The Sun.
London, England, 1837-12-18 00:00:00

BERWICK BALLOT MEETING.

On Wednesday last a meeting of the inhabitants of this
borough was convened in the Town-hall, for the purpose of
considering the expediency of petitioning both Houses of
Parliament in favour of the adoption of the Ballot on occa-
sions of Parliamentary elections. The meeting was appointed
by the Mayor, in answer to a requisition presented him to that
effect, and which we published last week. The hour of
meeting was fixed for one o'clock, at which time the company
began to congregate, and when the proceedings were opened
by the MAYOR taking the chair, the assembly exceeded in
extent any similar meeting held in this borough within our re-
membrance, resembling the exciting period of a Parliamentary

election.
The MAYOR having taken the chair, addressed the meeting,
Mr. JOHNETONE then stepped forward, and with minuteness
described the structure and operation of Mr. Grote's Ballot-
box, a model of which bad been procured through the instru-
mentality of the Hon. J. E. Murray. The reading of the
instruction, and the accompanying remarks were attentively
listened to by the meeting, and the model was afterwards
handed through the Hall.
Major Ordc and several other Gentlemen then addressed
the meeting, proposing and supporting a series of resolutions
declaratory of the necessity of protecting the Elective Fran-
chise by the Ballot.
The Berwick Advertiser from whose columns we derive our in-
telligence respecting this public demonstration in favour of the
great palladium of a free unfettered exercise of the franchise, has,
amongst others, the following remarks on the meeting :—" It
went off in the best style ; and while it reflects credit on the
Cornmitte of the Reform Association for the manner in which it
was got up, bears open testimony to the sound principle, the
zeal, and the judicious conduct of the Reformers;of Berwick,
who mustered in numbers and in respectability sufficient to
convince the most sceptical of the lofty pre-eminence of
the Reform cause when the unconstrained, enbought, and
uhdebauched opinion can be expressed apart from those
debauching influences which are let loose in debasing
the intellect and in prostituting the judgment by competing
canvassers on the eve of an election of a Parliamentary
representative. The whole proceeding, from the first
origination of the movement to the public demonstration of
Wednesday, proves that the inhabitants of Berwick groan for
deliverance from that mass of corruption by which their poli-
tical character has been debased, and a portion of their moral
character contaminated ; and that they rejoice in the prospect
of deliverance from an incubus which they well knew would
go far, if allowed to rue its course, of stifling the breathings
of freedom in the town, and of sinking the hopes of the na-
tion under the most degrading bondage. Never was more
unanimity displayed at a meeting—never was any meeting of'
any borough more respectably, and, we may add, numerously
attended, in comparison with its size."

WIGAN MEETING ON THE BALLOT.

On Tuesday evening the Reformers of Wigan met in the
Commercial Hall, to hear an address from Mr. Prentice, of
Manchester, on the subject of the Ballot. The number pre-
sent was computed to be abort 700.
Mr. PRENTICE delivered an argumentative address, the
most powerful, complete, and convincing wo remember to
have read, and then proceeded to exhibit the model of a ballot
box, which Mr. Grote had sent, and his exposition of the
facility with which votes might be recorded, and of the
secrecy which would be secured, was received with loud
and reiterated cheering. He concluded with an earnest
supplication that Reformers should not divide their
strength by demanding a multiplicity of reforms;
but that their attention should be concentrated on one point
at a time. He cared not much what that one point was,
but if he were allowed to advise, he would say, .‘ agitate for
the Ballot," being fully convinced that in addition to its beiag
quite as important, considered by itself, as any other brar,th
of Reform, it had the additional and strong recommendation
that it was the best means of obtaining all other reforms.
The preparation of a petition to Parliament for the Ballot
was unanimously agreed upon.

The Duke of Norfolk has returned to Fornbain
Hall, Bury St. Edmund's, until the first week in February.

THE IRICII REBELLION.—The publication of the
Memoirs of the celebrated Irish Rebel, General Holt, is
looked for with the greatest curiosity and interest, especially
by those who have a deep stake in the tranquillity of the Sister
Kingdom. They are edited by Mr. Crofton Croker. The
history of Ilolt is still kept alive in the memory of the Irish
peasantry by various popular songs, especially one entitled
" The Victim of Tyranny," which thus commences
" I had a ”rant landlord, base,
Who saw my heart to Erin yearned ;
He to the ground my cot did rase,
And fired my substance dearly eartir.a.
Unmoved, remorseless, be beheld,
My cottage falling, as it burr. d
His savage band insulting
lour from their deed ruin turned."

The Ailsa Craig,Yar mouth and London steamer,
having been detained t.iree days beyond her sailing time by a
scarcity of water 6.4 Yarmouth bar, left there on Friday after-
noon at four o', lock for London, where she arrived at nine
o'clook tk.it following morning, delivered a heavy cargo, took
on b,bar',l a full return cargo, and arrived at Yarmouth again
ht 6x P. IL on Sunday; completing the whole in the remark-
ably short space of fifty hours.

PLAYING AT HANGING.—Seven wiseacres, work-
ing millers at one of the windmills not above a score miles
from the port of Goole, took it into their heads, on Monday
week, to imitate Jack Ketch with one of their companions.
It is usual for these men, when retiring to rest, to go with-
out a light, but on this " great occasion" the clever fellows.
procured a candle, and stuck it in a lump of paste in thole
bed room. The man cook, who was chief actor in this manly
amusement, then submitted to have a small ropo put round
his neck, when his other well-beloved friends hoisteu him up
to the top of one of the bed posts: in the twinkling of an eye.
The actor on the gallows attempted to explain mutters to his
executioners, intending to tell them that what they were do-
ing was no joke, but the poor fellow's whistle was too tightly-
twitched for him to explain his feelings. After suspending aL
short time, during the laughter of his compainons, one off'
them reached up to see if the cord was not too tight about
the man's neck, and when he found this was the case they
lowered him down, but he was quite senseless. They foundl
out their joke had been carried too far, and insme,diatrAy pro-.
cured a surgeon, when bleeding and other reme,lies were ap-
plied. The poor fellow afterwards was in sw_th strong con-
vulsions that it took six of them to hold him. However, we
are now happy to state that he has completely recove red.
One man said "if the poor fellom had dee'd he should have
been far away the next day." We have no doubt but: that
the effects of this foolish joke ',will act as a warning ft I: the
future.—Doncaster Gazette.