair,
but as deep as Garrick—cannot write your X's Z's with
me—else, in course, they might expect admission." " Not
at home," is always the answer. " Out of town?" is the
next question ; " Yes," is the next answer. " Where ?"
comes next—" Down at his little place in Surrey." That
finishes it. They lodge their pasteboard, and away they
go."—Theodore Hook's " Jack Brag."
SUSPECTED INFANTICIDE.—An inquest was
held on Tuesday before Mr. Wakley, M.P., at the Royal
Mail, Islington, on the body of a new-born male child,
name unknown, which was found at the garden gate of
No. 20, Barnsbury Park. There being no evidence to
trace the parties exposing the child, the Coroner said, that
in order that there might be no bar to ulterior proceedings
in case the parties dropping the child should be discovered,
the safest verdict would be—" Found indecently exposed,
but by whom there was no evidence to show." Verdict
accordingly.
UNLICENSED THEATRICALS,--Some of the
ec professors of the histrionic art," who were convicted on
Tuesday at Bow-street for performing a stage play in an
unlicensed theatre, contrived by various expedients to raise
money sufficient to pay their lines, thereby obtaining their
release. The other members of the unfortunate theatrical
fraternity not being able to procure the needful amount
were lodged in the House of Correction, in which Pia"
they will have to remain for a fortnight, pursuant to the
Order of the Magistrates.

The Convention resumed its sittings at the Arundel
Coffee House, opposite St. Clement Danes Church,
yesterday, at 11 o'clock., There,were seventeen Delegates
present.
Mr. FROST in the chair.
Mr. BARRETT was introduced as a delegate in the room
of Mr. Wodehousc, who has been sentenced to two years'
imprisonment.

CHARTIST PRISONERS.
The CHAIRMAN stated that he had written to Lord John
Russell and the Marquis of Normanby, in compliance with
the recommendation of the Committee, and that he had
received answers to his letters; but he did not think it
prudent to communicate the correspondence that had
hitherto taken place until it was completed, and he would
then publish the whole correspondence. He had also
written to the Home Office respecting a meeting in Wales,
and he should likewise publish the correspondence on that
subject when concluded.

DISSOLUTION OF TUE CONVENTION.
Dr. TAYLOR then rose in pursuance to the notice he
had given, to move—
" That this Convention declare its powers to be at an
end, and itself dissolied at the close of business, on Satur-
day next, the 7th September, 1839 ; and that it recom-
mend to the country generally, that in any Convention to
be chosen in its place, no person having been a Member
of the present Convention should be returned."—( A laugh. )
The reason why he submitted this motion was that he did
not think the Convention bad done its duty. It would be
invidious to name those is horn he thought bad not in par-
ticular discharged their duty ; and, therefore, in order to
prevent any jealousy or heart-burnings, he proposed to re-
ccmmend to the people to exclude from the next Conven-
tion every Member of the present. He did not deny there
were many Rood men in the present Convention, but it
would not be difficult for the country to find men as good
as even the best of them. It was impossible that the
Convention could do its duty fearlessly to the country
when its Members bad lost the confidence of each other,
and had 'at the confidence of the country. No doubt the
majority of the Members of the Convention were perfectly
capable of discharging their duty, but then party bickerings
and personal squabbles had crept in; and been carried on
to such an extent as to prevent any good to the country
being effected. He was willing to take any post at which
he could be useful; but the present Convention, composed
of the materials it was, could not be of any good to the
people, and public business and public utility had
on many occasions been sacrificed to party bielterings.
The dissolution of the Convention would tend more to ce-
ment the union of the Chartists throtighout the country
than any other step that could be taken, and it would put
an end to the rumour that they were sitting there for their
own purposes, without attempting to do anything for the
country. Although the latter part of the resolution might
prevent many good men being returned, yet i: would not pre-
vent them doing their duty in their different localities; hut,
after all, it was merely a recommendation to the people net
to return the Members of the present Convention, and the
people could act upon that recommendation or not as they
pleased.
Mr. Bessee seconded the motion.
Mr. O'CONNOR begged leave, as well for the character
of the Convention as for the preservation of the characters
of Dr. Taylor and Mr. Bussey, to give his decided opposi-
tion to the latter part of the resolution. He (Mr. O'Con-
nor) had not witnessed " squabbles" to any great extent ;
and be believed the only "squabbles" that bad arisen were
upon money questions, which could not well be avoided.—
Hear.) ornpszned, as that Convention had been at first
of discordant elements, thrown together by chance, the
harmony that had existed was, in his opinion, astonishing ;
and any person who bad watched the Convention from
is
origin to its close, would say the Convention had in
every way accomplished more good than the country could
have expected from it.—(Cheers.) The Convention had
suffered more from the desertion of pretended friends than
from the application of any organized power, moral or phy-
sical, which the Government could direct against it. He
was prepared to stand up there, as he had stood up in the
country, to justify every act of the Convention, and even
those acts which he had opposed. He believed be
had been opposed in the Convention more than any other
Member, but he had always endeavoured to carry into
practice what the majority considered to be right.
The resolution was nothing more than a vote of censure on
every member of the Convention, save and except Dr.
Taylor.—( Hear, hear, and laughter.) If it was not a
vote of censure, what Rid it amount to? It was, in fact,
saying " We are for Universal Suffrage, we are for freedom
of thought; but we will be the judges of who are the fit
and proper persons to represent you."—( Hear, hear.) He
admitted tho Convention had been guilty of a few errors;
but considering the hasty manner in which its members
had beet: brought together, it was wonderful that it had
done so little mischief, and still more wonderful that it had
done so much good. If Dr. Tay for had confined his resolution
to a dissolution merely he would have felt great pleasure
in seconding it, but even if carried in that form he should
have found it necessary before dissolving the Convention
to have followed up that resolution with a manifesto of
what the Convention had done. They could take credit
for every act because where there bad been
an error it was one of judgment and not of principle. He
was afraid if the resolution was carried there would be no
Convention at all, and that it would lead to the organization
of sectional power which, above all things, ought to be
avoided, because nothing was more necessary than that
all the currents of public opinion should so harmonise as
to bring them into one overwhelming tide against their
enemies.—( Hear.) While the world existed he believed
there never would be drawri together such another body of
inen, who had, one and all, incurred the very greatest
risks and dangers for the benefit of the people.
He believed the great error of the Members of the Con-
vention had been that they had put the cart before the
horse. There were three stages in a political movement
—the first was the creation of public opinion ; the sz:cond
the organisation of public opinion; and the third the
direction of public opinion. Now they were about to
organize public opinion, when some person begat: to
direct it before it was thoroughly organized, and hence
gree mischief had ensued.—(-Hear.) But he must con-
fess he thought there was something cowardly in this re-
solution. The next Convention would be more dangerous.
The duty of the present Convention had been merely to
hatch and foster one chicken—the National Petition.
The duty of the next Convention would be to carry Uni-
versal Suffrage at all hazards, though the gaols should be
filled, the dungeons crammed, and the scaffolds bend.—
(Hear.) Having organized public opinion it would be
their duty to direct it for the, salvation of mankind ;
and he should be very sorry to be so cowardly
as to advise the people not to return the Members of the
present Convention to the next. The country, he was
satisfied, would not, at the present moment sanction any
standing still, but the passing of this Resolution would
amount not only to a standing still but to a retreat—
to a retrograde movement.—( Hear.) Ile did not oppose
a dissolution of the Convention, in fact he believed it was
considered to be essentially necessary at this time, but be
did oppose the latter part of the resolution, which he con-
sidered to be idle and.ridiculons. His firm belief was that
the Members of the present Convention had discharged their
duty in a manner that would redound to their eternal ho-
nour.—( Cheers.) He would therefore move as an amene-
Merit, " That while we deem it expedient that this Con-
vention should dissolve itself on the 7th inst., we strongly
eecommend to the country the propriety of appointing some
other responsible body for the watching over and carrying
onward the cause of the people ; and we cannot thus dissolve
without appointing a Committee to draw up and lay before
the public a summary of the proceedings cf this Convention
during its first Session, and of the course which it will be
prudent for the people to take."
Mr. BURNS suggested that the better way would be for
the Doctor to strike off the latter part of his resolution, as
it would be impossible for him to carry it.
Mr. O'CONNOR—That is the very reason why he will
persevere with it.—( Laughter. )
Mr. BURNS said that if the Doctor would not adopt his
suggestion, he should second Mr. O'Connor's amendment.
Why did not the Doctor in a straightforward manly way
mention the names of the individuals whom be thought
were not fit to be members of the Convention, and not at-
tempt topunish the innocent with the guilty?—( Hear.)
Mr. BRON TERRE O'BRlRNobjected to the motion of Dr.
Taylor. His own opinion was, that if 50 Conventions
were elected they could not do more than the existing
Convention had done.—( Hear, hear.) But the next Con-
vention would have a far more difficult card to play—it
would be, in fact, a struggle between life and
death—( Hear, hear, hear)—and were they to pass
a self.denying ordinance, taking themselves out of the
danger ?—( Hear, hear.) If any of the members of the
Convention bad abused their trust the country would know
how to deal with them at the proper time.—( Hear.) No
Convention could have done more under the circumstance;;
of its election—it had increased the signatures to the National
Petition from 400,000 to 1,280,000, and finding that petition
failed, it had recommended ulterior measures, which bad
been found to embarrass the Government. for the present
difficulties in monetary matters might be traced to the
Chartists. He would strongly recommend the people to
form themselves into Election Clubs, as by that means
they could carry on their work without fear of molestation,
for then the Government could not interfere while a rag
of the Constitution was left.--( Hear.)
Mr. SKEVINGTON supported the amendment.
Mr. CARPENTER thought the motion had not the slightest
chance of being carried. It appeared to him to be an
extraordinary freak of the Doctor's ; and he had been at a
loss for a simile with rr hich to compare his conduct,
on this occasion, until the worthy Doctor thrust into his
( Mr. Carpenter's) hand " Fraser's Magazine," which at
once supplied him with it—for, on opening it, he found
immediately the following lines :
" There was a man in Thessaly,
And he was wondrous wise,
He jumped into a quicksei hedge
And scratched out both his eyes.
—( Laughter.) The Worthy Doctor had stated that
the chief reason why he made the motion was that
the Members of the Convention had lost the confidence
of one another, and had lost the confidence of the public.
That was altogether new to him (Mr. C.); he was igno-
rant of that being the fact, and he must say he did not
seen squalblesofeathrioiedinotsot awemalutchhy
believe it was the fact.—( Hear, hear.) Then as to the
ed they had never
squabbles. He had
ie
the conscious integriiy of
been
igureena.tr,
(eixiteler
hear.)
no
abodiesr.)
o composedbe
ninamite.ly,But he was not aware that
engaged in any squabble that was indicative of any
and he saw no rea-
sontthbiening
ebmubterosneergfsecgre,d
the country expected the Convention should dissolve. It
beendisso 1 u electedtio (iLnouMdae.ries nf " Hear, hear.")
yanART disagreed with the motion end the' amend-
ment. He thought dissolving the Convention would be an
act of cowardice, and showing the white feather.
Mr. JACKSON thought the conduct of the Co •
on ought
to be in accordance with the wish of the people. The people
bad not expressed a wish that the Convention should be dis-
sdlved,on the contrary, they had expressed a wish that it should
continue, and his constituents at Hull had shown that their
desire was that the Convention should still exist, for they
had just sent him there.—(
Hear, hear.) He should there-
fore neither votef or the original motion nor for the amend.
ment,