The Sun.
London, England, 1819-08-04 00:00:00

STOCKPORT FEMALE REFORMERS.

[The following account, which has so much the
air of a burlesque, is taken from a Manchester
Paper devoted to the support of the'' Reformers,"
and all their most violent and absurd schemes.]
On Monday evening, 19th-ultimo, the second
meeting of the members of this institution took
place in the La'rgeßoran at the Windmill, in Stock-
port, when. Mrs. Stewart moved that Mrs. Hall-
worth be President ; she knew from her well-tried
principles, that she was the most proper person
of any other she could propose; her acquirements
duly qualified her for the office, and, if accepted,
she was conscious she would give every satin
faction.

Mrs. Hodgson seconded die motion, when it
was immediately put and unanimously carried.
Mrs. Ilallworth accepted the honour they had
done her with becoming modesty : she then ad-
dressed the assembly
" Ladies and Gentlemen--,-Before we •proceed
into the business of the evening, 1 desire that the
Gentlemen will withdraw ; it is not done with a
view to.transact any thing of a secret nature, for
it-is commonly said that women can keep no se-
crets, but merely with a view that if.in our de-
hates (for it is something new for womentto turn
political orators), we should for want of know-
ledge Make any blunders, we should he laughed
at, to prevent which we should prefer being by
ourselves."—[Their male brethren immediately
obeyed, and she proceeded on.]
" Ladies, you have this evening placed me in a
situation which I never occupied before. 1 kindly
thank you for the honour you have done me, but
cannot help observing, that I am a very unfit
person ror the office ; but as you have placed me
here to protect order and peace, I will perform
the task as well as lam able. I assure you that
I ant determined to dedicate to liberty my heart,
my body, yea, my very life."—(Uuboninied ap-
plause with cries of " Liberty.")—"l am young,
but ladies, young as I am, I can assure you that
the Borough villains have furnished me with such
a woful life of wretched experience, that I can.
feel for myself, and equally with myself feel for
my injured plundered country-women. This feel•
ing is so acute, that an eternal war is waged be-
twixt us, which will never end but in the eman-
cipation of a distressed and overburdened people
from -slavery to liberty.—(Reiterated applause.)—
These are sentiments I imbibed when almost
child, and as I grow older, the grumbling spirit
grows stronger.—(Laughter.)-1 thank you, la-
dies, for your kind attention, but assure you I do
not look for your applauses.- Applaud me not ; it
cannot please me, for I consider it is my duty to
use every ability in the cause without receiving
any reward at all for•my weak endeavours. It is
II good cause, it is the close of G4d--;or it is the
cause of the people, and the yo,ce of the people
is the voice'of God : we tllitrefore are sure to
triumph. Seeing, then, that it is the common
cause, let us all unite, and never cease from per-
severing in a cause so just and holy, until we billy
possess those constitutional liberties and privi-
leges whicli are the birth-right of every English
man and caiman."
The close of this speech was followed by every
demonstration of applause. . ,

We are ;ouy to bay we could oot leen the

[PRIG h SrVNIENC

name of the lady echo next •;iddressed tt asern..
bly : she- spoke nearly to the following iff
Mrs. President and Ladies', I con•iner,ii
piece of the cre.ticSr :;ibsiirdits pies., op:ion
in toe to attempr'saying aoy aster hewing
such a display tit female elotiornee trim) the
in 'consideration of -whist, I will not detitti you
lord, but briefly
.sc t what I hive
.to say Int
conjunction With mp ivOrthy Sister: I will act ;
it. is a .gOod cause, I ffil in it in the most i-
tire ; it •is, the common cause, and a cause
that only :requires a little mote attention paid
to it, to make it ,Victorious—yes ! the c -.use of
liberty certainly must be from God: and 'I: from
who_cao stand against ? If God is
for us, who cao be against us " Then hail, sWee't
Liberty—ex pain! thy virtues into the bieast of
es erg letnaleiq this once happy land ! let sacs dices ,
he made in every toven and vi;fige in,!fie kingdom,
unto, dire, that. ;thou noy once mor,e take thy
empire in rite hieasts of a, brave but .ensla,ett
prople.--.—(Applause.)—l understand that. ti in-
tention of this union is to co-operate vt;i,ll other
unions for the general cai!se, and to give relief us
incarcerated victims who are suffering and are
likely to suffer. I need not say that it is to be
feared you will .have to inok to,ourworthy, pa-
triOtic, and brave friend, the Jo,seph Haiti-
son, who, it is said, has a bill tumid against hint
for doing, the devils themselves do not,know what,
at the last Stockport meeting." As soon as Air,
Harrison's name was mentioned, an involuntary
torrent ot tears was the event. Atter_ a tew mo-
ments of profound silence, cries ot " ILrrison
anit,Liberty for ever,!" proceeded from every part
of the room.

The business then proceeded on with the last
speaker moving,
" That the Female Union co-operate with their
male brethren in relieving those unfortunate indi-
viduals now confined in Chester Castle, Messrs:
Baggtiely, Johnston, and Drummond ; and all
who mayin future be incatcerated for advocating-
the cause of the people," which was unanimuusly
carried.

Miss %Vita Hey addressed the Meeting as follows :
" Mrs. ['resident and Sisters, I love liberty,
and hate slavery; I know too truly the horrors
of the one, and the virtues of the other. If a
Borough-monger
.were to come to Stock:oat, aro(
he compelled to weave for his iivintz, he woni,l
mote impatiebtly,when he saw he could get nothing.
more than a mess of pottage for his labour, ci y nut
for Liberty and Reform ! as %veil as !hose who are
called the incorrigible swine, the disaffected, anti
the lower orders. I. will not detain you; I have
only to say, that I could wish us to have a Cap
of Liberty, and present it at the next public
meeting, as oursisters at Blackburn did at (twits ;
and that. we form the determination to bring it
victoriously back again, or lose our lives in its
defence."

The following persons were properly elected to
act as Committee for the Uuioii

Miss Goodier, Miss Knowles, Miss Lowe, Mrs. Hodg,rsou,
Miss Whalley, Ilrs. Kenwortl4, M is: Rhodes, Miss Lon sum,
Miss Johnstone, -Mrs. Stewart, Steretary; Mrs. liamblettm,
Treasurer.
A vote of thanks was then given to Mr. Law-
ton, grocer, Hillgate ; and to Mr. Sanderson,
shoe-dealer, opposite Bolkeley Arms-inn, St ro.k-
port, for voluntarily stepping forward to give bail
for Sir Charles Wolseky, Bart.—Cart icd by uni-
versal acclamation of " Wolseley and Liberty !''
A vote of thanks was then passed to those severs
patriotic individuals, who have tendered them-
selves to come forward to give bail for our won hy
friend the Rev. Joseph Harrison.—Carried by nu-
bounded acclamation of " Harrison or ever !"

A vote of thanks was then proposed to their
worthy Presidentess, which was carried in the
usual way by acclamation.
The I'residentess then replied—" Ladies, I do
assure you, you have so wounded tne by the kind
attention you have honoured me ►with, that the
load overwhelm►s me with such a sense of obliga-
tion, that I cannot express my thanks. Su!3i e
it to say, that this mark of esteem I will ever
'featly cherish in my heart. I can only say that
it will be a fresh stimulus to spur me on with
greater avidity in the common cause. Go peace-
ably home, for fear of furnishing the Borough.
mongers with materials for another green bag. A
plot is what they'are (as Cobbett observes) dying
for ; and the only plan to trusirme their hellish
wish, is to act constitutionally in all your under-
takings."
The Meeting then dispersed about half-past ten
o'clock, highly pleased with the proceeding* of

the evening.

FATAL OCCURBENCE.--Will am Frost, a /PI
altout 14 years•ot age, was On l'lttirtl6y
coltr-
mitted to Ipswich. Gaol on a charge of m3nslangh7
ter, for shooting Ann Roberts, a girl aged 13. It
appeared ttse deceased was retuhing limn school,
accompanied by some other children, when Frost,
who was in a field Adjoining the road, with the
gun in his hand, loaded with shot, pointed it at
her. Time child said, " I don't mind it, for yo ,t
dare not shoot me." The gun went off at the in•
stant, amid the- cot tents lodged in the Dead a Id
neck of the unfortunate girl, who dropped down
and instantly expired.

CORIINER'S INQUEST.—An inquisition was taken
3•estetday in the Board Rooni of St. Thomas's
Hospital, before Tnosans SHELTON, Eq. C. Lo-
ner, on the body of John ißathe•r, aged GO yews,
by trade a collar-Maker, and a 'native of (:ti
well, who,e death was caused by being roil over
by the Brighton stage coach, It appeared by
the evidence, that no Warne could be tutach,d
to the co4chman. Verdict--" Accidental Death,
with a deodend of twenty shillings on the eoa, h
wheel."