e of preparing or presenting public petitions
or other addresses to his majesty in the parliament,' it was enacted,
'that no person or persons whatsoever shall repair to his majesty, or
both or either of the houses of parliament, upon pretence of presenting
or delivering any petition, complaint, remonstrance, or declaration, or
other addresses, accompanied with excessive numbers or people, nor at
any one time with above the number of ten persons.'

"And whereas a meeting has been called to assemble on Monday next, the
10th instant, at Kennington Common, and it is announced in the printed
notices calling such meeting, that it is intended by certain persons to
repair thence in procession to the House of Commons, accompanied with
excessive numbers of people, upon pretence of presenting a petition
to the Commons house of parliament; and whereas information has been
received that persons have been advised to procure arms and weapons,
with the purpose of carrying the same in such procession; and whereas
such proposed procession is calculated to excite 'terror and alarm in
the minds of her majesty's subjects.

"All persons are hereby cautioned and strictly enjoined not to attend,
or take part in, or be present at, any such assemblage or procession.

"And all well-disposed persons are hereby called upon and required to
aid in enforcing the provisions of the law, and effectually to protect
the public peace, and suppress any attempt at the disturbance thereof.

"(Signed) C. Rowan,

"R. Maxne,

"Commissioners of the Police of the Metropolis.

"Metropolitan Police Office, Whitehall Place,

"April 6, 1848."

The government resolved wisely to permit the meeting to assemble, at the
same time announcing that any attempt to cross the bridges in a formal
procession would be resisted. By this means, which it was alleged
had been taken by the advice of the Duke of Wellington, the immense
concourse of the seditious was placed at the side of the river where
they could do least mischief, and the passages of which by the bridges
could be easily defended by a small force. The government thus
showed the impotency of the chartist party, and its own respect for
constitutional rights.

On the morning fixed for the great experiment London presented a strange
appearance. A vast body of persons was called out to act as special
constables. Men of every rank of life might be seen in this capacity,
among them Prince Louis Napoleon Buonapart