The Sun.
London, England, 1838-02-20 00:00:00

BRISTOL.

Mr. &rrier was next examined. He deposed to having overheard the
conversation between Mr. Carlile and his wife whilst standing at the to;,
of the staircase, but on cross-examination contradicted her on some
points as to the declarations made by her since the time of the transac.
Lion.

George Payne and James Watts mire then examined for the pur-
pose of proving treating at the Red Lion, Pill, about four miles from
Bristol, a few days before the election, when Mr. Berkeley and Mr.
Cunningham were present. The evidence wai of a very slight description.
The Committee then adjourned until to-marrow morning.

SLIGO.
Various witnesses were then examined, till about half-past three,
when the Committee adjourned till to-morrow, to give the partiet op_
portunity for laying before them classified lists of the evidence which
they meant to bring forward.

A daring robbery was attempted the evenince before
last at the house of Colonel Brunet, avenue St. Cloud, Passy.
The Colonel having gone out for the day, his servant, whom
be had permitted to absent himself for several hours, on return-
ing at six in the evening, was not a little astonished at per-
ceiving a light in his mater's bedroom, and certain appear-
maces near the iron gate in front of the house, which led him
to suspect that a forcible entry had been effected. Having
stealthily entered a room on the ground floor, the servant, who
was an old dragoon, seized a loaded d ;table-barrelled gun, and
then ascended softly to the bedroom on the first floor, where he
found two malefactors quietly occupied in packing up sundry
valuables, and methodically arranging them close to the win-
slow looking on the garden. As soon as the door was opened
one of the thieves jumped out of the window, and was imme-
diately fired upon by the servant, who than threatened his com-
rade with the same fate on his making the slightest attempt to
escape. Some neighbours soon came in, and the second rob-
ber was arrested. He stated himself to be a water-carrier at
La Chapelle, and according to his story, after being intoxicated
by his companion, was employed by him to assist its removing
some furniture from the Colonel's house. A pursuit was im-
mediately commenced after his accomplice, who was supposed
to have been wounded, but who, it appears, had escaped un-
Irurt with a packet, containing some valuable property belong-
ing to the Colonel. He was, however, soon afterwards appre-
hended with the stolen articles in his possession, and with his
accomplice was placed at the disposal of the Procurcur du Roi.
--Calignani.
ASSAULT BY THE WIFE AND DAUGHTERS
IDF A COUNTY MAGISTRATE.—TICS. Elizabeth Hammond and
She Misses Eliza and Amelia Hammond, the lady and daugh-
lers of a Magistrate for the Isle of Thanet and county of Kent,
appeared before the sitting Magistrates on Monday, to answer
the complaint of Mr. Atkinson, who had been assaulted by the
ladies on presenting his account to them at their residence in
Hawley-square, Margate, on January 23. Mr. Atkinson said
that, on applying at the house, Miss Amelia Hammond
tried to prevent his going in, but he insisted, and went to the
room door, on which Mrs. Hammond came from out the room,
and commenced an attack upon him, scratching his face, and
kicking him on the body. One of the young ladies snatched
his hat from his head, and closing her lady-like little fist,
punched the crown out of it. Complainant, after the above
examples of the pugnacious propensities of his assailants,
made his escape as speedily as possible. Mr. Walters saw
one of the ladies running out of the house, and calling for the
police, but judged, from the complainant's woeful appearance,
that he had most need of help. The ladies, who were at-
tended by a surgeon, entered into no other defence than a ge-
neral denial of the above-named facts, and were fined 30s.
Miss Amelia Hammond then preferred a charge against Mr.
Atkinson, which the Magistrates refused to entertain..
Kentish Chronicle.
PERTH.--EXTENSIVE GAOL BREAKING.--Our
streets have been placarded with large bills relative to the
escape of nine prisoners from the gaol of Perth, and offering
a reward of 701. for their apprehension. According to the
account given in the Perth papers, the escape was effected
in the following manner:—.Mr. Simpson, the gaoler, along
with the turnkey, went out to open the doors of the day
rooms, in one of which there were thirteen male prisoners,
for the purpose of conveying them to their cells for the night.
The turnkey who opened the door was immediately seized by
a number of the prisoners, according to a plan which had been
previously laid, and forced into one of the adjoining cells,
where he was bound, a napkin tied round his head, to cover
his mouth to prevent him giving the alarm. The gaoler was
also seized and bound in a similar manner, and the keys of the
gaol, which both gaoler and turnkey had in their hands, were,
after some struggling, taken from them, and nine of the thir-
teen prisoners effected their escape. It is only those who
were guilty of, or were to be charged with the most heinous
offences, who sought to effect their escape. One of the four
who remained in prison did not think it convenient to shift his
quarters for ono night, as he was to be liberated on the day
1
, z. firing at any rate, and the terms of confinement of the other
1 -11 eit 46 ntaitiy expired.
r--,),-.!-'—iii 'defiance of all prohibition the reformed Corpora-
c., ' tion or oston have persisted in cutting down and selling the
fir trees in -Boston' churchyard. Having sold the trees and the
7,; -• ' plate, people arel. apprehensive that they will now sell the
fi--
_ grave stones, altheiugh thny have not yet been advertised.-_ Lincoln CAr2y.
(
-.s'Y'''Y
Ai a a

,POOR-LAW AMENDMENT BILL.

MEETING AT• FREEMASON'S TAVERN.

The CHAIRMAN (in Continuation from our First Edition of yes-
terday) said—The demands of the people, for those rights which were
established by Statute, and had existed far 300 years, must be at.
tended to.—(Cheers.) Although the agricultural districts had not pe-
titioned against the Bill, it was not to be supposed that their silence im-
plied consent.—(Hear, hear.) A gentleman from Suffolk would tell
the meeting that intimidation prevailed in Suffolk.—(Hear, hear.)
The labourers were there in a state of thraldom, which could not be
allowed to continue without consequences the most calamitous.—(Hear.)
It was no apology for the present law, that some persons had conceived
an unjust prejudice against the former law. It was impossible to sup-
pose that the former law should have existed for two centuries, and only
at the end of that period bring forth the evils ascribed to it. The former
amount of the poor-rates was not the disorder, it was only a symptom
of the disorder—the,natural and necessary result of the increased pail-
perism.—(Hear, hear.) He thought the proper plan would be to exact
the Statute of Elisabeth in all its simplicity, with suck additions as
would benefit the working classes.—(Hear, hear, and cheers.) The
resolutions would now be submitted to them, and they would be ad.
dressed in turn by a gentleman in whom the people placed great
confidence—he meant Mr. Fielden. He would be followed by Mr. Wal-
ter, who during the last session had exerted himself with so much lau-
dable patriotism and indefatigable perseverance in collecting evidence
upon the subject.—(Cheers.) The Rev. Mr. Dewdney, of Sussex, Mr.
Oastler, of Yorkshire, and Mr. Richardson, of Manchester, would also
address them, and he trusted they would give all who did se a patient
and candid hearing. They should endeavour to triumph over the des-
potic triumvirate of Somerset House.—(Cheers.) That triumph could
only be gained by unity of purpose, by directing all their exertions, by
confining all their deliberations and discussions to this one object, and
abstaining from entering into any extraneous or irrelevant topics, how-
ever important those topics might be in respect of other questions.
—(Hear.) This course it was that gave such great influence to the
meeting in the West Riding of York, which was attended
by 300,000 persons. This was a question on which persons of all poli-
tical opinions should cordially co-operate, and if any attempt were made
to introduce other topics, he should rely on the support of the meeting
for the purpose of checking any ouch attempt,—(Cheers.)
Mr. Freeezer, M.P. rose to move the first resolution. It afforded
him sincere gratification to meet so numerous an assembly, having one
object in view, namely, to remove from the statute book, the odious Poor.
law Amendment Bill.—(Cheers.) He was gratified to find on
the platform men of all opinions, on political questions, and
then. Aseociationslshould be formed of men of all shades of
political opinions. [Dr. Wade—Except the Whigs.—(Laughter.)]
The Association, there was no doubt, would extend throughout the ,
whole country if it were properly entered into, and therefore he trusted,
that should any one wish to introduce extraneous matter, the meeting
would be determined to stick close to the object in view. It was a
Coercion Bill, and was so designated when passing through the
House, and he trusted they would not rest till they obtained its
total repeal.—(Loud cheers.) It was well known that had the
late Mr. Cobbett's motion for an inquiry into the causes of
the distress existing in the country been agreed to, they
never would have heard a word of such a Bill of cruelty and oppression.
The poor man get only half a quarter for twenty.one days' labour
now, while it was well-known that two centuries ago he ceuldliave got
a whole quarter.—(Cheers.) The Government and the Legislature
ought to have taken measures to restore the poor man to his old stan-
dard, in place of making him worse.—(Cheers.) The Bill which they
had got for remedying the evils complained of was one which
put an end to all local government, and the princip`e
of it was to rob the poor of the rates.—(Hear, hear, and cheers.)
That had been the effect. A diminution of rates had, it was true, token
place, but that diminution had, instead of relieving the poor, oppressed
and ground them down to a greater degree than had been ever before
known.—(Hear, hear.) Who, then, had they benefited by the diminu.
Lion of rates ? These gentlemen who were clothed in a little brief autho-
rity, and who were sending their spies throughout the country.—
(Laughter and cheers.) The Commissioners, in their instructional
letters, required those who had the administration of poor-rates
to be hard taskmasters and worse pay-masters.—(Hear.) He complained
of these wile without reflecting on the actual circumstances of the
labouring pour, were constantly calumniating and belying them. He
had as much experience of the labourite; poor as any man, and he
would assert without fear of contradiction that there was not one out
of forty, who was not willing to labcur diligently and unremittingly.—
(Hear, hear.) He had sent persons to make inquiries in the Unions
of Ampthill, Bedford, and Woburn, in order to ascertain the effect
of the New Poor Law Bill on the poor. What did he find
from their report? Misery, destitution, and poverty to a degree unex-
ampled in the history of the country. One of the effects of this self-
acting test of the Commissioners was to have been the rise of wages.
If the Bill had the effect of increasing wages and diminishing crime, it
would have been unobjectionable ; but in truth its effect had been the
very contrary to what its philosophical authors contemplated- None
but Whigs and Whig-Radicals would have expected any good from it.
--(Loud cries of " And the Tories and Roebuck"—Hisses, aid
much interruption.) Although all parties in Parliament united to support
the Bill, yet the blame was chiefly with the Whigs who brought it in.—
(Hear.) But many Tories opposed it—(Hear, hear)—amongst others,
his friend the late member for Berkshire, Mr. Walter—(Laughter,
and a cry of" renegade Whig.") The Tory press hod consistently op-
posed the Bill, and exposed its operation, whereas the Whig press and
the Whig-Radical press had done every thing to prop it up.—(Cries of
" No, no," " Yes, yes," and great interruption.)
Lord STAEUOPO begged to call his friend to order. He entreated ii:m
to abstain from every topic which could in the most distant manner !'e
interpreted as bearing upon party politics.—(Cheers.)
Mr. FIELDEN apologised. He had been led away by the subject into
a discussion from which he might to have abstained. He would go now
to show the meeting that the effect of the Bill had been t• reduce
the wages of the labouring classes. The BM made the parish the har-
dest taskmaster, and the worst paymaster. For instance the parish
allowed 75. a.week in cases where the regular employers gave I Os. Now
was It not clear that this enabled the employers to reduce wages ?
(Hear, hear.) Would not a man ;weer taking Os. from a farmer, and
have his liberty, to 7s. from the parish, and be subject to cruel
restrictions?—(Hear.) In fact, the Bill would shortly bring down the
English labourers to the condition of the Irish.—(Hear, bear, hear.)
No one was interested in continuing the new Act except those who had
a personal interest in the management and operation of the measure.
He would not trespass longer upon their time, but he would tint it to
them,as men and Englishmen, whether they would any longer consent
to so iniquitous an Act remalning upon the Statute-book. It had been
arranged that the resolutions should be put to them at once, in order to

save the tine of the meeting, and he would now take the liberty of
reading them. r-e Hon. Gentleman then proceeded to read the re-
solutions, which were condemnatory of the Poor_law•s Amendment
Act, the adoption of petitions to Parliament, and an Address to
her Majesty praying for a repeal of the Act. The resolutions also em-
bodied the proposition of establishing a Metropolitan Association, of
which Earl S:anhope was to be chairman, Mr. Fielden deputy-cha;r-
man, and Mr. Walter treasurer.

Mr. WALTER then rose to second the resolutions, and was greeted
with muc; cheering, but was interrupted 1.1 a person near the chair
bawling out, " Here is an individual who is probably p:rid by the Poor_
law Committee, for ho has interrupted the meeting several times ;
show him up for a Curiosity."—(Great laughter and uproar.)
The CRAIRMAN interposed. He stated that a proper time would oc.
cur for any gentleman who thought fit to addres, the meeting.
Mr. WALTER, after silence had been restored, proceeded to addres;
the meeting. Thinking the new P,.or-law might be shorn of something
of its malignity, he had consented to become a member of the Poor-law
Committee ; but he was there met by a majority avowedly hostile
to any change in the Bill, and whose object appeared to be
to put hina and his friends opposed to the Bill on their trial rather than
the Poor Law Commissioners.—(Loud cries of " Hear, hear.") He
had no hesitation in stating that representatives of those who were in
favour of the Bill, and the statements of the Poor Law Commissioners
relative to the beneficial workings or the measure were entirely with.
out foundation.—(Cheers ) But if he had no confidence in the Corn.
mittee of last year, from which he and another Member withdrew in
disgust, still less had he any confidence in the one of the present Session.
The more he heard of the workhouse system—a system of low diet
—a system which violated the laws of nature and of God—
(Hear, hear, and loud cheers)—a system which tore whole fa-
milies from their own village and took them to a workhouse some
eight or ten miles from where their affections are centered. These
were the main principles of the measure, and therefore it was that he
thought it could not to amended and must be repealed. Again, as to its
new constitutional character, that did not appear in the Bill itself.
They were shown in the Rules and Orders of the three London Gentle-
men sitting at Somerset House, and the country was governed by satraps
sent down from London. Even despotism ought to be impartial—in
London they were allowed a sufficient quantity of wholesome meat,
with eleven pints of gruel a_week ; they had one day in the week as a
holiday, out of the workhouse; and the law for separating man
and wife had not been acted upon; but in the country the case was
very different; it was there carried out in an unnatural way, and there-
fore he hoped they would do all in their power to put an end to the
Associations of commissioners, assistant-commissioners, and emi-
gration commissioners, by their counter Association.—(Cheers )
They were no secret Association—(Hear, hear) ; they were a public
meeting resisting a great public grievance.—(Hear, hear.) He hoped
that the recommendation of his Honourable Friend Mr. Fielden would
be strictly adhered to, and that their proceedings would be characterised
by unanimity. He would not trespass further on their attention than
to read a letter from Mr. Bowen, of Bridgewater, a gentleman who was
well known to them for the strong opinions which he held on this
subject, and which, for the sound views which were contained
in it, would no doubt be interesting to them. The Hon. Gentleman
then proceeded to read the communication which he referred to. After
detailing the evils resulting from the operation of the New Poor-law in
the district in which the writer resided, it stated his concurrence in the
objects of the meeting, and his determination to afford them every co.
operation -in his power. In conclusion, the writer expressed a hope that
this question would not afford a vehicle fur violent or inflammatory lan-
zuage.— ( Hear, hear.)

Mr. VINCENT then addressed the meeting. They were assembled to
take into consideration the propriety of forming an Association to effect
the Repeal of the Poor-law Amendment Act. It was the duty of the
working classes, therefore, who were most deeply interested in the bene-
ficial operation of the Act, to ascertain how far they were called upon to
ask for the repeal of what had been termed one of the most atrocious
Acts that had ever disgraced the Statute book of that country.—
(Cheers.) He had come there for the purpose of moving an amend-
ment to the object of the meeting, but he had since had an in-
terview with the Committee, and had ascertained that he could
not do it consistently with the terms of the requisition ; but it was
his intention, as soon as the regular business of the meeting had been
finished, to move another person into the Chair.—(Vehement cheering.)
The great evil of the country was the non-representation of the working
classes.—(Applause.) Until the rotten political system which at present
prevailed was put an end to, and until the unholy combination of wealth
and aristocracy against the working classes was put down, the people of
that country would never obtain their rights.—(Great cheering.)
A Gentleman on the platform (whose name we understood to be
Adolph) here rose to order, and submitted that the speaker was deviat-
ing from the subject.—(Cries of " Shame," hisses, and great uproar.)
Several persons attempted to address the Chair, bet in the confusion we
could not ascertain with what object.

The CHAIRMAN said, the gentleman on his left .(Mr. Vincent) was en-
deavouring to prove, that without the great organic change he was re-
commending they could not hope for a repeal of the Poor-laws—(Hear,
hear.) At the same time, considering what he had stated, that he
would by and bye move some one should take the chair in
the place of himself for the express purpose of having that
question discussed, he (the Chairman) would submit to him whether it
would not be better for him to postpone those observations until a future
period of the day.

Mr. VINCENT resumed—He wished that the people should un-
derstand what was the cause of the evil they were now met to
remedy. The poor were made poor by circumstances and institu-
tions over which they had no controuL—(Hear, hear.) The worthy
Chairman and those surrounding him might suppose, that because he
was not about to move an amendment, that he had the greatest
confidence in those who were about to form the Association, the pre-
tended advocates for a repeal of the Poor Laws.—(The greatest confusion
here took place in consequence of two gentlemen on the platform going
up to the sp2aker for the purpose apparently of persuading him to
abstain from any longer addressing the meeting. Three-fourths of the
meeting immediately rose, crying out " Order, order," " Allow him to
proceed," " You don't like to hear the truth," &c. &c.) At length,
Mr. VINCENT resumed. Had he been allowed to have finished his
sentence they would have found what his meaning was. W hen he found
by the papers of that day, in which the working classes were
charged with having taken up the cause of the Glasgow cotton-spinners
in order to screen themselves, his blood boiled at such audacious lies, and
when he saw the proprietor of that same paper come forward with pre-
tended sympathy for the people, he could not help letting the
people know the real state of the case,—(Elear, hear, hear, and

' cheers.) When he saw men came forward pretending to be anti° Is
to serve the cause of the people, and yet would net give them the only
means by which they could benefit themselves, he could not help calling
their sympathy pretended—(Uproar, and cries of" Question.';) He was
!peaking to the question, and their pretended friends were only anxious
to shirk the great questions which would be for the interests of the
many and not of the few.—(Uproar.) He called upon the working
classes to call upon the proposed Association to take up the great
and paramount questions, upon which depended the happiness of the
millions. He believed that there could be no justice for the working
classes until the people were fully represented in Parliament.—(Cries
of " and "Go on.") So long as they were obliged to go with
petitions to the two Houses of Parliament and to the Queen, they
would never receive justice, until the democratic principle
was fully carried into effect.—(Great cheering, and some hisses.)
He called on the meeting to place confidence in the professions of no
man who did not advocate Universal Suffrage.—(Tremendous cheers )
Dr. WADE came forward, not, he said, to make a speech, but to bring
hack the meeting to its proper object. He thought that the Committee
was too limited ; and all its members ought to be elected by the present
meeting, and include persons of all classes and parties.—(Cheers )
Mr. Gounii had thought it extraordinary, when he heard the resolu.
tions read, that the Committee should have selected persons from their
own body, to form a permanent Committee. He agreed with Dr. Wade,
that the present meeting should have the power of election, and
should choose nen of all parties.—(Hear, hear.) On the subject of the
Poor-laws Amendment Act itself, he had to inform the meeting,
that if the Guardians of the Poor had acted in every parish as those
of St. Leonard's and Shoreditch had acted, the New Poor-law Bill
would have died 'a natural death long ago.—(Cheers.) In that parish
the orders of the Commissioners were totally disregarded, and after much
struggling, the three despots gave up the contest. When he, with
a deputation waited upon Lord John Russell, nothing could exceed
the slippery, mean, and inhuman conduct of that man.—( Hisses.) He
refused to take a petition to the King because it came from a Political
Union—(Hisses)—although he and his colleagues owed their places to
the support of Political Unions.—(Cheers.) On that occasion he (Mr.
G.) had a petition in favour of the Dorchester labourers.--(Cheers.)
Earl STANHOPE called the gentleman to order, because he was going
away from the business of the meeting.—(Great confusion.)
Mr. GOUGH proceeded amidst tumultuous applause. lie told Lord J.
Russell that the lay appropriators of ecclesiastical property held a good
deal of what belonged to the poor.—(Cheers.) The Noble Lord
said he was personal, to which he replied that he was speaking to
the King's Secretary, and not to Lord John Russell.—(Cheers and
laughter.) Mr. G. sat down with seconding Dr. Wade's proposition.
Mr. PIERCE, one of the guardians of the poor of St. Leo.
nards Shoreditch, also supported the proposition. He consi-
dered himself one of the working. men who might yet came
to the workhouse, and as he had not yet got the fetters
on him, he wished to have the opportunity of fighting to prevent their
being put on him.—(Cheers and laughter.) Mr. Mott had tried
several pairs of fetters upon him, and other guardians of St. Leo-
nard's, but none of them would fit.—(Loud cheers and laughter.)
He would go any length with some of these presedt who introduce.(
political topics ; but he begged them not to mix up other questions with
the great object of the meeting.—(Hear, hear.) As a practical man he
was able to corroborate the statement of the Noble Lord is the Chair,
that the 8.11 was so bad that it could not be. mend-ed. It must be en.
tirely abrogated.—(Cheers.) For his part he (Mr. Pierce) differed from
the Noble Lord and from others on the platform on some political sub-
jects ; but he was grateful to them for their exertions in this great
cause. He recommended the meeting not to entertain the question of
univesal suffrage until after the dei-arture of the Chairman.—(Hisses.)
Mr. GASTLER then presented himself before the meeting, and was
greeted with enthusiastic applause. He appeared, he said, in a new
character. He had once, some five years ago, come before a meeting of
the people of Westminster, as the advocate of the poor and defenceless
factory children ;—(Hear, hear,)—but now he stood before them as the
advocate of the rich.—(Hear, hear.) As between the poor and the
Poor-law Bill, the question was already settled. He was there to tell
the rich that the pit which they had digged for the poor, was one
Into which they themselves must fall.—(Cheers.) The [nor would not
and could not, long endure the Bill.—(Hear, hear.) If the law were
to be continued, the rights of property must be extinguished, and the
order of society entirely destroyed.—(Cheers.) When he first saw the
Bill, he was convinced that it could not be carried into effect without
producing bloodshed, anarchy, fire, and destruction throughout the
land.--(Cheers.) Before the Bill passed, he (Mr. 0.) had come to
London to tell the Duke of London and other Lords, that if they did
pass the Bill, property would not be worth three years' purchase. He
knew the people of England well—indeed seven or eight hundred
thousand of them (men, women, and children) were tinder his kingly
rule, for he was king of the north.—(Cheers and laughter.) He knew
them well, and he could say that there never existed a body of men
more honest or industrious, nor of women more virtuous.—(bear and
cheers.) But the Bill was framed on the supposition that they were
idle and immoral. Now could it be possible that a law should succeed
with the virtuous and moral which was made for the idle and immoral?
—( Hear, hear.) It was at first pretended that the Bill was not to be
general ; and it was stated in the House of Lords that the man and
wife were not to be separated. Oh Ilw liked to trace the snake through
all his windings, and he hoped to scotch him at last.—(Hear, hear, and
a laugh.) The Commissioners did not separate husband and wife, pa-
rent and child, but they classified them in separate workhouses.—(Hear,
hear, and laughter.) Oh! when he was corning into London the other
day, he passed 11 Ncwgate, which he thought looked to be a very uncom-
fortatee place; but he thought he would be more comfortable there with a
good conscience than in Somerset House with a bad conscience—(Cheers)
and he hoped yet to make even Somerset House an uncomfortable place
for thieves to live in.—(Rears of laughter.) Mr. Oastler then went
into a lengthened statement of the proceedings of the guardians of the
poor at Huddersfield. One member was an informer, a cheat, and a
knave. The chairman was now a great advocate fir the law, although he
was a notorious Luddite, and fought at the battle ofßawfold's Mills, for
which 14 men were hanged, of whom one was his brother and another was
his cousin. But Huddersfield was a quiet place; for the Commissioners had
not succeeded, although they tried it with the London police, who found it
better to quit the p'ace in a short time. Then the soldiers were sent ;
but they agreed with the people very well, for they detested the Bill.—
(Cheers.) In the agricultural districts the poor were deluded by a
worthy accessory of the Commissioners—one Dr. Kay ; and one Baker
at Leeds, and Muggridge at Manchester—monsters—dealers in human
flesh—the flesh of men, of women and children.—(shame.) lie related
some instances of families being induced, in the depth of winter, to
travel 170 miles and more, from the agricultural districts to the
manufacturing, under the delusive persuasion of those three per-
sons, that they should obtain profitable employment.—(Shame.)
On Tuesday week last, he and Mr. Fielden saw in Manchester
' 21 Englishmen yoked- like brutes in a cart, drawing potatoes, and re-
ceiving 2s. amongst them for dragging the cart thirty miles.—(Shame.)
These men were as dear in the sight of God as the Noble Lord in the
Chair—as dear in the sight of the Queen as any 21 peers of the realm.
—(A pm son called out "Blarney."—Hisses.) Mr. 0. said the person
teas an agent of the Commissicners.—(Hear, and a laugh.) That
person should give to the poor of leis parish the money which he re-
ceived from his masters. But they must not deceive themselves into
the belief, that with such arms and hearts as the people of England pos-
sessed, their law would be sub.nitted to. It must produce a rebellion
if persevered in. He, for one, never would submit to it.—(Cheers.) It was
against the law of Nature and of God.—(Cheers.) If lie:should come
to poverty, and his wife were to be taken from him by force, he
would either kill or be killed.—(Cheers.) If his wife were taken
from hi.n and put into the house of another person, he would be
justified in law to take that person's life ; and he wished that
to go forth to the people of England.—(Cheers.) The Parliament had
no power to transfer to the three Commissioners his allegiance, which
was due to his Queen, the Constitution, and his God. He was thank-
ful to Mr O'Connell for abusing him in the House of Commons, and
reading his speeches there ; and he also thanked the editor of the
" Cl.ronicle" for calling him so many foul names, and so often.—
(Cheers and laughter.) The cheers of the meeting assured him that
the Bill would be repealed. He was a Tory, but he would unite wah
men of all parties to procure the Repeal. He was willing to meet his
Radical felt -w.countrymnn, and rub away their mutual
prejudices.—
( Hear, hear.) If he found them right he would become a Radical.—
(Hear.) He had rather ascend to Heaven from the scaffold
than take up his abode in that kennel up n the other side of the Strand,
where the three.headed Cerberus nightly and daily set up its howl.—
(Loud and repeated cheering.)
Dr. WADI( said that he was so convinced of the zeal and efficiency of
the gentlemen nominated for the Committee, that he would withdraw
his proposition for adding to the numbers—(Heer, hear.)
Mr. Mummy wished to follow up the observations of the gentleman
who preceded him, by the course which had been adopted in
his earisne—
St. Pancras--to defeat the Bill. The Guardians refused to act upon
the orders of the Commissioners, and the Court of King's Beech de-
cided in favour of the Guardians. If all the parishes through-
out the country had acted like the parishes of St. Pancras, St. Leonard's,
and at. George's, the Bill would be a dead letter.—(Hear.) He would
not accept the office of Guardian, because he, would not take any part in
carrying the Bill into effect. If be were a Guardian, he would risk life
and property to protect the poor.—(Cheers.) He would unite with men
of all parties to obtain the repeal of that iniquitous measure.—(Hear.)
It had been said this day that the
pauper. in the London workheus. s were
allowed to go out once a week. That was net the fact. In St. Paul's,
Covent-Garden, a man was allowed to go out one day,
but in eonse_
quencs of his staying from his bad home seven minutes beyond the hour
appointed by the master for his return, he was condemned to six
months imprisonment in the workhouse—(Shame)—and a friend call-
ing to see him on the visiting day, was told that he could not ace
him fur six months.—(Shame.) It was pretended that the Poor-law
had encreased the wages of the labourers, and it was attempted in the
Committee of the House of Commons to establish that by the evidence
of the labourers. But notwithstanding the efforts of the Chairman
and others to make it out, the contrary
was proved. It was also de-
nied that husband and wife were separated ; but the truth was that they
were so, and in workhouses so far asunder as 17 miles,—(Shame.) But
in St. Pancras, in despite of the Commissioners, the old men were al.
lowed to go over to their wives to take a cup of tea on a Sunday evening.
—(Loud Cheers.) He stated the case of a woman who was
admitted into that workhouse at one o'clock in the mem-
o); thes imea'csleterko.f annoethefraewt o was,
ibng, and although every attention wAs paid to her she expired
usshee t owaws
to admit her.—(Cries of " Shame.") A verdict to that effect Ism
himebursdheeredwasbyartshte
brought
given upon an inquest, and the matter was represented Lord
to
John Russell, who referred it to the Commissioners, although
they were the parties implicated. lir. W. concluded by sailing on
the meeting to unite in their exertionsto get
of the Bill, and to send
the Commissioners to the same fare which they allotted to the poor.
The Rev. Mr. DEWDNET, of Portsea, deprecated the
mixing
up of any party question with the object of the meeting.
He de-
nounecd the Bill as unconstitutional, inhuman, and unchristian The
Committee of the House of Commons appointed to inquire into' the
prevent working of the Bill was moat iniquitous, its object was totruth
from being heard, and to invite falsehoott—(Hear.) His
friend,
l the
had truly told that Committee that the old law was bad in Brock
,
s
but that the new one was bad in its enactments. (Hear hietar.) abusHese,
(Mr. D.) recommended all the enemies of the Bill to become
Guardians when they could, in order to frustrate its operations.
The Board of Guardians at Portsea entered a minute upon thir
books censuring the conduct of the Master of the workhouse, and the
relieving officers, for taking in a family who were found a starving in a
shed, and nearly at the point of death. In another workhouse a woman
perished through the neglect of the mistress, who
as merely dismissed
for having caused the death of a fellow.creature ; whereas a poor man
who left the said workhouse with a shirt and a pair of stockings
oa him belonging to the parish was prosecuted, and sentenced to
three months imprisonment.—(Shame.) A Committee had been ap-
pointed to enquire into the working of the Bill this Session, solely for y
the purpose of staving off the question to the end of the Session. But
there was no want of promptitude in the Ministers and the Parlia.
ment in the affair of Canada.—(Loud cries of " hear, hear, hear.)
He sincerely exhorted every person present to procure' the
election of persons unfriendly to the Bill to fill the office of g uardian
Mr. Iticneauscne of Manchester next addressed the meeting at
considerable length, in reprobation of the Poor-law Amendment Bill,
and was much applauded. He referred to a pamphlet en the
of Poor-laws, published by Knight, which he said Was n, subject
ofll
misrepresentations. Ile read one extract to show the character of
the work. It was a statement from the Rev. Richard Lowe, of Bing-
ham—that chastity was a virtue unknown amongst the poorer class of
females in England—(Loud cries of indignation)—except to some
extent amongst domestic servants, who knew that they held their
places by that tenure—(Laughter.) He (Mr. Richardson) de-
fended the women of England against so gross a calumny, and said that it
was upon such misrepresentations of the working classes, the whole
measure of the Poor Law Amendment was founded. He hope( the
men of Middlesex would not be backward in Joining their brethren in
the North, in resistance to the iniquitous Bill.—(Applause.)
General JOHNSON briefly supported the object of the • meeting, and
the resolutions which had been proposed.

Mr. WALTER attempted to say a few words, but o old not obtain a
bearing, amidst cries of " Time."

The Resolutions were then agreed to, and thanks were voted to the
Cha;rman, amidst loud and repeated cheering; and his Lordship said
that he would not detain the Meeting from the business which others
proposed to introduce, further than to say that he was desirous to see a
full, fair, and free representaiion of all classes of the people.—(Cheers.)
Dr. WAus: was then called to the Chair, and Mr. VINCIiNT brought
forward a resolution in favour of Universal Suffrage, which was carried
unanimously.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT,

HOUSE OF LORDS, FBI. 19.

The LORD CHANCELLOR took his scat on the Woolsack at
Five o'Clock.
A Message from the House of Commons brought up the
Grand Juries (Waterford) Bill, which—
Upon the motion of the Marquis of LANSDOWNE, was
read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time to-
morrow. .

The Bishop of ELY presented a petition signed by 41
clergymen, against the suppression of the Bishopric of Sodor
and Man.

NATIONAL EDUCATION.
The Marquis of CLEVELAND presented a petition from
a place in the County of Durham, praying for
.Universal
Suffrage ; also a petition from the same place, in favour
of a system of National Education, which had his
cordial consent ; and he hoped the Noble and Learned
Lord near him would not fail to carry forward the Bill with
all the ability which he was so capable of bringing to the
question which he had introduced on this subject.
Lord BROUGHAM said that very soon after the question
of slavery was disposed of, he should bring forward this subject.
The cause of his so long delaying it was his desire not to mingle
two great questions together, in which case he had generally
found one er the other to be prejudiced.
Lord REDESDALE presented a petition from Esham,
against the Suppression of the Bishopric of Sodor and Man.
Also two petitione from the Commissioners of Turnpike Roads,
against the abolition of the Statute-labour Duty.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE presented petitions from
Protestant Dissenters assembling at Huddersfield, at a Pres-
byterian Chapel at Devizes, at Sion Chapel, Shoreditch, at
Silver-street Chapel, and several other places, complaining of
grievances.
Lord ABING ER presented a petition from an individual
against the abolition of the Imprisonment for Debt Bill.
Cord WH A RNCLIFFE presented a petition from an
individual, named John Wharton, praying for a re-
hearing of a cause, which had been decided by their Lord-
ships' House upon the merits. The question
.in the cause
related to a legacy left by General Lambton, and a suit in the
Court of Chancery having been institue2d, his Honour the
Vice-Chancellor decided it. The cause was appealed to
the Lord Chancellor, then Lord Brougham, who confirmed
his Honour's decision. Upon the cause being brought to their
Lordships' House, the decree of the Court of Chancery was
reversed, and the petitioner now prayed that the case
might be ordered to be re-heard. He (Lord W.) cer-
tainly felt rather prejudiced against the House directing a
cause to be re-heard upon its merits, although he felt
it to be his duty to present the present petition.
The petitioner, however, stated one ground, on which he ap-
plied, and upon which he considerably relied. He stated that
it was usual for their Lordships to give notice of the time
when a judgment was to be given, that the parties
andtheir agents might be present, ready to furnish
any necessary information, or to supply any defect that
might occur at the moment when judgment was being deli-
vered ; but that in the present instance no notice had been
given, and the consequence was, that neither the parties nor
their agents were present. How far this operated as a ground
for a rehearing upon the merits he was riot prepared to say ;
but probably the Noble and Learned Lords who were in the
habit of attending that House judicially would be able to
state.

The LORD CHANCELLOR stated that the point wax
very fully inquired into in the course of the last Session of
parliament. Upon that occasion a Noble Lord presented a peti-
tion from an indilidual, praying that the House would order a
cause to be reheard. Precedents were then searched for, and
although there were some instances found in which a rehearing
had been ordered, where something had been omitted, yet
there never had been a case of rehearing ordered upon
the merits, and upon that occasion, the Noble Lord finding
the precedents to be so, withdrew the petition. The reason
that the parties had not had notice of the judgment
in this instance could form no ground why a rehearing
should be ordered. There was no appeal nor any re-
hearing pending—thrrefore the absence of the parties
when judgment was delivered upon the appeal
could not now be of the corvequence it otherwise
would have been. He hoped the Noble Lord would think
proper to follow the example that had been set last Session,
and withdraw the petition.
Lord BROUGHAM agreed with his Noble and Learned
Friend in hoping that the Noble Lord would withdraw
the petition. This was one of the two cases in which
the House had differed from him in opinion while he held
the Great Seals.---( Hear, hear.) The question was,
whether a legacy was given in redemption of part of a mar-
riage settlemen.. This was a difficult and very fit subject, no
doubt, for the consideration of the House of Lords. He was
not present when the House gave its judgment. He
did not complaia of that. If he had been, he would
either have been convinced by what was stated, or he should
have stated his own opinion. This was a case which ho had
considered very fully, and although he was bound now to think
that he was wrong in the judgment he had formed, yet he had
concurred with all the rest of the profession with whom
he had consulted that he had come to a right decision.
He agreed with his Noble Friend on the Woolsack, that it
was quite impossible to open the case now. The absence of
the parties was no ground for adopting such a course of pro-
ceeding. He would strongly recommend to his Noble Friend
to withdraw the petition.
Lord L YNDH URST said that he should not have moved
the jVg:nent of the House in the absence of his Noble Friend
opposite ( Lord Brougham), had he not been pressed by the
parties on both sides to do so. As to the parties not knowing
the ground on which the judgment proceeded, all he had to say
was that two gentlemen were present who usually reported
the legal proceedings of their Lordships, and who had re-
ported the reasor.s most accurately.
The Earl of DEVON deprecated the opening of the deci-
sion of their Lordships.
After a few words from Lord BROUGHAM,
Lord WH A RNCLIFFE withdrew the petition.
Lord BROUGHAM then presented petitions against the
Negro Apprenticeship system, from Barnsley, Wakefield, Dur-
ham, Middlesborough, Bridlington, Welch Posh, Cumnock,
Launceston, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Morpetb, Soutlibreat,
Abergavenny, South Shields, Deptford, City of Bristol,
and -from the Delegates of the Society of Friends.
The Noble Lord also presented a petition from Mon-
trose, in favour of the operation of the law, giving
them a better constituency and more protection for the Eleotive
Franchise. The Noble Lord also presented a petition from
Uttoxetcr against Church. rates.
Lord BRO UG HA NI not seeing the Secretary of State for
the Colonies, in his place, wished to know front the President of
the Council or the Noble Viscount at the head of her Majesty's
Government, whether there was any foundation for the state-
ment which had been made, that the Governor of the Leeward
Islands had assembled a Convention at Antigua with respect
to the Slaves.

Lord MELBOURNE said that the Secretary for the Co-
lonies would be in his place to-morrow—when he would be
able to give any inforrnation on the subject.
CUSTODY OF INSANE PERSONS BILL.

On the motion of Lord REDESDALE, the Bill for the
Custody of Insane Persons was read a second time, and or-
dered to be committed on Friday.
After a few observations from the LORD CHANCEL-
LOR, he moved the third reading of the Banking Copart-
nership Bill.
After a few words from the Lord Chancellor, Lord Ellen-
borough, Lord Abinger, and Lord Redesdale, the Bill was
read a third time and passed.
The Bill was then taken down by the Masters in Chancery
to the House of Commons.

A message from the Commons brought back the Bill, after
a considerable interval, with the amendments agreed to.
MESSAGES FROM THE COMMONS.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER and others brought
up the Transfer of Aids Bill, the Exchequer Bills Bill, and
the Parliamentary Electors and Freemen Bill, which were
sererally read a first time.—Adjourned.