The Sun.
London, England, 1856-08-26 00:00:00

[PRICE 4D. STAMPED 6D-

CHALTIST MEETING ON T 3 EYHEAD
GREEN, TO DMO UDEN.

On Sunday afternoon a large meeting was held en
Heyhead-green, above Todmorden, for the purpose of
congratulating Mr. John Frost on his arrival home, and
presenting an address to him. About 150 yards from
the road which skirts the common, a cart was placed for
the speakers, and the number of people who assembled
around it was variously estimated at from 15,000 to
25,000.
Mr. J. ALDERSON was called to the chair, and opened
the meeting by giving out a hymn, commencing
" Great Gad, is this the patriot's doom !"

He then made a few remarks, in which he deplored the
absence of Feareus O'Connor and other persons, who had
formerly taken a part in their movements—men who bad
been honest, and had stuck to their principles in the
face of persecution. They bad, however, the pleasure of
having their tried fiend, Mr. John Frost, amongst
them. (Hear.)
Mr. SNOWDON, of Halifax, moved an address to Mr.
Frost. He announced that their meeting that day was
to inaugurate a fresh organisation for the attainment of
to be t
thepeople's
el
a;
at ee to
andr,
tthemselves
ley
es peopleard resolutelythei
their
cau 5,
e. deter-
minediley
would effect the object in less than twelve months. An
address to John Frost, Mg., was then read, and its
adoption moved by the speaker. Mr. Snowdon having
formally presented to Mr. Frost the address as one adopt-
ed by 25,000 of the people of Lancashire and Yorkshire.
Mr. Josue FROST, on rising, was received with loud
applause. He commenced by observing that he ac-
cepted with much pleasure the address which had that
day been presented to hint by the good men of Lanca-
shire and Yorkshire. He thanked them for their kind
congratulations on his return to his native laid, and
for the kind wish that had been expressed for that
cause
.fisre_which he had suffered. He believed that
he should yet see the success of tlinV cavuseshear)
—and they might rest assured that his life should
be devoted to the accomplishment of a radical reform in
the House of Commons. The address stated that be was
partially acquainted with the state of public feeling in
England in 1848, but that it was not the fears nor hosti-
lity of the middle classes that destroyed our movement
at that time, but, as in 1839, the unseemly differences
and angry squabbles of those who should have been una-
nimous and devoted to the people they professed to lead
which broke us up and retarded the triumph of oar cause.
When he was applied to in 1832 to become a member of
the convention of that period, he pointed out to those
who asked him the consequences that would follow with
regard to the local power he then possessed. His appre-
hensions were realised, and he was struck off the com-
mission of the peace. But as it was urged that he might
be of service to his country, he consented, from a sense
of duty, to risk his position, and accordingly took his
seat is the convention. Great, however, was his disap-
pointment ; for instead of meeting with men having their
great cause in view, he found men anxious to destroy
particular influences amongst themselves, and the majo-
rity was inefficient for good. After some further allusions
to the policy of Chartists at the above period, Mr. Frost
proceeded to describe the state of the penal colonies
where he had been. He stated that they wr ra in a most
wretched and abominable state in regard to Iw-reap.
He narrated one case in particular, in reference to two
youths who had been sent from Manchester, showing
that a systematic effort was made by the elder _criminals
to corrupt the younger ones, and declared that he would
rather have sons of his own hanged at one' than that
they should be sent toVan Diemen's Land. lie described
scenes that had come under his own observation—cases
in which he secreted himeelf, by orders, to detect such
proceedings, which revealed the filthiest and lowest,
state of moral feeling that any one could imagine.
Mr. HOOSTAN, of Manchester, expressed his gratifica-
tion in seeing so large a meetint:-. He urged upon the
people the necessity of joining associations to promote
their object, and recommended that in towns and vil-
lages, where there are none at present, associations should
be formed. He moved—" That this meeting is of opinion
that the principles for which Mr. Frost bas suffered—
viz., the People's Charter—aro the only principles cal-
culated to redeem the people, politically and socially, and
that it pledges itself constantly to agitate the claims of
the same, until it be adopt3d as the law of the land!'
Mr. ERNEST JONES seconded the resolution, and said
they should not only honour principle;, but the men who
made their advocacy popular by their c )n&stency ofcon-
duct. He then advocated the propriety of drafting off
people on the church lands and common lands for the
purpose of diminishing the competition in the labour
market, and exp:e sod an op.nion that agriculture was
sacrificed to manufacturing interest; a wise policy would
presume a wise medium. lizekelieved t'eere were lands
sufficient, without the slightest confiscation, to effect this
object. Ile did not approve of small farms, but rather co-
operative farms. By lessening the labour in towns wages
would be raised, and the effects of foreign competition
would be counts r*,,al,nre Iby cheapened provisions. He
ed that a dissolution of Pnriiament was not very
distant, and if ho should be returned as a member, as lie
did not doubt be should, as well as his friend Mr. Frost,
he wou'd pledge himself, by their co-operation, to effect
their obj-et.

A vote of than`is was then moved to the chairman, and
carried.

The address to Mr. Frog, printed in gold on green
paper, wai exhibited to the meeting.
The proceedings closed by making a collection, which
am iunted to 71. 104.---Manchester Guardian.

TREMENDOUS CONFtAGRATION AT

LIMEHOUSE.

A fire of considerable magnitude, and Attended wi.h
a serious destruction of property, broke•ou'. last night
about eight o'clock (and at midnight was far from
leing entire'y extinguished) in a clump of bu llings ad-
joining what is termed the Kidney Stairs, or ferry,
situate near Dowson's ship dock, at Limehouse.
Tins fire was supposed to have originated from the
spontaneous combustion of some oily cloth on the pre-
mises belonging to Mr. Gilbert, a sailcloth manufacturer,
&c., whose property was adjoined on either side by the
Plough Tavern, belonging to Mr. Kimmaples, the iron
works in the tenure of Mr. Kelsey, and several others.
()sing to the highly combustible nature of the stock
in trade the flames spread with the rapidity of lightning,
seizing upon the whole of the contents of the premises,
when the conflagration assumed an appearance which
can only be described as grand in the extreme, for out
of every window and through the roof did the flames
rush forth, illuminating every lofty object for many miles
distant. This, as may be supposed, drew together many
thousand spectators from most parts of the metropolis ;
and it is necessary to state that had it not been for the
services rendered by Mr. Howie, the superintendent,
and Inspectors Holmes and Smith, with a powerful body
of constables, a fearful loss of life must have taken place.
The thoroughfares being extremely narrow, men, women,
and children took up their positions on the different
drawbti ;gee, and had it not been fur the timely aid of
the police, who lifted children over the heads of the
pcpu'ace, they most have been trodden on and killed.
Every ship near the water's edge at this point was
speedily filled with persons of both sexes, and one in
Messrs, Dowson's dock canted go fearfully that it was
apprehended it would capsize its living freight into the
river. Fortunately, the occupants were persuaded to
leave, and thereby a fearful sacrifice of human life was
obviated.

The tremendous light in the atmosphere caused a general
turn-out of the engines to take place, and forth with Mr.
Superintendent B:aidwood and Mr. Foga, his officer next
in emmand, with a vast number of firemen and the en-
gines from Schoolhouse•lane, Wellclose-square, Jeffrey-
square, Watling-street, and Farringdon-street, arrived at
the scene of conflagration, being followed by Mr. Con-
norton with.the West of England engine and firemen.
Numerous other engines, both private and also belong-
ing to the London Establishment, from the more distant
depots, attended as quickly as poseible, including the
steam-float from Rotherhithe.

By that period the fire had seized upon two or three
other establishinents, and there appeared every probe.
bility of every house on both sides of the street becoming
involved in the general wreck. The firemen, however,
laboured in a most indefatigable manner, and ran no little
owing tl the continued falling of walls and floors,
but in spit of their exertions the fearful element laid
hold of the Plough Tavern and some other premises.
The buildings extending nearly to the water's edge, it
was deemed prudent to remove the shipping and small
craft away, which was done as soon as the tide ran up.
At the time this account was written (12 o'clock at
night) the flames were far from being extinguished, but
we are happy to say that all further extension of mischief
appeared over.

The total loss, at a moderate calculation, must amount
to many thousand pounds, but whether the sufferers
were insured or not it was impossible to tell, owing to
the great excitement which prevailed, and the vast
crowds of persons who lined every approach to the spot,
thereby preventing any one seeing the sufferers.
It was stated that several persons had fallen into the
river and had been drowned, but from the inquiries
made by the reporter he ascertained that some five or
six had been pushed into the dock, but that they were
all rescued, and there seems no reason to apprehend
that any one has been lost in consequence of the dis-
astrous event.

Mr. Baddeley, the inspector of the Royal Society for the
Protection of Life from Fire, was also early in attend-
ance, and rendered great assistance, more especially to
the West of England firemen.
- - -

The premises of Mr. Pritchard have escaped, it is un-
derstood, with trifling damage.
Most of the sufferers were insured.

A Glasgow paper reports that a patent has been
granted for a discovery, whereby stone, after undergoing
a certain process, may be converted into paper. The
patentee is Mr. Edward Greealees, a marble cutter in
Glasgow.
THE LATE FLOUR SEIZURE AT WAKEFIELD.—QUERN
V. JACIKSON.—The sanitary inspector of Wakefield has
been served with a copy-of an Exchequer writ of sum-
mons, at the instance of Messrs. John Jackson and
Sons, defendants in the late case of flour adulteration,
for what they conceive to be the unlawful and improper
seizure then made. The damages, as stated in the pre-
liminary notice of action, are laid at 2,0001. Steps will,
we understand, at once be taken to defend the action,
should it be preceeded Mowry.