The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-03-22 00:00:00

THE GOVERNMENT REFORM BILL

BRISTOL, March 17.
A meeting, for the purpose of taking the Government
Reform Bill into consideration, was held yesterday even-
ing, at the Broadinead.room. There was *very large
attendance.

The chair wax taken by Mr. George Thomas, President
of the Liberal Amociation.

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The Chairman having opened the buMiew; of the even-
ins, the following resolutions wore proposed and
acconded
" That in the opinion of thli ineeting the Rill Introduced by
Ifer Majesty. Miniders, ' to Amend the Repre•entat of the
People hi England and Wales,' will not remedy, but greatly
Aggravate the defects if our reprinientatlve sydann, inasmuch
as It takes away a large class of our most ancient ajail inde•
rociadent county voters: It neglects the rights of ..ur indiedrious
clause.; it leaves almost untouched the small and corrupt
nomination boroughs. That the Hill I. a growc attempt at sle•
hided', and this meeting trteds that the Howe of Commons
will throw it out upon its second reading.
"That the voting lepers would enable landlord., customers,
and other employers to control the rot. of their dependent. In
a more effectual 11111.1111 Cf than even under the pre.ent syst,u,
without encountering the unpopularity and ..dium .4 driving
them to the poll ; and ind.d ..f affording the protection
moeuiary to the genuine expression of their opinions through
their rotes, could enormously aggrai ate the uppnt-wilun to buil-
t iduals and the falsehood of the returns.

"That it is the opinion I.f this meeting that no Reform Bill
bc satisfactory to the people which &snu not fairly distribute
the representation ; which does not extend the right ..f luting
to the indu.trious classes, whose increased education and
intchigeree entitle then, to the franchise ; and. be) I all,
which does not protect. by the ballot WO voter in the exercise of
his right."
Mr. Handel Cowhan moved, and Sir John Hare
seconded, the following rider to the third resolution.

"That thlv nit:ding considers that no 11efonn 11111 will be
eatlsfivetory that does 110 i extend the fninelike to •Il hone-
holders In boroughs and to all 1; 10 renters in e..untie.. and that
tie, not provide for the .11+franchlveinent of all Iv.nowlis with
less than 10.000 inhabitants, and a re-divtribution 4,f the
imbibers to the larger and re populous lioroughs."

The rider was put and carried.
A petition embodying the resolutions and rider was
then moved by Mr. If. J. Mills. editor of the lire! .4
thcene, and seconded by Mr. H. W. linmn, town
councillor.

_
Mr. If . BERKKI.KT, 31.1'., then adilremed the meet-
ing. He said they had been told by the old Whigs,
and by the remnant of impenitent Tories who remained,
that they did not want reform. Reform not wanted !
Why, let them look at the 600 gentlemen who were
said to be the representatives of the people, but to whom
he emphatically denied that character. They were the
representatives of the House of Lords; they were the
repre.;entatives of a moneyed oligarchy ; they were
nearly all scions of the nobility thrust into the Commons
until, in the due course of nature they should be called
to the Upper Howie. It was not to be wondered at,
therefore, that great questions were bandied about from
the aristocracy of the House of Commons to that of the
parent House, and that, in thim game of shuttlecock
between the two, good measures often fell to the ground
(Hear, hear.) Talk of not wanting Reform ! Why
there was hardly a member among those 600 gentleman
who had not a Reform Bill in his pocket. (Laughter.)
3lr. W. H. G. LA NG TON, M.P., stated that Ida own
views were in accordance. with those which had been
expressed to the meeting. Never did any political
measure meet with a more jwitly-merited or Unallilllothl
condemnation than the Reform Bill of the Government
—a measure which, unsettling everything, led to no
satisfactory arrangement, and which if passed to-
morrow, would leave unremedied all the defects of our
present system, with many serious ones added, and
would afford the just and necessary groundwork for
renewed agitation. (Hear, hear.)
A vote uf thanks to the chairman terminated the pro-
ceedings.