The Sun.
London, England, 1841-11-06 00:00:00

rica with the deist Volney, and who from him imbibed
his principles of Christianity and religion.—(Oh.) Who
was that man ? He was now the keeper of the con-
science of the pure and virtuous sovereign who swayed
the destinies of the British empire. He hoped that the
conscience and the character of that high and pure-
minded sovereign would not suffer from those of
the person who affected to be their keeper.—(Hear.)
In Erskine they saw the consistent politician and states-
man who had sacrificed honour, office, and station to
principles which, to men of honour and exalted feeling,
were " the jewel above all price ;" and he thought they
were bound in all honour and good feeling to drink, with
the most profound feelings of respect and attachment,
" The Memory of Thomas Erskine."
The toast was drank with solemn silence.
Major REVELL rose to propose the toast of " The
London Corresponding Society." He was acquainted
with many of the members of that Society, and from
Thelwall, one of them, he had learned much of the ob-
jects and nature of that institution. Their fundamental
principle was, that the people had a right to education,
and that the Government was made for the people, and
not the people for the Government.—(Cheers.) These
were the principles laid down by Locke, and these were
the principles advocated by the Corresponding Society of
London. He wished WI correct a statement made by the
last speaker, namely, that Mr. Erskine was the Attor-
ney-General of the Prince Regent instead of the Attor-
ney-General of the Prince of Wales, when he defended
Thomas Payne. Mr. Erskine having been applied to,
to conduct the defence of Mr. Payne, said he should
certainly not sacrifice the independence of the bar to
any application made from such motives, and he accord-
ingly resigned his appointment rather than desert the
cause of his client.—(Hear, hear.) It appeared to him
that the education of the people politically was by no
means what it ought to be. If they were well imbued
with sound political and moral principles they would find
'ere long, that their position would be much ameliorated,
and that they would be better able to resist and put a
stop to the encroachments of the most tyrannical oligarchy
that ever existed.—(Cheers.). He would give them the
" Memory of the Corresponding Society of London."
A person named BECKWITH, who avowed himself a
Chartist, here rose and complained of Major Revell hav-
ing cast some aspersions upon the impatience of th'e
Chartists as a body, and of their not having co-operated
in practical measures of reform. He thought such a pro-
ceeding was not calculated to produce unanimity among
the middle and industrious classes.
Major REVELL explained—What he had referred to
was the interruption given by Chartists• whenever mea-
sures of practical reform, such as the repealof the Corn-
laws, was brought forward.—(Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN said he understood there was a mem-
ber of the London Corresponding Society present, and
therefore they could not treat it as a deceased body. He
should therefore give them the toast with all the honours.
—(Much cheering.)
Mr. BECKWITH, as a member of the Corresponding
Society, returned thanks. In the endeavours of that
Society to extend the principles which they advocated to
Scotland, they were pounced upon and treated with a
degree of harshness and barbarity unexampled in the
annals of cruelty and tyranny. They were sent to ba-
nishment, and to banishment in its most revolting form
was added a mental torture, which made their sufferings
still more severe. He trusted, notwithstanding the suf-
ferings of these men that they would never be found
wanting whenever the interests and liberties of the
country required it, and that they would find men ready
to stand forward as martyrs in the cause of their country.
Much had been said of the benefits of an improved sys-
tem of education, but he believed, notwithstanding the
boastings and vauntings of the political economists, that
in the present day they could not find Reformers who
would compete with the Reformers of the time of these
men unless they descended to the ranks of the Chartists.
—(Loud cheers.) He did not wonder at these men
being denounced as ignorant and impatient, for the land-
lords had discovered that the over-taxed people were ig-
norant and impatient of taxation.—(Loud cheers.) He
was one of those who would not hesitate to resort to phy-
sical force if it were necessary. He was anxious to con-
trast the politics of the present day with those of that
day to which reference had been made.—(Hear, hear.)
He did not think there was any gratitude in the politi-
cians of the present day, for to sir F. Burdett the widow
of Hardy was indebted for a small annuity.—(No, no.)
And the widow of Margarot had been indebted to pri-
vate charity for the means of supporting her existence.
The Tories of 1794 had found it necessary to suspend
the Habeas Corpus Act, to put down the 70,000 Jacobins,
but there was not spirit enough in the public in these
times. He concluded by proposing " The memory of
Margarot, Muir, Gerold, and Skirving, the victims of the
tyranny of the Scotch Courts in 1794."
Mr. HORSLEY had been requested to propose a toast of
the highest character and sentiment, namely, " The
Liberty of the Press." They were there to celebrate
the triumph of Trial by Jury, and to advocate the cause
of those who had been martyrs in the cause of liberty.
But there was another sort of liberty—that of the Press.
How could man communicate with man—how could
mind confer with mind, or acknowledge one universal
sentiment of liberty, had it not been for the Press ?
(Cheers.) He believed that to Laurentius of Haarlem,
and Guttenburg, who handed down the invention to later
ages, a deeper debt lof gratitude was due than to any
other men. How could liberty now stand were it not for
these giant men?— (Cries of " Hear, hear.") He re-
collected an addition made by Lord John Russell
to the toast of " Civil and Religious Liberty," when
addressing the Citizens of London, which lie would wish
to see permanently attached to that toast, and he would
repeat it, namely, Civil and Religious and Commercial
Liberty.—(Loud cheers.) That addition was the more
necessary at the present moment, when the industry and
resources of the country were attempted to be crushed
and trampled under foot by one of the most tyrannical
oligarchies that ever existed.—(Cheers.) It had been
well expressed by the poet
"How far that little candle throws its light,
So shines a good deed in a naughty world."
and in the same way it might well be said that the Press
threw its influence far and wide, and irradiated the
world with its intellect and intelligence. He would give
them " The Liberty of the Press."—(Loud cheers.)
Mr. J. P. THOMPSON in very handsome and appro-
priate terms, gave the toast of " Short Parliaments, Ex-
tension of the Suffrage, and Vote by Ballot." He did
not see why they should toast the Sovereignty of the
People, unless they were prepared to use their best
efforts to carry out its principles. Why should they
boast of the Sovereignty of the People unless they were
determined to carry out that extension of the suffrage
which would secure it to the people ? The toast was
drank with much cheering.
Mr. COPPOCK said the toast which had been placed in
his hands was one which he thought well worthy the con-
sideration of the respectable assembly who were met to
celebrate the anniversary of the acquittal of Thelwall,
Tooke, and Hardy. Although the Tories of that day
considered that they might suspend the Habeas Corpus
Act, the spirit of the times in the present day was too
powerful to sanction such a proceeding. He did not
think any one of them would be bold enough to propose
such a step, and even if they did, it might be far better
for them if they suspended themselves.—(Cheers and
laughter.) His estimate of parties in the present day
was such, that he was satisfied they would have, if neces-
sary, instead of the 70,000 Jacobins alluded to by Mr.
Beckwith, 7,000,000 of patriots ready to stand
forward in defence of the rights and liberties of
their country. lle believed that the good example of
1794 had not been lost upon the people of this country to
the present time.—(Cheers.) They had not, perhaps,
done all the good they might have done—they had split
themselves into sections, instead of bearing down upon
the enemy in a solid body. As to the widow of Mar-
garot, to Lord Melbourne she was indebted for 1001.,
which cheered her last days, and preserved her from
want. Let the fact be told, although he did not claim
more than fair praise for the deed. It appeared to
him that the differences subsisting between the different
grades of Reformers had been the great cause of their
want of success. Let them look at the tactics of their
opponents : no matter who the person might be who was
set up as the opponent of the Liberal party—let him be
but as a barber's wig block, provided it was opposed to the
Liberal candidate, the wig block was sure to carry their
votes against common sense.—(Hear, hear.) The toast
which he was about to propose to them of Civil and Re-
ligious Liberty was one which had always been advocated
by the Liberal party; while it had been strenuously
resisted and opposed by their political opponents. Let
them merge their petty differences and squabbles, and
seek to establish the broad principles of Civil and Reli-
gious Liberty, and there was no doubt of their ultimate
triumph.—(Cheers.) After some farther observations
Mr. Coppock concluded by proposing " Civil and Reli-
gious Liberty all over the World."—(Much cheering.)
Mr. TAYLOR, jun., rose to propose the toast of "Free
trade, and a Repeal of the Corn-laws." The question,
perhaps, derived additional strength from its havine.
been lately much discussed, and addressed to the feel-
ings
of the people throughout every part of the country.
It needed little originality or novelty' of argument to tell
the
people that they were starving.—(Cheers.) (Cheers.) Lord
Stanley had discovered th ,t the amount 6 of wheat grown
inof one small ;
provincellbutpeople of St. Petersburgh, either
of Russia was thirty-eight millions
extraordinaryveryonly
appetites, or some other
unexplained ca
the
nlfiexported eleven millions of
quarters.—(Hear, hear.)
to deduce their own e left it to the present meet-
inginferences( from that statement.
Sir Robert Peel had not only denounced machinery, but
the results of that machinery,
The argument was put in y
tlie namely,most over-production.
indirect and am-
biguousto tell the
House
way, for the Right lion.
Commonsmade,and
thatth a
t therethe werepeop
people s m
breechese of
o coats and
effrontery, would not dare, in plain Baronet, with all his
terms,
had not
not a rag to
their backs— that there was so much corn
grown,
and
so much bread made, and that the people were starving
—(Hear, hear.) Now, physical force had been denounced.
in the Chartists, but Sir Robert Peel had appealed to it,
and had, when called upon by the people to
take into consideration their distresses, appealed
to the physical force power of ninety in the
House of Commons, and had said that he would do
ust as he pleased himself, and not as the people pleased.
He complained that the lower classes were separated
from the middle classes of the country ; but it was the
fault of the latter, for they had good cause to expect no-
thing
but distrust and suspicion from the industrious
classes, whom they had helped to keep down and
trample upon.—(Hear.) He believed a better feeling
between them—there was no trim
was springing up betw
•
ming—no succumbing to the Whigs and th eir Bs. d uty
now.—(Cheers.) The Whigs had gone out, and he
might say that nothing in their public lives had so well
become them as their leaving of it. There would be now
no compromise—nothing short of total and immediate
repeal, and the more immediate the more total it should
be.—(Much cheering.) He had been taught when
speaking of the Corn-laws to believe that toleration of
wrong was neither justice nor charity. Let charity be
felt for the man who robbed to supply the wants of his
starving family. Let thew, in short. feel charity for all,

rather than those who, without any necessity being im-
posed on them, plundered their poorer and more helpless
fellow-subjects, and used legislation for the perpetration
of the worst of crimes.—(Great cheering.)
Dr. LYNCH proposed " The Health of the Right Hon.
Daniel O'Connell, Lord Mayor of the City of Dublin"
—(Great cheering and laughter)—" and success to old
Ireland."—(Much cheering.) He did not miscalculate
the feelings of Englishmen when he anticipated that the
toast would be received with enthusiasm.—(Hear, hear.)
He believed that with all their superiority the toast he
had just proposed to them conveyed a practical lesson to
the people of England. They must have seen in the suc-
cess of Mr. O'Connell the salutary and beneficial effects
of a moral force and determination, which had ultimately
succeeded in effecting the emancipation and regeneration
of his country.—(Great cheering.) He had the monied
power, the aristocracy, and the ecclesiastical power of
the country against him, but he had overcome them—he
had triumphed—he had cut his way through mountains
of difficulties, and had levelled in the dust the fortress of
bigotry and intolerance, and he thought the success of
O'Connell was an important lesson to the bludgeon men
of the Chartists.—(Much cheering.) It was a proof that
the well-regulated force of public opinion was superior to
every other species of force; and although some surpliced
ruffians at Exeter-hall had only the night before de-
nounced him as the Alpha and Omega of all sorts of
mischief, he thought the Right Hon. Gentleman had
proved that he was the true representative of the feelings,
and wants, and wishes of the people of his native coun-
try.—(Tremendous cheering.) He would give them
" The Health of the Right Hon. Daniel O'Connell, Lord
Mayor of the City of Dublin."—(Loud cheering.)
Mr. TAYLOR gave the health of the Chairman, which
was drank with much enthusiasm, and briefly responded
to by Col. Thompson, who assured them, that what-
ever experience or knowledge he had obtained during
his life would be devoted with great pleasure to the
promotion of the union of the middle and industrious
classes ; by which alone, he was convinced, the inde-
pendence and liberty of the people at large would be
promoted.
Mr. COPPOCK gave the health of Mr. Green, the Se-
cretary, who had laboured with great industry and assi-
• duity to promote the annual celebration of the acquittal
of Tooke, Thelwall, and his compatriots.
Mr. GREEN returned thanks, and, after some other
• toasts had been given, the Chairman retired, and the
meeting separated.

STRIKE OF THE MASONS.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SlR—Would you favour the masons, by inserting in
The Sun the following copy of a letter from Edinburgh ?
I am, Sir, your's, &c.
THOMAS SHORTER, C. C., Secretary of
English Association of Masons.
Craven's Head, Drury-lane, Nov. 4, 1841.
" Edinburgh, Oct. 31, 1841.
" BRETHREN—You will, no doubt, be anxious to hear
from us ; but circumstances, which we could not con-
trol, have prevented our sending to you earlier. We
have not lost a moment on our own account. We
herein inclose a bank cheque, on Coutts and Co., for
loot, and will, in a little time, send you another such
sum, and so on. Let us know how you are getting on.
Above all things, keep up your spirits. You must not
succumb to the enemy. The masons of Britain will not
suffer you to be laid down as a first course of Mac-
adamized highway, for inhumanity to ride rough shod
on. Never—no, never—it cannot be—it shall not be!
" I remain, Brethren, your's respectfully,
" JOHN ADIE, Secretary of the
Scottish Masons' Society."

THE COBBETT CLUB.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR—At a meeting of the Cobbett Club, on Wednes-
day last, a resolution was unanimously agreed to, that
the thanks of the Club were eminently due to the Editor
of The Sun, for the promptness with which he gave in-
sertion to their petition which was presented to the
House of Commons by Mr. T.Duncombe, on the last day
of the Session, condemnatory of the illegal and uncon-
stitutional interference of that House with the choice of
the Crown in the selection of its servants ; and on the
great waste of the public time by the party squabbles
carried on by its Members, and praying of them to at-
tend to matters of real importance, and to show to the
world that they are not totally unworthy of the title that
they have assumed as legislators, by proceeding, imme-
diately, to enact a law which shall remove all barriers to
the exercise, by the people, of the ancient constitutional
right of Universal Suffrage.
I am, Sir, your most obedient servant,
B. TILLY,
Honorary Secretary of the Cobbett Club.
92, Fleet-street, Nov. 6, 1841.