of uncertain enjoyment, swallowed up by long and dark seasons of suffering. If the self-government of the people should not remove their distresses, it will, at least, remove their repinings. Universal suffrage will, and it only can, bring true and lasting peace to the nation; we firmly believe that it will also bring prosperity. May it therefore please. your honourable house, to take this our petition into your most serious consideration, and to use your utmost endeavours, by all constitutional means, to have a law passed, granting to every male of lawful age, sane mind, and unconvicted of crime, the right of voting for members of parliament to and directing all future elections of members of Parliament to be in the way of secret ballot, and ordaining that the duration of Parliament, so chosen, shall in no case exceed one year, and abolishing all property qualifications in the members, and providing for their due remuneration while in attendance on their parliamentary duties.

"And your petitioners shall ever pray."

(History of the Chartist Movement, R. G. Gammage, London, 1894. p. 87.)

222. Presentation of the National Petition

Gammage

The climax of the Chartist movement occurred upon April 10th, 1848 the date of the presentation of the "monster petition." The apprehension of the Government, the attitude of Parliament, and the motives and actions of the leaders of the Chartists are well shown by the following selection from the works of a prominent agitator.

The ever memorable 10th of April arrived, and vast preparations were made by the Government. Beside the regular troops quartered in the metropolis, others poured in from Windsor, Hounslow, Chichester, Chatham, Winchester, and Dover. The marines and sailors of the Royal Navy at Sheerness, Chatham, Birkenhead, Spithead, and other government towns, as well as the dockyard men, were kept under arms. The Thames police kept watch upon the mercantile marine, lest they should show any leaning towards the Chartists. Heavy gun-batteries were brought from Woolwich, and placed at various points. The marines were stationed at the Admiralty. Many of the troops were disposed of secretly, to be ready in case of necessity. The mounted police were armed with broad swords and pistols. All the public buildings were put in a state of defence. Two thousand stand-of-arms were supplied to the general postoffice, for the use of the clerks and officers of that department, who were all sworn in as special constables; and the

officials at other public places were equally well provided. All the steam vessels were ordered to be ready for any emergency, in order to convey troops. At the Tower the guns were examined, the battlements strengthened by barricades, and the troops held in readiness to march at a minute's notice. The labourers at the docks were sworn in as specials. The city prisons were guarded by military, and the churches were converted into barracks. The public vehicles were generally withdrawn from the streets. In the city seventy thousand persons were sworn in as special constables, and military officers commanded them. The royal carriages and horses, and other valuables, were removed from the palace. The military force amounted to nine thousand men. It being believed that the procession would go from Kennington Common over Blackfriars Bridge, to the House of Commons, great preparations were made in that quarter. At Stepney Green, Finsbury-square, and Russell-square, bodies of the Chartists met with bands and banners, and paraded the streets on their way to Kennington Common, where six thousand police, and eight thousand specials were in attendance. Before eleven o'clock Trafalgar-square was filled with police. The approaches of Westminster Bridge were, on the Surrey side, guarded by strong bodies of that force, and the bridge was placarded with bills, announcing that no procession would be allowed to accompany the Petition to the House. Every commodious place in the vicinity was filled with military, police, or specials. The artillery was also present. Various bodies continued to arrive on the Common with music and banners, bearing various inscriptions, such as "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity"; "Ireland for the Irish." The Convention assembled at nine o'clock, Reynolds occupying the chair. The delegates' names were called. When the name of Bronterre O'Brien was called, McCarthy said he understood O'Brien had resigned, and he wished to know when he attended last. Doyle said they had no notice of his resignation officially, and he had not attended since the day before the proclamation was issued from the Government. Doyle also announced that he had received a letter from the Commissioner of Police, in reply to one sent by him that the route of procession was altered. The letter stated that the contemplated procession would on no account be allowed to take place. O'Connor delivered a precautionary speech; took the blame off the Government for the preparations they had made, and charged it upon those who had talked of an

armed demonstration. He said he was prepared to ask the meeting "in the name of courage, in the name of justice, in the name of God, not to hold the procession, and thus throw their great cause into the hands of the pickpockets and scoundrels, and give the Government an opportunity of attacking them." He then stated that the preparations had been made for shooting from certain windows on the leaders of the movement. He was told this by Alderman Humphery in the House of Commons, by the police, and others. The delegates started from the Convention Room at ten o'clock. The procession was headed by a car, decorated with various banners, and drawn by four horses. This car was to convey the National Petition. This was followed by a second car, drawn by six horses, and containing the delegates. On the front seat were Feargus O'Connor, Doyle, McGrath, Jones, Wheeler, and Harney. This car, like the preceding one, was profusely decorated. As the delegates left a body of people fell into procession behind them, eight abreast. Having arrived at the National Land Company's office, the procession stopped to take up the petition. This accomplished, the procession resumed its march through Holborn, Farringdonstreet, and New Bridge-street, to Blackfriar's Bridge. Two or three hundred pensioners were on the Steamboat Pier, who, on being recognised, were loudly cheered by the people in the procession. Quite as many police were on the other side of the Bridge, and a little further on were fifty mounted police with cutlasses. As far as the Blackfriar's-road most of the shops were open, but from the Bridge they were mostly closed. The procession at length reached the Common, where the several bodies of men, with their bands and banners, formed into a dense mass, estimated at from one hundred and fifty thousand to one hundred and seventy thousand, and who burst into loud cheering as the delegates' car came upon the Common....

... The meeting being at an end, the Petition was placed in three cabs, and the Chartist Executive accompanied it to the House of Commons. The police guarded the bridges, and for upwards of an hour after the meeting, prevented any approach on the part of the people. Some endeavoured to effect a passage, but the police used their staves, often with very little moderation. The masses did not, however, risk a collision with the police, and considering the excitement previously existing, the day passed off in a singularly peaceful manner.

On the same day O'Connor presented the Petition to the House, which he stated was signed by five million seven hundred thousand persons. He also presented one for the same object, signed by thirty thousand persons. He moved that the first Petition be read by the clerk at the table, which was accordingly done. Lord Morpeth stated that Sir George Grey was unavoidably absent on account of business; but he might say for him, that whatever might be his sentiments on the prayer of the Petition, he would not wish to appear wanting in respect to that or any other petition, signed by a large number of his fellow-subjects. The Petition being rolled out of the House, Bright presented a petition from delegates at Manchester, representing six thousand persons, praying for the six points of the Charter; the abolition of the law of entail and primogeniture; a limitation of the hours of labour; and local boards for the regulation of wages. Lushington gave notice that on Friday next he would ask whether it was the intention of the Government to introduce any measure of parliamentary reform during the session. . . .

On the same day that the last three motions were adopted, an important scene occurred in the House of Commons on the subject of the National Petition. Thornley brought up a report from the Committee on public petitions. He stated that with the assistance of thirteen law stationer's clerks, the petition which O'Connor had said contained five million seven hundred thousand signatures, had been examined, and it was found to contain only one million nine hundred and seventyfive thousand four hundred and ninety-six, and amongst the rest were signatures such as Victoria Rex, the Duke of Wellington, Sir Robert Peel, Colonel Sibthorpe, etc. There were also a large number of fictitious names, such as Pugnose, Longnose, Flatnose, Punch, Snooks, Fubbs, and other obscene names, which he would not offend the House or its dignity by repeating. O'Connor denied that it would be possible for thirteen clerks to count one million nine hundred thousand signatures in the time, and moved for a committee to enquire into the subject. He attributed the fictitious names to Government spies. He believed the number of signatures he had stated was correct. He did not believe he should have any difficulty in obtaining fifteen million or double or treble that number. Thornley said the Committee was not appointed specially to examine that Petition, but it was appointed in the early part of the session, to examine all petitions presented to the House. O'Connor had stated that the

Petition was contained in four large bundies, and it took himself and four other persons to lift the largest. The Petition had been weighed that morning, and was found to weigh 5cwt. 48 lbs. The Committee was, he trusted, too well know. to render any further statement necessary. Lord John Russel expressed himself satisfied with the report. The Earl of Arundel and Surrey, Maurice O'Connell, and Sir R. H. Inglis having spoken, Cripps, one of the Committee, got up and confirmed the statement of Thornley, and stated out of ten thousand signatures, eight thousand two hundred were women. He made some strong remarks upon O'Connor, who replied that he could not be answerable for every signature contained in the Petition. He had palmed no falsehood upon the House, nor had he charged the Committee with practising a deception. After he had spoken O'Connor left the House. (History of the Chartist Movement, ed. cit., p. 312.)

223. Suffering of the "Lower Classes"

Contemporary Newspaper

The following letter to the Sun throws powerful light upon the sufferings of the English poor in the days of Chartism and Reform. The description of the poverty of the lower classes is as vivid as it is painful, and the prophecy with which the letter concludes shows the impression made by the conditions of the times upon men of thought.

Sir, I have been at the siege of Bolton- for nothing but some such cause suggests itself as adequate to the phenomenon. And is it not a siege? Not carried on perhaps by any enemy within gun-shot, but by one working on a wider radius, and making his blockade by sea upon the means of life.

Many sights it has been my chance to see. I think I know what is the minimum of help by which horse, ass, dog, hog, or monkey, can sustain existence, and when it must go out for want of appliances and means of living. But anything like the squalid misery, the slow, mouldering, putrefying death, by which the weak and the feeble of the working classes are perishing here, it never befel my eyes to behold, nor my imagination to conceive. And the creatures seem to have no idea of resisting or even repining. They sit down with Oriental submission, as if it was God, and not the landlord, that was laying hand upon them. And when their honourable representative in Parliament gave a description