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

CHARTISTS AND CHURCHMEN.

On Thursday we gate an account, furnished by a
Correspondent, of the Annual Meeting of the Bath
Protestant Association held in that city on Tuesday.
IVe have since received a more detailed account of the
strange proceedings, and we give them at full length, in
order to show what the good sense and firmness of the
middle and lower classes can do when fairly opposed to
the selfish and political priesthood. The Rev. H.
Stowell and the Bath parsons were shame fully defeated.
Their opponents h, d the best of the argument, and out-
numbered them by ten to one, even in the city of Bath
where the clergy are supposed to be omnipotent. From
t'ae small number of the inhabitants of Bath that
mounted the scaffold with the plotting clergy on this
occasion, we can foresee that the despotism which the
priesthood have exercised for some time,: is drawing
towards a close :
During the last fortnight the walls of this city have
been extensively placarded, announcing a meeting at
the assembly raoms, for 1 uesday evening, March 30,
at seven o'clock P.M., precisely ; for the formation of
a " Bath Protestant Operative Association." A se-
cond series of bills were subsequently issued, st;lting
that the " Rev. Hugh Stowell, of Manchester, would
address the meeting, the attendance of the working
classes is particularly requested"—and " tickets of ad-
mission may be procured of all the Bath booksellers."
These tickets were, as also the bills, signed ‘c F. Fysb,
Secretary" (a person whose name and conduct have be-
come somewhat notorious), and required the parties
using them to be " amenable to the chair."
It was also announced that James Lord, Esq., of ae
Inner Temple, barrister-at-law, would attend as a depu-
tation from the London Protestant Association. As
the hour of meeting approached, numbers of people,
particularly the .working classes, were seen flocking to
the Assembly Rooms ; and many hundreds were ex-
cluded from the impossibility of getting tickets ; and
the lobby and passages leading to the large room of
meeting was filled by persons anxious for admission.
At the hour appointed for commencing the business,
the room, which holds from 1,500 to 2,000 persons, was
well filled.

About twenty minutes after the hour appointed,
great impatience was manifested by the meeting for the
commencement of the proceedings, cries of " Chair,"
proceeded from every quarter, and, amidst stamping of
feet, and other signs of disposition to proceed to the ob-
ject of the meeting, Mr. R. K. PHILP arose, and was
received with loud cheers. He said—" Ladies and
Gentlemen,—We are met this evening for the purpose
of forming a Bath Protestant Operative Association ;
and as the business that will be brought before us, is
more particularly connected with the working classes—
(Here Mr. Philp was interrupted by several gentlemen
who ru,ched in upon the platform, and cried out, " Sit
down, Sir,---you have no right to sp alt," " What are
ou doing, Sir ?" &c. &c.)--I am about to propose a
Chairman.

Rev. Mr. TOTTENHAM—We have a Chairman
alre-tdy appointed.
Mr. PHILP —By whose authority?
Mr. TOTTENHAM—We have chosen him.—(HisF,es.)
Mr. PHILr—You have no right to elect a Chairman
for the meeting. It will be most proper that we have
an operative in the chair, and I propose Mr. Thomas
Bolwell.—(Loud cheers.)

The motion being seconded, a gentleman on the plat-
form cried out—" Mr. Wilton is alre4dy in the chair."
Upon the motion being put, a forest of hands were held
up for Mr. Bolwell, followed by loud and long-con-
tinuPd che,,rmg,.

Mr. BOLWELL rose amidst hearty plaudits to ac-
knowledge the honour conferred upon him, and to open
the business of the meeting, when he was assailed with
noisy interruptions from several gentlemen on the plat-
form, who persisted in keeping Wilson, Esq. in the
chair, against the will of the meeting, and threatened
to call in the police, which drew forth loud and long-
contioued hisses and groans from the audience.
Mr. Alderman CRISP, amidst tumultuous cheer-
ine, rose, and stated that the meeting had, by an over-
whelming majority, chosen a chairman. That it had
waited more than twenty minutes after the time fixed,
and that no chairman was announced in the bills con-
vening the meeting ; there could be no question but it
was the duty of the few individuals on the platform to
yield to the overwhelming majority that had elected the
chairman, and, as the cards of admission required, " be
amenable to the chair." (Here there was tumultuous
interruption from the parties ou the platform, who de-
nied Mr. C.'s right to speak, when he, Mr. Crisp, re-
quested those in the meeting who were willing to hear
hint, to hold up their hands, upon which a forest of
hands appeared, and, on the contrary, about a dozen,
exclusive of those on the platform. Mr. Crisp then
proceeded) Are you satisfied now of my right to
speak ?—Will the paltry few on the platform dare bid
defiance to the will of the vast assembly before them ?
—(Loud cheers.) The gentlemen on the platform deny
that a majority of the meeting are in favour of Mr.
Bolwell presiding over them. I now request all those
who desire Mr. Bolwell to take the chair, to hold up
their hands. (Hete again a multitude of hands ap-
peared, and on the contrary being put, some two dozen,
exclusive of those on the platform, appeared, thus
electing Mr. Bolwell a second time, by an overwhelming
majority, to preside. Mr. Crisp turned again to the
platform, arid said, " Gentlemen, are you now satisfied?
Upon which cries of " No, we have our own chairman,"
proceeded from several gentlemen, with brandishing of
umbrc las, and other hostile demonstrations, amid loud
yells ned hootings from the body of the meeting. Mr. Crisp
then e .id) The fact is, you have come here to dictate
to the meeting, and not to hear its sentiments. You
vainly imagined that you had a population to deal with,
like those of past times. The eyes of the people, how-
ever, are now open. They are no longer to be deceived,
deluded, and humbugged by such proceedings as yours.
lud cheers.) Your object is to collect together
Church and King mobs, and restore the days of Lord
George Gordon. The days of trickery and delusion are
past—the people now reason, and think for themselves.
--(Tremendous cheeeng.)
At this part of the proceedings, an effort was made
to place Mr. Bolwell, as Chairman, upon the plat-
form, but the parsons put themselves in a
fighting attitude, one of them seizing Mr. Bolwell by
the throat, and thrusting hint violently back. He was
manfully supported by some friends around him, who
placed a chat, for him upon the reporter's table, when
several gentlemen, leaning over the platform, seized
hold of it, and a at; uggle ensued for the possession of
it, between the " shepherds" on the pl itform, and their
" flocks" below, the chair being ultimati ly wrested from
them, amidst loud laughter from the meeting, and a
cry of " Felice" from several parties on the platform.
Here Captain Carroll, with a small band of police,
made his apraranee from the ante-room on the plat-
form, giving ri e to gre tt excitement in the meetinz.
Mr. Alderman Crisp, addressing Capt. Carroll, said, " I
am surprised, Sir, to see you are here, acting on the
part of the few gentry around you, in opposition to the
will of this vast assembly. Teere is no necessity for
your interference—the people arc proceeding legally to '
express their sentiments. You must withdraw those
men I wilt be answerable for the peace of the meet-
ing ; there shall not be the slightest offence against
person or property ; the room shell not be damaged,
nor a hair on the head of any person on the platform
be hurt, if the police are withheld front unjust inter-
ference. But if it is persisted in to keep the police-
men here, with the view to over-awe the people, in the
exercise of their just rights, I will not be answerable for
the consequences that may ensue. Shortly after Capt.
Carroll and the police withdrew.
Mr. BOLWELL, turning to the platform, said, "Ba-
verend Gentlemen—lf you do not behave yourselves,
and allow the business of the meeting to proceed, I
must have you all taken out."—(Loud cheers.) Here
a conflict of words ensued, between the front row of
gentlemen on the platform, and those immediately be-
fore them below : the parsons sometimes coaxing and
sometimes raving. It was attempted to obtain a hear-
ing for Mr. Stowell, by one of the reverends declaring
" he was the man, if the people desired to hear a good
speech."
Mr. STOWELL here called, once more, for the sense
of the meeting respecting the Chairmen,. Upon Mr.
Bolwell's name being put, and that of Mr. Wilson, the
former was again, elected, by, if possible, a larger ma-
jority than before—Mr. Stowell, with others on the
platform, being the principal supporters of, and hold-
ing up both hands for, Mr. Wilson. Mr. Stowell then
called for a division of the room. Mr. Crisp said it was
impossible—the meeting was so crowded, it would
create a dangerous tumult. Such a proposal could be
only made to create a riot. If they wanted to divide
the sheep from the goats, he knew where the goats
would be. Mr. Bolwell had already been elected al-
most unanimously to the chair, and it was an insult to
the meeting to make such a proposition.—(Deafen..
ing cheers, and cries of " Belwell.") Several " gentle-
men" added to the confusion of the meeting, by
stamping, whistling, and using noisy cat-calls, particu-
larly in the orchestra—a contrast with the conduct of
the " lower orders " who were present, and to whom
were repeatedly applied the epithets " noisy rneh"
" tools of Popery," &c., by their spiritual pastors.
A reverend gentle nap shouted out, " It was our
Chairman who had the majority."
Mr. Parer s rid, " Rev. Sir, de vou know the liar
shall have his portion in the l Ike ?"—(Great cheering
—confusion on the pla, form.)
Compvrativ. quiet being obtained, Mr. BOLWELL, the
duly elected chairman, rose amidst tremendous cheers.
He said—Ladies and Gentlemen, a very large majority
of this meeting has been pleased to confer on me the
honour of electing me to preside over the present im-
portant meeting, for which confidence I tender my
warmest acknowledgements.—(Great cheering.) Yqu
are called together to-night for the purpose of taking
into consideration the propriety of forming a Bath Pro-
testant Operative Association. It may be proper to
observe, that I find myself placed in some difficulty,
not having had an opportunity of knowing the
precise routine in which the gentlemen who convened
this meeting intended to submit the business to your
consideration. Ido not mention this circumstance for
the purpose of throwin any blame on the gentlemen