The Express.
London, England, 1848-05-09 00:00:00

THE REFORM MOVEMEN

MEETING AT HERTFORD,
On Monday a meeting was held at Hertford,
pursuance of a requisition to the mayor, to take iot-
sideration the "grievances" of the middle and lower
The meeting was held in one of the spacious Aseize
and a few minutes after the hour announced for' he
the court and the galleries were crowded. A roneiderebl
number of the leading inhabitants, and a very large y
tion of the shopkeepers and the respectable part
working etagere, attended.—The Mayor having been e
to the chair, read the requisition which he had received, ,
in consequence of which he bad convened the meeting.
Mr. T. Chambers, barrister, who was a candidate for '
rep.mentation of Hertford at the last general election, r
came f award to move the first resolution, whir,:
to the effect, "that the fundamental principl,
British constitution being that the people thrill lee I
f.irly represented in parliament, this meeting exi
deliberate conviction that the House of Commons,
tent constituted, does not meet that important re quires_
Mr. Chamners proceeded to give a history of the progress
constitutional liberty in England, and combated
argument of some that this was not . the ft
time to seek fur further constitutional' changt
The English constitution euabled us to suit it 'to the -
and requirements of each succeeding age, and thr
iog the peril connected with the demolition or an
the construction of • new form of government.
great change had ever been made in England w
pressure Iron without. The removal of every ateuse—th,
growth of the democratic element in the congitutioe
which we owed every reform worth having) had ev
strictly resisted, and had never yielded but to that
some spirit of grumbling, which had got us the
Rights, the Reform Bill, Catholic Emancipation,
other concesaion to popular and individual liberty.
that the time had now arrived for the extens.,
the suffrage, he had much pleasure in moving
resolution. Mr. B. Young, brewsr, secorded
resolution, which was carried unanimously.-1
editor Crawley moved the second resolution:
That OP, meeting cordially approves of the movement .
menced for placing the parliamentiry savage oil a more
equal baris, for reducing the .„..siblic expenditure, aril drain's\
amount and equalising the prersure of taxation.
(Cheers.) In the course of some lengthened remarks,
Crawley enforced the necessity of extending the soilage,
read some items from the pension list, to show the pees
of making reductions in the national expenditure.
Hocks, in seconding tke etsolution, remarked on
equalities of the stamp duty, which taxed the poor r
much heavier manner than the rich; and on the
maintaining the probate aed legacy duties, while
ter of real property was effected at a merely nominal
—The re soiution was carried by acclaraation.—Mr.
for Hancock, J.P.' moved, and Mr. Councillor G
seconded • motion for the adoption of npetition to th
of Common, which expressed an opinion "that tie
burdens of the country were unnecessarily heavy,
measures should be taken for their reduction, ant
revision and equalisation of taxation ;" " that
satisfaction preveile, not only amongst those exch
the franchise, but amongst a large port ion of
body, at the present state of the representation
the petitioners "have beard with great tatiaaction
notice of motion has been given in year liononrable '
for inquiry into this important subject, and your n,"'
earnestly pray your honourable house to grant at
without delay. your
petition was adopted,
having been voted to the mayor, the proceedings
" This Meeting," says • correspondent, wr
lar rest and most unatum,us ever Lela foe a ph;
in Hartford."