The Sun.
London, England, 1841-04-05 00:00:00

whose duty it was to make the necessary arrange.
ments. I believe they were not aware of my being in
town, until I had the honour of meeting them in the
capacity of Chairman of the present meeting.—
( Laughter, and cheers, and " They have got a 'Farrar.")
Judging from the bills that have been issued, several
gentlemen will address the meeting in favour of its ob-
jects, and resolutions will be submitted for your ap-
probation or rejection. I hope you will give an at-
tentive hearing ; and if any gentleman should feel
inclined, from a difference of opinion, to address
the meeting in opposition to the sentiments of those
who support the object for which we have been
cal!c.l together, I trust you will give a fair and im-
partial hearing.—(Cheers.) I have my opinions—but
they will not sway me in the exercise of my power as
Chairman.—(Loud cheers.) I shall now call upon any
gentleman who may be 'prepared to submit a resolu-
tion.—(Great cheering.)
In the course of Mr. Bolwell's address, considerable
interruption was caused by some of the " peace-
makers" handing a huge carpenter's mallet to the
pseudo Chairman, designed to belabour the table at
which he sat, in order to drown the words of the
speaker. The worthy gentleman, however, chose rather
to brandish its huge wooden head, amongst the many
others on the platform, to the no small amusement of
the spectators.

Mr. STOWELL, turning to Mr. Wilson, attempted to
address the audience.
Mr. BOLWELL inquired whether Mr. Stowell re-
cognised him (Mr. Bolwell) as chairman ?—(Cheers.)
Mr. STowELL—lt is no matter about that.—(Loud
cries of " Oh, oh ; yes it does.")
Mr. BOLWELL-I have been appointed to preside
over this meeting three times, and you yet bid defiance
to thg people's choice. This is an insult to the opera-
tives of Bath that cannot be borne. Unless you re-
cognise me as chairman, I will not permit you to
speak.—(Tremendous cheers.)
Mr. STOWELL persisted, in vain, to effect a hearing.
He moved in dumb show, amidst deafening hisses and

groans.

Mr. R. K. PHILP, on getting up, was received
with general applause. He proceeded—Ladies and
Gentlemen, we have been called together, as the ope-
ratives of Bath, to form a Protestant Association ;
and now we are assembled for the purpose, the reve-
rend gentlemen who called this muting refuse to per-
mit us to express our opinions upon the matter.—
(" Shame, shame.") But, my friends, we are not to
be made the playthings of any body of men, whatever
their station or calling. The gentlemen on the platform,
and a few more sprinkled around the room, are the only
ones who have raised their voices against the appoint-
ment we have made to the Chair. But how many ope-
ratives are there upon the platform ?—(None, none.)
Then what right have they to interfere with the legiti-
mate expressions of our opinions ?—( Loud cheers.) It
is for us to decide whether we will have the proposed
Association or not. Are we to be called here, and to
allow a few interested persons to decide for us ?—( No,
no.) The Church is the most formidable enemy of the
people.—(Cheers.) The most obstinate opponents of that
great measure of political reform, the People's Charter,
have been the clergy.—(Cheers.) The influence of the
Church is exerted against every measure likely to benefit
the country—against every kind of civil or religious
liberty.—(Cheers.) It is our Christian Church that has
imprisoned Thorogood and Baines for the non-payment
of Church-rates—they conscientiously differing from the
tenets of the Establishment. It is our Christian Church
that has imprisoned Hetherington and Cleave for pub.
lishing a work, the author of which had conscientiously
expressed his opinions upon matters of religion.—(Loud
cries of "Shame.") It was a Church minister,who, whilst
Frost was awaiting his trial, exerted every influence from
the pulpit, over his parishioners, against him.--(Shame.)
his the Clergy that is seeking to do away with the harm-
less amusements of the people, and is ever seeking to
drive them into church, and cram bibles down their
throats.—( True, true.) The Bishop of Exeter, in the
House of Lords, watches with eagle eye every oppor-
tunity to crush the people, and every particle of liberty
they have left. In Bath, the clergy had influenced the
authorities to take proceedings against several poor but
honest tradesmen, for merely selling instructive cheap
papers on Sunday, to those working men who, from un-
fortunate circumstances, could not buy them on Satur-
day night—for this they put two individuals in the
stocks, and fined two others.—(Loud cries of " Shame,"
" Away with them.") And are you, operatives of
Bath, prepared to form an Association, which shall
assist the clergy in their work of oppression ?—(Shouts
of " No, no.") I glory in your determination ; those
shouts will strike deep into their hearts ; when they
wake on the morrow, they will have a very different
estimation of the sentiments of the operatives of Bath,
than ever they dreamed of before.—(Loud cheers.) I
will now propose a resolution.—(Here Mr. P. was inter-
rupted with whistling, thumping, stamping, &c,, from
the pl eons: and the orchestra—the attempt was to pre-
vent the resolution being heard.) The resolution is :
" That in the opinion of this meeting, seeing the
vast revenues al:cady applied to Church purposes,
and contemplating the distressed condition of the
people ; taking into account, also, the opposi-
tion given by the Church to every measure
of political Reform calculated to benefit the coun-
try and extend civil and religious liberty, it is inexpe-
dient to form a Bath Protestant Operative Association.
But this meeting pledges itself to use every effort to
effect such political, social, and religious reforms, as
shall place the Church upon a more just basis than at
present, and bring complete justice and liberty to the
whole people."—(Tremendous cheering.)
Mr. C. BOLWELL, on rising to second the resolution,
was received with loud cheers. He said it gave him
great pleasure to End that the time was come, when the
operatives of Bath were resolved to conduct their own
business, instead of, as hitherto, permitting it to be con-
ducted for them, by men whose interest it was to keep
them in bondage.—(Tremendous cheers.) The State
clergy of this country—taking them collectively, and
with reference to their whole acts—were the most
vicious, immoral, despicable body of men existing.—
(Cheers.) They have shown themselves to be ene-
mies of every institution having for its object the real
happiness of the people. The clergy have ever
shown themselves ready to persecute those men who
have endeavoured to instruct the people in a know-
ledge of their rights.—(Loud cheers.) Who was it
that
?or their imprisonedopinions'
five hundred of the people's best
friends f
sake ? The Government, by
the express sanction of the clergy.—(Cheers.) Woo
imprisoned Thorogool and Baines for non-payment of
Church-rates ? The villainous St tte clergy. Who per-
secuted Hetherington and Cleave for publishing Has-
im's opinions on religion ? Toe money-hunting, tithe-
seeking clergy of this country.—(Loud and long-con-
tinued cheering.) But though they had acted thus
outrageously, they had the daring impudence to call on
the operatives of Bath to assist them in their wholesale
plunder and persecution, which they have been practis-
ing for so many centuries.—(Cheers, and " It won't do
here.") The working classes are made the victims
of the other classes, and are insulted and enslaved.
The clergy have aided to bring the starving millions
to their present deplorable condition.—(Cries of " True
true." " They take care of themselves.") If it were
not for the advanced and increased power of public opi-
nion, the clergy would inflict torture—would bring the
stake and the rack to all who differed from them in opi-
nion. But the people were not to be deluded as in
days of old—they are not to be led by profligate and
designing men, In their pulpits, on the Sabbath, they
taught the doctrine of equality : but did they ever carry
the principle into practice ?—(Cheers. " No, not
they.") The conduct of the gentlemen on the platform
this evening is calculated to open the people's eyes, and
show them wolves in sheep's clothing.—(Bravo.) The
Church has ever been the bitter enemy of the people ;
and, desiring, by every possible method to curtail her
power.
I second the resolution most cordially.—( Loud
cheers.)
Mr. BOLWELL asked if there was any amendment ?
—(Great confusion existed on the platform, but there
was no attempt to oppose the motion.)
The CHAIRMAN then put the resolution, when not
less than a thousand hands were held up for it, and, on
the contrary, not one. This was followed with loud
cheers.

Just before the resolution being put, the pseudo
Chairman, thumping the table with the mallet, cried
out, " I dissolve this meeting, which was met with loud
laughter, and cries of " Don't run away !"
About this time a working man held up a paper (the
Northern Star), exclaiming, " This is our Star," which
was followed by three hearty cheers.
Mr. PHILP proposed the thanks of the meetirg to
Mr. Bolwell, for his able and impartial conduct in the
chair, which being seconded, was carried with hearty
applause.
Cheers were given for the Charter, and Mr. Alder-
man Crisp.
Mr. BOLWELL returned thanks, and declared the
meeting dissolved.
After several minutes had elapsed, and the respec-
tive parties were about to retire, Mr. S. BARTLETT
mounted the platform, and called the attention of the
meeting to the necessity of discussion for the sake of elicit-
ing truth. Mr. Bartlett spoke at some length upon the
diversity of opinion on religious subjects, and ,concluded
by hoping the meeting would permit Mr. Stowell to ex-
plain his &jeers before they sent him away.
Mr. STOWELL commenced by regretting the har-
mony of the evening had been disturbed. As a minister
of God, and possessing a desire at all times to promote
peace, he could truly say he had not alio wed his temper
to he rufil ql throughout the whole proceedings.
I woisld call for
the
satsughter)—hecause
Mr. PHILP—Why, Sir, you threatened to call a po-
liceman to me, because I exercised my right to speak.
M r ciertvi I
sdid
;roans, ain
and
I deemed the conduct of those who were ersdeavourino-
to ascend the platform most unruly.--(Cries of
" Oh, oh.") And it
s—s
e r 0 certainly ly
was very clear the majority
of the meetiag were for Mr. Wilson takit ig the chair..
(Loud and vociferous cries of " No, no, m. 0." Don't
insult us." " Tell the truth," &c., from all parts of
the meeting.) He
.feared that many press int had lent
themselves as the tools of popery.—(Lauf eater, " Oh