The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-07-15 00:00:00

THE ARTISAN CLASSES AND THE
BALLOT BILL.

; In London, on Monday evening, a meeting was held at the
St. James's-hall, Piccadilly, of the artisan classes, in support
of the measure now before Parliament, under the title of the
"Parliamentary awl Mnnnninnipai Elections Bill." The special
feature of the meeting were to be that no members of Parlia-
ment were to be invited, and that the whole of the speakers
should be artisans. In the absence of Mr. Allen, of the Am-
algamated Engineers, Mr. Christy, who was intrmlneed as a
former member of Parliament, as latterly a Minister at the
Brazils, and at the last election the worling-meics candidate
at Greettiwk, was elected t.• preside.
! 'rite chairman, who was received with cheers, mai.'
that 30 years ago Inc gave hix vote in favour of the
Ballot, when it was pn.poaed by Sir Henry Ward, who
succeeded in the conduct of the measuc.e the late Mr.
Grote, and he had never gone from his then convigtions
that the Ballot was necessary. The measure now
before Parliament would, he declared, be an immense
boon to the working-classes especially, and he regarded
the proposition for extending the hours of polling as an
improvement upon the measure before proposed.
Mr. Odger, who was received with cheers, proposed
the first resolution " That this meeting approves
the provisions of the Eleotions bill, and trusts that
the Government will spare no effort to render the
whole of that measure law before the close of the
Session." He 'aid that in this resolution had been
carefully stated the point that the whole of the
measure Amul,l become law, aud this had been pressed
because there was a fear that a considerable number of
, so-called Liberals were disposed to " trim " with
regard to some important clauses in the bill. The
clause in the bill with regard to the extension of
the "NM in the evening to such hours 8.4 would
be convenient to the working-man was quite 118 im-
portant OA the principle of the Ballot itself, even if it

were not of more importance. (('heers.) The ex-
penses of election principle was also quite as im-
portant as any, and the Liberal members who fan-
cied they could throw over these clauses would find,
when they came before their electors, that they had
made a great mistake. (Hear.) The working-men
went loos' for the Ballot, 'itemise they had been longeon-
vinced that it is an absolute necessity, forced upon
them by those who had tampered with the honest
voting of the constituencies of the empire. (Cherie.)
If the people hail their choice, if they could believe
that the voters could vote openly, and that those who
had large means would not use those nwans to corrupt
the constituencies, the open vote would be the most ac-
ceptable to the people ; but knowing what they did
from Blue-books, speeches in Parliament, and from peti-
tions after every election to inquire into corruptions and
intimidations, they were oniv owed that there was no
other remedy for the present evils, but the Bal-
lot. (Cheers.) It load been acknowledged that there
was corruption in the whole condition
.of things in
our legislation—bribery a elections, bribery between
Minister and members, and bribery in the creation of
bishops and lords ; and it was time that the best nwaus
of obtaining the best men should be at once adopted,
and this best means was in the bill now proposed.
(Cheers.) He commented on the action of Mr. \ croon
Harcourt in regard to the "expenses" proposal, and
stated that if Mr. Harcourt persisted in the course he
had adopted it would become the working.men of
London to make a communication to the Liberal
electors of Oxford, to ask them if they were in earnest
in sending a man to the House of Commons who could
take this course. With regard to the Ballot being un-
English, he said we had to put up with gaols and
p dice, which were not peculiarly English inetitutions,
not because we liked them, but because they were a
necessity ; and the Ballot was necessary to prevent
crone, and it was called for that Englishmen might
, exercise their electoral rights free from intimidation
awl comipthon. 'heers.)
Mr. Pratt seconded the motion, and in the course of
his speech bitterly denounced the present Ministry for
its extravagance, its 'heavy taxation of the people, its
acknowledgment of the "over-regulation " money;
awl he declared that the artisans would have the Ballot
for the protection of themselves and their fellows, and
Re oponng up the way to break down existing social
distinctions.

After the seconder had finished a gentleman rose in
the hall and asked to speak on one point. He was
called upon to go to the platform, and silica there he
was announced as Mr. l'onyngham, once member for
Brighton. He was loudly cheered, and he said he
only wished to direct attention to one point of the
present Bill —that which related to public nomina-
tions. The people of England must not, he said, trust
too much to machinery, for machinery would not give
them the mill. who would govern the country, and he
pointed to what had lately occurred in France in the
election of M. Gambetta. The baldest cheering, which
wws again and again renewed, greeted the mention of
the ex-French War Minister's name. The election of
M. Cambetta, he said, was evidence of the people's
power, but he warned the English people that if they
allowed the nomination to be made a hale and corn,
affair," as peop.,sed in the present Bill, dangers wodld
be created of which the people had little conception.
The resolution was also spoken to by Mr. Nuttall, of
Birmingham. and Wa, earned..

, „... .
1 Wier le,llut i, 10. were spoken to by Mr. Shipton,
Mr. Ilan, of Brighton, Mr. Lucraft, Mr. Brighty, and
others, and in the course of speeches the action of the
House of Lords on the bill WM referred to, alai it was
questioned if the Upper House would pass the mea-
sure. The meeting declared in emphatic terms that it
" bad better not' reject it.
A v to of thanks to the chairman terminated the
proceedings.