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THE NORTHEKtf STAR SATURDAY. JULY 11, 1840.
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TO READERS AND CORRESPONDENTS
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LORD NORMANBY AND MR. O'CONNOR.
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LEEDS AND WEST-RIDING NEWS *
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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EXTRAORDINARY PATRIMONIAL AD YEN-. TURES OF A PRETENDED LORD . On Monday last , at the Dmi » ni Sessions , Robert Taylor , one of the aaost impudent impostors that -we ever remember to h&Ts md of , « u Wed for poiyj ^ att j- The offender is a mere youth , between nineteen and twenty years of age , but his numerous matrimonial adventures and derices to obtain money mark him as a person of singular cunning and dexterity . His plan seems to hare been , in all tases , to practice first on the cupidity of his own sex , by representing hinuelf to be of aristocratic birth , and heir to extensiTe possessions , to dazzle and win over the -rictim and her friends . To aid his , views , he represented himself as a son of Lord Kenedy , of TTmRsTm ^ fn ^ S ^^ Sff ^^^ '
A * hby Hall , Leicestershire . He was furnished with numerous documents , framed to corroborate his misrepresentations . These , which he carried in a tin case , -were found on his person when he was apprehended . Amongst them was a parchment , on which was " written , in a fine clerkly hand , what purported to be "The last will and testament of Lord Kenedy , " 4 c By this document , Taylor appeared to be the heir to £ 1 , 015 , 000 Three Per C * nt- Consols , besides immense ? ealth in coal mines , salt factories , woollen factories , quarries , machinery , nooses , plate , jewellery , and even hips . "John Nicholson , Thomas Johnson , a&d Mrs . Robinson , " appeared to haTe been constituted " guar-4 JSBS of the said Robert Taylor . " The documents bore date 22 nd September , 1 S 20 , and txhibited the
signature * , first of the supposed testator ' , " Kenedy , " a&d then of the attesting witnesses , " Samuel Robinson , clerk to James Lee , and John Turner , " and *• William Cowley , barrister . " He had also an indenture , certifying the correctness of the will , and describing his person by certain marks on his right arm , Ac He had sundry other papers ' , ingeniously enough contrived , for the purpose of ' aiding his deception , but , as he is a youth of coarse and Tulgar Banners , the success which attended his impostures can only be accounted for by the blind avaaiee of his dupes . Up to the present time , six of his marriages , in several puts of the North of England , have come te the * knowledge of the police , and there is reason to believe that tte number is much larger . It is supposed that he xBsmed one or two young women in Lancashire . Lite many wao care pursued a rawer of base and
unprincipled deception , this scoundrel affected great sanctity , and eonaNted himself , at different times , with both the Wesleyan and PrimitiTe Methodists . Indeed , one of his principal dupes was a Mr . Fryer , a preacher in tfee last named connexion , who , Taylor haying promised s reward of £ 10 to any one who would procure him a yesng and religious wife , offered him the choice of Ids two sisters-in-law . Taylor chose the younger , a girl boat eighteen years of age , and was married to her . hif preacher not only failed to obtain the expected reward , hot was swindled oat of £ 12 , which he lent to &e roguish adventurer : This , however , proved the last ol Ms exploits , for , having made several fruitless attempt * to run away from this wife as he had done tea the others , he was at length compelled to take her " with him , and on his way tiirough the county of Durfeam he was apprehended .
The badget of papers found in the prisoner's possesakm contained a multitude of curiosities besides those above allnded to , which our space will not allow us to particularize . It appeared from one of them , an indentoe of apprenticeship , ( he seems to have treasured all written documents most carefully , ) that he hsd , at the age of thirteen , been apprenticed to a sweep and collier in Staffordshire , till be should be twenty-one years old . Tba indenture described him as a " poor child from Fat-Uflkl , in the county Durham . "
When the prisoner "was placed at the bar , the Court lras excessively crowded , and all eyes -were fixed upon the young Lothario who had so readily succeeded in procuring half-a-dozen wives . Instead of a handsome , aeductive gallant , there stood before the Court a shabbylooking individual , with a face not mtrely ordinary , lot repulsive . He was evidently much amused at the sensation which his appearance produced , and joined 3 n the smiles of the bystanders . He was perfectly unabashed , and conducted himself throughout the trial with the utmost ease and unconcern .
The Jirst case taken was thai of the prisoner ' s intermarriage with Mary Ann Davidson , the sister-in-law of air . Fryer , the Primitive Methodist Preacher . John Wood , a waggoner , of Birmingmam , was called to prove the first marriage of which the authorities have any knowltdge . It appears that this witness met the prisoner in Birmingham , in 1 S 3 S . The prisoner told Wood he was heir to £ 60 , 000 a year , under the will of his father , Lord Kenedy . In proof of this assertion , he produced papers . He said be had a great "wish to be marrii-d to * young lady—( laughter )—and
if Wood would introduce him to such a one , he would make him a handsome present . Wood introduced 1 dm to Miss Sarah Ann Skidmore , and to her father , who was a shopkeeper . The documents were shown to the young lady and her parents , tBe license and 'WBddding-ring wjs procured that very day , and the eoopie were married the next morning . ( Loud laughter . ) Shortly after , the prisoner returned to London to settle his affairs . ( Laughter . ) He subsequently zeturnsd and lived "with his ¦ vrife , but he had not been married mare than six oi seven weeks , when be deserted htr sJtogether .
As the prisoner was undefended , the Court asked him if he had any questions to put to the -witness . Prisoner—I'll ax him one or two . ( Laughter . ) 1 axed you if you knew a decent girl aswanted ahusband , and you said you did ; you knew as how one Sarah Ann Skidmore wished to be married-, and I told you I'd advertised and offered a reward of £ . 10 . ( Laughter . ) You to-jk me to Benjamin Skidmore . Xow , are you rare as how he » w the dokyments ? ( Laughter . ) Witness—Yes , quite sure ; you showed him a document stating that . you would have £ 60 , 000 a year when wben you came of age . Prisoner ' s mother ( from the middle of the Court ; Robert , ten them thou ' s under age , and thy marriage cant stand good . iLaughter . i
The prisoner gare a lordly wave of the hand , accompanitd by a significant gesture , intimating to his maternal parent to leave the management of the ease to his superior skilL Then , turning to the witness , he said , " Are yon sure thai you yourself saw the will . ' " Witness—Yes . Prisoner—No , it was not the will ; it was only the eertieket of my guardians , to Ehow who I was , and what property was coming to me . ( Laughter . ) Here Mr . Grainger , tae Counsel for Uie prosecution , drew furth the tin case , which was a pitman ' s candle box . bearing the inscription , " Robert Taylor , otherwise Lord Kenedy . " From this case the Learned
Counsel arew the " dockyments . " The " will" was rieh alike in its bequests and its odours . It was a foul and filthy aSair to look upon and to approach ; but while it offended , it also amused . Disregarding the usual long an . l dry prefaces in which lawyers are accustomed to indulge , it rushed at once into the marrow of the subject . Mr . Granger tickled the ears of the Court with a line or two Thus -. — " I give and bequeath to Bobert Taylor , son of Elizabeth Taylor , single woman , £ 1 , 015 . 000 Three-per Cent CodboIs , and no more . " ( Great laughter . ; The -will proceeded to bestow upon Mm four coal-pits , a -woollen-factory , -fwo or three ¦ trips , and sundry other trifles , as before mentioned .
Mary Davidson , a neat , modest-looking girl r detailed the circumstances vrbich led to her marriage with the prisoner . The latter , she taid , was introduced to her at the house of her father , on the 4 th of April last , by Benjamin Fryer , her brother-in-law , who was a preacher among the Primitive Methodists . The latter said he bad known the prisoner some time , and he recommended him as a pious young man , whom he had irooght to the house on purpose to marry her . The prisoner said he -sras the son of Lerd Kenedy , and the moment he arrived in London with a wife he would hare £ 7 C 0 , and £ 20 a-year till he was of age , when he
-would have £ so , ouo per annom . He shewed her everal documents , one of vrbich -was a certificate that be was Lord Kenedys son , and would have £ 60 , 000 a-year when he came of age . He had previously seen her unmarried sister , whom he rejected in favour of her . They were married , by license" , the very next morning . They lived together three weeks , during which time the prisoner had made several attempts to get away , and many times , in the night , he had tried to alide the ring off the finger . While they were together , h « lived upon money which he borrowed from her brother-in-law , to whom he owed £ 22 .
The prisoner , being again directed to ask the witness aay questions be pitased , taid , placing his hands upon the bar , and leaning forward in a counsellor-like attitude , Now , Mary , are you certain that 1 had £ 22 from jour brother-in-law v Witness— Yob . had £ 12 in money , and you were to pay him a reward of £ 10 . Priacner- ^ You say I had £ K 2 in money , Mary . Now , there was £ l 0 s . to be paid for the ring , 5 s . for fees , £ Z 10 s . for the licence , and £ 8 I had in-, money , which makes £ 12 5 s » Bo 70 a wee , Mary , you are wrong . You -were also wrong when you said I told you I was to have £ 18 per annum per ytar . ( Laughter . ) Witness—You raid £ 20 . Prisoner—So , Mary , I said ^ £ 150 per year per aosmn . ( Laughter . ) And I wish to ax yon if I didn't smy , ' Will yon have me , money or no money ?" -tLaaghter . ) Witness—No , yon did not
Prisoner—Ye * , Mary , I axed you , would you hare ne , money or no money , and you consented either way . The witness , in reply to the Court , stated that the little mosey she had of her own she expended in coaeh hke whilst she was with the prisoner . The prisoner spoke at considerable length in his defeooe , giving a rambling account of his various migrations from the north to " Brummagem , " from " Brum magem" to the north , 4 c , with some amusing particulars of his marriages and courtships , whereby fee wished to make it appear that all the young ladies lie came near wanted to have him , and th * t be had been in evtry instance inveigled into / wedloci for the ¦ ake of his possessions . His main defence was , that he was under age , and that all his marriages were illegal ; and hia conclusion aeemed to be that , having contracted one illegal marriage , he thought himself perfectly justified in . contracting a hundred .
The prisoner ' s mother having expressed a wish to give evidence , and the prisoner having consented , she took ker place in the witness box , and deposed that » e waa now wife of Michael Kickaby . The prisoner was aot bom in wedlock , ehe had him in a love affair :
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but she would not say who his father was ; sb « had not come there for that The Jury found the prisoner guilty . The prisoner was nex » Inxueted for having , in October last , married Ann Wilson , daughter of George Wilson , a tobacconist , of Newcastle . The Jury returned a verdict of Guilty . Mr . Ganger said the police-officer who took the prisoner had received several letters , stating him to have contracted other marriages than these which had been the subject of inquiry this day . not ^ m « 7 w , ? . Ot ^{ " * father " ; * *
The Court having spent some time in deliberation , the Chairman said—Yon have , for some time , been going about the country in a most unprincipled way , marrying weak and unsuspecting girls , and bringing misery upon them and their friends . We have seriously considered whether it is not imperative upon us to visit you with the severest penalty that the law allows . We have determined , however , to Btop shert of this : but you must be punished with great severity for your wicked conduct For the first offence of v » hich you have been convicted , you are sentenced to be imprisoned one year to hard labour ; and , for the second , to be imprisoned eighteen months to hard labour , making , altogether , two years and a half . The prisoner was then removed in custody .
The Northektf Star Saturday. July 11, 1840.
THE NORTHEKtf STAR SATURDAY . JULY 11 , 1840 .
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FE A R G US O 'C O NN O R AND HIS PERSECUTORS .
Our readers -will be astonished to find on our sixth , seventh , and eighth pages so large a badget from the hand of Feargbs O'Connob . We need not request that they will read it all again and again , for -we know they v » ill do bo withont onr bidding . We had prepared a slight repast of savoury materials for the especial entertainment of the Most Noble the Marquis of NobmaFbt , Mr , Daki £ l O'Connell , and their joint jack-pudding Mr . Fox Maule : but
we reserve it until after wo shall hare been able , in oar next number , to give the remaining dishes to be served up ( out of his lookiDg-giass )* i ) y Fkargls O'Consob himself . We cannot now withdraw the attention of our readere from hit statements—they will read and ponder all of them ; and they will wait anxiously the revelations yet to come . The awful sink of Whiggery will now get such « sfirriag as shall Euffocat * the nasty beings in their own filth . v
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CHURCH EXTENSION . The Clique , who every session weary the House and the country with their Sabbath Bills , their Tithe Bills , their Bishop Bills , have resumed their avocation , and , with increased impudence , have dared to propose a grant of a large Bum of money for the building of a greater number of churches 1 They appear in the true form of your sanctified hypocrite , making an ostentatious display of piety , and desiring to raise , and externally adorn the temple of worship without caring for the internal state . Did the religion of these men urge them to propose relief to the
poor and suffering ? Did it impel their energies in favour of the oppressed and unfortunate—the enslaved and the groaning ! Did it even make them offer to increase ( or rather to create—for there are rarely any at all , ) a number of free seats , so that the poverty-stricken may at least pray , without b . win £ the pride and pomp of distinction and lank Hung into his teeth i Oh , no ; far from this . They wish to raise more churches than those which at present exist , so thai their younger brothers and their younger sons may be provided with snug births , receive much for doing
nothing , or sometimes worse than nothing , and even have a chance for a bishopric , which is conferred by interest , and interest alone . Church extension ! a grant of money for this purpose ! Gracious Heavens ! is it not a vile insult to the suffering and destitute people at large , —thus to endeavour to weigh them to the very earth by additional and grievous burdens . They are to paychurches are to be raised—younger sons to be are benefitted , and a hoard of drones and locusts ( with certainly a few exceptions ) to let forth upon our unhappy country . Has not the church already
immense revenues , and have we not all , for a length of time , contributed to its vast wealth 1 Let the church itself , then , raise the buildings for its own support and benefit , withont extortion from its poorer members , whe cannot pay , or from those who differ from its tenets . The poor Dissenters' chapel may fall into decay for want of that support of its members , which they are not able to give , on account of being forced to erect the costly fabrics of a sect which they will not join and caanot esteem . Have we not enough Of them and their concomitants \ Why , they riBe in every direction , here , there , and everywhere . Their
steeples staud forth prominently in all quarterstheir parsons crowd the land , and deal out damnation to all who choose to make use of their own reason , and the congregations—where are they ? Th « churches that we have , numerous as they may be , are generally not more than half filled ! The cold and desolate aisles , the deserted pews , the empty benches , speak very plainly that there is more room than company , that the church should rather increase her exertions to have men to preach to , than to wish for more specimens of their preaching to bare walls , and echoing ( merely because they are empty ) spaces .
In truth , there is a party of the present day numbering among its members Sir Aadbew Ag . hew , Sir Robert I > glis , and the like , who are brick and mortar Christians . They measure conscience by the rood , and good works—oh , no ! we beg their pardon —faith , by the acre ; they say a man is good and piou 3 , according to the number of churches he has built , and the amount of money he has taken from his poorer brethren . Tlie motion , however , for a wonder ! was negatived by a majority of nineteen , and for the present we are relieved from this precious burden .
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CHARTISM UNMASKED . ( fourth jlrticle . ) The reverend H unmasker" Laving ransacked heaven , earth , and hell , and held , as would ap p ear , sundry conferences with the devil and his infernal ministers , in his search after the materials ont of which to construct" a scourge that shall lash the heretics , " who are called Chartists , we think it but fair that he should experience its potency , and , therefore , return to our strictures . Addressing the poor , the reverend " unmasker
says" What would you gain by Universal Suffrage ? I am certain you would gain nothing but universal confusion , universal setting of workmen against each other ;—and would this natural offspring , th s inscrutable finite of Universal Suffrage be a benefit to any individual in the world ? No , no . All workmen would then become politicians—they would neglect their vocations hi life—spend their time , t&eir strength , tb * jr went * , in what would Ittcfhase their
poverty—workmen Chen would have " eternal" and " universal" election squabbles to anarchy , placed in opposition to each other ; and , as a matter of course , impoverish and devour one another once a-year . You have relations working in the different works all over the hills , one son here , and one s « n there ; and yon know that the ikon masters do not agree in their opinions about politics , and you alto know that every workman must go with hit own matter , vrtllinff or unwilling , consequently , at every election . " ¦• '
We thank the Rev . E . Jexkins , most cordially , for this piece of portrait painting ; especially those features which we hare printed in italics . Let our readers ponder them well ; recollecting that they are some of the " secrets of the prison house" brought to light by a firm adherent to , and supporter of , the wicked and unchristian arrangements of society now subsisting . How bitterly does the Rev . scribe appear to hate even the semblance of liberty in connection with the working man ! He dreads lest the man who labours should be first partaker of the fruits . He knows that with Universal Suffrage , the domination of faction must come to an end ; that
while the rights of all would be secured and protected , the important fact would never be forgotten , that all had rights which it was the dnty of the Government to bold racred and inviolable , and an invasion of which would instantly be followed by a
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jnst retribution ; and he lets out the evidence of his fear , in the exclamation , " all workmen would then become politicians . " So they would , and bo the ; ought to be . Are not the resources of the workman's labour and industry { political enough to be taxed for the support of the state 1 Is not the person of the workman political enough to serve in the militia ox the navy ? and is he not political enough to be considered the beast of burthen to the more favoured classes of society ? If all this be true , and we opine nobody will be audacious enough to deny it , then we say the working man oughtto ' be a J retribution ; lets evidence his
politician , and it is only because he is not so that the cormorants of society have so long been fattened and bloated by the fruitB of hia industry . But the nig ht ia passin g away , " the schoolmaster" has gone forth , and , spite of all the efforts to prop up a falling cause , the working bees shall yet obtain a fair portion of that honey which they alone produce by their industry , but which at present is enjoyed almost exclusively by the lazy drones of the hire . We wish all ' working men to become politicians , fpT ) while they remain in ignorance of their political rights and dutief , they will always be the slaves of their unprincipled oppressors .
But , says the Rev . E . Jsnkins , " Every workman must go with his employer—willing or unwilling—at an election" Come ; this is indeed rich 1 this is worth something ! We have in this short sentence three subjects , as the parson would say , worthy of our most serious attention . We will first look at the clerical piety of the writer . Be it remembered that the Rev . E . Jenkins is an admirer ^ of the existing state of things ; he has preached and afterwards printed the sentiments under review , for the express purpose of leading the poortob © contented vrith their
lot ; he wishes them to yield to the iron grasp of the rich oppressor without amurmur , and blasphemously tells them that their privations and sufferings are the result of the sovereign decree of God . NoJw , mark his own picture of the system , he would have them to consider as the immediate contrivanceof Heaven . He tells them that they know that the masters do not agree in politics * and that . ^ « w ^ rT workman must go with his own maj * rtf ; 4 fflling o « unwilling ! " We dare not trust ourselves to « ay all we feel in reading this atrocious insult to the
industrious classes ; this still more abominable libel upon our holy religion . Hell itseif would fail to furnish us with a shade sufficiently dark to depict in hia proper and diabolical blackness this surpliced hypocrite . Here we have the demonised wretch coolly trampling upon human responsibility , proclaiming that the elective franchise in the hands of a workman is only a tool to be employed as the master directs for the increase of hia own influence , and declaring that slavery ia to be , and is , the order of the day , so far as the labouring classes are concwned This is a pretty doctrine to be preached by a paid
instructor of the people—by one who tella hia flock that they are to give an account of"tnedeeda < donein the body , " and that those who neglect their duties here Bhall find nothing but misery and wrath hereafter . And yet this same priest teaches the people to be content with a system under which he knows they will be led into the darkest paths of intemperance , falsehood , hypocrisy , and perjury . He knows this ; and yet he advocates a continuance of this state of things , and denounces all who seek to effect an alteration as the enemies at God , and the allies and copartners of the Devil ! Truly , the piety of this parson is of a surpassing order !
But let us next look at the picture here drawn of the degraded Btate of the working classes . u You know , " says he , " that the ironmasters do not agree in their opinions about politics , and you also know that every workman must go with his own master willing or unwilling . " We ask our readers to pause , and read over again these words ; they are fraught with solemn and important meaning . Again
and again have we been denounced as the enemies of social order—as the advocates of anarchy and confusion , because we told the people that under the present accursed system , labour waa oaly the slave of cap ital—that the working classes were , in fact , only considered as beasts of burden , to be used for the profit , and abused at the pleasure , of the shopocrata and moneymongers .
Here , however , ia a picture of the actual state of things put forth , not by a "detested" Radical , or a "bloodthirsty" Chartist , buV by a paid Minister of the Established Church—a man of education an <^ character—a guide of the people—and an adto / jate . of the present order of things . And this man tells us , in words too plain to need comment , or to be mistaken , that the working classes of this country have no claim to the exercise of their own judgment , in reference to the political affairs of the nation , of which they , nevertheless , form so great and important a part . We had deemed the relation of master and servant to be somewhat of a different character from
this ; we had foolishly supposed that , in principle , at least , the agreement went no further than the due performance of the terms of the contract , and that when the servant did the stipulated work , and the master paid the stipulated wages , there was an end of the dependence of the one upon the other ; but it seems we were mistaken . According to our Rev , enlightener—we beg his pardon , " unmasker "when a man engages a servant , or workman , the party so engaged is bound and expected to lay down his mind and conscience at the feet of his employer ; he must have no will of hia own ; every workman must go with his own master ,
xcillinff or ¦ untBUltng . We are compelled , however reluctantly , to admit the correctness of this portion of the picture . We know THAT IT IS SO , and so it will be , and we had almost Baid , bo it ought to be , until the producers of wealth have moral courage enough to say to their base and Mammon-worshiping oppressors—THAT THUS IT SHALL NO LONGER BE .
We are perfectly sensible that . the old game will be played to the end of the chapter , if the people will tamely submit to it ; and we are as fully assured that the only way of meeting the existing evils by making the Charter the law of the land , * nd thus securing to all classes their politioal and social rights , and at the same time , demanding from each a due and faithful discharge of his political and
social duties . We notice , lastly , the fact , so boldly and impudently put forth , that the masters are the most inexorable and unbending tyrants in existence * " Every man must go with his own master , Killing or unwilling . " Will this satisfy you , working men 1 Are you contented to continue under the political domination of wretches who will thus tyrannise over you I—who will thus trample on your rights of conscience , and , unblushing , compel you to support their views of politics , however they Jfray differ fron ? your own 1
We tell you now , as we have often told you before , that you will always be thus degraded , until , rising in the true dignity of your nature , and resolving that the wealth producers shall no longer be the bond slaves of the idle drones—the worthless consumersof society , and telling them that while you are ready to respect their rights , you are determined that your own shall , in like Banner , be protected and respected : you compel them to be just , and secure for your * selves that controul over your own affairs which can never be obtained with a restricted franchise and open voting .
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THE DELEGATE MEETING AT MANCHESTER . We call the attention of every labouring community in the whole kingdom to the advice of O'Conhor in his " Dungeon Mirror , " inserted in our seventh page , in reference to the great delegate meeting at Manchester , on the 20 th of this month . Let there be an assembly of good men and true from every part of the empire . We have not room this week for the article we promised on the subjects of consideration for the delegates . It will be time enough iayear next .
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RELEASE OF MR . ROBERTS . Wb have the most heartfelt pleasure in communicating to our readers , especially those in the Southern Districts , to whom he is better known , that Mr , Roberts , the patriotic Chartist solicitor , who has been suffering , in Fisherton gaol , horrors of a description even worse than those inflicted by the " base , bloody , and brutal" miscreants on Mr . O'Connor , has been discharged , and is , consequently ) now at liberty . RELEASE OF MR . ROBERTS .
The reason assigned by Nobmanbt for his discharge is , that his state of health is such as to render it necessary . In plain terms , Nobmanbt has no particular reasons for wishing absolutely to murder Aim—and , therefore , having indulged his merciful disposition , in subjecting him to tortures which have most probably destroyed all the enjoyment of his life by ruining bis health for ever , he permits him to go at large , and vegetate in misery , until it shall please the patriot Government again to need a viotim .
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EQUALITY OF ALL MEN BEFORE THE LAW . Tina great principle of all honest legislation is finely illustrated by the Calendar of York prisoners , which we publish elsewhere . On reference to that document , under the head " Prisoners under sentence of confinement in York Castle , " it will be seen that in the Castle of York there is now confined one man who waa convicted , a year since last assize , of a felonious assault upon a little girl under ten years of age- ^ his term of punishment being eighteen months ; ' and another
man , who was convioted at the last a 8 aiZ 68 of an assault with intent to commit murder , whose term of punishment is one year ; while Feargus O'Connor , convicted at the same assizes of being the proprietor of the Northern Star newspaper , is sentenced to a term of punishment equal in duration to that of the intended rayisher , and just half as long again as that of the intended murderer ; and while , at the same timo , Martin , Crabtreb , Hoky , A # hton , Roberts * and , a host of others , convicted-of being Chartists , are doomed to the infliction , of horrors still greater and more protracted than any of them .
We know it may be pleaded in mitigation that Roberts has been released . Wo deny that this is any mitigation . The atrocity of treating him as a criminal of worae character than those whose contemplated crimes were rape and murder was not only fully contemplated by the myrmidons of Government , but perpetrated on him to the full extent to which their coward fears would let them go . They only slackened their grasp from his throat when they saw that their fingers were already reddening with his blood .
Now , to leave out of question all the horrors of the Wakefield and Fiaherton Bastiles—the Penitentiary and the Oakham torture-boxes , in which the " reforming , " " patriot , " " march of intellectual improvement" Government have , through the medium of their infernal tools , tried their experiments on the philosophy of human endurance , upon so large a scale , we ask the people only to compare the relative punishment © f Fsabgus O'Connor and his two fellow-prisoners , to form their own conclusions of the system under which atrocities like these exist , and of the possibility of anything-like justice for the people being eyer had , until it is torn up root and branch . ' :,
It is an universally-admitted principle , that all crime derives its heinousneas or veniality of character from the intent and purpose of the perpetrator ; that it is this , in fact , which constitutes crime ; hence the destruction of human life , which , under some circumstances , would be justly punished as the highest crime of which a manor woman could be guilty , would , under other circumstances , be held not merely innocent but laudable . It is also an universally-acknowledged princi ple that the atrooity of crime derives its character , in a very high deicree , from the actual circumstances attendant on its
perpetration : hence the wise distinctions of the law between murder , manslaughter , and homicide by misadventure . Now , apply these principles to these respective cases . The man who commits a deliberate offence against the person of another , must do so with the full knowledge of its actual and moral impropriety : he must , therefore , intend to outrage the principles of social order and commit a > , crime , himself knowing and beUoring it t * be a crjme ; and-enrely to no description of personal offences do these terms apply more fully and completely than to such as have been proved against the
fellow-prisoners of O'Connor , to whom we now allude ; while he whose offences are querley political must be acknowledged to be acting , however bad his judgement , from the puro motive and intention , not to injure , but to benefit sooiety . This is precisely O Connor s case . In establishing the Northern Star he avowed the best , purest , and highest motives —his whole life proving that avowal to be just—the alleged offence , of inserting in that paper a seditious libel , was committed not by him—personally , nor by hia orders , but the Editor , in his absence and without his knowledge—the affidavit of that same Editor
and of every other person in the office cognisant of such things—proving that the continual orders and instructions of Mr . O'Connor were to be most careful in avoiding libel , either personal or seditious . And yet in the teeth of this evidence , Mr . O'Connor is sentenced to be equalsied in fare and treatment with thie men who are described in the Calendar as having been convicted of the odious personal offences referred to , and to endure that fare and treatment for an equal length of time with one of them—and for a period half as long again as that to which the other is subjected .
And this is English justice !—this is equality before the law ! such justice and such equality as ever will be practised while the few are permitted to make the laws an engine for the working of their infernal machine wherewith to oppress the many ; will always be practised until , by Universal Suffrage , the people shall have acquired their right of guiding and controlling both the enaction and the administration of those laws whose object ia to prevent injustice and to punish crime , but whose operation , under class dominion , is invariably to enforce injustice and to foster crime .
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The following are the medical certificates and the correspondence referred to in Mr . O'Connor ' s letter to the Times , inserted in our sixth and seventh pagea : — Sir , —I have received your letter , and submitted U to the Marquis of Normanby . Under the circumstances , his Lordship feels disposed to suspend the order for your removal till Monday , and instructions , have ; been fe iwn ^ a ttotsffect to the Marshal of the Queen ' s Bench Vt imtaT ~
Lord Normanby expects that before Monday , should you still feel unfit for the journey , you will furnish him with an authenticated medical certificate to that effect , otherwise ^ he will not feel justified in continuing this Bupenaion of your removal to York Castle . I am , Sir , Youn most obedient , F . Maulb . House of Commons , May 16 , 1840 .
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" Whitehall , 16 th May , 1840 . " Bib , —I am directed by the Marquess of Normanby to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of this day ' s dato , enclosing one from Mr . Feargus O'Connor ; and to acquaint you that hia Lordship ia not able to comply with Mr . O'Connor's application . " am , Sir , " Tour moat obedient humble servant , «• s . M . Phillipps . " George Bvans . Esq ., M . P ., 22 , Eaton-square .
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IN THE QUEEN'S BENCH . THE QUEEN » . FEARGUS O'CONNOR . Affidavit of Dr . Thomson , of WeUteck-street , and F . R . Jago , of Hammersmith , surgeon , sworn 14 th of May , 1840 , States , —That he , Francis Robert Jago , for himself saith , that on or about the 25 th day of April last , he was called In to attend the said Feargus O'Connor , who was then labouring under a severe affection of the chest .
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caused by exposure to cold , and a general derangement of the stomach and the digestive organ * , for which deponent found it necessary , and did cup , bleed , and blister him ; and he also thought it advisable , from the serious nature of the attack , to call in the assistance of the said Anthony Todd Thomson , M . D ., on or about the 29 th day of April last And both deponents say— That the said Feargus O'Connor has been under their care from the said 29 th day of April last , down to yesterday , the 14 th day of May instant , during which time , and particularly the earlier part thereof , the said Feargus O'Connor has been labouring under a severe and painful affection of the chest , Caused in a great degree by a deranged state of the stomach and digestive organs affecting the nervous system . caused by exposure to cold , and a general derange-
That though the said Feargus O'Connor is now better , yet , from the nature of the said attack , and taking into consideration his usual active habits , and the absolute necessity of free air and exercise , for the preservation of his health , ( he having always suffered , from confinement and sedentary occupation , ) deponents have no hesitation in saying that the confinement aid discipline , such as is usually administered in prisons , and especially the cold and comfortless character oi the cells in York Castle , which . deponents are informed are constructed of stone , would be extremely likely to produce such a Btate of disease in the said defendant , as would tend greatly to destroy altogether his general health , and probably to lay the foundation of permanent disease , which might ultimately prove fatal
That they visited the said Feargus O'Connor , and examined and made minute inquiries into his state of health , on Wednesday last , the 13 th instant , and that their opinion of the effects of dose confinement upon the said defendant herein before mentioned , is founded as to the said F . R . Jago , upon his having attended the said defendant as his medical adviser , for about five years last past ; and as to both deponents upon such examination as hereinbefore mentioned , and upon their late attendance upon him as aforesaid ; and that they consider it altogether indispensable for the preservation of the health of the said defendant , that he ahould not be subject to close confinement , or be prevented the opportunity of taking daily exercise ia the open air .
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" Affidavit of Feargus O'Connor , sworn lith May , 184 . 0 . Saith , —That some years ago he received a serious injury in his chest , from an accident occasioned by a horse leaping over a wall under a tunnel , whereby this deponent ' s back was pressed against the pummel of the saddle , and in consequence of which accident , this deponent has since been subject to affections-of the chest , wben , by bad weather , ,, or other circumstances , he has beenjprechided from taking constant and active exercise . , "T hat about the month of February , 1832 , he ruptured a blood Tessel in the chest , and upon the following morning he ruptured another blood vessel , the effects of which he seriously felt for the space of five or six months , and which terminated by this deponent being obliged to place himself under the care and direction of Dector Teale , of Leeds .
" That every physician , who has ever attended * him , has invariably given as his opinion ,, that close confinement , or being deprived of that active exercise to which this deponent , through the whole of life , has been accustomed , would materially injure his health , and ultimately tend to shorten the life of this deponent "That he has recently suffered a severe illness , from which he has not by any means recovered , and he feels perfectly convinced that the usual discipline imposed in gaols , as to the prevention of exercise , would not only injure his health , but tend to shorten the life of this deponent " That the sole and only object of this affidavit is to procure for him such exercise as the relations of the Queen ' s JBench Prison confer upon prisoners .
"That he has been informed , and verily believes that there is now , and frequently has been , many persons convicted of an offence similar to that for which he is now confined , committed to the custody of the Marshal of the Marshalsea , the object of the law being , as this deponent believes , to hold the body of the offender in safe custody , and not unnecessarily to injure or prejudice his health .
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" Whitehall , 16 th May , 1840 . " Sir , —I am directed by the Marquess of Normanby to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of this day ' s date , with its enclosed certificate and declaration ; and to acquaint you that his Lordship must decline giving any directions in the matter therein referred to . "I am , Sir , "Your most obedient humble servant , " S . M . PUILLIPPS . " Feargus O'Connor , Esq . Queen ' s Bench Prison .
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The long space occupied by Mr . O'Connor ' s lookingglass documents has driven out much correspondence . We have an immense mass of letters on hand , which we have not now room even to notice . We shall select from them next week , as our space and judgment may dictate ^ for insertion , and give answers for the rest . Mr . Lane , Manchester . — We wrote to Mr . Maberly as requested , enclosing Mr . Lane ' s letter , and have received the following answer ; at the same time we must state that Mr . Lane has been remiss in not sending his own addr ess , together urith the address of the person at Bandbn to whom the papers were directed : — " General Post Office , 4 th July , 1840 .
"Sir , —I have made enquiry on the aubjectof your letter of the 23 rd ultimo , but I regret I have not discovered where the irregularity in the transmission of the newspapers alluded to occurred , and as the address of the party to whom it is addressed is not stated , I can take no further steps in the matter . "I beg to enclose a caution relative to the transmission of newspapers by the post " I am , Sir , " Your obedient humble servant , John Campbell , for Secretary . " Mr . Ardill . Leeds . "
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Collected by J . Webster ..... and—Savory ... ... 12 6—1 0 ^ ! From Barrawford £ l "" 0 0 " " Gfrmdleton ... 12 5 " Burnley ... ... 7 7—2 0 0 Per treasurer of Burnley district , from afew Masons in the employ of D . Ligon and Co ., Railway Contractors , Glasgow ... ... 0 5 3 John Leach . —The £ 1 Us . Id . will'beacknowled ged as soon as received . , FOR P . M'DOUALL . £ a . d . Collected at Alva , after a sermon by Abraham Duncan ... ... 0 10 0 Jhe working men of Aha ... 0 10 0 To be divided by P . M . M'DouaH amongst those Chartists confined in Chester Castle . £ s . a \ Plymouth Working Men ' s Association ... ... ... 0 10 0 Devonport class ... ... 0 3 0 . Mr . Tutton ... ... ... 0 16 Mr . Key ... ... ... 0 0 € From A uchtermuehly , per H . Patterson ... ... ... 0 5 0 From Leghill , Staffordshire , per Collected by J . Webster ..... - . ,
C . Cross ... ... ... 0 10 0 From the Radicals of Chester-lestreet , in the county of Durham 0 12 0 From the tceavens-at Rillier ' s Brae 0 15 8 From the boiler makers at Messrs . Simpson ' s , Aberdeen ... .... 0 11 6 FROM THE WEST LONDON DEMOCRATIC ASSOCIATION . £ s . d . Mr . O'Brien ... 0 5 * Mr- Benboto ... ... ... 0 5 0 Mr . Wright ... ... ... 0 , 2 6
Mr . Duke ... ... ... 0 2 6 Mr . Higgins ... ... ... 0 2 6 Mr . Johnson ... ... ... 0 2 6 10 0 __ ¦ . 'f . - I , . V . i . A For Frost , Jones andI Williams , 2 s . Gd . each ... ... J 6 Mrs . Vincent ... ... ... 2 6 Mrs . O'Brien .... . ... ... 2 6 Mr . Binns .. » ... ... 2 6 To try the Cattle Question general Victim Fund ... ' ... ... £ p &
Total £ 1 0 0-MRS . FROST AND OTHERS . s . d . From a working man . Park-lane ... 2 6 FOR MR . M'DOUALL . s . d . From a working man , ParMane 2 6-From three friends to the cause of freedom , at Ashby-de-Ia-Zouch 1 0 FOR WIVES AND FAMILIES . £ s . d . Monthly subscriptions from the subscribers to the Northern Star at Yeovil , per H . Ham ... 0 1 4 From a young copper-plate printer , London ... ... ... 0 2 6 From the joiners at Mr . Carswelfs , Glasgow , „ . „ ... 1 1 0 From a working man , Park-lane 0 5 0 From \ Bromley , by afriend to justice 0 1 3 A Republican Chartist , London ... 0 16 0 Threefriends to the cause of freedom at Axhby-de-la-Zouch ... 0 2 0 P . Atkinson , Hull ... ... 0 0 & RECEIVED BT A . HETWOOD . £ . * . d . Collected at Lord ' s , silk dyers , Manchester , by , Rich . Travis , to be- > divided betwixt M ^ Douall , Benbow , and Lively ... ... 0 7 6 A f riend at Rochdale , for JBronterre O'Brien ... ... 0 2 0 " Mr . Morton , Is ., Mr . Wilkinson , id ., afew Republicans , 2 s . 8 rf ., a judge of sensibility , \ s ., for Mr . M'Douall , 0 S 6 Female Radical Association , Rochdale , M'Douall 0 2 6 RationalChartist Association , Mid ' dleton , for the wives and families of all the Chartists imprisoned 0 10 0
£ 1 7 0 Wm . Martin . —When the agent paysuphisarrear they imttpe sent , bv , ~ t % : TtoE Wandswobth subscribers to the Star ran have their plates of Collins on application , throughtheir newsmen , to 1 , Shoe-lane , Fleet-street . J . S . —In Ireland , but cannot say tehat part . C . German , Oxford . —Mr . HetheringUm is not supplied from this office , consequently , we cannot tell the reason of his not having the plates . J . A . Fussill . —The fault was with Mr . Guest , C . H . M ., Newport . —They were sent . H . Spenceb , Skipton . —pastier will be next . J . S :, Manchester . —The charge was correct , but prepayment was optional . J . Shields , Stockton . —Received . H . Powell , Worcester . —Get a transfer from Baker to Ansell .
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U 5 EDS . Leeds Radical Universal Suffrage Association . —At the annual weekly meeting of this flourishing Association , held on Monday evening lasV in their new Meeting Room , situated near the Fish Market , Shambles , although the room is capable of holding double the number of the old one , it wafr completely crammed ; and bo great was the influx of new members , that the Secretary was occupied for nearl two hours in enrolling them and receiving contributions . The meeting , in consequence , wajadjourned to Wednesday night , for the transaction of the business of the Society , on which night the
members again made a very strong muster . Laudable plans for supporting the wives and families of the incarcerated Chartists were agreed upon , which will be published in next week ' s Star , for the consideration of the delegates who are to assemble ia Manchester on the 20 th of the present month . The following resolution was unanimously passed r — That a vote of thanks is due , and hereby given , to the gentleman who signs himself a Radical Reformer in the bills and placards which are w extensively circulated in the town , shewing up so
ably the treachery of the unprincipled nondescripts who have , of late , inundated the town with placards , calling upon the inhabitants of Leeds to assist them in forming an association to carry out the principles of the Household Suffrage scheme . , After other business , of minor importance , a votr . t orv £ hanks was given to the chairman , and tho meetmjtt'dfepersed at a late hour , highly gratifies . With the flourishing state of the society , for it bat < Bertainly made gigantic strides within the last twt inonths , and we may truly Bay that the Leeds Association never was in such a flourishing state as it a at present . ^
Independent Orde % qh thk Ark . —On Monday evening , the members of this order , to the number of sixty , celebrated their ' anniversary by dining together at the house of Mr . Porter , the Railway Hotel , bottom of Kirkcate . From the high character of the house , under its present spirited occup ant , it is superfluous to say that the dinner was ¦ first-rate excellence . Mr . S . Spencer presided , •>• Mr . Archer filled the . vice-chair , and the even&f was spent in harmony and good fellowship- *} usual loyal and Bentimentaltoastabeiog drank » g responded to in the wannest and most enthusitfw
manner . j ; Assaults . —On Tuesday , John Addiman , Is ** Chadwick , Martha Senior , and Ann Hall , trer t charged before the magistrates , at the Court Hw »» j the former with Saving committed an assault , tn * intent to rob Matilda Kay , a girl of the town , » 1 * with having assaulted policeman Pease ; ChadwM * with having drawn a knife at the police , and . » attempt at rescue , and the two females with b » tD * done all they could to obstruct the police . Gr ^ violence was used by the two male prisoners , *** the police were in great danger . Addiman 1 «•» fined £ 5 including costs , or sent to ' WakefleW »^ two monthsChadwiok was fined £ 2 10 s . and eos */
; or sent to Wakefield for one month ; and the twv females were fined 5 s . each and costs . Inquest . —On Friday , an inquest was held at Aj » Court House , before John Blackburn , Esq ., on u » body of William Ellis , who died in the Infirmary on the day previous , in consequence of injuries ^ "Vi he had received some weeks before . It * PP ^*^ that the deceased had been at a pnbhe-hon ^" Holbeck , which he left after it was dark , * £ supposed , to go home , but instead of this he wo ^ jj gone into the yard , and on returning tp w » . " ^ l he fell and broke his leg . —Verdict—" AocKJO"" * death . "
To Readers And Correspondents
TO READERS AND CORRESPONDENTS
Lord Normanby And Mr. O'Connor.
LORD NORMANBY AND MR . O'CONNOR .
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CAUTION REFERRED TO . " In consequence of the frequent complaints of the loss and exchange of newspapers passing through this department , which ia mainly attributable to the insecure manner in which they are enclosed in their covers , parties forwarding newspapers , through the post-office , are recommended to write thfifaddresson Uw > printad part of the paper , itself as well as ofr th ^ nr ^ which will , in a great measure , remove the evil ' ; and tend to secure their safe delivery . "It is to be distinctly understood , howerflt , that nothing j ^ ora must be ^ rrltten on the paper than Che address of-the party for whom it is intended , as it will otherwise become subject to treble postage . " "GeneralPost Office , "April , 1840 . "
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FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE WIVE S A ND FAMILIES OF THE INCARCERATED CHARTISTS . From a Friend at Sudbury for thirteen weeks ... ... .... 0 0 6 $ J . Woods , being half of his profits at Agent ... ... ... 0 5 * A few Friends at Dalkeith , per W . Taylor ... 0 3 0 Auchtermuchty , per H . Patterson 0 10 0
W . Whitaker , Rochdale ... ... 0 10 The Subscribers the Northern Star atCheltenham , beingahal fpenny per week , from each , per D . and W . SmitK ' t lectures ... ... 0 10 0 From Heckmondwike , per T . Wass , being the , amount of a pennyper-week subscription ... 1 7 1 From J . GerreU , E . Edisbury , and W . Judge , subscribers at 3 d . per week ... ... ... 0 10 0
w S . d . Warrtngton , from various individuals in small subscriptions ... ... 7 6
Leeds And West-Riding News *
LEEDS AND WEST-RIDING NEWS *
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" Sir , —Lord Normanby having decided that he will not further interfere to prevent the sentence of the law being carried into effect in your case , after a psruesJ of Dr . Thomson ' s certificate , it is not in my power to give you any further answer than that conveyed in Mr . Phillippa ' s letter yesterday evening . " I am , Sir , " Yours most obedient , " F . MAVLB . " Grosvenor-street , May 17 , 1840 . "
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" Whitehall , May 17 . " Lord Normanby presents his compliments to Captain Dillon , and requests that any farther application of the nature he mentions may be formally stated , and Drought before Urn by his Under-Secretary , Mr . Phillipps , who yesterday conveyed in writing Lord Nornianby'e answer , after an attentive consideration of the documents intrusted to him in support of the application that Lord Normanby should , on medical grounds , interfere with the sentence pronounced by the Court . " Captain Dillon .
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, * THE VQBTHERN STAR . wh 0 aBt and he out the of
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Citation
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Northern Star (1837-1852), July 11, 1840, page 4, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/king-y1kbzq92ze2692/page/4/
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