The Sun.
London, England, 1831-10-06 00:00:00

. ',4C;',:'l,':ii;=•343,Al
ernacrilitirtng tha ,t aielurt so constituted 'as to titbits Its Judges ' but, on the eenitaty, it *as foam' by the Bill that a turn of
tails to cendact themselYes ought to be atnlished ? The mode fourteen thousand .pounds a year was to be grahted them on
of their mennent wait-Liable to be, productive of the worst conse- their retirement-,(Hear, hear..) This was not to be confined ,to
qurnees to the interests of the public and the suitors, for it was the seiner Commissioners, but, to his great surprise, was to be
their interest• to prejudice 315 d delay the matters brought before extended to all of them. He 'cadet not but repeat that; looking
them, emoluments being derived from the number of meetings at this as altogether an unnecessary measure, it Was ptolp,er to
and the leegthof tinee. taken up in the hearing of the cashes. it took to its operation. The Hoh. and Learned Gentleman
was impossible -Air them to entertain a lust opinion Which was proceeded to draW the attention of the House to the clause
not opposed by their own individual interests ; and the whole empowering the Chancellor to apPoint the new offiCees;
system had its support in prejudicing the rause of the suitor and and their salaries to commence on the passing of the Bill,
cleating delay. The Learned Gentleman then proceeded to de- although they had no duties td perform until the 11th of Ja-
scribe the inconveniences and expense attending the prosecutionrps, m' heit.—(l-lear,_
ry
hear.) He thought there were the ptesent
of the only mode of appeal from the decisions, of this inefficient toehissioners the Masters in Chance, the Vice-Chancellor,
and incompetent tribunal—the appeal to the C m
Court of Chancery, and the fifteen Judges, to hear the few issues which were tried
On appeal to this Court, after the enormous eXpenses and rhinous in a }'eat, and these he Considered quite sufficient to alisstet
delays attending it, affidavits without huinbet (and Rounded in erely purpoSe for, the trd'isacting efficiently all bluittete relating
the most profligate perjury), and fees to Counsel, it, frequently to bankrupts. Alter. going atsome length into the. disadvantage
Impressed that the Lord Chancellor was obliged, to make issues of attending the appointment of pntaslonet assignees, the lime
appeats from this court, or, after all, parties Were obliged and ftearnecl Gentleman eephssed his decided opinion that int
to• seek redress, at last, before a Jury. It was Well known Weirs reliting.te banttlllptcy ought not tobe eePareterefrOm the
that for the last century the administration of banlerpptey Great Seal. If they were to have a new Collis, it would be lie-
had been a subject of complaint in this countrYassMeati cessary to hive a new code oe that
AS regarded debtors and ere.
In - the year 1783 Sir James Portage Wrote a Pamphlet&tots.. He arse 'condemn,Hl that part of the Bill whit h silt.
in which he exposed the then grievanees of this systenr, and et.. sized the, eppropriatieh of unclaimed itividends...tvaidi he con.
commended a permanent Court of RevieVe in bankruptcY. In sldered ought to be held as sa.credsh the fteis of the suitors iii
the year 1811 several petitiOns honk Ireland were plesented to the Ceti-of Chancery. Iq,sooStltslon, he trusted a general
this House, complaining 0f the administration tif bankruiStay, Measure would lie brenesht hetore the ,House, similar to Whet
and calling for a revision of that system.. In, that yery")year he had intended wits% in office to have brought Orwell, ,or abo.
Mr. Grattan brought in a bill upon the subject, but !hi some lishing the meshy gross abuses existing ip the Court of Chancery.
reason, he did not know what, the Dill was net Versevered in ;• Mn Strjeant WILDE considered Itat the lion. and Learned
but that very Bill contained a prevision let the creation of i 1k &demon appeared to kiln ti consider the principal evils in the
permanent Court of Review. Although his Hon. and Leetfied Court of Chauesty tat sine from the want of despatch in the
Friend had said that there had been, no public opinieo.
e`kPressed business of the s..ourt.—(Hear.) The Hon. and Learned Gentle.
in favour of this Hill, ebuM telly man deny that the semen- man het but shown that the proposed Court wth ittpottapetelit to
silences of the public were numerous anfl ti ad against the no.. =Dieu the evils proposed. This intosige, Nall he new, for to
torious ineffielency, the great delay, Clint enormous expense a his (Serjeant Wilde's) own leemetedee, fot the last 25 to 30 years,
the present Merle bf administettlig the affairs of bankruptcy? the inefficiency of the. 1.11%141 laws had been unive sally corn-
Ccuel his NM, and Learned Va-iend forget the Petion which Plained of.—(flear.) The present Bill only combined those im_
had been presented to the tither House of Partiathent, from the proversets Widen had been suggested by Committees appointed
merehants, bankers, and citizens of Londe% against the present to in s, into the subject. The Learned Gentleman preeeetted
systtn by the Lord Chancellor ? It vt as that petition, in cow. *A) 'read an extract from a pamphlet, by M. 13' try (ohe
neetion with other circumstances, Which gave rise to the terettlit of the Commissioners of Bankrupt), in tell hh :Alen-riled the
'plan. No roan could deny that for centuries the pubtf& aye had existing system, and MI Merest that a,Worays Spec es of tribunal
been directed to the bad effects of the present sysKSi. He should could not be eetattitut . 3 tie Isearlied Member then drew a
say that this was a subjeet which every gepttethan in that House lively. istetlite Of 'ffkisbll a tef the old machinery, and- its irre_
could understand, it they only gave it the slightest consideration, ear. weileings.. Hh etliseluded by saying that it was all one sys-
as well as any lawyer in theland. The Present plan would get vet 3alll Pfsprefrartlaii and expense. He mentioned two casespegu-
of all the great grievances Whith tkisted under the old eYstenr. ,%1.1 int't.rative of his assertions. In one, after rethrenee to the
ss-...-: ~ It was said that the plan WOW proposed would rentitt .the'Ne: I - Ommissionera, appeals to Vice Chaneellee still Lord Chan-
' .• . ---
be the estsee.•'-ruptey nsultittldinous. Be dented that tasas *data seller, issues, &c., the ant Of ft)ttictitty was decided, after
_ soon solve the dise-shb-tlivision Court named in the bill would _five years, with five tlfousarid Itainills dotts. In another, after
to impede his course, ancettsise„,,,,,sinele"Cotlinfitt tie& might find .. verity-five meetings of ('OMinitslohers, an appeal to the Vice
Judges), by its efficiency, woutd, in 'pillt,e_Cconsisting of four haurellet, .eri'd *an ktslte, a similar conclusion was come
tensity of appeals to the Great 'Seal. The very objecreszt-th.enft • 37, of nhich the %last remarkable feature was, costs to the
was to prevent the natilltcticrreons appeals which, under .the lire- •tvicAftit of fillnineds for affidavits—hundreds for briefs. The
went system, were Instittited before the Lord Chattedltdr:artet 'de they'vrara--were altogether incompetent; and fat hothinr
would obviate not Only the great delay now attendant on them, eceptions of one or t*rerea.than their timidity, so that with th
but also the enornYeels expenses now rneul'red.
.11e Y!Snsidered aware that none of them WoUld-etb-tilistS, the seticitoks Were we:
that by the new system,a difficult Mt nsiklat tit settled in a cernment, and due Mitt-Mitt,. In Piet, fad-talth_filenness, de
week, which tinder the present ityttega_vieuldteke months before the confidenee of the public; of tile legal profession, and at
it could he heard. Mr. Cooke and a Mr. Leeke, a practising at. People preferred suffering the evils Which they should have re
tomey, had long since said that entethird part of the time of the welled, millet thin have recourse to their protection ; for, ti.
Court Of Chancery ens takewhp in bankruptcy, which was hot general; they found that the expense by which that alone could properly Chanel; husiness. Mr. Basil Montagu, in huts eVidence be obtained, Was in most cases equal
,te the amount of. .the pro-
h.s4 said, upon his oath, that the present Ceitrt Of Commis_ pert[ litigated. Looking at this malts question of expense, the
Jners was the Wbrst constituted Court in the 'country. new Bill would make a change of fast importance. As an instance
The Hon. and Learned Member then entered into a most in point, under the 9ld *stem, a meeting of Commissioners cost
minute detail, in order to show that the :proposed plan 10/. at theleasf.zailider the new, it would be attainable for one
would he both expeditious and *Cheap: lie ellohld say that pound. , Ut.lefel the new Bill also there would be no end to these
the present Lord Chancellor had gained gotden Opinions from all rehritAly frequented meetings—the Commissioners would be-
sides, from the modein which he administered the affairs of the intelligent, active, and what was most important, responsible
Court of Chancery, and for the successful deipatch with tVhiili men—their decisions would be subject to a glirek and satisfactory
he had performed the laborious duties of his high °flit* It was review, and issues from them. Weald be speedily settled. The
said that this Bill would give a more extended tiettiniage to the Hon. and Learned Serjeant said he could not deal-with the good
Lord Chancellor, He denied that it would do to. By this Bill. intentions of , his Hon. and Learned Friend (Sir E. Sugden),
the Lord Chancellor Would not have the power to use undue pa.. WhOilditOOth, hatt had an excellent measure tointroduce, when
tronage; he could not do so without bringing down ripen him the 0 inietry to which he belonged was about to retire ; a con-
the opprobrium of the nation. He was sure there would be no duct so Unlike that with which he was now so little satisfied, and
jobbing, irregular, or sinister appointments, made under thisßill. which characterised the present Administration in bringing for-
Such was not the case with the Court of Commissititlets—there ward their projects of amelioration before they had been three
an appointment mhght be winked at. Mt. Montagu had said months in office. In reference to the expenses.to the public, for
that he had seen a list of 100 applications Made to the present the support of the two systems—the incorrigible disingenuous_
Lord Chancellor, when he had not been %Mins in office, for the ness of the opponents or the new Bill Was *A remarkable. They
situation of a Coramissionership. hi that list there were the incessantly repeated that the new machinery would cost the pub.
names of Peers, who were applying for their friends ; but that lie 30,000/. but never added that the old one had cost 70,000 e,
could not be the case under the flees system. No Peer or Baron and that a real giving of 40,000/. would accrue to the public. It
could have any influence hi the obtaining of a Judgeship. After was prepoSed also, and also much a subject of cavil, that the,
some fevi more observations the Hon. and Learned Member sat Lori Chancellor's salary, fixed at 12,000/., should be paid out of
down, saying that, for the reasons he had stated, he should
give what was called the deadfund. The Learne-t and Hon. Members
the'ltill his hearty, and decided support. - . on the other side of the House had alluded to this hind in a so-
Sir EDWARD SUGDEN had hoped that his Hon. and lean style, as if it were something too sacred to be touched. It
Learned Friend would have abstained from introducing the belonged to suitors !---it belonged to the public! What was the
Lord Chancellor personalty into this debate, 'particularly when simple fact ? That a century ago, it had been found that there
the subject of it was of a general nature, and affecting Lord were hundreds of thousands lying unclaimed in the hands of the
Chancellors generally; he thought that his Hon. Friend would Accountant-General; these sums had been invested, and had been
have taken a more fitting occasion to introduce the merits of the increased by interest upon interest. They now producee an un-
presret's Lord Chancellor to the notice of the House, The. few claimed income of 10,0001., and froin that the salary alluded to
obsertations which he should make with reference to that Noble and other expenses of the Chancery were to be borne. In con-
and Learned Lord were only created by the interference of his elusion, the Learned Member said that the old system had been
Hon. Friend ; and, in v.-hat he Ind Say, he Meant in no manner an intolerable incubus on the country, towards the overthrowing
•to be understood as reflecting on the Noble and Ltained Lord, of which he was most happy to lend his assistance.
or by any moans to disparage him. No mail had admired and . Mr. JOHN SMITH rose to support the Bill, the object of
did admire, more than him, the learning, the talents, and the which was to cues, into effect measures which he had urged
highly-gifted eloquence of the Lord Chancellor ; but he must upon the House many years ago, but without effect. It was in
say, considering the length of time which the Noble and Learned some measure-by his humble means that the Committee which
Lord had sat in the Court of Chancery, anti considering the had been referred to was appointed by the House in 1818. The
many and highly important and difficult questions of law which evidence given before that Committee convinced the House and
were frequently recurring, he did net' think that, sitting the public, that the bankrupt laws as they stood were a source
so long in the Court as he had, and listening so long to of villany, frand, and perjury, of the grossest and most odious
the arguments of Counsel, he could haVe given that delibera- kind. It was clearly made out in evidence that there were men
tion to them which their due investigation imperatively re- plying, almost openly, a daily trade at the doors of the Court of
quired. He had not intended to have said a
word Commissioners, and that they were ready to swear for small sums
with reference to the Noble Lord, but his Honourable and to any debts that might be required ; the bills of exchange drawn
Learned Friend had forced non him fur he had taken occasion for the purpose were put into the hands of these persons to sup_
to praise the Noble and Learned LOrd foe that which he (Sir port the proofs they made upon bankrupts' estates ; and that thus
E. S.) thought required greater considerationas to whether it did the certificates of fraudulent bankrupts were obtained in spite of
more evil than good. If the Neble Lord would take his advice their real creditors.. The. opinions of some of the most eminent
he should advise him not to sit to long, but to give more time to men in the city of London confirmed that which he had formed,
quite deliberation, and its making himself matter Of the prac. a:nd convinced him that nothing was more injurious to the
tics bf that Court, with 'which he was necessarily unacquainted, fair tradesman than the facility which the bankrupt laws af-
inasmuch as he had practised in a Court tdt4her dissimilar.— ibrded to fraud, while the delay and expense which accompa.
His Hon. and learned Friend had Enid that the administration nied them amounted in many cases to a total denial of justice.
of -bankruptcy Could not be worse than it Was at present, and he He knew many instances in which commercial men often were
went into great details to make Out that case. He would ask, obliged to submit to great losses, as alms evil than applying to
was there any man who would dehy that thepresent administra. the Equity Courts. He had known Lord Eldon reserve his opi-
tion of bankruptcy was not bed V—(Hear, hear, hear.) Was there mien for 16 years, to the ruin of suitors, though the point at issue
any man who could deny that it required change and corree- was such as the new Court would settle in a few days. The evils ,
tion ?—(Hear.) fiOrnr, uf the Hon. Gentlemen who supported new to he remedied he pointed out 30 years ago. On one occa-
this Bin seemed to take all the credit 'or the ineasure to sion a rich man refused to pay to his banking-house more than '
themselves; they had no right to that inetit. The late 4,0(X)/. on his bond of 4,5001. He had consulted his legal adviser,
-Administration had determined upon th. improvement Mr. 'Kay, the solicitor of the bank, who had told him that be
and correction of the Court of Chanese'y ; and one of the could undoubtedly recover his money in a Chancery suit," but,"
most important branches of that - improvement was the
added Mr. Kay, ' mind what I tell you, my bill will exceed the
reforming of the administration of bankruptcy. If the 300 e" Such were the Courts of Equity. It often happened that
late Administration had tOntinued to exist, the adminis- a man who stopped payment would appear, on his books being
tuition of bankruptcy Wohld have been reformed and rectified inspected by his creditors, to be-able to pay 18s. in the pound
as Bills were in preparation for that puse. It Was said that' but it was almost certain that if instead of a composition
under the present system, the Lord Chancerpollor might appoint a by the creditors (which it was very difficult to effect with
'young man of one year's standing at the bat a Commissioner of the consent of all the creditors) the man was driven into
Bankrupts; but if he did so, he (Sit E. 8.) should say it would the Gazelle, his estate produced only a dividend of 2s. in
be a most scandalous thing for any Chancellor to do. An ob- the pound. The new Court, which had been denounced by
jection was raised to thepresent Commissioners being practising the Hon. and Learned Gentleman (Sir E. Sugden), whose abi-
barristers at the same time • but were not Recorders generally lity and confident manner were calculated to make an impres-
pmetiaing barristers ? He'did not think there was much, if any sion on persons mot as well acquainted as he (Mr. Smith) was
thing, in that objection. With regard to. filing. numerous at& with this subject in all its bearings, was a feature in the Bill of
davits upon immaterial or collateral matters, in trying a question which he very much approved. The official assignees, too, of
of • bankruptcy, •no man could condemn that abuse more which the same Hon. and Learned Gentleman disapproved,
than he did. It was true that there were too many Corn- would, he (Mr. Smith) did not doubt, be the chief means of
inissioners for the business they had to do; but was saving the estates of bankrupts and making them productive.
that a reason that this beg/ Court was necessary ? There He had had so much experience of the evils occasioned by assig.
were to be 16 C'ellitnissioners under this new • Bill— nees, themselves in-bad circumstances, getting the bankrupt's
at present there were 70 Commissioners. The new Corn- estates into their hands and absconding or failing, that he was
missioners Would saddle the country to the extent of glad to see the security of a responsible officer interposed for the
14,0001. a year, and this "too, for the purpose of appointing protection of the creditors. He hailed the measure as a proof
• another set of persons no titter or more competent than those of the earnestness and ability of the Illustrious Nobleman at the
who at present performed the duties. • In the present lists, which head of the law in this country, in purifying the judicial insti-
!vete composed of seventy Commissioners, there were to be tuitions ; and he thought a better beginning could not have been
found sixteen men as rompetent as any men that could be made than with the Bankrupt Laws, which were the worst in
brought forward, if not more so :
_but by the new system the Europe, and a dtsgrace to the nation.
country would have to pay 14,0001. a year to get, by some an. Mr. KNIGHT protested against the- Bill, which regarded mat-
eident, some few persons who might be capable for the duty tens of such vital importance, should be pressed forward at that
of the office. The present Administration had come in upon time of the night.
a declaration of. economy; but this did not show them to be After a few words from the CHANCELLOR of the EL
sincere in that respect. It might be requisite to reduce the CHEQUER, the Bill was read a second time, and committed;
present lists, but why not take from them these lists who were and it was agreed, after some conversation, that the Committee
truly competent, and give them those appointments ? He should enter on its proceedings on Friday next.
would be bound to say the business would be as well done VESTRIES BILL
by sixteen of them as by ally Other set of men whatever. Sir J. C. HOBHOUSE moved the third reading of the Vestries
Ile- thought that some of the Commissioners ought to be Bill, without observation, the House being, he said, in full
practising barristers, otherwise they would degenerate in the possession of its merits already.
knowledge of their professions, as being confined to the Mr. TREVOR protested against a measure of this importance
Bankruptcy Court alone. They could not be aware of the being put to a division at so late an hour, when it was impossible
new decisions daily occurring in their profession. There were to give it that consideration it required.
many good things to be given away •by this. Bill, and he Mr..Peortmeoe, Mr. CAMPBELL, and Mr. SPRING RICE spoke
could not but draw the attention of the House to some of in favour of the motion ; Mr. l'rotheroe suggesting the expedi-
them. It reminded him of the old saying, when a father ency of passing this Lill without any delay which there appeared
asked his son .what trade he should like the best ? The reasons for believing would lead to determination of parties else-
boy answered that of a Secretary ; and certainly 'he (Sir E.
where to redress their grievances, without waiting for the inter-
Sugden) should prefer to be a Secretary; but then there was the ference of that House. So much had been said already on the
provisional assigneeship, which, from amount of emolument, sutject, and the necessity of the measure was so apparent, that
and little or nothing, to do, lie should Certainly say that, on his any further opposition to its progress was most vexatious. -
K,NIGHT, and one or two other Mem.
retirement from the bar, he should have no objection to accept Sir ROBERT INGLIS, Mr,
it himself. He -considered there was never any thing so much hers advocated a postponement of the motion.-
uncalled for as the present Bill. Why was not the subject re- Mr. G. DAWSON protested against the disposition which was
(erred to able men, and those of long experience in the profes. shown in what had fallen from an Hon. Member, and been
sion ?—the twelve Masters in Chancery, for instance, who, it echoed by others on that side of the House, to act with a degree
seat generally admitted, were receiving large salaries, and had of subserviency to the dictation of idle' clamours out of doors,
littte to do. It had been one of the measures contemplated by which was highly derogatory to that House, and of a tendency
the last Administration to increase the duties of these gentlemen subversive of that power and dignity it ought to maintain.
whilst they continued to receive the large salaries they do. But Whatever might be his opinion with regard to the Bill, and it
'why remove the bankrupt business from the Vice-Chancellor ? was not unfavourable/ to it, he felt it his duty to resist the passing
All the petitions in cases of bankruptcy had been disposed of by of the motion now, supported as it was by such an argument.
him in a comparatively very short space of time, and the num. Mr. PROTHEROE explained ; and after some further obser-
ben of appeals was extremely limited.- It was a fact that the vations the Howie divided; when there appeared—
whole business in bankruptcy cases had been disposed of by the For the original motion 3B
Vice-Chancellor in thirty-five days, and there remained not a For its postponement 8
single petition to be heard, It was from this cause, the very - Majority in favour of the motion --30
limited business of the Court, that he (Sir Edward Sugden) The other orders of the day were then disposed of, • and the
had ceased to practise in that Court. The Hon. Gentleman House adjourned at a Quarter to Two o'clock.
on the opposite side of the House had the best opportunity
of judging whether what he • was stating was true or not.
He could not refrain from doing an act of justice to the Lord
Chancellor who filled that office at the time of creating the Vice-
Chancellorship. Lord Eldon had, like the preceding Lord Chan-
cellors, the hearing of bankrupt petitions, and was in the receipt
of the established fees. On the creation of the new office, and
transfer of that business' in consequence, to the Vice-Chancellor,
the Noble and Learned Lord voluntarily relinquished the amount
of 2,5001. a year towards the salary of the Vice-Cbancellor. This
money was paid in consideration that this branch of the business
was taken off the Lord Chancellor's hands, and it had been so.
The causes were disposed of; there were no arrears of business ;
and the few appeals had been despatched by the Lord Chancellor,
because he had devoted a few holydays to this heavy business.
But- what was proposed by the Bill ? - The present Chancellor
said " No ; I will not pay the 2,5001., I will do the business my.
self, and retain the money as part of my fees." The Noble Lord
opposite (the Chancellor of the. Exchequer) might shake his
head, but he would find what he said was true. It would be
found, he believed, that.the Lord Chancellor, since his appoint.
went, had sat more than eight or nine days on bankrupt peti-
tions. He would again ask why take this department of business
from the Vice. Chancellor ? It could not be on the ground of
the time which his Honour took- to -dispose of the business
before him, nor still more could it be on the ground of want
of ability to the task. No, it was upon . neither of these'
grounds, but because they were to have a hew Court. The
Hon. and Learned Gentleman proceeded to detail at consider.
able length the fees and emoluments attaching to the office of
Lord Chancellor, including the salary of Speaker of the House
of Lords, and condemned the alteration proposed by the
Bill, which increased very considerably the salary of the Lord
Chancellor, without at all adding to its public duties. From this
statement he had shown the Lord Chancellor would be deriving
a net income of 18,000/. after divesting himself of duties which
had been performed by former individuals filling the same office.
Ile considered this to be a very strong point of objection, and
conceived nothing could justify it. He certainly condemned, and
had purposed bringing forward a motion for abolishing those re-
versionary sinecure places which had been-in the gift of the Lord
Chancellor, and were now filled by Lord Thurlow and Mr. Scott.
He considered it would be much better that those places should
be' abolished, and a suitable retiring pension granted. He
thought that 6,000/. a-year would not be too much to support the
proper dignity of a Peer. He also must condemn the policy of
reducing the salary letherrd-aChanneellor of Ireland to 3,000/.
g to the income of Lord
per annum, whilst
li t
could see any necessity for the
Brougham. If e (Sir EY. Sugdeen)dcdi
present Bill, he would Oa object to a few thousands a-year, or to
Bill vet •
Y evidently went to
add, that if it did •
the extension of patronage which this
create • and he would a......,
Chancellor an extent of a
put in the hands of the present Chance
any of his Lordship's predecessors - -
tronage never possessed by ---,
a fact that the present ChaT
in office.--(Hear, hear.) It
l een
Commissioners of Bank-
cellor, had appointed, within the short space of time he had
in office, no less than five or six new
told them it was an
rupt.—(Hear, hear.) When Lord Lyndhtirst had appointed per-
sons to the same situation, his Lordship
d that, therefore,
office which would be speedily abolished,
they were not to expect to receive a compensation. But he un-
derstood Lord Brougham had done no such thing— e f I

GREAT MEETING AT BIRMINGHAM.

(From a Correspondent of the Times.)
BIRMINGHAM, OCT. 3.
I got into Birmingham on Friday, and found the principal and
most influential inhabitants of the town so deeply interested—
not to say excited—by preparations for a meeting of the gentry,
bankers, and traders of the town, convened at the Royal Hotel,
to petition the House of Lords to pass the Reform Bill, that I
found my business object could not be effected, and went to wit-
ness the proceedings. The great room of the Hotel was filled
with respectable towns-people, and the proceedings were con-
ducted by the High and Low Bailiffs. TB he former was in the
chair, and the latter proposed the first resolution. After reading
the resolutions seriatim, each was separately proposed and spoken
to, and the question put upon each by the High Bailifl; " Aye,"
or " No." Every 'voice in the room shbuted " Aye;" not one
said, " No." All were united, and so impressive was each
"Aye," that I shall never forget the roof-rending sound.. For
details I refer to the Birmingham Journal of Saturday. But a
still more important meeting was held to-day; the most impor-
tant meetingan its consequences, either for go' d or evil, that
any man now living in this country. ever witnessed, or that ever
assembled since the revolution of 1. lt was a general meet-
ing of the town and neighbourhood of Birmingham, called by
order of the Council of the Birmingham Political Union. The
workshops and manufactories closed this morning at ten o'clock,
and by eleven o'clock the greater part of the manufacturing and
trading population of the town poured forth into the open
space at the foot of Newhall-hill. About half an hour
afterwards the Political Union went in procession with the
Council- of the Union, and Thomas Attwood, Esq., at-
tended by other gentlemen, at their head, and preceded by
the musical band of the Union in uniform. I had previously
obtained a situation which commanded a full view of the ground,
in which boarded hustings were erected for the speakers, and
waggons drawn up for the Council; between this spot and the
high embankment of a road, forming a kind of semi-amphithe-
atre, was an open spot of eight er ten acres, in which the multi-
tude assembled. The Union arrived with banners flying and
music, the hustings and waggons were immediately occupied, and
Mr. Attwood voted to the chair by acclamation. That gentle-
man then exhorted the meeting to maintain firmness and order,
and announced that he was informed they might expect to be
joined by different Political Unions from Staffordshire. These
bodies came in with music and banners, and on the suggestion
of Mr. Attwood were received with cheers. I shall not attempt
to report any thing that was adddressed to the greatest mass of
human beings I ever saw congregated, or that I have read or
heard of having beenbrought together since the accession to
power of the never-to-be-forgotten Mr. Pitt. I took great
pains to observe and calculate, at different times and from
tiTerent. points, the number of people: in this I was
iassisted by a cool-judging military gentleman with me, and we concurred in estimating it to 1 • 100,000 persons; from 20,000 to 25,000 of'e a meeting
of
from Staftbrdsre. The resolutions, the tpehetsietiocna,meanidn
passed with tremendous acelama-
other propositions, were
(and what a resolution!)
lions. There was a resolution