About five thousand of the inhabitants of Rochester, Chatham, and
Strood, assembled on Monday evening, in Rochester, to discuss the present state of public affairs. The City Repository, Rochester, was the appointed Once of meeting, and half-past six the time. But before that hour, the room was filled, and the street was crowded; so it was determined to adjourn to the court-yard of the Bull Inn ; and the speakers addressed the assembly from the windows of the inn. This had a singular effect, as the crowd was in darkness, though the speakers were of course seen. Among the gentlemen who took a leading part in the proceedings. were Mr. Bernal, Mr. Law !lodges, Mr. Rider, anti Mr. Erskine Perry. Mr. Thomas Bentley was Chairman. The resolutions were couched in strong language, expressive of disgust and indignation at the dismissal of the late Ministers, and the recall of the Tories. The address is subjoined : it is certainly as the Times re-
marks, " more peremptory than defesential to the Throne."
" We, the undersigned, your Majesty's loyal and dutiful subjects, inhabitants of Rochester, Chatham, Strood, and their vicinity, in the county ot Kent, have learacd ith f'..clings of regret and astonishment, the late change which your Majesty has thought tit to make in 3 our Councils, by dismissing 1.0td lq,dhourne and his ad" leagues, awl intrusting the Duke of Wellington a ith the formation of a Cabinet. We beg to assure your Majesty, that we cannot contemplate this change as ithout fivlinge. of the deepest anxiety, grounded on the conviction that the Duke of Wellington is utterly deprived of the confidence of the u wary, through his notorious hos- tility to the great pri-iciples of civil and religious liberty ; and that, cousequently, he c,,t maintain himself in office only by setting public Opitl:011 it complete defiance. We do, therefore, respectfully entreat your Majesty, forthwith to dismiss the Duke of Wellington from your Nlajesty's presence and Councils, and to intrust the formation of a new Cabinet to men in milom we can mritide, as being prepared to carry into full operation those enlightened principles of Government, of which your Majesty. since your accession to the throne of your ancestors has more than once been pleased to evince your gracious approbation.' Messrs. Hodges, Rider, and Bernal, each delivered short but spirited speeches. Mr. Rider reminded the meeting, that as he had pledged himself to vote for short Parliaments and the Ballot, so be had redeemed those pledges. Mr. Bernal challenged any man to say that he had ever deceived the Reformers, or been absent from his post on the day of battle. An association was formed to oppose "the Duke, the friends of the Duke, and all who are concerned with the Duke." About sixty gentle- men, who took part in the proceedings' adjourned after the meeting was over, to the City Coffeehouse when several speeches were de- livered, and the bealths of the Men:tiers of Parliament present were enthusiastically drunk. There was a stormy meeting at Gloucester on Tuesday last. The Reformers assembled in the Shire-ball, in number between four and five thousand, to protest against the return of the Tories ; but the pm- ceedings were interrupted frequently by some violent men of the oppo- sing party, who did all in their power to raise a "row." In this, how- ever, they were disappointed ; for the resolutions and address were car- ried by immense majorities. Mr. Philpotts, the Member for the city, spoke energetically against the Duke and his system of misrule. Mr, (3other, a surgeon (who, it is said, will be the Tory candidate for Gloucester at the next election), delivered a tirade against the object of the meeting. He appears to have been heard more patiently than he could have expected, considering the irritating language he used. At the conclusion of the meeting, three cheers were given for the King, three for Earl Grey, and three for Lord Durham. LThe Reformers must always be liable to the species of interruption which they en- countered at Gloucester, for they meet in public ; whereas the Tories congregate in holes and corners or select parties, or smuggle their ad.- dresses among their dependants for signature. In this way, of course, they avoid opposition.]
The Common Council of Gloucester met on Monday, and adopted an address to the King, couched in similar terms to those used in the address voted at the public meeting.
A number of gentlemen of Tory politics assembled at the White Hart Inn, on Tuesday evening. After dinner, the chairman told the reporters that the meeting was a private one; so they left the room.
An address to the King, praying him to intrust the Government of the country to those only who will carry into execution the principles of the Reform Act, has been unanimously agreed to at a very numer- ous meeting of the inhabitants of Newport.
At Poole, a similar address has been agreed to, at a public meeting of the Reformers. The Mayor of Poole refused to cull a meeting; and the Anti-Reformers have got up a counter address, in the true hole-aildscorner style.
The Dissenters of Newport have passed the following resolutions, at a public meeting of their body.
" That the resolutions adopted by the United Committee of the Three Denomina- tions of issenters. at a recent meeting in Loudon, have the cordial and entire concur- rence of thr meeting; and that they pledpe themselves to persevere in seeking the full and immediate relief of the practical grievances of the Dissenters of this country. That we pledge ourselves, and earnestly recommend our friends, to support those candi- dates only, at another election, known to he favourable to the removal of the grievances and disabilities which affect Protestant Dissenters."
The United Committee of Independents and Baptists, in Plymouth, Devonport, and Stonehouse, have had a meeting, at which they have passed some resolutions of a very decided character. After expressing their regret at the delay in concerting measures for the redress of Dis- senters' grievances, they declare their belief that it is chiefly attributable " to the inveterate prejudice and unreasonable opposition to which, in all measures tending to such redress, the late Administration has been exposed." They go on to express their serious apprehensions as to the course to be pursued by his Majesty's present advisers; and declare, that, in the event of a dissolution, they will employ "the most decisive and vigorous measures to promote the return of such Representatives alone as have entitled themselves to the gratitude and confidence of the country, by well -sustained professions of attachment to the cause of universal, civil, and religious freedom."
Previous page
