The Sun.
London, England, 1840-12-29 00:00:00

r, LEGALITY OF A CONVEN TIO'N. ing of this Act, shall act as a member thereof."
1 —" And every person velio, from and after the pass-
LETTER FROM MR. D. O'CONNELL TO THE EDITOR or i ing of this Act, shall directly or indirectly maintain
TILE LEEDS TIMES. correspondence or intercourse with any such society or
Dublin, 22d Dec., IS4O. club, or with any committee er delegate, the representa-
Sir—l hasten to redeem the pledge which I gyve tive or missionary, or with any officer or member thereof
you in my letter from Darrynnne Abbey, that I would as such—or who shall by contribution of money or other-
aeein examine the statutes of force in England reepecting vane and, abet, or support, suet) society or club, or any
meetings thereby rendered illegal. I have none members or officers thereof as such, shall be deemed
and lam enabled now distinctly to assert that three t$ guilty of ell uelaivfal combination aed confederacy within
no Connen- the meaning of the said Act, 39 G. 3—and shall- and
law in England to prevent or to punish a
• tion of Delegates elected by the people. may be proceeded against, prosecuted, and punished, cc-
To this snstement of the• law I do not hesitate to cording to the provisicns of the said Act, with regard
pledge all that. I have of professional' reputation. Ae,d to the prosecution and punishment of unlawful combi
upon that st)j.,iect. I only beg that it may be known in nations and confederacies."
England that for upwards of twenty-five years, peculiar Th, perealLiee and punishments are—
circumstances placed ine in such a position that I. had 1. Summary conviction before a Justice of the Peace
more experience in the criminal law than I believe any —penalty 201.
other living advocate. . Conviction at session by a Jary—punishment seven
Your prompter—for I believe you are not a lawyer— years' transportation.
has referred to two statutes. In the first instance he You can have no more that is essential—nor need you
has referred to 39 Gee. 111., c. 79. The second see- any more reasoning on the subject than is contained in
tion of that statute is the one that renders illegal ccr- the observations I have made.
tain assemblies therein mentioned ; and particularly cor- There may be, as there may be in any, the plainest
responding or co-operating societies, having different possible case, useless special pleading—but round it
or separate divisions or branches, andimakes them punish- must come again to the plain exposition I have made,
able as unlawful assemblies. But it does not touch and however arrogant it may seem in me, an " un•
the question of a convention of delegates in any respect. learned Gentleman," to say so, I aid ready to maintain
The second statute to which your adviser refers, is my position against any " learned Gentleman" who
57 Geo. I chap. 19 ; part of which has expired for disputation sake, or from a perverted understand-
and another part is still in force, and is, in fact, per- ing, shall undertake to show e luse against my position.
pawn]. It is from this statute that you have selected
SPORTING I TELL!. GEN CE.
a paragraph, part of the 25th section. That
paragraph certainly bears upon the present ques-
tion. For, whereas before that enactment, not
only public mooting., which , 1 may call primary
. assemblies of the people in their various districts,
might elect a Convention of Delegates, but also
societies or clubs, or select bodies might equally elect
such a convention ; bat by the 25th section, societies or
clubs are prohibited from electing any delegates, and, of
course, from constituting any convention. The law
then is this : The people meeting in any district, in what
may be called a primary assemblage, that is met pro
hac vice to elect the delegate, may do so without any
infringement of the law. But if any portion of the
people first form themselves into a society or club, and
after that such society or club elect a delegate or dele-
gates, such election is a crime, and the convention of
such delegates is of course an unlawful assembly. This
distinction has been taken always upon the statute since
it was passed, and is the plain meaning of its enact-
ment. Indeed, in your own paragraph the legality
of such a convention as I speak of is distinctly
admitted ; i. e., a convention of delegates selected by
public meetings. It is true that you add that such a
convention would be " surrounded by the meshes of the
law, and would not be secure from a tyrannical Go-
verement." Pardon me when I. say that this is trifling
with the subject. There is no law to prevent or punish
such a convention as I speak of. What meshes can a
non-existing law have in aid of any Government, how-
ever tyrannical 2
Upon the whole, therefore, I assert most positively
that the convention which I propose would be a per-
fectly legal assembly : that there is no law, nor are
there any meshes of law, by which any person can he
punished, inconvenienced, or troubled, by belonging to
such a convention.
You will be so good as to observe, that I do not
pretend to say that the convention such as I sug-
gest, would be the best mode of proceeding to forward
the cause of Reform. All I say of it, is, that- it
certainly would not be an illegal proceeding—that it
certainly stands clear of 'the meshes of the law—and,
finally, that I think it would be an exceedingly useful
and therefore a very advisable plan. Centralization
seems to me to be absolutely necessary to the success of
any efforts to obtain further Reform. For that purpose
it appears to be absolutely necessary, or at all events
eminently useful, to have a permanent-body placed in Lon-
don, possessing the confidence of, and authorised by as
many Reformers as possible. If this plan be nut a
good one, why is not a better one suggested ? I have
not the least attachment to my own notions upon the
subje.t : all I want is, to see the apathy of English
Reformers removed, and the cause of Common Sense
and Common Honesty—that is, of effectual Reform,
vivified and promoted.
I very respectfully, hut most earnestly, press upon the
Reformers of Leeds the absolute necessity of a general
and central organization of Reformers, in order to have
any prospect of success.

DERBY.
1600 to 100 agst Mr. Greville's lot—taken
1000 to 25 agst Mr. Sadlcr's lot—taken
14 to 1 agst Lori Bruce's Rosalie colt—taken
18 to 1 agst Lord Westminster's Marshal Soult
18 to 1 agst Mr. Greville's Palmmon—taken
20 to 1 agst Mr. Thornhili's Eringo
22 to 1 agst Col. Peel's Caineleon
27 to 1 agst Duke of Rutland's Sir Hans—taken
30 to 1 agst Mr. Mostyn's Prince Caradoc—taken
50 to 1 agst Duke of Wellington—taken
50 to 1 agst The Nub
1000 to 15 aga Simoon—taken
2000 to 25 agst Darleletta colt—taken
1000 to 12 2gst Ben Brace—taken
15 to 2 agst Rosalie colt and Palmmon—taken
2000 to 50 agst E4eu Brace arid Knightsbridge—taken
500 even between Eringo and Ralph—taken
500 between Ben Brace and Dariotette colt—taken
1100 to 1000 off.sed on Palminon agst Marshal Soult.

SOIREES MUSICALES.

The Leeds Times contains the following article on
the same subject :-
-L-14"3
lA.
RELATING
TTOIONS POLITICAL ASSO-
.
The following contains the whole of the law on the
subject of political associations. It has been drawn up
for us by an old and tried Reformer of some fifty years'
standing.
There are but two statutes-39 G. 3, c. 77—and 57
G. 3, c. 19, which can fairly he said to relate to our sub-
ject-52 G. 3, c. 104, against illegal oaths, being re-
enacted in 57 G. 3, c. 19.
The first 23 s. of 57 G. 3 relate solely to public meet-
ing, the clauses have expired.
S. 24 57 G. 3—is a recapitulation of the declaratory
part of 39 G. 3. The declaratory part is followed by
an enactment suppressing by name Spencean Societies
—as 39 G. 3 suppressed corresponding societies, or
rather the Corresponding Society, and all its branches,
divisions, &c.
The declaratory part of 57 Geo. 3, is as follows :
" Whereas divers societies and clubs have been insti-
tuted in the metropolis and in various parts of the king-
dom of a dangerous nature and tendency, inconsistent
with the public tranquillity, and the existence of the
Established Government, Laws, and Constitution of the
Kingdom."
Now, although other parts of the Act make no
exceptions, I contend the Anti-Corn-law Asso-
ciation cannot be brought under the above defini-
tion, though some timid people cannot be made to
believe as I do, and therefore it has been thought
better to say that our auxiliary societies are inegal
under the Act that no man may hereafter comphair.
of being misled. No Grand Jury . would find that
either Anti-Corn-law, or slavery suppression, or either
of the Agricultural Associations, were consistent with
the existence of the Established Government, &c. ;
were they to do this, a very large number of Lords
and Commonsers, Bishops, Priests,; and Deacons—La-
dies and Gentlemen—old iron-headed Wellington, Sir
Bofiby Peel, &C., &C., would be shipped off to Nor-
fol.lshind, where we might fight out our old quarrels.
The declaratory clause is continued thus :
And the members of many such societies or clubs
have taken unlawful oaths and engagements of fidelity
and secrecy, and have taken or subscribed or assented
to, illegal tests and declarations ; and many of the said
societies or clubs elect, appoint, or employ committees,
delegates, representative's, or missionaries of such so-
cieties or clubs, to meet, confer, communicate, or cor-
respond with other societies or clubs, or with delegates,
representatives, or missionaries of such other societies
or clubs, and to induce other persons to become mem-
bers thereof, and by such means maintain an influence
over large bodies of men, and delude many ignorant and
unwary persons into the commission of acts highly
criminal."
It then enacts the " suppression" of " Spencean
clubs," &e. ; and then by " 5. xxv." it is enacted, that
from and after the passing of this Act, all and every the
said clubs or Societies, and also every other society oe
r
club now established, or hereafter to be established, th
members whereof shall be reqired or admitted
unlawful
to take
any oath or engagement, which shall be an
engagement within the meaning of an Act 37 Geo.
3, cap. 125, intituled—An Act for the more effec-
tually preventing the administering and taking unlaw-
ful oaths--or within the meaning of au Act-5 Geo.
3, cap. 104, intituled, An Act to render more
effectual--the 37—&c., or to take any oath not
required or authorised by law—and every society or
club, the members whereof, or any of them, shall take
or in any manner bind themselves by any such oath or
engagement, on becoming or in order to become, or in
consequence of being a member or members of such
society or club ; and every society or club. the mewn-
bdl-s whereof shall be required or admitted to take, sub-
scribe, or assent to, any test or declaration not required
or authotised by law, in whatever manner or form such
taking or assenting shall be performed, whether by signs
or otherwise, either on becoming, or in order to become,
or in consequence of being, a member or members of
any such society or club."
" And every society or club that shall elect, appoint,
nominate, or employ, any committee, delegate, or
delegates, representative or representatives, missionary
or missionaries, to meet, confer, or communicate with
any other such society or club, or to induce or persuade
any person or persons to become members thereof,—
shall be deemed and taken to be unlawful combinations
and confederacies, withing the meaning of 39 G. 3, c.
79, intitutled an Act for the more effectual suppres-
sion of societies established for seditious and treasonable
purposes, and for the better preventing treasonable and
seditious practices."
Here, again, the kind of societies and clubs—against
which the Acts are directed, are defined—and it is not
to be expected that any Grand Jury would find a bill,
or that any common jury would find that Anti-Corn,
Slavery, Agricultural, &c. society, club, or league, was
established for treasonable or seditious purposes. " And
shall and may be prosecuted, proceeded against, and
punished according to the provisions of the said
Aid e'ery person tithe, from and after
the passing of this Act, shall become a member of
any such society or club, or who, after the pass-

,akin g.

ENGLISH OPERA HOUSE.
Negri and Laurent, the originators of the Prome-
nade Concerts in this country, having succeeded
in popularizing instrumental music, have undertaken
to do the same good office for the vocal branch of
the science ; anti have, for this purpose, engaged
M
Miss Nunn, Madame Pilati, Mademoiselle Pau-
line Santa, Air. Frazer, Signor Paltoni, Signor
Galli, Signer A. Giubelie, and a well-drilled and
efficient chorus, in addition to their now-celebrated
orchestra of fifty instrumental performers. Vocal
music has long been a desideratum at the Prome-
nade Concerts, and this want the Soirees Musicales
most effectually and efficiently supply. Last
evening was the first of these soirees, and introduced
Miss Nunn and Signor Paitoni for the first time,
we believe, to an English audience. Miss Nunn,
who was prima donna at the Theatre Royal,
Milan, is a very accomplished musician, as she
proved by the manner in which she sang the duet
" Dunque is son," from the Opera of Il Bar-
bieri, with Paitoni, and the terzetto 44 Zitti Zitti,"
from the same opera, with Frazer, and A.
Giubelei ; but, unlike many other so-called good
musicians, her science has not spoiled her natural
taste and feeling, and she is one of the most ju-
dicious singers of a good old English ballad we
have heard for many a day. She gave Russell's
exquisite ballad " the Old Oak Tree," with a pathos
and simplicity that forcibly reminded us of Miss
Stephens. Like that " sweet Syren" Miss Nunn,
appreciates too justly the beauty of the uninter-
rupted flow of a simple and touching melody to
mar its effect by the introduction of misplaced runs
and cadences for the mere purpose of displaying
the tricks of her att ; and, like Miss Stephens,
taking it for granted that the poet intended his
verses to be heard and understood, she is careful
and distinct in her enunciation, so that not a
word of the song is lost. Her ballad of
last evening elicited a well deserved and rap-
turous encore. All those who admire Miss
Stephens should certainly make a point of hearing
Miss Nunn. Signor Paltoni is a most hurnourous
buffo singer, with a powerful bass voice. We hail
his appearance here with feelings of great satisfac-
tion, for the English public will now have an op-
portunity of seeing what comic singing really is,
and how possible it is to be exquisitely comic with-
out being vulgar. Nothing in the musical world
stands so much in need of reform as the English
school of comic singing. His aria " Mici Porn-
polli," from Rossini's " Cenerentola," was a rich
piece of genuine comedy, and was loudly applauded.
Having thus done the honours to the strangers,turn
we to our old friend Frazer, who was received on
his appearance, as an old favourite should be,
with a hearty welcome. He sang a descriptive
ballad by Balfe, entitled " The Young Soldier,"
for, we believe, the first time. This composition,
which is one of a high order, may be divided into
three parts--..the soldier's sleep before the battle—
the fight—the soldier's death. Requiring great
powers of voice to do justice to the music, it, at
the same time, calls for the most tender pathos to
give due effect to the feeling and sentiment. This
combination of power and pathos is rarely to be
met with. Frazer, however, did full justice to the
song in every respect, and achieved a splendid
triumph. He has completely made the song, and
was rewarded with a unanimous encore. The trio
" Pepataci," from "L'ltaliana in Alghieri," which
he sang with Paltoni and A. Giubelei, was also
admirably given, and loudly applauded. A. Gin-
belei, who was encored in the Aria " As I view
now" (Vi raviso), from the " Sonnambula,"
sang with correctness and distinctness, and
in the concerted pieces was a most effective aid
to Miss Nunn, Frazer, and Paltoni. The introduc-
tory chorus to " Semiramide," and one of the cho-
ruses from the " Sonnambula," were most efficiently
performed by the chorus singers, and the experi-
ment of introducing vocal music at these concerts,
may be pronounced a thoroughly successful one, if
any faith is to placed in the loud applause of a
crowded house. In addition to the vocal music we
had a solo on the oboe, admirably performed by
M. De la Barre, and a selection of overtures, quad-
rilles, &c., by the orchestra. The house, we were
glad to see, was crowded, and we take leave of the
managers of the Soirees Musicales, with hearty
wishes for the success of their praiseworthy under-

THE STANDARD.—It is true as the Globe
says, that the Standard suggested the retention of Acre
and Cyprus; but who in the whole world, with the ex-
ception of the Globe, or ev, u without this exception,
when the party virulence ol the Globe has not obtained ,
the nseendancy over its reason and candour, pretends to
believe that thelStandar,l represents anybody or anything
in this country but its own folly, spleen, and self conceit,
by the daily display of which it labours assiduously to
bring discredit and ridicule upon the powerful and pa-
triotic party to which it affects to belong,--Morning Post.
The Courrier de l' Europe, a French journal
published in London, announces the death of the Baroness
de Feuchera, at he: residence in that capital, and adds—
Although the will of the Baroness has not yet been
opened, the disposition she has made of her property is
well known. It constitutes Mademoiselle Tannerou, one
of her nieces, who is about nine years old, her residuary
legatee. The fortune which this young lady thus inherits
is estimated at 20,000,000 f., and as the income will be re-
gularly invested to accumulate until she attains her majo-
rity, it will amount when she comes into possession to
nearly 40.000,000 f. The other relations of the deceased
have but very small legacies. Her ,death is stated to
have been very calm.—French Paper.