On Saturday evening, the Chartists had a meeting at Brandon
Hill, near Bristol. This assembly, consisting of about 1,800 persons, be- haved peaceably, though the language of the orators was absurdly vio- lent.
Peter Murray M'Douall, of Ramsbottom, near Bury, delegate for Ashton-under-Lyne in the National Convention, and John Bradley, of Hyde, were charged before the Magistrates at Hyde, on Saturday last, with attending an unlawful meeting at Hyde, on the 22d of April. John Gatley, constable of Hyde, swore that Bradley presided at the meeting, and that M•Douall used inflammatory language. Bradley was ordered to find bail amounting to l20/., and M'Douall to the amount of 5001. in two sureties, and 5001. himself. Bail for Bradley was easily procured, but that for M'Douall was not forthcoming ; and he was sent to Stockport, escorted by a party of dragoons.
It will be recollected that a short time since Lord John Russell for- warded to the Lords-Lieutenant of counties a letter, intimating that if respectable bodies of men chose to associate for the purpose of protect- ing life and property, the Government would furnish them with arms. In order to use the arms effectually, those bodies of persons must, of course, he drilled ; and since the publication of his Lordship's letter, the Chartists have been on the look-out to detect any of " the Russell Armed Association men" in the act of drilling, for the purpose of lay- ing an information by way of retaliation for the committal of some of the Chartists for a similar offence. They have at length succeeded in their object ; and at the Petty Sessions at Barnsley, on Wednesday week, four tradesmen who had been drilling were ordered to find bail to answer the charge at Rotherham Sessions.
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