The Sun.
London, England, 1858-02-24 00:00:00

THE CONSPIRACY BILL.

•

GREAT MEETING AT SHEFFIELD.
On Monday evQuing a very large and enthusi-
astic meeting of the inhabitants of Sheffield viae
held in the Townhall, udder the presidency of the
Mayor (R. Jackson, Esq.), to protest against the
Conspiracy Bill introduced into the House of Coin-
uaons by Lord Palmerston.

The MAYOR, amidst strongsigns of disapprobation
said that he tru ted the speakers who were to ad-
dress the meeting would be careful to say nothing
which might have a tendency to weaken the good
feeling at present subsisting between the French
and this country. It was to the advantage of the
civilised world that the alliance of England and
France should continue to exist, and he hoped the
speakers wont I refrain from any irritating remarks.
WILLIAM FISHER, &q., moved the first resolu-
tion That in the opinion of this meeting the
bill brought into Parliament by Lend Palmerston,
for the purpose of altering the laws relating to
conspiracy to murder, is uncalled for, and at vari-
ance with the real prin&ples of criminal legislation ;
therefore, for these reasons, this meeting expresses
its hearty thanks to the two members of this
borough, J. A. Roebuck, Esq., and G. Hadfield,
Esq., for their uncompromising opposition to the
measure." Some of his friends, when they saw he
had signed the requisition, asked if he wished to
turn Lord Palmerston out of office, or wanted to go
o war with France ? He said, "No," because he
did not know where they would get a better man ;
but when he saw the language made use of in the
Moniteur regarding our laws, and that language
having been used by a foreign Power, he could not
think, after hearing such observations, of truckling
to that Power. We had shown them that we could
maintain our independence with our arms. God
forbid, however, that we should make war with
France ; but if she wanted to make war with
England, he considered that we should be
prepared to meet it. He should be sorry
to lose the Emperor of France as an ally,
for he had been faithful to us in a recent
struggle. He expressed his regret that one who
had been sheltered under the laws of England, and
who bad seen how our Queen was beloved by her
people, should not rather attempt to imitate her
laws than resort to stringent measures for limiting
the freedom of the press and the liberty of his peo-
ple. The resolution said that any alteration in the
law in England was uncalled for, and he believed
it was by some eminent legal men said so. Mr.
Milner Gibson told them that the law at present
was amply sufficient to punish persons who conspire
in this collet; yto murder foreign potentates. Such
laws, he considered, ought not to be altered at the
caprice, if not the dictation, of a foreign power.
(Gieers.)
Mr. Councillor HARI( EY seconded the resolution,
which was then put and carried unanimously.
Mr. Councillor BROADBENT moved " That this
meeting believes that the bill was introduced in
accordance with the request of a foreign power,
and that to take in any degree the initiative of our
legislation from such a source would strike a fatal
blow at the national independence, and serve as a
dangerous precedent for future times." After
reading some extracts trom the speech of Sir G.
Grey on this subject, Mr. Broadbent referred to
the Attorney-General's declaration that before
Count Walewski's despatch was heard of, he was
engaged in preparing this bill. It might be all
very well for the Attorney-General to take the
responsibility upon himself, but would any man of
common intelligence believe such a statement.
(Cheers.) There-were few to be found in England
who were not disgusted alike with the bill and the
arrogance of those foreigners who presumed to dio-
tate to this country who we shall admit to, and
who we shall deny, the right of asylum. (Hear,
hear, and applause.) And then Sir George Grey
went on to say, "that until a change should have
been made in the law, it was impossible to answer
Count Walewski's despatch ; and that if the house
would but pass the second reading we should be
free from the reproach cast upon us by Count Wa-
lewski's despatch." Free from the reproaches of
Count Walewski ! A refugee himself—a revolu-
tionist himself twenty-five years ago ! Was this
the man to reproach England ? (Cheers.) So
far as the crime of assassination goes, said the
speaker, every Englishman abhors it as much as
Count Walewski, or any other of Napoleon's minis-
ters. (Hear.) Then why were we called upon to
apologise or to conciliate the Count ? There was no
necessi, y for Lord Palmerston's bill. Lord Camp-
bell and Lord Brougham had both declared that
there was no necessity for any change in the law--
that there was alrea ly sufficient law in the country
to meet cases of conspiracy to murder. The bill
then was introduced to conciliate Walewski and the
Emperor. Ho repeated that we, at least, had no
reason to conciliate those people—that we stood
upon an equal footing with France—that we had
never dishonoured ourselves, but preserved with
the utmost good faith all the treaties we had made
with the French nation. (Hear, hear.) In con-
clusion, he said that he trusted this would be such
a lesson to Lord Palmerston, and every other
Minister that should come after him, as would
teach him and them to be more careful how they
meddled with the liberties of the people. (Ap-
plause.)
The resolution was seconded by Mr. G. L.
SAUNDERS.
hadM br.eelnaole-ensstn
beysaLidordthpataitmheorpstroenst,igine of
defiance England
of
his colleagues and the Queen, to the originator of
the rascally coup d'etat, without which he could
not have enthralled the French nation, or put down
the Roman Republic. He quoted the example of
the Sultan of Turkey, when asked to give up Kcs-
suth, as an example to England in its treatment of
refugees.
The resolution was carried with great cheering.
Councillor BEAL moved—" That this meeting
considers that the late Government of Lord Pal-
merston was deficient in judgment and dignity in
not having at once returned a courteous and firm
refusal to the despatch of Count Walewski, and,
that on his lordship's Administration rested the re-
sponsibility of having placed the House of Com-
mons and the country in a false and undignified
poition."
The resolution was carried unanimously.
Mr. Councillor BOOTH proposed, " That, while
this meeting would net wish any discourtesy to be
offered to the de facto Government of France, and
desires to perpetuate our alliance with the people
of that ceuutry, it feels bound to oppose the said
bill, believing that it might be perverted in its
operation so as to interfere with the sacred right
of asylum, which des country has ever been proud
to offer to political exiles of every party and coun-
try ; and that two petitions be adopted—one to be
presented to the House of Commons by J. A. Roe-
buck, Esq., and one to the House of Lords by Lord
Campbell. That the Mayor sign them on behalf
of the meeting, and transmit them for presenta-
tion." Tile mover said, " They tell us the
Zouaves are coming. Let them come. Although
lam for peace I am sure I shall fight. (Great
laughter.) I shall ask them to smell that" (hold-
ing up his huge fist). (Rene Wed laughter.)
The resolution was agreed to with cheers, and the
meeting then adopted a petition founded on the re-
solutions they had passed.