The Sun.
London, England, 1842-07-23 00:00:00

middle classes of England ? Their creed was safety
and safety consisted in wholesome agitation, for if they
sank to sleep that slumber would be tho slumber of
death. It was their duty to carry on the wholesome agi-
tation they had commenced, on the same principle as
the agitation of the elements prevented disease and cor-
ruption. If they were temperate and persevering it
would be impossible for Peel, or the country gentlemen,
or the aristocracy, or the parsons either, to prevail
against them.
A vote of thanks was proposed to Mr. O'Connell, Mr.
Ewart, and Mr. Hume, for their services in the cause,
which was carried by acclamation, and briefly acknow-
ledged by Mr. O'Connell and Mr. Ewart.
The CHAIRMAN said, that the meeting at its rising
would adjourn till Monday. Before they separated he
would read the following letter from Nottingham, which
might be taken, in some degree, as an answer to the
statement of Mr. Gaily Knight, that Nottingham was
not so distressed as it had been represented to be :
Nottingham, London Road, July 19, IS-12.
The amount of distress in this neighbourhood is dreadful in.
deed, and it is increasing ; the last two or three weeks were
worse than any that preceded them, and the expectation of
every one here is, that the coming weeks will be worse stall, •
and that the winter will be terrific. Being myself chairman
of the Stoney-street Benevolent Society, and having about
400 weekly customers in business, no one has better opportu-
nities of knowing the state and sentiments of the working classes,
and I am quite confident that the opinion expressed above is true.
If you ask " can the people exist through the winter without
bread ?" in answer, I beg leave to say that I have already
seen the poor suffer so tremendously in this nei ghbourhood
that I cannot tell where the limit to their endurance is. The
feeling amongst the better disposed of those that suffer is,
without exception, this—that God Almighty has sent plenty
for them, but that the wickedness of man prevents them from
receiving it. The prevailing sentiment amongst another, and
very numerous class, is that of most bitter execration of those
who, they say, have made laws to rob them of all that makes
life desirable.

I am of opinion that it is the collateral influence of religion
and religionists that is a principal cause of our having had, no
violence here. From information that I can fully rely upon, I
am convinced that the working classes of Nottingham, Derby,
Mansfield, Leicester, Hinckley, and Loughborough, are much
worse off now than they have ever been in the recollection of
any individual living—that their condition is becoming worse
and worse every day—and, in fact, that it has changed for the
worse permanently.
If the unemployed here were to be guilty of outrage, they
would be more pitied than execrated by the inhabitants in ge-
neral. They are all getting to be of opinion that" the world
is not their friend, nor the world's law."

I could send-you numbers of descriptions of instances of ex-
treme suffering, and also of the use of very violent language,
and many instances have come under my own observation in
which disease and death have been the consequences of *int.
The unemployed are now going about begging in parties of
I t to 200 or 300, using language that is very near demanding.
The Conference then adjourned till Monday.

PETITION FROM THE CONFERENCE. •
Presented and read to the Heuie by C. P. "Mien, TE , ota
Thursday Evening.. -
" That the long-protracted distress of this nation is•gene.
rally increasing, and has become intolerable. That, without
animmediate change in the policy of the Legislature, there is
no hope of a restoration of public prosperity. The disruption
of the very elements of F ciety is threatened, the stability and
good order of the State are hastening to an end. The indus-
trious classes are starving, and your laws prevent them from
earning bread. We call upon your House instantly to abolish
ail monopolies which interfere with the rights of labour, and
to take means that you shall not separate until the Corn-laws
be entirely repealed; and, while we deliberately declare our
belief that the remedy for the existing distress is within the
powers of Parliament, we hereby record our solemn warning
that the consequences of rejecting the application of that re-
medy will be at the door of your Honourable House. .
" And your petitioners will ever pray," Scc.