The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1868-09-22 00:00:00

BRIDPORT REGISTB.ATION COURT.

B. Holdsworth, Esq., held a spurt at the Town-hall,
on Friday last, to revue the voters' list in this borough.
The lista of the new voters had been prepared by this
overseers with three columns only, the third describing
the qualification, and the Banister said there ought to
have been a fourth column as in the old lists, u without
that there was no proper qualification described. Mr.
F. W. Gandry said the qualification was described in
the third column; bet, he submitted that if the
description was insufficient, the Barrister could amend
It. The qualification under the new Act was the
dwellinghouse, and therefore the place of abode showed
the qualification : it could be repeated in a fourth
column but that would be a work of niperorogation.
Mr. Manley took a similar view of the cue. The
Barrister doubted his power to emend the lists in so
important a matter, and ultimately deferred deciding
till Saturday, when be concluded that he Lad power to
amend the defective Bats, and did so.
Mr. F. W. Guudry appeared for the Liberals, and Mr.
Manley for the Conservatives.
In Burton Bradstock parish, Thomas Fluswery claimed
under the New Art, supported by Mr. Gundry. Mr.
Manley objected on the ground that there were only
three columns in the form used. The Barrister might
emend the lists so made out by the overseers, as they
were officers of the court, but not rectify the miatake
of an individual claimant The claim was also made
ont in the name of "John" Homey. The Barrister
rectified it. Jal3lllll Welch objected to by the Conserva-
tives, was expunged.
In Bothenharupton, the Rev. T. C. Finch claimed.
supported by the Liberals, and it wee allowed. The
Rev. G. F. Brown and Mr. Reed claimed, having
changed their residences • allowed.
ln Symondcbury pull Charles Richards and John
Semways claimed, having removed from houses in
BridP011; allowed. Junes Gerrard, having left the
neighbourhood, was struck out.
In Walditch there were neither claims nor objections,
nor any voters nodes the New Act.
in fillinltton parish Robert Chick claimed for house
in succession to one in Bridport. Mr. Manley objected
to him as be find not paid last October's rate ;

—The question of the admiadon of women to the
franchise was then brought forward. Mr. F. W. Gundry
supported their claim; and Mr. *inky opposed on the
ground that it wee not the intention of the Legislature
that women should have votes; also for their own
benefit, ea they did not want the franchise, and would
be much bettor without it. Mr. Gundry said many
women did wish to have it, The Banister said it was
not the Weigle*/ the Legislature hotbed wanes should
bare vows they had no qualiflsatios,aad thsadoes bad

no rightto owns there in support of • qualincati°ll' H.
was suprieed at the question being brought on n.n•
He was not giving an hpiooh as to whetter females
should have votes or not, but if placed on the regisrer
under the new Act it would cones a g est anomaly as
if there were say three respectable ferolacc keeping •
school, who lived in a house of £3O per year, if they
could have been &twitted to the franchise under the
previous Reform Act, they would Lays bad votes as
joint occupiers, but under the new Act, they would not
be able to have vote., while • very inferior class of
females would be &Wired by the new Act, if it
admitted females at all. He decided, thcrefor., against
the della' of females, which were all struck off accord-
ingly. Mr. Hendry in speaking of the claims of women
spoke of them as "ladies." The burster said that
nits not the proper definition there. Ile should speak
of them as " females." These female claims were all
made by the Liberals.
Philip Henryo Francis's claim was allowed.
JlllllO. es was withdrawn.

Huber Prow..;;.. allowed.
William Peach's, supported by the Liberals and
objected to by Mr. Manley, as not having mad., claim
on the proper form, was disallowed.
George Salisbury claimed for a house in succession.
He appeared in peraon. He was not supported by Mr.
Gundry. but was opposed by Mr. Manley, and the
description of his succeeder) to house having been imper-
fectly given in his claim, it was disallowed. He being
one of the most prominent among the working daces
in advocating a Rekrm Bill before it was pissed,
this decision called forth great laughter. He recently
issued an advertisement, offering his servers to working
m" is the making of their claims.
"mei Sellaaesllllllol was disallowed, being objected
to by Mr. Manley.
James Tittersheirs, objected to,
was disallowed.
Henry Clapp was objected to but the objection failed
and his vote was allowed,
Joseph Munden end George Walbridge were objected
to and there names were expunged.
Dr. Le Gros Densiloe claimed ss ledger, ceeiall74l2 •
bedroom and sitting.room, as 1.010 tenant in his tather's
house in West Allington. He was supported by Mr.
Manley. Dr. Denxiloe being out of town, Mr. F. W.
Good, the attesting witness to his claim, was called to
prove his signature, which he did. He said be went
and saw the room., and valued them furnished at about
124. or 13e. a week, and rioluraiahed shout 7s. or Bs. a
week—Cross-examined by Mr. Gundry who opposed
the claim : He supposed the house was worth about
£4O per year unfurnished. The sitting room was on the
ground door, and the bedroom on the flrat.ffoor. He knew
other rooms were let in the town in much worse
situations at 12s. or 13e. a week, and he thought Is.
per week was ample to allow for the furniture.
Claimant bad the run of the house as well as these two
rooms. His father and mother were living in the
house, and he lived with his father. Witness did not
know what claimant had arranged with his father
about paying for these rooms. He stated to witnese
these two rooms were in his sole oecupatiou, and signed
the declaration to that effect in witness's presence.—
Mr. Gundry said the attesting witness had not proved
sufficient, and he should insist on either the claimant
or some one nf bisfainily coming in support of the claim.
said the claimant must prove that he bad occupied
these rooms as sole tenant for twelve months. Mr.
Good re-called said Dr. Densdoe was in partnership
with his father, and had been for the last two years.
The case was postponed to give time for the claimant to
appear in person. He however did not appear, and the
Barrister decided on allowing the claim.
The Rev. H. 0. Francis claimed as • lodger, occupy-
ing a front sitting-room and bedroom in West-street,
Br.dport. Mr. Manley supported. Mr. Guidry op-
. Mr. Francis said he paid 12s. fal. for the room,
iuttirhed ; he should think unfurnished the roomsl
would be worth 10.. • week. Its bad resided there
two years and a half, and occupied the rooms as sole
tenant.— Cross-examined : Lie weld not say what the
saleable value of the furniture was.--Claim allowed.
Mr. Stephen Champ claimed as a lodger in liarrack•
street. Mr. Gundry supported, Mr. Manley opposed.
Mr. Champ mid lie rented under his mother, and gave
her £l2 per year. He occupied the whole of the house
and had done so over two years. The furniture wee
! his. The ratee were paid by his mother, who was living
at Manchester. The Barrister said this was not • lodger
I claim, as claimant occupied the whole house; if he liked
' to have his name put on the rate-book he would have a
very good claim for, vote for the house but he could
not Maim as a lodger.--Cleim disallowed:
Mr. W. C. Holuiwood Maimed as a lodger, occupying
a sitting roue, bedroom, and storeroom, in his mother's
house is West-street. Mr. Holmwood said he assisted
his mother in her hesitates, and paid her 1:12 for there
three rooms, unfurnished. The furniture MU partly his
and partly his mother's, but he paid ne rent for the
furniture; his mother let him have that gratuitously.
—Cross-examined: He had had these rooms as Lis
mother wished to let them, to prevent her letting to
strangers..-Claim allowed.
. . . . .

Mr. W. Morey. pin., auctioneer, claimed as a lodger
in Eastctreet. Mr. Gundry supported; Mr. Manley
opposed. Mr. Morey said he occupied sitting-room, two
bed.rooma, and kitchen and pantry in Mrs. Martin's
house, about one year and nine months, and gave her
£l2 per p.m—Cross-examined : Mrs. Martin had the
use of kitchen u well as him. There were other tenants
in the house. Mrs. Martin lived in the house she had
no sittimprooni, but did not occupy his unless by invita-
tion. The furniture in the house formerly belonging to
her had been purchased by him.--Claisn allowed.
Mr. Stephen Whetham claimed as occupying sitting
and bedroom in East-street. Bridport. Mr. Manley
supported, and Mr. Gundry opposed. Mr. C. L
Whetham, brother of claimant, appeared for him, and
said be gave 12.. per week for the rooms furnished ; he
should think the furniture worth 35. or es. per week,
sad that would leave about Si. per week for the rooms
unfurnished. He bad occupied the rooms about three
years. —Crostuxambted : His brother bal attendee°e as
well as lodging. His brother was absent from home.
He had only lately come of age.—By the banister:
Hie brother had an allowance from his father
before he same of age, and he believed his,i
brother paid for the rooms out of that allowance.
—Mr. Foot, landlord of the borne, said Mr. Stephen
Whetham took the rooms and had always paid for them
in cash. He considered Mr. Stephen Whettam liable 1
for the rent. The bills were made out in his name.—
Claim allowed.

-----
For Bridport parish, Major Bayley's and Henry
Beer's claims were allowed. Beer was claimed for by
both Liberals and Conservative&
James Crabb's claim for succession to house allowed.
James Dinle's claim was opposed on the ground of
hie rates haying been excused him by the magistrates
on the ground of poverty. Mr. Manley, who supported,
contended this was not the same thing as receiving
parochial relief, while Mr. Gundry, who opposed, eon.
tended that having been excused payment of two rates
his name did not appear on the rate book to all the rates
in the electoral year, and therefore the claimant was
disqualified. Mr. Manley quoted a case, but the
Barrister said that was the ease of a freeman, whops
vote did not depend on the payment of rates--Claim
disallowed.

-----
George Follett* John Oillingham's, and Edward
Harlentene's &ann. were disallowed.

-5-0171;C;Wp;':•71;iiii;;;;;TI;;;;Ci:
Tbe claims of Mr. Thomas Legg, Mr. F. W. Matter.
face, William Millet, James Stephens, Thomas Stroad,
and Mr. Verrier were allowed. . .

Heaskiah Wilkina's claim, supported by Mr. Manley,
was opposed by Mr. Oundry on the ground of his having
parochial medical relief. This Wilkins denied. Mr. Bettis,
relieving offieer, was called to prove be had had
parochial relief, but felled to do so, and the claim WAS
allowed. . .

Immo Brown, did not appear, so his skim was dis-
allowed.

Alfred Hallett was objected to by the Conservatives.
Mr. Gundry supported. The question of value having
been raised, the Barrister said the RIO list bad vanished
now as regards dwelling.hotuses, it only resuained in
force as regards shops and stores; in all dwelling
houses by the Act of last year the question of value
did not arise. The witness applied for costs which
were allowed. ani his vote was retained.
Nathaniel Hallett objected to, had his vote allowed,
and applying for costa had them allowed.
Charles Belson, objected to by Mr. Manley, on
amount of having received medical relief, stated that
he had some in August this year, but that being after
the close of the electoral year the objection failed.
Mr. Thomas Beach wts objected to by the Conserva-
tives for the house in Downs-street, which he occupied
partly for business purposes, the remainder being
occupied by Miss Linter to whom heist souse of the
rooms in it, and who sleeps in the house—Objection
failed.
Alfred Britten) objected to by the Conservatives, had
his vote expunged.
John Bishopidena, objected to by the Conservatives,
did not appear, and his vote was expunged.
John Gillingham, objected to by the Conservatives
was expunged.
John BowseU, objected to by the Conservatives, on
the ground of having received medical relief, stated he
had not bad any, but his daughtsr who lived in the
house had, so his vote was expimpd,
John Bradford, objected to by the Coostrvatives, as
having received parochial relief, was expunged.
In Bradpole parish the claims of George Robert '
Sadden, Joseph Jefford, and Rev. R. L Carpenter,
were allowed; Samuel Ooock's claim disallowed.
The Court did not rise until past six o'clock.
The revision for this division of the county took
pleas on Saturday, but it was merely formal.

THE HISTORY OF THE REFORM BILL
There was a crowded meeting at the Townball, Brid-
port, on Wednesday evening, to hear an address from
Professor Rogers, of Orford, on the Reform Bill. The
learned gentleman did not appear as • professional
lecturer, or as the agent of any society, or on behalf of
the sitting member, but at the request of a Bridport
friend, who had been solicited to give some information
on the subject so • number of the working men; and,
we are informed, the professor even declined to be
reimbursed his travelling expenses.
Joseph Gundry, Eq., of The Hyde, occupied the
chair, supported by Mr. T. Colfox, Mr. J. T.
Stephens, the Mayor (Mr. Elias Cox), Mr. J.
William; and Mr. J. Bartlett. In opening the
proosedinge, the Chairman mid he had been
requested to take the chair on that oecudon, and it gave
him very great pleasure to do so, because he felt that
the present time was one when it was desirable and
necessary that three who feel an interest in the political
and moral progress of their fellow subjects, should come
forward and let their friends and connections see that
the interest they take in them is not only latent but
sative—(hear, bear). Within a short period very great
changes had taken place in the political coodition of
thh country. A greatly increased amount of responsi.
bility devolved upon them in consequence of the Reform
Bill lately palmed, and it was extremely desirable that
they should feel and lay to their minds collectively and
individually the amount of responsibility now thrown
upon them. They were to remember that since he last
had the pleasure of appearing before them at anything
like • political meeting, the Reform Bill lately passel
(although it had taken from their ancient borough— ooe
of the most ancient within theca realms—one of the ,
members who formerly 'erred them and adorned it)—
(applause)—had increased very much the power of
time upon whom the franchise is conferred, and,
by so much, it had Increased their responsibility.
In addition to this, they must remember there was a
strong feeling abroad that boroughs of the size of the
ens in mita they lived, were upon their trial—
(eigan). Bridport was no longer among the loge.

uost towns in this Peat esentry, link from einem-
stances, over which neither they nor he had anyi
control, bad to a certain extent sunk in the list f
abroadpoliticalph s thattowe,,lo n ui n t i e in
monopolies r s G, adpolitical
B n' l numberst& iup
0. alone,
wlerh There
. waveaw ase Irae
countryfeelingn
at all events, they were now upon their trial, and, le
them remember, before not very favourable if
even impartial judge.. They had to prove that
although Bridport was a comparatively small borough,
it had within its bound. men who would not &aeries°
their consciences end political convictions to anything
like improper motives or seductions, but that they
were an fair and as sale a depository of political honour,
political integrity, and political influences se those
boroughs which exceeded the limits of this borough
four-fold, ten.fold, perhaps a hundred-fold—licheersl
He, therefore' said, that independent of the increased
power which the new Reform Bill had placed in their
hands, they had to prove to their judges, and thou who
watched their conduct, that although the borough
WU eonfined within somparatively small limits, the
*lectors had as stern and strung a feeling of political
independence and honour as those who are inhabitante
of much larger and therefore more important boroughs—
(applause). Under thew feelings it was that be was
asked to preside at this meeting, and he had the great
pleasure of being now able to introduce to them his
friend Professor Rogers, who bad occupied a large sphere
of pow.r and of influence within the Univeroty of
Oxford and the University of London, whose writings
were before all those who took an interest in political
matters, and ',how influence had been and is very great
In all the workings of political pursuits within tbe bounds
of the. country. He (lhofessor ltoeere) had been good
enough to offer togive them &lecture upon the privileges
and • duties of those who form units in the great
political body in this land. They were greatly indebted
to him for this, because it was done at the solicitation
of • few personal friends, at considerable inconvenience
to himself. He felt sure that they should all be greatly
benefited by the information he would give them—
(applause).
Professor Roger' said he owed Omni some apology for
coming among them : be was not • candidate for their
euffragee--(A Voice: "I wish you were")—he had not
the tionour of addressing the free and independent
electors of Bridport with a view to their returning him
to Parliament ; keither, again, wu be, in any sense or
'lope the agent of any politican : be did not come
forward in order to put before them what might be true,
but the stating of which might induce in the minds of the
listeners an impression that he was making a one-sided
stetenieut of the facte which had wine before his
experience and that of others. Neither was he one of
that important and useful class of persona—he did not
wish to speak lof them with the least disparagement—an
official lecturer ou polities. He pretended to none of
thew functions. The only apology he had to offer in
coming before them was the fact that he had played a
slight and unimportant part in those changes which have
been made in the electoral system of this country—that
he had watched the whole proceedings with the keenest
intorest —that he had wished, and at hat WU rejoiced to
'see, that the great Maca of the working clashes
of this country—those, at least, who were moat
capable of exordium judgment 131,011 tim great
limes put before the people of England ars at
last admitted within the pair of the coustitution, from
which they have been Golding wrongfully, unwisely, and
unrighteuely excluded—(clmen). lie belouged to that
class which was described by the head of flet Majesty's
Gournment (Mr. Disraeli) as" obsolete incendiaries and
stale 'pouters of falai n"—(Laughter), For the last
four or five years wherever he bail had opportunity be
had advocated to emelt and to large audience. - to the
largest audience, he believed, any mu was before—the
conferring on the people this franchise which they had
at teat obtained, amid Le would tell them in a very few '
words why it waste had held that opinion, lie had
no inclination, certainly to be an " incendiary ;" he was
rather an advocate for the prearvation of property, lie
had the greatest dislike for "sedition ;" Le wished that
all the English people might live happily under those
venerable institutions and under that beneficent system
of political GuVCIIII3IOOI with which we and our fore-
fathers had been so long familiar —(appleese). But he
felt thoroughly convinced that if the Homo of Conituous,
under the guidance of the Tory party, insisted per-
petually on excluding working men from the franchise,
and if it declared that they to whom this country
owed in • great measure its strength, its wealth,
and its progrees, were never to form an estimate as to
their own destinies and duties, it was quite certain
. before long there would be another and a stronger
j Patliament outside the walls of St. Stephen's, and I
1 that tiles oukr Parliament would soon dictate terms to 1
1 the Parliament within, and that the fair edifice of
I constitutional Government would ran no small risk of
' violent revolution—(applause). Therefore,he thought
he bad • right to retaliate on the gentleman who is at
the preseet mouient at the head of Her Majesty's
Government, that when lie wai resisting the intro-
duction of the working-men to the franchise—
when be and is party were trying to frighten the nati in
I with all sorts of alarms as to what would be the con-
, I sequence of the extension of tee franchise proposed by
, 1 Mr. Gladstone's Bill, he ens • much more " °Wolin,
I incendiary" than himself (Mr. Boors), and a much
staler " spouMr of sedition”- (hear, hear,and laughter).
Let him ask them, what had the Tory party done for
I the British nation since the passing of the first Reform
' Bill? The answer was, absolutely nothing. Sir
I Robert Peel was nominally • Tory, but be departed
1 very early after the date to which he had referral—
within ten or eleven jean—from the traditions of his
party, and began the great principle of Free Trade.
I —(applause). They knew well enough, how bitterly
, Sir Robert Peel was persecuted by Mr. Disraeli for his
attachment to Free Trade. When once persons adopted
ithe principle of free trade—when once they assisted in
removing all barriers save those necessary for the
obeeevenos of order and the ruinteneno. of imadd
rights. it was not very long before that principle
brought forth tea thousand fruit', fruit. which
monopolists and those who hate liberty sail ten ' 1
thousand sacrifices, but what are to west of the people 1 I
j of this country ten thousand benefits. That had been I
1 the career of those men who supported Robert Peel in 1 I
I bringing about the great changes in the fiscal and i
I financial system under which this country had I
' flourished. Who were the people that went about the I
country trying to prove to the =Wel of the people 1
that it was their interest to get bread cheaper? Not j I
Disraeli, but Cobden and Bright and all those other 1 I
men who are foremost in the ranks of Radical Re- I
formers. What was the present crisis? It seemed to I
him to be one for which there was absolutely no I
wallet in English hlitiry. They had at this time, he l
Ibelieved, the most immoral adminiatration which had I
ever dishonoured English history—(cbeera and hisses). I
He found there were some present who demurred to I
the view he had so broadly laid down—(hear, hear, and I
• voice "They are as honest its you are.") lf they I
would only have a little patience he thought he I
should be able to prove that his statement WM (
true ; and if they would only be as honest as they I
thought Mr. Dieraeli sad his lady were, and as they II
did him(Meßogers)thehonour of thinking he was, be had I
not the slightest fear as to the verdict they would Elva ,
—(applause). He said teen that at the present crisis 1
we had the most immoral Government that had ever I
exieted in England, and he would try to prove it by I
calling their attention to two points in their policy now 1
before the British natioe. In the first place, 1
when the present Government came into office they did '
so with • determination to resist every caesura of I
Parliamentary reform. Lord Derby said that his mission I
was to stem the tide of democracy—that is to say, I
prevent the great mus of them from having votes, or 4
if not to prevent that, to premed to them the semblance I
of having votes, but to keep from them the reality— 1
(applause). That was, he repeated, the distinct inten- I
tion Lord Derby had before him, and he (Mr. Itog.-re) '
begged to say that there was not the least necessity I
for his lordship to bring in • Reform Bill if he did not i
wish i.e., from his stand-point. He believed Lord 1
Derby to be • most violent, unreflective, impulsive .
person; and they constantly found that those who I
blustered most gave in the soonest. That was exactly 1
the cue with Lord Derby. He blustered violently '
1 that his mission was to stem democracy—that he did I
not intend that the working classes should have the I
franchise, indeed, he resolved to exclude them from it. I
but then found it necessary to bring in • Bill -- 1
(laughter). There were mysterious influenoes in politics ,
as well as in the world of nature, and that only would I
account for the determiution of Lord Derby at the
eleventh hour to bring in a Reform Bill. The fact was, i
his lordship felt that he could not stay much longer in .
office if he did not do it. He (Mr. Rogers) remembered I
talking to a friend of his some time ago who travelled I
a good deal in the United States, and he told him that :
on one occasion he went to a dawn, where he observed I
• young lady sitting in a corner, who got no partners, 1
and was quite neglected. So he went up to her, and '
asked her to dance. She replied" Weal" stranger, I '
guess I will dance, for I've sat so long in this place that
Tye a-most took root !"—(laughter). Lord Derby felt
Hitt he could not take root unless be brought in a
ltrezainepforermbusenrgßtaihltl—i:thhaacitt hbteehiscowaidmauctclutnnwttryothh(htettibin.adollit:thhiloelng enough in the .
place, unless he offered the working Muses some re-
as
hild
freshment its the shape of the franehise after his Par-
ti!rnraseentarYwithgytrhaeti°Consn;(riAvuzatihytere tartlyt, ward those who
wanted to get into Parliament with the new ticket, to
sey, that the Conservatives bestowed on us the Reform
Bill. Well, they bestowed it in much the same
owemnaninyyhuithomharirntt.hhe.eis;
pleasantaf ni
b. den
,:d
eh's when
nauhdeilignirh.red.echrGd,aialadheidtennti:nihanttihm.dten,'
betote
coming
to
that hall—(laughter). They certainly handed it up—
in
did the cornea's work, he admitted— they put the
dinner on the table, and handed the plat. a round, but
as for providing the dinner—fliddie-de-dee l—(cheers
an I laughter). That was done by quite a different
perty—(cheers). Now who was it that &arsenal time
mass of the working-chases in this country—he did not
want to mention names—and who WM it cheered him
vehemently? It was the Tory party who cheered Mr.
Lowe ween be uttered his foul calcimines on working-
men, and they stood howling and hooting all night long
to break down Mr. Gladstene's Yoh* when it was
raised on their behalf, that their natural rights
the:ufai
:tt working.
om
lodgeris i
nga hy say,
strongest speakers against the Reform Bill? Lord
should devolve upon them. Who was
*lasses were the same flesh and blood as his lordehip,
no such thing, I am made of nothing like that, but am
quite a different sort of animal I —Wears). When Mr,
Disraeli brought in his WI, he introdued certain
wiber:dicniht:Bna'rid,
wanPoo4ddretihmebauvit":reci:Lolien.eddmonnd",::.(lifrnhwk:whooitmiukunrhteet)earterinigtavhrywtop.oelaustwicare.iboesictha,,inlisi;:tbeh.haine.:
great mass of the respectable and intelligent arti
ihilivednii ikd: gib:oagrrhfiorkal.gs,ch7i.e.:
dtilhemeey
ohfosethweholodlivireedr
re t
smaller town would be admitted to vote—(hear, hear),
It was true that Mr. Disraeli stated when he was i
h(hri:heiheemslwlpastrito:tivige;ts sir,:thanier:Thrtoulewomf.kirekie
franchise; but that did not go for much, for if h was,
in the House of Commons—flaughter). The
°pedaloes he attached to hie Reform Bill were an
two year's before he would be in • position to exercise
willinglg admitted the working eliminate the franchise—
s house they would be likely to occupy for Venni but
that wes not the eau • wtth working men, who were
constantly meting. BO that many of them would not
pt voles. Ths object of Mr. Disraeli and his party, by
the condition to yid& ha had all oda& was to cantos
the etheimeioa to the treashise al the work
Gladstone said
ht
knowft' :du mucht
leesnu c
.hoonbege atowtedhe

fig glum to the narrowest pomade limits
—OO4 Again, there wag no provision in the Bill
introduced against the a irrupt payineut of rates. He
did out •ith to slander hi. neighbour, but be bed no
hesitation in saying that the strong-bold of the Tory
party was bribery—(theers and laughter, mid cry of
"bosh.'). By the omission, they no doubt intended
that the system of paying up the arrears for the poor
should be continued. They knew what he meant. A
man owed five shillings for rates, and the Tories came
along and paid it for him, telling him that he wee on
their side, of coune—(laughtcr). Another thing they
did was to diefrairoblee the compound househelder. Toe
House of Commons had insisted on the personal pay-
ment of rates which let in all the householder. woo
Paid the rates, but depend upon it that the reformed
House of Commons will reinstate the compound bonne.
bolder. He advised them when the Tory candidate
came to ni idport to mit him whether he 011. willing to
reinstate the compound householder, and if be said be
we., they might say to him if they affected to be on his
side—" You must have been leduriated'- you must
have had • little private ' ciaching,' you must have
had a lesson which we have heard nothing
about"—(laughter and "beau"). And if he told them
he was no not willing to re-instate the compound
householder they could tell him that they pro-
longed to be thou who judged by aot.ons and did
not look to words. Another point in the Reform
Bill introduoed by Mr. Disraeli was that it proposed to
give the franchise to thou who paid 20a. annually in
direct taxes. This wee what Mr. Bright had designated
the retcatcher's franchise. The ratcatcher bad th keep
• couple of dogs, he supposed, in carrying on his pro-
fession and woull, therefore, under the old systtni
pay • tax of 12.. for each animal, and that was why this
franchise bad been termed the rateateher's clause. Of
*curse, this was to introduce • Maas of persons under
' this particular schedule, to which he should call their
attention by and bye. Then another chit= would have
given the franchise to every person who bad rzo in the
pribio securities, or EMI in the saviugs' hank. He need
not tell them what the objeot of that was. Every
gentleman would have asked his butler or his foottlem,
to allow him to place £3O in the saving.' batik in their
names, and would have taken bon& from them for the
emounr,—(laughter). And that wax the intention Mr.
Disraeli had in introducing that cleats. But the worst
feature of all in the proposed bill was that these fancy
[reechoes should roofer additional votes. That was to
say if he was qualified as &householder. and under "the
ratutcher" or other claux•s, and there were two
undidatee to represent the plate, he would have four
vote.—(laughter). Then there was no attempt made at
mi equitable dutnbution of gut& With reference to
tha subject be wae not prepared to hold the doctrine
held by many irditietans from Lord Deihl= down
to the proaent time, that the best representation
• would be numerical, and by district.; but
be was bound to say, that after the Conservative
party in 1866 had joined to teow out Mr. Glarlgtone's
bill, became, it did not embrace so adequate system of
re-distribution, it was "rather cool" of them to bring
in • tell in 1867 with exactly the omission they coin.
'dittoed of in that of Mr. Gladatoue—(appleues). No
doubt many things were (air in politics, but he never
knew that at was fair to be false in polities, as the Tory
government had been since they had been in power.
They did not profeu to reduce the franchise very crone
=terabiy in the counties. He dare say that the borough
of Bridport was a tight little coutitueney, but there
was a borough very close to where he lived, which,
taking the town itself, bad • population of 1020, and an
acreage of :WO ; but it included about • dozen other
places, which raised the population to 7,700, and the
acreage to 22.000. That was the borough of
Woodstock, over which • great duke presided. They
also introduced into their bill the system of voting
l papers, the ohject of welch .as described by Lord
Crienboine to be to turn a magistrate's parlour into a
polling booth, lie contended- that it was a system of
delthenetely coercing the voter by bringing him Into
thee presence of a magistrate. There were some. man
who were not so stroug.tuinded as they and heurelf
were, who would be confused by being before a magis-
trate. and might fancy tbeinthleres smugglers or
poachers, and they might be afraid of the men . who
looked upon hare, and rabbit. ea the roost gamed &tamale
in the natural kingdom—(laughter)—and they would,
therefore, sign anything they might he listed to do--
(applause). Mr. Disraeli said that his measure would
enfranchise 250,000 ; but whet was the case? It WM
found that it would only enfranchne 110,030 or there-
about.—(bear). Every one of thou abominations' be
had referred to, every one of those artifices, every one
1 of those tricks in pretending to give the people of this
country • share in the repreeentation, and yet with-
holding it from them, weic kicked out of the Bill by
Mr. Gladstoee and hi. party- -(cheers). And he told
them the literal truth when be said that there were
only four climees in the original Bill which were in the
present Act—(emers and laughter). Out of these there
was the preamble, of course—(laughter); the second
was the clause against corrupt practi. es ; the third, the
clause disfranchising the four boroughs of Totnee, Yet-
mouth, Reigate, and lanoseter ; and the last wu a
chum purely formal which took precautions against
I contingencies before the hats could be made out. Yet
1 they were told it was the Tories had given them the
Reform Bill—(obeers and laughter). One of the
greatest Tory peers, the I ute of Buccleuch, contrasting
the Bill as it issued from the House of Lords with
what it was when introduced to the House of Commonr,
said there was only one word for which the Tory
Government were responable, and that was
the word "whereas' !---(laughter and cheers), in
dealing with this matter, Lord Derby said he bad
made "a leap in the dark," but the Duke of Marlborough
with more courage and truth, said "they were com-
pelled to do it," and such was the fact. The Ceti-
servative Government had been obliged to take the
course they had in much the game way an a weather-
cock in emouited to seal she dinsetion of the wind—in
much the mine way as a straw or • stick in the gutter
• is forced to diet down she sewer when • heavy storm
falls from the clouds. It was no longer safe or passible
to withstand it, but it certainly pseud all comprehension
and all modesty when persons, having been constrained
to do • thing they very much disliked, took infinite
credit to themselves for the doing of it—(cbeers). He
had told them the sober truth. These things might be
fairly proved by reference to Hansard. Now let them
oome tot= oilier point—the question ot the Irish Church
establishment. He was • member of the English Church—
he was brought up in it, he loved it, and believed it was
the most tolerantehurch amoag the nations. Be believed
that Christanity was the light of the world, and dist
it was ore fairly and truly displayed than intl.
doctrine and, when Christi= men practised It, the
discipline of the English Church—(appleuse). He
believed that that particular form of Popery which was
rampant in Ireland was the enemy of God and men, and
that it was in the worst sense the enemy of the poor
Irish; yet it was to them the representative of freedom,
and nationality, and right, an against oppression—
(applause). It would take him • long time to detail to
tbein by what iniquitous arta the Irish Church was first
set up, and by what atrocious and wicked laws it had
since been sustained. Yet it was still only the church
of one-eighth of the people. Supposing the Church of
England was only the Church of one-eighth of the
people, how long would they Mead it? and what sort of
Christians were they, if they wanted to put upon the
Irish people what they would not stand themselves?
He thought the Christian religion was, to do as one
would be done by. How could they venture to answer
these people, when they turned round and asked that if
they believed their religion was founded on love and
charity, and doing one's duty to one's fellow-man? He
did not intend to prophesy. He thought thou who
prophesied were fools, but if they might judge from the
past, he had no hesitation in expressing his conviction
that if the Irish Church is disestablished those of them
who lived twenty years longer would see half the Irish
people emaciated with the various reformed soul-
amnions in the °pantry cheers). The reason the Irish
people loved popery was because the Irish breach of the
English Church had been thrust down their throats—
(hear, hear). Now, what was the Government doing
in reference to the Irish Church question? They
were going about and crying "No Popery." Ho
said "No Popery" too, and be did not
believe in the Maynootb grant, and would
not "level up." Lord Mayo said, "The., would
not I believe, be any objection to make all churches
equal, but that result must be secured by elevation,
not confiscation." What did that mean? He knew that
Lord Mayo had denied the meaning °, the words, bulbs
put the pewee before them as people who understood
the English language, and asked them whether making
all churches equal by elevation, not by confiseatioe, did
not mean " levelling up," paying the Cethoho
priests ?—(applause). In order that they might not be
left in doubt on the point, Lord Mayo went
.oa to
propose the establishment of a Roman Catholic noi-
vemity, providing the funds out of the national marse,
One of the objecta to which he bad devoted as much
time as he weld spare was the throwing open the
universities to all Englishmen of whatever form of faith,
but that was • very different thing from establishing •
strong-hold of Popery in the midst of Ireland—(applattes).
He would now ask his friend in the backwoods—
(laegtithr) whether he bad not proved Out the Tory
Government were not so honest am be thought they were
—(cheers). He thought he had proved his position
that the present Government was a dishonest and
immoral one. He maintained that any political party
which lay down one tot of principles when out of office,
and adopted another when it attained to ogler, or
deferred to those powers which would otherwise tarn it
out, was dishonest and immoral. Hs knew two better
definition of political immorality than the 'banging of
opinions for the sake of what can be got—(cheers).
lie wished to say one word on another point which had
become important. During the two years of the
present administration the taxes of the country had
been increased £3,000,030. Now it was very hard to
get people to realise what • million is. He believed
Plymouth seas one of the largest towns hi the neigh-
bourhood : now there were about 100,000 people there,
and if one were to take every sixpence that every man,
woman, and child earns or reaming during a twelve.
month in that town and throw it into the me, that
would be the meaning of three millions additionelwaste.
And look at the tinmin which this waste occurred. When
the Conservative Government earns into power, there
was a terrible financial panic. That WY • IWO of
things in which a wheeler clam had to run the risk
of contracting their bissineu, or losing their profits, eve
may be, going to ruin. They might not see it at Britt.
port, but they would feel it indirectly. If the sapitalist
did not lay out his capital, it wet no more to him than
the lump of gold which the miser hid in the mirth. He
had been all over England, and it was said that tbe
capitalists were now laying out their money at • lomi,
and the working men were on half-the*, and yet this
Government took three millions of mosey set of their
pockets. Was this a time to squaaartir away the 'rabbi)
money- (applause, and • voice " Why did they do It?).
Why did they do it? became the Tory Government
elid'ut know how to count—they did not understand
the rudiments of anthemetic. When they had
before them the estimated expenditure, and
found out they wanted an increased expenditure in One
• direction, and, therefore, ought to economies in another,
Mr. Disraeli sod Mr. Wardeliont could not do it, and
we have been burdened with this inerellee of expenditure
, through their ineepaaity—(applause.) He had been
, asked how about the ballot? That was a subject in
, which be felt great interest. B. believed the ballot to
• be absolutely necessary to secure freedom of elution
i --(cheers.) He believed the working men might ocm-
I siseelly dispense with it, because he was the owes
I independent of all the politieel elements of this coasts?.
I If be did not agree with his •mployer, he =old tido IP
r his bathet of tools end go elsewhere. (a yoke: There's CO
I employment in oar =entry now.") They bad to leash
the geseest Goveraateet tos that; they bed wetted