The Sun.
London, England, 1831-12-22 00:00:00

(copy.)

. ,
" Bank-hall, near Stockport, Nov. 9, 1831.
"My Loan,.—A few days ago I was informed tha Mr.
Hulton, of Hutton Park, had retired from the Bench ; and this
day, whilst attending my duty as Deputy Lieutenant, attesting
some of the Cheshire Militia, I was given to understand that
the loss of his valuable services has been occasioned by an ob-
servation of your Lordship in the House of Commons, cen-
suring the conduct of the Magistrates who acted at the public
meeting held in Manchester on the 16th of August, 1819.
" Scarcely conceiving it possible that a Minister of the
Crown could have been so ill-informed and so indiscreet, I have
referred to the columns of the Morning Chronicle and Morning
Herald, of September 28, and there, to my great astonishment,
have found expressions which I am confident your Lordship
will deeply lament, if you calmly investigate the facts of the
case.

" Under an impretsion that your Lordship's intentions are
honourable, 1 cannot doubt that you will gladly avail yourself
of every opportunity of correcting erroneous conclusions, on a
subject so peculiarly momentous at the present crisis; and,
therefore, I take the liberty of requesting your Lordship's ac-
ceptance and perusal of a pamphlet I published a few months
after the meeting; which I transmit by this post, in a separate
envelop.
" By a reference to the trials of Hunt and his associates at
York, and afterwards of some of the yeomanry at Lancaster,
both of which were published, a complete confirmation will be
found of the historical facts contained in my statement ; but it
there be any circumstances in my narrative at variance with
the information your Lordship may have obtained elsewhere
and your Lordship will do me the favour to advert to the points,
I will undertake to confirm my statement by incontrovertible
testimony.
" How pre-eminently distinguished are the Magistrates who
acted on that alarming conjuncture—firm,
,temperate, and Judi-
cious—the conservators of the public peace, when contrasted
with those who lately excited the severe animadversion con.
tamed in the circular of the Home Secretary, or of those who
did not prevent (I non defendit injuriam' ) the late atrocious
destruction of lives and property under circumstances of danger
comparatively trivial!
" My Lord, if our best Magistrates arc are to be thus insulter.
and their feelings to be thus trifled with, who that arc really
competent, independent, and honourable, will be found to act ?r

" I beg to call your Lordship's attention to a circumstance
which may appear unimportant, but it is deserving of notice.
The Times Paper, which cannot be accused ofopposition to you,
Lordship, has not given those offensive expressions--did the
able Editor suppress the observation because it was unfoundt,
or indiscreet 1 Be that as it may, it is an indisputable fact, that
before the trial at lAncaßter, when evidence was admitted o,

previous training, which Judge Bayley had refused to receive
at York, the Times Paper had been bitterly severe against the
Manchester Magistrates, but since that trial I have never seen
a paragraph in that Paper reflecting on the proceedings of the
Magistrates on that important occasion.
" The general feeling of a vast majority of all persons of pro.
perty residing in the town and neighbourhood of Manchester was
then, and still remains the same—that the gentlemen your Lord.
ship has thought proper to calumniate saved the town from the
horrors of pillage and devastation.
" Pause, my Lord, in your rash career, ere it be too late. In
private life, enthusiastic indiscretion may be palliated by good
intention, but in the important office which your Lordship has
ventured to undertake, sound judgment, grounded on deliberate
and impartial investigation, becomes iudispensible.
" I have the honour to remain, my Lord,
" Your Lordship's very obedient servant,
"FRANCIS PHILIPS.
" To the Right Hon. Vise. Althorp, &c."