The Sun.
London, England, 1830-10-06 00:00:00

"PUBLIC MEETING.

"Whereas a requisition, signed by it number of respect-
able tradesmen and householders, was on Wednesday last
presented to the Constables of Middleton, requesting them to
call a public Meeting for the purpose of taking into con-
sideration the propriety of petitioning his Majesty King
William the Fourth, that be would be pleases! to direct
his Ministers to take proper measures for effecting
a radical reform in the Commons House of Parlia-
ment ; and the said Constables having declined to call such
meeting, we, the untletsigned, do hereby give notice that
ft public meeting will be held in the Market-place of this
town, on Monday the 4th day of October, at two o'clock
in the afternoon, for the purpose above stated."
This notice was signed by twenty individuals.
Mr. Amos OGDEN having been called to the Chair, he
returned thanks for the honour conferred upon him, and
was fully aware that he might.do his duty, as much learn-
ing was not required to enable men to fill public situations,
particularly when he considered that a Magistrate, who
sat itt the New Bailey, Manchester, did •• not know
that a potatoe was a vegetable. He then entered into
some Preliminaries, and expressed a wish that the proceed-
ing-a of the meeting should be marked by order and de-
carom, Mr. Fitton then read a string of resolutions which
were to be submitted to the meeting—they embraced the
usual topics of unequal representation, the weight of taxa-
tion, the necessity of radical reform, universal suffrage,
und the vote by ballot. Alluding to the distressed and
embarrassed state of the nation, he said these could never
have occurred but from the emits or wickedness
of Governments or prob ibly from both. The
general distress was so generally felt and acknow-
ledged that it required no comment fresh him. The
people of England were industrious, they toiled incessantly
and yet could nut exist as they ought to do by their la-
bours. It was the interest and duty of the Government
to Protect . the people, but what had it dune ? Why it
wrung nearly Sixty millions front them in the shape of
taxation, and eight millions more for the support of the
dellq. The revenues arising from the amen had been
devoted to the aristocracy. These things were palpable,
and occasioned the prevailing distress. The Constitution
of England was good in theory, but another thing
in Practice. The Constitution says, that all who
1):,y taxes should be repro rated in Parliament, but
this was not the case. The Aristocracy return
the great majority, of' Members in the House of Com.
mons, which, if fairly returned, would be a harrier
against the oppressions and encroachments of the other
states of the realm. At present it affords no protection.
The Aristocracy governs the Commons. The form of
Government now in Kier, Lords, and Boroughruongers.
Men are in general too font! of power, and it is often em-
ployed to oppress the country. It is the King's army, the
King's navy, in fact every thing is the King's but the
enormous debt, and that is, forsooth, the nation's ! . The
Government thought it wrong for the people to do any
thing. 'the speaker was then very sarcastic upon
the speech delivered by • Earl Wilton at the Man-
chester dinner. His Lordship had too much power,
and it WAS such as he who chose the House of Commons.
He ridiculed the idea that the education of the poor origi.
nated with the aristocracy • All they had ever taught the
poor was to cry " Down with Tom Paine," and sing
'‘ God save the King." T
th hey themselves knew nothing
at was good, cod how could they instruct others?
Their grooms were their chief companions, and gambling
and horse-racing their principal amusements. The 66,5-
tocraey are convinced that they cannot go on with the
prtlit system, and they are willing to make some
eunce"i(iwit, thereby to retails as much as they can.
Igronant as they were they now 11,14 V their danger. What
had passed and is passing in France and the Netherlands,
had roused their dormant feelings. The Pi brie Minister
of the country was at all times the agent of the aristo-
"4eY• The Noble Duke may propose some reform.
Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, and Sheffield, might,
petlluiPsf be permitted, to return members, but it should
be remembered that the aristocracy had in these towns
those who might Ire returned according to the present
system of election, as treat aristocrats as themselvee, and
thus the country would not be henefitted. He, neverthe-
lots, would recommend the acceptance of the first step
towards reform, in hopes that more would follow.
To ettect permanent good, taxation must, in a great do-
. tree, be abolished ; and care roust he taken to prevent its
recurrence in future. But some will say, " What! are
tbe he army and navy to go unpaid, and the public creditor
jdefrauded ?" Ile was the last man to recommend in-
ustice to any ; but neces.sity knows no laws. Front the
Interest of the debt he would deduct 10 millions; from
pensions, sinecures, and needless expenditure, 10 millionai;
front the immense wealth of tl.e aristocracy, 10 no -
. lions; in all, SO millions. lie thought the clergy
should be satisfied with one million, being a o
savingt
of seven millions; and three millions might be applied
ill thought too
the service of the' count, y from crown lands—making ten
tnlione—grand total forty millions, leaving twenty mrl -
i II
TTs to the Government, which
sunihe still
to every
!Neb. ridiculed the ides of two
regiment, and the whiskered Hussars. But the experree
attending it standing armynot the greatest evil—it
was
*lts at all times dangerous to the nettles of the peophe,
and on this subject he, quoted the opinion of Blackstone.
its :ranted a Parliament chosen by the. people, nut by
aristocratic plunderers.' Ile Was in favour of a petition. to
the,Ki"Elr though be feared it might not produce an int-
meutate good effect.
&nix KNIGIIT declared that of the immense SUMS
at the .disposal of Government be WaS astonished
at !he horrible waste of treasure, ,squandered in palaces
and Public building*, lavished on the aristocracy, end in
Prolecuting nnjust and unnecessary wars, waged against
the liberties of other nations, such as America and France.
The thgnitsries of the Church, also members of the aritr-
"wrtacYr come in for their share of the spoil. Those who
ne"PaPtlll must be aware that superb and uselessr•"'"es were building, while the industrious poor
amid nut even keep the windows of their cottages
*hole.
And yet to meet this frightful expenditure
the people were grievously taxed. It had been stated in the
public. Prints that the King had recommentltd Prince Leo-
pold to forego 10,000/. lniptio as of his pension. This was a good
n,. and suck. we were not accustomed Cu from
ileYaitYt. lie as
the existence of a standing army
is being unconstitutional, and said that if the people were
governed fairly and not oppressed it would be useless. The
leepl
atillY was now kept up fur the purpose of making the
c both, work and
a starve. lie did not like the officer.
!ny department of the services ; there were 200 Admirals
1115 Yr and but ten served ; 800 Captains, and not
theyt lowed;700 Commander*, and not seventy in
rumptu
tervice. They lived on the poor and fed
pale ode
every day. Recurring to the subject of
ee building, be declared that the sums unnecessarily
11,Pent in that way last year would build 7,500 comfortable
...t),wiet's capable of good accOmmodatiOn to 50,000 people.'
ilabusti pen le bad applied for. a minimum of wages, but Par-
it,rde; tb:4l,:ottiti not attend to it—every thing must find its
ask t extravatp gance asked for Money, atiti it was only
CN 4 Intve--taxation could always be attendee! to. In
peenettee of the general introduction of nutehinery
teurdebniotked more hours than they did formerly. %Wavers
fly, 1""P earn only Is. a day, and a bushel of wheat cost
pries 4.l.eirc"t Atneric, a good workman could get the
t;it.ehuahel of wheat, arichttige4 in that country, by a
• 'ltia), ';-..11`.°", Were the whole of England the property of
L "lib that family most work or starve. It now he'
""hultt tion
.few. fautiliew, who live in idleness 'and make the
14,„
,Inia of the people work for them. Much of the
'" Detanged to the l
' blurbs of tht. II .
41,
11,
and great proportion to the
the ose of Commone, It was evident that
in the landlord% and tenants tyre not the
;ine. gists Corm laws had been
paned to protect the
osirnter hence the hiig,ll price of bread. Parliarnent, how-
sl'„Pit• Would 'l° nothing to eet'llift eptitable wages to the
th, '"g olaro, Were the dectiens conducted justly such
trigs cuuld not be
who
w.. • Taxes ten to feed tended f those
e onout labour, and increased the task of
th'uis 1%1'6 toil. Before' the introduction of Ma-
nery few wo 1
.1 • p e worksd more than fifty hours
cyls hi.), now •
ann worked seventy hours per
the ha some m asters infringed the law and increased
in.., of labtior. All entered into assn ciations for their
Own
n'fit. and it was t I
would e 0 re expected that Government
the mu,.
_.tot the great asaociariom and ttet foe the good of
support whole'
.0 the contrary, r-',..overnment acted only in
t eAppressors.
• IPtaker • ' • He fully agreed with the last
ist_fl..l•,,tietews of. the result of giving members to a
vote ond thought that every Man should have
he.....t0r the election of Members who
ws by which theywere to make the
fiery a were to Inc governed. At Preston
_ _d a vote who paid sent and lot, 'but the
ehemes - of the pristocracy had rendered
i ilege unavailing. Many voters had been gain.ed
asst
by thrusts or promises,
iluor till they and others were plied with
,4401 tey marls Least* of themselv pl
s. set in a mass,' and then their :sights !world be
%nded.
„ Otte glaViag proposed smut ' •
nded end pa .1 • ry resolutions, WhlC
unamoiou I alluded to the for-

trier spy-system, which sent forth Olivers, Castles, and
others of their stamp, like leeches, to prey on the unsus-
pecting people. They got many into prison who were af.
terwards discharged without trial. They were winded
under charges of high treason, and if found guilty, their
lives must have paid, the forfeit of thekcrimes. Ministers
got themselves screened by a bill of indemnity,. and justice
was disregarded. He particularly called attention to Ogden's
ease, which bad been alluded'to' in the House of Commons
with so much levity by Mr. Canning.. He-detested the
memory of that gentleman, and 'could not esteem any one
who spoke or wrote well of him.
Mr. Keiser could speak feelingly on this subject, as
lie was one of the 40 who had been apprehended, thrust
into a dungeon, and afterwards discharged without trial.
He went through the whole of the proceedings relative to
the arrests and discharges, and varied but little from the
accounts which have already been laid before the public.
In conclusion, he said, that when the people first began
to strive for their rights, they were rejected by a
portion of the Press, who made their poverty and
rags and ignorance objects of scorn and contempt.
He contended that, in order to secure the rights of the
people, Parliaments ought to be of short duration, and
the Members be chosen by ballot. It was resolved not to
petition Parliament any more, it having lost their confi-
denev ; but they would petition the King.
Mr. Ferrol( then read some other resolutions, which
were passed. He alluded in strong terms to transactions
on the continent, and said that if people in towns were re-
solute
they need not fear armies, but might resist and de-
feat them, though he hoped that things would not proceed
to such an extremity. In France the man of the people
bad been called to the throne, and he believed that come-
quently
there was not a crowned head in Europe whose
crown did not sit lighter on his head.
Thanks were then voted to those who had signed the
requisition, and also to the Chairman. The latter returned
thanks in a few words.

We should notice, that on the right side of the hust-
ings was hoisted a silk flag, inscribed " Unity and
Strength," and on the left waved the tri-colour, made of
the same material. As soon as the business of the meet-
ing was over the company separated peaceably, and in
evident pod humour.