Editing Chartism (section)

==1848 petition==
[[Image:Chartist Demonstration.jpg|right|thumb|An 1848 poster advertising the Great Chartist Meeting]]
In February 1848, following the arrival of news of a [[French Revolution of 1848|revolution in Paris]], Chartist activity increased. In March there were protests or bread riots in Manchester, Glasgow, and Dublin, and a new demonstration was announced for 10 April 1848, to be held on [[Kennington Common]], [[London]]. After the meeting, a planned procession would carry a third petition to Parliament. Marches and demonstrations were also planned for April 10 in Manchester and elsewhere.<ref>Slosson, Preston William, ''The Decline of the Chartist Movement'', pp 95ff</ref>

In anticipation of the announced march, Parliament revived a statute dating to the time of [[Charles II of England|Charles II]] that forbade more than 10 persons from presenting a petition in person. That was followed on April 7 by new legislation making certain seditious acts "proposing to make war against the Queen, or seeking to intimidate or overawe both Houses of Parliament" or openly speaking or writing "to that effect" felonies in Great Britain and Ireland, punishable by death or transportation.<ref>Slosson, Preston William, ''The Decline of the Chartist Movement'', pp 98ff</ref> The authorities knew that the Chartists were planning a peaceful demonstration, but still wanted a large-scale display of force to counter the challenge, so 100,000 [[special constable]]s were recruited to bolster the police force.<ref>{{citation
|title=Nineteenth Century Europe
|first=Michael |last=Rapport
|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan
|year=2005
|isbn=978-0-333-65246-6
}}</ref>

O'Connor, seeing that any form of resistance to authorities would be impossible, cancelled the planned procession to Parliament to present the petition. The meeting was peaceful and finished without incident, after which the petition with its many signatures was sent to Parliament in three cabs accompanied by a small group of Chartist leaders.<ref name=Goodway1982>David Goodway, ''[[London Chartism, 1838–1848]]'' (1982).{{rp|129–142}}</ref><ref>The estimate of the number of attendees at the meeting varies by source; O'Connor said 300,000, the government 15,000, ''[[The Observer]]'' 50,000. Historians say 150,000. The Chartists declared that their petition was signed by 6 million people, but House of Commons clerks announced that it was 1.9 million. In truth, the clerks could not have done their work in the time allocated to them, but their figure was widely reported, along with some of the pseudonyms appended to the petition such as "Punch" and "[[Charles Sibthorp|Sibthorp]]" (an [[Ultra-Tories|ultra-Tory]] MP), and Chartism's credibility was undermined. See Slosson, Preston William, ''The Decline of the Chartist Movement'', pp 101 ff</ref>

Parliament's repressive measures strengthened an already-present impulse to violent resistance. In June there was widespread drilling and arming in the West Riding and the devising of plots in London.<ref name=Goodway1982/>{{rp|116–122}}<ref>John Saville, ''1848: The British State and the Chartist Movement'' (1987), pp.&nbsp;130–199.</ref> In [[Bingley]], Yorkshire, a group of "physical force" Chartists led by Isaac Ickeringill were involved in a huge fracas at the local [[Magistrates' court (England and Wales)|magistrates' court]] and later were prosecuted for rescuing two of their compatriots from the police.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chartists.net/Chartists-arrested-in-1848.htm |website=Chartists.net |title=Chartists arrested in 1848 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081030140458/http://www.chartists.net/Chartists-arrested-in-1848.htm |archive-date=2008-10-30 |url-status=dead}}</ref> [[William Cuffay]], a London labour activist and one of the organisers of the Kennington Common rally, was convicted of "conspiring to levy war" against the Queen and transported to Australia.<ref>Keith A. P. Sandiford, ''A Black Studies Primer: Heroes and Heroines of the African Diaspora'', Hansib Publications, 2008, p. 137.</ref>