The Sun.
London, England, 1828-05-27 00:00:00

FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.

(From the Trades' Free Press.)
In consequence of an important -communieit
from Mr. Portman, M.P., on behalf of many 1011,7,-
hers of the Parliamentary Committee on Mr. Co
tenay's Bill, a meeting of the Delegates was heir
Friday night. Mr. RUSSELL in the Chair.
Mr. G. R. COTTER begged to state, that het°
received a communication from B. Portman, ]V
M.P., addressed to the Editor of the Trades Prit
Press, requesting that he (Mt. Cotter) would 0
upon him in the course of the week. According'`'
he waited on Mr. Portman on Thursday mortiifio:
and was received by him in the most kind matilie:; •
He (Mr. Portman) said that Mr. Courtenay uss'
sick of the ill fate of his Bill, that he declared W ,
after he never would have any connexion withs
other. Still, however, the Committee of the House
Commons thought there ought to be somet,wil:,
done for the people belonging to these Societie''
and Mr. Portman was officially deputed to cotolf
nicate with the Delegates. He told him that
Courtenay would move for the discharge of IL
Committee on the 3d of. Tune, without having c°
to any conclusion ; but those on the Commits'
'
who had a kindly feeling towards the people,, tr'4,
anxious to meet them, to prepare and frame a '
which might meet the views and wishes of all Pit',
ties. He thought if Societies availed themselvee';
the opportunity during the recess, or if they deen3'4l
it proper to avail themselves of legal advice, till
Mr. Portman would give them every assistance, no
only in framing the act, but in carrying it into a
—(Hear, hear.)—Mr. Portman, observed Mr.
was a Magistrate, and stood intimately connee;(l,
with the county of Dorset ; he had seen "'";
Courtenay's Jill in a very different light 1"
what he now beheld it ;• he was fully
Colt
vinced of the injudicious tendency of Mr. COL'
tenay's measure, and was now willing lo assist the
Societies to the utmost of his power. He (Me.i )•
said, as a magistrate, that he deemed it imptoP",
for magistrates either to interfere or have any Powe
in the Societies' affairs, and in saying this, he spv
the sentiments of several others on the Committee'
—(Cheers.)—The only power with which a in,
gistrate should be invested ought to be simply tit'
after the articles of a Society were submitted to p:
actuary appointed and approved of by themselve!!
then they should be submitted to a magistrate fOr bP
sanetion,merely to give them an official character, ca
that the Society might have all the protection of the
law. But on no account should magistrates have r
responsibility, or odium, of judging of the rulea, °e
the sums to be contributed; they should merely .
that the rules contained nothing opposed to the Die
of the land, or obnoxious to the country's interest""
With respect to the arbitration clause, Mr. Porta
said, it was not the wish of the Committee to sus'
gest any thing respecting it ; they would leave it ell'
tirely open to the Societies. He (Mr. C.) te,
marked, that, on one or two occasions, it had hoe`
treated rather in a cursory manner, but he thougP
the establishment of persons; as a Board in Lone'
would be highly beneficial in all cases of arbitrated''
Injustice had sometimes been done to a man. under
the present system, in consequence of a prejalli
which may have been excited against him ; but if
ci
disputed cases were referred to a properly recognise,
Board of experienced men, they not knowing
parties, and being fully conversant with the Vol
would be considered the most competent persons ft
decide upon it; it would, however, have to be /ell
open to the parties, as to whether they would avile
themselves of it or not. Mr. Portman then said, tb
Bill is abandoned, we leave it open to you to intro;
duce another; and we (the Committee) will 0%
you our assistance forthwith, if you require it, to r;;',
peal all the laws in existence.—(Cheers.) He (3 t,
C.) replied, that though the existing laws were a
tended with disadvantages, yet, if Societies we'l
anxious for a general repeal, they would be oblie,
to submit
many
to thead
repeal of the, so that
n
3 3dGieo. 11 ICP
contained I
intervt
between the prese.it time and the period at whic"
they could introduce a new Bill, it would be
better for them to labour under the disadvantae
of some Bills, than lose the advantages of other''
He (Mr. C.) begged to congratulate the Meetil
upon their success. They had not only gained al
they wanted, but a great deal more than they er
pected.—(lmmense applause.)—lt occurred to hill')
that as this was a subject of such great importance;
it would be advisable that, in the course of a shot
time, a General Meeting should be convened, at tb.e,
Mechanics' Institute, to take into consideration th"
subject, and to appoint some persons to form a loio'
For let it not be said, that they were Unable to da
it themselves, after having already stated their caw'
petency for the task.—(Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN thought they would do Well
to
attend to the hint given by Mr. Cotter; for afte
Mr. Portman had, in so handsome a manner, tenderi
ed his assistance, they should not do right unle_: e
they went forward and availed themselves of hill
offer. He thought if they held a meeting at
Mechanics' Institute, it would be most numerous
attended.
Mr. BOURNE exhorted the delegates to deiibera.to°
well, now that the game was in their own hands;
invite the co-operation of their country friends, 9
nt
to endeavour to establish that, which centuries hens
might be looked on as the Magna Charta of the ii
dustrious classes.
After a long conversation several resolutions Wei:e
unanimously carried, and the Meeting separated.

ELOPEMENT IN HUMBLE LIFE.-A 111394111,P
named THOMAS GRAHAM, ran off a few days ago ,•
the bar-maid at one of the principal inns in Sunderland's]
The fugitives are supposed to have proceeded southsvabi;
with a view to embark for America. GRAHAM, t°, e
shame be it spoken, has left behind him a wife and t`l-e
children, entirely unprovided for.—Durham Advertistr.

BIRTHS.
On. the 2 I:10
sth inst., at his house in Manchester-square_

the lady of Oswald Smith, Esq., of a son.
On the 24th inst., in John.street, Bedford-rov,
Oliver Jones, of a daughter. f
On the 23d inst., at Upper Stamford-street, the wife °
R. 'Terry, Esq. of twins. , of
At Gortegrinane, in the county of Cork, the 134
Major-General Sir Robert Trals, of a son.
At Cove, the lady of Captainve Mason, 77th Regiment, of
a son.
At Beaufort, Rathfarnhani, county of Dublin, the Isdf of
Robert Hodgens, of a son.
,her,
In Gardiner's-row, Dublin, at the house of her TO'.
the lion. Mrs. Montgomery, the lady of James mile, Beil
Esq. of a son.