The Sun.
London, England, 1842-12-28 00:00:00

CHARTIST MEETING.

THE MILITARY CALLED OITT.-011 the 18th inst.,
twelve of the inhabitant householders of the township
of Oldham requested the constables to call " a public
meeting of the inhabitants at an early day, for the
purpose of electing a delegate or delegates, to a con-
ference calle i by the Council of the Complete Suffrage
Union, to be held in Birmingham, on the 27th inst.,
to prepare a Bill to be submitted to the Legislature,
embodying the principles and necessary details of a
full, free, and fair representation of the people in the
Commons House of Parliament," &c. The constables
declining to call any such meeting, 18 Chartist inhabi-
' tant householders issued public notices, on Saturday
week, convening a public open-air meeting, to be held
for the above purpose, on the vacant land behind the
Albion Inn, on Saturday evening last, at half-past
four o'clock. Shortly after the appearance of this
placard, the Magistrates and head constables became
aware of the nature of the meeting; and the latter
intimated their belief that it would be illegal, inasmuch
as it was to be held after sunset. The Magistrates
having heard a report of an intention to hold the
Chartist assembly by torch-light, the following notice
was issued on Friday evening :—" Notice.—We, the
undersigned Magistrates, acting for Oldham, having
called the attention of the constables to a placard
calling a public meeting to be held in the open
space behind the Albion Inn, on Saturday, the
17th instant, at half-past four o'clock, and the con-
stables thinking such meeting is both unseasonable
as to time and place, and likely to endanger the public
peace of the town, in which opinion we unanimously
concur, do hereby give notice that such meeting will
not be permitted to be held ; and we further caution
the inhabitants from attending on the ground, or join-
ing any strangers or others who may attempt to form
any such meeting. Thomas S. Mills, E. Hibbert,
A:Clegg., J. Mellor, John F. Lees." Up to within a
short time of the period fixed for holding the meeting,
the Chartists had not abandoned their intention, and a
great number of special constables assembled at the
Town Hail, on the call of the Magistrates, about three
o'clock on Saturday afternoon; and, shortly afterwards,
a company of the 15th Regiment of Foot, amounting
to 52 men, under the command of Captain Brunkett,
with about 30 of the First Dragoon Guards, entered
the town from Manchester, and drew up in order near
the Town Hall. About an hour before the time fixed
for the meeting, however, public announcements were
circulated, to the effect that as the authorities prohi-
bited an out-door gathering, the intended meeting
would be held in the Chartists' Room, Greaves-street,
at six o'clock the same evening. The meeting took
place at the time stated, when persons were elected
delegates to attend the Birmingham Conference. The
proceedings passed off in an orderly manner. The
cavalry left the town on Tuesday morning. All is
quiet, and there has been no riot whatever.

VOLCANIC ORIGIN OF THE SOUTH SEA ISLANDS.—
Nearly all the regions of the Pacific bear the most
unequivocal marks of having been the scene of vol-
canic action on a vast scale, and the prevailing features
of the large masses of land confirm the inference
which may still be drawn from the imperfect tradi-
tions of the people. Some of the isles present vol-
canoes in a state of activity ; others exhibit only the
form and altitude which denote a similar origin in
remote ages ; while a third class display undoubted
tokens of having been violently changed by the force
of subterranean fire, if not by the more sudden shock
of an earthquake. Tanna and Pico belong to the
first class ; Otaheite, Huaheine, and Bolabola, are
distinct specimens of the second; and Easter Island
may be adduced as an example of the third. In this
last all the rocks are black, burnt, and honeycombed ;
some have the appearance of slag; nay, even the soil,
which is but thinly spread over the calcined masses,
bears a close resemblance to dark yellow ochre. Mr.
Williams divides the islands of Plutonic origin into
two orders, the Mountainous and the Hilly. In the
former, the height of the land varies from 2,000 to
15,000 feet above the level of the sea, the towering
summits gradually rising from their base till they are
lost in the clouds. The sides of these magnificent
elevations are clothed with bright verdure of various
shades, blending together in a very striking manner
the elements of grandeur, wildness, sublimity, and
beauty. All the islands of this class exhibit indubi-
table marks of volcanic eruption. In many of them
the rocks are composed of a fine-grained basalt; in
others pumice is found, together with stones of varied
appearance, which have evidently undergone the action
of fire. It is clear, moreover, that all these islands
have at one time been under water; for at the top of
the highest peaks, coral, shells, and other marine sub-
stances, are seen in great abundance. The savage
and romantic appearance of the rocks, their broken,
abrupt, and irregular forms, also indicate that at
some remote era they have been subjected to disrup-
tion by the power of some mighty agent affecting
their interior.—Edinburgh Cabinet Library, No.
XXXIII. Polynesia.
A. day mail has now commenced running between
London and Cambridge. Letters for London, by
this mail, must be posted before 15 minutes past 11,
a.m., at which time the letter-box closes. The mail
arrives from London at 40 minutes past 3 p.m., and
the letters and papers are delivered at the office win-
dow, and by the letter-carriers, as. soon as sorted.
The general delivery has commenced at present, at 15
minutes past four in the afternoon.—Cambridge Ad-
vertiser.

We are enabled to state that the King of Prussia
ha consented to become the arbitrator between France
and. England upon the difficult and long.-contested
-subject of the Portendic claims.—vening paper.