NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE interference of Government is required to prevent illegal meetings of large bodies of working men in the North. The Home Secretary, who has exhibited prudent and praiseworthy reluctance to repress by the strong arm of the law, popular ebul- litions, which might be regarded as the not unnatural offspring of much suffering and vexation of spirit, last week apprized the Lancashire Magistrates, that torch-light meetings were ille- gal, and that the proceedings thereat should be watched with the view of punishing parties violating the law. One of these meet- ings having been advertised to be held near Bury, on Saturday last, the Magistrates issued a notice warning all persons of its illegality, and against attending it. Nevertheless, several thou- 3ands, many of them armed and bearing torches, flags, and ban- ners, assembled at the time appointed. FEARGUS O'CONNOR, STEPHENS, and other leaders of the working men, addressed the meeting in their usual strain of violence and menace. It is said that pistols were fired—ill the air—to put an end to any doubt of there being armed men among them. It does not appear that any disorder occurred. The Magistrates transmitted an account of the proceedings to Lord JOHN RUSSELL; and yesterday the followityr proclamation, " given- at Windsor on Wednesday, was published in London.
" VICTORIA R.—Whereas great numbers of evil-disposed and disorderly persons have lately, in some parts of Gieat Britain, assembled themselves together after sunset, by torch-light, in large bodies and in a tumultuous manner, with banners, flags, and other ensigns, and have continued so assembled until a late hour of the night, and during the time they were so assembled have, by loud shouts and noises, and by the discharge of fire-arms and the display of Weapons of offence, greatly alarmed the inhabitants of the neighbourhood of such rm-emblies. and endangered the public peace : "We therefore, bring sensible of the mischievous consequences to be appre- hended from such illegal meetings, and of the dangerous tendency thereof, not only to the peace of our kingdom, but to the liVCS and properties of our subjects, do hereby warn and command all persons to desist from such assemblies, at their peril; and do further command all Justices of Peace, Sheriffs, Constables, and other Peace-officers, to use their utmost endeavours to prevent all such illegal assemblic., and to bring the effenders to justice."
At Ashton-under-Lyne, in the same part of the country, an ex- tensive factory was wilfully set on fire, on Saturday night, at the time when STEPHENS was speaking to the people at Bury. It be- longed to a Mr. JowErr, a Magistrate, whom STEPHENS had re- peatedly denounced, as a " Devil's Magistrate," whose house might " ere long be too hot to hold him." Mr. JOWETT, it seems, laboured under the odium of convicting a boy fur an attempt to BA fire to a factory at Ashton, and also of signing a placard warning the people against attending torch-light meetings. At Rochdale and other places, FEARGUS O'CONNOR and STEPHENS made significant allusions to the uses which torches might serve.* There is but one opinion as to the necessity of preventing armed assemblies at night, and punishing those who, after due warning, persist in disturbing the peace. Our rulers, however, will per- form but a small part of their duty in repressing outrage by sol- diers and police. The causes which render thousands the dupes of such desperadoes as STEPHENS must be removed. The chief of thes , we doubt not, are scarcity of employment and dearness of food huili of which must continue to be the consequences of increasing population, with a stationary or diminishing supply of food and demand for labour.
4 The following passages have been quoted from the speeches of these per- sons. FE:ARGOS O'CONNOR said—. He had preached peace all his life, but at the same time he was always prepared for war. One of those torches [pointing at one near at hand] was worth a thousand speeches ; it spoke a language so intelligible that no man could misunderstand. Those who were not within the hearing of hts voice would comprehend the meaning of that silent monitor." SZEPH EN s told the people that "they would be justified in taking these torches and burning down the ihhionan Bostiles." And again—" I am sure that you !lave acted 0I1 %hat I have told you from time to time, and what I have told you a. right, just, and good : and know you, that we may be ever ready to fight it out, and fight it out we will ; for you shall have peace and plenty yourselves, or they shall have nothing but, war, war, war, till they be exterminated from the face of the earth." The Wheat averages have again reached the point at which foreign corn may be imported at the nominal duty of one shilling a quarter. It will now be seen by the importation, how far the exertions of speculators, who have been endeavouring to make purchases in the Continental and American ports, have been suc- cessful. There is little reason to expect the quantity admitted will be sufficient to lower prices materially, or long.
