The Sun.
London, England, 1839-05-04 00:00:00

INSTRUCTIONS TO ➢IISSIONARIES.

We, the Delegates of the Industrious Classes as-
sembled, having appointed you as Missionary, do hereby
instruct you to explain the principles of the People's
Charter, to obtain signatures to the National Petition
for Universal Suffrage, to collect subscribtions for rent,
and by every legal and constitutional means to extend
political information among the people, and in the pro-
secution of the above objects ; we hereby charge and
enjoin you not to hold communication with any asso-
ciated body, not to use violent or unconstitutional lan-
guage, and not to infringe the laws in any manner, by
word or deed."

Mr. WHITTLE then rose to bring forward a resolu-
tion to the effect that the Chairman of the meeting held
upon Kennington Green having refused to report the
proceedings of that meeting, any Delegate who was
present at the meeting should give a report of what took
place. After reading over the minutes of what took
place on the introduction of Mr. Williams, as member
. for Lambeth, he said it had been taken for granted that
he acted in this case as a partisan of Mr. Williams.
The terms of his motion would clear him from that
charge. It spoke for itself, and wanted little from him
to,TecOmMend it. On thcq)bcasion When the question
waalasf.befOrathe' CotiVentlim a Committee had been
appointed, and he had flillY;,expeeted they would have
made such a report as would have settled the question.
They had not done so, and a Member having been pre-
sented to the Convention, it became necessary for them
either to receive him, or give good grounds for their
refusal. He would therefore press his motion.
Mr. SANKEY said the • Committee had not reported
upon the whole question, because Mr. Neesom had said
that Mr. Williams had given up his seat until he had
again met his constituents. It might, however, be as
well to know that Mr. Ross, the chairman of the meet-
ing, refused to sign the required certificate, because of
some private reasons. The Committee thought it as
well to inquire into these, and they saw Mr. Williams
and Mr. Ross upon the subject. Mr. Ross acknow-
ledged that he had taken a strong course in refusing to
sig❑ the certificate, but lie considered he was justified in
so doing ; amongst other things, because ten days' clear
notice had not been given of the meeting. Upon in-
quiry, however, this turned out to be erroneous, but still
he refused to sign because of something Mr. Williams
had said respecting the Convention. It was no party
question in the Convention—they had too much faction
there already, and he was sorry to say that it was tend-
ing very much towards weakening that confidence
which their constituents had placed in them.
Mr. COLLINS regretted that the subject had ever been
brought before the Convention, as it was impossible for
them co interfere at all in it without losing their charac-
ters for good sense and judgment. Mr. Williams had
declared through Mr. Neesom that he declined to take
his seat until be bad seen his constituents—had he done
so ? He might have seen some of them privately, but
the Convention must have the evidence of a public
meeting, and nothing else. He was a friend of Mr.
Williams, both publicly and privately, but he thought
the Convention had nothing to do with the matter, he
would therefore move the " previous question"
The CHAIRMAN asked if the motion had been se-
conded.
Mr. SANKEY in -explanation said he had not seconded
the motion, but with pleasure he would second the
amendment.
Mr. CLEAVE—The proceedings have been altogether
irregular.
Mr. CARD° seconded Mr. Whittle's motion.
After the rules for regulating elections had been
read,

Mr. SKEVINGTON said as in this case there was no
certificate from the Chairman of the election of Mr.
Williams as was required by the standing orders, they
could has e no knowledge of him as a Delegate. Those
rules had been made long before the case occurred,
and if they did not abide by them, they would become
the laughing-stock and contempt of every body.
Mr. MnasPEN said every one present was a parti.an
in one way or other, and as the Chairman of the meet-
ing did not deny that Mr. Williams had been elected,
he thought the Convention ought to take up and decide
the case.

Dr. FLETCHER—It had been said that he complained
of having been insulted by Mr. Williams—he had not
done so. he had merely stated the fact, but he was too
old a politician to care for any attack one hour after-
wards. 'What he had said was, that there was a con-
spiracy abroad to upset or swamp the Conventian, and
he cited the conduct of Mr. Williams in order to prove

it, and that he was a party to it. ; but he had no personal
feeling against Mr. Williams. He could not agree with
Mr. Marsden, that because the Chairman of the meet-

ing refused to sign the certificate, therefore the Conven-
Lion ought to take up the question. If the inhabitants
of a district had made an improper choice of a Chair-
man, it was their own fault. They milt to have in-
sisted upon his signing the required certificate of the
return before he let the Chair, or have unchaired him
and elected another who would do their will.—(Cheers.)
Mr. Williams had waived his right to sit, and the only
remedy was not a vote of the Convention, but another

public meeting.—( Hear, hear.) They could not
displace a Member. He saw some shake their heads,
but his opinion was that that power lay with the con-
stituency alone. If they were to interfere in the ques-
tion the whole time they had to remain in London
would be be taken up with it.—(Hear, hear.) He
knew that another meeting had been called, and the
men of East Surrey were determined that it should be
their own meeting, as Lambeth was to be excluded, and
none but those who paid rent were to vote.—( Hear,
hear)—as they considered they had been tricked be-
fore. They said they had been tricked—the other
party asserted the contrary. How were they to decide
such controverted facts? They ought to bear in
mind that nothing had ever brought such disgrace upon
the other House of Commons—( A laugh)—as their.
conduct upon controverted elections. Let them,
therefore, be wise, and have nothing to do with it. Be-
sides, they were threatened with having eight more Lon-
don Delegates sent to them. They must meet that at
once ; either let the constituencies call upon their pre-
sent members to resign or be contented. He had been
represented as having said that his constituents would

not submit to *be controlled by the people of Lon-
don. He had said no such thing :he had said that
they would not submit to be c-ntroded by the London
Clubs. He had the greatest respect for the people of
every part of the country, and he never drew any invi-
dious gomparisons. Ile was opposed to clubbism ; he
was for popular controul of the most extended kind ;
and it was impossible to pace any opular contrail
where the popular voice was controlled by clubs.
Mr. CARDO said that sufficient had beet, already said
on this subject, and he hoped Mr. Whittle would with-
draw his motion, because another meeting was to be
held ; and if Mr. Williams should be elected, he would
take his seat without opposition. He did not allow
that two factions existed in London ; tae w,.s hUn•elf
West London democrat, and had been on a tnisEAtaa
from the Convention into the country, where he had
assisted in the formation of Working Men's As,awia-
tions, therefore he could not be charged with faction.
Dr. FLETCHER explained.
Mr. BURNS suggested that some measure should he
adopted, regulating, if possible, the number of Dele-
gates, or any one town might send an unlimited number
of Delegates.
After a few words from Mr. CARDO and Mr. CoLLINS,
Mr. CLEAVE said that he agreed with Mr. Burns.
It was not competent to the Convention to entertain
this question, inasmuch as it was contrary to their rule.
It was quite competent to Mr. Whittle to move any
alteration of the rules of this Convention, but here was
a Delegate introduced who did not produce his creden-
tials. The Chairman of the meeting had refused to
furnish those credentials, and a party -had come there
who was a friend of this Delegate, who stated that he
had withdrawn, and was willing to go to a new election.
What could the Convention have to do with the matter
after this? He did not suppose Mr. Whittle would have
been so imprudent as to propose a resolution of this
description. He knew the country was crying shame
at these petty squabbles, which d ,roped the feelings of
the people, and acted as a hauche to their enemies.
He regretted what had occurred, on account of the
calico-printers of Mitcham, who had not been fairly
dealt by on Kennington Common, The election ought
not have been held there ; it was not fair to those men
who had supported the Convention by sending it funds,
and by every means in their power. Dr, Fletcher had
spoken of the two factions ; he did not belong to any
faction, but he must regret that Dr. Fletcher should
have said that he had less respect for the faction who
had drawn up the People's Charter than for the oppo-
site faction.

Several members here rose amid cries of " Order." ‘,
The CHAIRMAN interfered, and
Dr. FLETCHER rose to explain. He had pot used
the word faction ; he had said that each had crotchets
with which he did not agree.
Mr. CLEAVE said that Dr. Fletcher was wrong in
his chronology ; the People's Charter was drawn up
four months before the other faction had any existence.
He agreed with Mr. Burns as to the necessity of making
some rule as to the number of new Delegates, or the
Convention would swamp itself ; each contending party
in a town would be sending a Delegate ,and thus perpe-
tually act and re-act on each other. The thing was
very dangerous, not only as regarded numbers, but as
regarded money. It had been stated that the Con-
vention had at present funds to the amount of 1,0001.
in hand. He knew of one part of the country where
50/. was waiting, but it had been said, " Don't send
this money to London, but keep it and pay your Dele-
gates better." It is impossible to know but the object
might be to get at their funds. He regretted these
discussions.
Mr. WHITTLE said he must obtain leave to withdraw
his motion.
Mr. RICHARDSON moved that Mr. Whittle do have
leave to withdraw his motion, and regretted that the
time of the Convention hag been taken up with matters
which ought not to have engrossed their attention at all.
Mr. RICHARDS asked what was the number of De-
legates from London and its environs : or whether De-
legates for East Surrey were not elected in Palace-yard.
Several Voices.—" No."
Mr. RICHARDS—Other places had elected Delegates
for the place and its environs, and he asked whether the
London Delegates had been elected in the same way ?
The CHAIRMAN said that one county could not be con-
sidered as a district of another county.
Mr. WHITTLE rose to order.
The question was then put and carried, and Mr.
Whittle withdrew his motion on the grounds of a new
election being about to take place.
TOWER HAMLETS.
The SECRETARY then read a communication which he
bad received from the Tower Hamlets, denying the truth
of a letter which had been received, stating the election
of a Delegate on Stepney-green. A meeting had been held
there, and a resolution was carried by a large majority,
declaring that it was highly inexpedient to elect addi-
tional Delegates, as they were quite contented with those
who had been elected in Palace-yard, who, they consi-
dered, represented the Tower Hamlets as well as the
other districts of London. But after that resolution was
carried one of the waggons was wheeled away—the
greater part of the people left, considering the business
was over, and if any election took place after, they pro-
tested against it.
Mr. RICHARDSON asked if Stepney- was a part of
Lambeth.—(Laughter.)
Mr. O'BRIEN took that opportunity of suggesting
that it would be proper that no Delegate should, for the
future, be admitted, who does not produce signatures
and rent.