The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-08-02 00:00:00

Mr. Priest, who was a working man, would move a
resolution, and he might tell those gentlemen who were
so impatient that only one resolution would be sub-
mitted that night.
Mr. PRIEST was received with hooting and great
uproar. A voice, "He is a socialist ; turn him out ;"
cries of order, and renewed order. The speaker, who
was inaudible at first, was afterwards listened to with
considerable patience. That uproar, he said, was not
what was, to be expected from the intelligence which
exists in this country at large. This was no question of
party politics. It was a question, not involving any of
that usual animosity which was so frequently exhibited
in connection with the contests of political agitation.
It was not a question which depended upon the mere
prejudice of party ; it was not to be decided by any of
those usual party cries, those battle cries which were so
exceedingly exciting; but it was a question of the
utmost constitutional importance—a question involving

a condition of the basis upon which our liberties exist,
and involving also a consideration of those important
privileges in conjunction with the legislature
of the country which were the unfailing guarantee and
palladium of our national liberties. (Applause.) For
himself, he was sick of the distinctions of party. He
regarded it as an infallible test of the intelligence and
improvement of the people that those broad demarca-
tions, which had hitherto divided parties, were becoming
rapidly obliterated and becoming extinct—(" Gammon")
—and there was growing desire to regard measures and
men as of prominent importance, and not the usual
distinctions with which they were associated. It
mattered not to them whether the paper duty ought to
be repealed or not—they might differ about the policy
of that—(A. voice : " Keep your nose out of your mouth,"
and laughter)—but the question of paper duty repeal
was not that which they were considering that night.
The question was not about the nature of a tax,

the propriety of its imposition or repeal, but
the question was concerning the validity of the
Upper House either to impose taxation or. to
withdraw it. That was the question which lies at the
base of all our liberties, and which, if they did not
settle satisfactorily, they would inaugurate that which
some of our sapient papers wished—a revolution—by
calling into existence a power unauthorised by the con-
stitution of the country. (Applause, hissing, and
great uproar.) They were told by Lord Palmerston

that since 1714 they had had thirty-six bills presented
to the Lords, which they had either altered or rejected.
A committee was constituted to ascertain how many
precedents there were for doing wrong. {A voice :
" That fellow never paid a tax in his life," and laughter.)
There was no case at all analogous. The speaker then
proceeded to say that Lord Brougham's course had been
of late eccentric, and the opinion he had given was not
that of the Henry Brougham of ,other days ; but the
obliquity of a lord was little regarded. There existed
no decisive document by which the functions of King,
Lords, and Commons were accurately defined. (A voice:
" Gammon ; you want a paper for a halfpenny.") If
it depended upon Parliamentary majorities, was it not
quite plain that even the veto of the Crown was negt&-
tived by a decision of the House of Commons. (Hisses,
and great uproar. Cries of " Humbug," " you are an
impostor, and not a working man ;" " What a nose you
have got !" and loud laughter.)

The CHAIRMAN—Fair play is a jewel. (Cries of
"Put the motion," and uproar).

Mr. PRIEST continued, going at great length into
what he called oar parliamentary history, and then said
—lf England was the empress,—England supreme in
her relationships,—England supreme in her legislation
—England supreme in her intellect,—the refuge for all
expatriated monarchs whom the just indignation of
people whom they have trampled over have sent on our
shores—(great uproar, a number of parties in the gallery
striking up "Rule Britannia"). If they were prepared
to support an irresponsible rule, to have a power ruling
over them unjust, unsanctioned by law, then let them
be silent under the aggression of the House of Lords ;
but if, on the other hand, they valued their position as
Englishmen, they should look with suspicion upon
every attempt to violate their liberties. (Cries of "Sit
down.") Mr. Priest sat down by proposing the follow-
ing resolution :
" That it is a right immemorial of the people to be
taxed only by their own consent, through their repre-
sentatives in Parliament; that the refusal of the House
of Lords to give legal effect to the bill for the repeal of
the excise tax on paper is a flagrant violation of the
right by which the limitation in the amount of every
tax rests with the House of Commons alone; that the
House of Commons having asserted their full power of
successful resistance to the violation, -it is their sacred
duty, as official guardians of the rights and liberties of
the people, to exercise it upon the present occasion; and
that, so long as they fail to do so, they are faithless to
their trust, and their character as public men must be
seriously compromised in public estimation."
"No, no," cheers, and great. uproar.

The CirtramAN—lf you don't give every speaker a
fair hearing, it will be my duty to dissolve the meeting.
(A voice : You are afraid of the meeting.") It wniihi
all depend how they heard the succeeding speaker as to
whether he should allow the meeting to proceed or not.

Mr. Rs.wmics rose to second the resolntion. He had
no connection with the Lords or any other body, but the
working men who got their bread by the sweat of their
brow. This was a meeting of the Reform Association,
but on looking on the platform, he could note several
gentlemen who were conspicuous by their absence. He
wanted to know where were the men who ought to
address an audience of that sort. Various excuses for
non-attendance h:d been sent—some that it would be
better to wait till next year. He would advise them not
to make their principles subservient to party purposes
this year. [This speaker was greatly interrupted
throughout his remarks.] He had a respect for a num-
ber of gentlemen he saw in the gallery, whom ho knew to
be opposed to himself on this question. They were candid.
They were honest. They saw that the Lords were right.
(Prolonged cheering.) He was aware that there was too
much apathy on this question, but if there was no
apathy, there would be no occasion to stir up people
upon it. Every storm must commence in a calm ; it was
incidental to all the great crises of our history. He
referred to the 17th century, and to the struggles
between the King and the Commons. They should take
warning from this, never to let an infringement of the
Constitution go by without a protest, They should remem-
ber the example set by the United States and by Canada,
and tkey should not permit this aggression to pass unno-
ticed.

Mr. STMMONDS, who was received with great uproar,
cheering, and the Kentish fire, then presented himself
to move an amendment. He was assailed, however,
with such cries from immediately below the platform,
persistently repeated, that it was almost impossible to
proceed. He said he would speak if he stopped there
till twelve o'clock.

The Chairman interfered. It would be said that those
who interrupted him were on the side of those who
called the meeting.
Mr. SIMMONDS again attempted to proceed. The last
time he had the pleasure of addressing them was at the
battle of the lorry. He laboured under a disadvantage
on those occasions. (" You were knocked down.") I
knocked the speaker's questions down. (" Mr. Hey-
worth.")
The CitArnmAN—Allow me to say this gentlemen
did not,molest Mr. Heyworth.
Mr SIMMONDS said the difficulty he labnured under
that night was having little or nothing to reply to.
The chairman and the speakers who had preceded him
had occupied an hour and a half, but only ten minutes
of that time had been applied to the question before
that meeting. (Uproar.) Now, much that had been
said on the question he approved of and agreed to.
(Shouting.) I shall be very brief if you give me a fair
hearing; if you do not, I shall occupy an hour and a
half myself. (Applause and uproar). The amendment
was—

"That the thanks of this meeting are due, and are
hereby given, to the House of Lords for their dignified
rejection of the Paper Duty Repeal Bill, therby disap-
proving of a wild speculation in the revenue."
(Great uproar.) Allusion had been made to the diffi-
culty which would be experienced under the paper tax
of taking it out of boad. Now, he 'wanted to know
whether there would be any more difficulty in getting
taxed paper out of bond than any other article out of
bond ? (Applause and uproar.) Another observation
was that they should keep faith with the treaty; but it was
a one-sided treaty. (Shouting.) Mr. Jeffery had said that
Lord Palmerston was like a sponge, always sucking up per-
sonality. Now, be thought that was just what their hon.
chairman did. (Loud cheers.) It was said the Lords,
by opposing the repeal of a duty, were attempting to
bring on a revolution. He wished to know whether
Mr. Priest and his coadjutors were the parties who
were opposed to revolution. (Cheers, and uproar. A
Voice : " Sit down ; I'm a working man, but I will
give you 2d. to go home.") There was no' doubt that
the former speakers had never touched the question.
He insisted that the paper question was not a question
for working men, and was proceeding when ho was
again interrupted by the cries of some of the more
zealous Radical partisans grouped below the platform.
On this, several working men rushed down from the
gallery, and went about quietly to eject the offenders,
when

The CHAIRMAN came forward, to the astonishMent of
every one, and declared the meeting dissolved,
The parties Were leaving the platform, when Mr
Simmonds, in the chairman's absence, put his amendment
to the meeting, when it, was carried amid tremendous

applause.
stateput out,of and the company quietly
considerable excitement..
It was then proposed that Mr. Parsonage should take
the chair, and that gentleman was about to do so, when
tdhisepleirgshedts, wtheoruegpharitnialaly

The traffic retort's of the London and North-Western
Railway for the past week amount to £88,662, showing
an increase of £4,206.

-ARRIVAL OF :THE PALESTINE.---The British and
North American Royal Mail Steam. Packet CompanY'
steamer Palestine, Captain T. Cooke, arrived in she
Mersey. at 10 o'clock yesterday forenoon. We. Yost"-
day published her news transmitted by tekgreh frm
Queenstown.