The Sun.
London, England, 1832-05-16 00:00:00

measure in every particular at least equally favourable to the
rights of the people, shall have been passed into a law.
Mr. WieerTLE (Editor of the Manchester and Salford
Advertiser) then ruse, and begged ti offer a few obser-
vations. He said the resolution just moved was the main
object of the meeting th it was to support the petition al
ready presented to the House of Commons from so liege a
body of the inhabitants of this town. to stop the suppliss
until an effective measure of Reform is passed into a law.
From the eat best period of English history, it had always
been a question betwixt the oppressors and the oppressed,
whether the people had a right to expend their own money.
Time was when a King of this country, instigated by a
foreign wife, attempted to take the money out of the pockets
of the people of England without their consent, and what
was his fate ?—(Cheers.) It always was a principle of
British law, that property was sacred, and the re estahliah-
ment of the Bill of Rights confirmed this principle; but
the boroughmongers, finding that they could not get at
our pockets constitutionally, had recourse to cor:upt and
tyrannical means, and the object of this meeting was to
overthrow that tyranny and corruption—(Loud cheers)
—by n ithholding the supplies, and the most wealthy
men in Manchester had publicly declared that they would
not voluntarily pay any more taxes until a Reform Bill
was passed equally efficient with that proposed by Earl
Grey.—(Loud cheets, and cries of No Taxes—No
Supplies !) Events, big with importance, were passing
by, and he (Mr. Whittle) should not be surprised if the
Habeas Corpus Act was suspended and the throats of the
people exposed to the swords of the dragoons.—(Cheers.)
Forty years since, similar scenes tack place, and the Duke
of Wellington was then a cornet of dragoons. That man
new enjoys the highest officer and places in the empire.
He has had a princely fortune bestowed upon him, every
shilling of which has been wrung from your sweat and
infinatry.—(Loud cheers.) He has wasted myriads of life
and shed oceans of blood to put down the liberties of the
people ; and it now remains to be seen whether a dragoon
like this is any fonger to be permitted to trample upon the
rights of humanity.—(Tremendous cheers). He cordially
seconded the resolution.
Mr. BROOKES (an operative) then rose. He said,
that before he gave his consent to the resolution, some
explanation was necessary, or it would seem inexplicable
why those who had so long contended strenuously for Ra-
dical Reform should have compromised their principles.
This resolution pledged them to support a petition for the
Bill of Earl Grey—the whole Bill, and nothing but the
Bill.—(Loud cries of No, no.)
The CHAIRMAN read the resolution.
Mr. BRI,OKES resumed. He would not deceive the meet-
ing, nor be himself deceived. He could have wished the
resolution had gone so far as to call for a full and free re-
presentation of the people, but it did not. However, he
was not wishful to throw any difficulties in the way of the
tneeting—(Cheers)—he would give the resolution his sup-
port, in the hope that it would tend to unite the two con-
flicting interests which had so long divided the town. He
felt great ss tisfaction at hearing gentlemen, who had
been considered the enemies of the working classes, de-
clare this day that they would have a Bill of Reform
which would benefit all classes ; and if they should
by some mystery get such a Bill as the one which had
been rejected, he hoped they would not desert the people,
when they attempted to procure a full restitution of their
rights.—( Loud cheeta from the gentlemen on the hustings,
and cries of We will support you !) He had not for-
gotten the promises made by the King on Reform, and he
also remembered the immense price that had been paid for
those promises in grants of 100 000/. a-year, and others
of a similar nature. The people would go on with the
higher orders as tar as they went, and if they chose to
lag behind, the people would travel on without them.
—(Tremendous cheering ) He hoped, too, that after
what had passed to-day, the public press would demean
itself towards the poorer classes with more kindness, and
that its conductors would not step out of the way, as had
often been the case, to ridicule them.—(Cheers.) He
trusted the people would still keep their eye on
the great question of Radical Reform, and con-
sider that this Bill, if gained, was but a step towards
the main object.—(Cheers.) Mr. Brookes concluded by
observing that at some future period, although, perhaps,
not in his time, this country might have another old
woman, with a petticoat over her head, for a King—
(Loud langhter)—but they would not harm him. For
his own part, he would not—he would take especial care
of him—(Loud laughter)—he would provide for him
comfortably; he should live well—(Roars of laughter)—
but he hoped the votes of the coun,less thousands of his
fellow-townsmen assembled here to-day, would show that
they were determined not to live under petticoat Govern-
ment.—(Loud cheers.)
Mr. Ltiacax, another operative, expressed his satisfac-
tion at seeing the merchant, manufacturer, and trades-
man, united with the artisan in demanding his rights ;
and advising him how to regain those rights. He
hoped to see them united, should it be necessary, in
contending for the salvatifin of the country—(cheers)—and
if they could lay aside all animosity, and travel toge-
ther in the same path, they would soon obtain genuine
liberty.—(Cheers.) lie hoped from this time they would
be one body, joined together for one common object, and
i. this were the case they would have reform next week,
for no faction could withstand the united wishes of twenty
millions of people.—(Cheers.) The King had been lauded
to the skies as a patriot, but lie had suffered himself to be
cajoled by a woman, and, Sampson like, he had been shorn
of his strength. It had been said that " the King's name
was a tower of strength," and a pretty tower it was, which
suffered itself to be gulled by the petticoat ideas of a foreign
woman.—(Loud laughter.) The speaker concluded by
expressing his satisfaction at the onion which had taken
place this day, and he emphatically remarked, that if the
middle classes stood by the resolutions which they had
supported at this meeting, the woiking classes would de-
serve to be slaves all their lives if they did not support them.
The resolution was then put, and carried unanimously
with three cheers.
Mr. JOHNSON moved that a petition to the House of
Commons, founded on the resolutions, and also an Address
to his Alajesty, be adopted by the meeting.
This being seconded, was put and carried unanimously.
Mr. FICLDEN then moved the adoption of the following
Address to the King.
TO THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY.
The Address and Petition of the people in Manchester in Pub-
lic Meeting assembled this 14th day of May, 1832.
May it please your Majesty, weyour Majesty's dutiful peo-
ple of the Town of Manchester, yielding to no part of your sub-
jects in Mystic towards your Majesty's person, and in respect for
your Royal office and functions ; but, at the same time, not un-
mindful of our own undoubted right, beg leave to represent to
your Majesty, that your Majesty having graciously declared to the
Parliament on the sth of December last, "that a speedy and satis-
factory settlement of the question of Parliamentary Reform was
of pressing importance to the security of the state, and to the
content and welfare of your people,"have learned with surprise
and with sorrow that your Majesty, yielding to the advice of evil
counsellors, has been prevailed upon to withdraw from Earl they
and his colleagues the only possible means by which, under the
present circumstances, such Reform could be effected.
That we deem it our unquestionable right that every man of
sane mind, and untainted by infamous cthne, should have a
voice in choosing those who make the laws affecting his property
and his life. But that for the sake of harmony we are willing
to try the effect of a more limited suffrage and to forego for the pre-
sent a part of that right: our oppressors, however, resolved still to
despoil us of the fruits of our industry and toil, have resolved
that they will continue to nominate those whom they insultingly
call our Representatives.
To your Majesty, therefore, we appeal for protection against
their tyrannical and perfidious designs, and humbly pray your
Majesty to be graciously pleaded to recall to your councils those
Ministers under whose influence alone we can hope to see tran-
quillity restored to the country, and to see continued to exist that
constitution which is the foundation of your Majesty's throne, as
well at the guarantee of the rights of the people.
Which was seconded by Mr. Seed, and carried amidst
the cheers of the vast multitude.
Mr. HETHERINGTON, the Editor of the Poor Man'a
Guardian, complimented the meeting on the unanimity
displayed, and felt highly gratified at seeing the wealthy
come forward in support of the rights of the work-
ing man. The meeting had been called upon to
stop the supplies, and he hoped they would take the
means into their own hands—(Loud cheers)—and
stop the supplies which they furnished. He recommended
them to buy unstamped publications, not to pay any more
fourpenny duty ; to set a good example; to show a bold
front, and victory was inevitable.—(Loud cheers.)
Mr. PRENTICE explained, that as they had so lately sent
up a petition numerously signed, he should move that
the petition and address be signed by the Chairman,
on behalf of the meeting. He was sure a more honour-
able name than that of Walker could not be attached to
it, for he was the son of that very Thomas Walker who was
tried for high treason in 1794, for doing the very thing
which they had done this very day. He should move
that the honourable son of so honourable a sire attach his
name to the documents on behalf of the meeting.—(Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN expressed his gratitude for the honour
done him ; he had always been the advocate of Reforni
he was born a Reformer; he had lived a Reformer, mad
if it pleased God he would die a Reformer. He was con
fideot there wet, a moral force in the country which would