The Sun.
London, England, 1842-02-14 00:00:00

COMPLETE SUFFRAGE.

A meeting of an extremely interesting nature was held at Mr.
Joseph Andrews' very commodious sale-room, in Purdeet-street, on
Friday evening, the 4th instant, in consequence eta communica-
tion from Mr. Joseph Sturge, Birmingham, on the subject of" Com-
plete Sufrage."

The communication having been read by Mr. James Heed, to
whom it was addressed, that gentle:nan proposed that Mr. James
Towell should be requested to take the chair, who briefly opened
the business of the evening, stating the vast importance of the sub-
ject, and the deep responsibility of all who took a part in it. He
expressed an opinion that if there were any sincerity in the anxiety
which manifested itself to enlist the popular feeling on questions.
of deep interest, by either party (Whig or Tory) it was worse thou
the grossest folly and hypocrisy to prefer an appeal to the passions
of the masses (frequently at such periods under the worst of ex_
citement, rather than to their sober judgments, expressed by their
free and unbiassed votes; believing, likewise, that there was infi-
nitely more comparative intelligence, virtuous feeling, and political!
honesty in the industrious classes, as a body, than can be found;
amongst their vaunted superiors, he had fully made up his mind!
to co.operate, by all constitutional means, for the obtainment ot
their undoubted right, as laid down in Blackstones Commerda.
ries," that" no subject of England e.,a u. constrained to my any
aids or taxes, even for the defence of 'be realms or the s'Jpport of
the Government, but such as are imposed by his OWn consent, or •
that of his representatives in Parliament.
The Rev. T. aligner, Baptist minis r at the request of the
Chairman, addressed the meeting, and in a Very eloquent and feel_
tug manner stated his adhesion to the declaration in favour of
Complete Suffrage, as drawn up by Mr. Joseph Sturge, which he
had been the first in this town VI sign. Indeed, it would have
been unpardonable in him to have hesitated for a single moment,
witnessing, as he had constantly an opportunity of doing, in the•
management of the affairs of the Church to which he belonged,ALK
great security and advantage resulting from a system of self.gr-
vernment, when exercised in a manner perfectly free and uur.et.
tered. An exception !night be taken to the course he hdop,.ed in
appearing there that evening, as being incompatible with th,e dutie,
and character of a Christian minister, but he had lean-od from his
Divine Muster, that the first duty of all his follov7ers was to do
unto others as we would wish others to do unto 'us, and upon this
consideration, if upon no other, he felt bound tr, give his unqualitied
support to the declaration.

Mr. Thomas Cook stated, that after, 'What had fallen from Mr.
Wigner, but little further, he could readily believe, need be said to
enlist the earnest attention and consideration of the meeting to the
subject before them. He was quite convinced of its justice and its
absolute necessity to the cause of equal government, and should
cheerfully subscribe to it,

Several persons prosent signed the declaration, and the meeting
which consisted of upwards of 150 persons, separated deeply isa-.
pressed with the importance of the subject, and the number of sic-
natures is &at Increasing. •

THE NEW UNLICENSED
VICTUALLERS.

The fate of this country has been to be.rulotva by a
confederacy of monopolists, equally opposed to the Sore-.
reign, the people, the Constitutien, and the religion of
the country. Of what have they been the monopolists ?
Of every thing.—(Cheers.) They have been monopolists
of religious liberty.—(Cheers.) They have been mono-
polists of personal freedom. They have trafficked in
slaves mid the souls of men. They have been monopo-
lists of political poWer, to the disfranchisement of thou-
sands in every part of the country. What have been their
party conflicts but struggles for the monopoly of plae e,
and pensions, and patronage, and pelf, and pay ?—(G-,..eat
cheering.) In what light arc we called to regard thew
this day ? As monopolists of the people's bread. ; as a
nicked combination of victuallers—(Laughter)--conspir-
ing to raise the price of bread, a class of offer,ders which
till lately was held by the common law of I.l)gland to be
criminals punishable with fine and imprisonment.—
, (Hear, and cheers.) Were they punished according to.
their deserts they would now take their place along w'.th
the inmates of the dungeon, and those who were at The
treadmill.—(Great laughter.) What was our present
Parliament ? A Parliament of provision mercl.nants.—
(Hear, hear.) Let them be honest and. put up
their appropriate sign, Let them announce over their
shop doors, " Alessm 'Buckingham, Graham, Richmond,
Peel, and Co, sol.e provision merchants to the people of
Great BriWal and Ireland.—(Loud laughter.) For
bread, bflef, pork, mutton, butter, and beans, inquire
withi;,—(lioars of laughter.) N.B. No compethion
"'.,owed. No connection with the shop over the water."
—(Continued laughter.) The Corn-law was designed to
make food scarce, in order that it may be made dear.
Nothing else. And why dear ? That lamllords may
pocket the price. Who gave the landowners the power
to do so ? They took the power thems6ves.—(Hear.)
By what means did they persuade the people to accept
it at their hands ? By presenting it at the point of the
bayonet.—(ll-ear.) how have iihey perpetuated it ? By-
' the same means.—(Hear, hear.) It is a law to put a
whole people on short allowance. A whole people did
I say ? No ; those who snake the famine spare them-
selves.—(hear.) Were it a heaven-sent famine, all
would be afflicted. When God punished the Egyptians.
with sore plagues, they entered the palace of Pharaoh,
and his magicians ; but our modern Pharaohs and their
sliding-scale enchanters torment not themselves ; they
torment the people.—(Cheers.) Can any act be con-
ceived more wicked than the curtailment of the; %ripplx-
of bread to an industrious people ? Can there nail.°
frightful despotism ? On board a man-of .war, when
provisions are scarce, the man who is the despot of the
ship, and might shoot a refractory sailin• dead at his feet,
dare not take a crumb of biscuit, tit "a drop of water, more
than the cabin-boy. Ile dare not help himself.—(llear.)
How is it with us ? tl7,e
gentry ashore share and
share alike with tits se \\ 37,0 work the ship, and go aloft.
and reef, and steer lie wished they did.—(hear.)
Parliament 'wtiuld "soon be summoned, in good earnest,
" for, tilt., despatch of sundry divers and important busi-
new\—(lginghter)—and the Corn-laws would be totally
repealed in both Houses of the Legislature.—Mr. Vamp-
.o,lB''s Speech at Edinburgh.

A PRECOCIOUE SUICIDE.—_A lad, 15 years
of age, in the service of a respectable family at llcadleigh,
attempted to drown himself last week, under tlw, following
circumstances :—lle had been sent to the l'os't-office with
a letter, and having loitered by the way, he was obliged.to
pay extra postage to secure the eonveyar,ce of the letter.
On his return, having informed his me.ster of the circum-
stance, he was accused of dishonesty. This so grieved the
youth that he thought this world no longer a fit residence for
him, and he accordingly set sail for the other on a neigh-
bouring horse-pond, into which he resolutely plunged,
having, very prudently, however, darkly hinted to his
master his watery propensities, and the route by
owfl
the
I
he was to set off. This intimation led some
.oulme
family, to the horse-pond, where they found th_oer) iblli,
who had nearly peribrined half his voyage, Lionul'Qhe
being taken out, after about five minutes'
sideralde difficulty in restoring what poets was found ti, be nearly half dead, and there wad
"thecon-
vital sapark."—ipstvich Express.
month, according to the Swiss jouirenrarsous
fever,
EPIDEMIC AT LAUSANNEI7
which has Lpautisartge sufferedhasthel a s
I
severely from the prevalence 01
ad
.vromen. In the course of
at-
tacked chiefly young persona-
`the mortality during
amount to more than
tJhaenuwahryoltehocfre
448; so that tiec is, proporti,m, double the number.
'Li" onea the decline. ,
.1, than during the previous
The epidemic is a
The number of deaths in +,kie metropolis was 91
k The decrease has taken place chiefly in deaths caused
wee ". *c and contagious d' by epidemic
‘, Iseases, and those affecting the
brain.
• Deaths from aiseases, of the
rather on the increase
the wer;7 secedingee a yhaesnaela nd although
id t
lungs and stomach are still
fewer in the week, ending