no procession from Kennington Common to the
parliament house with the petition would be allowed, but that the
petition itself would be permitted to pass the bridge in the custody of
a suitable number of persons. Several speakers urged that the government
should be set at defiance, and the petition proceeded with at all risks,
until delivered at the House of Commons. Fergus O'Connor dissuaded them
from any collision with the authorities. In a speech full of bombast and
egotism, he declared that he was personally marked out for slaughter by
the authorities. Thus, after all the bluster of this great tribune,
as his followers called him, he showed the white feather. He was not
prepared, like Smith O'Brien, gallantly to go out, with his life in his
hand, and verify, by exposing himself to every peril and penalty, the
words which he uttered when it was safe to utter them. Mr. O'Connor's
dissuasions in the interest of peace did not meet the approbation of
the delegates, who seemed unanimously resolved to force their way across
Westminster Bridge when the hour should arrive for so doing. In this
spirit the meeting was adjourned to Kennington Common. The following
graphic account of the departure of the delegates, their progress
thither, and their arrival, was given by an eye-witness:--

"During this discussion two newly-constructed cars had driven up to the
doors of the institution. The one intended for the conveyance of the
monster petition was on four wheels, and drawn by as many very splendid
farm horses. The body of the car was square, and surmounted by a
tastefully constructed canopy. The attendants bore streamlets in
the varied colours of red, green, and white, having appropriate
inscriptions. The van or car in waiting for the delegates was upwards
of twenty feet in length, with seats arranged transversely, in so
commodious a manner as to afford comfortable accommodation to the
delegates, as well as several representatives of the press. The body
of the car was inscribed with the motto, 'The Charter. No surrender.
Liberty is worth living for and worth dying for.' On the left, 'The
voice of the people is the voice of God;' while on the back of the car
was inscribed, 'Who would be a slave that could be free?' 'Onward, we
conquer; backward, we fall.' Eight banners were fixed (four on each
side) to the car, inscribed, 'The Charter.' 'No vote, no muskets.' 'Vote
by ballot,' 'Annual parliaments,' 'Universal suffrage,' 'No propert