The Sun.
London, England, 1838-08-01 00:00:00

GRAND PUBLIC DEMONSTRATION
AT NORTHAMPTON IN FAVOUR OF THE
PEOPLE'S CHARTER" AND THE NATIONAL
PETITION.

On Monday last a highly important meeting of the inhabitants of
Northampton took place upon the Race-course. Early in the morning
the town was paraded by bands, banners, flags, &e., and although the
day was unusually stormy the town bore the appearance of a general
holiday. The placards convening •the meeting announced that Mr.
Henry Vincent (of London) would be'present. About noon deputations
arrived from Kettering, Buckby, and other towns and villages. The
Kettering people displayed a splendid flag, upon which was inscribed
" Justice to all." About half-past two o'clock the members of the
Wo king Men's Association and the country deputations, together with
an immense concourse of the inhabitants, assembled on the Market_
square. The procession then formal, and the banners and flags were
placed in suitable positions; amongst the numerous devices we noticed
" The People's Charter," " The National Pe' ition," " Universal Suf.
frage," " Annual Parliaments," " No Propetty Qualification," "Equal
Representation," " Vote by Ballot," " Paymmt of Members," " Edu.
cation for the People," &c. &e. At three o'clock the band struck up,
and the procession moved on through the principal streets, and arrived
on the Racecourse about four. Upon taking ud their position at the
Grand Stand, Mr. Jo,. Wright, a working man, was called to the chair.
The CHAIRMAN, in a short and impressive speech opened the business
cf the meeting. He pointed out the immense importance of the ob.
ject that had brought them together; the necessity of the people pre
serving order and decorum, and the certainty of eventual success. He
was loudly cheered.

Mr. ROBERTSON come forward to move the first resclution. He
dwelt upon the present degraded condition of the great mass of the
people, the anomalous political position of the working classes, and proved
that the first step towards remedying the evils was by infusing into
the House of Commons the principles of universal representation. He
moved the following resolution :—" This meeting is of opinion that
the cause of all the evils under which the working and trading classes
of this country labour is the defective state of the representation of the
people in the Commons House of Parliament, and that the only mode
of removing those evils is by the establishment of a Parliament composed
of the wise and the good of every class, and devising the best possible
means of promoting the happiness of all."
Mr. TIIORNE seconded the resolution.
The CHAIRMAN next briefly introduced Mr. Vincent to the meeting.
Mr. VINCENT, in coming forward, was loudly cheered. He ad-
dressed the meeting at considerable length on the subject of Uni-
versal Suffrage and the other principles embodied in the " People's
Charter." He addressed himself to those who advocate household
suffrage in opposition to universal suffrage, and clearly showed
that universal suffrage would enfranchise far more intelligent men than
household suffrage, and could not possibly enfranchise more unintelli-
gent men. He adverted to the great mass of intellectual young men
who live in lodgings in the metropolis and all the large towns. After
overthrowing she various fallacies of the brick-and.mortar-sufftage men,
he then took up the question upon the broad and comprehensive prin-
ciple of "the greatest amount of human happiness." He proved that
universal suffrage would be the people's best instruction—that it would
I;ft them up in their own estimation—that it would level aristocratic
pretensions and prejudices—that it would give the people the means of
increasing the social happiness of every human being. Mr. Vincent's
speech embraced a variety of topics of momentous importance, and as
we have not a report of his remarks, we can simply say he produced a
very powerful impression upon his hearers—was listened to with marked
attention—and repeatedly hailed with enthusiastic cheering.
The Rev. J. C. Meetly next addressed the meeting. He called upon
the working classes to rally round the Working Men's Association. He
called upon them to contend for universal suffrag^, and maintained they
were better qualified to exercise the suffrage than the middle classes,
whose knowledge consisted in measuring yards of tape, 'and casting up
their accounts.

The Rev. J. JENKINSON, of Kettering, addressed the meeting in a
very powerful speech, and was loudly cheered.
After excellent sp..eckss from other friends, resolutions were carried
by accLmation in favour of the " People's Charter" and the National
Petition ; and after voting thanks to Mr. Vincent, to which he briefly
replied, three cheers were given for the Men of Eitmingham, three
cheers for the London Working Men's Association, three cheers for
the People's Charter, and the meeting separated.

IRELAND.

THE NEW AGITATION.—This is the prefix of a long Anti-Ministerial

article in the Pilot concluding in the following terms :—•` We want
that agitation should not be merely to preserve, as it did before, certain
men in power. But that, in effecting this for certain men, they, on
their parts, shall be distinct and explicit, and tell us what they will do

return for the people ? What measures will they pledge themselves

to carry, if wa once snore place them on the van►age ground of political
strength ? We call, then, on our Liberal and independent Contempo-
raries throughout Ireland—and we know many of them upon whom we
shall not call in vain—to re-echo our demand. We all say, Let us
agitate.' The wise and the independent will also add—' What shall we
agitate for ?' "

The Mail of Monday insinuates that Mr. O'Connell is on the eve of
taking office, and that his letter bears cut the conjecture. Lord Ban-
don, who spurned the accusation as au imputation that he would dis-
possess his tenantry, has, nevertheless, got a vet diet against them at the
Ccrk Assizes. The poor harassed men have saved some points of law;
but, oh I the Irish Tory Aristocracy, what are they ? flow dare their
Pa; crs talk of Irish crime as a charge upon the Government ?—Pilot
Timm—Yesterday (Tuesday) was fixed fur a meeting of the
bitants of the barony of Cranagh, county of Kilkenny, for the purpose
of petitioning Parliament for the total abolition of tithes.—lbid.

IRISH MUNICIPAL BILL.
The subjoined letter from Mr. °Tonne!: to the Editor of the Pilot
was published in that paper last' Monday

London, July 28, 1838.
MY DEAR BA RREIT—I beg of you to apologise to my constituents for
_ _ _

the non-appearance on Monday of my second letter on the subject of the
alterations—falsely styled amendments—in the Municipal Refotm Biil.
I have b:en so busily engaged at Canterbury and eNewhere since I
sent off to you my first letter, that I have not had time to compose the
second.

For, the present, I will content myself with calling the attention of
the Irish people to the insulting mockery of c.nporate reform offered to
Ireland by Lord Lyndhurst and the Duke of Wellington. The former
has, by his decision in the great case of Small and Attwood—a decision
most properly reversed —demo•istrated to the profession of the law, and
the public in general, that lie has a mind so constituted as to be utterly
incapable of appreciating what is right and just. Nature has made him
unconsciously fit to be the tool of our meanly cunning and hateful
Orange faction. Such 11, is, and such he ever shall be.
As to the Duke of Wellington, the malignant perseverance of his
hatred of the people of his native land, might astonish any person who
was ignorant if the manner in which the ascendancy folk of his youth
were educated—l should rather say brought up—at the time he grew
from a Castle page into manhood. The bitter hate and insolent con-
tempt of the natives of Ireland were the leading sentiments instilled
into their minds from their childhood. The Duke of Wellington has
risen into much fame and f reater fortune, but he preserves all the mei-
neos and vigour of his anti-national and anti-Irish feeling, with as keen
a gusto as if he were still a page at the Castle to a Northumberland or
a Iladdington, or to some other bigot Lord Lieutenant. He cannot
help it—he is, perhaps, the only " great man" the world ever saw who
had, not one single trait of patriotism, and never exhibited one generous
or noble sentiment either in expression or in deed.

My just resentment to the insulting duo, has taken me away from the
" alterations" themselves. I will, by Monday's post, send you a detail
of their insolent malignity. Take a few hurried remarks.
By the 4th clause—a new clause introduced by Lord Lyndhurst—
the Dublin fictitious freemen are to be continued in the exercise of their
Parliamentary franchise for ever.

At present they acquire the franchise by unjust collusion with the
Co nmon Council and Aldermen. He►eafter they are to hare the fran.
chise in despite of the Council and Aldermen. The clause is perfect in
its injustice.

Another clause continues to the present corperators the execution
of all " charities." Now supplying the inhabitants of a town with water
is, in point of law, a " charity." Everybody, therefore, will see at
once that there is a device—an ingenious device—to keep the pipe.
water revenue in the hands of the present corporators. They have been,
it is true, convietrd by the Court of Chancery, anti that conviction af-
firmed by the House of Lords, simply of misapplying sotne 75,0001. of
that revenue. No matter—they are the "properest" men to continue
the mismanagement—so have sworn Lord Lyndhurst and the "foam.
nate" Duke.

But I shall have to address my countrymen at such length in your
next publication, that I close for want of time at present.
lhere is one consolation, Irishmen. Let me distil it into your
patient and secret edrs. It is this—
The report of the " Ra:lway " Commission has just been pub-
lished. It treats of every thing. There is, amongst other railway
cui iosities, half a page of direct puff—plain and palpable puff—on
the Provincial Bank. But with all its farrago, it contains one matter
of portentous importance. It proves—listen, countrymen l—it proves
that the people of Ireland are now in number Eicarr MILLIONS FIVE
HUNDRED TIIoUSAND soms--aye, and bodies too.
The great Franklin, when insulted by England, bid his countrymen
increase and multip'y. `•Ve want not the advice—we ♦aE eight
millions and a half—willing slaves !!!—oli ! no.
Pardon !—I am speaking to Ireland, my client, while I am writing
to you; yet I am very faithfully yours,
Richard Barrett, &.q

DANIEL O'CONNELL.

SLAVE APPRENTICESHIP.

The following characteristic and appropriate address appears in the
Grenada Gazelle of the 9th of June:—
" THE LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR TO TUE PR,GLIAL •PPRRNTICED