Star.
London, England, 1831-10-05 00:00:00

TffE LORDS AND THE REFORM BILL.

MEETING OF THE BIRMINGHAM AND OTHER
POLITICAL UNIONS OF THE, MIDLAND
DISTRICTS.
On Monday, a public meeting of the inhabitants
4,f the town and neighbourhood took place on New
Hall-hill, for the purpose of demonstrating to the
House of Lords that the public enthusiasm in fa-
vourof the Reform Bill is not abated, and in order
to petition the right bon. House to give their anal
sanction in carrying that great measure into a law
without delay.

There never was, we may safely assert, any pre-
vious eccasion npon which such a deep and univer-
sal excitement pervaded the public mind of Bir-
mingham and its neighb.'urh 01. Notwithstand-
ing the numerous and highly respectable meeting
which took place for a similar purpose under the
auspices of the High Bailiff to late as Friday last,
the inhabitants looked up to the me- ling of Mon-
day as the one w hich would most effectively dove-
lope the sta.e of public feeling ; and in this they
were not mistaken. The day was ushered in like
a day of triumph, by the singing of the church
bells, and by ten o'clock the inhabitants were upon
a general move to the place of meeting. The spot
futed upon for the scene of this amazing spectacle
was New Hall-hill—a large vacant spot of ground
situated in the northern suburbs of the town, an
peculiarly well formed for such a purpose. It
cons isle of about twelve acres of rising land, in
the form of an amphitheatre. hi the valley a
number of waggons wee ranged in half-ciicle ;
the centre one being appropriated to the chairman
and the various speakers who addressed tha meet-
' ing. About half-past 11 o'clock, the Birmingham
Union, headed by Messrs. Attwood, Scholefield,
Monts, Jones, &c. and preceded by the band,
began to arrive on the ground ; but such were
their numbers, that a considerable time elapsed be-
fore all had taken their stations. At different
points of the procession, various splendid banners
were carried, on which were as varied devices and
mottos ; among the latter we noticed " William
the Fourth, the people's hope." " Earl Grey—
The just rights of our order secured, we will then
stand by his order." The device of a dove, with
an olive bough, and the rising sun, with the motto,
"-Attwood, Union, Liberty, and Peace." " Tax-
ation without Representation is tyranny." " Law-
leff and Skipwith, and the independent Represen-
tatives who voted for Reform." " Let it be im-
pressed upon your minds, let it be instilled into
your children, that the Liberty of the Press is the
palladium of all your Civil, Political, and Religious
rights." " Union, until England is regenerated.
Scotland renovated, and Ireland redressed." " The
best security for the throne of Kings is the Peo-
ple's love." It is utterly impossible adequately
to describe the appearance of this most magnifi-
cent aessiably when the Council had taken their
stations on the platform. Upon the lowent corn-
panties, net less than 80,000 persons were within
Me tamp of vision ; and in about half an hour
afterwards, when the Staffordshire Unions ar-
rived, the number present was calculated by some
at considerably above 100,000. On the ridge of
the hill which crowned the amphitheatre, the ban-
ners, in number about 20, were placed at equal
distances, and gave a beautiful finish to the per-
spective. Among other distinguished persons
present on the occasion, drawn to the spot by mo-
tives of curiosity, were Prince Hohenlohe (the
brother of the celebrated prophet of that name)
and Chamberlain to the King of Prussia. They
accompanied Mr. /Waved, to whom they had been
introduced by Mr. Rothschild, for the purpose of
witnessing the progress and perfection of Bir-
mingham manufactures ; they had likewise the
fortune of witnessing an unparalleled exhibition of
Birmingham public spirit
Mr. E.DMON us, after a few introductory obser-
vations, proposes) " That Thomas Attwood, Esq.
take the Chair," The proposal was received with
three times three.
The Chairman, THOMAS ATTWOOD, Esq. then
rose and presented himself to the immense assem-
blage amidst the most vehement cheering. He
commenced by thanking the meeting for the high
honour they had conferred upon him in appointing
him to take the Chair upon that great and glorious
occasion. It gave him great pleasure to witness
the countless thousands which there presented
themselves, developing the moral energies of a
great nation, and it gave him more pleasure to
know that they came at the call of the Birming-
ham Political Union—of that formidable and
patriotic body, whose influence was felt not only
throughout all the towns of that district, but
throughout every part of England (cheers); he
trusted he might say throughout every part of the
world where English hearts and English feelings
dwelt. He (Mr. A.) would now lurk how had

they acquired that strength ? By the peace, the
order, and the 'mkt legality of all their proceed-
ings. To use the wordsof the Political Council. it'
was by " courage, patriotismoind public spirit,tens-
pored by prudence, caution, and discretion; sub-
mission to-the law, mingled with determination to
correct the law." These were the qualities by
.which they bad gathered up their giant strength,
and these were the qualities by means i f which
they would use th ,t strength ter the recovery of
the iiphtr, hbertit.s, and happiness of the people.
(Cbeers,) When the Union was first formed,
they wet,. told by his friend+ that they would have
no power—that the oligarchy were too strong for
them and that all their efforts would be in vain.
[At this period of Mr. Astwond's speech, he was
interrop.ed by the arrival of an immense assem-
blage from some of the Staffordshire Political
Unions, with their bands, banners, &c ; the MIM-
I her which had then arrived on the grounJ was
coal uteJ at 20,000. They were received with
three times three tremendous cheers. After the
appl use and commotion arising from this acces-
sion of numbers hail subsided, Mr. Attwood pro-
ceeded. He resumed by congratulating his
hearers upon the truly English reception which
they had given their dieting friends hem the
neigbbouriug towns. He vas about to s4y,
when he was so agreeably interrupted by the arrival
of these Staffordshire friends, fast when he had
been informed t at the Uni•qi Mingd wined not
be able to cootrol the o igarehy, he had said, " we
will get two millions f strings, and we will place
each string in the bands of a strong and brave man,
sad .we will twist those ete logs into 'a thousand
large ropes, and we will twist those ropes iato one
immense cable, sad by maw of that cable se
will pot a book sa the moss of Leviathan, sod -
guide and gowns bias at CM pleasure—Obeesa
" Now," said hi,. A." bars we sot potabeuk in