The Sun.
London, England, 1845-09-09 00:00:00

MEETING OF MR. MIALL'S FRIENDS.

Mr. Miall met the electors last night at the Duke of
Wartemburg Tavern, Hatfield-street, Stamford•street.

The room was very full ; at least 300 persans must have
been present.
Dr. Ncwth was called to the chair.
Mr. MIALL said, he wished it well understood for
what it was that his supporters were about to give their
votes on Thursday morning. He came forward especially
on the question of the ecclesiastical policy just introduced
by Sir Hebert Peel ; arid this had brought up the sub-
ject of Sir W. Molesworth's opinions on the nature of
religious liberty. That gentleman had confessed himself
an admirer of Hobbes, whose system was this,—that all
men are in a state of natural war one with another ; that
it is absolutely necessary, in order to the peace of so-
ciety, and the due government of human beings, that
there should be a central, unlimited, arbitrary power ;
that the despot should have power, not simply over the
persons and the property, but over the conscience
and the opinions of all his subjects ; and that it
is rebellion against law to profess any other princi-
ples* of religion ;than those prescribed by the
legal authority. A Maddox, too, had come
forward with an address, expressing really terms of
rapture on writings which in that same address
he confessed he had -not read through.—(Hear, hear.)
The best service that Sir William Molesworth's sup-
porters could do to the cause of civil and religious
liberty would be to sit down at Hobbes's works early on
Thursday morning, aad keep reading on till four o'clock
in the afternoon.—(Loud cheers.) He (Mr. Miall)
' should be mortified to see this election regarded as a
fight between Christianity and infidelity—a controversy
to be decided not by votes, but by arguments ; nor
would he introduce the topic, but for the absolute con-
nexion between religious opinion and the political sub-
jects that now came before them for settlement. A
definite reply must be made to the Government and to
both political parties, who had menaced the country
with further interference with religious liberty. It was
necessary to know whether Sir William Molesworth's
religious opinions were such as to allow of the payment
of all religionists, degrading the general mind of the
people by making the ministers of instruction, who
ought to be the first to lead them forward, the tools for
effecting the purposes of the aristocracy.—(Cheers.)
The Whig press was very wroth with him (Mr. Miall)
for forcing his " crotchet" of voluntaryism on the public;
but, deeply interested as he was in the cause of free
trade, he felt that the question of the day was, whether
this policy of encroachment on our religious liberties
was to be fastened upon us or nipped in the bud ? The
impending danger to the country came from an eccle-
siastical quarter ; and if, in our ardour for the repeal of
the corn-laws, a proper stand was not taken against it,
the people would deserve to be treated not merely as
fools, but as slaves.—(Cheers.) He had come forward,
further, as the opponent of the new poor-law, and of
that system of centralization which, whatever its merits
in a merely mechanical and executive point of view, was
perfectly incompatible with the free movements of those
institutions, whether municipal or parochial, which we
regard as safeguards of freedom.—(Cheers.) On these
points he differed from Sir William Molesworth ; and,
testi* on the question of the suffrage. Under the
existing system, both parties were " feathering their
nests." An immense sum had been squandered by
the Ecclesiastical Commission—not in sustaining
and helping the poorer churches, or devising fresh
means to convey truth to the people, but in building
noble palaces for those who ought to be " clothed with
humility."—(Cries of " Shame!") The people, if intrusted
with the franchise, would in time see where their
interest lay—in the maintenance of order, the protection
of property, the sustentation of law, the dispensation of
'justice. As a believer in the great maxim, "Do unto
others as you would they should do to you," and as an
advocate for confiding in human nature, recognising in
every man a friend and a brother, and raising his self-
respect by raising his position and station in society, he
(Mr. Miall) was for universal suffrage.—(Great cheer-
ing.) Mr. Miall proceeded to urge his friends to be
early at the poll, assuring them of his confidence of
being, with their aid, successful. He then sat down
amidst general applause.
The usual resolution in his favour was moved by Mr.
S. ALLEN, a member of the Society of Friends, seconded
by Mr. TAYLOR, supported by the Rev. Mr. FOSTER,
and carried unanimously, after which the meeting
broke up.

ACCIDENT ON TIIE BRIGHTON RAllMAT.—Yester-
day (Monday) morning, as the seven o'clock mixed train
from Brighton was approaching the Clayton tunnel slowly, in
consequence of the slippery state of the rails from the fog, a
pilot engine, proceeding to its usual station at Horley, came up
with the train, and struck the last carriage, a third-class, which
was unhooked from the train. The passengers in that carriage
suffered a severe shock, and many of them jumped out; in
so doing, Mr. Neale, of Fleet-street, printer, was cut in the
foot, and others sustained some bruises, amongst whom was a
lady residing at Clapham. No injury accrued to the engine or
carriage. The train was immediately stopped, and the carriage
re-attached, and all the passengers, excepting a lady and gen-
tleman, who, we believe from alarm and not from injury, re-
turned to Brighton, were brought forward to their respective
destinations in safety. [The above account of the accident is
given in an evening paper, but at the London terminus'the
matter was treated very lightly. It was said that the rumour
of an accident had originated from the circumstance of two
passengers having become alarmed by a slight " shake," and
had left the train at the Hassock station, and returned to
Brighton.]
SERIOUS ACCIDENT FROM FIRE-ARMS.—Yesterday
morning, between eight and nine o'clock, a serious accident
occurred to Miss Amelia Philips, residing at North Bank,
Lisson-grove. Mr. S. Philips, jun., was about leaving town
on a shooting excursion, when in a joke he presented his fowl-
ing-piece at his sister, and imagining the piece to be only on
half-cock, he touched the trigger, when the gun went off. The
shot carried away a portion of Miss Philip's ear, and lodged in
her neck and face, destroying the sight of the right eye. Me-
dical assistane was procured, and Miss Philips, though severely
injured and in great danger, is expected to recover, though dis-
figured f„r life.

REVIVAL OF PECKIIAM FAlR.—Yesterday Peck-
ham Fair, which for some years has remained in abeyance, in
consequence of its having been suppressed by magisterial inter-
ference, was revived with more than its wonted glory. The
spot selected for holding the fair is on the north bank of tLe
Surrey Canal, at Peckham New Town, the fair itself being of
great extent. There are a great number of shows, and no
fewer than three booths devoted to horsemanship. Among
the attractions for this day (Tuesday), a rowing match is to
take place upon the canal between two clowns belonging to
rival shows.

SUPPRESSION OF A PRIZE FIGNT.—At Woolwich
Police-court yesterday, Sergeant Glasscock brought up two
prisoners, charged with having been concerned in a prize fight
that had taken place that afternoon in the Erith marshes. The
prisoners gave the name of John Hick and John Clark, and
described themselves as iron-plate workers. The face of Hick,
one of the principals, was covered with bruises, the left eye
being blackened and fearfully swollen. Sergeant Glasscock
deposed that last night he received information that a prize
tight was to take place in the marshes. He accordingly went
early in the morning with four constables. About ten minutes
past one he !au. a mob of about two hundred persons coming
towards the Leather Bottle, in the parish of Erith. Before he
got up to them two rounds had been fought. Directly he went
up the mnb ran away in various directions. The other princi-
pal got away, but he succeeded in apprehending Hick, who had
neither shirt nor trousers on. Tht prisoner at first told him
they were fighting for ten sovereigns, but afterwards he said it
was only for two sovereigns. Clark got into a boat, and tried
to aid Hick in escaping. The defendants were ordered to find
good bail to keep the peace, and were remanded till this day.

SERIOUS ACCIDENT TO SIR ,JOHN MORDAUNT.--
We most sincerely regret to state that on Tuesday afternoon
last, abut four o'clock, a very distressing accident occurred
to Sir John Mordaunt, Bart., one of the Members for the
southern division of this county, at his seat, at Walton,
near Wellesbourne. He was shooting partridges, on his
beautiful estate, accompanied by his relative, A. Mills,
Esq. While thus engaged they came to a hedge, through
a gap in which Sir John passed while Mr. Mills was
walking behind him. The latter was in the act of unlock-
ing his gun, when by some means he accidentally touched the
trigger, and the whole of the charge entered the calves of both
the legs of Sir John, lodging upwards of 100 shots in the left
leg, and upwards of 40 in the right leg. He immediately
fell to the ground, and was taken up by one of the game-
keepers, who was in attendance, and instantly con-
veyed home. We are assured that the medical gentle-
men do not expect he will be able to walk for many
w«eks; up to yesterday afternoon, they had not been enabled to
extract any of the shot from the wounds—yet we are informed
that the sufferer bears all with an excellent spirit of patience,
and even cheerfulness. The sad occurrence has created the
utmost anxiety in the neighbourhood, among all classes, as Sir
John is universally esteemed for his excellence of heart and
great kindness of disposition on all occasions.—Warwick
Advertiser.

DEATH BY DRINKING.-011 Saturday Mr. Baker
held an inquest at the Three Cranes, Fashion-street, Spital•
fi. Ids, relative to the death of John Connell, aged forty, a
labourer. The room in which the body was viewed by the
jury exhibited an appearance of the most abject destitution,
there being to bed, and scarcely any furniture. John
Waller said that he knew the deceased, who about twelve
months ago enjoyed a good slate of health. He had since
been left ars annuity, by which he obtained about 16s. a
week. Upon the receipt of that money he and his wife led
a life of constant inebriation, the whole of the money being
spent in drink. In witness's opinion his death was brought on
from not taking the necessaries of life. He was offered to be ad•.
mitted into the workhouse, but he refused to go there. Witness
advised him to have medical assistance, but this he also ob-
jected to ; and he died on Friday evening. The Coroner
asked if the wife was present?—Mr. Hart, the summoning
officer, said she was then in a state of intoxication, and un-
able to attend. Verdict, " Natural death."

At the Court of Assize of the Haut-Rhin, on the
29th, ult , a man named Freyburger, of the commune of Buet-
w tiler, was tried for the murder of M. Wagner, the Cure of
that place. M. Wagner was returning from mass on the 10th
of June last, when he was fired at and sturek by a ball in the
head, and ten days after he expired. Freyburger was sus-
spected, for he was known to have uttered menaces against the
Cure, who some time before had refused to read the burial ser-
vice over the wife of Freyburger, who had hanged herself, and
had also on the following Sunday preached a sermon against sui-
cide. The man was arrested, and confessed that he had fired
at M. Wagner from his window, but he pretended that he had
done so because the Cure and some black man had been plotting
against him. He gave other symptoms of insanity, but they
were supposed to be simulated, and this was the Opinion of the
jury, for he was found guilty, hut with extenuating circum-
stances. He was sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment with hard
labour.— French Paper.
THE WEATHER AND CROPS.—With the exception
of a slight shower of a couple of hours' duration yesterday, and
a change of wind from the west to the east, the weather for
the last eight days has been as fine as the heart of man could
desire. The sun has shone brightly forth from a sky of the
purest azure, and the atmosphere although almost fiercely
hot, has been dry and breezy, and of the most favourite cha-
racter for harvest operations. In the earlier districts great
progress has been made, and the few stacks in the barn yard
give assurance that no time has been or will be lost. In the
secondary districts harvest has barely commenced, but with a
continuance of fine weather, all hands will he at work by the
beginning of next week at the latest. In the hills, and
amongst the latest growing districts, there will be no general
harvest before the first of October. Wheat and barley are
both well spoken of as to bulk, although it is feared that
nv,lch of the former, particularly the spring sown, will be de-
ficient both in weight and quality. Oats, it is generally
feared, will be less productive than on the avirage, and the
same apprehensions are entertained as to beans and peas, which
have shot out to an unusual length of straw. A few days,
however, will give us some insight both as to the quality and
produceo onf
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