The Sun.
London, England, 1844-02-01 00:00:00

COMPLETE SUFFRAGE.

A meeting of the friends of the Complete Suffrage move-
ment was held at the Crown' and Anchor Tavern last evening,
Sharman Crawford, Esq., was announced to take the chair.
At half-past fire o'clock, and previous to the discussion, a large
party sat down to tea. The large room was well filled by the
company, amongst whom were Dr. Bowring, Messrs.
Joseph Sturge. G. Goodrick, and A. Allright, of Bir-
mingham; W. Tillet, of Norwich; Dr. Thomas Price, the
Rev. E. Miall, editor of the Noncomformist newspaper ; the
Rev. T. Spencer, of Bath ; the Rev. C. Stovel, and the Rev.
E. Halliday, of London ; Dr. Epps ; Messrs. Vincent, Davy,
Gardner, Marshall, Woodyard, Hare, Clarke, of Enema-
borough, &c.
At seven o'clock Mr. T. Duncombe, M.P.,entered the room
amidst great cheering.
Mr. S. Crawford not having entered the room at seven
o'clock, it was moved by Dr. Price, and seconded by Mr. Meggs,
and carried unanimously, that Mr. Joseph Sturge should take
the chair until he arrived.
The CHAIRMAN then opened the meeting, and called upon
nnepf unexpectedly Dr. Bowring to propose the first resolution.
eY to propose for their adop-
tion was
calledthe first upon
s tmost
sentiment exe
vening
Dr. Bowarsra, who was received with lout cheers, said he
w
only source of legitimate power, all other power not
emanating from them being essentially unjust in
its origin, and tyrannical in its exercise."—( Loud eheers.)
r
It was because the people had been forgotten that England had
keen delivered over to monopoly,
political, commercial, and
educational—that oppression was at that moment stalking un-
checked in Ireland. bringing about a state of things which no
friend to the country could look upon without alarm ; that an
attempt was made in Scotland to cut up a State Church in dis-
regard of public opinion ; and that the people of Wales were,
many of them, sow suffering the severe penalties of the law.
If this nation had ever been great, if it had ever been illustri-
ous, if it bad ever afforded an example and encouragement to
the freedom-seeking portion of mankind, it was because the
ground-work of the Constitution was the influence of the people,
and that upon that influence the power of the country was
erected.—(Cheers.) They were approaching a period when
every man would be compelled to come forward either
for or against the people.—(Mr. S. Crawford here entered the
room, amidst much applause.) It was a satisfaction to those
who really represented the people to have an opportunity im-
mediately before the meeting of Parliament of ascertaining the
state of the public mind, and of deriving thence motives which
should enable them to do their duty. Their duty might soon
be perilous, but their strength was in the strength of the people,
and their fortitude must arise from the people's support.—
(Cheers.) They ought not to band about violent words, to
utter threats, menaces, and vituperations in relation to their
adversaries, for they had a nobler work to do, and in that work
they must exert all their energies.._( Cheers. )
Mr. S. CRAWFORD then addressed the meeting. He first
explained the cause of his not being there earlier. He had,
on Monday last, as was his custom before the meeting of Par-
liament, rendered an account to his coastituents of his conduct
during the preceding session, and the account being considered
satisfactory, he had been invited, and had accepted the
invi-
tation, to dine with them yesterday, and he had not been able
to reach town in time for the meeting.—(Hear.) He counted it
a high honour to be called upon to take the chair on that occa-
sion. The time was one when all the friends of liberty should
be on the alert.—( Hear, hear.) What was now going on in
Ireland was a sample of what they might expect in England.
If the experiment which was now being tried there were suc-
cessful, it would perhaps, before many days elapsed, be tried
upon
themselves.—( Hear, hear.) It was the duty of English-
men, therefore, to take measures for securing their liberties.
He had taken the liberty of submitting a plan of proceeding at
this time to the consideration of the people of England and
their representatives. He would ask that meeting, were the
complaints of the people either heard or redressed by the
House of Commons ?—(Loud cries of " No, no.") When
petition were presented, Alembers were prevented from saying
one word with regard to the petitions or their object ; and
when motions were made on the subject of the people's com-
plaints, the discussion was swamped by there being no House,
and they had to begin over again.—( Hear, hear.) Now, he
believed that there was a constitutional remedy for this.
The rules of the House of Commons had provided, some hun-
dred years ago, that, on the motion that the Speaker do leave
the Chair to go into Committee of Supply, any Member might
discuss any grievance of the people. Let them have recourse
to thie right, and the grievances of the people must be heard.
He concluded by calling on the meeting to support the people's
representatives in the House of Commons.
The Chair was then vacated by Mr. Sturge, and taken by
S. Crawford, Esq.
Mr. J. DUNCAN rose to second the sentiment proposed by
Dr. Bowring. The occasion was most appropriate for such a
sentiment. The time was come for the people to take advan-
tage of the diffusion of the doctrines of moral force
to carry war into the camp of the oligarehy.—(Great
cheering.) In the reign of Min, when the Magna Charts
was passed, the nobility laboured only to emancipate themselves.
Similar in principle had been all the movements of the Nobi-
lity in relation to the cause of liberty. The revolution of 1688
simply transferred the Crown from James the Second to Wil-
liam the Dutchman.—(Cheers.) The public completely under-
stood now that Whigs and Tories had no care for anything but
their own party interests. The principle for which they eon.
tended was that the people should be invested with national
sovereignty. He then referred to the French revolution, and
said the persons who prepated that revolution were the oligarchy
of France; and it was only because the English people were
more patient and virtuous that a similar outbreak did not take
place here, and that formed one of the strongest grounds for
extending to the franchise eotnplete suffrage—(A
" Universal")—well, universal suffrage.—(Cheers—Another
voice —" The Charter"—Loud cheers.) Let them not intro-. '
duee verbal distinctions when a_great principle was at stake.—
(Cheers and interruptions.) claimed for every man who
contributed to the defence and support of his country the right
of voting. It was impossible that they could be worse go-
verned under a democratic system than they were under the
existing Government, and, considering the evils which now ex-
isted,
he
asked
all
classes to support the Movement in.which
those present were engaged.
The Rev. T. &mcee, of Bath, rose to propose " The
advocates of the people's rights. May the day not be far dis-
tant when their efforts shall be crowned with success, and the
actual reprresentatives of the people sit within the walls of Par-
liament, to legislate for the well-being of the whole commu-
nity." This, he believed, was the sum and substance of all
they sought. By the people, he meant all the men in England
of twenty-one years of age. The people did not want the pro-
perty of the rich, but they did not like to have their own pro-
perty—the franchise—taken from themselves.—(Cheers.) He
would equalise things by the taxation of real property, and
then all would become more brotherly, and all would have their
rights. A Government ought to be a terror to evil doers
alone, it ought to be a praise to them that do well ; and till ,
minister% of religion preached this doctrine from the pulpit, ;
they could not perform their duty. If he did not believe that the
Bihle was a book of justice, he could not believe it was true.
Was it gust that a working man should be taxed the half of his
ipcQiaaea Vheii OF' 401 }On Wie ;14e4 gPli 4415844t4

part ?—(Hear, hear.) He was as great an advocate of peace
as any man, but if the Government refused the people's rights,
the people might justly seek redress, and if that redress were
sought in the proper manner, it was impossible that it should
not be obtained.

Mr. C. HINDLEY, M.P., in seconding the sentiment, said
.he had yet to learn on what ground the claim of the people to
have a voice in the representation could be resisted. He was
for universal suffrage.—( Lend cheers.) If he thought that
this complete suffrage movement was.a trick on the part of the
middle classes to exclude a large body of the people, he would
strenuously oppose it ; but he believed that it was an honest
and fair attempt to obtain the full rights of the people.—(Loud
cheers.) The only ground of objection which he had heard
was, that the people were not sufficiently educated. If that
objection were good as applied to the people, it would tell also
against others besides them. He believed the people were al-
ready fully prepared to exercise the franchise, and that it could
not, therefore, on any just ground, be longer refused.
Mr. F. O'Coxxoa next came forward, land was received
with tremendous rounds of applause, which lasted for a con-
siderable time, mixed with partial interruption. He said no
attempts to put him down would succeed. He was as anxious
as any gentleman there to join in what he supposed to be the
real object of the night.—( Cheers). As, however, one gentle-
man had been set down to address them at that stage, he would
retire until that gentleman had concluded.—( Cheers. )
Dr. TiroutAs Paws rose to second the sentiment proposed
by the Rev. Mr. Spencer. He rejoiced that difference of
opinion consisted with an entire and hearty consideration in
common to one great object. When he saw large bodies
moving under variegated colours, but with the same object, he
wished them success. He was brought up with feelings of
great reverence for the House of Commons, but as he had
advanced in life, as he had looked back to past times, and
traced the page of history, he had come to the conclusion that
that House was a stranger, so far as honest sympathy was con-
cerned, with the people, for whom it had undertaken to legis-
late. It was now the nominee of the aristocracy,
whatever it might have been in other times.—(Cheers).
He hoped a change was coming on, and that the effect would
be to bring the House of Rresentatives into a mere con•
sistent position.—( Hear, hear.) He looked forward to a
peaceful revolution in that respect.—(Cheers.) This con-
summation was not, he confidently hoped, so distant as some
imagined. The clear and forcible, yet peaceful enunciations
of great principles, was to him an omen of great good. When
he saw the practical English people grasping with a firm hand
certain great general principles, he felt gratified at the pros-
pect. Look at the peaceful character of this movement. He
thanked God, indeed, that the time had been when the people
had maintained their liberties against the usurpation of the
Sovereign, and prevented him from becoming a military despot.
Military force might accomplish a good, but there was no good
in the end—(Hear, hear)—coming out of it.—(Cheers.) If
they would wrest from the hands of a privileged class the
rights of which they had been deprived, let them be assured
that it was only by firmly and consistently carrying them out
that they could obtain their object.—(Hear, hear.) He
augured well from the diminution of party influence,
The age of parties was nearly past. The Whig and the Tory,
who had long struggled for power, and divided the spoil, were
about to give place to a new class, who were determined to re-
dress the grievances of the people. Parties were already
breaking up. They were told that there was to be gathered
together a party made up of all that had ceased to be practi-
cally recognised. He feared not such a party. Let the ad-
vocates of monopoly muster; let them recognise the principle
that those who were not with them were against them, and go
on steadily, and in an enlightened manner to their end.
The CHAIRMAN said he wished to speak on a question of
order. Certain sentiments had been set down for certain
speakers to propose, but if it were the pleasure of the meet-
ing that arrangement would be departed from in favour of
Mr. F. O'Connor.

It was proposed that, after Mr. O'Connor's address, they ad-
here to the pre-arranged order.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. F. O'Comeon said he trusted that the advice of Dr.
Bowring in regard to vituperation would not be lost sight of.
—( Hear, hear.) However they might differ on some points,
they were all agreed on two—first, that great distress existed in
the country ; and, secondly, that means must be adopted to
relieve that distress.—( Cheers.) He would ask the Chair-
man whether that poverty which he had so feelingly described
in the House of Commons could be relieved either by charity
or plunder? If it could not, it was impossible to adhere to
the present system.—( Cheers.) Let them consider what it was
they were met for. Could they hope to gain the object they
sought without having with them a majority of the working
classes? They had been called physical force Chartists. He
repudiated the charge. They were not looking to violent
measures, but to the classes around them—the shopkeeping
classes and the working classes, whose interests were inseparable.
—(Cheers.) Let these two classes unite and they were in-
vincible. They had hitherto been impotent, because they
were not united. They were called the Tory Chartists; he was
tired of the Tories—(Cheers)—and he would not be frightened
by any hobgoblin held up to frighten them. Never could they
destroy monopolies of any kind until they united the people
of all classes for one purpose under one name. What, did
they see but starvation, distress, and suffering on
all hands? Who would reface, then, to join in a
common principle to remove such a state of jbiogs ?
( Cheers.) Let them now direct public opinion. The people
would no longer listen to metaphysical nothings. They were
all alike in principle; would they then refuse to unite in such
a manner as to secure victory for the people's cause ? Was
there a Whig in that meeting ?—( Hear.) There was defunct
Whiggery. Let it rest. He said that they had done nothing.—
' (Cheers.) The people were maddened with distress. The
interests of the middle classes, the shopkeepers, were bound up
with those of the working classes, for the latter were their
customers. If he could have twelve consecutive nights with
the shopkeepers of London, he would make them all jealous for
the name of Chartists. Let the Committee say that they em-
braced his name, and he would go with them.—( A voice,
" Principle.") Without the name, his whole party would de-
sert him.—(Renewed cries of " Principle.") He would never
desert the name, since he believed the principle must go with
it. He trusted that advantage would then be taken of his
advice.—( Cheers. )
Mr. C. STovnee next attempted to address the meeting,
but the noise and confusion was so great for some minutes as to
pre vent his being heard. After a vain effort, he withdrew, and
Mr. Dusrcomee, M.P. came forward, and was most en-
thusiastically cheered. Hef had attended the meeting without
any intention to address them, but it appeared to be their
wish that he should say i few wards, representing, as he did, a
metropolitan district. This was the eve of the meeting of Par-
liament—all were stirring, from Sir R. Peel to Lord Brougham.
—( Cheers.) No doubt the Queen was rehearsing her speech, full
of nonsense and nonenties. That speech was being read at the
Duke of Wellington's, and the other Minister's. They were
up and doing, and it behoved the people to be so. The Chair-
man had told the meeting his plan, which was to stop the
supplies till the grevanees of the people were redressed. That
was a constitutional step, but it required great con-
sideration. Had they got the materials for carrying
out the measure ? If they told him they had the
proper materials, then he was ready to join the plan. The
only thing which the people now valued was the franchise.—
( Cheers.) Nothing, be believed, was calculated to produce
that better than the Charter.—( Cheers.) He asked those who
called the meeting whether they had a list of Members who
would vote for stopping the supplies till they got the Charter ?
—(Cheers.) He was a Chartist, and was not ashamed of the
name. Why, he would ask, should not that name be adopted
because it had a charm in the breast of the working men?—
(Cheers.) The present conflict ought not to be entered- into
unless they were prepared. Had Mr. S. Crawford forty,
twenty, ten, or five Members pledged to support him art _stop-
ping the supplies?—(Cheers, and cries of " Yei.")." If he
believed that by the course proposed good could be done to the
country, he would, as an humble individual, support them.
Mr. STUMM said that the present was not the time to dis-
agree about names. He was for no property qualification--
the vote by ballot—that every man 21 years of age.should have
a vote—and the payment of Members. They might call him
a Chartist if they pleased, or a Richmondite he would not com-
plain of ; but when he could not agree with men, sooner than
quarrel he would leave the field.—(Great confusion..) ,The
Hon. Gentleman concluded by moving, " Success to the
patriots in the House of Commons whe were determined to
exercise the constitutional right of refusing supplies till the
grievances of the people were redressed." Now the question
was, would the meeting and the people support them in that
course ?—(The Hon. Gentleman addressed the meeting amid
the greatest noise and confusion.)
Mr. Sxwrow then came forward to address the meeting,
and was received with the most discordant yells, noble. and con-
fusion, amid which cries were reiterated of " Vincent,Vincent."
Mr. VINCENT here advanced on the table, and was received
with great cheering; and, after shaking Mr. Skelton cordially
by the hand, they both, at the suggestion of the Chairman,
retired from the table.

The CuatamArr wished to know what the wishes of the
meeting were u to the mode of proceeding ?—( Great con-
fusion.) Unless the Chairman was attended to, it would be
impossible to keep order. A certain course had been proposed
that had been deviated from, and he wished to know whether
it was their desire that deviation should continue ?—( Cries of
" Yes, yes," " No, no.") Here another scene of confusion took
place, several persons attempting to address the Chair at the
same time.

Mr. SKELTON then addressed.the meeting, amid much noise
and confusion, which lasted for some considerable time. Amid
this

Mr. Dotcoatax came forward, and said that, as there.
seemed to be some doubt as to whether the majority of the
meeting were Chartists or not, he would, with the permission
of the Chairman, take the sense of the meeting on the subject.
On the question being put. that those who were in favour of
the Charter should up their hands, a complete forest was held
up, and but few for the complete suffrage movement.
The meeting was suddenly broken up, amid the greatest
confusion, the Chairman leaving the chair and the room in the
possession of the Chartists. Three cheers were given for the
Charter ; and after some time the immense mass of human
beings dispersed.

LITERARY and DRAMATIC FUND.
Yesterday evening a meeting of the above Society, the object
of which is to afford assistance, either by loan or donation, to the
more distressed brethren oftheliterary and dramatic professions,
was held at the Sheridan Knowles Tavern, Brydges-street,
Covent-garden. Mr. John Moore, of St. Martin's-lane, in
the chair.

After the usual routine business of the Society had been
transacted in Committee; on the motion of several gentlemen
connected with the fund, ne less than seventeen gentlemen were
unanimously elected as members ; making thirty-seven elected
within the last fortnight.
The CHAIRMAN, in expatiating upon the philanthropic
and kindly objects of the Society, said that it was formed
for the express purpose of stretching forth the hand
of fellowship and kindness to any member of those
two professions who might be suffering from the
fortuitous occurrences to which gentlemen connected with
literature and the drama were more ordinarily subjected than
those following the less visionary pursuits of every-day life.
The constitution of the Society called upon the members to
pay an annual subscription of 10s., which was to be entrusted
for distribution, either by loan or otherwise, amongst the two
classes to which he had before alluded, to a Committee chosen
by the general body of the members from amongst themselves.
But perhaps the point which would be most gratifying to the
mind of any generous donor, as well as most likely to do away
with any feeling of pain or degradation on the part of the sensi-
tive recipient was, that no person except those on the Com-
mittee were allowed to have cegnisanee of the names of those
whose distresses were relieved. Such being the objects of the
meeting, he trusted that the public would stand forward in sup-
port of the Fund, and that any temporary attempt which might
be made to injure the Society would prove abortive.
Mr. GEORGE CRANE, in an able speech, recounted the
objects and acts of the Society, with which he was intimately
acquainted, from the fact of having acted as secretary to it for
some time. In many instances when grants had been made to
members of the dramatic profession, who were labouring under
temporary pecuniary pressure, to enable them to take advantage
of provincial engagements, those gentlemen had at the earliest
opportunity returned the sum so given, with many professions of
gratitude, and thus the Society was enabled to appropriate this
money to a double, and in some instances a treble, act of philan-
thropy.
Mr. FEATHERSTON having been proposed and elected a
member, said his way of life was rather diverse from that of
the generality of gentlemen who formed the Society. He c Auld
boast of no higher qualification to entitle him to the honour of
admission amongst them than a sincere admiration of the
purposes for which they were associated, and an anxious
desire to forward those objects. He was the holgeT I
of a !air 40 91 44 illSo a ytstyrpt *WO

he farmed himself ; and therefore the gentlemen at
present around him must feel the truth of his former
observation—namely, that a practical farmer, residing
170 miles from London, could have but little intermixture with
the class of persons of whom the Society was composed, still,
admiring its objects as he did, and appreciating the philan-
thropic feelings by which the members were actsated, he felt
proud and happy in being enrolled a member, and would do all
lie could to forward the interests of the Society.--( Cheers. )
Several gentlemen having addressed the meeting,
Mr. G. FORMAN in proposing a vote of thanks to the
Chairman said the Society was deeply indebted to Mr. Moore
for the strenuous exertions which he had made in support of it.
He (Mr. Forman) would bear testimony to the good which the
Society had effected in many instances, and also to the fact that
many of those who had shared in the kindness of the Society
had, when they got into engagements, at once refunded the
money which they had received from the Committee.
The motion having been seconded and carried with acclama-
tion, Mr. Moore vacated the Chair.

SPRING CIRCUITS.
MIDLAND CIRCUIT.
The Right Hon. Sir N. C. Tindal and Mr. Baron Gurney,
the judges appointed to go this circuit, have fixed the fol-
lowing days to take the assizes at th• respective places in-
cluded in their circuit, viz.:—
Northamptonshire—Northampton, on Monday, Mandl 4.
Rutlanclshire—Oakharn, Friday, March 8.
Lincolnshire and city of Lincoln—Lincoln, Saturday,March 9.
Nottingham and town of Nottingham—Nottingham, Friday,
March 15.
Derbyshire—Derby, Tuesday, March 19.
Leicestershire and borough of Leicester--Leicester, Friday,
March 22.
Warwickshire (Coventry division)—Coventry, Thursday,
March 28. (Warwick division)—Warwick, Saturday,
March 30.