Northern Star and Leeds General Advertiser – Saturday 05 February 1842
MERTHYR TYDVIL, Wales—COMMEMORATION OF THOMAS PAINE’S BIRTHDAY.—The admirers of the writings of this noble author commemorated his birth by partaking of a plain but substantial supper, on Saturday night, Jan. 29, at the Travellers’ Rest, Penysheol. The number that supped amounted to forty. After the cloth was removed, a great many entered the room to hear the toasts and speeches. Mr. Matthew John was unanimously voted into the chair, when the following toasts were drunk:—”The Sovereignty of the People;” “The American Revolution, and may the other nations of the earth soon imitate so glorious an example;” “Civil and Religious Liberty all over the world;” “The People’s Charter, and may it soon become the law of the land;” “The memory of our famous countryman, Thomas Paine, the noble of nature, the child of the lower orders, illustrious from his unrivalled talents, and still more illustrious from the employment of those talents in the cause of the oppressed of all nations;” “The Liberty of the Press;” “The Northern Star, the only real organ of the people’s wishes;” “The speedy return of Frost, Williams, and Jones;” “Feargus O’Connor, the people’s advocate;” “The memories of the patriots of all nations;” “Success to Dugan Cymru;” “The absent friends of Thomas Paine’s writings;” and other appropriate toasts.
The greater number of the above toasts were responded to in very able speeches from Messrs. Miles, Ellis, Thomas, Williams, Taylor, Davis, Richards, and others. Several appropriate songs were sung by Messrs. Williams, Roberts, Evans, and Richards. Thanks having been voted to the Chairman and landlady, the company broke up, highly delighted with the spirit shewn by the persons present at the second commemoration in Merthyr Tydvil of the birth-day of the immortal Thomas Paine.”—Correspondent.