The Express.
London, England, 1855-06-14 00:00:00

ADMINISTRATI YE REFORM.

MEETING IN DRURY-LANE THEATRE.

Yesterday evening a publio meeting, convened by
the Association far the Promotion of Altair istratiss
Reform, was held at Drury-lane Theatre. The pit, boxer,
and galleries, were well filled, although not inconveniently
crowded. The stage was occupied by a number of members
of parliament and gentlemen supporters of the movement,
among whom were Austin H. Layard, M.P.; James
Bell, M.P. ; Jacob Bell, Esq.; Norman, Esq., Secretary
to the Reform Club ; A. G. Otway, M.P. ; Apeley Pallatt,
M.P.; George Stagg, John Lowrie, George Thompton, E.
Loraine, W. Tits, M.P. ; F. Bennreb, Critelli.", M.P. ;
D. Maskunie, Jackson, Esq., Hartlepool. Leigh South,
D. Brown, W. Leaf, J. A. Nicholay, Bt. Travers,
Ingram, W. L. Ogleby. H. Bateman, It. Hutchi-
son, Sir Charles Napier, Norman Wilson, Jotn Lupton,
E. Hutson, W. A. Lyon, Captain Dunces, George Moore,
J. B. Bintems, W. Chamberlain, Jeffery, W. Edgar,
jun., Edwin Jamul, Q.C. ; Dr. Sibson, F.R.S.; Captain
Lutlett ; W. Jackson, M.P. ; Major J. H. Reed,
M.P.; Captain Eutwiek, Rev. J. B. Gray, M. Hullah, W.
Kirk, Peter Grabens, —Whalley, Etq., Joenstann Neal.

Beacom. Moninr, Egg., was in the chair.'
The CHAIRMAN said is was his duty in the first pieta
annonatm that the meeting was held at the invitation of the
Administrative Reform Association, and its object was that
any who chose might come and listen to addresses from the
gentleman who had been announced es prepared to offer
some remarks No resolution would be proposed for adoption,
and of course, therefore, no amendments would be moved,
and there would be no addition to the list of speakers—
(hear, Year)—because there would be other opportunities
for other gentlemen to address the public ; and they were
determined that the meeting should clime at 10 o'clock.
(Hear, hear.) He had little idea a month ago that he
should have been celled to occupy his present position. He
wee one of a few earnest thoughtful men who believed that
there was positive danger in the excitement of the public
mind with regard to the existing state of things, and that
there would be safety only in concentrating the danger with
reference to that state of things which Ass a nation they com
plained of. They bad consegnent4 taken on them-
selves to call • meeting at the London Tavern ; and
how that invitation was responded to was well known;
and that meeting had resulted in the formation of
an association, and an executive committee was appointed.
The committee bad issued an address, which was very
long; but it was intended, in moderate terms, to put
clearly before the country the grounds of their complaint,
and the course of action they intended to pursue. They
bad also prepared a pamphlet entitled " The Devision
Heads and Executive Hands of the Evglish Government,"
which contained the opinions and evidence of a number of
experienced men, not merely, as;tbe Economist said, the men
of the desk and the factory, but men like Lord J. Russell,
Lord Lansdowne, and Si, Robert Peel, with regard to the

manner In which the government of ibis ccuntrj was ear.
tied on. It had been said in some quarters that the also.
Motion had not baen very prompt In suggestusg the remedy
for that of which they comploinad: HA should say that

there could be no better proof of the depth and intensity
of the evil than that they bad not said at once that they knew
what wes wanted, and come forward with a cut-and-dried
plan. Many thought that those who were most the cansisof
the continuance of the evil were the people themselves.
(Hear, hear.) The system was as good as the people willed
it to be, and it was because of the absence of individual
responsibility of Englishmen that they warn brought as a
nation to the state in which they were. All sorts of charges
of personal motives had been brought against the movers in
the matter. He could speak for himself, and he thought he
could for those around him, that they were net conscious of
any motive which they could not show to the country, and
that was a good and efilcientgovertansut—(bear, hear)—and
it was because we had nor got that that they now called
on the public to say that the present state of things should
notcootinue. He referred to this as bearing on a charge
which had been made wit► regard to the return of Mr.
Tite for Bath. (Hesr, hear.) That gentleman would be
hear, by and bye, to speak for bimselt. Bet he would say
that, so far as the association was concerned, the first they
knew of it was when they heard that Mr. Tite was at Bath,
and canvassing. At the same time, the !association was not
ashamed of his going to Bath—(hear, hear)—end they bad
done their beat to assist Dim by issuing an address, calling
on the electors to make administrative reform the ground of
the election. Then the old charge was made against them,
that they were attacking the aristocracy. A member of a
noble family said to a friend of his, "If adminie-
trative reform gees on, what is to become of
our younger sons 1" (" Hear, hlar," and laughter.)
Now he (Mr. Morley) believed that question was one in the
right solution of which the people was deeply interested.
He would ask the question, if the present state of things of
which we complained was not altered, what was to become
of on younger sons ? (" Hess, hear," and cheers.) At
the same time he denied that there was any desire to attack
the aristocracy, but held that it was a duty to their children
to remedy the existing evil, and if they let the opportunity
pass, it would be difficult to say what would become of their
sons. (Rear, beer.) The best thing the youthful aristo-
cracy could do was to fit themselves for the government of
the country. They seemed like the Irishman who applied
for relief and said that unless he received it he should be

compelled to do a deed hie goal abhorred, that is, to work.
(Hear, hear.) If they fitted themselves for public cffice he
believed the country would be glad to see the aristocracy in
office, for England was fond of its aristocracy. But it was
indispensable that efficiency for service, iested by competi
tion and not favouritism, should be the order of the day.
Those were the objects and interests which this movement

was intended to secure. It did not intend to get up an ells
borate agitation, but it was intended to do their 'my best
toe:pose abuses, founded on authentic informetion, and to
stimulate public feeling in a calm and emphatic manner to
the reform of then abuses, and to say to the people that it
rested with them to effect that object. If the members of
the association failed to excite the public to assist them in
declaring what had caused the mischief of which they com-
plained, they would thankfully
which was more congenial to their feelings, and they would
mahout feel the, they had done their duty. (Hear, hear.)
It was said that they were taking on them a work which did
not belong to such • body ; but be could arsert that the
public business of England was the butinese of every
Englishman, and it was because the House of Commons
had been unfaithful to the people in this matter—(hear,
hear)—that this movement was originated. He believed
that England now stood in a lower position in the opinion
of Europe than she had stood five years ago. There was no
regime for that, or any want of the elements of national
strength; but it appeared to him that we as
a nation had omitted to act up to its respoc-
sibilities, and it was necenary that the people
should be brought together and determine that
something should be done to stop the evils which existed.
This movement had not arisen solely from the war. The
nnewity of it bad been felt long before, and as urgently as
now. No doubt the enormous mischief which a free press
bad shown to have occurred during the war, sad the con-
tiguity of cause and effect, bad fixed the public eye on this
question. The connezion of the harbour master of Bala-
knee with the loss of the Pence, followed by the departure
of a regiment from Portsmouth without their clothes and
shoes, aid similar cue., did bring maths faults of the system
in strong colours. But these things showed that the
characteristics of the government were negligence, extrava-
gance, and wine, and Its machinery cumbrous and expen-
sive. Every one who entered into convicts for the army
and navy knew what degradation they had t undergo
ensequence of the complicated forms they had
Ito go through. In the pamphlet be bad alluded to one of the
witnesses said that with regard to the appointments in public
offices there was a total absence of responsibility; that the
'clerks were ell appointed through the estrcuege of the
&mystery to the Treasury, and were moat of them not worth
'their salt ; and three offices were tided with those members
of aristocratic families, who were picked out for their defi-
ciency of ability. (Hear, hear) All these things wculd
bring any mercantile concern into the Gazette. It bad been
said that something had been done by the government since
Ipis movement bad commenced, and especially by the con-
Minato& of an examination of candidates for the public
aliviee. But there were two points in the plan which
dinned it of value, namely, the mode of nomination remelti-
ng as it now was, and the declaration of Mr. Returns,. ens
of the examiners appointed, before • committee of the
Hones of Common., That oompetitive examinations would
be detrimental to the aristocracy." (Hear.) After that it
' was not likely that that gentleman would he an
impartial examiner. (Heir, bear) It was impnrtaat that
there should be fewer oepartments in the government. It
war knowa that there were in FraliCe, apart from the army,
300,000 pintos receiving the public money, and that was
Mad to operate dangerously to liberty. They had the
evidence of Lord Lansdowne, Sir Robert Peel, and Lord
Jahn Russell of the torpid and inactive manner in which
the business of government was connected. He would rein
to the number of offices held by several individuals in the
government. (The hon. gentleman then read the offices
which had at different times been held by Lord J. Russell,
Wm G. Grey, Sir Charles Wood, nod Lord Granville, a very
Nag list being attached to the name of each) They never
hoard of a timber merchant becoming • colonial broker, or
Milieging from one sort of besieges to another, like that.
Leek at the to in which our colonial government bad
ham beaded over from one minister to another. Must
yet that be detrimental to the interests of
thei colonies ? (Hear, bear.) The working staff
Is the public Mikes were wanting in efficiency. It was •
system of political favouritism only which recommended
men for the public mein. Every man came into the
World with some sort of talent, and every one who fitted
himself by labour and acquirements for public offices, there
'might to be no aged fOr him to go cep in hand to a member
Of parliament, Or a Secretary to .the Treasury. (Hear,
hear, and 'hem.) . There ought to be oothing to stop him
from obtaining public employment but inefficiency. liver,
Saab man aught to have the opporteeity of working in the
of this sameialio&
Vetheh:l iseevrviedelltb. Thatti t w arid . the
relieftb"ta he Howe 01 COM.
meets to go: Yid 'of this system. It was saki, why not look
to the House of Commons I lie was of opinion thee the
Hone of C6llllllOOl had failed the country in the matter.
Almost every member was brought under the control of the
" whipper. in • term which of itself showed that all