11 SEPTEMBER 1841, Page 4

Zbe „Metropolis.

The West Middlesex Reform Registration Association gave a dinner at% Wednesday to Mr. Bypg, the Member for the county, in a building which was erected for the occasion in the market-place of Brentford Sir William Clay was in the chair ; and at the head table were Sir Thomas Wilde, M.P., Sir John Easthope, M.P., Mr. Charles Villiers, M.P., Mr. Thomas Duncombe, M.P., Mr. Tufnell, M.P., Mr. Ward, M.P., Mr. Vernon Smith, M.P., Mr. Otway Cave, M.P., Sir De Lacy Evans, Mr. Whitbread, Dr. Carpue, Major Revell, Mr. Coppock, and others. The first toasts were the Queen, Prince Albert, and the Duke of Sussex ; and then the Chairman proposed the health of Mr. Byng--

If he mistook not, it was more than half a century since Mr. Byng had entered upon political life; and now, after the lapse of so long a period, he was found cordially supporting Lord John Russell with the same steadiness with which his youthful energies had supported Fox; and during that long career there was not a single instance in which he could be found leagued with the enemies of popular rights. Firm though temperate, prudent though uncompromising, what was said at the outset of his career might be said still : in his youth he was not rash, in his honoured age he had not shown himself timid. Their ho- noured representative had never been absent from a division when the cause of the People was concerned. He was the father of the House of Commons ; and he could only say that he wished the majority of that House had more of family likeness. In returning thanks, Mr. Byng said, that it was high time for Reformers to meet, and he hoped that their example in doing so would be followed throughout the country. Their situation had greatly altered within ten years : ten years back they were able to carry Reform against the secret wishes of the Crown ; now, the Reform Ministry, which has done more—ten times more—than any other Ministry ever did for the People of this country, was backed most faithfully by their Sovereign, and yet when that Sovereign appealed to the People, the People have declared against them I The Aristocracy of the country had overcome them in the attempt to relieve the popular misery- " I always had hoped to have lived under a government of King, Lords, and Commons ; but I find myself living under an Aristocracy—that worst of all governments, because, with some few exceptions, I believe they have less feeling for their fellow creatures than any other men in the kingdom; for I believe their love of power and wealth, and their indulgence in luxury, render them regardless of the state of their fellow creatures."

Mr. Thomas Duncombe proposed the next toast—" The People, and may they fearlessly demand and jealously defend their rights." The independent electors of Middlesex well knew what were these rights ; but how had they been invaded !—

"You know, as free subjects of this realm, that the foundation-stone of your liberties—the fife and soul of the British constitution—is, that the House of Commons should be fully and freely elected ; that you, the People of England, should have a voice in the making of those laws which you are called on to obey. I would ask whether that right has been invaded or not during the, late general election ? All you who have watched the progress of that election must reply that its result is a gross imposition. Do you not know that the present House of Commons, or at least a majority of that House, is the off- spring of the most barefaced bribery ? that the majority of the present House of Commons is nothing but the spawn of the basest corruption ? Do you not know that the present state of the representation is the result of the most shameless intimidation ? an intimidation legalized and encouraged, I admit, by that clause of the Reform Bill called the Chandos clause. What is the natural consequence ?—That you have at this moment a Chandos Cabinet."

Some well-intentioned and amiable individuals asked to give the Tories a fair trial: such a fair trial could have but one result—foul play to the People. Look at the speeches and the principles of the members of the new Cabinet, their ignorance as well as their into- lerance— " Consider the speech which has been made by the Duke of Wellington. I am quite sure that illustrious individual did not intentionally show a want of feeling towards the people of this country, to whom he is so deeply indebted; but I will maintain that with respect to the condition of that people he is ignorant—totally ignorant. He stated in his place, that This was the only country which he lived in or visited where a poor man, so long as he is sober and industrious, is quite certain of acquiring a competency.' Could any thing display greater ignorance of the real state of the laborious classes ? It is only equalled by that ignorance which the same noble Duke displayed when he said that the old Borough system was the pattern of a constitution."

There was but one way to escape from the evils of the time—for the middle classes to sympathize with the working-classes, to aid in the removal of their grievances, and so to secure their cooperation. The voice of that meeting would show that the country was determined not to submit to a Tory Government-

" We shall have no doubt an Expediency Cabinet : but 'expediency' in the mouth of Sir Robert Peel means only what it does in the mouth of any other man—it implies fear. When we know this is the case, the millions of this country should speak out to the right honourable gentleman, and exact from his fears, and the fears of a Tory Parliament, what I feel you will never be able to obtain from their sense of justice."

Sir De Lacy Evans, in proposing the health of a gentleman from whom he sometimes differed, Mr. Hume, exhorted Reformers to let " cooperation " be their watchword.

Mr. Ward proposed " Extension of the Suffrage and Vote by Ballot "—the only means of removing the anomaly in the position of the country alluded to by Mr. Byng, that it was no longer under popular government. He urged the importance of counteracting the influence of the dominant landed interest that pressed upon the people : but bow was that to be done ?-

By inlisting in behalf of the views of the middle classes the sympathies and interests of a larger mass of their fellow-countrymen : and never was it more essential that such a step, when proposed, should be taken with perfect good feeling and unanimity. They were powerless as a minority, unless they acted with concert and consultation in the House, and were backed by the People out of doors. To raise their party out of doors to an efficient state, they should consider what changes were requisite in order to insure the largest possible ex- tension of the franchise consistent with some property qualification. These remarks were in some measure prompted by an imputation, that the conduct of some of the Liberal Members on Saturday last, in the House of Commons, showed there was a difference of principle among them. Now no such difference existed. All he and those who absented themselves with him on the motion alluded to required, was that such propositions should be calmly weighed before they were submitted to Parliament. Let the Member for Finsbum or any other of the "39 " come forward next session with a similar proposal, and he should be prepared humbly and heartily to cooperate with him. Mr. Villiers, proposing " Peace and Free Trade with all the world," prophesied favourably for the cause of Free Trade from the late events— Anxiously as be bad watched this cause, he solemnly said that he never felt so sanguine of success as at present ; for he had observed, that just as their op- ponents outraged the feelings of all moderate men, as they resisted all that was reasonable that was proposed, so did the ranks of those who would render jus- tice complete to the people increase. Mark what had happened already with respect to that law to which he had given much attention, and which a mi- nisterof religion had justly described the other day as standing between God's providence and man's necessities : they had resisted every inquiry, every alter- ation, every change of the most trifling kind, lest the law should be ultimately repealed; and what did they see at this moment? Why, that a larger, more determined, and better-organized body of men for its total repeal existed, than had ever been seen before in the country. And what bad they then attempted? Why, they were informed by the appointments which they had seen, that every man who had been most prominent in promoting monopoly, all whose interests were identified with monopoly, and every one who had solemnly pledged himself not to touch the law but to render it more stringent, had been invited to join, and was included in the new Government. It is too bad, cer- tainly What would be the result it might be dangerous in these days to prophesy; but he would venture to say, not defeat, not matter for despair— he believed certain, spirited, determined, solid reaction, that would not suffer itself to be deluded.

After arguing that Sir Robert Peel would not be able to bear up against the interests of his party, which he individually might be dis- posed to disregard, Mr. Villiers proceeded— A struggle there mast be, and the sooner it commenced the better. Let the stage be clear, and the fight a fair one ; let King Rent and his Peers go to one side, and Queen Victoria and her People to the other; the world would look on, and God speed the right ! He would back the People against the Peers at any sum, for the People had always triumphed when they were right. Mr. T. Hobhouse proposed Lord John Russell and the Liberal Members of the House of Commons. Sir Thomas Wilde responded ; contrasting, at considerable length, the conduct of the Tory and Whig Administrations. After a long course of opposition, in which they had abundant opportunities of asserting their principles, the Whigs had been ten years in office, and then they tested their integrity by the com- parison between their acts and their professions. Sir Thomas alluded to the standing points of comparison : the Duke of Wellington's de- claration against Reform had left the country in a blaze, and a cele- brated statesman had said, when the Tories left office, that peace could not be preserved in Europe for six months ; the Whigs had restored tranquillity at home and preserved peace abroad ; although trammelled by opposition, they had abolished Slavery, amended the old Corpora- tions, abolished the East India monopoly, and so forth. The Tories had opposed all these improvements. Since the Revolution, that party had constantly invaded the constitution which was then established : Sir Thomas pointed to their last act of this kind— They had a young lady placed upon the throne of these kingdoms, possess- ing claims upon the devotion and affections of her subjects greater than any monarch ever had. She found a Whig Government in power: she had been taught, it was supposed by her revered mother, that the principles of the Go- vernment were well suited not only to maintain the Monarchy but the rights and liberties of the People; and she continued that Government in office. How had the Tories treated her from that hour ? Whatever terms of devotion they might now use, when they expected to wield the sceptre through her agency, had they not in public and private treated their Sovereign with marked disre- spect? Let them look to Tory society, and inquire how the Sovereign was treated but a short time since. In their public banquets the health of the reigning Sovereign was coldly received, while the healths of other ladies, how- ever honourable and worthy they might be, were received with plaudits which could be construed into no other meaning than as an intention to cast a gross insult and stigma upon the Queen.

The Tories could produce no measures in lieu of those which they had opposed. The fact was, that Sir Robert Peel dared not trust the country by avowing his measures, any more than he dared trust his own party : however united to turn out the Whigs, each section of the Tory party was now bent upon securing its own interests, regardless of the rest— Sir Robert Peel and his party were very fond of taunting the late Ministry upon the subject of its tail; but had the right honourable baronet no tail? Be had several : he had an Orange tail, a Timber tail, a Corn tail, and a Sugar tail ; and in crossing the Treasury benches, the different tails wagged most gloriously. (A laugh.) They had heard of the story of the man who advertised for show a horse with his tail where his head should be : the wag had reversed the usual position of his horse in the stable, and bad placed him with his tail to the manger. (A laugh.) It appeared to him that the tail of Sir Robert Peel was too powerful for him, and would soon also get to the manger in spite of him. (A laugh.) Mr. Otway Cave proposed " The health of Earl Fortescue and Lord Morpeth" ; for which Lord Ehrington returned thanks. Sir John Easthope, " The Cause of Civil and Religious Liberty all over the World.' Mr. Ewart, " Prosperity to Trade and Commerce." Some other toasts of less general interest were proposed, and the party sepa- rated.

A meeting was held on Monday night at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, for the purpose of welcoming Mr. Feargus O'Connor to London on his release from imprisonment. Although the meeting was held at very short notice, the large hall was crowded to suffocation. Upon the platform were a number of the most noted Metropolitan Chartist leaders, and among the crowd were many females. Mr. Fussel of Bir- mingham took the chair. Mr. O'Connor was received with a perfect hurricane of cheering and the most uproarious expressions of welcome. He did not look a whit the worse of his sixteen months' incarceration. He addressed the meeting at some length, and with great energy. He told his friends, that instead of going to the sea-side for his health, he had plunged at once into the sea of agitation. He promised to attend a meeting every day for a fortnight, and to meet every advocate of mo- nopoly ; among whom, by the juxtaposition of phrases in the report, Mr. O'Connor seemed to include Mr. Sidney Smith. He said that the annihilation of the Whigs had left no parties in the country but the Tories and the Chartists. He contrasted the grief of the Queen at parting from her Whig friends with other more serious bereave- ments— Some people there were who felt great sympathy with great people, and they say, " the Queen is now weeping over her lost Ministry," and " the Queen is a state prisoner within her own palace"; but these people never sympathized, never thought of Mrs. Frost weeping over her poor departed and much-beloved husband, they never pitied Mrs. Clayton, they never sorrowed for Mrs. Ped- dey, who had been deprived of the society of kind and affectionate husbands. The Queen was a state prisoner in her palace; would to God that all now before him were such prisoners! She was not confined to one particular spot, nor did she feed upon akilagalee.

Mr. O'Connor passed his word that Sir Robert Peel would not be Prime Minister that day seven months: he would visit every town in England and Scotland, and he would have four million signatures to meet Sir Robert with when he took his seat upon the Treasury bench in February. Mr. O'Connor averred that Frost had been sentenced to death through the perjury of the Government-officers-

Frost was never heard to speak sedition, Williams was never heard to speak sedition, nor was Jones ever heard to speak sedition ; but there was a man in a glazed hat who always spoke the treason and sedition—a man in a glazed hat, on horseback, who attended most of the meetings ; and he it was—this man with the glazed hat—who had spoken all the treason and sedition ; and that man had been followed to the Governor's house every night. How was it that man had never been produced? how was it he had never been examined ? He knew how it was. The whole scheme wag a rascally conspiracy against Frost, Williams, and Jones ; and they were sacrificed solely by the false swearing of the Government-officers. He did not hesitate to say, that a better father, a better man, a better Mayor, a better Chartist than Frost, never breathed ; and he had been the victim of a Government conspiracy, backed by the perjury of the Government-officers.

Mr. O'Connor told the people how they could carry the Charter— They had the 39, the glorious 39, in the House of Commons ; and if the minority in that House in the year 1830 awed the House of Lords and carried the Reform Bill, what would not the minority do in 1841, with the Charter as a rallying-point, four million names annexed to it, and a million working. men at its tail ?—Why, they would carry it. He seemed disposed to take Mr. O'Connell's business to himself; declaring that nothing but Repeal of the Union could cure Absenteeism, the great evil of Ireland ; and offering to accept the challenge of Dr. Cooke of Belfast to argue the question, which Mr. O'Connell had re- fused. A number of resolutions were passed condemning Mr. O'Con- nor's incarceration, and sympathizing with the Chartist leaders at pre- sent in banishment, amid tremendous applause. The evening was far advanced before the meeting separated.

A meeting was held at Finsbury Chapel, on Thursday, for the pur- pose of forming a " Metropolitan Young Men's Anti-Monopoly Asso- ciation." The chapel was crowded, several females being among the auditory. Mr. George Thompson, the Anti-slavery agitator, was called to the chair. Dr. Bowring was among the speakers ; but the speaking generally was of little interest. Resolutions were passed condemning monopoly and restrictions on commerce, and establishing the proposed Association, " by which the energies of the young men of this great commercial city may be brought into effective union for the diffusion of sound information, through the means of public lectures, discussion, &a on the subject of Free Trade." In the course of the proceedings, Mr. Savage made a passing allusion to the worst of all monopolies, the mo- nopoly of legislation. Mr. Lloyd Jones, while condemning the Corn- laws, attributed the prevailing distress to the increase of manufacturing machinery, as one cause— Fifty years ago machinery was unknown in this country, so as to produce any effect at least upon human labour. Before that time the producing power of this country amounted to about fifteen millions annually. What an in- crease had since taken place! Our producing power was now equal to four hundred millions annually ; but how had the demand for human labour been supplied ? By machinery—by the efforts of the capitalist in opposition to those of the labourer. Did the working man profit by the increased demand? He did not ; and why ? Some would say by reason of the Corn-laws; and he admitted that the Corn-laws had a vast effect in restricting the spreading of our commercial relationship ; but he looked upon the system which prevailed ci over-stocking the markets by the manufacturer, and the consequent employ- ment of their capital to the detriment of the labourer, as another main cause of the existing misery. He called upon them not to confine themselves to the monopoly of corn, but to extend their exertions to the monopoly of the capi- talist.

At the close, Mr. Thompson delivered a longish address, in which he gave some good advice to the associated young men, especially exhorting them not to lend the society to party purposes-

" Keep then, I would say, to principle. Are the Corn-laws unjust ? then repudiate not only the sliding scale, or a fixed duty, or a low duty, but repu- diate all scales but the scales of everlasting justice ; repudiate all fixed duties but the fixed duty of seeking for a total and immediate repeal of these laws. In this simplicity of purpose you will be strong, and you will be intelligible. You will be strong in the abandoment of all party predilections. You will not be able to fight with success if you fight as partisans. I would mention names as seldom as possible; I would speak only of measures—of principles. I would abandon all reference to men who may be in or out of power, or who may ex- pect to be in power. Say that these are the measures you intend to demand from whomsoever may help you, or from whomsoever may menace and oppose you. The case is good in itself?'

A meeting to establish an Anti-Corn-law Association for St. Pancras was held in the Assembly Rooms, Gower Street, on Thursday; Mr. Ivimey in the chair. Dr. Bowring moved a resolution declaring that the Corn-laws are intolerable and ought to be repealed. Mr. Tarrer, a Chartist, moved an amendment, to the effect that the best way to do away with the monopoly of corn was to do away with the monopoly of legislation. He was frequently interrupted by hisses and cries of " No Chartists!" " Who sent the Tories to power?" Sixteen hands were held up for the amendment, and the original motion was carried by a large majority. Mr. Sidney Smith, the Anti-Corn-law lecturer, then proposed the following resolution-

" That the natural effect of these laws has been to destroy the balance of the constitution ; to depress the power and check the legitimate influence of the Third Estate in the councils of the nation ; to increase immoderately and illegally the privileges of the territorial Aristocracy, and thereby enable them to arrogate to themselves the peculiar office of the Commonalty to regulate taxation ; and to confer upon the Peerage a preponderance in the State, dan- gerous equally to the just rights of the Crown and to the acknowledged prero- gative of the People."

This, unavailingly opposed by the Chartists, was carried almost una- nimously. The next resolution determined upon the establishment of the Association for the district.

A meeting was held in Somers Town on Tuesday, to form an Anti- Corn-law Association. Major Revell presided. A resolution was pro- posed declaring that the meeting viewed with abhorrence those laws which impose a tax upon food, and :Treeing to establish an association. Upon this an amendment was moved by a Mr. Cardo, to the effect that indirect taxation upon the food of the people should be abolished, and that the burden should be placed, as it formerly was, upon the property of the country. It having been represented, however, that it was im-

portant to direct the efforts of the meeting to one point, the amend- ment was withdrawn, and the original resolution was carried, unani- mously. A religious service, says the Morning Chronicle, "in reference to the Corn-laws, was held at the Old Gravel-pit Chapel, Hackney," on Monday.

The members of the West London Railway Company assembled at• their office in Abchnrch Lane, on Wednesday, to consider the resolu- tion of a former meeting to raise 40,0001. additional for the completion of the necessary works on their line. Of the 20,000 shares issued for that purpose, only 9,823 had been taken up by the proprietors ; and on these a sum of 1,471/. 10s. only had been paid up towards raising the 40,0001. required. Some other plan was necessary to be resorted to, therefore, lest the scheme should be wholly abandoned. Down to the 31st December 1840, the payments had been 128,335/. ; - -hile the re- ceipts had only been 122,562/.; the balance against them being 5,7521. Beyond this, the liabilities down to the 30th June 1841 were 11,332/. It was stated in discussion, that, in addition to the money sought to be raised, 20,000/. more would be necessary to carry on the line from its projected junction with the Great Western to a further point of junction with the London and Birmingham line. It was at last formally left to the discretion of the Directors to determine how the 40,0001. should be raised. On the motion of Sir John Scott Lillie, it was agreed that as the instalments paid on the new shares had not reached the sum wanted, they should be refunded to the subscribers who paid them.

The twelfth half-yearly meeting of the proprietors of the Croydon Railway was holden on Tuesday, at the London Tavern ; Mr. W. A. Wilkinson presiding. The report stated that the benefits which had accrued to the Croy don Railway Company by the opening of a great part of the Brighton line were nearly countervailed by the conduct of the Greenwich Company, who persisted in levying very high rates for the use of their line. The receipts were doubled since July 1840 on that part of the line unconnected with the Greenwich rail ; still on the -whole there was not any increase. The opening of the South-eastern line would enable the Directors, it was hoped, to declare a dividend by the next meeting. The receipts had been 17,5437. for the half-year, and the expenses 15,4501.. leaving a balance of 2,0931. There was a former balance still in hand of 7,9561. The total capital received dowu to the 31st July 1841 was 631,815/. During the last half-year the num- ber of first-class passengers conveyed was 51,569, of second-class 168,627, and of third-class 24,511, or 246,707 in ail. The toll paid to the Croydon Company by the Brighton Company had been 1,3301. since the opening of the latter line. The report was adopted.

The consecration of the City of London and Tower Hamlets Ceme- tery, by the Bishop of London, was performed on Saturday last. The attendance was numerous and respectable, notwitastauding the rain which poured down from the beginning to the end of the ceremony. The Lord Mayor, Mr. Sheriff Farncombe, and Mr. Sheriff Gibbs, were also present. A cold collation was afterwards partaken of by the company, under a large marquee, and under the presidence of Mr. Deputy Green. Oue of the company stated that the Bishop of London intended to bring in a bill during the next session of Parlia- ment, for the prevention of more burials in the City. The Cemetery- grounds are thirty acres in extent.

Vauxhall Gardens were sold by auction, at Garraway's Coffeehouse, on Thursday, for 20,200/. The purchaser is Mr. Thomas Fowler ; a gentleman, it is said, wholly unknown to those connec :td with property of the kind.

The Princess's Theatre, in Oxford Street, was offered for sale by Messrs. Foster and Son, on Thursday. The theatre was the property of Mr. Hamlet the jeweller, by whom it was built at an expense of 47,000/. ; and it was offered for sale by order of his assigness. It was put up at 16,000L ; and was finally knocked down to Mr. ham, the jeweller of Cornhill, for 16,400/.

The yearly festival of the National Swimming Society was held at the Green Man Tavern, Berwick Street, Oxford Street, on Wednesday. Mr. Straehan, the founder of the society, was voted to the chair. The prizes swum for at the late matches on the Serpentine were distributed to the victors. The first medal, confeered on the Champion of the Society, was given to Mr. Charles Lewis ; the second and third prizes were won by Mr. Tucker and Mr. Truebridge. To Mr. Jones, as champion of the National Swimming Baths, was allotted also a silver snuff-box. The medal for the best essay on the utility of swimming was won by Mr. Samuel Meredith. It was announced that the Society had sent medals for prizes to be swam for to many provincial towns ; and was ready to do so again in case of application by any town or district.

Mr. Bankes, a ge eerie= of property, was charged at Bow Street last week with some degrading crime, and was liberated on giving bail for his future appearance. One of the persons who offered himself for surety described himself as Thomas Sneezum, builder, 13, Great Smith Street, Westminster Road. On Tuesday, a Mr. Sneezum came forward and said that the person who had become bail was his nephew, and that he was only a servant in his employ. The consequence appeared to be that the original recognizances were void ; and the Magistrate, Mr. Jardine, considered himself unable to direct the recapture of the cul- prit, in order to the renewal of the bail. On Thursday, however, Mr. Sneezum, the nephew, again appeared, and said that the house and busi- ness in Smith Street were really his, though, for reasons connected with a former bankruptcy, the uncle lent his name ; the rent is paid by the nephew, who lives on the premises, which the uncle does not. Mr. Sneezum's recognizances, however, were not confirmed. Fresh bail was offered for Mr. Bankes during the day, but it was not considered sufficient.