Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1819-11-19
FOREIGN.
-ss.s..
STATE OF ENGL1ND.

Manchester, crowd upon us NOW 10 SUCH
degree that we find considerable
difficulty in giving insertion To them
yesterday we gave report ci the meet
| ings at Leeds, aud of the ward of War
rInsdon Without. in This city; and to-day
we give reports oi the meetings of The
borough of Southwark, Of Tie ward OF
BishOpssaie held yesterday, aud OF the
city OF York held ON Monday last. This
IS as II should be, and as we all along
were confident would he. We know our
conntrymeu too we'll To doubt for a mo-
| Dent either The nature of the feelings
| with which they viewed the Manrhes.er
| ouirages, or their courage 10 give expires
sions to these feelings. When The Courier
| tanuilngly told us. that about thirty
people only throughout all England,
Scotland and Ireland, would raise their
voice against these ouirages, we answered
hIm that this taunt would soon be thrown
back IN his teeth with dersion. indeed,
The simultaneous burst of indignation
from TIE press OF Tie country, on the first
| receipt OF lie aaiictIng ueus, could leave
niue doubt as To The state of the public
| feeling, and such a declaration after this
pretty uneguivocal Indication, was GER
talniy proof either OF very astonishing
| blindness, or very astonishing assurance
I Al York, or 5000 people para,ied the
streets, with banners and music, aud
marched In procession six abreast, or IN
the vocabulary of the Manchester anilo-
niles AND the treasury prints, IN military
array. And yet, notwithstanding all these
Formidable appearances, the lord mayor
oil York told the meeting thai he had not
placed II singlS constable in attendance,
nor sworn In single additional special
constable. This constitutional magistrate
said, lie had always seen The greatest
order prevalent i'll The city, and he did
not choose 10 libel the people by anlici
paiing iront them conduct different
from amy ting he had ever yet seen
lie has evidently been taught in different
school from that of The Rev. Mcssrs. Hay
and Eihelstod, aud the rest of the magis-
irates OF Manchester.
The speech Of the recorder Of Doncas-
Ter ought 10 be ailentively studied by
those who are longing with so much
eagerness 10 pnt down meetings by force,
aud think the business will then be over.
There is one passage IN it, which is more
particularly deserving OF nnticc, as the
evidence of a man OF abilities, who mnsi
be we'll acquainted with thai part of the
country, al least, 10 which all eyes have
been SO long turned, respecting the actual
the public mind, he said, on lle question
OF reform, was, perhaps. the most impor-
tant one that was ever connected with
me government Of this kingdom He
had long felt II to be so: he had long
taken every means IN his po.Ser 10 ascer
| tam no" Tie fact actually stood: the
resuii was hrm persuaSion, that this
prInclple was neither local nor temporary
thai no measures, illat no ministers,
could exiinguish ii--and, that a continu
alton OF Thai mode of opposing II which
the mlnisiersiad for some wears adopted
would deluge the naiion in blood. and
overlurn every existing estabshmenf.-
whole people were moi 10 be prosecuted.
insuiied, overawed a mali II could neither
be arrested, nor imprisoned, nor tried, nor
executed"
From the prevalence of high church
doctrines III The ruling party al Manchcs-
Ter, we are not astoDlslled at The prediIec-
non OF II; magistrates tor those laws
winch we're passed under the Stuaris.-
But we confess, Notwithstanding these
magistrates DO The surprise of the whole
country did year or two ago, arres,
several individuals on the ACT of Charles
II. (enacting that no person or persons
shall procure The getting of hands, or
DINER consent, OF any persons above The
number OF twenty or more, 10 any petit
tion, complaint, remonstrance, &c. for
ALTERATION OF matters established by law
unless the matter thereof nave been FIRST
consented unto by three or more Justices
OF That county, or by the major part of
The county or division of The county
where The same matter shall arise or If
arising in London, by The lord mayor,
aldermen and commons in common coun
cIl assembled and for doing " Lich HEY
oHghi 10 lave been called 10 severe
account, We were asiOniSled that e.
ven ihe Courier should have the lIardi.
hood TO adduce this statute as law in
force, authorizing the dispersion of The
meetings at Manchester, Smrhtield,
Leeds, &c. as Illegal. In tie first pIace
iiiIs most aboninab!e act, worthy of The
reign under which il passed, does not
apply TO meetings, but to the procuring of
subscriptions TO petitons-and in the
next place, il is well known TO have been
repealed by tie act o fsetllemem,. in which
1t Is expressly declared, that il is the
right OF the subjects 10 petition Tie king,
ana al commitments aud prosecutions
Tor such peiilionlng are illegal" Never
did 1t enier the head OF the most devoted
tool ct power, from the passing of the
act OF settlement down TO tie arrests
ordered by tie Manchester magistrates,
that the procuring of more than twenty
signatures TO petitions was illegal and
we are not exaggerating when we say that
nineteen out OF every twenty petitions
presented TO the legislature since the re
Voluilon, have not received the consent
pointed out by the act of Charles. Shame
on the writer of the present day who can
become the advocate Of such law
London Chronicle.
SWearing IA the Sheriff..