The Sun.
London, England, 1838-12-29 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1838.

Radicals, and he did so again, for they would most undoubt-
edly now play into the bands of the Whigs. Tbey had nothing
to fear from the Tories, for they were down never again to
rise. They had little to fear from the Whigs, but let
them beware of those who professed to be their friends. It
was to the sham-Radicals that the incarceration of Mr.
Stephens was owing. That Reverend, and really kind-
hearted man, as well as himself, had been denounced by those
sham friends; but notwithstanding the denunciation of Mr.
Ward, the sham-Radical Member for Sheffield, or the kind
enquiries of Sergeant Campbell—(Loud laughter)—he was
still amongst them.—(Cheers.) He would tell their enemies;to
pause, to considerwell what they wore about to do, for if they
irritated the people beyond the point of endurance, woe unto
them, for it would be indeed difficult to stop the carnage when
it was once begun. He for one would stand by Mr. Stephens,
and he trusted the people of London would do the
(Cheers.)

Mr. CARDO said as they had done him the honour of electing
h'm their delegate, he begged to say a few words before the
resolution was passed. The Whigs bad laid their hands upon
Mr. Stephens—it was an index of their determination ; but he
could assure them that even if he shared the same fate, he was
determined to follow the same line of conduct as had been
pursued by that really good man.—(Loud cheers.) fie had
sworn never to be quiet until Universal Suffrage had been gut,
and nothing but the attainment of that object or a prison would
satisfy him.

GEORGE said he knew Mr. Stephens well, and a more
kind-hearted man did not exist. lie might have spoken too
boldly, but he (Mr. G.) knew that he meant no harm.
The resolution was then unanimously adopted, and the meet-
ing adjourned.

charge against him of having recommended violence was
uncontradicted.—(Hear, hear.) He had been guilty of a
clear overt act of high treason, and this was a leader of the
people!—(Cheers.) Mr. O'Connell then read the follow-
ing address:--.

REPORT-of the COMMITTEE, to whom was referred
the REPLY of the WORKING LIENS' ASSOCIA-
TION of LONDON, to the ADDRESS voted by this
SOCIETY on the 29th day of November, to the persons
staling themselves the RADICAL REFORMERS OF
ENGLAND.

Your Committee have read, paragraph by paragraph, and
deliberately considered, the document addressed io the Irish
people, and signed by Henry Mitchell and others, on behalf
of the Working Mens' Association of London, and they re-
gret to say that there is nothing in it, to which they could feel
themselves authorised to recommend to the Precursor Society
to make any answer.
This regret, however, is much diminished by the nature
and style of the Address of the Working Mens' Association.
The st)le is miserably bad, inflated, and vapid. The matter
i 3 either personally calumnious, equivocating, or suggesting
topics which render the Association from which it emanated
objectionable, and even criminal, in the highest degree ; he.
cause, as a reason to avoid disclaiming the sanguinary threats,
instigations, incendiarism, and treasonable proposals of the
leading Tory-Radicals—Stephens, Oastler, and Feargus
O'Connor—the Working Mews' Association state that such a
disclaimer would cause a division between them and the Ra-
dicals of the northern parts of England—thus avowing an
identity between the two bodies which they refuse to dissolve,
and thereby create the necessary division between themselves
and the incendiaries, blood-thirsty declaimers, and traitorous
agitators of the Northern Tory_ Radicals.
And moreover they state as a reason for refusing to dis-
claim the bloodthirsty Feargus O'Connor that "they are
unwilling to lessen his usefulness"—aye " his usefulness"—that
is the very word they use, so that according to them a man may
suggest the burning of factories and horneste:Jls, the resorting to
armed violence and sanguinary insurrection, and the commis-
sion of high treason itself, and still be considered " useful" to
the purposes of the Loudon Working Mena' Association.
Your Conimittee further beg leave to report their great
anxiety to be upon terms of kindness, and as far as individual
opinions of the members of the Precursor Society may admit,
to co- operate with all such honest Reformers and:general Radi-
cals of England, as make " Peace, Law, and Order" the
guides of their pursuit, and the limits of their exertions to
ameliorate, peacefully and constitutionally, the existing politi-
cal institutions of the country, deprecating, as we do, upon all
occasions, all violent and turbulent proceedings.
The Committee most anxiously desire to draw the line of
distinction so broadly as to be incapable of mistake between
honest and sincere Reformers, and those who assume the cha-
racter with other and pernicious designs.
Your Committee wish to inspire the people with a desire
for practical benefits, and not for dangerous theories; and
above all, they will boldly repudiate all fellowship and com-
munion with those whose councils and actions are not only
fraught with danger to the peace of society, bat to the well-
being even of those whose exclusive interests they profess to
maintain.

In conclusion, your Committee beg leave to express their
deep and conscientious conviction that the Stephens's, the
Oastlers, the Feargus O'Connors, and all those who either
actively join these mischievous and misguiding men, or refuse
under any pretext to repudiate and totally reject such men, and
more csrectally those who deem incendiaries of such descrip-
tion useful for their purposes, must be considered as the most
furmidable enemies of all peaceful, legal, practical, and Con-
stitutional Reforms; and as the most efficient allies of the
bigotry, monopoly, and selfish tyranny of the odious Tory
faction of Great Britain and Ireland.
Signed on behalf of the Committee,
DANIEL O'CONNELL, Chairman.
Mr. O'Connell then read a report from the Committee
on Tithes, very ably and minutely drawn up, but only of
Irish interest, as it is instructions to the tenant how to pro-
ceed under the Rent-charge Act. The report was
adopted. Mr. O'Connell announced that the money re-
ceived since last meeting was 2771. 17s. Bd., and moved
that the meeting adjourn to Tuesday next. The meeting
then separated.

THE O'CONNELL DINNER.—This entertainment is
fixed for the 22d January. The chair will be taken by
Peter Purcell, Esq., and the tickets will be only 10s.
The Registry Appeals, which involve so much interest
here, will come on in the Court of Exchequer on Monday.
The City of Dublin will be the prize of the victorious
party, for the point raised affects all the new registra
tions in the city by the Tories.
SANDW

ICH BOROUGH SESSIONS
(THURSDAY, DEC. 27.)

Before the Recorder, W. F. BoLETON, Esq., and a Bench

of Magistrates.)

This business of this Sessions was unusually light. The
only else of importance was one arising out of a quarrel
between two officers serving in the late Portuguese contest.
A true bill was found against Mr. George Hawkins, for
an assault on Sir Charles Shaw, the defendant having horse-
whipped the plaintiff on Ramsgate Pier. The plaintiff's
solicitor immediately handed in a writ of certiorari, remov-
ing the case into the Court of Queen's Bench.
Mr. COCKBURN, who had come down specially from
London for Mr. Hawkins, stated that his client appeared
in Court to' answer the charge.
The RECORDER inquired whether it was usual for the
defendant to be called upon for fresh recognizances ?
Mr. COCKBURN said that Mr. Hawkins having appeared,
the former recognizances were clearly discharged.
The RECORDER then asked whether Mr. Hodges, the
landlord of the Castle Inn, who had volunteered to become
bail for the appearance of the plaintiff at the Sessions,
would object to be continued bound.
Mr. Hodges said that there was now no necessity, as
Mr. Hawkins was surrounded by his friends.
Mr. COCKBURN said that the plaintiff would have been
enabled to have obtained hail to any amount out of the
county, but before the Magistrate that had been ob-
jected to.
The RECORDER thought there was no difficulty upon
that point.
The Learned Counsel (Mr. CociounN) said that he
had come perfectly unprepared for this stroke of policy on
the put of the plaintiff. His client had, at a very great
expense, brought down witnesses, Counsel. and other pro-
fessional assistance, for the purpose of meeting the case,
and he thought it very hard that it should have been re-
moved without giving the usual notice ; but as that course
had been taken, although it had not been asked for, his
client had no objection to find a surety for his appearance in
the Court of Queen's Bench.
The recognizances having been entered into, the defen-
dant left the Court, accompanied by his friends, siiveral
distinguished military officers, who had come for the purpose
of speaking to the high character of Mr. Hawkins as an
officer and a gentleman.

At the High Court of Justiciary in Scotland, Jo-
seph Hagen, a man who kept a shop in the Canongate,
Edinburgh, was tried on the 26th of this month for the
murder of his wife. A little girl, not more than eleven
years old (a niece of the deceased), was the first and prin-
cipal witness examined, not upon oath, but her testimony
was corroborated by that of several other witnesses, and
by some circumstantial proof. It appeared, that though
the deceased and her husband lived together on good terms,
and that in the evidence for the prosecution no immediate
cause of quarrel appeared to have occurred, Hagen with
the most brutal violence took a bludgeon, knocked the un-
fortunate woman down, beat her about the head and on
every part of her body, inflicting wounds of the severest
kind wherever he struck, and leaving no considerable
portion of her limbs unmarked by bruises, tearing her
hair, kicking her on both sides, placing a chair upon
her chest and abdomen, then jumping upon the chair
himself, and in a manner the most deliberate and re-
moreless, laving no effort untried to extinguish life
till strength and breath appeared to fail him. Still
his unhappy victim survived till the next day. The
defence set up by the prisoner was, that the deceased
was a drunkard—that she was drunk at the time in
question—that he only inflicted upon her the sort of
castigation which he thought justifiable—ani; that he
had no intention whatever of committing homicide. Se-
veral witnesses were examined for the defence, to show
that the deceased was a drunkard, and that the accused was
a good-tempered, sober, and kind-hearted man. His Counsel
contended that the evidence of some of the witnesses for the
prosecution was contradictory of itself ; that there had been
no post morlenz examination of the head of the deceased ;
and, for aught that appeared, a blood vessel of her brain
might have been ruptured ; and he called their attention to
facts proved in the course of the trial, showing that the pri-
soner had ever been kind and indulgent to his wife ; that he
even went beyond his means to procure wine for her, in
order to wean her from spirits. Finally, he availed himself
of the arguments commonly urged against capital punish-
ments in general. The Learned Judge (Lord Moncrief),
in summing up; indicated oven more plainly than Judges
are wont, his opinion that the case was clearly one of wilful
murder. A verdict of " Culpable Homicide" was, how-
ever, pronounced ; and the other Judges of the Court,
Lord Medwyn and Lord Cockburn, very unequivocally
noticed " the extraordinary leniency" of the Jury. The
prisoner was sentenced to the severest punishment which
the Court could inflict—transportation for life. Mr. Van
Buren, the son of the President of the United States, sat
within the bar during the whole of the proceedings.
The Carlisle Journal says that a torch-light meet-
ing was a few days ago held at Dalston, near Carlisle,
where guns were actually discharged amongst the crowd.
The Bishop of London, in his ordination sermon
at St. James's Church last Sunday, condemned, in strong
terms, the late judgment of Sir Herbert Jenner, sanctioning
the doctrine of prayers for the dead.
The ship Alfred, Captain Flint, from London and
Plymouth, for Sydney, with numerous passengers, was
spoken with on the 28th Sept. in lat. 32. 30. N., long. 45.
20., all well.

ADDRESS TO OUR READERS, THE

PAST AND TliE FUTURE.

(From the Weekly Chronicle of this day.)

The WEEKLY CHRONICLE has now been in existence since
September, 1836, and during this period it has consumed
3,8111.000 ttsmps, and paid 24,2291, 3s. 41. to the public
revenue.
Having acquired, in the first inatacce, an immense circula-
tion, under particular circumstances, and without env political
character, it is most gratifying to the present peeprietors to
reflect that so large a proportion of this circulation has been
retained now that a decided political character has been as-
sumed, and all those adventitious aids discarded to which so
much of the original popularity of the paper was ascribed.
Since May, 1837, when our connection with the WEEKLY
CHRONICLE commenced, it has been our endeavour fairly to
try the great experiment, whether the principles of what has
been sneeringly termed " Rational Rediealism" might not be
substituted in a popular paper for that trashy and sens€less
declarnation—those wild impracticabilities—that fierce and
vindictive denunciation of all men and all things not abso-
lutely in harmony with their own crude notions—in which
the Editors of Papers more peculiarly addressed to the people
have been in the habit of indulging. No man in this coun-
try has a right to complain of the abuses of the Press, if he
refuse to aid in correcting them. Its liberty is essential to our
very existence ; but the word liberty carries with it the idea
of active exertion. Wherever there is liberty there will be
differences ; where there are differences, there must be a con-
stela appeal to some tribunal ; and foolish, or faint-hearted,
indeed, must be those, who, in times like these, and in a
country like England, where public opinion is all powerful,
because intelligence is widely diffused, suffer judgment to go
by default, rather than take the trouble of exposing the er-
rors of their adversaries.
We do not belong to this school. Convinced as every
thinking man ought to be, of the soundness of our own prin-
ciples, we have thrown ourselves fearlessly upon the judgment
of our countrymen. We have never shrunk from the task of
discussing, and defending, our opinions, however contrary to
the current notions of the day ; and we have the satisfaction
of reflecting, that, upon mans' important questions, we can
already plead a marked alteration in the views of our oppo-
nents, as the best justification of our own.
There was a time, when our opinions respecting Canada
were the subject of much, and bitter, comment. Sir William
Molesworth's recent address to his constituents proves that
one (and riot the least distinguished) of those, with whom we
were then at issue, has come round to our doctrines. Others
are about to follow ; and, if another meeting of English
" Sympathisers" were proposed, Colonel Thompson, who, we
presume, would take the chair, would probably occupy it
alone.
In the case of the Hand-loom weavers, and of Emigration
(as a national resource, upon the largest conceivable scale,)
we have exposed the fallacy and real inhumanity of Cobbelt's
school, which, by persuading those, whom the march of im-
provement unhappily leaves on one side, that they are entitled
to demand of the community at large that support, in a par-
ticular trade, or parish, which the labour market no longer
affords, cramps the mind, and confines exertion to one narrow
locality, instead of encouraging mankind to take possession of
that inexhaustible field, which a bounteous Providence holds
out to them. We were denounced for this, as hard-hearted
economists at the time, but no articles were so much read as
those upon Emigration, nor is there any subject which we
have been so much pressed, by readers belonging to the work-
ing-classes themselves, to resume.
With regard to the Chartists, our conduct has been guided
by the same principles. We neither are, nor will be, the paper
of a class. We are no monopolists in representation. But
when we see the demand for a more extended franchise cou-
pled with designs, which we believe to be subversive of all
society, and hear language addressed to large assemblies of
Englishmen, which, in lieu of any practical amelioration of
their condition, we know can only lead to universal confusion
and misery, we should be ashamed of ourselves were we to
shrink from exposing the emptiness and denouncing the
wickedness, of such doctrines, or from warning the people
against the abyss, into Which their present leaders seem re-
volved to plunge them.
We took this line at all risks. If we have been rewarded
for our houasty by success—if the circulation of the WEEKLY
CHRONICLE has increased as its exposure of the designs of the
Physical-force-men has proceeded—if the paper has now as-
sumed a well-defined place amongst the organs of public opi-
nion---it only proves that we have been right from the first, in
relying, as we have done, upon the common serve of the
country. To me, it a continuance of the support which we
have received, is now the great object of our ambition; and a
change having recently taken place in the proprietorship of
the paper, which will facilitate the execution of our plans, it is
our intention to make, at once, improvements, the want of
which we have long felt, without having, till now, the means
introducing them.
With this view, the WEEKLY CHRONICLE will appear on the
6th of January, 1839 (when the Queen's portrait is to be de-
livered) in a new and enlarged form, which will add considera-
bly to the matter contained in it. The paper, henceforward,
will he of the best quality ; and the services of a gentleman of
great ability, who is to act as sub-editor, having been secured,
a system will be adopted by which every branch of infor-
mation, foreign and domestic, will be equally attended to,
and brought down to the last hour of publication. A
full summary of Parliamentary proceedings will be given,
after the manner of the Spectator and the Examiner,
whose excellence in this department deserves all praise, and
no expense will he spared to concentrate within the columns
of the Wann,T CKartoralci..a, ur.,o. all other matters of gene-
ral importance, as much of interest, and of novelty, as its
limits will allow.
We hope that upon these conditions, which shall be punc-
tually adhered to on our part, the supporters of the paper will
not object to the addition of one halfpenny to its price, with.
out which it is impossible that our promises should be fulfilled.
The WEEKLY CHRONICLE, at 4i-d. (which will be its price
after the present week), will still he cheaper than any Metro-
politan Weekly paper, and as cheap as most of the Provincial
papers of any note. The Dispatch is 6d., the Examiner
6[1., tire (Spectator 9d., the Atlas—a smaller paper than the
WEEKLY CHRONICLE-10d., the Weekly True Sun 5d., the
Observer 5d., the Sunday Times 6d. All the Birmingham
papers are sd. ; the Liverpool papers sd. ; the Bath, Bristol,
Brighton, and Gloucester papers, sd. ; most of the County
papers are sd. ; while at Leeds, Manchester, York, New-
castle, Carlisle, Sheffield, Aberdeen, GlaQgow, Dundee, Pres-
ton, Bury, and Exeter, we find no local paper published un er
4id., that pretends to any circulation at all.
Of the Chartist papers, the price of the most influential
(the Northern Star) is 41d. ; the Champion is sd. ; but the
Operative will not dispense its lucubrations under 6d., which,
indeed, is dirt cheap, when we consider the originality of Mr.
Bronterre's views.
Now, without any disparagement to the Journals that we
have named, we think that the WEEKLY CHRONICLE, pos-
sessing, as it does, the best sources of information, and con-
ducted, as it will be, in strict conformity to the plan here
j announced, may put forward equal claims to public favour,
and expect an equal degree of public support. We wish to
keep to the very lowest price that will enable us to do justice
to our subscribers. We find that we cannot ensure this, not-
, withstanding the largeness of our circulation, so long as the
paper is sold at the present rate; and we expect a ready
acquiescence in a change by which our readers will benefit
infinitely more than ourselves.
Of our conduct as regards the future, we hope that it is
needless for us to speak. We have no party, no " idols," as
old Bacon would call them ; but having adopted certain
opinions, with a deep conviction of their importance, we shall
adhere to those opinions faithfully, whether popular or un-
popular, suitable or unsuitable, to the political combinations
of the day. Parties are things of little moment in our eyes,
unless identified with great principles, the success or failure
of which is implied by the accession to power ef certain men.
What our principles are our readers know. We wish for the
largest extension of the present suffrage, that is, or may be
found, compatible with the security of property, and the in-
violability of private rights, upon which we hold society,
and civilisation, to depend. To the full extent of Household
Suffrage we are prepared at once to go. The perfect inde-
pendence of the voter through the medium of the Ballot, and
the enforcing of the responsibility of the representative
through the medium of Triennial Parliaments, are objects
which appear to us worthy of the united efforts of all liberal
men. In these—in the abolition of the Corn-laws, which are
fettering the best energies of the country, and adding to the
hardship; of our climate at the present season, both in the
agricultural, and themanufacturing districts, by inflicting upon
us a factitious scarcity of food ;—in carrying out, to the fullest
extent, in England, Ireland, and Scotlund,the great principles
of religious liberty, flowing from the equality of all men in the
sight of God—these are objects in which the WEEKLY CHRO-
NICLE will be found, at all times, gladly and zealously to con-
cur, let who will be in power.
We repeat that we have no party. We are not the Paper
of a class, but the Paper of the people. It is not to the ephe-
meral combinations of the present House of Commons that
we appeal, but to the hearts and convictions of thinking and
practical men in all parts of the Empire, upon whom the future
character of the National Legislature depends. If there be
any amongst these, who think our warm espousal of Lord
Durham's interests incompatible with that independence from
party trammels which we profess, we beg them to watch us
narrowly. We proffered our allegiance to Lord Durham after
his Devonport declaration, because (as Mr. Attwood tells his
friends) the people must have leaders, and we know no other
leader at the present day whose standard the Rational Radicals
can follow without inconsistency or disgrace. But Lord Dur-
ham will never find us blind, or obsequious, eulogists. There
is no more hateful maxim to us than that of the old poet, who
says, when describing the quintessence of courtiership—
" Hinge thy knee,
And let his very breath, whom thoult observe,
Blow off thy cap;.—Praise his most vicious strain,
And call it excellent."
If Lord Durham's strains be vicious, he must not look to us
for commendation. We claim, and shall exercise, the most
entire freedom of judgment, in discussing his policy both in
Canada and here, and shall speak of all his acts with perfect
honesty arid independence. But where Lord Durham is
right, we shall go with him, heart and hand, caring little
whether his principles lead him to power or to a long opposi•
tion, provided he honourably adhere to them.
That he will adhere to them we believe, because we have
faith in his high-mindedness and integrity ; and so long as he
remains true to his own Political creed, he shall command,
within our humble sphere, the zealous co. operation of the
WEEKLY CHRONICLE.

WHAT'S IN A NAME ?--Among the persons
charged with drunkenness at Bow-street on Wednesday
was one rejoicing in the name of Temperance Stevens.