The Sun.
London, England, 1848-06-02 00:00:00

1848.

THE CHARTISTDISTURBANCES.
CLERKENWELL- GREEN.
Last night another disgraceful exhibition was at-
tempted upon Clerkenwell-green. The police having
received information thot several meetings were to take
place in various parts of the metropolis to sympathise
with Mr. Mitchel, and to demand of the Government his
immediate liberty, and that at the termination of these
meetings the parties intended to march off to Clerken-
well-green, induced the Commissioners to make such ar-
rangements as would effectually have broken up such a
procession if attempted. At an early part of the evening
a number of mounted police were sent off, not merely to
Clerkenwell, but to Arbour-square, Stepney,King-street,
Westminster, and Lambeth. The soldiery were also
under arms, and were quartered in different parts of
London. The Honourable Artillery Company received
notice yesterday morning to assemble in the evening,
and hold themselves in readiness in case their services
should be required. Accordingly, the whole of that
force met last night at the Armoury, in the Artillery-
ground, and were immediately placed under arms.
At six o'clock the people began to assemble at Clerken-
well-green, in the expectation that some of their
" brave patriots" would have been present to address
them according to promise. In that they were disap-
pointed, and the only party who attempted to make a
speech was a man nobody appeared to know, who was
dressed in a brown holland blouse. Having taken his
stand on the kerb opposite the churchyard, he began his
harangue by upbraiding the people for their cowardice
in not resisting the police the previous night.—(Cries of
"We did.") Yes, but bow did you do it? continued the
orator; you suffered them to knock down your friends
in the same manner the horses are slaughtered In
Sharp's-alley. You are not fit to be called Chartists or
Repealers. He was absolutely ashamed of them.—
(Cries of "Oh dear!") Yes, he would not own one of
them any longer.—(Cries of " What do you want us to
do?") Why, go to work at once, and pull up the
_pavement; they could do that before the police
got there, if they liked. They had done no-
thing yet. Where were their broken bottles
and their old mantel-pieces that Mitchel recom-
mended?—(Criss of " You are a pretty leader. Where
would you go?") He would go by the side of the man
who had just interrupted him, if he would take the front
rank.—(Cries of " Walker!") This remark seemed to
provoke the speaker to` such an extent, that he was de-
termined at once to resort to physical force, and with-
out further ceremony he left off his discourse and gave
his opponent a violent blow in the face. Being imme-
diately surrounded by some of his partisans, the fellow
succeeded in getting off; but the man having found out
his
residence, he intends to take out an assault warrant
this morning (Friday),
eAt a quarter past eight o'clock Mr. Superintendent
wis, wan abouloo men, marched on to the green, at
which time the snob was creating a most hideous noise,
throwing stones aboutt,it
that
rushing to and fro with stick!
againin their
to
bands,ela their so
s hyoti
police came up from As u_iatitclti.taioanda,
pet:h.b.euirAnyhabitants were compelle(
instructions from the uperintendent, they mlacancroucrhmdebidleigrin‘‘'
body amongst the crowd, and in the course of half a
hour they succeeded in driving back the rabble, and b
placing a reserve at the end of the courts and stree
rabblepeople. back from ti
e difficulty, but
r :gaits t ian
ury to an
was accomplished without much personala
thousand
bagyaei-nstcreoentgs
one, and by ten o'clock there were not
sons to be seen near the green. At that eri randpije'
was well guarded by a strong muster of Pthe° Gthdeiiislaicc
of police, under Superintendent Evans and Inspecto!
Penny and Julian.

At half-past ten o'clock the meetings in the Farrini
don Hall, John-street, Tottenham-court-road, and oth,
places, broke up, but owing to the admirable arrano
ments of the police, no processions were allowed to tat
place.

FARRINGDON HALL, SNOW-HILL.
Frustrated in their attempts to create a sensation out
of doors, the Confederates and Chartists assembled at
their various clubs yesterday morning, and resolved
that meetings should be held in the several districts of
the metropolis last evening, in order that they might
have an opportunity of expressing their unfettered opi-
nions with respect to Mr. Mitchel and his recent convic-
tion.

At the meeting held at the Farringdon Hall, Snow-
hill, Mr. James White presided, and, in opening the
proceedings, remarked that the meeting was held for the
purpose of expressing their disgust at the way in which
Mr. Mitchel had been tried and convicted. The large
meeting which he beheld at once intimated that a strong
feeling prevailed in this country in favour of Mr. John
Mitchel. They felt, he had no doubt, as he (the chair-
man) did, that John Mitchel had only endeavoured to
free his country from that oppression under which it
had for so many years laboured.—(Hear, hear, and
cheers.) At some meetings which had been recently
held, recommendations of a very grave nature had been
made—he did not expect that such recommendations
would be made there, not that they were too timid--
(Cries of "No, no")—but he was quite certain that
whatever recommendations were proposed would be car-
ried out, for the people were quite ready to act, and were
not afraid of losing their own lives. If they were
driven to acts of violence they must not be blamed, for it
would be the fault of Government who had driven them
to it.—(Cheers )
Mr. W. COOPER moved the following resolution:—
" That this meeting views it as the inalienable right of
man to think, that it would look upon that man as less
than a man, who would be induced to hold back in
speaking what he thinks; that therefore John Mitchel
has only filled the purpose which his Maker bad in view
in furnishing him with mind and tongue, that therefore
any physical demonstration of poser made for the pur.
pose of gagging human beings is a violation of God's
law and man's rights, and is viewed by this meeting with
the execration it deserves, but the meeting would also
express 'their utter disgust at the means by which a
verdict of guilty' had been secured to a Whiggish Go-
vernment against John Mitchel, by poisoning the foun-
tain of justice—' trial by jury,' and by making the
profession of particular forms of religion the means
by which a gag-loving Government is to be strength-
eeed in its purposes, and a fellow-creature convicted
and doomed for thinking and speaking, to fourteen
years' transportation in a penal settlement." The
question for their consideration was, not what doc-
trines Mr. Mitchel had taught. The question was not
whether Roman Catholics would or would not have con.
victed John Mitchel. The question was, whether any
Government were justified in packing the jury with men
who were known to be opposed to John Mitchel in
every sentiment he expressed? If such a right were to
be conceded to the Crown, what became of Magna Charts
—where was your Reform Bill—where your boasted
liberty? Why it was all miserable cant and humbug, and
there was no truth in any of them, and trial by jury
became a mockery, a delusion, and a snare. He felt it
his duty to come to that meeting for the purpose of
washing his hands from the damnable stain which had
been put upon every man, and which would remain
until they raised their voice against such a bloody pro-
ceeding. The Government knew that if John Mitchel
went on a little longer they would not be able to main-
tain their position; but he thanked God that he had
gone on long enough to do sufficient damage, as they
would very soon perceive. British power, he considered
was maintained in Ireland at the present time by the
point of the bayonet.—(Groans.) Much had been said
on the subject of the apprehended rise in Ireland, that
there was no fear of any disturbance on account
of Mitchel's transportation. All he should say on
that point was, that they were waiting their opportunity.
—(Hear, hear, and cheers.) They were preserving
their strength until the proper period arrived.—(Loud
cheers.) The terrible cloud had not yet burst. After
lavishing a profusion of abuse upon the press, the
speaker continued to say—All Ireland's miseries have
been brought on by English misrule—the Government
had forced upon that country a distasteful Church, had
compelled them to support it, they had refused to Ire •
land a measure of tenant right; in fact, every injustice
which could be thrust upon the country. It had been
said that if Mr. Mitchel had wished a repeal of the
union. that he should have petitioned Parliament.—
(Cries of " We have done with petitions; pikes are the
things for us now.") But he might have petitioned long
enough before any notice would have been taken of him.
When Mr. Mitchell saw during the last winter that
hundreds of thousands were dying of starvation, he
swore by God that he would never rest night
nor day until he obtained redress for his country,
for doing which the Government had now trans-
ported him.—(A Voice—" Yes, the b—y villians are
murdering the people.") He warned the Government not
to suppose that they had put down agitation by trans-
porting Mitchel. The only way to do that, was to give
the country a right to self-government. All legitimate
power was derived from the people, and therefore the
people had a right to select what government they would
have. If he considered republicanism better than royalty
ho had a right to say so. A republican was the only
just government, and the country would never prosper
under any other.—(Cheers.) He could assure the Go-
vernment that it was the determination of the people to
break the chains which John Mitchel had shaken.
Mr. E. YOUEL seconded the resolution. He said there
were men ready to join in any movement which might
take place for the release of Mitchel.—(Cheers.) They
had only one common object in view, that was to hurl
the Government of this country from its resting place.
The resolution was then put, and carried by accla-
mation.

Several other persons addressed the meeting, and an
address to Mrs. Mitchel was agreed to.

MEETING IN JOIN-STREET, TOTTENIIAM- COURT-
/1.0.W.-A meeting of persons professing sympathy with
Mr. Mitchel was held last night at the Literary Institu-
tion, John-street, Tottenham-court-road, which was
densely crowded long before the hour appointed for the
commencement of the proceedings. After several in-
flammatory speeches, resolutions denunciatory of the
Government, and expressive of sympathy with Mr.
Mitchel, were agreed to.

STEPNEY-GREEN.
iisitohns to
of police,
eMe awr qhui
leer d,
engageth e
ds uipae
rin-
rt eogt r
teht
et oK statedy
t e nltlVeen
persing a disorderly mob on Stepney-green, on Wednes-
day night, was stabbed by some cowardly miscreant. It
appears that a Chartist meeting was announced to be
held on Stepney-green on that evening, and precautions
were taken to prevent any outbreak. The whole of the
fi division, both horse and foot, were mustered in the
vicinity of the Green; a squadron of cavalry in readiness
to act if necessary, were drawn up in the grounds at-
tached to the King Harry Tavern, in tho Mile-end-
road; a numerous body of special constables were also
at hand. Towards eight o'clock a few stragglers mad.
their appearance on the Green, and their numbers
continued to increase until half-past eight, when the
road became impassable, and the horse patrol of the
K division received orders from Mr. 'Mtrquard to