The Sun.
London, England, 1819-09-14 00:00:00

THE DINNER AT THE CROWN AND ANCHOR.

Front the various impediments throNn in the
"oxy Of the Procession, it was near eight o'chick
befiire it %yds 'anumniced At the Crowu and Anchor
Tavern that 11.1 r HUNT' mid arrived.
Dr, WikTsos addlicssed the Me:.ting, and said,
that in con,equence of the invit,,:ion to Sir C.
Wolseley not having reached Ittltl in time, he had
Nci:ll regret to state, that the Hon. Baronet could

not plesnle over that ttheting. Thus circum-
stanced, he begged to propose a nian who had
bero known as a friend to the people for upwards
of .20 years—who had been known to Mr. Hunt
for a very considerable time, and who was a man
of extremely great. eloquence, shotild take the
Chair—he [mans Mr. Gale Jones.
The proposition was received with applause,
an, GALII JoNes was elected to the Chair.
WATsoN, shortly afr er this decision had
been com;! to, presented himself again, and star-
ed it to have been remarked to him, that as the
Hon. Baronet invited to ChAir could not at-
tcttd, the Gentleman invited %yak tutu onght to
have been called upon to preside. He had.
tht.lootr.-! to call ',non the Meetint: to suspend the
tote ihey had previously come to, and when
Bunt .bauviv.d in the room, he and the Gentlemen
with hirn could arrange that matter as they should
thiolv fit.
long pause followed, which completely. ex-
iiso,ted pa,iitice of the company, and a loud
I.:ooeking on the tables and on the floor, accorn-
pitied with calls for the Chairinan, was the con-
s...-trice, 'l' was not till about half-past eight
C,at Mr, dont entered the apartment,- attended by
those had acted the Most prOminent part in
the prwession. was received with loud
acc,atni.ions, and proceeded forthwith to take the

cloth being removed, and " Rule lkitan-
nia," crd " Ca Ica" haviUg been sang,
11uN ro,e upon the table to address the
t.'o2"„ but it was some time before the
anticipa-
►~~~y of the assembly allowed him to pro-
ceed. IF ving olYained silence, he -began,---
He tho,iglir he might be peimitted to address
them as his friends and fellow•countrymen. it
I) -came his citify to do so in the place they had
t.ote him the honour to place bum. a 3 their Chair-
m was sure it was the wish of every mast
p(c!,,,,tit to preserve silence, and he thought it
r:ccsAry to impress on those who were
a,,\6lis to preserve silence.. that thty should
, htmsel%es create disturbance by clamorous

c„lis for silt nee. He felt it his (July, to ac-
count f-r übsence of his Honourable and
Worthy Urieod Str Charles Wolseley. He was
iot iced to extend the Meeting ; but the invitation
did not reach him in time for the purpose. He
(1.) had left lflin the night before he quitted
Alancliester, in consultation with his worthy
frtends and solicitors, Mr. Harmer and Mr. Pear-
son ; but in consequence of the statements which
appeared in the London Prints, that the friends
of Hewn') were squabbling amongst themselves,
and that something like a disturbance was ex-
pected to be produced by the business of this
day, he thought it advisable not to come to
to No. A* he should have an opportunity of
uridressitil4 ,he company at length, he should
for the present reserve what he had to say
upon other points.- But he requested leave
to say to them now, once for all, that it was
hiv most earuest wish they should allow a patient
hearing to any man and every man who should rise,
to address - them this evening, however opposite
It s seutiffients might be to their,own, upon the
sneers before tliem. Every man here who paid
his money hti r his ticket, sod wished to delive'r
his sentiments; WaT entitled to a fair- and it»plr-
bearing, and the very moment that Any man
was interrupted, and not allowed to he fairly
hemd, (flow) should beg leave .to quit the
rusts.—(Loint and general applanse.)—They•
would Lear notch in the course-of • this evening on
tic subj-et of the late sanguinely p.ildinhttinsit pro-
cee.t;ligs at :`4anclieszer. He wo:i.ld Ititn,,eif de-
ail to them much on. that lamentable topic
oiler that, it Lord bad Lord ,':idinouth
themselves wet e in the room, end were to address
t ie Meet i:•g iri order to put the of in a-different
light, it the assembly would not patieutly attend to

thembe would quit the roOm.—Meneral applause.)
—He had been in ,this room at Public Meetings on
fortner occasions when it was supposed 110 matt
would be heard, but those who spoke on one side
of the question, and he had always deprecated such
a notion -; but he now requested of the Meeting
that they would hear every man, whatever side
of the question he might take. He had heard
g'..ntletnen call for music, and two airs had
'beert heard; but he hoped gentlemeu would have
consideration for the band, who had accompanied,
them from Hampstead, and had been a good
deal fatigned in the course of the day. Another
reason why Gentlemen ought not to call for music
too frequently was, it should not take up the time
of the evening, and prevent Gentlemen, who were
desirous, trom-deliveriog theiropinions. There twos
:mother point alsti which he earnestly desired to
impress upon the minds of all who heard hint. He
wished to bury in oblivion all disputes and animosi-
ties whatever that might have heretofore arisen
amongst Reformers of all classes, and heiwas sure
every zealous friend to the cause of Reform who
addressed them, must feel the necessity of hold-
ing out the olive branch, and not the apple of
discord. When he saw things going on as they
now were, in the straight lomat d road to success,
he must be an idiot indeed, if he did not think
this whole affair, crowned by the business of this
•day, had placed him at the very pinnacle of popu-
larity. His sincere wish now was to bury in ob-
livion all differences amongst Reformers on all
sides. They must know, that -they could •do
nothing without coming to the people. The
people were now well informed, and would not
be led by the nose by the persuasion of any man
or party, and therefore every hope of success must
rest upon the people. If the Assembly should
now have the Police Magistrates amongst them
(god he had a presentiment that there was one of
t hem, Birnie, now 'Within hearing), and it, hear-
ing the sentiments here expressed, he did not
come down amongst them and endeavour to

set their opinions right by fair argument. and
truth, he was tinwo:AHv <4 being a Magistrate- or
lf ht came forward, he (Hunt)
would answer him as far as his authority went.
He should have a fair hearing. He was a Gen-
tleman 'anti a man of onderslanding, and capable
of setting them right. Vey asked only for in-
formation, rind to be set right if they were wrong.
But until !Ley were set right by fair argument and
true principle, there was no force; that could
divert them from their objects. He was sure lie
had said quite enough this point at present ;
whoever should speak different sentiments front
any end of the room, sh,uild be fairly heard. .He
believed all, or most of the Gentlemen present,
Arcre Universal Sniff age Men; but every man.
there had a-right to be heard, as well as be who
now addressed them. He concluded by proposing
a toast, which was received and drank with en-
thusiasm—three tim's hree

" The oily soiirce of all legitimate power—the People."
The music again struck up See ,the conquering

Hero comes.
Hunt then cave as a toast—

" Universal Suffrage and Annual Parliaments, the uni-
versal right of every Briton."—Drank with three times three
awl continued applause.
The music again stauck up the French revoln-
tiouary air of Ca Ira, which was hailed with en-
thusi.sm.

The next toast proposed Hunt was—

" Ti t lie immortal memory of the Reformers, men, women,
and children, who were massacred at Manchester."-=Drank
standing, in solemn,silence.

BA this melancholy pause was relieved from
the orchestra by the patriot Caledonian air, Scols
who hue wi' Wallace bled.—(New thunders of
app!ause.)
The next toast proposed by Hunt was—
" May arms be taken front those that abuse them,
tend given to those who have the courage to use them."
Three times three.—Drank with bursts of applause.

The music now struck up, with true Gallic
spirit, the celebrated French revolutionary air,
The Marsellois Hymn, which was received with
enthusiiistn.

Mr. GAr.E JONES, in rising to give the health
of Mr. Hunt, complimented him as having suc-
cessively combated the treble monster--Ministe-
rial, Magisterial, and Military Despotism. He
exulted in the spectacle which had been witnessed
that day, and saw ill it a retutatiOn of all that had
been said in the Newspapers about the people
being opposed to Mr. Hunt, for,who, he would
ask, were those who had welcomed bins this day
his return, if they were not the people ? He
conde:nett Ministers, and accused them of hav-
ing at last thrown off the mask, and now, in-
stead of controuling the people by the 11NaliS
of corruption, they-had attempted to place them
under a military despotism. He,eulogized the
presence of mind and the forbearance displayed
by Mr. Hunt ; but contended, that if, instead
of suffering himself to be. arrested as he did, he
had drawn out a pistol and shot the Officer
through the heart who had approached him for that
purpose, he would have been completely justified.
—(Cries of Yes, yes ; and applause.)--He vin-
dicated the courage of the Reformers from the as-

persons sneeringly thrown on them, and was

-
convi9ced that fifty half-starved mechanics, it
armed, would have routed double the. number of
their enemies. It was thcause they were unarmed

that they were attacked, for cowards were gene-
.

rally cruel.

In the person of Mr. Hunt the con-

stitntion and laws of England were violated; and
it was not because the Reforuterscould not lay their
hands on their hearts and say thry were justified
in having recourse to arms, that they Lad A-

stained from doing so, but it was 'because they
had humanity, and anxious to avoid a civil war,

were desirous to avOid the eflusiou of blood which

must follow the adoption of such a course.—

There was, hawever, no going back—Minis-
ters had drawn the sword on the people, and
the latter must, in some way . or other, stand
on the defensive. He reminded the Meeting
of the charges which had been preferred against
Mr. Hunt ; appealed to them it they were not
all refuted by his recent conduct ; which conduct
surpassed any that he had read of in ancient or
modern hist(); y. His triumphant entry that day

he compared to that of Alexatokr, be liaving,? like
Aley:mder; coliqweleAl all Inc enemies. That he.
hBd f•01.10rr,•4 the'Uoveroment was in Iris (TllllOll

cat intpoitanee ; any body Could conquer
them ; but he bad Brined a more glorious triumph,
fur he bad conquered hinvielf. He concluded by

,
proposing the health of H. Hunt, Esq. the sincere
and consistent Advocate of Radical Reform, the
Friend of Humanity, and the Defender of the
.People's Rights against Ministerial, Magisterial,
and Military Despotism." .
The toast having been drank with three times
three,
Mr. HUNT vindicated his conduct. Where he
had been wrong, the error was of the head, but
not of the • heart. He. described the difficulties
with which he had hail to contend, and the perse-
cutions to which he had been exposed in the course
of his political career, and charged those who
were considered the' friends of the people with
Navin; basely represented him to be a Govern-
ment spy when he could not agree with them. He
justified his conduct in attending Reform Meet-
ings, called in various parts of the country. He
recapitulated the incidents connected with his can-
duct which had preceded the late Manchester
Meeting, which lie thought must have consisted ,
of 150,000 persons, among which were not fewer
than 20,000 women and children. He described
the yeomanry to have put their horses in disorder
even by drawing their swords, and they subse-
quently advanced, cutting their way to the hust-
ings, hacking in the most cowardly manner (he
had really seen sonie of them with their eyes shut,
striking at random), all that opposed then). They ,
had killed two or three, and wounded from 50 to
100, before they got to the hustingi. He bad in-
% iced the people to come vcithout arms of any
sort. Perhaps in this he might be wrong. He
never would act so again. He would not tell them
to rake a. finger, hut he would not desire_ them

o come (warmed wlkere they were liable to be
cut to pieces. It might have been instilled,into
140 people that he had called them toget.her at
Manchester that they might be so attneked.—
They might have been made to believe this,
and 'they might have torn him to pieces
for acting such a part. But so far from this,
thouKh some of the vile press had thrown out such.
an insin oat ion, he, on his ret urn from incarceration,
had met with the same welcome in all parts of the
country which he 'hail experienced this- day in
London. He then described the harsh 'treatment-
he had received at Manchester. A Man of the-
name of Nadi') there, is considered by the people-
,
a most inhuman monster, ht,t he was kind maim-
mane when compared with the 'cowardly Yen-
111.they. One fellow or the• name of • Whit-
tinghain had rode near him with a cocked pistol,
xvhich he presented at him while in the care of
Nadin. That person would have made his
cape,'had not he (Mr. Hunt) held him (Mr.NOttiti)
in custody, and kept him between loniselt and
Whittingham, so that the Ltt-er could not fire at
him without hitting Nadin. He then detailed
•the violences of the. Yeomanry Cavalry, and after-
wards the improper conduct of the Special Con-
stables, from
_whom he.bad received forty, fifty,
or sixty blows. One officer, whom be desig-
nated " scoundrel, coward, and villain," had en-
voured with a stick to beat his brains•out, Out.
of his•humane friends, to further this design, had
taken off his (Hunt's) hat, that be might receive
the meditated blow ; but - still retaining his pre-
sence of mind, he judged when the blow would
come, turned his bead aside, and received the
stick on his shoulder, Every man of the Special
Constables through whom he 'had to pass VIA
dealt him a blow, and he at lost could not heir)
saying, " You cowards, you won't murder a man'
in the dark, will you ?" For this he had been
charged with cowardice in some of the newspapers.
The treatment he received while in confinement,
which has already transpired, he next minutely
described, and also the case of the woman, who,
after being confined -nine days, was discharged.
He praised Sir C. %Volseley as " a friend indeed,"
because he was " a friend in need." The circum. •
stances attending his being sent to Lancaster
Castle, and his release from the dungeon into•
which he was thrown on his arrival there, having
been detailed, he next went over the cases stated
in Mr. Pearson's letter to have been sent heftire.a ,

Grand Jury, and in particular noticed a.boyofllke
Dank'. of Leele, who had preferred
..# hill which
had been thrown out. This boy was laughed at,
and told that he had been throwing itottei or Lap
loping, or something of that sort.
[The boy, who had received- rt wound- on. till 3
bead, was here exhibited on the table:' ap. •
peered to be completely recovered]
HUNT went on to .state, that it was useless
to prefer more Bills, after the Grand Jury hid
thrown out those to which he had particularly
adverted. He had refused to be bailed himself

unless bail were found fur all his fellow pi isoners

This was done.- In a few days more bail was
offered than was wanted ; and such was the spirit

manifested at Preston, that in some instances
persons offered 51. to be allowed to become bail

for the poorest of the prisoners.—(Applause.)—
For tl►e treatment he had received new appeals

would be made to the laws, tor it could be

proved that a bloody conspiracy had heettiortned
to destroy him. The parties had not only pre
meditated his destruction, but they had boasted of
it, and regretted that their design had not been

carried into effect. Their plan was to throw him
in among the Yeomanry, and then call out " an
esctipe," that they might cut him to pieces ; but

through his own presence of mind, and the mercy

of the All-►vise Disposer of events, he had escaped
the snare. He still professed the regard he had

always fel; for the people. The poor ,man who
would work ought to be able to maintain him-
self and family with comfort', and lay.by a trifle
for a rainy day. For this he had ever contend-
ed, and for this he would still contend; and
in the cause of the People be would ever be ready
to risk his life.—(Applause.)—One other case of
hardship he begged to mention. A poor man had
both his shoulders dislocated, • and forced out of

their sockets, one arm was broken, and he had
received cuts across his hand and his forehead.

Taken to the Infirmary, a Surgeon was about to
dress his wounds, when another entered, and ac-

costed the patient with—" 1-la, ha ! you have been-
to the meeting 1 see ; 1 think you ,will know bet-
ter than to go to any more such meetings." " After
what 1 have seen to-day," the man replied, " 1
am of opinion that Reform is more accessary than
ever." " Oh ! Irm.rascal, you do, do you
you shan't stay Iltre." The kilin was then directly
turned out of his bed, his clothes forced, on, and
he dismissed without telief, to drag his dislocated