igirobinces.
On Tuesday, at Llandilo Fawr, Mr. David Arthur Sanders Davies was elected Member for Carmarthen County, in the room of Mr. J. Jones, deceased. Though there was no opposition, the election created some interest, in consequence of its being the first in an agricultural county since the passing of the Tariff. He alluded, of course, to the sub- ject of agricultural protection; but his constituents were obliged to be content with very vague assurances— He had been asked whether he would support the agricultural interest ? a question which need scarcely have been asked; for when he stated that every thing he possessed—that every portion of his property was laid out in agricul. tare, he need scarcely say that the agricultural interest would be the first ob- ject of his care. But when he said this, he would observe, that they must not take toon arrow a view of the subject ; for the commercial and the trading inter- ests must also be supported and united with the agricultural interest, which could not but participate in their success or depression. They were aware that this country bad seen a great crisis, and he firmly believed that Sir Robert Peel had made an effort to relieve the country from its effects. He knew that much had been said respecting the Tariff, and that there had been a strong feeling that it had been the means of causing the depression in agriculture. He did not believe that the experiment of the Tariff had been long enough in operation to warrant such an assumption, but that the depression in agncul- tore might fairly. be attributed to a panic, and other causes; and he felt the more confident in this view of the case, from the fact that the returns had shown that the importation of foreign cattle for three months did not equal one week's consumption. That there had been a great depression in agriculture no one could deny: he hoped, however, that the worst had passed, and that the glorious news from the East would open new springs of commerce, and be one means of restoring prosperity to it, and thus cause a beneficial reaction in the agricultural interest. Should, however, the depression continue, and measnres be brought forward for its relief, be would give to them his best consideration, and act upon the most deliberate judgment he could form : further than this
he would not pledge himself, as he hoped they sent him to Parliament nos'' • I merely to vote, but to think also.
Mr. Sturge's " National and Complete Suffrage Conference" was opened at Birmingham on Tuesday morning; when delegates arrived in considerable numbers. Its principal objects were, to prepare a bill comprising what are in fact " the six points of the Charter," to deter- mine what Members of Parliament should move for leave to bring the bill into the House of Commons, to consider a plan for an organized system of public meetings to induce the electors of the United King- dom to vote only for complete suffrage candidates, and to adopt an address to the people of England. On the motion of the Reverend T. Spencer of Bath, seconded by Mr. Feargus O'Connor, Mr. Joseph Sturge was unanimously called to the chair. He explained the purpose of the agitation for Complete Suffrage, distinct from the Charter— • -
Some of them had been repeatedly applied to by the working-classes to assist them in the movement they were making to obtain complete justice in the re- presentation ; and in declining at first to take part in those proceedings, it was urged that those classes had able leaders in the field, and that the name of the Charter was identified in the eyes of the electors with physical force and violence, so that the aid of the electors could not be expected ; and he feared, though an honest Chartist was as peaceful in his views as any man, that some expressions and acts bad given a certain degree of foundation for this opinion. Still he (Mr. Sturge) held it to be the duty of every one boldly to advocate just leOslation, however much some of the measures adopted by others might be objectionable. It was on this principle that the Complete Suffrage Union bad commenced its labours. They had affirmed at a former conference the " six points," but he unequivocally declared that they could not be parties to any compromise of their peaceful principles.
Mr. W. Morgan, who was elected Secretary, preduced three lists pre- pared by the Council—of those delegates whose election was correct, of those whose election was irregular but whom the Council recom- mended the Coaference to admit by a vote, and of those (for six towns) whose election was totally objected to as having taken place under cir- cumstances at variance with the invitation of the Council. It was pro- posed by way of amendment, that the lists should be set aside, and that any election which was questioned should be challenged specifically. The carrying of the amendment by a large majority proved the numerical preponderancy of the Chartist delegates, by whom it was supported. The entire list of delegates was then read over, to the number of three or four hundred : among the names were the Reverend Patrick Brewster, Mr. William Lovett, Mr. A. Neil, Mr. G. White, Mr. G. J. Harney, Mr. Vincent, Mr. J. Hobson, Mr. J. R. H. Bairstow, and the Reverend W. Hill. Several propositions were now made as to the con- stitution of a committee to investigate the "controverted elections ;" the Chartists obtaining two victories. Letters were read from Mr. Sharman Crawford, explaining that he had declined beine.' a delegate for Edinburgh, because he thought he could best serve the Conference in the House if he did not take part in their proceeding ; and from Mr. O'Connell, explaining that he did not attend because the personal hostility between' himself and the Physical Force Chartists would defeat his efforts at conciliation and harmony. Mr. O'Connell, however, ex- pressed his concurrence in the objects of the meeting, and declared that the overwhelming majority of the Irish people went with him ; though the millions in Ireland, who are anxious for universal suffrage, are much more solicitous for the restoration of the Irish Parliament. Mr. O'Connell gave some counsel on the importance of cultivating union with the middle class ; and in the course of his letter he hinted, that Sir Robert Peel and the Duke of Wellington might yield on the subject of Uuiversal Suffrage, as they had done in respect of Catholic Emanci- pation and Corn-laws.
Mr. T. Beggs, from Nottingham, moved a series of resolutions, com- prising the proposition that the Conference should take into considera- tion the bill prepared by the Council; when Mr. Lovett totally discon- certed the plans of the Council, by moving, that, instead of their bill, " the People's Charter" should be taken into consideration ; as it had been before the country for many years, and was plain and intelligible: was it right then that they should now be bewildered by a bill which would take five hours in the rending ? Not to take the other party by surprise, Mr. Lovett proposed that the discussion of his proposal should be adjourned till next day.
It was then debated with considerable warmth. Dr. Ritchie, who supported the bill, said, that he did not object to the Charter as a paper, but lie disliked it as the symbol of a party. Mr. O'Connor—" Exactly ; but that is the reason why we support it." (Cheers.) Mr. Roberts of Bath complained that the resolutions were inconsistent with the printed programme ; and had they been previously circulated, not a single Chartist would have attended the meeting. (Confusion, and repeated cries of " No"! and " Yes !") He thought the Cherish; had been treated with bad faith. It was then successively proposed, by Mr. Summer, that the two measures should be considered simultaneously ; and by Mr. Patrick Brewster, that the bill should be considered first, as substantially embodying the People's Charter, and as having been first submitted for consideration.
After a further stormy discussion on Thursday morning, Mr. Lovett's motion was carried, by 193 to 94. Mr. Sturge then said, that he could not consistently continue to sit as chairman of the meeting: he trusted that the majority and minority would not regard each other as enemies, but he thought that he and his friends could best serve the cause of the people by considering their bill in another place. On the motion of
Mr. Lovett, seconded by Mr. Feargus O'Connor, thanks were voted to
Mr. Sturge for his conduct in the chair ; and he left the room with his friends. The Chartists afterwards assembled at the Mechanics Insti- tution, and discussed the People's Charter, having also some regard to the bill of the Conference. The Conference proper assembled at the Temperance Hotel, passed a resolution, which in effect declared that they were the real Conference, and, on the motion of Mr. Vincent, con- sidered their bill and the Charter together.
The Blandford Agricultural meeting was held on Saturday ; when about a hundred and twenty gentlemen sat down to dinner. Mr. II. C. Start, M.P., took the chair ; and among the company were Lord Ashley and Mr. George Wakes. At the morning meeting it was resolved in future to discontinue the corn-show, and to limit the endeavours of the society to the improvement of the labourers. Prizes and certificates were delivered to about fifty labourers, and they had a dinner of their • own. Lord Ashley dilated on the importance of a manly and independent labouring class, in these times of " trouble, rebuke, and blasphemy"; but he avoided the political topics of the day,—partly on the plea that it was Christmas-eve, " when our minds should be directed to the contem- plation of high and holy things!' Mr. Sturt declared that the agricul- turists were " not to be cajoled, or flattered, or frightened out of protec- tion." Still it must be considered, that the sue at its rising every day witnessed an increase of 500 iu the population of Great Britain. On the whole, he did not think that there was much reason for apprehen- sion on account of the Tariff. The difference in the price of meat at Smithfield was only 2d. ts stone ; the price being still 6id. a pound, which no one could say war a low price. Mr. George Bankes sneered at the profuse eloquence of Members in Devon and Somerset; especially attacking Lord Fortescue for his declaratiop that there Vele "signs in the horizon " which prognosticated the speedy withdrawal-of protec- tion- " It is unfortunate for Earl Fortescue's tenants that neither himself or his party during their reign in power (a reign of ten years) happened to look into the political horizon, and to find those signs at an earlier !arbor), when that tenantry might have had a longer warning to provide against the coming stone." Mr. Bankes expressed his "confident belief, that the interests of agri- culture will not be prostrated by those who are its avowed enemies "- " The Anti-Corn-law League will neither drive the Ministry nor will it lead the _people; and notwithstanding Earl Fortescue's prognostications, I do not think there will be any attempt to introduce further changes during the next session of Parliament. I do not apprehend any further changes; and 1 know that many of those who voted in favour of the late alterations did so vote because they considered them as the settlement of a great question. The effect of those alterations may, nay must, for a time unsettle and perplex the interest which they affect : there is a present gloom—there is a depression upon us, it is true ; let us trust that it will soon pass away."
A public meeting was held at Wolverhampton on Friday, to receive a deputation from the Anti-Corn-law League, consisting of Mr. John Bright and Mr. R. R. Moore. Several influential gentlemen of the town were of the party. Mr. Thornely, the Member, was present, and related his experiences in a recent visit to the United States. He had an inter- view with President Tyler, to whom he gave a printed statement of the reductions in the British tariff. Mr. Tyler thanked him ; but re- marked, that he did not see how America could import [into England] largely of corn under our present Corn-law. The new high tariff of America will be modified ; and Mr. Thornely advised that our Corn- law should be altered at once so as to influence the American legislators in the change of their tariff.
Certain inhabitants of Gravesend met on Wednesday, and adopted a petition to the House of Commons for the repeal of the Income-tax, on the grounds of its oppressive and troublesome nature and the cessation of the wars in China and Afghanistan.
The week has been rather fertile in murders in the provinces. The following is the moat remarkable. One Tilsley was murdered by James Crowley, a farmer's son, at Spernall in Warwickshire, on Christmas-day. Family quarrels had induced Crowley's father to allow him a liberal maintenance, with a saddle-horse, away from home ; but he still kept his family in such terror, that Tilsley, one of Mr. Crow- ley's labourers, was sworn in as a constable to protect the house. James came to it on Sunday, with the avowed determination of shooting his father with a double-barrelled gun that he carried ; and when Tilsley approached with two others to seize him, James shot the constable dead mounted his horse, galloped away, and has not since been beard of.
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