26 OCTOBER 1833, Page 2

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meeting of the inhabitants of St. James's parish, Westminster, waeneld on Wednesday night, to adopt measures for obtaining parochial control over the Metropolitan Police. It was stated, that the district of the C division of Police extended over the parishes of St. James, St. George, St. Anne, and a quarter of St. Martin; and that the total expense of the old Watchmen for this district was only 11,8561. per annum, while that of the new Police was 28,6521. Several persons addressed the meeting in strong terms against the new Police system. Colonel Evans, M.P., said-- He trusted that the people's representatives in Parliament would advocate the objectsof the meeting. The Police system was altogether one of " spying," and worthy of the most despotic Continental Governments. He denounced the Police system at great length, and said it was the obnoxious mushroom of a day. He had heard Joseph Bonaparte boast, that for seventeen years he had never seen a soldier or a constable in America, and that he had not during that time ever lost any thing. The system was altogether one of military and political espionage; and it became the people themselves to combine and get rid of it by every legitimate means.

Resolutions against the system, and appointing a Committee to co- operate with other parishes, were agreed to.

On Thursday, executions were put into the houses of Mr. Savage, of the Mechanic's Institute Tavern, Circus Street, New Road, and of

Mr. Brain, picture-dealer, Crawford Street, Marylebone, for arrears of Assessed Taxes. About nine in the morning, a Sheriff's-officer, attended by several of his men, with an Exchequer writ, took posses- sion of the goods of Mr. Brain, consisting of pictures and articles of furniture amounting to 11/. A van, which was at hand, conveyed the property to Mr. Crook's, auctioneer to the Sheriff, Skinner Street.

The officer next proceeded to the house of Mr. Savage, and exhibited

his authority for distraining on his goods for arrears of Assessed Taxes amounting to 351. Mr. Savage said, the officer might take what he

thought proper. Some of the best goods on the premises were at once

laid hold of; but, on the van being brought up, Mr. Savage warmly protested against the illegality of the proceedings, and accordingly called

in six brokers to value the goods seized. No sooner had this gained the ears of the inhabitants, than Circus Street was literally crammed with people, anxious to witness the process, and who were loud and vehement in their expressions of disapprobation of the seizure. The Police on duty hastened to the spot, and succeeded in preventing them from resorting to acts of violence on the instant. About eleven o'clock, a large banner, bearing the words " The people of Marylebone," was placed in the middle of the street, and the crowd continued. to increase ; but no violence was attempted. At twelve o'clock, the van which had been loaded with the goods drove off; and it was followed along the New Road by several persons. At the corner of Baker Street, upwards of 1,000 people had assembled ; but no one endeavoured to arrest the pro-

gress of the vehicle. At length a woman, more courageous than those by whom she was surrounded, rushed through tne mob, and, seizing hold of the horse's reins, exclaimed, " What! are you Englishmen, and yet suffer these things to be done ?—see what a woman dares do!" and turning instantly the head of the animal, a loud cry of "On to Savage's !" was raised. The officers fled, and the van was then taken back to Mr. Savage's ; and the furniture would have been carried back into his pre- mises, bad not he peremptorily refused to receive it. It was then deposited in a warehouse opposite his residence. The furniture having been taken away, the owner of the van endeavoured to get out of the street with his vehicle ; but the mob soon demolished the latter with hammers and stones. There was great confusion, and the shopkeepers in Circus Street put up their shutters. A small party of Police then arrived; and the owner of the van was glad to escape with his horse safe.

Mr. Savage and a Mr. Potter went to the Station-house in the after- noon, and met the Under-Sheriff and Mr. Mayne, the Police Com- missioner; to whoni they gave assurance that the goods would be de- livered up. The Under-Sheriff said, that he thought they were con- cealed in Mr. Savage's premises ; but upon search being made this was found not to be the case.

There was a meeting of the Association in the evening, at the Me- chanic's Institute ; of which Mr. Birch was Chairman. He made a long speech, exhorting those present to persevere in their resistance to the taxes, but not to commit illegal violence. A deputation from the Westminster Association attended, and was received with loud cheers. The room was much crowded till the meeting broke up.

The newsvenders of the Metropolis held a meeting. on Tuesday, at the Lyceum Tavern in the Strand, for the purpose of considering the law of libel as it affects their body. Resolutions were passed declara- tory of the injustice of subjecting newsmen to prosecution for selling a libel ; when, from the peculiar nature of their calling, it was almost im- possible that they could know the contents of the papers they sold; and when the proprietors, printers, and publishers, were held fully answerable for any libels which they might contain. The case of Mr. Warne was also brought before the meeting. He is at present confined in Whitecross Prison, for selling a number of the Satirist which con- tained a libel on Mr. Dicas, an attorney, after that person had warned him not to seil it under pain of prosecution. Mr. Forster, late pub- lisher of the Leeds Patriot, stated his case to the persons present— He had merely asked a question in his paper, of a person who had attacked him whether he was the individual who had stated at a public meeting that " sheep's heads were good enough for the working classes ;" an observation which he was fully prepared to prove had been spoken by that person. An ac- tion was commenced against him ; and being under the necessity of submitting to the withdrawal of the action, as the person would not proceed further, he was compelled to pay his own costs, which amounted to upwards of 300/.

A good deal of desultory conversation ensued ; and it was finally agreed, that a deputation should wait upon Lord Brougham, requesting him to take the case of the newsvenders into consideration, with a view to their relief.

[We observe, by a letter from Sir Francis Vincent, in the Times of Thursday, that that gentleman is determined to reintroduce his bill for the amendment of the law of libel next session.]

The supporters of the Thames Bank General Dispensary held a meeting at the King's Arms in Palace Yard, on Tuesday afternoon. Lord Henley was in the chair, and made a statement respecting the utility of the charity ; by which during the first ten months of its ope- ration nearly four thousand patients, principally watermen, fishermen, and others employed about the Thames, had been relieved. Donations to the amount of 391., and annual subscriptions to the amount of 681., were announced by the Secretary. On Wednesday the Lord Mayor went to Gravesend to examine the temporary pier,. and to endeavour to reconcile the conflicting parties. After some conversation, he expressed his regret that there appeared to be but little ,chance of producing any agreement between the Corporation and the watermen. He hoped, however, that the latter would be recompensed properly for the injury they sustained ; and he impressed upon them the necessity of submission to the law, which had certainly been once most culpably violated by some of the body. the interference of Sir Peter having failed, the next movement will be an appeal to the Houses of Parliament-

- A special meeting of the Calthorpe Street Sub-Committee was held atthe Calthorpe Arms on Thursday night, to effect settlement of accounts relative to the steamboat excursion, and the subscription to present the Jurymen with medals. There was a good deal of squabbling and disorderly conduct ; and the meeting was adjourned till next Thurs- day, without having transacted the business for which it assembled.

A gentleman who insists on the concealment of his name presented yesterday to the London University, by the hands of Messrs. Prescott, Grote, and Co. an Exchequer-bill for 1,0001. ; he desired that the do- nation might be recorded as made by " A Patriot."

A number of fine ships are now fitting out and altering for the China trade, at the various docks and ship-building yards along the river. The City of Edinburgh, a ship of upwards of 900 tons burden, has been lately altered and adapted for the trade to China, at Weston's dock, in Wapping. The keel of a Chinaman is about to be laid down at one of the yards in the port of London. She is to be ready in four months.