§ Mr. Peter Moore, presented a petition from Mr. W. G. Lewis, of Coventry, complaining of the interruption which had been recently given to a public meeting held in that town. The petition stated that a requisition, signed by six or seven hundred resident householders of Coventry, had been presented to the magistrates, desiring them to convene a public meeting for the purpose of taking into consideration the melancholy events which had occurred at Manchester. The mayor objected to the manner in which the requisition was worded, and refused to call a meeting for such a purpose. In consequence of this refusal, the requisitionists called a meeting on their own authority, and the mayor then objected to the place. Determined to avoid giving the constituted authorities any just ground of reproach, the requisitionists changed the place on which they originally intended to have held their meeting, to a green at some distance from the town, whereby they deemed it impossible for them to disturb the peace of the town. After all this caution had been exhibited on their part, they had not the slightest anticipation that any attempt would be made to interrupt their proceedings; but, to their great surprise, in the midst of them, a body of constables burst in, and endeavoured to destroy the harmony of the meeting. It appeared that the constables were not authorized by the mayor to make this interruption, but were merely sworn in to act if necessary. The hon. member said, he was at a loss to conceive why it was thought necessary to interrupt this legal meeting of the people. No doubt could be entertained of the loyal and orderly conduct of the people of Coventry. He had, in the course of the last session, occasion to present to the House a certificate from the mayor and magistrates of Coventry, bearing their testimony to the loyalty of the inhabitants. The petition, he said, prayed for an inquiry into the causes of the dispersion of that meeting, but after an inquiry had been refused in the case of Manchester, he had little hopes of having it granted in this.
§ Ordered to lie on the table, and to be printed.