The Sun.
London, England, 1838-09-17 00:00:00

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lb/
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vas forty millions, and in 1837 only thirty-t•ig'it millions, yet

you made and sold in 1837 more than twice as many goods as
-- ---- - -

their own
:Merv. But if the soldiers or e ' .:' Ili:, _ ,
were to come amongst them and to break the al, ''',-",
the Constitution—to cut the throats of the p 6 e
.i N.,
would be for th.. men of England and of Scotland to say what
they would do.—( A voice in the crowd—" Auld reekie fat
ever ;"a laugh)—Scotland was in a state of high preparedness
and that had Leal brought about chiefly by the agency of ono
man. lie had heard Thompson and Leader spoken of as hav-
ing done gr. at good ; as regarded Scotland, there was one
vk ho had d(ne more, and that was the bravo O'Conc
nor.—(Loud c'wers.) Now, when many were joining
glom fining that their cause was strengthening—even
the Press, which was turning round, on finding
that they were gaining great strength, invariably attacked
Fergus O'Connor. Their first obligations were duo to those
men who had stood by them in evil hours—to those who ware
with them in season and out of season—so far as regarded
Scotland, that man had been Feargus O'Connor.—(Cheers.)
The resolution was then put from the Chair, and ( a-ried
unanimously.

in 1801.—( Hear, hear.) What has become of the difference ?
Your aristocracy have devoured or destroyed it by their
monopoly of law-making, compelling you to give daily more
and more labour and skill for less and less food.—( Hear.)
They declare by Act of Parliament that they cannot live as
palaced-idlers unless they feed on the industrious, and their
declaration must be either false or true: if it is true, why

..
don't they go to the workhouse ? If it is false, why are they
not sent to the treadmill ?—(Cheers.) Or, rather, why don't
you obtain the franchise, and see justice done ?—(llear.)
They use their property as highwaymen use their pistols. Not
satisfied with obtaining their war prices in time of peace, by
their Corn-laws, and their paper-rents in gold, by Peel's Bill
—are they not every day perpetrating fresh treasons? Have
they not lately deprived you of your privilege of out-door re-
lief, in the face of their own Parliamentary declaration,
placed, thank God, on eternal record, that they are them-
selves the most destructive horde of beggars that ever
infested any community ?--( Hear, and loud cheering.)
They ought first to have taken their hands out of your pockets;
they should have ceased to rob you of half your earnings ;
they should have shown that they could live on their own ;
they should have set you the example of self-dependence.—
( Cheers.) One of the darkest, saddest, bloodiest pages in SCCCOND 4 EDITION.
history, is that which records the first acts of the first few
months of the reign of Queen Victoria. During those few Mr. ROBERT HARTWELL then appeared on the platform, and
s
months your oppressors perpetrated in Canada atrocities which said he rose at the request of the Working Men's Association,
to move the Bill to be introduced into the Commons House of
would have disgraced the reign of King Castlereagh, and
which Wellington Imperatore when the time comes, will not Parliament, be denominated the People's Charter, and which
be able to parallel---( Hear.) I must try to give you a faint was necessary to rescue the working classes from their
idea of those horrors. Suppose that the emissaries of Peterloo, present degreded state of thraldom.—( Hear, hear, hear.)
Melbourne, and Corn-law Russell, seize me as I return from Before commenting on the principles contained in the
this meeting-. Then suppose that some of you rescue me, as Charter, it would be his duty to explain to the meet-
they drag me through the streets, untried, yet with a rope ing the rise and progress of that document. The mem-
round my neck ; then suppose that their Janissaries fire the bers of the Working Men's Association, in common with
town, and butcher in cold blood unexpecting, and almost un-
their brother Radicals throughout the country, had Seen
with regret, that while resolutions had been passed in fa-
resisting man, woman, and child, and you will have a faint
idea of the doings of your Aristocracy in Canada 1—( Shame, your of that principle, and that while energetic appeals
shame.) And why were those doings done ? Because the had been made to the people to come forward in favour of
Universal Suffrage, those resolutions had never been put into
Canadian Commons refused the supplies. Now if the
Canadian Commons have no right to refuse the supplies,
a practical shape. The Working Men's Association, there-
the British Commons have none ; and this your Reformed fore, thought they ought to embody the principles of Radical
Reform in an Act of Parliament, and which would be submitted
Commons have in act affirmed, while Wellington in the Lords
was affirming the same, and laying you bound hand and foot to a public meeting like the present. Having resented on this
c
at the mercy of that meek British Prince, who was always an course, the Association wrote circulars to those Members of
Parliament whom they deemed, by their votes or speeches, to
Ernest foreigner in his heart. What hope, then, have you,
but in yourselves ? Oh, but you are not fit to exercise the be favourable to Universal Suffrage. That circular was en-
franchise I Are you less fit than they who exercise it already? swered by twelve Members of the House. They met the As-
Could you make a worse use of it than they have made ? If sociation, and, after two nights' discussion, it was resolved that
you had it now could you do worse than send to Parliament six Members of Parliament and six members of the Association
men who offer a premium of a hundred millions a-year for the should draw up the outlines of a Bill which should embody
destruction of your trade ? Do you expect to get your rights Universal Suffrage—No Property Qualification—Annual
by supporting men whose interests are opposed to yours? All Parliaments—Equal Representation--Payment of Members—.
history shows that men who can afford to be idle, never legis- and Vote by Ballot. The result of their labours was the pro-
late usefully for the industrious. I doubt whether there are duetion of the People's Charter, which had, already received
one hundred men in London worth 20,000!. each, who do not the sanction of immense masses of their fellow-workmen
in their hearts hate and fear every workman who is supposed to throughout the country. There were two classes of
have a mind of his own. Even in America this is true. The objectors to Universal Suffrage.—The one class broadly
Senate of the United States, representing the monied aristo- denied the right of the working men to a voice
cracy of that country, would at this moment, if they could, in the representation at all • and the other, while it
make a swindling banker Dictator of America. Yet America conceded the right, thought they were too ignorant to.exere
has only one Senate, you have two, neither of them re- else it. Any one who made use of the latter argument only
presenting you ; yet making your laws, because they trumpeted forth his own disgrace. They had a Government
are all men of one sort, that is to say, all idle and all the majority of whom, he believed, did not in the abstract
rich. Well, you are all men of one sort, and all of a deny the right of the people to enjoy the Suffrage; but they
good sort, for you aro all industrious, and there are 3,000,000 sa:d the people were so ignorant that if they had it they would
of you. Why, then, do you consent to have two Houses of do mischief to themselves and to every body else. Yet that
Lords, and no House of Commons ? Why don't you obtain Government, while insulting their understandingsand common
the franchise ? Don't say you cannot. If the principle of sense by saying they, were so ignorant adopted every means in
union could transform France, when invaded on all sides, from thsir power to perpetuate the present system. His notion of a.
a nation of beggars into a nation of freeholders, surely it could Government was, that it should be founded as well for a pea-
give you the franchise. How do your enemies contrive to op- sant es a prince, and that after having provided for the
press you? By union and perseverance; like pigs in a potatoe physical wants of a people, the laws of Government
field, they always keep their noses at the grubbing point, and man required them to attend to the moral and
Surely you can do in a good cause what they do in a bad one, intellectual education of the people. There was
You are not pigs, but until you get the franchise, you arc not another and a third class of objectors, who said they
men. Obtain it then, though your merchants and master went with the people for Universal Suffrage, but that they
manufacturers (as their absence proves) seem willing to be went with them for other essentials. They acknowledged the
ruined by fine folks, for the honour of the thing. Obtain it, great intelligence amongst the working classes, but they were
though your shopkeepers (as their absence proves) seem wil- afraid the agricultural population would overbalance the its.
ling to sell their souls, if they have any, for one per cent. on telligence of the large towns. He could state one or two
three halfpence. Prevent the destruction of your trade. facts, which would show that the agricultural population, the
Avert a catastrophe which, if it happen, will cast the horrors labourers he meant, for the farmers were deplorably ignorant
of the first French revolution utterly into shade. Do not let —( Cheers and laughter)—that the whole mass of the la-
your aristocracy prepare for your young and innocent Queen a bourers of Northamptonshire, Wilts, Essex, Devonshire, and
fate like that of Marie Antoinette of France. Resolve that you Dorsetshire, five of the most Tory counties, were alive 1:0 the
will no longer be the white slaves of men who have declared interests of the working classes. He had a document, signed
themselves bankrupt—men whose pretensions to govern, aby 800 agricultural labourers in Dorsetshire, pledging them-
glance of scrutiny will annihilate—men who, by their selves to advocate the principles of the People's Charter even to
horrible legislation, striking at the foundations of pro- the death if necessary. There were 9 parishes In the neighbour-
perty itself, have justly eorfeited_l will not say all hood of Bland ford, in which every labouring man had signed this
social rights ; but this I am justified in saying, that document. It was true that the agricultural labourer might
if I be again placed in a jury box to try a criminal cause, not be able to come forward and express himself as some of
while those enormous criminals perpetrate their crimes the working men could, but if they reasoned with him they
unrestrained, I shall not be able to find verdicts against their would find his understanding equal to their own.--( Cheers.)
victims ; for to do so, would be to murder them !—( Hear.) There might be some gentlemen who intended to move an
Put an end, then, to this unholy state of things. Let there amendment by introducing the Poor-laws, the Corn-laws, or
be no more legislation for classes. And, I pray you, let no the Currency. He admitted, that if gentlemen disapproved
other object divert your attention from the franchise, which of Universal Suffrage they might mare Household Suffrage
contains all good objects, as the acorn carries within it the oak as an amendment, but he was certain that no friend to the
and his for ) And let us have no talk about working classes would introduce the subjects which he had
physical force—for you can use it victoriously whenever you mentioned. If they wanted a repeal of the Corn-laws, of the
need ; but men who mean to use it:don't always warn the enemy Poor-laws, of the Currency, a Reform of the Church, and of
to be beforehand with them. You will not need it. You have the Crown expenses, they must radicalize the House of Corn-
only to combat the demon of mischief in the spirit of unity ; mons. Ile would say, in conclusion, that on the working classes
believing that in the purity of your motives you are represen- themselves depended whether the agitation now in progress
tatives of God, and your success certain—that is, if youenake should succeed—whether they would be able to wring from
haste. But if you wait " till the golden bowl of your cog- a reluctant and imbecile Government their inalienable rights.
merce is broken, till the silver cord is loosed, the weight of a Let there be no secrecy about their agitation ; let their
grasshopper will be a burden to your tradeless weakness."— opinions be published, and they would defeat any attempt
(Load cheers.) which the Government might make to pass coercive laws
Mr. Joffe FRASER, of Edinburgh, then came forward, and which the people might feel it their duty to resist, and
was loudly cheered. He said he had, along with his friend thereby plunge the nation in the horrors of a civil war. By
Mr. Duncan, been appointed to appear before them that day Pursuing their course as they were now doing, they wrauld
as the bumble representative of the Radicals of Edinburgh._ ere long plant the democratic tree of liberty in the piece of
(Cheers.) Fifteen thousand of them had met last Monday aristocratic oppression.—(Cheers.) And no Government,
night at theGallowgate—on the Calton Hill, under God's own however cruel, vile, or profligate, could stop the glorious and
blessed light, with one heart and voice, there was no dissension hallowed cause of equal rights and equal laws.—(Cheers.)
among them—to elect the humble individuals who had been He proposed the second resolution. •
appointed to come before them. They came in the name of 2. That the principles of Representation, as defined by the
the Metropolitan Radicals of Scotland, to offer to them,. the " People's Charter," are just and reasonable, embracing, as it does
Metropolitan Radicals of England, the right hand of fellow- Universal suffrage, No Property Qualification, Annual Parlia-
vth ichl,, in their practical operation would, in the opinion of
ship.—( Loud cheers.) Scotland had been behind -England,
oues,thoef meansari of
rit=Equal Representation, Payment of Members, and Vote by
this meeting,'
at least some parts of it, in commencing the glorious move-,Commons'
paid by the Parliament—persons who,. being .responsible
ment but let them trine care that those who were last migntreturning just Representatives to the
to, and being
just interests of the nationl people,
nwothose be more lntlyetoonpsrjrutoetetraet
not yet he first.—(Cries of " Hear, hear," and cheers.)
The men of Scotland, when once in the field of war,
Assembly. This meeting, therefore, soleamol
were like their own native oaks—stubborn, strong, and un- Assembly. This meeting, therefore, solemnly adopt the " Peopls,'s
bending—and would be the last to turn their backs upon the Charter," as a measure of justice they are resolved by all legal
common foe. The men of England were said to be more means to endeavour to obtain.
excitable than the people of Scotland ; but though they were Mr. CLEAVE then presented himself to the meeting and
long to warm, the warmth was slow to pass away—though was loudly cheered. He said they had on the present occa-
they were slow to move, when once the movement had sion a great number of persons from the country in attend-
taken place where was the power that could resist a ance, and he was excecingly anxious that they should hear
phalanx of brave and sturdy Scotchmen?—( Loud cheers.) them to-day, more especially as his friend Frazer from Scot-
The thronging thousands of England were now in advance, land had given them so cheering an account of the progress
and the people of Scotland would grant them that honour ; of the good cause in Scotland.—(" Hear, hear," and
but woe be to them if after that honour had been conceded cheers.) Let them look at the fact stated by him that
to them they flinched from the great responsibility they had in the course of a tour which he had lately made
taken upon themselves.—( Loud cries of " Never." Woe through Scotland not less than 80,000 persons had seen the
be to them if they flinched from the discharge folly of intemperance, and were about to superadd to Rath_
of the duty which had devolved upon them. If calism the virtue of sobriety.—( Loud cheers.) If it were
they did,'. the enemy would be before them and the Scotch for nothing else but the benefit of their wives and their
Radicals behind them, and he would ask them if in such a children he would exhort them to put teleir seal to that most
position they would then be the pride and admiration of the righteous determination. They wught to know that it
world. Humble as he was, he, together with Abraham Dun- uses necessary for them to be as wise as serpents, but to be
can, had had the honour of addressing, within the last three harmless as doves ; and let the:n take into consideration that
months, nearly one million of the working men of Scotland.— every glass of gin and every quid of tobacco they consumed,
(Cheers.) If the meeting would allow him, he would tell only made gold for the Ministers to squander away. The rod of
them the state of feeling in Scotland.—(Cries of " Yes.") correction had been applied to the people, but they themselves
What he should now state would not be so exciting, but had supplied the means to purchase the rod.—( Hear.) If they
it would snake known to the world, through the press, the wished the Government to be more upright —if they wished
feelings of the Radicals of Scotland.—(Cheers.) In that to obtain the Charter contained in the resolution he had.
country they had no press for the Radicals. It was true that the honour to second, let all their resolves be of the most few
now and then there were some little chirrupings, but there leinu description, and let them recollect, if they held up t'aeir
was no press for the Radicals. In Dumfries there hands in support of that resolution, never to leave a stone
was an admirable Association, in a moat flourishing unturned until they were admitted within the pale of tfee Con-
condition, who had sent delegates throughout Scotland, from stitution, until they had a right to vote for t'eose who
one of whom he had received a letter some days ago, stating made the laws by which they were governed.—( Dear, hear.)
that he had been highly successful. In Ayrshire, the land Did they believe they had that right ?—( Cries of " Yes.")
that gave birth to the immortal Burns, the principal towns and Would they work for it ?—( Yes, yes.) Then let them sup-
villages were in favour of Universal Suffrage. In Renfrewshire port the resolution, and more especially adopt the latter clause
and Paisley there were powerful organisation, consisting of up- with three cheers —" that this meeting, therefore, solemnly
wards of three thousand members. In fact, in every part adopt the People's Charter, as a measure of justice ate they a
of the county of Renfrewshire with the exception of Greenock, resolved by all legal means to endeavour to obtain."—( Cheers, )
Universal Sufferarse was advocated. Poor Greenock had Let them show themselves worthy of that resolution, and -while
erected a Town liana but it was not the temple of liberty. As workmen they were unequalled in the whole world- —while
In ' Glasgow! and Hamilton :organizations had been formed as servants they fulfilled their duties, and while as'
in favour of the principle of Universal Suffrage.—( Cheers.) they were an example to every other nation, let tleem be de-
In the east of Scotland, the place where the voice of reform termined to crouch to no man, but in all righteleus things' to
had scarcely been heard, there the spiritof liberty was warming stand up as the equals, and not as the inferioes of any man
into life and activity. Howick that had fought against alive.—( Vehement cheering.) Ile hoped t'.sey would excuse:
the English, had now raised its voice with them, in his going further into the subject at present,
favour of Universal Suffrage. In that place a meeting exhort them to hear with attention t; but lie would
nn Delegates from the
was to have been held that very day, but it had been put North and South, whom it delighted-'his: to know were pre-
off on account of Mr. Duncan and himself having been in- sent. They could answer practically the objections of well-
vited to that meeting. In Edinburgh the spirit of Radical- intentioned oppositioe with respect to the views and prospects:;
ism was triumphant, and the Whigs dare not show their faces of sound Radicals in every part of the country. Let thew'
there. —( Cheers.) In all the important towns between lay aside all contentions and unite all their ens rgies
Edinburgh and Glasgow organizations in favour of Universal until they had got within the pale of the unit:silo-Wed,
Suffrage was going on. hi Fifeshire organization was pro- building before them.—(Great laughter and cheering,) g ) All
ceeding at a speedy rate, and no less than 20,000 men of that vs-aa necessary to achieve that object was eo ' Make a
Fife had signed the National Petition._(Cries of " Hear, hug pull, a strung pull, and a pull altogether, Mr. Cleave
hear.") In Dun it e orgameation was going on admirably— concluded by seconding the second eesolutiow.
the deligates that had been cent there were working admi- Mr. DOUGLAS, one of the delegates from Birmingham, then
rably. In Forfare, Montrose, Arbroath and Aberdeen the spirit came for ward. He had not come there for the purpose of,l
of liberty was as warm as in the summers south.—( Cheers.) surprising them with any displa-1 of eloquence. He came. as
He and Mr. Duncan had addressed upwards of 20,000 men in the mere representative of tlae itirmingham button-makers.—
Aberdeen, and he had no hesitation in saying that the organize- ( X laugh.) They were 'fain men, arid spoke plain words,
tion would not stop until it had reached John-o-Groats house. in a plaits manner ; an e, he hoped that in the present instance
The mass of the people of Scotland were with the men of he spoke to plain mnn. He had one or two questions to put
Scotland, they had taken the subject up in sober seriousness, to them before he •
`vent farther. He wished to ask those who
and they were now determined to struggle for one thing, and were unrepresented, and who did not occupy 101. houses, if
for one thing only—Universal Suffrage. The men, of sect. they wc::.t to the grocers or the bakers, would they get
land had done with the Tories, and had hid an eternal fare- a fleawback on the articles they purchased ? He wished,
well to the Whigs. The men of Scotland had taken the re- be know whether the Excise-officer and the Customhou nee
commendation of the working men of London, and were Nproof being tendered that they had
determined to carry on their proceedings in sober seriousness, IGIO. cVeort,e, Id interfere between them and the goo
,s vihich
He wished to
until these drinking habits are totally abolished there can he the Lord of nature had given them.
upon the
Know with
no prosperity in those lands.- .(Cheers.) ) There was one respect to the penalties of the law—of whie,n they were
more statcmsrit lie had to make, diet was as regarded phy- ignorant to judge_ee wished to know whethe_c Lord Denman
'eclaratio upon this
cal force. Its Fregrinalcions the Committees had always or Sir F. Roe would interfere under a d
asked whether he and his friend came to advocate physical ground, that they were unfrrehise,d.
He thought when he
furce. They had always
,e case. It was said, and
great moral wails Aieli had been yet untried with some appearance of reason , that the people who claimed
said no, for there weae put these questions, lie put their who,
arid they must be totally exhausted before any other were the franchise were ignorant •
end poor.—( Hear.) With respect
would tell them of what• it consisted :
tried.—( Uliesrs.) Scotehrnen were exceedingly caution; to their ignorance he
upon such a point,—(A laugh.) In Hamilton, a toeni of eueb learning as some men, they could not
great enlightenment, raid of importance, after he (Mr. F. ) trace... b '
" .... lute Noah's Ark —( Cheers)--but he denied..that,
had done si'eaking, a person asked him what they were to do—
were they to turn the left cheek sce.., they had u!rt so -.
for ...1 the necessary purposes ef life they were not perfectly-
educated. The operatives of Birmingham knew well the
right ? lie anssvered. -
"te the laws, by doing so 111.7? achieved whole of the operations of so complicated a machine as the
y
r they were smote upon w_.

TO- BE CONTINUED IN OUR
SECOND EDITION.

-1,?441