The Sun.
London, England, 1841-12-21 00:00:00

PUBLIC DISTRESS.

A meeting was held last night at the Montpelier Ta-
vern, Walworth, to address her Majesty, and petition
Parliament for redress of grievances. The room, soon
after eight o'clock, was nearly filled by working men,
many of whom brought their wives, who were accommo-
dated with seats on the platform.
Mr. BROWN, having been voted to the Chair, declared
in appropriate terms his desire to give every person a
fair and liberal hearing. The meeting was called to
consider the great distress of the country ; secondly, to
petition the House of Commons for a remedy. So far
as the existence of distress was in question, he thought
the reports from Paisley, and even in Walworth where
they were then assembled, must remove all doubt. The
National Petition, which they were then called upon to
advocate, had already been signed by 10,000 in the
Borough of Southwark. He had no doubt it would re-
ceive a- large addition to those signatures within a short
space of time.
Mr. W. BALLS proposed the first resolution :—" That
it was the opinion of the meeting, that the distress which
then pervaded the country was solely occasioned by class
legislation." He proceeded to enumerate the many in-
stances of suffering among the working classes in Not-
tingham, Bolton, and other parts. The artisans of Eng-
land were in a state of starvation. In Ireland, during a
considerable length of time. one-th:rd of the population
had been living as mendicants. The present state of so-
ciety was unnatural. Those who made garments and
produced food, were without food or garments. The
cause of this unnatural state was class legislation. The
legislators had denied the working classes the benefit of
thir labour. They had sanctioned a debt of eight hun-
dred millions, with which the working men had no con-
nexion.—(Hear.) They had introduced the game laws,
and supported the law of primogeniture, introduced in
the time of William the Conqueror, to keep up the
power of the Barons and rivet the chains of the people.
They had also of late years passed no less than 1,948
Inclosure Acts, depriving the poor industrious parts of
the community of millions of acres. Having adverted to
the expenses of the army and navy, which were upheld,
he said, in the Legislature to support the sons of the
aristocracy, he asserted that the repeal of the Corn-laws
would not benefit the people. The time had gone by.
The workmen on the Continent were then the rivals of
this country. The only remedy for the misfortunes of
the country was the extension of the suffrage to the
workinc, classes. Sir W. Jones had said the possession
of the franchise made the difference between a freeman
and a slave. The Charter claimed by the working
classes alone would be the means of rescuing the people
from their present degraded state. He concluded by
moving the resolution be adopted.
Air. R. RIDLEY seconded the resolution, and stated,
with great talent, the present hardship and sufferings of
the distressed operatives.
The resolution was put and carried unanimously.
Mr. WHEELER then read the National Petition to the
House of Commons —(the same voted at the Southwark
meeting)—which was adopted.
Mr. MAYNARD stated that nothing could be further
from the intention of the Chartists than the violation of
property. They did not want a revolution; but merely
the rights which belonged to their class, and to all their
fellow-subjects.
The next business was a memorial to her Majesty on
the subject of the offences committed by Frost, Jones,
and Williams, and praying her Majesty, on the birth of
the Prince of Wales, to grant those individuals a pardon.
The memorial was agreed to.
The petition to the House of Commons and memorial
to her Majesty were then referred to the Members for
the county to be by them presented.
Thanks having been voted to the Chairman for his ex-
cellent conduct in the chair, the meeting adjourned.

DISTRESS OF THE COUNTRY.
MEETING OF THE DISTRESSED SPITAL-

FIELDS WEAVERS.

On Saturday night, at nine o'clock, a numerous meet-
ing of the Spitalfields weavers was held at the Knave of
Clubs, Club-row, Bethnal-green, for the purpose of re-
ceiving the Report of the Committee, in reference to the
steps taken towards the relief of the unemployed and dis-
tressed weavers in that district ; Mr. Boddington in the
Chair.
Mr. CLAISSE, the Secretary, having read the Report of
the many cases of urgent destitution in the neighbourhood,
Mr. JENNINGS said that the Committee had been now
four weeks engaged for the benefit of the weavers. They
had waited on bankers, manufacturers, and gentlemen of
property without any remuneration. They had done all
they possibly could for their distressed fellow-workmen.
A WEAVER said that much sympathy had been ex-
pressed for the Spitalfields weavers ; but, though they
had now been some weeks calling for relief, none had
been offered. They had heard of the distress in Bolton,
Mancheaer, Paisley, and other manufacturing towns,
and relief had been afforded; yet the distress was not
greater in those places than it was among the weavers
of Spitalfields. There were 8,000 looms unemployed,
and taking three persons from each loom, made 24,000
out of work.—(Hear, hear.) How many were there who
would now be glad to have a few coals, and some bread
for their families!—(Hear, hear.) Many will be starving
if relief is not afforded soon.—(Several voices, " They
are starving and dying.") He should move that a meet-
ing of the unemployed weavers be forthwith called.
The resolution having been seconded, and several
weavers having spoken to it,
Mr. Fox said that the propriety of a similar meeting
had been discussed by the Committee. It was, however,
thought better now to wait, in order to see whether a
district meeting would be called. If the money in the
hands of the Lord Mayor be given for distribution to
persons in whom they have no confidence, then they
could call a general district meeting. Three weeks ago
the necessity for relief was said to be urgent. But, from
some cause, this extraordinary delay has occurred.—
(Hear, hear.) Now the gentlemen have another move
on the board. Ho consideaed that the best course was
to see what plan would be recommended.
Mr. WELss moved an amendment that the considera-
tion of the resolution be adjourned to Tuesday night.
A WEAVER seconded the amendment; when
The CHAIRMAN, having observed that they could not
proceed any further in the discussion of the question at
that late hour (twelve o'clock), put the amendment,
which was lost.
The meeting then broke out.

A public meeting was held yesterday at Bridge-
water for the purpose of voting addressess to her Majesty
and Prince Albert, on the birth of a Prince. The meet-
ing was convened by the High Sheriff of Somersetshire,
William Francis Knatchbull, Esq., in pursuauce of a re-
quisition signed by most of the leading men in the county,
amongst whom were the Earl of Cork, Lord Lovelace,
Lord Poulett, Sir William Medlicott, Bart., Sir Alexander
Flood, Bart. ; Colonel Gore Langton and W. Miles,
Esq., Members for the Eastern Division ; T. D. Acland,
Esq., and F. H. Dickinson, Esq., Members for the West-
ern Division ; Poulet St. John Mildmay, Esq., and many
others. The addresses were unanimously agreed to, and,
after a vote of thanks to the High Sheriff had been
passed, the meeting broke up.
We regret to announce the death of Lady Eliza-
beth Mathew, of Thomastown Castle, which happened
on last Tuesday night. Her Ladyship, whose benevo-
lence and kindness of heart justly endeared her to her
numerous tenantry and friends, was sister to the late po-
pular Earl of Llandaff and General Montague Mathew.
On the decease of the late Earl the title became dormant,
and 'the representation of this ancient family devolved
or. George Mathew, Esq., the father of the late Member
for Athlone.
SCOTCH PRIDE.—A rather amusing instance
of Scotch pride has recently been exhibited in conse-
quence, as inquiry has shown, of a mistaken rumour in
reference to the improvements going on in the Assembly
Rooms. It has been imagined that there is a door at
which all who go in hackney-coaches are to enter. This
has caused a prodigious sensation among persons who,
not keeping carriages of their own, are ashamed to have
it known they use hackneys ! It may be useful to in-
form such persons, that the first nobility in the land
think nothing of going about in cabs; and that many
fashionables do not take their horses out late, but use
hackneys. The proposed regulation, however, turns
out to be, that all hired carriages, as well as private ones,
are to set down at the two doors, according as they come
from west or east.—Scotsman.
A letter from Montpellier of the 13th inst., in
the Gazette des Tribunaux, states that Madame Laffarge
continues to be so ill, that her stomach rejects nearly all
kinds of food. When the jail costume was presented to
her for the purpose of her putting it on, she exclaimed,
" Never will I wear this dress of infamy," and threw
herself on her bed, which she has not quitted since. She
is not permitted to see any persons from without, except
some relations whom she has at Montpellier, for a few
moments on Sunday ; and some articles of furniture, which
were brought to the jail by her relations, were sent back.
The cell in Which she is placed is the same as those of the
other prisoners, and her illness alone presents the en-
forcement in her case of the prison regulations as to. labour.
A few days ago a person named Fonvtelle, an
inhabitant of the little town of Realmont, was brought
before the Court of Assize at Albi, on a charge of having
attempted to excite hatred and contempt of the Govern-
ment by hanging in front of his house, during the ex-
citement caused by the census, an effigy, having in one
hand a reed, and in the other a paper bearing the words,
"Mesures Fiscales, Mahul, Soult, Hamann, Guizot,"
and over the head another paper, with the words, " Con-
demnation d'Humann et de ses complices." The Jury
acquitted the prisoner after a few minutes' deliberation.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

CHANCERY COURT.-(THIS DAY.)

This being the Fourth Seal, the Lord Chancellor took
appeal motions to-day.

YOUNG V. LORD WATERPARK.

This case came before the Court upon motion, the
object of which was to restore the cause to the Vice-
Chancellor of England's paper, it having been tranferred
to that of Vice-Chancellor • Knight Bruce. The ground
on which the application was made was, that Vice-
Chancellor Knight Bruce had hitherto been the Counsel

the cause cf Lord Waterparic and Mr. Cavendish.
The LORD CHANCELLOR ordered the cause to be re-
stored to the paper of the Vice-Chancellor, of Eno- ;land.

HALE V. HALE.

This case came before the Court upon an appeal
motion from the decision of the Master of. the
Rolls, by which he appointed a receiver over
the brewery business, and also of the stock,
effects, and property belonging to the brewery of
Messrs. Hales, and also directed a reference to the
Master, for the purpose of inquiring into the propriety
of selling the stock, effects, and good-will of the trade.
This short Narrative of the case may be thus given :—Mr.
Hale, the plaintiff is a beneficed clergyman, who be-
came entitled, under the will of his father, as the resi-
duary legatee, to a share in the property, and also in
the business of the brewery carried on by his father
in partnership with the defendant. For some time after
the death of the plaintiff's father the business was carried
on by the executors and the defendant ; subsequently,
however, it became matter of contract between the
plaintiff and the defendant, and it was carried on in that
manner fur a considerable time. Some time since, dis-
agreements taking place between the parties, the plaintiff
filed his bill for the purpose of putting an end to the bu-
siness, and in that suit the order was made by the Master
of the Rolls, which was now sought to be discharged.
Mr. Bethell and Mr. Goodive appeared on behalf of
the appellant; and Mr. Sutton Sharpe and Mr. Romilly
were in support of the order below.
Before Mr. BETRELL had concluded his opening
on behalf of the appellant, an arrangement was come to,
to refer all matters in difference in the cause to Mr.
George Turner, the Queen's Counsel, who was to be at
liberty, if he thought fit, to call in an accountant, and to
have full power to make awards from time to time as he
should think fit.