The Sun.
London, England, 1839-05-10 00:00:00

town W. Roberts, Esq., addressed the people, eho were
assembled in great numbers (Mr. Potts being universally
beloved and respected by them for his strenuous unflinch-
ing advocacy of their just rights, and his unremitting and
successful exertions in his professional capacity), for about
three minutes, entreating them to disperse and return borne
peaceably. There were now in the town three tr ops of
Hussars and a troop of Yeomanry, in addition to the police
and special constables. The people behaved in the most
peaceable and orderly manner throughout.
The Market-place was ordered to be cleared by nine
o'clock, and the conduct of the special constables and po-
lice was most brutal and dastardly. Before the numbers
assembled could possibly get away ; attacks were made in
various quarters with bludgeons. Women were struck
down, and the noise of the blows aimed at the heads of the
men was terrific ; the whole Market-place rung with them,
and the peaceable, uuoffending inhabitants were felled to
the earth like oxen, and their blood flowed like water.
Not a blow was given in return—all having laid aside even
their walking canes, owing to Mr. Roberts' advice. In
other parts of the town men and women were struck down
while returning home from their various avocations; they
were beset even inside their own doors, and one woman,
far gone with child, who had been to fetch her beer for
supper was struck down, and when down so violently
kicked on the abdomen by a policeman, that her life is de-
spaired of. How many other lives are endangered we have
not yet been able to ascertain. About ten o'clock or, Wed-
nesday morning, -Mr. W. Potts was taken to Westbury,
escorted by a party of pclice, a troop of Hussars, with
drawn swords, and five or six carriages. ( A report of
his trial there is, together with that of Mr. Roberts, in ano-
ther part of this paper : we refer cur readers, to that for
further information.) The same summary mode of clear-
ing the town was adopted on this night, though through-
out the day the people were most quiet and orderly ; and
if any breach of the peace be made it will be attributable to
the intolerable violence, insolence, and tyranny of the po-
lice and special constables. Do such proceedings require
any comment ? They only prove, that till we have the
Charter we are in a state of greater slavery than even Rus-
sian serfs.

TROWBRIDGE._DESTRUCTIVE FIRE, AND MORE SPECIAL

TYRANNY.
About 12, o'clock on Wednesday night a large fire was
discovered in the direction of Ashton, near this town, a
barn, belonging to a Mr. Mills, having been fired by the
lightning, which was forked, and more vivid and awful
than we ever remember to have seen it. The fire was got
under about three o'clock, but the amount of damage is
not yet ascertained. Mr. Francis Potts, chemist, on hear-
ing the alarm, instantly ran to the engine-house, leaving a
brother, about 15 years old, on the way to rouse and bring
additional help. While doing this Mr. Trench, a Tory
special constable, passing, saw him, seized him, and pulling
out a pistol, told him he should have a Tory pill. He
then took ban to the George Inn, and kept guard over him
for two hours with a loaded pistol presented at his breast,
after which he searched and discharged him. The motive
for this illegal and ill timed action, by which several per-
sons were prevented from rendering any assistance at the
fire, is the well-known attachment and advocacy of Chartist
principles by his brothers, the Messrs. Potts.
MR. BAILIE CRAIG'S MISSION.
Mr. Bailie CRAIG said although he had gone through
an extensive district of country, and had addressed a great
variety of meetings, he would not now enter into a minute
detail of the proceedings, as the time of the Convention
would be better taken up in discussing the measures which
were to be brought before them. He would merely ad-
vert to the places which he had been at, that he might
confirm to them what he had before described by letter.—
( Hear, hear.) Upon setting out he proceeded to Irvine,
where he held a good meeting. At Mauchline, Lorn,
Muirkirk, he had also good meetings. At Eaglesham
there were pretty good meetings. At Paisley, Glasgow,
and Johnstowne there were held immense meetings; in
those places be was met by processions of the townspeople.
At Kilbarchan, Kilmarnock, and Riccarton there were
also great meetings ; and at Sanquhar and Dumfries
there were numerous and respectable meetings.
At Castle Douglas the holding of the meeting was
opposed by the authorities. At Kirkcudbright, Gatehouse,
and Crcetown there were crowded meetings ; at Newton
Stewart, Girvan, and Maybole, vast meetings; at-
tended with music and banners. At the latter place,
the meeting was attended by many persons of respect-
ability. At Cumuock and Tarbolton, and alsoeKilmar-
nock, there were immense meetings. Thus had he been
successful in his efforts to rouse the country ; he had at-
tended fifty-four out door public meetings—(Cheers)—and
stood a contested election in defence of the principles of
the Charter; and with regard to the election he would say
that he was determined to test the principles of the county
of Ayr on the subject of Universal Suffrage, and he was
bound to say in justification of that great county, thet only
for the tyranny of both Whig and Tory landlords he would
have been successful, for the farmers, if they dare, would
to a man support him in his efforts to free the county.—
( Hear, hear.) And notwithstanding the sneers that had
been made against him for the part he took in that election,
he could say that, only he stepped forward, the Whigs
would not cotno forward to oppose the Tories.— ( Hear,
hear.) They had not the courage to oppose their oppo-
nents until he had the courage to take the field. The
reason of his being unsuccessful was he had not emaloyed or
paid agents—and he said to the electors that he would not
have the vote of any but on prit.eiple.— ( Hear, and cheers.)
The Whigs were, however, down in Ayrshire, and never
should they raise their head there in future, so much
had their acts tended to change the people against them.
Mr. O'CONNOR moved the thanks of the meeting to
Mr. Bailie Craig, which passed with eculamation.
PETITION TO TILE Qt'EEN.
Mr. JAMES TAYLOR said that as there had lately hap-
pened a great change in their affairs, inasmuch as they
could not per laps send in tii,,ir petition, and therefore
the Charter princtpic would not he tester! before the meet-
ings on Wuitsun-Weck, he thought some steps should be
taken to give the people some intimation as to how they
should proceed at their proprr.cd meetings. With this view
he would move that this subject be token into immediate
consideration.
Mr. Mills seconded the motion.
The CHAIRMAN having put the question, the Conven-
tion affl,med the resolution.
Mr. O'CONNOR, with the consent of Mr. James Taylor,
begged leave that the leA:.r of Lord John Russell to
certain Magitrates should be taken into consideration, in
order to found a motion on it.
This was seconded and passed.
The SECRETARY having read the letter,
Mr. J. TAYLOR—That letter is a serious attack on the
liberty of the people.---( Hear. hear. ) It states that Ma-
gistrates may seize on individuals who attend meetings
without having any intention of going to an illegal meet-
ing, as the meeting might be made illegal by two or three
persons. Between the Tories and Whigs there may be
fighting going on until they get tired for all that he
cared. It was now evident that they should await patiently
within the law for an opportunity to obtain their object—
that opportunity might aeon offer itself, for in the city
article of the Times this morning, there seemed to be
something wrong in the financial state of the country ; this
was a suaject on which the press of the country abstained
from entering on—all parties tools care not to mention any
thing of this, but they did not fail, no matter what party they
beknged to, to notice tee sinn.c`_lcs of any one who should
speak of the people's right to arm.—( Hear.) It behoved
them to act within the law, and as there vi as no portion of
the country snore loyal thee the Chartists he thought it
would be a prudent act cf them at this crisis to present
an address to the Queen, to be passed at the en-
suing simultaneous meetings, in order that her Majesty
might have an opportunity of having the people's
opinions at this juncture. Ile would move " that it
be an advice to those who convene the simultaneous
meetings that one of the resolutions to be proposed to
those meetings be the propriety of petitioning the !Moen,
praying her Majesty to take into consideration the suffer-
ines of her people, and with the aid of Parliament to trace
out the cause of those sufferings, and promptly to apply
the proper remedy. The petition to be signed b., the
Chairman on behalf of such meetings."
Mr. DEEGAN seconded the resolution.
Mr. SANKEY moved , the following amendment to be
appended to the resolution—" That in order to give greater
weight to the National Petition, and with a view to obviate
any objection that might be made as to the bona fide cha-
racter of the signatures, it be the declared object of all
public meetings about to be called to recommend that the
inhabitants of every town, village, and hamlet prepare dis-
tinct petitions to the House of Commons in support of the
prayer of the National Petition. That such separate pe-
titiuns be signed only by the male inhabitants of the place,
of or above the age of twenty-one, who shall distinctly ap.
peed to their signatures their place of residence, trade,
occupation, or profession ; also stating whether elector or
non-elector ; and a duplicate of the same be made and duly
registered. Further, that it be strongly recommended that
care be taken by all persons addressing the meetings to
impress upon the minds of the assembled multitudes the
necessity of abstaining from all acts of aggressive violence
as impolitic and unwise, calculated to impede the onward
progress of the cause. That this Convention gladly em-
braces this opportunity of disclaiming every thing like a
wanton desire to have recourse to bloodshed, or lightly
throw the country into anarchy and confusion, their object
in seeking to obtain Universal Suffrage, being to place the
lives, liberties, and properties of all classes, and every mem-
ber of society, under the equal protection of laws wisely and
equitably framed, and impartially administered."
This amendment was seconded by Mr. HALLEY, and on
being put by the CHAIRMAN was lost.
Mr. O'CONNOR would support Mr. Taylor if he would
define it so as that it would call on the people at the meet-
ings on Whitsun-week to call on the Queen to dismiss
both parties. 'He would with this view propose an address
instead of a petition. It was absolutely necessary,
knowing as they did that they had such technical
ruffians to deal with, they ought to be circumspect,
and how easy it was to convert a legal meet-
ing into an illegal one. It would be no harm to go
to the Queen ; he had done so before. He had
paid fifty guineas for a court dress sometime back, and he
would do so again, in order that no constitutional effort
might be wanting on their part to gain their object.—
(Hear, laughter, and cheers.) He would therefore move
the following amendment:—
"That the especial object of the simultaneous meet-
ings during Whitsuntide be to address the Queen to dis-
pense with the services of both the factions of Whig and
Tory, and to call to the Ministry such men of principle
and justice as will use their exertion to procure for the
people their equal political and social rights, which can
be effected by Universal Suffrage only."
Mr. CRAM seconded Mr. O'Connor's amendment, and
after some little discussion and explanation, in which Mr.
Warren and Dr. Taylor took part, the amendment was
carried, and the original resolution was negatived. .
LORD JOHN RUSSELL'S LETTER.
Mr. O'CoNNott read the following resolution, which ho
proposed:—
~ That the General Convention of the Industrious
Classes, an Association formed for the protection of life
and property, deems it its duty to apply to Lord J. Russell,
according to his notification, far the necessary sum for
providing one million two hundred and fifty thousand stand
of arms, with commissariat, ammunition, &c., suitable to
the emergency anticipated by the letter of the Noble Lord.
We further assert that if the law allows a search for the