Baltimore commercial journal, and Lyford's price-current. [volume] (Baltimore, Md) 1840-1849, 1848-05-13
200
HISTORY OF THE CHARTIsTs.

sentaton, and it he who made the first move IN
favor of what is now called "THE PEoPLE's CHAR
TER" 1t was in HI that he made this movement,
and the small party that supported it, then as now
denounced as wild and visionary, were called radi-
GALS Though the immediate objects sought BY the
radicals were not in terms, such are so precisely
stated in the charter yet they were so in substance
Major Cartwright had but few followers, and the
radicals OF his day and his party soon afterwards
assumed a name.
We find the subsequent history of this party in a
speech made by Mr.. T. Duncombc, the member OF
parliament who presented the great national petition
of lS42q 1t gives concise summary of its fortunes
up to 1885
'In III, when Major Cartwright was the leader
of the radical party, the people almost rcpuGiatcd
them. The party retained this name until l79S,
when the wings took it up, and 1t was then called
reform From that time till the passing OF the re-
form bill the party continued TO be called retormers.
The reform bill passed, and the radicals trans
formed into chartistS; but if enquiry were made
into the points which they Stood and the prlncl-
plies which they advocated, it would be found that
these chartsts were, in point OF fact neither more
nor less than the radicals of former days. In lI7l
Major Cartwright made the first move in favor of
what is now called the charter. In 1850 the West
minister reform committee held large meeting In
this metropolis in favor Of radical reform he com
mittee appointed was called the w cstmnster Reform
Association. What were the resolutions to which
they came? What were they but those which arc
now called the six points of the charter such as an
nual paraments, universal suffrage and vote by bal
lot? After this a society formed for what was
called constitutional information, OF which the Duke
of Richmond was president, and which numbered
amongst its members Lord Ehingham, Lord KIN
naird, and other noblemen, besides ii members oil
that house and loo highly respectable individuals.
This association reported and circulated amongst
themselves the six points OF the charter. In 1888
great enthusiasm existed in favor of radical reform
What happened them A coalition then, unhappy
for the cause Of reform, took place between Lord
North and Mr.. Fox. From that moment all conf
dence in public men was lost, and all active proceed
ngs in favor of parliamentary reform were suspend
cd for some time. In 1892 the question was again
taken up, and what called the Corresponding
Society was established with Mr.. Grey (now Lord
Grey) at its head. The state found the existence oil
such society attended with much Inconvenience,
and an endeavor was accordingly made to suppress
it. In 1893, the society sent two delegates TO Scot
land, who were arrested by order OF the govern
ment, tried, and transported for IA years.
The government then, finding themselves so sue
cessfu in Scotland with the radical reformers, i'm
mediately instituted prosecutions against the mem
bers of the corresponding society here. Eleven OF
these arrested; four were tried; but fortunately
the London jury was not found so plant as their
Scottish brethren The prisoners acquitted
and the remainder of the prosecution dropped This
gave additional zeal to the In 1898 it grew
so formidable TO bad and corrupt government, and
still more corrupt boroug hmongering house OF com
mons that the government found it necessary to sup
press it by suspendng the habeas corpus act. MIR.
Grey, in his place, said although he not prepar
ed TO go the length of those individuals who asked
for radical reform, still, rather than have no REFORM
he would vote for universal suffrage. Nineteen years
Of quiet succeeded this; after which the same feel
ing again sprung into existence, and great cry was
raised for parliamentary reform. What happened in
1917? The habeas corpus act was again suspended
Was it necessary for him to remind the house of the
events which took place in lsl9!-of the Manches
ter massacre when almost the whole country was in
a state of rebellion In 1929 the right hon. baronet
now at the head of her majestys government conce-
ded the great measure Of Catholic emancipation,
boon obtained at the expense of the 4O. freehoders
That was the next step reform, because it altered
the constitution of that house 1t needless that
he should remind the house Of the state of the coun
try from 1929 to $780, when the tory government OF
that day compelled TO abandon the helm OF
government; when the sovereign in consequence oil
the declaration of the duke Of Wellington against all
reform, was unable to partake Of the hospitality OF
the city Of London through the unpopularty OF his
ministers. Need he remind them Of the disastrous
riots in Kent? The government was changed and
the wings came into office Their first step was TO
introduce in the following year the reform BILL"
This reform bill, much at variance with the pri-
vleges claimed by the chartist party that it produced
great discomfort, which embodied tselfin
trated action, and in 1888 the PEOPLES CHARTER
was framed. This is nothing nor less than fun
damenta law, equivalent to our constitutions, which
the chartists urge for adoption A great meeting Of
the working classes from all parts ofthe kingdom
held August 6, 1888, at Birmingham, and bill en-
bod yng their measures was subsequently formed by
six members of the "Working Mems Association, -
and six members of parliament. From this period
they have been called "chartsts"
The position of this party in 1912, when the three
million petition presented, is thus given by Mr..
Duncombe in his speech:-
at was his duty, and painful one, TO inform the
right hon. baronet opposite (Sir r. Pee what he be-
lieved the real state of the public mind TO be-
garded reform, well the dstrcsses of the
try at the present time. He did not believe that the
house was yet put into full possession OF the exact
extent of this distress, and the strong feeling Of poll
teal bondage which the industrious classes Of this
country labor under. The house not aware that
the petit which he had the honor of presenting
the house last evening had been one which was in
the accepation Of the term stated 10 have
been in course of signature for the last four five
months. The people had formed throug hout the
try what were called national associations which
were for the purpose OF endcavorng TO obtain those
rights in favor Of the working classes which they
sdcred the old constitution of the country gave them
every right TO expect, and which rights they declar
ed this house had no authority deprive them of.
There were about 600 of those institutions scattered
throughout England and Scotland. Nearly 100000
adult persons among the industrious portions of the
community laid aside penny each week out Of
their wages for the purpose of carrying system
of agitation in favor of the franchise About $4,000
or co. 900 of these had taken what called cards.
and by those cards they pledged that as long
they should receive Is. week wages, they should
set apart this penny week for the purpose
and that they were to desst doing until their
voices heard within these walls through their
representatives"
The petition Of three millions treated with con-
tempt in parliament and out of it-by wings as well
tories-in debates and by the press. The argu-
ment Of Sir Robert Peel was conclusive and final
He spoke as follows
To tn Il e,Nr