The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1865-12-19 00:00:00

MR. BRIGWr ON REFORbL

There was *great Reform meeting at BirMingham,
on Wednesday evening, when Mr. Brigbe ,En•Ae
vigorous speech. He said he supposed that the ecnningi
Reform Bill would be based on that of 1860. He tooki
Sir John Pakington and Mr. Adderley. to ask for some
of their recent utterances, and advised them to learn'
some wisdom from history. Referring to the great 00111.'
atiturional party, whose cry shall be "Conservative
Progress," that Sir John desires to form, he said :
What these g.ntlemen fear Is this—a transfer of power.
I recollect in 1860 when the Franchise Rill was under
discussion in Parliament, • noble lord who sits on the
opposite side of the House, and who is very acute, and .
sometimes very candid, rising and saying that it was
nothing to hint to know that the w..rlsing people were
industrious and frugal, intelligent and iudependent ;
what he objected to was the transfer of power from the
persons who noc held it in this country. But In 1688
there was a considerable transfer of power. The
monarchy for a time was lo great danger. Satblrb
either ran away or was driven away, and the succeeding
monarch had his power very much limited by the action
of Perliament. Does any one believe that the Ministry
has been worse off or that the people have not been
better? 111 1832 the aristocracy of the country, the
territorial aristocracy which ruled from 1688 to 1882,
was shorn of come of its authority. Does anybody
believe that the aristocratic f imilies of this oenntry, or
their heads, have really suffered by tbat °liana ? I
bold that as the people grow. In wisdom, indeeendenee,
and intelligence, there must- be a gradual transfer of
power. The Crown has lost the power which it once
bed; but 1 do not think that any one proposes to
diminish Ira power further. Vlie peers have liketriele
lost some of the power that they once had, but are they
any worse? The people have more than they had
before, and there is little doubt that the people are all
the better for the change. Now, let me refer for a
moment to the great and uesful changes that have been
made daring the last thirty years; but there still re-
mains, as I said, five millions of heads of families en.
tirely unrepresented. Now, confine your attention for
a moment to the ease of these families. There is among
them one million, or rather more than one million, in
the United Kingdom who are classed in the unfortunate
list of paupers. There is another million just above
pruperum' but ahem in peril lest they should become
paupers. Their condition and prospects are not more
tevoureble than that. Now look to the ignorant end
tower str4a ot this portion of the community. Look
en their -ebjeot oontlitiod, to their poverty, to their
suffering, to their utter hopelessness of any geed. Why,
in the United States —even in the Southern Mates dur-
ing the reign of slavery—every negro had an idea that
there was a day of jubilee for him. But to these people
—to this doss of the lowest strata in this country—l am
here to st de that there is neither the belief of anything
better nor scarcely an aspiration after it. Have you
read • paragraph which lately appeared in the new,-
papers about John Cross, a Dorsetshire labourer? tie
worked six days in the week, had an exeellenteharacter
from his employer for whom he had worked twenty-four
years at the rate of eight shillings per week. (Cries of
"Shame.") John eras had a family of seven children
to provide for out of these wages in his hovel, that is his
castle—for a feeble wife and an infant child. He took
--legally I believe he stole—a wooden hurdle of the
value of sixpenee. For this offense he was tried before
the magistrates and M teasel to 14 or 20 days' impri-
sonment I am not defending the stealing of hurdles
(Laughter.) Ni doubt certain English newspapers Will
say that lam. (Continued laughter.) I am not even
finding fault with the magistrates who oommitted the
man. I Will net speak evil of dignitaries ,• but I can
tell you that men, thousands of eases like that of John
Cross, are to be found throughout the country', and
especially in the south, and that their condition is stleh
that hitherto the most anxious investigator has been
unable to solve the mystery as to how they keep body
and soul together. (Loud laughter.) Now oast your
eye over the county and look at these five millions of
famines and the desperate condition of this strata of
them Is it not tree that the unenfranchised nation
may be said to toil and toil knowing almost no
rest? (Cheers.) Compare it with the ruling class—but
if I do I shall be charged with communism. (Laughter.)
It will be said that l•wish to divide the property of the '
rich and squander it amongst the poor: that I want to
take the lands at the rich and to divide them amongst I
the poor. (Hear, hear.) But compare this great toiling I
and unenfrencheied nation with the section who may be
considered the governing elms. Look at its wealth;
look at its ostentation—look at its luxury. • Behold its
weariness—for there Is weariness amongst them but it
is the weariness of satiety —and see how they rush from
place to place, as it were, to discover 110 Mb new pleaente.,
("Hear, hear," and cheers.) But ',hat great nationnff
whom I have-spoken—thee great netion who have built tip.'
the power of this country—this unenfranchised People,
without whom England would be nothing but a peeler,
which a division of a °main ntal army might subdue.
arid annex—that great nation of five milieus of families
*excluded from any share of political power, and the
small 'section, containing vest numbers of extolled/
persons, is potentedly the governing power hi this
realm. (Cheers.) Now, let me put to you before I lit
down a simple proposition ; and putting it to yen.
thronah the gentlemen wlie sit below me (the repoitere),
to whom freedom in this &entry is so greatly and Ito
conatantly indebted, it is put threugh them to all the
people of this kingdom. If of the five millions Who ere
now shut out one million were admitted—you war niatlc
the extreme, or, as some will say, the blameable modal-
Lien of that suggestion—but if only one million were
admitted, would Jur the cry of the toianden and the
sidfering which even now ascends to heaven reach
further and be heard even on the floor of Parliament?
For do not forget that the ear of the Supreme is nearer
I even to the !owned of Ull than is that of our rulers.
I But if that voice were heard in Pirliameet wotild it not '
perohanee do something to rill the roar of faction and to
bind the powers of statesmanship to the high and the
holy purposes of humanity and of Planes/ I speak not
the language of party. I feel myself *bete the level of
party. (Loud cheers.) I speak, as I have weer endea-
voured to speak, on behalf of the unenfranohised • the
almost voicelest millions of my countrymen. Their
olden is just, and it is constitutional. It will be heard,.
It cannot be rejected. To the outward eye monarch,
and Parliaments seem to rule with an absolute and un-
questionable sway but—and I quote the words which
one of our old Puritan poets has left for us— .

"They. is on earth a Yet stignster thing,
Veiled though it be, than Parliament or King."
That &astute, thing is the tribunal which lied haste*
op in the oposdenees of men. It is before that tribunal
that I aim now permitted humbly to plead, and there
something in my beart—a small but an excellent voice
—which tells rue that I shall not plead in vain. (Great
cheering.)

The Times, commenting On Mnz Bright's speseg,' says
—"Re sketches with his motuitoriled *igen= tka vmk
which • refirmed Rouse of Cominous might moditinilietti
The repeal of the Game Laws, • system for the educa-
tion of the ohildren of the poor at the national expense,
the abolition of the Irish Chitroli, some undeaoribed
legislation in favour of the tenant against landlords, and
the extinetion of pauperism, are a few of the tbingir
which might be at once set about. Reform, if it comes,
at all, is merely a nieane to them ends. It is. in order
that snob things may be &rue that votere,
should be lidded to those alrestly on the register ; and it
would deem that were it not for the moompliehment of
objects like these Mn, Bright would regard the coin-
hint against the narroviness Of the, electdral body ea a
sentimental grievance unworthy of teflon consider-
ation. We do not imagine that any proposal will be
made, much less carried, which will put • million of
new voters on the register; but even if it were done' it
would be doubtful whether it would produce en altera-
tion in the Lesisfattire suffidient t, oass the measured
Ma Bright desire.; and it is certain that the measures
themselves, if peaked into law, could net bring about
the social 60115(1111111013.1 he longs for. There is hie
English gaiety the Cooservatisui of a thousand yearty
which has gradttally *ammoniated, just as the beat of"
distant ages has boob Stored up in otir ocialtields. The'
national equilibrium is so stable that a movement lemeire '
revolutionary .in its character wmild only be followed by
a slight teipporary rocking, soon to be succeeded by the
re-estabishment of the old equilibrium. This is what
happened after the bill of 1832, and, if Mr. Bright's
Reform Bill became-law, ft 'would happen in • more
,narked chime after the milder measure. The same
governing classes would be found* wielding the same
pryer and enacting muoh the same laws as before. Bet,
in froth, no Legislature meld fulfil Mr. Bright's desires.
In an eloquent pet retitle, which had the single defect
that it was thoomitily topracluitel, Mr. Bri_ho d*elt on
Ittoi hopeless toil Of the millions at the base of Reglad).
iety, which be appeared to think new laws could cure.
A hapless Dorsetabire labourer working for eight shil-
lings • week, who on the strength of that income had 1
married and begotten seven children, but after twenty- I
four years' labour had been convicted of stmliog a
wooden hurdle of the vane of sixpence, was the text
of his discourse. It is no doubt true that Doreetshire
labourers receive other wages beside/ wages in money ••
but, allowing this correction, it is not easy to me what
the Birmingham audience found laughable in the ear-
native. Ryan Kr. Bright must know that the existeoes
of much wages depend* ultimately on the fact that Dor-
setshire labourers can and do marry and rear families of
elven children upon them. Legislatioa cannot prevent
a scandal which has its 9Tigin in
.the degradation of
human - attire. As long as men are opulent to live
upon . terms, public help Mid-firivete benevolence
s vain; for the ob}snie of bounty, natiorud or
will reproduner%dboperpetnate the evils which
are strugelkg po • ; -Affirtlielt sein be done
put before the' leboti I etandard of existence
higheatisaalis.ewn to instil in hies admire toilets's it
to lead him to feel new weals, end to undergo abri
in order that they may be Weft
in troth the ultimate. eeld•ak
in some moms* atiotined. eeek 41116 H
ulna to awry his Weer to any market he
lgr*b. swot be left ;r .Tite relit lakr,
her* if not boludelt, wilnla by A
in th ,BOOk 41.0/ 4111,00,
Mire; but it is the only of -
which eim-ba
• • _

,
eat
THS Queen and Royal Family will spend Christmas'
alOaborne.
TIM Court is to continue in m3orolng from the 14th to
January 4th.
THB Kin* and Queen of Portugal left England for
Paris on Friday.
PstrCn CHRISTIAN left Windsor Oast'. for the
Oostiient on Tueclay.
ie said that Sir John. Polndly and Sir Francis
Weprrikakortly e ehrreSed tor the dignity of the
Pdsrage.

Tim Prince of Wales and Prince Arthur left London
on Friday for Brussells to attend the fuoeral of the

ONE article in the Panes's Anna Murat', wedding
trousseau is said to be the swaddliar clothesof Hem
IV., contained in a richly-obaigt -dad of the 15th
century.

FACI BRAMBLES/10.—A. lady appeared before the
Marlberough•street police.oourt magistrate Mat vriek,
and stated that although she had come all the way fgom
America and paid some money to Madame Rachel, yet
she had not had her small pox marks removed aad been
made beautiful for ever. Some one who attended for
Madame Rachel said that the lady had only paid five
Napoleons and had had three Arabian baths, an 4 been
attended for eight day. It was also said that at the
last visit to Madame Raohel the lady was " in snob •
furious state of excitement, that it was necessary to
In the poliee.'' We think it would be curious indeed if
any persons not liable to fits of excitement travelled
3,000 miles to transmit Madame Rachel. Mr. Tyrwhitt
said be would grant • summons for fraud.

aNalifleleaßT OP 71111 Parses CONeoWea MUTH.
—Thursday was the fourth anniversary of the Prince
Consort's death, and the occasion was observed at
'Windsor with more than usual solemnity by Her
Majesty the Queen and the various members of the
Royal family. In the morning Her Majesty and the
rest of the members of the Royal family who were at
the Castle repaired to the Mausoleum of the late Prince
Consort, in the grounds of Frogrnore-lodge„ The
interior of this inagnifimmt place of sepulture had been ,
previously prepared for the Queen's reception' • number '
of oliairs,kc., Moine been sent from the Castle for the
purpose, while the steps leading toll]. entrance of the 1
porch were covered with • crimson carpet. A rag
solemn service, at which the Hon. and Very Rev. the
Dean of Windsor officiated, was performed in the
chamber beuetth the dome, wherein lies the temporary
stone sarcophagus containing the inoetal.remains of the :
late Prins. Consort. Her Majesty wee deeply affected
at the solemn oeremony, and bavisg,, with the other
members of the Royal family, strewn the sarcophagus
with chaplets of immorteles, laurestines, and chrysan-
themnins, retired from the tomb shortly after 11 o'clock.
By Her Msjeaty's gracious command, the demesnes of
We Roy.' /leasehold and the Castle tradespeople sad
their families were permitted to sidt the Mausoleum I
between the hours of 12 and 4. Admission could only
be obtained by ticket, the entrance to Frogtnore being
guarded by the Maas police. The visitors were, how-
ever, ertretnely numerous, and there wee • constant
stream of people passing between the Long Walk and
the grounds during the time fired for the admission.
On Thursday the central chamber, containing the
temporary sarcophagus, was partly carpeted, and choice
exotics and flowering plants, such as white *alias,.
ehrysanthemunas, to., were placed round the tut nor
of the Mausoleum in profusion and with excellent effect.
:dime the last anniversary great progress has been made
' with the internal decorations, bet the greater part of
this was conesaled from the gaze of the visitors, portions
of the hiarding being still up. One of the recesses or
chapels abutting noon the central chamber was, how-
ever, shown. The arched ceiling of this recess in
decorated with an esquieitively painted Mature of
Christ bearing the Cross, while two of the side panels are
ornamented with sculptured basreliefs of white marble,
the subjects being the "Bapulsion of Adam and Bye, '
and • Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness.'
From the ceiling depends a finely-worked brass
chandelier, with several lamps attached to it. The
other recesses are, it is said, also in a forward state.
,The ceiling of the dome (which is lighted by windows).
is of • blue colour, powdered with gold stars, the centre
being occupied by • rich ornament. The marble Boor
beneath the centre of the dome has yet to be finished,
end till this is completed the granite sarcophagus eaanot
be used for the reception of the Prince's remains. In
the afternoon his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales,
ettented by afternoon,
Koppel, arrived at Windsor. His
ißoyal Highness, who was dressed in mourning, drove to
the Castle to see Her Majesty, and after lunch, in coin-
navy with one of the Princesses, proceeded to the
Mausoleum at ball-past three o'clock. The visitors to
the Gduatetir4 end left the Prince awl party within
the !milling. After a short clay his Royal Efighoess !,ett
the Mausoleum and returned to town. Prince Arthur,
who reached Windsor from Greenwich-park by in
early train, returned to town later in the day.

805.
jalsbionatie intslUgrnct.