The Sun.
London, England, 1848-04-10 00:00:00

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SUN OFFICE, Seven o' Cluck.

KENNINGTON COMMON.

About half-past two o'clock the waggons which had
previously contained the petition and the members of
the Convention were drawn off the common and for-
warded to a livery stable in the neighbourhood.
We have been present upon various occasions of
contested elections in the borough of Lambeth and
elsewhere, and we are most decidedly of opinion
that the number of persons present on the
common did not at any time exceed that which we have
seen upon other occasions. It is a matter of congra-
tulation that the demonstration has ended so peaceably.
Too great praise cannot be bestowed upon the autho-
rities for the manner in which they have carri.d out
their arrangements. There was not a single person
connected with the police or military force present
upon the occasion to offer the slightest disturbance or in-
duce the least provocation. A person on horseback, how-
ever,:rode several times round the common, and informed
the people in the most courteous manner, that immediately
upon the meeting breaking up the persons present
would be expected to disperse quietly and peaceably.
We believe that not a single accident worthy of note
took place throughout the whole proceedings.
At the conclusion of the meeting on the common it
was announced by Mr. E. Jones, from the waggon, that
a meeting woit'd be held to night at the South-London
Chartist Hall, in the Blackfriars-road.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

(THIS EVENING.)

HOUSE OF LORDS.
Their Lordships met this afternoon at Five o'clock.
ODD FELLOWS AND BENEFIT SOCIETIES.
Lord BEAUMONT presented several petitions from
Odd Fellows' lodges, praying to be admitted to the legal
privileges of benefit societies.
The Marquis of LONDONDERRY was understood to
present similar petitions.
KENNINGTON COMMON.

In answer to a question,
The Marquis of LANSI)OWNE said that he was glad
to inform the Noble Lord that the proceedings which
had so alarmed the public, had been happily put an
end to without the interference of the soldiery, indeed,
without the appearance of the soldiery being required.
He was glad to say that that meeting had been dispersed
by the police, and the police alone. The petition which
had been made the occasion of all this preparation,
had been brought quietly across the bridges in cabs,
he believed hired for the purpose, and had, in the other
House of Parliament, received that attention which all
petitions emanating from the people were entitled to
have.
Lord BROUGHAM thought some steps ought to be
taken to prevent the recurrence of these meetings,
whether in Ireland or in England. He thought that all
monster meetings were illegal, and he trusted that en-
deavours would be made to put a stop to them.
The Duke of WELLINGTON said, that the City of
London had, within the last few days, been kept in a
state of alarm, which must have told seriously on the
trade and commerce of this great city, and occu-
pation of every man in the metropolis. The
present had yet been a short session, yet
during its existence the metropolis had been twice
alarmed and disturbed from this cause, once already at
Kennington-common, and again at Kennington common
they had been alarmed with a threat of holding a
meeting of 200,000 persons. Now, this number
could not be met for the purpose of discussion, and he
hoped that measures would be introduced for the pur-
pose of preventing meetings of such dense nuir.bers for
the purpose of discussing questions of policy, because he
felt assured that the evil to the country, if these were
allowed, would be greater than the good to the persons
concerned.
The Marquis of NORTHAMPTON deprecated the
gathering of large crowds in the metropolis, while he
at the same time desired to preserve the full right of the
people to petition.
The Marquis of LANSDOWNE passed a merited
eulogium upon the police, and assured the House that
the middle classes had vied with the well-disposed
of her Majesty's subjects in preserving the peace,
while the admirable arrangements of his Noble Friend
opposite, although fortunately they were n ;t required to
the full extent, had the effect of overawin4 the masses
that had been assembled. Heihad to give notice, on the
part of a Noble Friend, that as he was in the country,
he was to postpone making any inquiry on the subject
of corn law retnrns till Friday next.
The House then adjourned.