Star.
London, England, 1819-07-31 00:00:00

STATE OF TAU DISTURIMD DISTRICTS.

YORKSHIRE.
LETTER FROM EARL lIITZWILLIAM TO THE LORD-
LIEUTENASTT OF CHESHIRE.
" Wentworth, July 31.
44 MY LORD—I had the honour of your Lordship's
letter on the 16th instant, conveying the Resolutions
of the Magistrates of Cheshire, passed on the 13th
instant, in Geneial Quarter Session, for which com-
munications 1 beg your Lordship to accept my best
thanks. As a Meeting of the People was fixed for
Monday, the 10th instant, to be held on Hunslet
Moor, near Leeds, which I thought likely to furnish
the means of forming an opinion respecting the
portant consideration of the temper and disposition
of the population of that great town and extensive dis-
trict, fdeferred acknowledging your Lordship's till I
had received accounts of what passed on that occasißu.
The professed objects of this Meeting did pot asp.
from those of one already held at the same place Ve-
ceritly. They were, Parliamentary Reform, by means
of Universal Suffrage; Election by Ballot; and AO.;
naal Parliaments, grounded upon certain abstimci
principles of the Rights of Men; but to these west
added, on this occasion, another Resolution, (rather
inconsistent with the spirit of the former, whids'
would produce a complete new House of Commons,)l
to send a Representative to the present House, when-1
ever a proper one could be met with. NotwithstansiT
ing there appears no abatement from the large es.
tent of their claims, still, I am given to.understand,
there appealed in their manner a manifest humilia-
tion of spirit in the more humble tone and means
proposed for attaining their ends, since they even,
expressed an inclination to petition Parliament.—
But without entering into particularspf what passed,
it is a great satisfaction to me to inform your Lord-
ship, that the numbers who attended at this Meeting
did not exceed half of those who attended at the last;
and that of the numbers present, a much larger pro-
portion of women made up this meeting than at the
last. At the close of the business, the Meeting was
DISSOLVED, and the people disper-ed, without tumult
or insult to any one, in a manner the most peaceable
and orderly. On the whole, I think I may confi-
dently assure your Lordship, that though there are
to be found in this Riding a certain number of very
seditious, designing, and dangerous characters, who
are endeavouring to instil into the minds of the unin-
formed, doctrines subversive of every thing valuable
in our ConstitutioaalEstablishment, these men are few
in numbers, without character or influence: the mass of
the population is by no means disaffected, but, on the
contrary, contented with the present mode of thi4gs.
If they attend such Meetings it arises, in a great de-
gree, from want of occupation ; they have the mis-
fortune to be unemployed ; however willing to work,
under the present stagnation of trade they can find
Done, and are thus reduced to the cruel distress which
every man whose daily support depends upon his
daily earnings, must be in when employment fails.
This is their hard lot at present, which to their credit,
from every thing I hear, they bear, in hopes of bet-
ter times, with patience and resignation. I have run
into length, but I thought your Lordship might be
anxious to know the general disposition of a great
population, so contiguous to parts of Cheshire.
" I have the honour to be, &c.
(Signed) " WENTWORTH FITZWILLIAM."
" P. S. I find I have omitted to say, that the ora-
tors on Monday were mostly the same as on the for-
mer occasion—indeed they are a sort of itinerant
orators, who have attended all the different Meetings."