LiaoinNierrows.—An illumination took plaice on Monday night, prin- cipally in
the line of the Strand and Fleet Street, in commemoration of the great event of last Friday. The notice was hastily given, and par- tially acted on bejltuse partially known. On Wednesday, a second illumination, for which more time had been allowed. took place through- out the whole of the two cities of London and Westminster. It was chiefly of that kind which better shows the disposition of the people, and, from the mass of light which it throws out, is really a Much finer object of contemplation, than the most elaborate devices—an illumina- tion of candles. Not knowing the precise meaning attach _td to the word " general" by our brethren the Morning Post and the Slandaril, we cannot say whether in their sense we speak correctly or not, when we say that the illumination.of Wednesday night was so. There were no doubt dark spots here and there ; and if by these the enemies of the King mean the force of their disloyalty to be estimated, we venture to aver tlit his Majesty has at least 99 out of every 100 of his subjects. rAs for the hackneyed and pointless argument, that. those who put lights in their windows do so out of fear, we pass it by as unworthy of answer. Let the Mayor, or let the Duke, or let all the titled and untitled Oli- garchs int England attempt to get up an illumination manias/ Reform, and then we shall see how many of John Bull's sturdy sons will burn candles from fear. The truth of the matter is, the illumination was most remarkable in lanes and alleys, whose humble indwellers had not the shadow of a reason for fearing that they would be visited either by the lovers of light or the lovers of darkness. We had had our eyes satiated with the displays of the great, and of those who seek to convert an occasion of public rejoicing into an occasion of private puffing ; and therefore we directed our steps purposely to the most retired quarters of the town, and especially to the habitations of the poor,• where, if there be sometimes small discretion, there is also small hypocrisy.. From the examination of these we conclude. that One feeling of Reform is every where diffused ; and that to deny. it, even did we so incline, would only prove that we were most obstinately stupid, or most per- versely bent on shutting our eyes to the truth. The crowd in the thoroughfare of the Strand, Fleet Street, and yet more especially in Cheapside, was exceedingly great. It was with difficulty that a passenger could insinuate his way along any of those streets event so early as nine o'clock ; by eleven, when the closed shops and ware- houses had poured out their all-day-prisoned thousands, the pro- gress of the augmented masses became proportionably slow. It was soon impossible for the most active or vigorous to outstrip the must sluggish and feeble ; the movements were no longer individual, but general ; once in tine eddy or the stream, the curious Wight was slowly, but irresistibly, propelled by a force which nothing could retard and no- thing accelerate. The carriages crept onward at the same foot pace, the pole of the one resting on the foot-board of the other ; forming a chain of wheels and horses, of which the parts seemed to he without number, and the succession without end. The illumination of the " mighty heart" went radiating forth, in every direction, to the most remote and peaceful of tine thousand hamlets by which it is surrounded. To tine South, Newington, Lambeth, Kennington, and Brixton—on tine West, Chelsea, Knightsbridge, and Kensington—on the East, Ratcliff, Shad- well, Limehouse—Islington, Iloxton, and Hackney, on the North—shot forth their streams of light far into tine bosom of tine dark of a night of singular mildness and serenity. The conduct of the people was inn accordance with the time. There was not a. single roe., and hardly an accident. In Holborn, about midnight, a few panes of glass were bro- ken by some idle boys. The same inconsiderate trick was repeated in the Strand, where the Morning Post, to his great joy and rejoicing, was the victim. Knowing the earnestness with which this small persecution was longed after by our Miguelite contemporary, we cannot help sincerely congratulating him on the accomplishment of his prayers. A few panes were also broken at Northumberland House; at Apsiey House, where the servants fired on the crowd, fortunately without provoking their anger ; at the Marquis of Londonderry's; and at Sir Robert Wilson's in Regent Street. These, with the windows of three or four tradesmen who did' not illuminate, calculating on the advertisement which a broken window never fails to give, constituted the amount of the night's damage. We forgot—the club-rooms were roughly handled. The boys, it is just to add, gave every warning by repeated cries for lights, and it was only when these and a single pebble were disregarded, that the shower began. Among the disasters, a window of tine Literary Union is said to have been broken; and it is also said that the head of Mr. Campbell, the poet, had a narrow escape from the stone,—for the sake of the stone, we are happy to add, that it escaped all the other heads of that very learned body. On the whole, it is admitted that never did a general illumination pass in London, in which the glaziers' boys showed so extraordinary a degree of inactivity. We have no room for a narrative of particulars. The daily newspaper-offices—the Post always excepted—offered a blaze of light and loyalty ; the weeklies, ourselves among the number, followed, as became us, haul passibus Mquis. The front of the Mansion House was gorgeous in gas, the pale flickering flame of which was very beautifully relieved by the dark heavy mass of the building behind. There were nu- merous devices and hosts of flags, with mottos indicative of the loyalty and libei'ality of their owners, in almost every street, large or small, that we visited in the course of the night. MODEST REQUEST.— Sir William Curtis, and some other red-hot Anti.. Reformers, waited on the Lord Mayor on Tuesday, with the very mo- dest request, that he would send a posse of policemen to protect the win- dows of each, because they did not intend to illuminate ! The Lord Mayor told these gentlemen, that he could spare no watchmen for their dwellings more than fur those of their neighbours ; and that he thought tine best and cheapest watch they could have, would be a couple of pounds of penny candles. Sir William had the prudence to take the Mayor's advice.
Mee-taxes TO ADDRESS TUE KING.—TIICSO are too IIIIITICI'DIIS to be spe- cified. The Westminster people met by thousands at Covent Garden on 'Tuesday: Sir Francis Burdett, Mr. Hobliouse, and several other gentle- men, made excellent speeches. Maryleboue met yesterday. Nearly all the polishes and districts of the metropolis have imitated or are about to imitate their example. In the country, the meetings are equally hearty
and general. •
BOROITGIIMONGER FITN.D.—A set of great men, who meet in Mr. Planta's house, in Charles Street, and who for shortness arc denominated the " Charles Street Gang," have, it is said, subscribed a very large sum of money, to be employed in bribing the bribable among the electors of England to vote against the King. The sums put down are variously reported. The Duke of Northumberland is said to have subscribed 100,000/, Sir Robert Peel 25,0001., others 15,000/. and 10,0001. There is, no doubt, much exoa-geration in this estimate; but it serves the Boroughmongers, by imaging out baits fur the corrupt. The Times says, the Antis have means, but cannot get men. Loran, AND P.syntorte FuND.—A meeting was held. V tine Crown and Anchor Tavern, on Wednes,biy, Sir Francis Burdett m the chair, in order to promote a subscription for the purpose of procuring the return of honest and zealous friends to tine Reform 11111,—a proceeding rendered absolutely necessary by the ample contributions of its enemies, with it view if possible to procure supporters of the corruptions of which they are the fosterfathers. Mr. Ilobhouse mentioned, that a noble, marquis had subscribed 10,0001., and that various other sums were already deposited with a committee of gentlemen of Boodle's, varying from 25/. to 1001. A proposal was made by Sir Francis Burdett, that the subscriptions should be limited to a sovereign,—a proposal which was instantly, and we think most properly, putt down. The desideratum is money, and tine more the better; it matters not in what quantities it come—there is no danger of the Reform Bill being crushed under the weight of it. Sire observe among the contributors, the workmen of the great establishment where this paper is printed-they have forwarded to tine Committee, 161. " together with ten independent votes," so much for our depart- ment of journalism ! We hope the fund will prosper, and we have no doubt it will ; but after all, the grand support of tine Bill is the unanimous feeling- of tine people in its favour. Without this, the Re- formers, as Mr. HoblionzSe said of the Duke of Northumberland, might have manurial the fields with half.crowns, and only been laughed at for their profusion. The distributions of a few well-kormed and plain ad- dresses will do more than a bushel of sovereigns to win over the few that still honestly oppose the King.
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