The Express.
London, England, 1849-10-17 00:00:00

SIRETING AT STRATFORD.

A public meeting cf the association at Stratford
was held yesterday arguing at the Yorkshin Grey laa, Mr.
B. Clarks la the chair.

The CHAIRMAN briefly explained the objects of the as-
audition. He also dwelt on the necessity awl desizabbenen
of a union of the work"ng and middle classes, without which
it was impossible to secure the national welfare, and sated
upon all pease* the duty Masking minor diffennors.
mantel' should be looked upon by all who engaged in the
movement as contelaing oho great family. in a domestic
plat of view it was evident to all that " a house divided
against itself could not stand." Equally true was that sap
beg in reference to the nation. Never would the nation be
properly ',ensnared until the objects of the association
were attained. Such an expenditure as that now in-
curred must weigh them down, notwithstanding
all their industry and peewee/awe. If the national debt
went on increasing ultimate rain newt, as Mr.
Cheney had said, be the result. So bog ae pesos continued,
it might be possible to pay the interest of the debt ; but let
war arise, and fresh expenditure be incurred, end without
some previous alteration to the management of the nation's
affairs, national bankruptcy must ensue. (Hear, hear.)
Unless the nation acted with economy as every man did, or
ought to do, in reference to his private affairs, there could Le
no other result. This association steeped in to hold forth
the olive branch—to show to paeliamenst, to the goverumen',
and to the world, that means were weltin reach, of curing
the existing evils. One memo proposed was an extension of
the suffrage. (Hear, hear.) Another was triennial puha.
meets. Many thought that annual parliaments were
desirable, but with the pre posed change in the
representation, he was disposed to think that a tri-
menial election would answer the end. A change in the elec.
toral districts formed an important put of the plan, it being
requisite to correct the crud:ties which now deformed the re.
presentation. There was one point upon which he had the
misfortune to differ from the principal association—namely,
the qualification for election to the council. (Hear, hear )
The decorate n drawn in that respect appeared to him op-
posed to the principle of abolishing the property qualilierite
of members of parliament. As regarded the repreasetation.
the electorate body now consisted of about one million
voters. The association wished to inertias the number to
about flee millioac. Toe country IVY at present governed
weeper aively by a clique, and common sense, as well as the
records of history of the country,
Heathenwor oosed to the con-
tinuauce clinch a state of things.
'sootier tae duty of union and self-denial, in order to
the attainment of the object. The time was gone by when
any good could be obtained by rowed* to physical force.
The association proceeded on great moral principles, and, if
it had, opi anent., it would seek to win them over by renal
and diecossion. A fund must be raised to aid this groat
movement. As the father made immediate satrifices to se-
ease his own interest and that of his family, so also the
essesistion called on the working men to make small seat
Seas for the attainment of objecx in which they had an eel-
*se lament. (Cheers)
Mr. T. CLARK then addr. seed the meeting. To pulia.
watery reform o • looked as the great means of accomplish-
, log all other reforms. Withost that i. would be amens to
look for finatielal reform. According to the theory of the
English constitution every man had a right to exercise a con-
trot over those who made the laws which he was called upon
to obey. The unenfranceised clones had • great interest in
the Indus sir I property of the country, and while they
sought not what was called protection for their industry,
they asked for the protection afforded by representation.
(Cheers.) In order to effect any extensive parlia-
mentary reform it was necessary fur wealth to combine
with comparative poverty, and hence be rejoiced to find that
the association sought to imbrues all etas*. A qualification
for voting more contemptible then the 101. franchise, stand-
iog alone, could not be conceived. Under that franchise
many who possessed considerable property were, in fact, un-
represented; while numbers who actually voted were far
lees qualified than others to *miss • voice is the regulation
of the affairs of the nation. Even morally he denied the right
of the 658 members who miaowed the House of Commons
to make lows to govern the unrepresented. In a moral
point of view, the right WY no better supported than that
of the highwayman. Each of the yours was supposed to
have six times as much intelligence as all other ads*. Was
that really the case? Take the farmers se a body. Who
would say that they possess( d six time, as much intelligence
as their unrepresented fellow-countrymen' (Laughter.)
What the Association complained of was class legislation.
The House of COOllllO6ll contained admirals, ge-
nerals, lawyers, and merchants ; while the work-
ingals, clines had no voice in the representation.
The way to preserve peace permanently in this
country was to &emit within the pale of the constituoion
all 'belted • else: moral right to be represented. There
was mush loos to be dreaded from the enfranchisement of the
mamsethan from their continued exclusion; for, if occasion-
ley rented, their conduct in the main was right and just.
It was said teat if the working classes were represented in
parliament, property would be in danger. He denied'
the pasties of that imputation. It was not the
soldiery of this country which protected its property;
*boat, its real protection, was to be found in the good sense
sad moderation of the great body of the conmenaili.
(Clan") The people of other nations had strogaledegidnes
despotism's, and had destroyed them; but other despelenes
had In many wee been established. Nothing of the Sane
kind was likely to be witnessed here. The association de.
sired only to see a propel medium for the effective expessien
of public opinion. When the prime minister saw the wett-
ing people generally subscribing towards the objects of
the essoeiatioa, he would be runty to accede to their
wishes ; and when a subsaintinn of one shilling
• year was stifileient to constitute membership, who
would hesitate to subscribe that &mooed ? With respect to
the gasification for belonging to the council, he conceived
that no reasonable objection could be urged against the
course which had been pursued. It was necessary to secure
the envies* of men whose moral character formed a security
for the rectitude of their acts, and who gave a practical proof
of their interest in the cause. Experience proved that no
man weld be more dangerous at a council board than one
who obtained his mat solely by persuading the mamas that he
was a patriot. (Hear, heir.)
Mr. ROWS next addressed the meeting. Mr. Clark
was, he believed, a workino man ; and he (Mr. Hows) had
the greater pleasure in (Menne, him, inasmuch as he was
a tradesman. (Hear, hear.) The real strength of the people
lay in the union of different cloves of the community.
(Hear, hear.) A constitutional object was in this case sought
by constitutional and peaceable memo. He rejoiced that an
association had bees formed in Stretford, and he trusted
that the smallness of the required subscription would ensure
a largo oddition to ***ben. The representative body
needed enlargement.
Mr. WICKHAM referred to the important meetings
which were being held in England sad Scotland, and
Msereed that the latter country was about to give in its eor.
dal adliseioa to the movement. With regard to the *rat'
twee* of the council, he observed that it was asemsary in the
live Wanes to pursue the course welch, bad been followed
la elder to obtain funds to commence the movement;
bet is order to remove only ground of complaint. the
mesa bad now determined 'het wh n 100 ambers of an
singkekee bad subscribed 101, they might select a gentle-
men* represent them at the board. (Hear, hear.) He
wowed that the movement would be sided in that neigh.
hemehood, and that the working. classes generally would feel
OM the cause of the association was, in fact, their own.
)__
TMr. BRIE then explained the freehold land scheme.
he eenseil wished to devise practical measures. It
wee only through the represents lye body that any
pmweeble change could be effected, and it was
ably by peaceable means that the council sought to attain
Its object. Tee subscription of Is. a week for a few yeses
would give to the working alums a practical influence in the
country. However improbable that might appear, it wee,
in troth,demoastrable. The association was ellta
cially to effect that object, and was pence. ding mast asa:
Indy, sad hoped to obtain in tee metropolis alone from
twenty to:thirty thousand members within a twelvemonth.
He than quoted an extract from a report trued by the Bir-
mingham Association, to show the thorough practica-
bility of securing a freehold in five yawn by mem
of a weekly esbeeription of is. Asa six montae' peinelles
was neesuary to insure a vote, the association aril eb
tads es may subscriptions is possible before Jemmy next.
Net only could a vote be wowed, but the emaciation offered
• substantial and safe investment for the working mane
savings. is both points of view the object was most

Went.
he mutts( war of a most praetiml, and, for the object,
satiefaatar, character.

THE POST-OFFICE.

METING OF THE CLERGY OF THE ARCH-
DEA.CONRY OF LONDON.
-

- - -
A Sooting of the clergy of the above diocese wu
kaki yesterday in the Hell of Sion College, Loadoamall, to
take Leto comaideration the government proposal of *stab-
Inking Sunday labour in the General Postotace. At heli-
port se o'clock the chair was taken by
Arad/men HALE, who stated that he had oenvened the
smoothie in pursuance of a reqairbion from kis clergy, nu-
sormisly signed, and upon the receipt of which he had
applied to the Praidsrat of Sias College for the use of the
hall in which they ware then amembhd. They were met,
es he undentood it, for two puma, to express an opinion
co a fecti_end to osnsider the propriety of petitioning parlia-
ment. With respect to the latter, his opinion was that the
present would be ea inseavenient time to petition parlia-
ment. He had prepared a series of resolutions, which he
trusted would dud moven aid seconders in the meeting.
The Bev. Mr. CEOLY moved the dust reeolutim, as

follows:
" That it is the duty a the elero of the arohdeaconry of
Londm to express their cordial sympathy with those nume-
rous bodies of the laity who have, at various public meetings,
iodated their disapproval of a newly organised 'piers of
Sunday labour at the General Post-office.'
He said it was hardly necessary for him, speaking to a
of oleraymen, to rove that the observasee of the
I.▪ 6 d
aal was obligatory on mankind. (liar, hear.) 11 was
ens of the first OVraaneis of religion, u well es the most
important ; aid as its due ohs, rvuee occupied on•-eaventh
ef
a man's whole life, it was seri n times commanded in
&ripens', and its violation marked by signal punishments.
With respect to the matter immediately in hand, it was
urged that the proposed change would not lead to a viols-
don of the Sabbath; but the best of all authorities, the
clerks la the Pat-ogles, said that it would, and he was
bound by their aessrtion. (Hear.)