Etc iftertittO.
THE restoration of Lord Grey and his colleagues to office, has hadits tranquillizing effect on the People: many meetings that were con- templated have been abandoned, many that were appointed have been postponed. There is at the same time no lack of vigilance. The People are prepared ; and were the alarm-gun again fired, every man would be at his post in an instant. The same joyful event which fibs diminished the number of meetings, has taken from their interest. We-*
no longer watch them with feverish anxiety. Their work is done ; and • their zeal, highly honourable as it is, from the events that have taken place, is now supererogatory. We shall therefore merely chronicle the more notable of those of which accounts have reached us during the week.
In our own neighbourhood, the Blackheath meeting of Monday was the most notable. It was numerous and most respectable. Colonel Jones, who was loudly called for, apostrophized the guns at Woolwich. A most numerous meeting of the West Riding of Yorkshire took place at Wakefield on Wednesday. The requisition, which contained between 400 and 500 names of freeholders, was got up in a day. The procession from Leeds, besides an immense host of persons on foot, consisted of 60 or 70 carriages of various descriptions. The number that assembled at Wakefield is rated by the country papers at 150,000. The Constable of Wakefield was in the chair. An address of thanks • to the King for recalling his Ministers was unanimously agreed to. On Thursday last week, there was a very large meeting at Glasgow. Of course it was held before the intelligence of Lord Grey's restora- tion was known. The banners on this occasion amounted to 300. Some of them were awfu'. There was a bundle of real swords bung from a pole—a crown stuffed with straw, and the motto " Ichabod :" others were humorous—for example, a female with a pair of inex- pressibles in her hand ; motto, " Sic a wife as Willy had." The num- ber that assembled on the Green is calculated at 120,000. There were 7,000 Irish in one compact body.
On Saturday, there was a very large and respectable meeting at Ren- frew. Three thousand Reformers from Greenock walked sixteen miles to the meeting. Sir John Maxwell advanced to it at the head of 140 horsemen and 2,000 persons on foot ; the entire meeting is esti- mated at 40,000. Mr. Spiers of Elderslie was in the chair. Among the resolutions, was one of thanks to 111r. Attwood, and another to Colonel Jones. Lady Sandford, Mrs. Wallace, Mrs. Maxwell, Miss Maxwell, and a number of other ladies, were on the hustings. Among the flags, was one that had figured at Drumclog.
The people of Perth had a meeting on the South Inch on Monday. It was called by the Provost and Magistrates, and mustered about 10,000 individuals.
Everywhere, the news of Lord Grey's recal has diffused the most lively satisfaction. At Edinburgh, when on Friday night the driver of the mail, in reply to the question from a thousand tongues, " What's the news ?" shouted out " Lord Grey's restored," the effect was elec- tric. The shouting and shaking of hands knew no bounds.
Previous page
