The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-03-05 00:00:00

BOLTON PUBLIC MEETING.

On Friday the 23d instant, about seventy friends
to the cause of liberty and justice, met at the house
of Oliver Nicholson, Bolton-It-moors, to welcome the
return from prison of Robert Pilkington, Richard
Kay, John Dogherty, and J. Shaw; the three first
having been confined two years in Lancaster Castle
for endeavouring to obtain an advance in wages, and
the last one year in the same place fur selling Sher-
win's Letter to the Soldiers. A most excellent dinner
was provided on the occasion, a spirit of inde-
pendence, of philanthropy, benevolence, and hu-
manity towards those who are still suffering within
the cold and comfortless walls of a p rison, fot.the.,
people,' caote, strongly manifested itself—each latallois4
deal appearing anxious to he the first to suggest mine
plan of relief to soften the rigour of these unmerited
sat-rings; and it was unanimously agreed upon,
that a Permanent Fund should be established in
Bolton for that purpose, which, taking into view
the liberal spirit the public have lately evinced to
Mr. Hunt, &c. is likely to prove a very efficient one.
Messrs. Pilkinton, Kay, Doglierty, and Shaw, se-
parately addressed the meeting : expressing in warm
terms, the gratificstio., they felt at such a welcome'
reception, from such a respectable bode as the Re-
formers of Bolton. Mr. Hayes also, in returning
them thanks for the honor they had done him by drink-
ing his health, made some very diverting and satirical
remarks upon a recent prosecution on foot against
him, and concluded by expressing a wish that
instead of making subscribptions for those wise are
suffering for the cause of liberty, the people would
crowd in bodies round the prison doors, and cry, "we
are guilty, we ere guilty of the same charges with
those whom you have in custody, and is the name of
the low, we demand admittance, nay, we will be
punished for our misdeeds, and that too every one
of us."

Some other individuals made appropriate and neat
speeches, and the meeting concluded at a late hour,
after several resolutions had been passed in favour of,
and for the furthering subscriptions towards the relief
of the different sufferers in the cause of Reform.
The day was spent in the utmost harmony and
hilarity--many animating songs were sung, and the
company parted at a late hour, in the utmost good
order and decorum.

A letter from Brighton, dated March 1, says, " Dr.
Crighton, the Physician in Ordinary to the Emperor
of Russia, now Sir Alexander Crighton, had the ho-
nour of Knighthood conferred us bum by his Majesty at
the Parillion this mains."

At the late Levee. his Orate the Duke of Bedford
presented the Address to his Majesty from the Free.
holders and Burgesses of Petersfield, expressive of
their loyalty and attachment to his Majesty's Person,
and representing the extreme degree of pressure under
which they are labouring in consequence of the ex-
isting agricultural distress, and the present state of
the representation of their Borough.
A considerable number of persons are preparing to
take their departure from the Weald of Sussex, par-
ticularly from the neighbourhood of Wisborougb
Breen, Pnlborough, and Petworth, fur the Caked
States. Their object appears to be to form an *qui-
'
table Association of Capital and Labour is the State
olOhie, upon a plan, of which a pamphlet has been
published.
'Pim Reformers in the town and neighbourhood of
Bolton have lately transmitted to Mr. Hunt the sum
of £3O, as a tangible" proof of their sympathy
with his sufferings is theca's* of radical reform. and
have assured him of their undiminished indignation
atthe lawless accurrenees of the 16th of August 1619.
This is as it should be; for in every thing emseeted
with the outrages at Manchester, Mr. Haat has m-
yeloid himself with the greatest propriety and ability ;
dad we are glad to find that those outrages a►e nut.
IlkOly to be forgotten until jastice be obtained.

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