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HOUSE OF COMMONS . —Tuesday , May 3
"UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE . Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition uom- the j ProTiiioual Council of ihe National Complete Sut- i frageUnioB , ca : ed the loth of April , praving for i Universal Suffrage , Annual Parliaments , To 13 by ; Ballot , and Ko Propeitj Qualification . The body 1 from which the present petition emanated was composed of betweea ninety and one hundred delegates i from different parts of England , Wales , and Scot- ' land . They nut a > Binv . iTighaia , wera they held several deliberate assemblies fo ? the space of several i days , and they cama to certain resolutions . Tney . afterwards convened a public meeting , which was ! I ! i I ' j ¦ I ; " \ i
attended by mar . y thousands of their fellow cit ^ zr ^ s ; thai meeting consisted of persons of all descriptions , amongst vrhom . the greatest unanimity prevailed " . The middle clasps showed thje greatest snxiciy that their fellow citnz ^ ns should ba brought vrithin the pale of the consriration . As the petition spoke not only the sentiments of the individual that had signed it on behalf of the mseiins , but also thos * cf i 5 . 3 ' . 0 , 000 . and a 3 its object was Universal Sudxags , Annual Parliaments , Vo : e by Ballot , and No Property * Q ^ a lification , he trusted their Lordship 3 would iio ; think he ^ ras risking too much when he requested that the petition thoald be read st kngth . \ The petition vj-as then read ax . length ' at- th ; table . -
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HOUSE OF COMMOJSS , Tuesday , May 3 . Mr . WAKLEST presented a petition from 480 letterpress punters in London , setting f : r : h ih ? sn 6 " erings to which that class of persons wa ; now exposed in consequence of the application of steam power instead of manual labour to the process oT printing . Tho petitioners respectfully called the attention of the Hju . se , and especially of the Speaker , to the fact that the Parliamentary papers were printed by Pteain . by which they believed little was gained to * the public " , whilst great loss was eeriaiuiy
imposed upon them . They alleged that their sufferings vrere enorruop ? inconsequent of tho deprivation of woik which the iutro auction of stean power entailed upon them , and begged thai the House would take tHe subject Ituo its strir-us cor .-dderat-onwith the "new of affording thrm tho rehei for which tasy prav t d . Mr . HUilE gave notice that in Committee on the Railway Regulation Bill , he should m ^ fe the insertion of a clause to prevent Sunday training !!!
THE T 72 TIVBBSA 2 i SUFFK £ . G 3 PETITION . Mi . T . DTNC 0 MB"S said , that in rising for the purpose of submitting t-5 the Houss the motion ^> f -which he had given notice ^ he shonld not do justice to his own feelings , or dlseasTge the duty he owed to the House , or to the cause of those wbora he had iH . -en commisaoned to advocate , if be did not , at tfait stage of rhs proceedings , express on their bihalf their sense uf the kind and respectful manrsr in which the Hous 3 had Teceived the petition which he yest ? rdsy had the honour of presenting to It . Ha mutt now call upon the Hous to increase that obligation by giving n patient bearing io one ¦ wh o "was eotv selected to advocate , to the best of his ability , the interests of a lar ? 9 portion of the industrious classes of the country . Tie petition % 6 "Which it was his wish tD oirect the parvlrn ^ r
attention of Hon . Members was signed by 2 &arly 3 500 , 0 o 0 of the industrious classes of the coTuitry . T * n > millions of the signatures were thes- of mile a-jults a ' . one . In addition to this , the petition vaa s 5 gaed by a l : irgc number of the vriv ^ s of the in lustrious clsssts-, a Lirge portion of the youlh—fbs is . uu : trlons youth of tkij country , had also sncBCrib ^ i their ramss to the petition . He was prepared to prove that l . o" 0 , 000 c ! the ' fami lies of the industrious classes of the community had given their sanc . icn to the eeeWnis -a-iTo ? att-d in . the petition by attaching their nanies t j it . They bad seen many petitions era : i £ 2 . tin £ fryxi the working classes presented to the Ei-use on former occa ? 5 nii 3 . ~ Two havi been lately laid upon the t ? . b ! i of the Eou ? e by Kon . Gsutlemen on the ctber . the Minist ^ ri . il ) tide in favour of the flnaTcial iat < asures of her Maj— 'y ' s GsTen ; - meiit . One petitian bad co : a-e from Man-.-iesirr , anJ ¦ wss presented by the > ob : c- Lord tbe Srcret-. ry :- ? ih-j
Colonies ; tha > pstitioa t ? - ^ » . £ p-itd by 24 i-C-O persons connected wiU : tae oaeratiTe and mer . siEi . iIt ! Ciasies of that tcTO . The other petition w ? 3 presented by tbe ' Eight Hoa . Bironet the Stcr ^ tic-y for the Homs Department , and was laid noon tba table witli > vr ^ t so-. lenmity : tbnt r > etitioa < ao ; i 3 frosi Carlisie , aci" was
signed by 3 . 000 operatives , and was in fivour of Uie financial measure of the G-overnmest . It was not bis ¦ Wish to say anything "sith tin view o ; dstncun ^ from tbe impoilance o ? character of tt = se petitions , bu :,-if they were entlUod to any ao : iee , rarely tb * petition , signed "by moia than 3 , 000 uoo of the isdusiricus classes , w 2 iichva 3 > esterdny brousLt do ^ nto fee Hc -usi classes , w 2 iichva 3 :. esterdny brougLt do ^ nto fee He -use
by so Large a mass of persons , conducting thsmsclv ^ s in a respcctfal , peaceable , and urdttiy raauBer , wis deserriag of their attentive consideration —• , b % ar . " It was Ms eiBesre and fervent bepe that the House wou . Jgive a patiiit hearing 15 the csss of these pytitic-E&rs , and those whom thej rsiresenLed . Ha a = ifc-J this sot
on bis own account , bat en "belalf of tho = e -shose ntereita he had been commii ^ ione-i to adr .-cite . He thought tbst it was poisible to arrive at po ^ ie . knotrleoge of the arguments whieb werts hk ^ ly to be urge-i against the petiti---n c-y msans cf private c- 'nvrrsati 7 n 5 ¦ With membsrs cf zhz * Hocse . Ha found , by cmvizsiiLg ¦ witb . several Hon . Members , that one great obj _ ct :-v . to the proposal which ts waa abcur to iubniit for the approval of tbe Hcus 3 was , that there esiitsd r . o prtr . eedent for btariag the petiriongrj at the " D 2 r la support of ibe alierati-ns contained in tbe petition , . He sffinaad Uist there did tsist pr ? ce : ! cBts for hearing parties coaiplaiaing of gr . fcvaEces at tie bar of tbe House <^ f Co xamoa ? . H-3 wished thbt ttcj the only objection to his ia&uon , ani that he only bad to establish tiat there wfrs precrfents for tbe cotir .=--e which fce iuteofio-l to pr . cip .-ise f-ir tho adoption of tbe House . He would ai'l tbi sttertiou cf Hon . Members to what ocenrred in i 7 t > 5 . In that yea ? a petitian ts ^ s tiresent&d by t ns cler ? y , lane owec-rs . ar . d
macuuicrTirers- aga-rst toe cuty on c- 't ' -ca stuts , Which it was said would dhninLrh the public rcvtiiue and increase the tax upon labc-irr . Th ^ j perssns vLj signed itat petiuon prayed to be heard at thsbar cf \ hc House . It should be r = menit-ircd that this was a t : x , not trader consideration , but actually in bems Tie praytr of that petition WE 3 cimpiied with ,, sr . i tbe House ordered that tbe petitioners Ehouitl K-C ' -irdjit tbe bar . Tha House resolved itself into a comniittee of the whols House , and the claims of the petitioners were urged at the bar . Ar ^ is , be would direct the attention of Hoa . Zilembers to whit bs . U cccurr ^ d ia 1759 . In that year Zvlr . lYilbirfirib pres = cted a r ^ titba from a numerous class on th 3 rabket of tb-j Elavs trade .
Agreeably to tbe prayer of ihe petliiuntr ? , they were beard at tae bar . In 1 S 12 a petition w :: s presented from Lascasbire ngainat-thsoratis in CjuscU . Lord Stan ' ey moved that this petition be heard zi the hir . tbe House . He wculd refer to the opinions of £ &v . e » ji Hon . Membrrs who took a part in the discussion ¦ s-LIea took placa on that occasion . * Sir G . Rose said , thath ~ .-. s dne to tbe wish of the p&ti : i ^ n = rs tiiat ta = ir prayer should he taken into couoi-eration . Mr . Jtiaring stated that be was grati 5 t-i that tbe Grcmniei . i bad consented to tie icquiry asked iz > t by : \? petitioners . Lord Cast !? r 6 agii sa : a tbit althoura against his owu privste opiLion , he saouid yA-s in" obedience to tbe wishes of tbs country . In support v-f tbs petition witnesses w ^ re summoned from Bicmirubms ,
Shtmeid , and Manchester , and were ordered ' . o s't-nd with 3 Tiew of giriag c-vidsnea befora the Hvuie of Commons . He maintained that hi had provc-. i that there 3 for the cliai " i
wers prccedea ' hearing . cp-jrftionera at rie bar . Tie petition whieii he bad presented bad proceeded from evsry part ef th ' t conn try , and was eathled to tbe attentive consideration cf tbe Housi-. He did not ask tbe House to decide cp-ja the merits of the petition ; bs askwi them to liit-n to -aLu * tbe petit-oasrs b&d to stat-3 at the bar . The petitioners Would bs s . Yis STitlsIac ^ riiy to establisb tbs ex ' . sterc-j cf Fr = 2 t : ii 5 trc 33 in tbe country ; that asuse 3 prcTii ; -i in tbe fetate of representali- n . They would also rjt ^ . st wliat tbiy c-3 usiifci = d Were tbe proper remedLs for those abuE 23 and oisiressss . Test subject , bowev ?? , ¦ wau'd not legitimately coma under Uie no-. ice of f _ .-Housa tkst eveniag . He tboagbt that it wenv / j-e curious , bat at the same tide nece . ' -sr . ry , t-j trace tbe of tbs of
piO ^ eS 3 different measures reform which had been brought for'sraid in tbi 3 coaatrj within the last £ f : vyears ; and although the doctrines pro-nuigit . a and supported by tbe Gtanists laigtt be des ' -i-atrd us Wild , utopdaa , and visionary ; still he was pr = r-ired to J > rove fdat a number of persona in \^ -. h Houses of Parliament had stood forwaxd in the support of princip '? 3 similar to there nov advanced by ths Chart : iti . In the year 1777 t > e quesiion of radical r » . f orm fr&s for tbe first tics stri-.-usly taiea up ; 3 Isjor Czrfxright was at tha : period tbs champion of those princip l es ; radical principles wer- ; then repudiated , and those who entertained Ujem were
exposed to all kinds of odium and coatumely . So tbe question remained until tfc . 3 TTbigs tmbrsced tee p ? inciples of Radicalism , and called themselves Refoniurs , and this name they retailed until the Reform Bill was iutroduedd into Parliament . The men who were called Radicals in those days entertained views similar to those now entertiiii&d by the Chartists , although they Were not so termed . It was in 1777 that Major Cart"Wright made the SKt move in favour of those principle * . In 1750 th 8 Westminster Reform Committee held a meeting in London in favour of radical reform . What where the principles of the Westminster Association ? What did they resolve upon ? They agreed to support the six paints of the Charter . Tie nix * -
society which was etiablisaed was caiied the Cons tit afaonal Iiiforination Society , at the head cf which was tneBute of Richmond , and connected with which were Lurds Efnagham , Derby , end Kinnaird , and oihsr noblemen , and 11 tienibrrs of this House , asd 1 SG highly respectable individuals besides . This Association , like tbe one which piec ^ dvd it , advocat-d the six points _ cf tee Cnarter . In tbe year 1753 tn-eat enthusiasm was maniftitid in favour of " the principles of ridieal r = fcrm , but what I-ar-pened during t ' uat yeai ? A coalition unhappily " wa 3 fona&d tatswa Loid 5 ? arch and i-lrrpcs . In
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make laws i'or his fellow-citizens . This ptopetty gualiflcation was merely" a fleenrity for the predomi nance of the laEded ! interest in that House . Scotland had been wise enongh to do away wi ' th this require nient , and did any man mean tocontond that the representaiivea of Scotland were less intelligent , less active , or less trnstworthy than the other representatives of this conn try ? The petition demanded that the pefr ttonera Bhould be heard at the Bat of the House ; it waa signed by miilions of tbe people , and if the Hon 3 e should consent , to listen to them it would be the first
step towards popular satisfaction and content . At all events the petitioners would be bound to say that that Honse was willing to listen ti > them , if their reasons were absurd they would be the more easily answered ; if their reasons were judicious , then their claim to be heard was the greater . He joined with his frienda who bad preceded him in thinking that it wonld be most unwise in the present ; state of the public mind , agitated- ' as it was from one end to the other , and in which social misery was mingled with so much political discontent , to say to 3 ; 000 > 006 petitioners , " Return to your homes unheard ; ' * -
Mr . J . FIELDEN next rose . He was for some time quite inaudible in the gallery . We understood him to say that he had heard a letter read stating , that in Burnley , in Lancashire , the sum ^ aid weekly for the relief of the poor amounted to £ 500 , and that the poor were prowling about in large numbers , begging alm 3 f toni door to door . The state of destitution was such that unless something ware done he could not tell what would fee . the consequence . Ha had heard similar statements made from other places , and , in fact , the whole of the manufacturing counties were in such a state o £ poverty , that unless something were done to alleviate the distress which prevailed , it would very soon lead to disasters which they would all lament to hear—( hear , hear ) . Last October he had suggested to the House
that some person should be appointed in each parish to assist the relieving officer in assisting the poor . If that proposal had been adopted , he . was confident that so tnany real and substantial complaints would not have been made . But something more now required to be done .- By their neglect of legislation , that House had turned this starving population into poiiUoiana—( hear , hear ); and they had got this impression into their minds—and it wa 3 : extending to their employers , who were becoming as poor as themselves---tbat nothing but a-radical alteration in the constitution of that House ¦ would ever give the reforms "which they desired . He had been doing all he could for the last two years , at a tremendous sacrifice , to give employinent to the poor but this could not " . last iong . There was an old saying in Lancashirei" That continually taking out of the meal-tub , and not putting any in ^ must soon come to the bottom . " The poor were in a most destitute situation , and they said , ?• What are yre to
do ¦ " ? ' * " . He impleired the Right Hon . Baronet , if he had any regard for his fellow-countrymen , and for the peace of the country , that he would allow the petitioners to be heard at the bar ; it would give them some encouragement . ' '; . He did not see that mischief could arise from it ; but he did eay , that if they were so far to hold out the " olive branch" to this suffering people , they would make statements to them which would shew that something was absolutely nectssary to be done te alleviate their condition , and at any rate they would suggest things to the House which might be worthy of its attention . He therefera trusted that the Government would not refuse to hear the petitioners ; for if they did , it might lead to disappointnient and reflections amongst those millions whom these delegates represented whieh Blight ' be productive of injurious consequences . He tbought that they had much better consume two or three days in hearing what they had to say , than run this risk —( hear , hear . ) ; : '
Sir . J . EASTHOI'E said , that on a recent occasion , when a similar petition had been presented to that house , he had felt that he should be compromising himself by expressing any approbation of its principles , and had no hesitation in resisting it by his vote ; and if he werei to ponvey'by his vota in favour of the motion of his Hon . Friend , the slightest opinion in favour of those principles to which he had then objected , or the slightest approbation of much of the reasoning by which those principles were propounded in the petition , t ! ae day before presented to th ^ House , he should not hesitate for one moment to adhere to the same course . Bu > he conceived that the proposition of his Han . Friend in the present case was widely different from tho proposition of the Hon . Member for Rochdale , to
which he had been opposed . In the present case the petitioners came forward in numbers beyond comparison , under distress / which could not be described , and which he himself knew to an extent that it was impossible he eould be indifferent to . He' did not believe that house to be indifferent to it ; he did not believe r . ny of the members of that House to feel indifferent towards it ; and who that was anxious about 'it wa 3 not anxious to find out a remedy 1 ( Hear . ) These : petitioners came forward under feelings of distress and discontent—the very natural companion of their distress ; and they' complained of principles of government wherein hethought they were injudicious , with reasoning which he thought was inapplicable , and asked for remedies which he believed would aggravate the diEtresa which nfcw existed . They proposed to' theniseives plans and laid'down schemes than which he thought no greater
evils could be inflictetl npoa them than by applying them as remedies to their case . His sincere conviction was , that if he were to devise any thing to aggravate and augment the distress wbiuh he lamented , he could hot do so more successfully than by granting all the prayer of the petitionerswho had come before them ( Hear , hear . ) But whilst he felt ' this- most strongly , and stated it without the slightest hesitation , he durst not say to three and a half miilions of people . that he would refuse to hear their puiition . He was bound to believe . ' that a very large majority of . the . ' per titioners were most honest-arid sincere ; a very large number improperly engaged in nusrepresenting th « causes of distress , and in trying to . ' . produce mischiafs , rather than to find out remedies , ^ ut he bad nothing to do with all tBis ; tbe distress existed —( hear , hear )—it ox is tod to an extent to which it had never existed
before , not only in the opinion of Members of that side of the House , but it had been described ia .-terms , by Members on the other side of the House , which must have harrowed up the feelings of the coldest breast . In this distress , could they say . to three and ar hah niillions of people suffering , under all these privations , "We will not hear you ? " He believed that when they had represented what they conceived to be the caiiseof that distress , and whan "they had stated what they supposed to be its remedy , that they would themselves discover tbat they bad not made out their case . He believed that a very large number of the petitioners would feel that if the , House entered on a conciliatory , and kind , and patient hearing of their tale , and investigation of the causes of thoir distress ,
th ' at they had pity for them . He was convinced that if this were dons , the good would countervail the disadvantageof tie other course . It cculd not be said that he waB convinced by any of tha reasons of the petition , or of tbe Yeasonjngs on which they were founded . He declared thai ^ to many cf : its principles he was most distinctly opposed , for tho reasons he had stated . But acknowledging-the distrcs ? which prevailed , and anxiously desirous as they all were to conyincethoBe who petitioned that they felt for them , he did think that she conciliatory and the wise and the politic course was rather to err on the side of hearing ths petitioners thau on the other . Ha should' most cordially voco for ths motiou of the Hon . Member for Finsbury .
Sir J . GRA . HAM said , if this were a m-ire matter of considering in what iiutnuer . the feelings of tb . 9 Housa would' be best consulted , . perhaps he might have agreed ; with the arguments of the Hon . Q-entleman who had just sat down ; but he couid uot ' regard it in any such light . The lion . Member ' , for Westminster had appeared to anticipate what would probably ii the course pursued by some Hon . Members on tbat occasion—namely , to criticise the various paragraphs of tae petition now before them , a-d to coaunentoii them with severity . Nothing eould be further from their intention —( loud cries of hear , hear ) . Unfortunately , the facts in this , case were but too generally admitted . . The distress , was great ; tho number of the petitioners was vary lar ^ e ; tbiiir Etitriuents in many ¦
p&rticiiVara were founded In fact . It w ; , ? not a question , therefore , of fact to be . investigated—it was a great question of policy . It was not a qusstion of fact to be ascertained— -it-was a queBtiau of palitiual remedy t 9 be deeidod on by the House . He could couseiv . a no course more disastrous , ia the midst of excited feeling and aggregate suffering , than for that House to adopt any coursa which might exeiti hones which wars certain to be disappointed , and bol ^ out expectations Which tnsy who . held them out were aware mint be fallaoious . 'the Hon . ¦ '¦ Member for Esicistsr , who had just sat down , ; bad on a former evening strehuouily . resisted the main points of the prayer on whicathis petition was founded . Ha said he still retained his opinion-The Hon . Member would allow him ( Sir J . Graham / 1 °
ask " -what"civcumatan ' ces bad 'occurred in tho inteivsl which should have so '¦' induced him to change ? ( Heai- ) Tuere was no addition to the number of petitioners , the suffering of the people had not been aggravated within the last . eight . days , everything remained unchanged , so far as he ( Sir J . Graham ) was aware , within the short interval since the Hon . ; Member had oa a former occasion joined with him in ¦ . re * isi :: nca to . the motion of the Hon . Member for Rocbdale . Tiiat nigbt the Hon . Member was prepared lo vote for the motion of the Hon . Member for Finsbury , yet he ( Sir J [ . Q-rttiiam ) could not < levise what was the altered circum 8 tanue 3 which had produced this change . Aa the Hon . Member put it , it was a mere quustion of inquiry - ^ -inquiry , as he saidi that might produsa somewhat of a healing effict on the wounded feelings of the
petititaera . If they wera to arrive at a ' -foraVono conclusioa With - . tes ' pect ' Ito' thoremeclies to be applied—if they were bound on questions of high state policy to ' " fuse what these people ' .-teqnired-, "Wluit possible eSict could the ¦ inquiry produce of a healing nature ? On the contrary , he was deefdedly of opinion tiiat no course coii ! d be nioro aggravating- than to call oa the petitionera to prove a case of distress by evide 2 r . e lit the bar of ths-Honsc , with thair minds made up beforehand that a rtsmesly was utterly inadmissible , and having heard thQiiv statement un > l--evidence , to bs resolved to resist their demand—( hear . ) He could not a » r : e in the moiiou . ¦ Heagreed witb . the ; Hon . Mi-mbe ? for Leicester tbat it -waa . highly inexpedient that the demands , of these ' pp . titiouera should Jxj gran ted on inisny ' grounds , as r . ff « cting tlso forms of G ;> vernmeut uiider which we lived , our institutions , -and , the'happiness -of Ui 8 com-
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! ¦ ; | ccasequeaoe of that coalition rM confidence in the j J honesty and character of public men waj lost . A 1 J Eorious blow was given to the prorress of B : r . 1 ical prin- j -i cipies , and a \ l active pioeetdings in their behr . if weie [ suspended from thai time until the year 1702 . The ] question was then taken up by a society which called I itself the Corresponding Soekty , at tbe head of which j was Lord Grey . Thissiciety was , however , found incon-1 venient and troublesome , and the Government had re-1 c- > ur 3-- to measures with a view of putting it down . In j 1793 this society sent two delegates into Scotland . By j the order of the Government tboss delegates were ar- ; rested ; tr . i ; d , and transported for a period of fourteen j years . The Government having been snccey-ful in its j proce-e iuiga against the Scotch delegates , directed its ' altaatian to the CuiTesponding Society in England , j The result cf t ' ais was that eleven members of tbe \ society were arrested : four were brought to trial , but ! fortunat-. ly a Loudon jury wa 3 cot found so disposed :
L as the Scotch , jury to pluy into tho hauds of the Go- ' i vernment , aud tho prisoners were acquitted . A num- j ' bcr of prostcniions were then abiadontd . This cir- j " . cusistanca eoaduced greatly to give an adduionnl z ^ al , to the caus 3 of RiGital principles . Thtse principles \ ; kept steadily advancirig uitil they became so fonnid- atle to the coiiupt and boroughmungering House of \ i Cii ! iimons that Government was compelled to suspend the Habeas C rpus Act . Lord Grey , in his place in the -House of Commons , stated that if some Reform was not ! conceded , ho was prepared to vote for TJnircrsa ! S : if- ; fra ^ e . In 1 S 17 the H abeas Co pus Act was again eus-\ ptnded . In ISli ) the Manchester maasacre toi-. Tt place . j In 182 ^ the Risht Hon . Baronet conceded to the ' I Roman Catholic 3 their long-advocated and just claims , i j This was done , to be sure , at the cxpensa of the 403 . ¦ [ freeholders . This conception on the part ef tbe Right I Hca . B . uor .-. t was ths Slot step towards a change in r th 3 c-nstitntion of the House of Commons . In 1830
the Tories abandoned the Government of tae country in consequence of the declaration * f the Duke of Wellington against all reform . Such "was tba state of tae public mind at that time , tbat the King was reconiniended not to visit the city , in order to dins with . the chief magistrate , as it was apprehended thut serious resulrs would eusr . e if he did so . The Whigs than come into power , and in the following year ti ^ y introduced the Reform Bill . It waa bis belief that the ¦" -. This Government was perfectly honest and sincere in triniing forn aru that measure . He believed tii&y fully intended to improve the system o ! the representation of the people . But ia the Ref"snu Bill tbe people had b ; - ? u »^ rcisly disappointed , be would not say deceived ,
but they hid been disappointed to the greatest txcenfc . AH who heard him would remember the enthusiasm which then existed amongst tiie entire population ; they would recollect the occurrences of tbat period ; none we uid fail to remember the black $ .: £ at Glasgow , tbe riots at Nottingham , and tho fires at BrUtol , and other things of the simo nature . They obtained the b : li , but in it they had been greatly disappjiiitid . At tiafrst election-af : ? rr ,-ai--3 s , ia t :: e yearlS 34 , tbe people found great d fEcu ' dita thrown in their way in ihe exercise ol tbtir iras ; chise . Tlu-y were intimidated and brow o& : t ? n . Everything w ^ s de ; ie towards ITcV £ ii : ii ^ the m froa rfcgi .-t = ; Iag tiii-msi-ives , and that system wr _ s caiTic-d en dovm even to tbe present h : ur . The C ^ serTative party bad foithfuLy fujloweu the alvice given them by tie liight Hon . Bnronet . TLey siduwusly attended the registration courts , ¦ vshere they did all in their power to obstruct tbe
enfranLhiSiiaent of tbe people ; and what were the consequences ? Why , a general dissatisfaction amongst ihe psop ' e with the Rtforin Bill—no thanks were felt to tc due for it : ou ihe contrary , the people now b-.-ii = 7 s . d that House to be more corrupt , mare uisLsnest , mere given to ciass legislation than sven the unrcfomed Hou > e of Commons—iCus-trs ) When they s : ' . w the evidence given before tb&ir election coniinittets , th * y could ii . t Lilp roinitg to the concluiior ., that conuptioa , inti .-. / id ^ ti 2 , a : rl bri' ~ . ery were more lif ; at the : ast gttSLr- ^ skction than even in the vrorst times—( biar , hear—wretber th ^ y were ilcbt or not w * s best kncvrn to Hon . ilrmbers tbemseives . However , they Wtre li ^ w in ISii , aud he did not believe ti' ^ t either thj House or tbe G-ivemment were fully avraTe 0 " * . bo hL » tu of the couiitry , of the state > . f the puLlic mind at i ' aj present Hioment , and it would bs h . s duty , and a painful dmy it waa , to inLrm the HtUie and the K . i »; ht Ho : i . Barontt v , b ? .
esisger . - ite-i , \ -n ~ ti ; u House Wi 3 ignorant of tbe strong ivdln ? - . Tb-ich exited in ths puelic mind of the state cf ib-j |' . " . itical b . ^ dage wLich the people tboucbt tiioy ; vtTe Euiciiiig i iuder—it v ,-as his duty then to euligiitm th =: ii . Tiie House was psrhsps Eot aware tbat the petition which he had h 3 d the honour of presentir . 2 to
-. ras rea : ! y Ihe sU ; t ' - ' of tr . e puraic mmd on tbe q'jL-slion of further r . ferui , and ^ bat wtre the distresses rhich tbe pi . jp e vert ; now suffering . It would be said that some of tbe sV . Uemerits made to him had been
tL « Houes y = 6 tirday hi , b . en , to use a common term , in the course of signature during tbe last four or rive Hicr . ths , and thst the persona interesting themselves in i : had formed UienvEelTes into nav . onal associatioaa for the purpose cf giving to ihe working classe 3 thor . 3 right 3 which undoubtedly bilonged to them . There
" were aoove GOO of those asi >; ciaticn 3 throusbout all p ^ rta of tbe country , and nearly 100 , 000 adults of the wt-iking poitiou of the ccmmuuilT had deter ; r , ii ; -. d to lay asidb one penny p ; r vreck from their miseral-it wages fjr ths purpose of carrying out tiie arititiun . " In which tb . ty had engaged . Out of that nuniK-r bttwccn 50 , 000 and 00 , 000 hsd taien what was called ;• twccn 50 , 000 asu 60 , 000 hsd taien what was cahca ;•
.. card , by frhicb they pledged themselves , tr _ . £ so long . is rheyrcCiivel 1 ? . as wages , they would ett r . pirt cue perny of it fjr that p- ^ rposs , and would not dfsist uctii thiir vjice was b-srd within those walls through a repri-sintatlve ia the choice of whom they were allowed to fike part . If H-n . Members thought tbat ihs s ' jniture ^ to the petition were fictitious in sny great degree— : f they thought the working clashes were not d-termiced , by every cocititutionii means in their powtr , to possess the franchise , they weru iruch in error , and at tbat moment he ( Mr . Dancombsj fully beiicTiHl tbat th ? 7 would uot long be able to prevent teem from frc-ely lifting up thei voices ^? i-hui these walls .
Tue d :-t . ' 5 ^ 3 waica unfortunately so prevailed thrcnghout tbe country augmented the cry at this mer ^ ent , and -i : wns mo .-t n- ' . cr ., ] that it should , fyr when thtir cry reached tbe Lisislature they obtained nothing but a few
wcrds recommendatory oi ths ' exeinpUvy p&V . erjca " with wkich they bore their suff-rings . When they were met in euch a way , what was to be Expected bat taat
tLey would atk-mpt to do something fjr thei . nelvea ? He had dotumests showing the progress of the question ic the manufactuting district ? . When the Convention cf ths working classes was silting in Loudoa , he bad isked some cf them for information , and statements had been ma 1 j to him th * t appearetl almost iiicred-bV-, bat they were Weil authenticated . Hs had rec ^ ivsil upwards of 500 communications from all pai-ta of the country , from which he had selected a few , which he trusted the House would allow him lo read . The first was from Shifiiwld , and was in the following terms : — " Sheffield , Mayl , 1842 .
" Tbe total nrinifcr of signatures sect from SaefF . rld will number £ 7 , 200 . Sb-. g-U is in a depiovabk- state . The number of inmates in Sheffield Doorhousc alone up to the 23 rdof April , numbered 574 . " Tea relief to tbe regular ticktt poor in inoi := y anil bread for the weuk endiag April 23 d , amounted to £ i > 2 ] 03 . For the last £ ve we ^ ks thi ; number of new applicants for relief hav ; : avira ^ d 200 weekly . The Weekly payments to tcj ca ^ nu poor : n the £ vo weeks ending 5 esterday xvet k ~ . r- ^ s fO . owri : M-rch 24 , £ 2 ul ; " April 1 , £ -221 ) - , April S . £ ' 24 S ; April 15 . £ 274 ; and April 22 , £ 293 . One month ir . t-i ^ s ?' . £ 07 , although tl . e s-. aion is iifiprovii . g . Tin i-. TigiSu . i : will give ycu some idc-a of t ? : e £ ta : e of this or . ce prorpsrens to ~ n : it is said tLa : the trades societies are about to break up , unable lcEse ' to kirp up th-. ir funds ; if tbid should be tba cisj , iucdredsperbs'js thousandswill be addfd to tha
, , ranks cf the pcupei-ised and dTiiitate . Shtfli-ld is trtEquil at present ; that it will remv . n co for r . i ; y length of time , with starvation and misery inureusins
u ^ iy , very quuouuj . The nt-xt pi ^ cs of evidence was from "Wolveraanipton , ami it was this : — " TTolverhamptoa , April 23 , 1842 . " Tha c « r : ' rT 3 , n ? iloT 3 , mechanics , End labourers , are in a state of poverty . The suppiy tf all kinds bf labour ;> e ; ng greit&r tbr . n the demand , the operation have no pG . Tt-r to pivTC ;" . their wagesbtingcoatinur . Iiy reduced . Th-2 niiceij r . nd naileri are now out of Werk . jr . eoH .-eq-i-nce of their mistera having aitjniptcci to injL- a in- ^ it reduction in their already too scantv v . u-. c-s . The
rencral impression of the working mfcu in tLviS > a : td i 2 , that t ' l-o ' r causa of complaint caa never be efF-. ctualiy rimoved unless they porEess the power cf tuooii : ^ their owu lepresentativea . The whole of tnis dist . ict i- ' ia aa alarming slate of agkation . Chi-. t . sm is ripidly prcgr ^ sinp ' . Towns and " villages , wL ^ re even th-i name of Chaitiom a short time ago was nukcown now b :. ve their Chattist Association ; a id , nnlcsi some fcfr .. cti 7 e nitaaares are speedily adopted for-the removal cf the present ul&rmir . g di ? trt » ifca i . f the tailing sons of industry , the conaeoueaces are likely to ba mos . t serious "
The following was froia an other part of the country : — fi Barnley , April IS , IS 42 . " My deak Sib , —In susficr toyours of the 15 ih . instant , 1 c-m or . ly say that it would be useless to attempt to scud you a ststcmtnt of wageu ; , &c , a 3 you dES ' . re , for if I did so , before it reached your hands it ia -Jkely that thari would be a Uiitf . rial reductioD . I , therefore , deem it sufficient to state to you , in a general way , the state of the town and neighbourhood ; and after you have read the Etatenient , you msy , i £ you have an opportunity , read it to Sir Robeit Peel and the Government . _ " The workiag classes ara in an awful state of destitution ; there are hundreds out of ernploymeut , and thoss that are employed , cr partially so , cannot by their earniegs procure a sufil ^ iency of f \> od . " I can assure you , Sir . that all are in a feverish ate oi escnenicEt
s . . I cover , iu the course ci my life , s ^ w this part of Loccashire in tuch a state ; and I am ' one of these -who have watched well the motions of the peop " :=. : ' Coming evsEt 3 cr . st thsir shadows before . " Meetir ^ s —! axg = isectinjs—cocsisting of theuKmqs . aro : "bchig held almost daily , to tekeinto con-ideration > rbat shall be do ^ e to prevent the multitude from Efcivicj ; to d ath ; ar . d , :. ftr inatnre and dclibfrata consider- \ 2 tion , tbrj come to the conclusion th- ^ t ihey have ' : but one alternative—namely , to tafee it rather tbr . n ; ¦ starve .
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" Sunday week there was a numerous meeting oa Wbitemoor , on the confines of Yorkshire anrt Lancashire . Thousands assembled from places within twelve or fourteen miles distant . Yesterday , on Marsdenheight , there waa another , of at least 7 , 000 . To-day 10 , 000 have met in Colne , and at each of these meetings there is but one opinion , and that is , that the Charter must beccma the law of this land before any permanent good can be effected for the working classes . " A portion of tbe mills in Burnley are shut up , and the remainder are running short . There will be meetings held every Snnday during the Bitting of the Convention ; next Suaday on Enfield , the Sunday following on Derply , and so on throughout the district . " I can assure you , Sir , that when news arrives in Burnley of a bad market ia Manchester , it is received with joy , and a good market the contrary . The cry is , it is hastening the erisis .
" This is a fearful state of things . A psople must be bordering on despair when what wa 3 formerly considered as disasters are hailed v ? ith general joy . It would be well for the Government to look to-these things , ere it is too late . The people cannot suffsv starvation much longer—hope is fled ; and God only knows where this state of things will end . " The hand-loom weavers—poor ffllowE—they are compelled , against their very nature , to turn out into tho streets and beg . On Saturday last they were begging from door to door , driven to it by sheer want . The police made an attempt to take them into custody , but the brave but stavved fellows resisted , and the police made a virtue of necessity and left them alone .
" To-day a case has been brought before the magistrates of a young man from Padibam who . , driven to desperation by starvation , broke two panes of glaKs , in a shopkeeper ' s window , in order to get sent to prison , so that h 9 could get something to eat . His mother is a widow ,, -with six children , and all of them out of work . They had four shillings weekly allowed by the board of guardians to maintain six children and the mother ( who was sick ); tbo young man took the children before tho guardians , and solicited further allowance . It was refused ; and ha stated before tbe magistrates to-day , th . it wheu he asked the overseer what he was . to do , he told him Le must go and steal ; but the young man preferred l-reaking wiudows to stealing , and the humane magistrate committed him to Preston Houeo of Correction for one month , the yousg man thanking him kindly for the booD . That heart , indeed , must t e steeled against the feelings of humanity tbr . t can contemplate such a state of thing 3 as this without endeavouring to remedy it
Tae above , Sir , I will vouch to be correct . I have not in the least exaggerate J ; indeed , Sir , I fear it is far short of the real picture . " Yours , &c . " He had similar acccu :. t 3 from some of the midland districts , from Leicester , Lcu ^ hborough , Mountsorreli , Sueegsbead , and Kinklsy . respecting the stocking and ether traces carried on in that part of the kingdom ; bui with theso perhaps it was unnecessary for him to trouble the Ilouse- Distress of tbe severest kind also prevailed in the metropolitan counties ; all trades were
in a most depressed condition , and let him toll the Right Hon . Baroiiet , t ' lat bis tariff would only make that condition worse . But be would go to Scotland , and read to tb 9 House most heart-breaking accounts from the Vale of L ^ ven . It appeared that wages there vary from 7 ^ d . to <> i 1 . per day , and scores of families naver tasted auirual food for varku-3 periods—some , not for twenty-tirbt wuks ; oatmeal boiled in water and sweetened with a liitie sugar being the principal diet of the unfoTtunave operatives . The following is o ; ie of tb . 0 communications he had received from thencs : —
"At your request I present you with an account of tha situntion of tbe people I represent in the Convention . The spot from svlreh I was sent is known by the name of ' Tbe V . ile of Lever ., oite of the most beautiful spot 3 in Scotland ; on tho banks of tbe siivery stream tbat > uas through it are a great many priutworks . Its population , in 1841 , was ss . foliows , comprising ttm'e villages : " JBuiihiil , 2 , 115 persons ; A' . ixuxiliia , 3 J > 60 ; Keutoc , 2 32 ( 5 ; making a totol of 7 . i 50 l . The following estimate , the result of a careful investigation , will give you some idea ol tiie extent
of destitution ; it includes only Bonhill and Alexandria , arid tikts up a period of twenty-tight ' wt-ef ts : — Thu-xe wtre , on an average during tbat time , 4 persons at 7 £ - » . per d : iy ; 2 at 7 d ; 6 ' at ( ijj ) . ; 11 ; it 6 . V 1- ; o at GJ . ; 21 at M i . ; 11 at b \ L ; 1 J at 5 a . ; 14 at-Ijd . ; 10 at 4 . V-L ; 11 at 4 ^ ii . ; 31 i . t 4 . 1 . ; 28 at 3 : > . ., Uo at r , l , l . ; io " at 3 . ^ 1 . ; 89 at 3 d . ; 31 at S ^ . l . ' j 151 at 2 . 1-i . ; Oh a » St 2 ^ d . ; 135 at 2 . 1 ; 126 at J :, ' , ! . ; 12 ^ at l . yl . ; 15 at lid ; 53 at 1-. ! ., 31 at $ d . 26 ut ^ , d . ; 'J at at ^! . per day ; and ( J 5 in tnat periud ? uh nothing at all . This stuttment uumbt'rd in all 1 , 211 persons . 1 know scores of families who had nfcVer tasted ahimi'l
food in that tnno ; oatmeal boiled in water , swelened ¦ with a litUe sugar , is tbair principal diet . Notices of ejectment are '• ein ; served by laadiords to their tenants , ard proprietors of houses arerfafusing tok-t iiseir limipos unless tbe applicant c ; ui find a surety for t jo payment of rent—a ti-k , being unemployed , they niid it dilhcult to Eccompl ih . Dumbarton is suifering a vast amount of duotitutiun ; tbe curpenltrs ara marly out cf work . Kirkintilloch contains many Wc ^ vurs , and , after toiling twelve or fourti-tii ht ; ur 3 uaily , c : n go hoHie with a ' usut live ehiiliiigs weekly . Campsie in Stirlingshire , with a populatlor . of 5 . 000 , ia suffering much frouv deRtUvit : « v . \; ma . r . y < f vho snfcn ere tut of work , and plenty nwrd are oi ^ y on . h : ilf time . The gre ^ t body of the people look to univorsa" . tuffraffo as tbe ouly hope left thbiu , bclic / irg that uo H < . u . « t' of
Commons , but one Trpr . sc : it ! ng ti . o wbolo j'tupie , ¦ permanently rtiTi . jdy the abu ^ ts ( f wliich tlia wotkinq classes compl . iin . Tcesa aro a fc \ v j ' nets conut . CLe ( i with my district ; you are :. t : ibt-rty l ~ - i : se th ' . in-as youthirk proper iu U ; u Hous-j whoi ) preitntiui ! tbo ptfitioii Hoping that you runy long livu to e :-jjy tho confidence and esteem of tbat people of whose liberties you Lave stood the uucjupruuiisiag ad ^ oc-. vte , " I rema . n , deir kit , " Yours ia the ca ;; iC of public justice , " William Tjiomasox , " > ici : ili : r of ( Juiiveution . " I do n-. ) t know vrhs ' hcr I aia b : d ; otL-d for to spoak . at tbe bar of the Hou . « e if j- ur motion is iicceded tu ; I should ba most happy , if called upon , to an 3 \ ver iiay qutitlons it is in my power to rt-piy to , calculated to snow tho cuuditfoa of tLa people . "
The Hon . Member next rcr , d a document from E Y . u hurgh , shovdng that in ail quarters tu-iro exists tbo strongest ilet' .-niiinatio : i , ly cunstitutional means , to change tbe composition of t ! io House : — " STATEMENT OF THE DEELGATE FROM EDI . NBL'RGK DISTaiCI . "In e ^ erj part of tho eas t of Fifesbire the population are sufF r : n ? from extreme puvt-Uy , more es'pLclaKyEiSt Wiiinjss , . Mirkinob , K .-Ula , and tbo ' r suvrouadicg neighbcurhooila . The people aro chi-11 / empioytil in linen weaving of various kinds ; many oi' Tbsm cannot eiua u . buve 6 ^ . P ' . r vrctk by ions ; luu . 3 « -f Ir . tour wLiie at il . ^ piece , and for thu last i-jvt mouths ^^ e r , cr ;>) ers of fjem have b . ad to wait oso . two , tin-so , aud i-snj ^ foar weeks bef ^ rd tliey got iinoll . tr pitea cf web cut . Were it not taat , buing in an agricultural disir . ct , they are enabled tj plant and pr- ^ nro pot ;
tVr---cueau , tiity coull not liv ? . —their dwr : ! iin !; 8 are r ,-r ? er . iiiy in-foiaLhid , : ind were it net that tliey strafe ou in tL-jirsuiT-iings . beii : ^ buoyed up v . ith the hopu that ieglslati-. e changes vviil cuu ; & Vj their relin " , they wvulii s : uk into rrcl :: espr » ^ s u ; ul despondency , i-r bow thty ccstrivij to su ^ ist they Ecurctly hno ; v ( htni . vuves , exotut from th ' j fact tbtt ntt huviug died they must Lnvo nKvnajeii tokecp iifc in . Ti'jdo of ail kimls ia vi . ;; - dull , aud of course tbe labc-uving clns ' sts fttl lLo prexiure very much . In and around B-iiuburyh there are very large numbers of n \ on out of employment , so much so tbnt ii- is only v .-ovlcir . g iuen , or such sucli as 1 rm in communication with , that c : iu fcr . ow it . Iu DdU : eitb there is ako great distross from want of eruployui-nt . In the currying trade there is a complete stand " , a . \ sa -some others that are afraid they will V > e affected by the tariff : where th ^ -y fornierly liad large nurrber .- * of men erupiojed , they now h . ivo o ' -jly one or two . "
In a paper recently-established ,, called the British Slutcsniuii , it was lately rf ported tbat in a Ci . it . on part of the country a cow \ rLueh had-died of diseaad had bten buritd , but so great w . is tbe destitution of tbe people tbat it had be- ; n disintc-rrcd for thu purpose of being madu human food . Ths ca ? e -7 . \ 13 so rtvciling that a gentlemnn nnor . u to some members of the House , a banker cimfl-. t Livr-sey—M . COBDEN . —I kr 4 o ~ him , and am acquainted with all the circumstances . iJr . DU . ' . ' COMBf :. —That gev . tlr-man wrote a letter to tli 3 editor of the nswiipapor aft ' . r he h :: d ascertained the f 3 Ct , ar . d it was in these terms : —
" I received a lettor from Master Erown , of Burnley , ? ilar ; h 1-it-, containing a statement thut tuuh wss-ihii distrtis of thu p : > or in Pi-n . iie Forest , near Burnley , ibat a . dead cow L ? A beeu disintarred and eaton tvz iooil . The siatemt-nt was so revolting t » sny feelings , though reqaeatedto publisli it , I could not help siirptctir . g that it was tither a fabrication , or mucii exaggerated . I th 2 r = fcro vrroto to Mr- Brown to get a CLrtidcut * Gf the fact signed 07 p : x respectable persons , and I received t > . e answer inclosing the certificate cf the iic-riicle fict gi ? en below . " Jos . Livesey , 23 , Church-street , Preston . " ' Higham , March 3 , 1842 .
" ' Tuis is to certify , that Thomas Home , of this place , had a cow died on Wednesday , the 23 rd . Guy of February last , which he buvied , aud that it w . is afterwards taken np to use far food . —As witness cur hands , " ' Thomas Lord , " Josepu Wood , gro"' Thos . Kokne , owner of cer . cow . " 'J . Aspde . v , farmer . " ¦ Thomas Alty , weaver . "' John Loud , weaver . ' ,
In tbe satae psper it also appeared that the Rev . Mr . Herbert , the Dean of Manchester , had read from tbe puIp ^ s only a week ago a statement of the extrome < Us-Ue ? 3 prevailing in that . U > wd , calculated to excite the charitable foelings if thesa wuo bad anything to spare . He cited two from many cases , wherein the faiuili ^ s La i no bed , no chair , no fire , little clothing , auu scai-cely anj ' . . - Ti ! at was stated from tbo pulpit to . be the c iiidiUon of the labouring population of jiaccheLter eo iuie ^ 3 the 26 th of April , not one week ago . In the rrtit-ca which he ( Mr . Dancombe ) had prcsente . ! to tl : e House theta was a strong statement of thtse factsof the desperate condition of the people , which con-
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dition they attributed to the misrepresentation of the people in that House . They eaid that without bad Government it was impossible that any civilised country could possibly have fallen into such a state as they were Teady to prove we were now in . He had alluded to a prbciamation made by the Dean of Manchtster ; he would now shortly allude to ene issued by the magistrates of Burnley . It was dated the 25 th of April , and was not more than a week old . It waa aa follows : — ¦ ¦ ¦ - . ¦ ' - " PUBUC NOXICE .
" Wherieas a practice has recently prevailed in Burnley and the neighbourhood , ; of large numbers of personB going j together to private houses , and also of parading the streets , highways , and other public places , to beg and gather alms , which conduct is illegal , and subjects such parties to the punishment provided by the Vagrant Act ; and whereas such practice is also calculated to create terror and alarm to the peaceful inhabitants of the town and neighbourhood ; notice is therefore hereby given , that with a view to check such illegal practices , and to prescrvtr the peace and tranquility of the / neighbourhood , it is thought advisable to issue this public notice and prdclaaiation , thrvl the law will be put in force against any parties so aasembliug in the manner and for the purposes aforesaid . , " By order of the magistrates . " Burnley , April 25 . "
The House would see that it was not private begging which was spoke ' n . of , but begging by the people collected in'large masses . The . answer which the people of Burnloy made to the proclamation was as follows : — "V . R .-iT 0 THE MAGISTRATES OF THIS TOWN . " The uncmplpyert and starving operatives of this town feel disposed to put a plain question or two to the above authorities , as they find themselves placed in rather a curious position . Now , we wish to know how long it is possible that a town like Burnley , under the present , circumstances ,. ' can be rendered peaceful and tranquil , while hundreds , yea thousands , are > by opprtjasion and misrule , thrown upon the once lovely and pleasant , but no ?? , alas ! miserable , degraded btreets arid lanes 0 ! this town and neighbourbood ? Undfcr ^ bese circumstances they feel themselves bound , by the nearest and dearest ties of nature , to make tha inquiry : —
" Wbr . t , as human beings , are we to do , after having been deprived oi . every cpnifort ,. arid almost every necissary of life , aftor having applied to our several parishes , without anything like reasonable success , and when now by starvation wo are compelled to expose ouraslves and families to public inspection , in order to crave a portion of bread for our miserable starving wives acd children , we are even denied this right by tho 3 e persons from whom wo ought t 6 have expected bettev things ? ' And wesay tbat to close tho scene of
misery' the law 1 b consulted , and about to be Introduced , aud simply for the purpose . ' of smothering the cries of the widow and the falherlesv ; but even those who have the law to back- their proceedings , must at the present crisis be yery cautious how and to what purpose they apply its restrictions , because we , though out of work , -cannot live without ( at least ) some of tha necessaries of life , and we must have them from soraev / here . We wish not \ 6 do injury noither to persons nor property , but at the same time wo cannot lay ourselves down and die .
" What saith the scriptures in support of these allegations ? . Doth it not say that , * iio that , will aot provide for his family is worse than an infidel ?' " And a ' so , ' They that be slain -with the sword are better tl : a a they that be slain with hunger ? ' ^ -L 2 mentations , iv . i ) . " By order ( . f the Starving and Unemployed Operatives of Burnlsy . " Burnley , April 25 th , 1842 . " Ho would ask waa that a state of things which could be allowed to exist in England ? AH he wished was , tbat the House . would hear the paHiea at tho bar , because they said they could not dotait due-tenth-of their Sriuvances in the 'petition , long as it was . That wa 9 the frt . ite of th « people , and he would like to ask tha
liight Honourable Baronet what he meant to propose in orlcr to render it more comfortable ? SiirtJy . the Kight . 'Hon . Barontt lUd riot suppose his income tax and liis tariff would cure the evils of which the petitioners eoiiiplniiieel ! Why , the tendency of the income tax bill would be to yciuce the middle classes to a level with tho lower orders ; and the effect of the tariff would bo to drive into the wokihouses many of those who now had employment . Surely the Bight Hon . Baronet did . not intend to have tveourse f > r the suppression of Chartism to tbo Suspension of the HabeAS Corj . U 9 Act ? Did the Jttight Hon . Baronet mean to put down Chartism by f ^ rce ? He hoped tho Kighk Hon . Baronet would not have rocourBO to such means for effecting that object , but tbat he would endeavour
to accomplish it l > y reason and conciliation . Hu was convinced there was no disposition yu the part of the House to tr « st tbe petition with disrespect , though a iriiijority ( if Hon . Members might strongly disapprove of . many paragraphs which it contained . He ( Mr . Duncomba ) would not say that he subscribed to all Use requests of the petitioners . Ho regretted tbat a portion of '' tho public priiss— tho organs of that political 2 ' -: rty to which Hon . Gentlemen opposite were attached' , had attempted ' to-ridicule tho mode in which sfyiinturcs had been obtained to this petition . Ho was gla < i , however , that one of the Ministerial orgaus of to-c ! ay h : id treated the v " tition at least with some degree of respect . Tbo Morning Herald stated , " The petition was sh-ntd by ' i . ' ilb 752 persons described as
b 'longing to various sections of tho industrious ciassea ' ¦ f the ccuntry . Allov ^ a vast deduction for signatures uct gfcouine , kiguaturtfl TCpcftted even in duplicate and triplicato , aLd perhapa Wu ouaht still to a sume that this is the petition of a vast body of tke poopls who ai-e urging on their growing dtmaud for the fatal—the destroying boon , of universal suffrage—in terms ; in its effect , universal anarchy ! Are there in the long catalogue of political grievances and evils to which thtse J'O . ' -ts of petitioners ascribe so much of the positive 3 unv .. ing cf < e » vnrio . us ciVmrnunitits of their countryiu n—a ! v » there any the cieHtructi ve tendencif a of which : ir ^ at once muioubtrd and susceptible of remedy ? Ara there any to which the L ¦ gislatureavid the Government , withiut ompvrimiso of their constitutiunal functions
: iii' \ itste reapotisiVility , caa apply--a healing and a wing band ? if there be , wp trust that nothing in the well known characters and schemes of 3 . few artful i < c , ' - . a . " , o ^ uc » , wh <> prey on the unsuspecting credulity of ti ' uir dplu . 'lcrl folioirers— that nothing , even in the notorious trickery and cheating \ vhich are resorted to ia ordtr to swell tha voluma and multiply the subscriptions of tiicse huge petitions—may bu . permittee ! to ii . t ifere with dutie 3 of an importance so paramount . " He denied , on the part of the petitioners , that any tritkeiy had been resorted to , in order to swell the vohnno an ; l niulf . ipty the-subscriptions of thesa huge petitions . Ho boped the House would not refuse . at-least to givo a hearing to the petitioners , and , if possible , to lv . ovMe some r&meOy f ' . ^ r the grisvances of which they
complained . Ho ' would appeal to those Hou . Members who witne .-rs -d the assemblage of persons by whom tins petition l : a « . l bicn brought to the House , wbotiser their demi ; anoin was not cLaiaoterised by tho utmoaS order r . ad propra ty ; indeed , their proceedings had throughput been innrted by ptacc , orcK-r , and- resuoet . There Wiis ! jo alluaioji to nnytiiing iika j ^ iypioa ! forc e in thu . V-tivio-. i he ( Mr . Duucoaibu ) prt& . iitod jeatcr ' ay . Soine ohjcctiuiis urg ^ l agaiij .-.- $ tho petition wufe grounded on its mqauiug n repeal of the union between this country and Irwland . Ho % vns-authorised to say . th ; : titwas : i . t 'the intention of tlia petiiioners to prefer ? uch a rcqne :, x . They mcreiy riesiiflii to f-xpress tho seutiments avowed by tho present Earl Spsncer , who statud , when the question 1 of tho repja ! of tha-uni . ' - ; n was brought before that-Hous ^ . that if ths vast majority of the ueopla
of Iielnud required such a measure tusy were entuied to have it conced cl , but that he -would 'oppose such Ht'jpa to the utmost . The pttttioiuuv-i did not ¦ themselves pray for a , repeal dt tuo union , but they stated thc-ir opinion that if a liiajyiUy oi tiio people of Ireland wtre in favour of su ^ i 11 n . 'Misisre it ought to bagrantet . He ( Mr . Uuncemb >>) thotii ; htth « people of Ireland were mistaken in asking fi » r repeal ; but he considered-that the circumstaace of the petitioners having expressed an opinion on this question ciffjrdcd no yeasoa f ^ r refusing their request to be per . nhtad to slate ihtsii * . grievances at tho bar . Tha National Convention ? iad , previously to the presentation-of the petition ,- istusil an address to the iii'ULstrioua classes-of tlw country , which ho begged permission to read to the House . [ T' ao H ' on . Member then i \ a : l the follo \ Tin 0 ' address : ¦ —•
" The National Convention of the Industrious Classes , to the Siiff-Jrng and Starving . " Fellow-countrymen , —We have received many important communications from various districts , deicribirjg the exdtumwit and ¦ disaatijfwti . w which prevail in- tho mint ' s of those who have boen driven hits poverty . and st-irvation by political causes , vriaicu they have no power to destroy , and scarcely aay liberty to describe in Parliamentary petitions . \ Yo have decided on ' petitioning' Parliamsnt on Monday , tho 2 nd of May , to fca heard at the Bar of the Houae (^ f Commons , to lay before tbo world a full and honest statement of the causes-of . your grievances , the extent of your suffer : up , aud tho grand remedies to be proposed for tha iminediats and permanent removal of all national sufferine
and ' Booiiil wrong . We wait , with patience and subdued feeling . the result of our mutual prayer . We are fully sensible that it is almost a niocfeery of justice to ask tbe starving to ba submissive , and the injured to bow their fanusheel bodies to the footstool of oppression ; ttill the sacvednesa of our cause , and the hopelessness of all attempts at violence , are sufficient to guide ua in now calliug upon you to abstain , from any act likely to bring our principles into disrepute , aud clya deeper the red bannersof despctism with xl ' . e blood of eur brethren . We deeply sympathise- with you . We have txpressad our hostility to the Bysieai which has
stripped you- ! . misled you , repressed jouv murmurs by force , subdued youv complaints by a demonstration of stwl , and tlireutened butchery . You ask us for advice . We counsel you to watch the decisive answer of the Government . Tho month , of May will iring the intelligence to ycu . You ask us how you are to act . Await tho decision of tb . 8 National Convcntiou , Your delegates will carry ' with tiiun the insults of . our deliberations ; and , rtst assured that we are to ' o much alivo to the datiges c £ coUisiou with an ; u : iis . d Government ever to ' adyUe it . and we possess too much experience ever to recommend violence um the course to be adopted in our strpggio for justice . Fellow-couatryiuefl , we have
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heirtily , yet decidedly , adapted this course , out of regard for you as well a 3 out of respect for those principles which have progressed by the aid of reason alone , and heed no other argument , greater than present necessity , to enforce them on the Legislature . We have placed it in the power of the Government to appease the rising indignation of millions by granting their advocates a hearing . We now await the result , and all we desire from you is , to sacrifice feeling for a time , and imitate us in the practice of rational patience , at the same time that y ? e prepare to advise yon on the future course to be pnrsued the moment the Legislature have given their negative or affirmative to a nation ' s demand . ' . ' -. '" .. 'Abram Duncan , Chairman .
" John Campbeli ,, Secretary . " What he ( Mr . Duncombe ) asked , on the part of the petitioners , was tbat they might be allowed a hearing at the bar of the House . That hearing Would not occupy much of the time of the Houso . The number of persons whom it Was proposed to bring before the House , in order to state ficts bearing on the subject , did not exceed six . The statements of these persons could not occupy more than two days ; but if they occupied ten dayB , the time would be well spent . It might be well said the . petition was absurd , and that many of the propositions of the petitioners were wild and visionary . Suppose it were 80 , that afforded no justification to tho House for passing over the petition without hearing the statements of persons in its support . It was , he thought , unnecessary for him to occupy the time of the House further , for though he might " mention other facts iiiustrative of the distress prevalent in the country , they would be in effect a mere
repetition of his previous statements . He considered he had proved that the cause of Parliamentary Reform , Radical . Refpim , or Chartism , was progressing at a most rapid rate throughout the country . If the House doubted any of his statements as to the detetmination of the people to . obtain redress , and to require an alteration in the constitution of that assembly , he called upon the House to hear the petitionera at the bar . If the petitionera failed to convince the House of the justice of their demands , that woald be their fault ; but , at all events , by agreeing to such & course , that House would prove that it had once more identified itself , as it ought te do , with the people , and would secure their confidence , their affection , aud their gratitude—( hear , bear . ) He begged to move that the National Petition be uow taken into consideration , arid the petitioners heard at the bar of this House , by themselves , their counsel , or agents , iniupport of the allegations of that petition . -
Mr . LEADER said , he had great pleasure in seconding the motion . The whole question might be brought into a very narrow compass . It was acknowledged that the people were in a state of deep suffering , and that they had bome their grievances with exemplary patience . Avast number of the working—the suffering classes now cama before the House / stating their grievances , and suggesting ceit&in remedies-, and the question was , would the House bear the statements of these parties , or would it refuse to listen to them ? Ho entertained no doubt of the sincerity of the peti ' tioners . He had seen , in one of tiie most extensively circulated newspapers in this country , some sneering observations on the proceedings of yesterday , in which it was stated that the procession consisted of riot more
than 15 , 000 or 20 , 000 persons , and that the affair was considered rather as a May-day show than as a serious manifestation of the political sentiments of tho people . It waa also intimated , iu tlie same publication , that the signatures to the petition were not real and genuine —that it was impossible the petition could have been signed by 3 ^ 00 , 000 of adult male 3 in England—and that the proceeding was merely intended to afford an impression of the power of the committee of tho Convention . Now , he might state , in replv to this insinuation , that it was not pretended that all the signatures to the petition were those of adult males . Ho would , however , ask those who doubted the sincerity of the petitioners , or the numbers of persons interested in thia question , whether it was not 110 eorious that at every
public meeting which had been held in this country during the last two or three years , and especially during the last year , on any subject , the topic which had ' most powerfully attracted the attention and elicited the enthusiasm of the people waa any ailusion to what was called " the Charter ? " ( Hear . ) It wa 3 mere folly to pretend that the working classes were not sincere in petitioning the House on thia subject ; or to attempt to deny that the number of persons iuttrested in this question was daily increasing . He thought it was most desiveable that tho House should hear the petitioners or their representatives at tha bar , tbat they might be convinced of the intelligence , the ability , the evident integrity of the men who ^ wferenow excluded by our laws from exercising the franchise .
( Hear , h < ° ar . ) His Hon . Friend had alluded to several precedents in support of the proposition for hearing the petitioners at the bar . Numerous precedents might be cited in support of the practice ; and ha might mention that of the celebrated orders in Council , vheu Lord Brougham was heard at the bar . Many Hon . Members present would also remember that his Hon . Friend ihe-Member for Bath ( Mr . Roebuck ) was heard at tho bar of the House as the representative of toe Canadians . That was a case in point , for the Canadians were not . represented in that House . The petionets in this instance were , however , in a still worse position ; they were Englishmen , living fn . the country , contributing to the tuxes , rendering obedience to the laws , and . yet having ne voice in the election . of . the
persons by whom those laws were framed . He remembered that the late Attorney-General , now Lord Campbell , after having bten engaged in tha prosecution of some Chartists for their conduct at public meetings , told him with great exultation that Chartism was entirely put down . ( Hear , hear ) His ( Mr . Leader ' s ) reply was , that it was true the violence of Chartism tod passed away ; but he told the learned Attorney-General that the real principle of Chartism never could be put down , till the grievances of the ptopls were redressed , and till those were admitted within the pale of the conr . fitution who were now exciuded from a voice in the representation .--He . ( Mr . Leader ) had seen last night some of thelaiders of that pajty from whom the petition now before the House
had emanated , and those individuals hm totally disclaimed any idea of resorting to physical force for the accomplishment of their objects , and had expressed thoir determination to confine themselves to the exertion of moral force . With regard to the petition itself , there were doubtless many unwise expressions contained in it ; but be hoped the House would not refuse a hearing to the petitioners , or . th < 4 r delegates , in order that it might be known what their demands really were . He believed thoss demands ln . ight bo embodied in very fowv / ords ; they asked substantially for the adoption of the principles comprised in what was t : rmed " the People ' s Charter , "—Universal Suffrage , Vote by Ballot , the abolition of the Property Qualification for Members of Parliament , the Payment . of Members , and the division of the country into electoral districts . Tbese points had on several
occasions been brought-under the consideration of that House . The question of tbe ballot had been brought forward by Mr Groto , the suhj&cfc cf the abolition of the property qualification for members of Parliament had been moated by Mr . Warburton , the adoption of tho electoral districts bad been proposed by Sir W . Moles worth , and the extension of the suffrage had been advocated by other hon . members . The question for the home now to decide wits , however , whether they would hear the petitioners at the bar , or whether they wouM refuse their request . If it was the wish cf -thy house to obtain tbe affection and confidence of the gruat body of the peoirie , they would not refuse so reasonable a . demand . - He appealed to the sympathy and to the sena . o of justice of the housa to grant the piayer of tho petitioners , and to permit them in person , or by their delegates , to be heard at the bar .
Dr . BOWUlNGBU . ppoitcd . tho motion of the Hoe . Member for Finsbury . Ho called on the'House to consider that this- "waa the prayer of 3 , 000 , 000 of men , who were oppressed and humbled by the legislation Which , denied them a voice in tho representation . Those persons were called upon to contribute to the expenses of the ¦ - state and the support of the Governmert , and yet they saw the power of the stats centred in th 9 hands <> f-a-privileged fev 7 , who exorcised theiT authority for the proniotiou cf their own interests . The language of the petition wns respectful , though he did n > t profssa that all its allfgationu could be borne , out by evidence at tho bar . He asked lionr that House , whose special duty it was to protect the rights and to redress the grievances of the people , could refuse to grant this
inquiry ? If thsif ancestors deemed it a duty to strag-(? Io for tho acquirement of tbe rights and libarties they now er « jpyed , surely they ought to support those wha we . ro no \? striving to acquire similar privileges and immunities . At one time few persons in this cou itry eiij iyed the privileges of citizens , but-tho bounds of citizenship were gradually extended . Taey were impelled by a patriotic wish to obtain the rights-they saw possessed by their neighbours ; and why were-these rights so desired ? Because that House had not redressed the evils of which the many had to complain . There was no one point put forward by the pttitioutrs which was not advocated by wise , piuiont , and conscientious men . He thought it wisa :. to listen to th 9 petitioners and hear what they had to say , a 3 it would tend to
conciliation . The safest Government ninst be tha . which had the greatest mass of public opinion to support it . Tha petitioners had a right to complain of the length of Parliament ; tljoy might remain unrepresented for years , and they asked that members might be more frequently elected . And was it proper that some of our smallest towns should possess an equal amount of representation with our largest cities ? Ought 100 men ia one place to be as much represented as 1 , 000 men elsewhere ? It was said that property only ought to be represented ; cculd property feel ? Was there any man , however mean ,
who had . not hi 3 pains and pleasures , for which that House r . ncl the Lcgislatura was bound to interest itself ? Was he to deny to u . man , because he waa poor , the rights possessed by tho individual-who was niigQty ? Was such a man , because of his poverty , to bo txcluded from those rights ? AVhtn Providence denied to him the erjoym&nts pos ? ea 3 ed by those who were Rvipposed to Le his superiors , did it talre away from iiim tke synipath'es of humrm natuve ? The petitioners complained , and they bad a right to do so , of the iwpetiiments thrown in tboii- way by tho property queiification ,- ' which isfipiled ¦>!¦ .:: t a certain amount of wealth waa necessary to . eu . 1 M 9 3 man to eit in thst House and
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4 - THE NORTHERN STAB , ^ ^ ^^^^ M ^^» ¦¦ - ^^^^^ - ^^^— " - . ^ ^ - —i _ . ^ 1 . „_ — , ^ , ^^_ I ., ¦¦ *'™^™^™ M —^^^* - " ^ M^^— ¦ I —~ .- —¦! .. I - — P- —— -. i ,. . — ,, .. _ j . .. I ¦¦ ^ ' 1 1 | ^ . . j- || - | j ' . _ . _ , ^^ .. I 1 I I ... ¦ ..-. „ _ -. 1 . . 1 .. I P I t II - Ml— -. 1 1 !¦ > l . 1 . Ml -- ! . — I —— , .. M ^—^ ¦¦¦ ' ¦ ' ¦ ¦ Hl » 111 -II ¦ ^^— -M ^ ' ¦ " I » ' " __
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Citation
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Northern Star (1837-1852), May 7, 1842, page 4, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/vm2-ncseproduct597/page/4/
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