The Sun.
London, England, 1839-07-30 00:00:00

He need only refer to the recent occurrences at Bir
mingbam, to the events at Manchester some few years
since, nay, he would go back to Lord George Gordon's
riots, to prove this assertion ; those riots had their
origin in a meeting held for 'the ostensible ptirpose
of petitioning against what wa* considered as a
public grievance. These evils had led before, and.
were likely to lead again, to the bringing fo!lva. ra
by the Government of measures to restrain this mi
portant right of meeting for the purpose of petitioning,
pßtirhelesissebe,andtruanebGadesoeuvnrbeeerednohsninialecodnutlflidreefccieoiru,ieenepneiteixlilyleetebdiemedeteinons
passedof ee i ceir:rye nbta, end
and. had been denominated Coercion Bills or Geggieg-
nnrsats eptt nature,
there
re e
forward to obviate this necessity, and lie knew notliow
hopedshoui
d measuresm meetings
et might
u,g s
o e bt
eb.
pr brought
during the recess, than in considering a subject so
interesting
indggthh
tmatt
be
themore
i3s
to beststartling
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‘oactef.:.
svMHavingn
stated
el
considered this subject ; but one of the oldest features
of the Constitution, one that
novelty. It
preceded the preseie. Con-
stitUtion, one intimately connected with die institutions
of the Saxons, was .the Court Leet or Fi.tnk Pledge.
In those times there was Once' a year a meeting
of all persons in the district. At those ineeings no
qualification was required, all persons in the district
were obliged to appear. There was no restriction upon
what they were to do or what they were to speak upon.
De omnibus coguoscit, quanivir de omnibus non judica v!t.
He would not go through the history of the actique 'ses
of the Constitution of the country, but lie would pass at
once to later times. At the close of the last century wht n
it was thought necessary to put restrictions epees-
the right of meeeting an act was passed prohibiting any
meeting of more than fifty persons, except meetings of
the people in their separate townships or parishes, and
throughout the kingdom there was reserved by that act
act
of caution and safeguard the right of holding meetings-
in their township. He knew, therefore, of notlung
under the GOth of George that would prevent.
n. 1
meetings of people all over the country on the same day.
As to the place he would propose for the meetings, ass
he would cake the easter week for the purpose of hold—
ing the meetings, and as he did not think that his coun-
trymen had degenerated in the present day; and woald
not be afraid to meet in the open air, if necessary he would
propose that the Vestry or the Church porch, merely as
a shelter for those who ware to prepare the business of
Parliament, or transact the business of the meetings.
there would be no expense, no diffieulLy in calling upon
the Lord Lieutenant of the county, the nagisrates. the
Sheriff, or the Mayor of p town, to appoint a place
during Easter week in which a oieeting of the whole of
the parish should be held. It aright be asked what
advantage he proposed to himself born his motion being
agreed to. His first object was that as they were now
driven to tell the people that it was oecessary for
the public safety to put down all public discussion upon
public grievances, as the people saw they were nosy
losing the right of publicly discussing their grievances.
Pees that measure and it would have the effect of
bringine back the affections of the people. He felt :
assured that no man could prevent him from succeding
to the extent that the people would know that there
were some—at all events, there wcs one in that
House, who duly prized that most invaluable
right which was inherent in them.—Hear, hear.)
The people did not meet now except in circumstaeces
of agitation—they did not meet except with feelings so
inflamed that they were likely to be led to mischievous
acts. The best disposed of the people were not as-
embled. Now if meetings could be established on the
footing which be proposed, these disorderly proceedings
,would soon be terminated. The time was now come '
when the upper orders could not stand aloof, and if
they meant to live in safety, they must mix with the
people and show themselves as their fellow men and .
brethren. If these meetings should be held and this:
ministers of religion would attend in order to sooth their
passions, they would render petitioning one of the
most glorious instruments in the hands of pro-
vidence to raise the country to a pitch of pros-
perity
which it never yet had attained. The
second object which he had in view, would be One
of a not less important nature and not less difficult
It was a circumstance which certainly bad struck hitsr
as remarkable, that on the very night when be was ,

called on to give notice of his motion, Monday, 15th
July, the filmes were risinr, in the Bull Ring at Bir-
mingham, proving that the passions of the people if
not•coutrolled would produce fearful results. A feel-
.no was prevalent among the people that they were
riot called upon to obey laws, in the making of which
they had no share.—(Hear.) No sentiments could
he more dangerous, or more deeply to be reprobated
But this showed what was rankling in the minds of the
lower classes, who, having just knowledge enough to
Sec the narrow sphere in which they were paced, and
having thus their discontent stimulated,—were natu-

rally irritated,--and their dissatisfaction had now arisen
co an alarming heizlit. There were some in that House,

who now vote for Universal Suffrage, and many who

voted for Household Suffrage—which in reality meant
Universal Suffr4e. Now, he objected to this,
because he believed it altogether unconstitutional
one of the principles of the constitution, but unhappily
int in modern times sufficiently regarded, was, that
there existed a broad line of difference between direct

lod indireei taxation ; that there was a vast difference
(Amoco telling a man tlit:t he must, if he drink beer or

tea pay a little more mor it than if it were not taxed,
and the sendinga taxgatEerer to collet tin money, a certain
portion of the annual profits of his lands or houses,and that
it was to the latter oniy the principle of representation
co-extensive with taxation applied. To establish Uni-

versal Suffrage would be in la.Ct to leave property with-
out protection. Indeed, the Hon. Member for Old-
ham, and now on the notice paper, a motion
.;s coupled with Universal Kffrage, which would.

ace the effect of a property tax. Under
these circumstances, looking on the one hand to
the ruinous consequences that must result from the in-

roduction of measures such as that to Mich he had

alluded, and on the other to the practicability of safely
giving a certein degree of influence to the masses of the
people who were at present not qualified by the posses-
sion of property for the exercise of the franchise, he
(LErT SPEAKING.

PERSECUTION of MR. THORO-

GOOD

---

We arc happy to state that this consistent and devoted
adherent to the great cause of religious freedom—neglected
as he is by many of its professed friends, a.nd trcatod, as
Parliamentary papers state, with " uncalled-for severity"
by the local authorities—remains unshaken in his opposi-
tion to the tyranny of the dominant Church, and, in the
seventh month of his incarceration, preserves .a peace of
mind and How of spirits which his oppressors may well
envy. _ _

On Tuesday, N. T. S. Duncornhe—one of the best
friends of the people in the House of Commons—will move
a resolution to the effect that "the imprisonment of John
Thorogood is not only cruel and unjust, but reflects great
itscredit upon those at whose instigation these preeeedings
were instituted," and that it is desirable that aa alteration
;n the law should take place at an early period in the next
Session.

We call upon the country Dissenters vigorously to sup-
port this anti other efforts—for we have authority to state
that more direct efforts will be made—on behalf of their
suffering brother. We can assure our. readers that;
.leither the application to Mr. Duncombe, nor the subse-
quent pro,.
proceedings contemplated, emanate, in the slightest
degree, from the London Committees; though some of
!hem are prof,,,, dly the guardians of civil liberty ; if Mr.
Thorop onci had no better friends, he might linger to the end
of his life. It can hardly be expected that a State-Church
Ministry should do much for the relief of Dissenters, when
they see the apathy of those whom they regard as the re-
presentatives of the Dissenting body. To counteract the
mischievous effects of such a course, we urge on the Vo.,
luntaryists throughout the land to continue and increase
their exertions; and we remind them—as we have done
before—that no argument will be so convincing as the
praetierl one of resistance to Church-rates.—Leicester.
shire Mercury.