CHARTISM, a movement in Great Britain for the extension of political power to the great body of the people, arising in a great measure out of wide-spread national distress and popular disappointment at the results of the reform bill. Prior to 1831, the middle classes had sought poptilar aid towards obtaining their own enfranchisement. The assistance was given, the people expecting to receive help in their turn. After the pass ing of the reform bill, agitation ceased for a time, and the members returned to parlia ment were indifferent, or opposed, to any further change in the political arrangements of the country. The middle classes were satisfied with their own success, and generally looked with small favor on projects for the further extension of political influence among the masses. A season of commercial depression set in about 1835, and failing harvests for several years terribly increased the sufferings of the people. Food becam6 dear, wages fell, manufactories were closed, work became scarce. The people associated their sufferings with their want of direct influence upon the government, and agitation for an extended franchise began. In 1838, a committee of 6 members of parliament and 6 working-men prepared a bill, embodying their views as to what were just demands on the part of the people. This•was the " people's charter." It claimed-1. The exten sion of the right of voting to every (male) native of the United Kingdom, and every nat uralized foreigner resident in the kingdom for more than two years, who should be 21 years of age, of sound mind, and unconvicted of crime; 2. Equal electoral districts; 3. Vote by ballot; 4. Annual parliaments; 5. No property qualification for members; and 6. Payment of members of parliament for their services. This programme was received with enthusiasm. Immense meetings were held all over the country, many of them being attended by two or three hundred thousand people. Fiery orators fanned the popular excitement, and under the guidance of the extreme party among their leaders. physical force was soon spoken of as the only means of obtaining justice. The more moderate and thoughtful of the chartists were overruled by the fanatical and turbulent spirits, and the people, already aroused by suffering, were easily wrought into frenzy by those who assumed the direction of their movements. In the autumn of 1838, torch
light meetings began to be held. The danger of these meetings was obvious, and they were at once proclaimed illegal. Some of the more prominent leaders were arrested, amid intense popular excitement, and subjected to various terms of imprisonment. A body calling itself the national convention, elected by the chartists throughout the kingdom, commenced sitting in Birmingham in May, 1,;39. It proposed to the people various means of coercing the legislature into submission; recommending, among other thinks, a run on the savings-banks for gold, abstinence from excisable articles, exclusive dealing, and in the last resort, universal cessation from labor. During its sittings, a collision took place with the military in Birmingham. Public meetings were forbidden. and alarming excesses were committed by the irritated mob. In June, 1839. a petition in favor of the charter was presented to the house of commons, signed lye 1,280,000 per sons. The house refused to name a day for its consideration and the national conven tion retaliated by advising the people to cease from work throughout the country. For tunately, this advice was not followed, but the disturbance in the public mind increased. and in Nov., an outbreak at Newport took place, which resulted in the death of 10 persons and the wounding of great numbers. For taking pal t in this wild insurrection, three of its leaders were sentenced to death, but their punishment was afterwards com muted to transportation. In 1842, great riots took place in the northern and midland districts, not directly caused by the chartists, but encouraged and aided by them after the disturbances began. In the same year, an attempt was made by Joseph Sturge to unite all friends of popular enfranchisement in a complete suffrage union, but lie only succeeded in dividing their ranks. In 1848, the turmoil in France created great excite ment in England, and much anxiety was felt lest an armed attempt should be made to subvert the institutions of the country. Two hundred thousand special constable swere enrolled in London alone. There were several local outbreaks, and much real danger, but the attempts at disorder were efficiently met, and, as usual, the only result was the punishment of the more prominent men, and the postponement of the desired reforms.