The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1867-05-21 00:00:00

REFORM MEETING IN LONDON.

A public meeting was held in St. James'sball,
London, on Wednesday night, to cionsider the
present aspect of the Government Reform Bill. The
ball was densely crowded, and large numbers were
unable to obtain admittance. Upon the platform were
Mr. Bright, M.P., Mr. Mill, 'Le., Mr. W. B. Forster,
M.P and several other members of Parliament. The
resolutions proposed and unanimously carried were
strongly tiondemnatory of the Ministerial Rill, and
urged a renewal of the agitation until • plain and
honest measure of enfranchisement was pained. lir.
Vernon Harcourt, Sir Henry Hoare, Mr. W. E.
Forster, M.P., Mr. J. B. Tory, and Mr. Basle@ were
among the speakers. Mr. Bright spoke. He aid the
grant subject of Reform had made a great and mentor.
able advance daring the last six months, but people
must not blind their eyes to the feet that it was at this
moment one of no small pen. From the commeose-
went of the session they had bad the misfortune of
geeing this question in the hands of its enernie• He
believed the Government Bill to be • bed Rill, and be
reviewed its provisions, showing how unjustly and
unequally it would affect the householders of various
boroeglia. It would practically be a good Bill for 29
boroughs in the kingdom, but it would be a bad Bill for
170 other boronyhs. In the great extension of the
franchise which the Government were introducing, in
the unheard-of liberality which was beim, exercised by
a Ministry of converted Tories—(langhter)--all the
blessings of the change were reserved for 29 boroughs
in England and Wales, and even of those 29 three-
fourths of the new electors would be given to eight
boroughs—(cries of " shame"). The Government were
not honest or sincere, and, while they hoisted the
banner of Reform, they hoisted with it a series of on.
necessary and insulting restrictions, which it would be
necessary for the people to compel them to haul down-
-(akeers). He contrasted the provisions of the English
Bill with the provisions of the Font& Reform Bill, and
showed how unjustly
.tye..people
.of Ragland were

, _—
treated an oompered with the people of Scotland. He
showed that the tenant in Scotland who paid only °Do-
bai! of Inc rates Gould obtain the tunablee under the
Scotch Bill, while the English tenant could not under
any circumstanoes obtain the franchise even by paying se
much as £3 of the ratite. What then were they to do?
Were they to be content with the provisions of this
Bill '—(cries of "No") Or were they to insist,
upon it that, whetevar might be its basis, whatever its
srinciple, whatever its pretences, whatever its assumed
liberality, they were determined it should be fair, and
equal, and jut, and acceptable throughout all the
boroughs of the kingdom? - cheers). There waeoD2l
on- answer. They must more on with in..
resolution, increased cumbers, and increased combina-
tion and union for the purpose of achieving that great
Noce's which: i though t was not exactly at their feet,
wee not so far ahead but that he thought mod of thong
could see it. He recommended that, in the event of the
Bill pasting in its present shape, hall-4401b1] or 20 or 50
men in every borough should form themselves into •
committee, and at the nest eleatioo every candidate
who .bold Wow, to pledge himself to vote for the
resno•al of the restriction on taw compound householder
should be rejected, no matter what his character, pre-
tensions, or past serviees—(cheers). He advised the
middle elate., to duke hands with Mr. George Wilson
in Manehetter, and Mr. Beale@ in Loudon, and 's-
macked, with reference to the alleged injury to trade
lamming from agitation, that no doubt great processions
doing up Regent 'greet did not stop much to bay
jewelry—(s, Isingb)—their object being to bay what was
infiLitelv better for the people than all the jewelry is
the world. The Ise, however, was, there were many
other canoes which affected trade both in London and
the provinces at the present time. He !grieved over the
defection ot a portion of the Liberal party, who, by
their feebleness and their combination with an
had transferred the management of the
question to • statesman who for 9) years had led his
party to opposition in every reform, and had so elated
him that he lost no orportuning of venting sneers and
insults upon Mr. 31adstone. He was not • man whose
countenance underwent much change, but like roost
other people and like most horses, he could not stand
above • certain quantity of corn—(laughtu)— and now,
elated by his temporary success, he could not restrain
hints If, and treated some of his opponenta, especially
Mr. Gladstone, in • manner... Mobile had never known•
Minister adopt before. While grieving, however, over
the conduct of those who had unintentionally caused
this result, he was convinced that the great cense
which had marched on with stately and rapid
steps during the lut 18 months would progress in spite
of temporary cheeks and diluters until • lust and
generous settlement was attained. Bur in mind, said
Mr. Bright in conclusion, what a great and noble same
it is for which we strive. You see how it thrives
beyond the Atlantic—(cheers)—and in almost every
country of Europe, and how it has grown here within
the time to which I have Warred. Let us not despair,
but take greater courage to goon. It is a great eases
for which we fight—it is for the enfranchisement of a
great people, and the tribunal to which we have to
appeal, and which must finally decide this question, Is
the incorruptible conscience of the British nation—(loud
and protracted cheering).