Star.
London, England, 1819-09-18 00:00:00

persons, assembled for a lawful purpose, was not
more deserving of reprobation than that of the Ma-
gistrates, in throwing into solitary confinement indi-
viduals against whom no charge could be made out
(Renewed applause.) He was not one of the associates
of Mr. Hunt, but he was an enemy to unjust oppres-
sion, and should not be found wanting to raise his
voice, and bear his testimony against it, wherever it
took place, or on whomsoever it was practised (Ap-
plause, mired with, cries of " Gurney for ever ') That
acts of cruel oppression had been committed, he en-
tertained no doubt; but whilst he censured the pro-
ceedings of the local Authorities at Manchester, he
must still mere strongly condemn those Ministers of
the Crown who had thought proper to lend to these
proceedings the sanction of their approbation. It
was his sincere belief .that it was only by the united
and cordial co-operation of all classes, the lower as
well as higher, that the liberties of the country could
be secured. Unless the people steadily resisted op-
pression, every right and every privilege•wot:ld sink
under the weight of power, and yield to the influence
of those in whose hands it was now vested —(Conti.:
need cheers.) The Honourable Member, after a short,
pause, read a paper which had beer. handed to him,
and which contained? proposition for opening a sub-
cription, and was expressed as follows :
" 8. That a Subscription be entered into fur the above pur-
pose, and a Committee appointed to carry .he intentions of the
Meeting into effect."
He thought the object was one in which they would
generally concur, and begged leave to impress upon
them, that, under all the circumstances of the case,
the amount contributed would be of less importance
than the number of contributors. _

flatrrnivau., Esq. seconded this. He re•
marked that Mr. St. John had expressed a wish that
no man should be condemned till he had been tried
and heard in his defence. He (Mr. Southwell) wished
so too; and if this rule had been adopted, the Man-
chester massacre would not have taken place. If
the right of petitioning were taken away, or if pe•
utioaers were to be dispersed by an armed furce, we
might with truth be said to have no liberty. If the
proceedings at Manchester were just and proper, we
were under no Government—not even military law ;
but under the sway of a set of red-coated barbarians.
The Magistrates or their justifiers had pleaded that
the Riot Act had been read; but he contended that
they had no right to read it: there was no tumult or
riot till the Yeomanry made one. He hoped that
every man in the kingdom who venerated the laws,
would express that feeling, by endeavouring to ob-
tain justice, and afford relief to the Manchester suf-
ferers. They would see by the proceedings of this
day, that we at the eastern verge of the kingdom,
fell for their wrongs, and wished, as far aswe could,
to redress and alleviate them. If we owed this duty
to the People, we owed it also to the Prince. He
had been grossly imposed upon by his Ministers,
and he believed that he was quite ignorant of the
vote of thanks to which they had attached his name.
The question was then put on this Resolution, and
it was carried unanimously in the affirmative.
The MAYOR, in reply to a vote of thanks for his
conduct in the Chair, observed, that he had taken it
in the performance of what he conceived to be his
duty ; and the consciousness of performing it was a
satisfaction which could only be enhanced by the
.knowledge that the manner in which it was per-
formed, met with the approbation of his fellow ci-
tizens— (Hear, hear.)
Upon this the Meeting was formally dissolved, and
the crowd dispersed.--The most perfect order pre
Tailed throughout this promiscuous assembly.