The Manchester Examiner. — 1848-03-28 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

MEAGDER, AND J. MITcuELL.—A public meeting will be held in the Chartist Room, Bank-street, George-street, Salford, on Monday evening, March 27th, IRS, to take into consideration the best means of assisting in the defence of the above-named patriot. EuLliehmee, Iriaia tuon,t3.otohmeui-witt -YOU stand quietly by and aZvv the government to drag those gentlemen to a dungeon for expressing their honest convictions. Show, by attending the above meeting, that you disapprove of the government attempting to stifle the free expression of opinion. Recollect "That he who allows oppression shares the crime." Chair to be taken at half-past seven o'clock. James Leach, printer, &c. 73, Rochdale Road, Manchester. The room, which would contain perhaps five hundred persons, was crowded. The meeting was composed wholly of working men. Mr. RICHARD ANDERSON was called to the chair, and said they were met for the purpose of expressing their opinion upon the conduct of the government in regard to Ireland, and for the purpose of assisting the Irish people in gaining their liberties. Let them recollect that on St. Patrick's day, the chartists of Manchester and the chartists of Salford pledged themselves that if the government of this country attempted to put down the expression of public opinion in Ireland, they, the chartists of England would resist them to the utmost of their power. (Hear.) They were met for the purpose of coining to some conclusion as to what should be done at the present time, but as he could not give expression to his sentiments as he should like, he should call upon  Mr. JOHN FLINN, who was received with applause. Ile said they were met to consider whether that fundamental right, inherent in every citizen, was or was not to be destroyed, namely the right of expressing the honest conviction of his mind. The government of this country appeared determined to put down that free expression of opinion, and the fundamental principles of the British constitution. During the late trials in Ireland, the present government were the first to condemn the government of the day for prosecuting certain parties for the expression of their opinions. But it did not surprise him that the parties now her governed this conntry, worst that ever held the in office should institute the present prosecution, for of all rthhee fbacatsieon who andblnooowdyrniuleend itthwataseN; reins of office of any country in the world. .The house of commons proved, on Friday night, by their 'decision as to the pulling down of the dwellings of the Irish, and the deaths of the tenants, which the speaker said had occurred in consequence, that there was one law for the rich and another for the poor. The government of the day screened those butchering, those murdering landlords, who had been the curse and the bane of Ireland, and would be so long as they existed in the country. So long as that was the case would Ireland be a misgoverned, misruled country. It behoved, then, the middle classes to aid in exterminating all that class who had proved themselves the greatest enemies of liberty in this country, as well as those who had proved themselves the enemies of the Irishmen at home. The whole continent of Europe were struggling and achieving some share of liberty, witness France, the Lombardo-Venetian State, Austria, Prussian Poland, and even states with not