The Sun.
London, England, 1850-08-08 00:00:00

1 ORKING MEN'S MEMORIAL TO
THE LATE SIR ROBERT PEEL.
A most riotous public meeting, in aid of this object,
was held last evening, at the Whittington Club (late
Crown and Anchor), Strand ; Mr. Hume, M.P., in the
chair, supported by Messrs. Cobden, M.P., Bright,
M.P., G. S. Brown, M.P., Wyld, M.P., George Thom").
son, &c.
' The CHAIRMAN,, in opening the business of the meet-
ing, stated that he had watched the course in Parliament
of the late Right Hon. Sir Robert Peel for forty years,
and though ho had been generally opposed to his policy,
he felt' convinced that he bad ever bees actuated by an
honest and conscientious desire to serve his country.—
(Cheers.) What had come to his knowledge since the
decease of the Right Hon. Baronet had tended to raise
tie character of the departed statesman in his estima-
tion. They had seen that Right Hon. Baronet not only
declining honours for himselt, but leaving it as his
last request to his family that they should never etek
honours for what he had done, being content to leave
the vindic.ition of his character and his fame to the
people. He (Mr. Hume) therefore celled upon the
millions to come forward and subscribe towards a to3ti-
menial to the late Right lion. Baronet. The objeot of
that meeting was to promote that subscription, numbers
and not amounts being what they required. In order
to obtain these numbers the committee appointed ut the
Belvidere, at Peetonville, had limited the amount of
subscriptions from ld. to ls., co that every individual,
however poor, might have an opportunity of enrolling
his mime amongst the subscribers. Another object of
that meeting was to fix a time when the subscription
should be brought to a close, and the nature of the tes-
timonial decided iipon. One hundred and sixty-seven
committees had already been formed, and subscriptions
had been entered into for defraying the neceseary ,ex-
penses,it being intended that the whole of the pence
collected, should be appropriated to the testimonial en-
tire and untouched.—(Cheers.)
Mr. BRIGHT, M.P., rose to move the first revolution.
The crowded state of the room showed that those who
had first proposed this testimonial had not overrated the
sympathy which existed amongst the people at the un-
fortunate event which had deprived this country. of the
services of Sir R. Peel. It was proposed to raise a memorial
to the memory of that departed statesman, and he trusted
that it would be subscribed to by thousands-=nay.
millions, of his fellow-countrymen.--(Cheers.) He (Mr.
Bright) was, in principle, generally opposed to
mebts,-believing that there had been more raised to bad
men than to good; and, with regard to the memory of
the lateeSir Robert Peel, he might ask with the poet.;
" Why need we.monuments supply
To rescue what can never die? . •
He asked that question, because he felt that every men's
hiniseholditivar contain a memorial of the 'advantages of
the policy of the late Right Hon. Baronet.—(Cheers,
and cries of "No, no.") The policy which Sir Robert
Peel had pursued from 1842 to 1846, in ameliorating
the fiscal and commercial regulations of the country.
had been of essential service in raising the condition of
the working classes.—(Cheers, and cries of " No, no.")
If they looked to. Parliamentary returns they would
nee that grim poverty had been driven back in its
course and shorn of its terrors.—(Uproar, cries of
"No, no," and "Turn him out.") He maintained that
the man must be ignorant, or prejudiced indeed, who
could deny that pauperism had been much dimi-
'nished within the last three or four years.—(Cheers.)
That was owing, in a great measure, to the policy of the
late Sir Robert Peel, rendering it easy for every work-
ing man to obtain a sufficiency of food.—(Loud cries of
" No, no;" " Hear, hear;" " It won't do, Bright," and
uproar.) There was another important fact
_to be de-
duced from Parliamentary and other returns—namely,
that there bad been a great diminution in crime.—
(Cries of " No, no;" " Yes, yes;" and " We hope there
has been.") That, too, was owing to the policy of the
late Sir Robert Peel, which rendered food cheap. From
the year 1843 to 1846 he had been in Parliament, and
watched the alterations which had taken place in the
opinions of Sir Robert Peel, by his changessin the fiscal
regulations of the country, until he finally threw to the
winds his former opinions, and gave to the country a
free supply of food, which he felt convinced no Mi-
nister ever dared again to attempt to take from them.
—(Cheers and uproar.) By that Act Sir Robert Peel
had deprived himself of power, so far as concerned
the direction of an Administration, but during the last
four years he had enjoyed that greater power of in-
fluencing almost every vote in the House of Commons
by his single voice:—(Hear, and cheers.) He believed
that during that period he had acted most conscien-
tiously, by his having, on the very last occasion on which
he addressed the House, opposed the policy of a Mi-
nistry which he had supported for four years. Upon
that occasion he had been asked by a gentleman how he
intended to vote, as a knowledge of his intentions might
influence many other votes, when Sir R. Peel replied
that in his opinion it was a matter of conscience, nut in-
fluence, and every man ought to vote on his own convic-
tions. The Hon. Gentleman concluded by moving that
tho meeting, recognising the groat benefits which, at con-
siderable personal sacrifice, the late Sir B. Peel had be-
stowed upon the country, approved of the proposition of
raising, by subscription, a memorial to his memory, and
pledged themselves to give it every possible support.
Mr. YATES seconded the resolution, and mated that
some difference had occurred in the committee as to
the way in which the money should be applied, some
being in favour of an education institution, while he
thought almshouses might be more desirable.—(Loud
cries of " Education.")
The CHAIRMAN was about to put the resolution, when
two or three working men claimed to be allowed to
speak, and considerable confusion ensued,
Mr it OUTHEY having appealed in favour of everybody
having a fair hearing,
A Mr. MILLER, a working man, who was evidently
very much excited, stepped upon the platform, and most
vehemently attempted to address the meeting. He com-
plained that because he had taken exceptions to some of
the statements of Mr. Bright he had been interfered
with by the police.—(Here a scene of considerable con-
fusion ensued, a large number of parties standing on the
forms waving theirliati and handkerchiets, and demand-
ing the expulsion of the police. The confusion lasted
some time, during which the speaker was seen gesticu-
lating iu a most extraordinary manner.) The speaker
continued fur some considerable time amidst the moat
outrageous uproar to denounce the whole system of Sir
Robert Peel's policy as destructive of the interests of the
working classes.
Mr. COOPER followed in asipsnewhat similar strain.
At the conclusion of this speaker's address, of which
scarcely a word could be heard in consequence of the
uproar which prevailed,
Sir JOSHUA. WALMSLET, M.P., addressed the meeting,
and explained that the whole of the confusion had arisen
in mistake, it having been not only the intention of but
an instruction to the chairman, before putting the re-
solution, to ask if any working man wished to speak
upon it.
Mr. Fox, who described himself as a costermonger,
addressed toe meeting, and Has heard • throughout with
the greatest attention. He regretted to bear Mr. Yates
Esy that he was opposed to the memorial being one for
educational purposes, as ho well knew how much such
institutions were wanted by the poorer classes of society,
and he would readily exert himself to procure eubscrip-
tibns if he could have a pledge that they would be so
applied.—(Hear, hear.) There had been a penny sub-
scription fur a testimonial to Sir R. Peel at the time of
the repeal of the corn-laws—he should like to know
what had become of that?
The CHAIRMAN said that it would bo all accounted
for, and he was authorised to say that it would be
handed over in augmentation of the subscription now
being raised.
Mr. Fox was glad to bear that, but he could not re-
commend his friends to aid the subscription without they
received a deep pledge from the committee that the
funds would be applied for the purpose of erecting edu-
cational institutions for the lower classes undistinguished
by the badges of charity. In establishing the institu-
tions he had mentioned, care must be taken to secure
them to the use of the working classes, and not to allow
all their advantages to be monopolised by the middle
classes, as had been the case in other institutions.
Mr. OSBORNE, another costermonger, followed on the
same side, and brought forward an amendment which
he said it had been the intention of the previous speaker
to move, pledging the committee to apply the subscrip.
tions in the establishment of educational institutions foe
the " canaille." The word is that used by the mover of
the resolution, and not applied by us in an offensive
sense.
On the suggestion of Mr. G. Trforirrson, it was agreed
to make the amendment a substantive resolution, in the
shape of a recommendation, and that and the original
resolution were both carried.
Mr. COBDEN next addressed the meeting, and, having
gone over the same ground as Mr. Bright, moved that
a simultaneous collection should be made throughout the
kingdom on the 31st of August, and the whole subscrip-
tion .closed in September.
Mr. W. BROWN seconded the resolution.
Mr. BRONTERRE O'BRIEN, amidst continual uproar,
denounced the whole movement, Sir Robert Peel having,
throughout the whole course of his political life, been
opposed to every act likely to benefit . the working
classes, and supported the Six Acts, the suspension of
the Habeas Corpus Act, eind every other measure to op-
press them. The speaker concluded amidst great confu-
sion and laughter, to move that the whole of the sub-
scription should bo applied to the erasure of the objec-
fineable measures supported by Sir R. Peel from the
statute-book.
After a few words in explanation from Mr. COBDEN,
the resolution - was put, amidst considerable confusion,
and carried.
Mr. O'Brien's addendum being negatived by a large
majority, it being somewhat singular that those parties
who had already decided that the subscription should
be applied to educational purposes also supported the
motion of Mr. O'Brien.
Upon the motion of Mr. GEORGE THOMPSON, M.P.,
seconded by Mr. WILD, a committee was then appointed
to carry out the foregoing resolutions; and, after a vote
of thanks to the chairman, the meeting, which lasted
nearly five hours, separated.

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