The Sun.
London, England, 1839-01-29 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF TILE MORNING ADVERTISER.

St R,—You will much oblige me by permitting me to rectify some
rilts..:tatements which appeared in a Sunday paper, relating to Covent-
Rarden Theatre and myself, and calculated to have a very prejudicial
effect.

I am charged with an indecorous want of attention on the occasion
of her majesty's late private visit to this Theatre. Having received,
last season, from the proper authorities, an intimation of her Ma-
jesty's desire that no ceremony should be observed on such occasion, and
that no attendance, beyond that of the ordinary servants of the Theatre,
should be given, I thought I best performed my duty to her Majesty by
implicit obedience to her commands.
May I trespasi further on your indulgence to state, that the assertion
respecting my engagement in the United States is made without the
shadow of foundation ; and that the circumstances of my contract for
this Theatre are also misrepresented.—l remain, Sir, your very obedient
Servant.

Jan. 28, 1839.

W. C. MACREADY.

[We have great pleasure in inserting this letter. The English pub-
lic cannot spare Macready, either as an actor or a manages. It is a
'disgrace to the English public that he has been so feebly supported as
h e has, in his great and classical undertaking.—Editor of the Morning
-40vertiser.)

OXFORD-STREET EXPERIMENTAL PAVING.-
On Si ittarday at the usual meeting of the Marylebone Vestry, Mr. Jack-
son broueht before the notice of the Board the situation in which the
Public were' placed with respect to certain portions of the experimental
Paving which had been laid down in Oxford-street, and wished to know
if any steps had been taken towards repairing it, or at once removing
such portions as had already shown themselves to be a decided failure.
The portion he more particularly alluded to was that of the Parisian
bitumen laid down at the commencement of the experiment at Charles.
street. The asphalte altogether appeared to be a failure, but the expe-
'iment at the commencement had attained a most deplorable state of
calapidation ; in fact, it had worked in holes at various parts to such an
extent, that omnibuses and other vehicles passing over it, from the ex_
tesoive jerking it caused, ran the risk of snapping their springs, and
endangering the lives of the public. He thought, therefore, that some
eastires ought to be adopted by the Vestry with respect to it. Mr.
'caice.• (the surveyor) observed that he did not conceive the road at pre-
sent in a dangerous state. Mr. Jackson conceived quite the contrary.
. Mr. Kennett said that Mr. Robinson, the projector of the first exp,ri-
ment, .had admitted ir. was a failure, but had been to the Vestry to get
permission to repair it, as lie alleged that some of the other projectors
had done so. .After some further discussion, the surveyor was directed
to write to the va.rious projectors, forbidding any of the experiments to
be touched again ; and it was agreed that the Committee should take
proper steps to reme,ly the evil complained of.
TRAGICAL OCCURRENCE AT BATH.-BATH,
•
'JAN. 06.—The city of .Bath was yesterday and this day thrown into a
state of consternation st Nom witnessed by a tragic scene, fortunately
not often heard of in England. Early,yesterday morning the alarming
intelligence was spread tha, Mrs. Tugwell, wife to the senior partner
of the Bath Bank, had poison ed her children, and committed suicide.
The deceased Mrs. Tugwell, win,' was about thirty-one years old, about
twelvemonths since, at her confiCement. suffered much from an at_
back of milk fever, and, as we undet.`tand, had never since heen per.
fectly sane. On Thursday last she ca.me from her residence, No. 1,
Whitcombe-crescent, with her husband at.'d children into oath, where,
after proceeding to make purchases in vasious shops, she was seen
walking along the bank of the canal, act.aimpanied by her chi!.
dren, as late as three o'clock in the afte.""on she then, it
appears, returned home, and desiring the butler to her a decanter
of sherry, took her children into a summer-house in t:.'e garden, saying
she was going to give them a treat. Having proceeded th.'oe, she mixed
some prussic acid with the wine, which she administered to the whole of
the three children, and then took sonic herself. Fortunately, the boy,
10 years of age, did not like the taste of the wine, and drank only
_e
h
a small
portion, which, as he says, caused him to sleep, and upon awakeniN7,
found his mother sitting apparently asleep, with his two brothers, ho
were twins of eight years of age, the one bing at her feet, and the oti,
eT
across her breast. Finding himself very ill, and having in vain trim
to awaken her, he rushed to the door, which he found was locked,
but at length lie succeeded in alarming the house. when the
servants found their mistress and the children dead. No cause can be
assigned for this mclancholy act, but the lady must have been for some
considerable time meditating upon it, as she had procured several bot-
tles of prussic acid, and hail taken the precaution to destroy the
labels. A portion of one of the labels remained, which, from its dirty
state, indicated that it had been some time in the house. Mr. Tugwell
being in Bath, the coachman proceeded to inform him of the intlan-
choly fate of his wife and children, a shock which nearly overcame
him, having only two days before buried his f they, and his friend, Mr.
Davis, druggist, having poisoned himself late in the tact w,ek. An
inquest has been held on the bottles, and the jury have returned a
verdict of insanity.

B I RAI INGHAM.

(YESTERDAY.)

GREAT ANTI-CORN-LAW MEETING
AND THE CHARTISTS.

(FROM OUR OWN REPORTERS.)

A resolution having been passed at a meeting of the Town
Council, held on Monday, the 15th instant, recommending a
public meeting to be held for the purpose of taking into consi-
deration th propriety of petitioning Parliament for the repeal
of the Corn and Provision-laws, a requisition, most nume-
rously and respectably signed, including men of all shades of
political opinion, was addressed to the Mayor, William Schole-
field, Ecq., who appointed yesterday for holding the meeting,
in the Town Hall.

The proceedings excited much interest, in consequence of
the Chartist patty having, on a former occasion, defeated an
attempt to get up a petition on the subject; and, it basing been
understood that they would muster in great strength on the pre-
sent occasion, for the purpose of moving an amendment in fa-
vour of the People's Charter and Universal Suffrage.
At one o'clock the (hors of the hall were thrown open, and
the immense crowds who were outside ruched in so rapidly
that in a very short time the body of the hall presented one
mass of human beings. tremendims shouts were immediately
raised for Universal Suffrage and the People's Charter, which
were responded to from various remote parts of the building,
5,2 v eral females who were in the galleries exhibiting "national
rent'' tin boxes, which they rattled with great vehemence.
At, a quarter to two o'clock there was not a spot unoccupied
of the vast area of the hall and galleries, which we calculated
to contain about 8,000 persons. The great bulk of those in
the body of the hall appeared to belong to the Universal Suf-
frage party, and evinced very frequent and noisy manifesta-
tions of approbation and disapprobation as those gentlemen
who were known to be favourable or adverse to their opinions,
presented themselves on the -platform. Among the gentle-
men present, we observed—Joshua Scholefield; Esq.,
M. P. ; Alderman Hadley, Alderman Muntz, Alderman
Betts. Reverend J. Abbots, Reverend T. M. M'Donnell,
Mr. W. James, Mr. J. Sturge, Mr. Ryland, Mr. W. Red-
fearn, Town.clerk, Mr. Mark Perkins, Mr. John Rodway,
Mr. R. H. Douglas, of the Birmingham Journal, Mr. G.
Edmunds, Mr. Um. Morgan, Mr. T. C. Salt, Mr. S. A.
Goddard, Mr. E. Sturge, Mr. T. E. Lee, Mr. Boultbee,
Mr. S. Beale, Mr. Martineau, Mr. R. Harris, Mr. R. Webb,
Mr. C. C. Scholcfield, Mr. C. Shaw, Mr. James Room, Mr.
Francis Room, &c. &c.

At two o'clock the Mayor, WM. SCHOLEFIELD, Esq., entered
the Hall, and was received with loud and general cheering.
Having taken the Chair, he said—Fellow-townsmen, in as-
suming the chair on this important occasion, it is not my pur-
pose to detain you by any lengthened observations of my own.
( Hear, hear, and uproar.) First of all, because lam by
no means sure that you require any detailed arguments to con-
vince you of the impolicy and the injustice of the Corn-laws;
and, secondly, because, if such arguments be needed, they
will be addressed to you with much more effect, with more
ability, and with much greater success, by many of the gen-
tlemen by whom I ant surrounded.—( Cheers and interrup-
tion.) What may be the course, my feliow-townsmen, which
this momentous discussion under your guidance may this day
take, it is not for me to say. I know not whether you coincide
with, or disagree from the opinions of the immedia.e promoters
of the nit sting —( Interruption.) I don't mean by these re-
marks to imply that lem by any means indifferent to the
results of this meeting—in that result I, for one, feel a deep
anxiety and a warm and sincere interest. Gentlemen, I can-
not see our commerce and manufactures leaving the shores of
this country for lands more highly favoured, without deep
alarm, and an earnest conviction that not a day should be lost
in cur endeavours to rid ourselves of the fruitful source of so
much present and prospective misery.—( Cheers, groans and
hisses.) You cannot but remember, my fellow-townsmen,
that if you pay but ss. a quarter more for grain than
you ought to do—and you often pay five, six, or seven times
more than ss. a quarter—hut if you only pay ss. more a
quarter in consequence of the Corn-laws, you pay on the
whole a tax wrung from the industry of the people, of twelve
millions sterling a year. You cannot remember this astound-
ing fact without feeling that every hour these laws are per-
mitted to stain the statute book, they entail upon us a natio
nal disgrace, and perpetuate our national wretchedness and
degradation.—(Hear and cheers.) Whether you coincide
with me or not, lam sure I shall have your hearty concur-
rence in endeavouring to procure for every gentleman, what-
ever his political opinions may be, a patient, attentive, and
impartial hearing. —( Loud cheers.) It is the very soul and
essence of public meetings that the opinions of all
parties should be heard with fairness and impartiality.
In all the meetings of my fellow-townsmen which I have had
the honour to preside over (end they have been many), they
have always done honour alike to themselves and to this
principle, by a studious observance of it; and I trust, as I con-
fidently can, from all my former experience of Birmingham
meetings, that you will abide by this principle on the present
occasion.—( Hear, and cheers.) Gentlemen, I conjure
you to bring to the consideration of this momentous subject a
calm and dispassionate judgment; and, above all, whatever
your opinions may be, 1 trust that you will make good temper
and kindly feeling towards every speaker the presiding prin•
e'ple of your deliberations. I shall now, Gentlemen, read
the resolution of the Town Council, and the requisition ad-
dressed to me for calling the present meeting. The Chair-
man here read the resolution of the Town Council as to the
propriety of calling the present meeting, and the requisition to
tl.e Mayor, which was as follows :
" We, the undersigned, having ascertained with much satis-
faction that a resolution has been passed by the Town Coun-
cil, recommending you to call a public meeting of the inhabit-
ants of this borough, to take into consideration the propriety of
repealing the present Corn and Provision•lavrs, and being of
opinion that no time should be lost in bringing this most
im-
portant subject before Parliament, request that you will con-
-1 vene such meeting on the earliest day possible."
I shall now conclude my remarks by calling upon the mover
of the first resolution, Mr. Scholefield.
Mr SCHOLEFIELD, M. P., then came forward. He was re-
ceived with cheers and some uproar. He said, Mr. Mayor
and fellow-townsmen, never since I had the honour and hap-
piness of being connected with you, have I felt anxiety equal
to what I feel at this moment. This intimation is extremely
painful to me.—( Interruption and cries of " Speak up.") No
man can speak louder than his voice will reach. I will say,
Gentlemen, that my dependence on your good sense in-
duces me to hope, that the present resolution which I hold in
my hand, and which is merely an appeal to your good sense—
an appeal to your reason, as a ground for condemning those
atrocious laws upon which your Mayor has spoken in terms of
denunciation, much more strongly and efficiently than I can,
will receive your support.—( Hear and cries of " No.") You
cannot feel more than I do, all the people have suffered from
the ingenious cruelty of these infernal and wicked laws—these
hollow—these fatal—these deceitful and mischievous enact-
ments, which under pretence of keeping the prices equal—for
that is the object in view—cheat you of half the price which
you ought to give for your bread.—( Cheers and interruption. )
Eery' man who hears me must understand the fatal effect of
these laws. You live seen exhibited before you loaves of three
several sizes, and it has been explained to you that if you cross
the Channel you can procure for one-third, and in some coun-
tries for one-half, the price the same sized loaf as at home.—
( Hear, cheers, and uproar; a voice in the crowd, " What is
its effect upon wages ?" another voice, " Give us more
wages.") The evil does not rest here.—(Renewed uproar.)
The evil goes much further. You have not the means of pur-
chasing bread, because your trade is diminished and will be
shortly taken from you altogether by the operation of the
Corn-laws.—( Shouting, groaning, and great uproar.) Is it
your intention not to hear me.—(The hooting, yelling, and
hissing were again renewed and continued for some minutes.)
The CHAIRMAN rose to order. Let me ask whether it is
the intention of this meeting to hear the parties who intend to
address you or not, because of this I am quite convinced—( Up
roar.) Will you hear Mr. Scholefield, or will you not?—
(Hooting and yelling ) Will you hear me for one moment?
If it is your pleasure to hear Mr. Scholefield he will proceed.
Mr. SCHOLEFIELD again came forward, but there was a
tremendous burst of hooting, hissing, yelling, intermingled
with cheering, clapping of hands, rattling of Universal Suf-
frage and national rent money-boxes, and other indescribable
noises, which were actually astounding.
Mr. G. EDMUNDS at length presented himself, and at-
tempted to address the meeting, but the uproar was renewed.
He said he should remain there till they were done.—( Shout-
ing and hooting.) What are you frightened at ?—( Great
laughter and renewed uproar.) How long am I to wait
here? The interruption and noises having continued for
some time, _ _

Mr. T. C. SALT came to the front of the platform, and
was loudly cheered. He said, with the permission of the
Mayor, he would address a few observations to them ; they were
about to vindicate the rights of the people.—( Loud cheers.)
They were all there to judge in their own case, and he was sa-
tisqed they would vindicate it, but they could only vindicate it by
hearing fairly both parties before they decided. Their cause
was the cause of justice and the cause of humanity, and it
must and would be the strongest. There was only one thing
he would beg for them, and that was liberty to mark their ap-
probation or disapprobation of the various speakers during the
course of the debate; and he had only further to ask of them,
that their marks of approbation or disapprobation might not
be continued for such a length of time as to protract the pro-
ceedings too long.--( Hear, hear.) What was further com-
petent upon the meeting was, that when any person addressed
them, whose observations might appear too tedious, it would
then be the Chairman's duty to put it to the meeting whether
that gentleman should continue to be heard. He exhorted
them upon the very important present occasion to give all rea-
sonable latitude to all parties. The present was the most
important meeting they had ever held, and he hoped that by
tlu it conduct on the Fresent occasion they would uphold the
name and character of the men of Birmingham.—(Much
cheering% )
Mr. SCHOLEFIELD then resumed. lam sure the most tho-
rough Reformer has not a greater desire that the people
should not be chewed out of their just rights by any Corn-law
movement than myself. I would rather have my right arm
taken off my body than be a party to any delusion, or to any-
thing that would defraud you of what you insist upon as your
;ust rights.—( Cheers.) But there are very high considera-
tions before you, and they are those which affect justice and
humanity, and upon which depends the food of your families.
If the Corn-laws he not removed, be assured of this—that you
will shortly have pinching poverty come upon you—that your
families will suffer dire want—and that society will be thrown
into a ,state of confusion such as the boldest heart would shrink
to to kup'n —( Hear, hear, and some interruption.) It is to
:void this distcesir.g state of things that I ask you to consent
to the resoluti,m I am about to propose to you, and I venture
to say that I don't think there is amongst you any reflecting
mind, who will not live his assent to the proposition which I