The Express.
London, England, 1849-06-05 00:00:00

FINANCIAL AND

PARLIAMENTARY REFORM.
MEETING OF THE BISHOPSGATE WARD.
Last night, t.t.o inhabitants of the Bishops ate
Ward held a large influential meeting at the White Hart
TIMM. METCALFE HOPI:100D, Esq., in the chair. Six
members or the council were present.
Mr. HOEHOOD, who was received with considerable
cheering, said, that looking at the House of Commons—
m lag the influences which affected the members of the
hone—cbeerving how they were actuated—he thought it
impossible that the wishes of tho people should be attended
to. He asked the meeting to look at our Lime boroughs;
to compare the number of the population with the number
of the electors.

Electors. Population.
In Westminster there were 14,251 .... 202,460
Tower Hamlets
Finsbury
Marylebone
But of these anomalies and incensistercies in our representt.
live system there were far too many for him to enumerate.
C. GILPIN, Esq., proposed :
" That this meeting, deeply impressed with the conviction
that no reform of a nature to give relief to tho overtaxed
distributive and produeive classes of the community will
take place until public opinion remotes itself through the
medium of a powerful, numerous, and widely-spread com-
bination of all classes of reformers, pledges itself to support
the efforts now malting to establish the Metropolitan Par-
liamentary and Financial Reform Association."
Mr. GILPIN confessed tLat he indeed went beyond the
apineistion, but he would go with them as far as they went.
The resolution was seconded by R. THOMAS. Esq., in an
able speech, and was supported by Mr. TOwNsEND, who
urged the meeting to consider the advantages to be derived
from the union of the middle and working classes, without
which the objects of this movement never could be carried
out. The working c'asses would, he was sure, co-operate
with the middle classes to a peaceful egitaticn.
HENRY BATEMAN, Esq., moved the second resolu-
tion, pledeing the meeting to support the endeavours of the
Metropolitan Aesocistion. He alluded to Mr. Cobden's not
beirg found in the van of the present movement, where he
had hoped to see him, and ably advocated the cause of finan-
cial reform.. . .

The reeolutina was eeewnded by J. SCOBELL, Esq. ; after
which Mr. TOWNMEND moeed a vote of tballitl to the
eherman, and the meeting broke up.

THE BERMONDSEY ASSOCIATION.

Last night a public meeting of the recently formed
Financial end Parliamentary Reform Association for the Ber-
mondsey d es. rict, was held at the EinTl2l Tavern, Bermondsey-
square, under the pre sideney of Jong Heuats, Eeq., for
the purpose of confirming the election mado of officers at
the last meeting, for the enrolment of members, and to
receive a deputation from the Central Association. The
gentlemen forming the deputation were Mr. Linwood and
Mr. Wickham. The minutes of the election of Mr. John
Harris as president, of Mr. E'kinton as treasurer,
and Mr. George Kneel as secretary, wire read, and unani-
mously confirmed, and, after a few preliminary observations
from the Chairman and Mr. Howard,
Mr. LINWOOD addressed the meeting with his usual
ability as the t xponent of the views sod objects of the parent
institution, aed particularly applied himself to the develop-
ment of the freehold land scheme, which is put forward by
the council with a view to increase the constituencies in the
six metropolitan counties.
A person in the body of the meeting.inquired if any per-
son present had mimed the petition in favour of the people's
charter, because if so they had no business to pay their shil-
lings and join the land scheme of the Reform Association.
They sai 1 they meant to reek an extension of the suffrage ;
if they were sincere in that intention what use was there in
the Theme for creating voters in the counties ? With re-
spect to the suffrage, he for one would never be content with
less than universality of suffrage.
The CHAIRMAN explained that the suffrage they sought
an extension of was the household suffrage in cities and
borough., by givirg it to lodgers; and this land scheme was
necessary, to increase the county constituencies, so as to
meet the 601. tenants at will, by whom at present they were
swamped. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. B. O'BRlEN.—While be gave every credit to the
promoters of the movement to which he offered no ()prod.
tdon, still he advised the body of the people with
which he was identified, to go with them as far as they
were prepared to advance, but to go onward and never cease
until they bad reamed to themselves the full enjoyment of
their just rights.
A committee of management having been appointed, the
enrolment of members occupied the meeting until a late
hour, and the proceedings closed with the customary vote of
thanks to the Chairman, who announced that the officenand
committee would attend at that place every Monday night
for the purpose of proceeding with the enrolment of
moorhen.

ACCIDENT ON THE BITER LEA.--TWO LIVES
LONT.—Ou Sunday evening an accident occurred on the
dm Lea, near Clapton, by which two young men lest their
Wm. It appears that six young Man all of whom are
at Perry's Gazette office, in the city. engaged a.. -c_rog
Val at the Jelly Angler's, adjoining the river Lea, fork. "--•
Lea,
Ow perposa of fishing. They had not proceeded far. w ,
hp same accident, w is at present unexplained, the z-,. r. -*
wgimil, sad they were ell immersed into the water. Two --, +••
glom sweeeeded in clinging to the boat until mistimes
,• ie:— •
imiiinek two were drowned, and the other two swam -I, ••• •
the ion. The names of the unfortunate yonths who ' ' '.;
their Fives are, Benjamin Oliver, of Murray-street, Ho: /.,,).N...„,
and Charles Sanderson, residi4 in **neighbourhood "'" '--- •
•` .., ,\ :I*`•
Balroluid. 113•1 N '''

:F.SS
3.
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