Cbr girtropolitt.
It was stated by Mr. Leader, at the Crown and Anchor meeting, that the Dissenters were opposed to the prosecution of the war in Canada, and wished that a system of conciliation and concessior should be adopted towards the colonists. This was contradicted by the Patriot, a paper which seems to be considered a sort 'of organ of the Whiggish Dissenters. Au " Elector of Westminster," however, confirms Mr. Leader's statement, in a letter to the Morning Chro- nicle; and supplies the petition of a congregation of Baptist Dissen- ters in Romney Street, Westminster ; adding at the same time his belief that similar petitions would be generally adopted by the Metro- politan Dissenters. The truly Christian and enlightened Baptists of Romney Street express themselves in these terms- " Your petitioners feel deeply impressed with the conviction, that. in proportion as governments are based upon Christianity, and follow out its principles. so will their administration be beneficial both to the governors and the governed. That such being the couscieutious opinion of your petitioners. they greatly deplore the present situation of her Majesty's provinces of Upper and Lower Canada. That as our holy religion in- culcates ' peace on earth, and goodwill towards all melt,' and as war is contrary to ha divine precepts, and (especially when aggressive) destructive of emery principle of morality, your petitioners feel themseltes called upon, in the performance of a most sacred and solemn duty, to protest against it. That your petitioners humbly pray your Honourable house to adopt such measures as to your ilouutitable House may seem meet to put an end to the unnatural contest now existing in her Majesty's American Colo- nies; and, by a course of concession and cola I iiidit111. to reitore to the Mother Country the alienated affections of our fellow citizens of Canada, a he, 301r petitioners believe, are justly entitled to equal rights and privileges with themselves."
A public meeting of the inhabitants of' Marylebone was held on Tuesday, at the Mechanics Institution, Circus Street, New Road, " to take into consideration the present alarming condition of Canada." According to the announcement in the handbills, the chair was to have been taken at seven o'clock precisely, and at that hour the large room of the Institution was crowded to excess. Considerable impatience was manifested by the meeting, at the Committee of management or the Chairman not making their appearance till within a few minutes of eight o'clock ; when Mr. Roebuck appeared on the platform, and was unanimously called to the chair. Mr, Roebuck then explained the objects of the meeting._ Certain persons were iuclineci to condemn the course which he and Lis friend were pursuing. He, with others, thought it best to meet their fellow country- men, and discuss with them the present position of Canadian :Jails. This had been called a very improper course; but he was determined to persevere in it—to go before the People--to discuss the question—to meet opposition—to answer objections and refute them—but to speak no treason, because they felt none. (Load dicers.) They had then met to consider whether it would be requisite for their material welfare, feelings, and honour, to go to war with Ca. nada. He wished to learn from the various meetings which he was resolved to attend, the real feelings of the People of England on this subject. This course was denounced as very culpable, at the present day : bat he had for such a course the precedental authority of the present Ministers themselves. Cheers, and laughter.) In 1831 and 1832, when the Reform Bill was under discussion, the present Ministers, the greater part of whom were then in power, were exceedingly glad that such loge and overwhelming meetings of the People should take place as would infuse fear into certain parties. He was now deter- mined to follow their example, and to invite public meetings, that the People might understand the subject in discussion, and give such directions to their Representatives in Parliament as would prevent the Ministers from going to war with their fellow subjects in Canada. Mr. Roebuck entered into a recapi- tulation of the views and arguments which he urged on this subject at the Crown and Anchor meeting. There was a writer in the Times who signed himself " No Traitor," and daily recommended that he should be sent to the Tower. (Laughter.) But he would tell " No Traitor" that he would de. scribe himself much better if he subscribed himself " A Canadian Merchant, with bankruptcy staring him in the face." But however Lord Gosford might arrest M. Papioeau and the other leaders of the people in Canada, it would take the British Government a long time to consider before they would arrest the leaders of the People in this country. (Load cheers.) Mr. Savage moved the first resolution, to the effect that the meeting declared the successive Governments of this country alone responsible for all the horrors of the civil war in Canada ; that oppression and injam. tice had characterized the conduct of the Governments towards AS people of Canada; and that the meeting sympathized with their Cana- dian brethren. This resolution was seconded by Mr. Vincent, and carried unanimously.
Colonel Thompson then addressed the meeting—.
He bad intended to stay at home, not from a disinclination to serve, but • belief that it might be economy for future service. He came now, because the great Tory organ, the Times, had that day. thought it worth while to threaten him for what he had said at a larger meeting. He came to make a politic use of this, by repeating and confirming every thing he had said before. (Cheers.) He had said that, with his will, the resolution proposed to the Westminster meeting should have been, " That the attempt of the Ministers of the Crown to mite on the supplies in Canada against the consent of the Representative Assembly, is an act of treason, which the British people, if they are wise, will punish when they are able." (Loud cheers.) Anil fur proof, lie had referred to the fact, that a greater than they—(Loud cheers)—had been brought to con- dign punishment fur the very attempt that Ministers were now engaged in. This was his answer to those threats.; but this was not all. He, too, stood therefor the Queen; and threw the name of traitor upon all who, professing to supp rt her title to the throne, denied that the punishments indicted on the ejected family were just, legal, honourable, and glorious. (Loud and continued c wing.) Fur his part, he would stand on no Mee fence, as to what precise quantum of grievance might justify resistance. Suffice it for him, that the Ministers in their insanity and wickedness had chosen to run upon that polio cular breach of constitutional law, which had been stamped by a civil war and change of dynasty, as justifying re-istsnee, and breaking up the coop ict between the People and the Government. The whole was only a rehearsal ; one old and acknowledged right of the people was to be broken down to day, and ano- ther to-morrow ; and all the while a possible successor to the throne was look. ing forward to the chance of repeating the tragedy upon ourselves. Rut we were told that taking the supplies by force was not to be resisted: submit, and trust to the benevolence of the victorious tyranny ! Was this the way our an- cestors had acted ; or was it the way men acted in private. life ? If they heard the cry of rape, did they say to the injured, Let him have his will, and wait to see what he will do fur you afterwards? (Cheers.) Once more he exhorted the meeting to consider, that an old and admitted right of the British People, which their fathers had bought with their blood, was now at stake. (Continued cheering.)
Several other speakers followed, and the meeting did not separate till half-past tell.
A meeting of the Westminster Liberal Association, which appears to be a sort of Whig electioneering club, was held on Wednesday, at the Kent and Sussex Hotel, Jermyn Street ; Mr. Gilbert Pouncey in the chair. Resolutions were passed disapproving of the meeting at the Crown and Anchor. At this meeting, Mr. H. B. Fearon read a "protest," after the manner of the Peers in Parliament, against the proceedings at the Crown and Anchor Tavern it was subsequently signed by Mr. De Vear, Mr. Pouncey, the Mr. Arber, and three others. From this important document we extract two items- "Because the meeting, when so assembled, was not in truth or fact a meeting of the electors of Westminster, although falsely passing itself under Mat designation; and of the fourteen names reported to have taken the lead upon the occasion, the majority (the Chairman included) are believed nut to be electors of Westminster."
" Because, as friends of liberty and of reform in Church and in State, as friends of the happiness and prosperity of our country, we deeply regret and wholly repudiate the doctrines propounded in our names as electors of West- minster at that meeting-doctrines which (in relation to the duties of the Canadians) held up fur imitation at this time, and under present circumstances, the execution of Charles at Whitehall, and exhorted our brethren in Ireland not to rely for the redress of their grievances upon the present slow and con- stitutional mode of obtaining such, but to imitate the Canadian revolt, and resort to rebellion and civil war."
As the meeting at the Crown and Anchor was avowedly a meeting of the inhabitants, not of the electors of Westminster,-being summoned u a meeting of the "inhabitants" by public advertisement,-we are astonished t es a gentleman of Mr. Fearon's respectability and fair- nes, have put forth so incorrect a statement as that quoted.
Resolutions were passed on Wednesday, at a meeting of the inha- bitants of St. Pancras, censuring the conduct of the Whig Ministers in regard to Canada.
It is intended to give Mr. O'Connell a public dinner at the Crown and Anchor on Saturday the 17th of February; Colonel Evans in the chair.
A report of the death of Mr. Holmes, High Bailiff of Southwark, was prevalent at the end of last week ; and Mr. Harvey and Mr. Charles Pearson were put forward as candidates for the office, which is worth 1,0001. a year. The report was without foundation.
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