=Source.=--_The Illustrated London News_, April 29, 1871.
A numerous gathering of persons employed in the manufacture of matches
was held on Sunday afternoon in Victoria Park, at which a resolution
was unanimously passed condemning Mr. Lowe’s proposed impost in strong
terms. According to one of the speakers, the daily bread of 15,000
persons in the east of London depends upon the trade in matches.
Several thousand persons engaged in the match trade on Monday assembled
in the Bow Road, and having formed a procession, set out to march
to the House of Commons, there to present a petition against the
threatened duty on matches. At a short distance from its starting-point
the procession was broken up by the police, but the people managed in
some degree to re-form their ranks, and, after many difficulties (more
especially in their progress along the Thames Embankment), they arrived
at the Houses of Parliament. This, however, was not accomplished
without another collision with the police, in which one or two arrests
were made. One party of the processionists even succeeded in making
their way into Westminster Hall, but they were speedily removed.