Star.
London, England, 1819-08-28 00:00:00

" LIVERPOOL PUBLIC MEETING.

" The Mayor of ii;erp;ol having declined acceding to-the
Requisition presented to him on Saturday, for calling a Public
Meeting, it becomes necessary to assemble to take his answer
into consideration, and determine upon ulterior proceedings.
" Those Gentlemen who signed the Requisition, and any
others favourable to a Public Meeting, for the objects stated in
the Requisition, are hereby invited to meet this present Mon-
day, precisely at twelve o'clock at noon, at the Long Room of
the Castle In.o, Lord-street."
Our Reporter having been refused admission to
the Meeting, on the ground that it was not a public
one, we cannot present our Readers with a detailed
account of the proceedings. We learn, however,
from a friend, that about fifty or sixty persons assem-
bled, amongst whom were Messrs. 0. WOOD, WILLIS
Emma, Dr. CROMPTON, E. SMITH, RUSHTON, MAR-
&c. Colonel WILLIAMS was not pre-
sent, Mr. 0..W00D was called to the Chair, and
stated to the company, that he and Colonel WILLIAMS
bad called npon the Mayor with a Requisition re-
spectably signed ; in answer to which his Worship
replied, " I will not call a Meeting," laying stress
upon the words /will not. Upon which Colonel WIL-
LIAMS said, " Mr. Mayor, what you say, and the de-
cided tone of voice in which you speak, prevent me
saying any more than wishing you a good morning."
It remained, therefore, with the present assemblage
to consider the expediency of calling together the
advocates of Reform without the sanction of the
Constituted Authorities. A difference of opinion
having arisen on this point, a debate ensued, in the
course of which the measure was supported by
Messrs. E. SMITH, T. SsirrH, RUSHTON, &c. and op-
posed by Mr. WILLIS EARLE, Mr. MARTIN, and Dr.
CROMPTON, (the latter of whom took occasion to re-
mark on the unguarded warmth of one of the advo-,
cates for the Meeting) and was finally carried, and
fixed for Monday next, at twelve o'clock, in Clayton-
square. Some desultory conversation then ensued,
in which a subscription for the persons now in con-
finement at Manchester was talked of, but no Reso-
lutions entered into, and the Meeting quietly broke
up, having first resolved that Colonel WILLIAMS and
the Rev. Mr. SHEPHERD, should be requested to take
the Chair at the meeting on Monday—LivetpoolPaper.

The follo•Aing is a Copy of the Letter sent by Dr.
WATSON to the LORD MAYOR :

" MY Loan—Having taken the liberty of addressing a letter
to you previously to the Meeting held yesterday by the Re-
formers in Smithfield, requesting to be informed whether they
would be allowed peaceably to assemble ? and although I was not
favoured with an answer from your Lordship, I embrace the
earliest opportunity to request you will accept my thanks in
behalf of myself and numerous friends fur the protection you
afforded us, by the presence and excellent conduct of the Civil
Power on that occation, which has given another convincing and
practical proof, that the Reformers, however zealous they may
be in their exertions to obtain their rights, under the most irri-
tating and alarming circumstances (the slaughter of their friends),
'are still desirous to respect even the laws enacted by men ap-
pointed by the infamous Borough Faction, and has afforded an
unequivocal evidence that had the Manchester Magistrates
equally respected them and adopted the line of proceeding so
proiseworthily pursued by you yesterday, the same peaceable
results would have followed, and the pages of our history would
not have been stained in recording the foul and disastrous mas-
sacre, which issued from the rash and inhuman measures pur-
sued on that calamitous occasion; and I sincerely trust, that
your Lordship's condirct yesterday, as the Chief Magistrate of
the greatest City in the Universe, will be an example to all other
Magistrates of,the United lingdom during the important and
peaceable struggle the People are making to obtain their rights.
" I am, my Lord, your mule obediest servant,
e Three Kings-court. Fleet-street; Aug. 26. " J. WATSON."

COPY OF A LETTER TO THE RIGHT HON.
THE EARL OF DERBY,
LORD LIEUTENANT AND. CUSTOS RDTULORUM
OF TILE COUNTY. OF IpANCASTRR.

"MY LORD-4 address you as his Majesty's,Lieu-
tenant and the Custos of this County, not in the be-
half of any party of men or any set of political opi-
nions, but in the behalf of the Laws and Constitution
of my country. I was an eye-witness of occurrences
at Manchester, on Monday last, unparalleled in the
annals pf England ; occurrences which will arrest the
attention of the world, and which it is the duty of
every Englishman to bring to legal investigation.
" To you, my Lord, as a conservator of the public
peace, I appeal ior the protection of the rights of the
subject, by your personal and official interference, in
'bringing to justice all those who have violdted the
whether they be persons of high or low rank, in
' anthority, or in subjection. For, lam perfectly con-
vinced, that the result of this important, business will
decide at once the fact of—the liberty or slavery of '
the British- People,
" The Public Meeting appointed for Monday, the•
9th inst. when it was proposed to elect a Represen-
tative foradanchester, was early denounced by the
Magistrates, who gave notice that they would put it
down ; and to .he satisfaction of all parties the nc-
tice for its taking place was countermanded. A
Meetlug wee then convened for Monday last, merely
for the purpose of considering the most legal means
of obtaining a Reform of the House of Commons.--
To this Meeting, summoned in the usual way, no
legal objection appeared. It is true, that threats
and rumours of interference prevailed amongst heat-
ed partisans in Manchester ; but on Saturday last, it.
was fully understood upon 'Change, that the Magi.
strates had resolved not to disturb the Meeting, un-
less some breach of the peace occurred.
" It WaS then said, by men of all parties, ' well
then, the Meeting will go off quietly.' On that day,
and on Sunday, it was currently reported that letters
had been received from Lord Sidmouth and the Duke
of York, ordering the entire quiescence of the mili-
tary, unless popular violence should be manifested.
This report was never contradicted by any circum-
stance. On Monday morning a placard was issued
by the Boroughreeve and Constables, recommending
persons to remain in their houses during the day ; but
still 'nothing appeared to indicate the intention of re-
sorting to violent measures.

" The Meeting assembled in the most peaceable
manner ; the usual compliment to our Monarch was
performed by the bands playing God save Me King;
the People uncovered ; the Chairman of the day at
length arrived, and was beginning to address his
countrymen when the Volunteer Cavalry of the town,
many of whom hut a few days before had made most
violent declarations, pushed upon the People, eutting
right and left, taking forcible possession of the con-
ductors of the Meeting, and then proceeding, by
direct charges upon the multitude, to force them
from the ground. I saw numbers of men and women
cut down on every side of me ; and even a few who
stood against the farthest wall of the area, as spec-
tators, were sabred without distinction of sex or
circumstance.

The reasons on which the proceedings were adopted
have never been avowed, nor can they be imagined.
Was the Meeting convened illegal ? No oue pre-
tends it. Was it tumultuous ? All evidence denies
it. Did it design violence? It was so completely un-
armed, as not to withstand a few swordsmen, and
the experience of all former Meetings gives the lie
to the supposition. Did any one previously depose
that he knew of intended mischief? He must have
learnt it from some individual circumstances, and he
was a traitor if he did not apprehend the criminal.—
WAS the language used by the speakers seditious ? It
was to urge silence and good order—politics had not
even been introduced.

gg Was the carrying of the cap of liberty treason.
able, then, is the man a traitor who bears this popu-1
lar emblem before the King on his coronation; and
so was the coiner of the copper coin of the last cen-
tury. Were any of the banners seditious, they might
have been seized, or their carriers prosecuted, Was
the exhibition of caps of liberty and inscriptions a
matter of bad taste, which I think it was, because it
offended the prejudices of political opponents, surely
the people must net be cut down for bad taste. Was
the attendance• of women bad taste, still the sword is
!not the proper correction of it. Were warrants to be
.served on the speakers for some particular reason,
this could have been done during the procession,
lor even on the ground, without wounding scores of
unresisting people after the prisoners were secured.
Had the Riot Act been read, and the Civil Power
found insufficient to quell the riot? There was no
riot. Was it road, as stated, soon after twelve o'clock?
The hour would then have expired before the great
procession arrived; and the crowd, then present,
might have been dispersed with comparative ease.—
Was it read at all? Numbers of persons who stood
in every different part of the Meeting are ready to
swear they never heard any mention of it. And if it
was read, there baying been no riot, was the Meeting
to be dispersed ? And if it was to be dispersed, was the
killing and wounding of unresisting people necessary ?
gg The above, my Lord, are questions which ate
now running like electricity through all the frame of
society, and it will become your Lordship's high
character and office to bring to the test of the law,
the conduct of Ow movers of these memorable deeds,
in order that acquittal or punishment may take place
accordingly. The great question must be nuw deter-
mined, whether or not Englishmen may be cut down
for meeting to discuss their rights and opinions, and
whether we are in future to recognize our country as
as England or an Algiers ?—I have the honour to be,
asy Lord, your obedient servant,
(Sigoed)
Liverpool, August 111, 1b19."

" JOHN SMITH.