The Sun.
London, England, 1833-02-27 00:00:00

educed by the eloquence of the Hon. Member to exercise th•
means which he had shadowed out in order to protect
themselves. He was sure that Wolverhampton and its
neighbourhood would have been the scene of transactions
similar to those which occurred at Btistol, but for the in-
tervention of the military.—(Hear.)
Several Members then called out " Name, name," upon
which _ _

An MN. MEMBER (name unknown) said, that as the
Hon. Member bad said that such transactions had taken
place, he ought in justice to mention the name, otherwise
it would be impossible for Members to have an opportu-
nity of contradicting his assertions.
Mr. ATTWOOD—The place to which I alluded, in
which the infantry charged the people, and the cavalry
rode up to the hustings at a time when no breach of the
peace had been committed, was the newly enfranchised
borough of Walsall, in Staffordshire.
Mr. FOSTER said, that as the Member for that bo-
rough, he thought it necessary to make a few remarks in
answer to the statement of the Hon. Member for Bir-
mingham. lie never was more surprised than when he
heard the statement made by the Hon. Member, especially
as he (Mr. Attwood) was entirely cognizant of all that took
place at the Walsall election ; and, in fact—quorum pars
magna ipse fait—as his son was the unsuccessful candi.
date. He could state officially, that he had seen twenty
thousand men in one body, come into the town, under the
authority of the party which supported the Hen. Mem-
ber's son, and preceded by persons in military dresses,
though he did not believe they belonged to any military
corps. They had banners flying, and he believed they
carried arms..---(Hear, hear.) There were upwards of
thirty persons taken up for rioting, and many respectable
persons were seriously injured. The military were then
sent for, but they did not arrive till the election bad vie
tinily closed, and their arrival did not conduce to info-.
ence the result of the election. He could further
state, on information which he had since received, that if
the military had not been called for, Walsall would have
shared the fate of Bristol.—(Hear.) The Magistrates, to
his own knowledge, had acted with extreme moderation
and impartiality, and he had no doubt, that if the
charges brought against them were persevered in, they
Would be ready to submit the decision of the case to any
tribunal which might please the Hon. Member for Bir-
mingham.
Mr. ATTWOOD said, he was ready to prove that the
special constables had instigated the people to riot by their
conduct. They broke windows and wounded children, in
order to outrage the feelings of their parents—in order
that, when the fathers complained, they might accuse
them of rioting.—(oh, oh.)
Mr. HUME said, he had a petition from Walsall in his
possession, regarding the conduct of the military at the
election. He should have presented it sooner, but he was
waiting till the arrival of the Hon. Member opposite (Mr.
Foster) in town ; and he was not aware of his arrival till
he saw the Hon. Member in his place. The account
which the petition in his possession gave of the traneac.
tions varied from what was stated by the Hon. Member
for Birmingham. He would take the opportunity of pre-
senting the petition to-morrow.
Mr. BUCKINGHAM said, that the prayer of the pe-
tition was, that all elections in which the military force
had interfered should be declared null and void, because
it was known that, by law, the military' were always sent
to a distance, in order that they should not overawe the
electors in the exercise of their rights. He knew that, in
Sheffield, the military did interfere without any necessity.
The military were at a distance of ten miles from the
town, when they were sent for by the Magistrates, and
they had not been ten minutes i❑ Sheffield when they fired
on the people, and killed and wounded great numbers.
Among others they killed a watchman who was acting in
the discharge of his duty, and some young children. So
that innocent blood had been unnecessarily spilt. He
knew that persons aggrieved might apply to Parliament
for redress, but a Parliamentary inquiry cost about 2,0001.,
which placed it out of the power of the poor people, who
were generally the sufferers on such occasions, to employ
the remedy. He thought that if means were taken by
which votes could be taken, so that it should not be
known on which side an elector voted, the interference of
the military might be avoided.—(Hear.)
An Hole. AIEMBER said be was in Sheffield a few days
subsequent to the transaction to which the Hon. Member
for Sheffield alluded, and that he was told by the magis-
trates, that by the interference alone the safety of the town
was insured.

The petition was the❑ laid on the table.
Mr. T. AT IWOOD presented a petition from the
members of the Midland Political Union, in which the
petitioners expressed their regret that Ministers should
contemplate measures of coercion towards Ireland, and
complained that the interests of the working cl.oses of
the community were neglected. They stated that the
working classes were in deep distress, and prayed for the
repeal of the taxes upon bread, malt, hops, tea, sugar, and
tobacco.

➢lr. BROTHERTON presented a petition from the
inhabitants of Stretford, in Lancashire, praying for the
abolition of slavery.
Mr. J. H. LLOYD presented a petition from Thomas
Sydney, as chairman of a meeting of the inhabitants of
Stockport, praying for a revision of the corn laws, and
the repeal of the taxes on knowledge and soap.
Mr. EWING presented two petitions from Glasgow,
praying for some legislative enactment to enlorce the better
observance of the Sabbath.

Mr. BLACKSTONE presented a petition from the
Protestant Dissenters of Wallingford, in Berkshire, for the
abolition of negro slavery.
Mr. OSWALD pesented petitions from Kilburnie and
another place in Ayrshire for the abolition of slavery, and
petitions from the seceJers of Ayr and front Ardrossan fur
some legislative enactment to enforce the better observance
of the Sabbath. He likewise presented a petition from
Newntilns, in Ayrshire, praying for less rigorous tne.isures
towards Ireland, for the abolition of all sinecure places
and pensions, and for the better management of the
Crown lands.

Mr. ROSE presented a petition from the parish of
Neckbridge, county Louth, against the unconstitutional
and arbitrary measures now in contemplation by the
Ministers against Ireland. The Hon. Gentleman most
heartily supported the prayer of the petition ; he pro-
te.ted, in the strongest terms, ag iinst the 'rightful
tHea,ure prayed against, and expressed a determination to
oppose it through every stage in the fullest and most
decided manner. —Ordered to lie on the table.

Admiral FLENIING presented a petition from the
under graduates and students of Glasgow for the abolition
of slavery.—To lie on the table.
The HON. MEMBER also presented two petitions, nu-
merously signed, from parishe+ in Stirling-, for the enforce-
ment of a due observance of the Sabbath, and fur a
Reform in the system of Church patronage.—Ord.:ed to
lie on the table.

Mr. MURRAY presented a petition from the body of
traffickers (a m-lchant corporation of Leah), praying for
an immediate and thorough Borough Reform ; which, it
added, was most loudly called for throughout Scotland.
The petition complained of several local grievances, par-
ticularly of being obliged ta contribute to the maintenance
el the clergy of E lintr..rgh—a contribution levied upon
them in the most injurious manner. The petitioners
trusted that thes:: local grievances, under which Leith had
so long suffered, might now be redressed.—Ordered to
lie on the table.

Mr. CAYLEY presented a petition from the inhabi-
tants of Danby, in the North Riding of Yorkshire, pray-
ing for the abolition of shivery.
Mr. HAWES presented a petition from the Church-
wardens and other inhabitants of St. M,rv, Newington,
praying for a reduction of taxes, and of the standing army,
—Ordered to lie on the table.

Mr. OLIPHANT presented several petitions from dif-
ferent congregations of Perth to the same effect.—Ordered
to lie on the table.

Mr. 1100 PER presented a petition from a parish in
litimingdon, for the abolition of slavery.—To lie on the
table.

Mr. HOWARD presented a petition, most respectably
and numerously signed, from Carlisle, praying for the
better observance of the Lord's Day. The petitioners ob-
served, with the deepest regret, the alarming state of reli-
gion, particularly with respect to the non-observance of
the Sabbath in the metropolis. The petitioners com-
plained of the extreme injury in trade sustained by the
scrupulous and pious tradesman, whose conscience dic-
tated to him to close his shop on the Sabbath, in conse-
quence of the course pursued by those tradesmen who did
not fear to keep theirs open. The petitioners had not to
complain of any great outrage of this nature at Carlisle ;
but most strongly prayed for protection for the scrupulous
and pious tradesman.
Mr. JAMES bad been asked to support the petition of
his colleague, and he would therefore do so, though he
must at the same time say that his opinion perfectly agreed
with that of Members who felt that the cause of religion
or morality was not to be promoted by Act of Parliament.
Mr. BLAMIRE objected to the keeping open of shops
on Sundays ; but he trusted that, by an enforcement of the
due observance of the Sabbath, they did not intend to in-
terfere with the innocent recreations of the people.
Mrs HOWARD said, the only wish of the petitioners
was what he had stated.
Mr. WILLIAMS presented a petition from a parish
in Ashton-under-Line, praying for what be consi-
dered a measure of political injustice... the r're.