LONDON MEETINGS IN BEHALF OF THE CONDEMNED AT WINCHESTER.— A
respectable meeting was held in the Northumberland Arms, Clerken- well Green, on Wednesday night, when a petition to the King wr.s unanimously agreed to, praying for a remission of the sentences passed on the six men now under sentence of death at Winchester. Another petition, to the same effect, was forwarded to his Majesty on Wednesday, from the parish of St. Mary, Islington. A similar petition was agreed to at a meeting of the inhabitants of Coleman Street Ward on the same day; Mr. Alderman Heygate presided on the occasion. At a meeting of Langbourne Ward, for the same purpose, a petition was moved by Mr. Nicholson, in which allusion was made to the harnessing of the paupers in carts ; a fact which did not come out on the late trials, but was stated, we believe, in one of Mr. Hunt's letters, many months ago. Mr. Dixon moved an amendment, which declared that it was not expe- dient to petition the King on the subject ; another petition was opposed to Mr. Dixon's amendment, on which the meeting divided,—when the votes being equal, the Lord Mayor, who was in the chair, and who has had some experience of the effects of rash decisions, declined to give a casting-vote to either side, and thus the Langbourne meeting separated as it met. The Ward of Farringdon Without met yesterday for a simi- lar purpose. The petition in this case, which was moved by Mr. Fes- ron, was Unanimously agreed to. Mr. Taylor moved a resolution depre-
eating capital punishments altogether, which was also carded unani- mously. Mr. Figgins moved the thanks of the meeting to Alderman Waithman, who presided on the occasion. The Alderman is, it seems, a candidate for the office of Chamberlain, which became vacant a few hours before the meeting, by the death of Mr. Clark.
MIDDLESEX MAGISTRACY.—At Clerkenwell, on Thursday, upwards of one hundred magistrates qualified under the new commissien.
MR. Huisrr's PROCESSION.—The " honourable member " for Preston arrived at Islington Green about twelve o'clock on Monday. A number of persons with banners, belonging to the Sawyers' Society, snd a mis- cellaneous mass of friends, admirers, and idlers, greeted his arrival. After resting in the Red Lion public-house for about twenty minutes, Mr. Hunt came forward and addressed the meeting from tl e balcony. Among other reforms which he professed his intention of inmediately pressing in the House of Commons, is the repeal of the Corn Bill ; which he said he would at once proceed to move, and thus attempt at least to restore to the poor man the third of his loaf, of which that iniquitous law had so long deprived him. After cautioning the crowd agaimt the pick- pockets, (whose active services had a few minutes before been tendered to his friend Mr. Mitchell, whom they lightened of his watch and nine sovereigns), Mr. Hunt proposed nine cheers to the men of Preston ; which were cheerfully given ; and Mr. Mitchell in return proyosed three cheers to Mr. Hunt, which were also gicee. The honourable member and Mr. Mitchell then entered an open carrioge and fur ; :Lod preceded by the Sawyers and their banners, and followed by three barouLi.es, and the blacking van, in which was a band of musieines. the procession set fie th It was neither splendid nor very numerour: iioiigh at various points of its progress the crowd was considerable. ne procession moved down the City Road, through Finsbury Square, into Bishopsgate Street, and thence by the line of Cheapside, Fleet Street; and the Strand, aross Westminster Bridge, and down Stamford Street to Mr. Hunt's residence. In proceeding along Fleet Street and the Strand, it had dwindled to two or three hundred; the pedestrians who had previously accompanied its progress having pushed across Blackfriars Bridge in order to secure good places at the member's house in Stamford Street. Mr. Hunt got home about four o'clock ; and proceeded almost immediately to address the multitude from one of the windows. He remarked with great bitterness on an attack by the Stenderd, which had advised shopkeepers and others to keep their children and servants at home, and then Hunt would be followed only by a few blackguards, who would be placed in their proper situation—the kennel. He declared it to be his intention to bring under the notice of Parliament the proceedings under the Special Commission in Hampshire and Wiltshire. "There was a Mr. Benett, member for Wiltshire, who kept up his rents to the highest pitch, and at the same time screwed down to the lowest the wages of the labourers. The lat- ter, in a state of desperation, broke some machines. And in what capa- city did Mr. Benett act? Why, first as a magistrate committing the offenders ; next, as a foreman of the Grand Jury, finding true bills against them ; and lastly, as a witness to give evidence against them, and to hang them. He would talk over that subject with Mr. Be.nett, when they met face toface. There was also a Mr. Alderson, recently made a Judge, whose conduct deserved the severest reprobation." Here Mr. Hunt alluded at some length to Looker's case, and concluded by declaring his intention to bring Mr. Justice Alderson to a severe account. " Yes," said the member, "I will go down to Salisbury, and if I find the statements there are the same that are in the papers, I will move an im- peachment against him." The meeting then gave another round of huzzas to the good men of Preston, and after a few words from Mr. Mitchell, quietly dispersed. There was no dinner.
It is said, but we know not how truly, that Mr. Hunt cannot sit for Preston, because of an uncompleted contract for supplying the army with blacking.
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