The Express.
London, England, 1848-05-18 00:00:00

whale number of tenons on the regi.ter of electors for the
United Kingdom ce Greet Britain mil Ireland was
1.062.000, of whom 163 000 had returned to the prevent
lipase of Commons 3e9 member*, forming the m ijority
of the house, •o that in paint of tact they had
a House of Commons chosen by 163 000 electors,
out ot a population ot 27,000,000 inhabiteete The re main-
ing nue:leers of electors, say 900,000, returee d the minority.
The universal suffragists were of opinien that the heusehold
suffrage would nut go far enough, but they would be much
&enmeshed when thee were rid the actunl p 0 Won co, Mugs
By the census of 1811 it was thorn that the number at
inhabited homes in (Mew. Breen alone—that was to say, in
England, Sectlenel, and Ne4e s, was 3,446,000, and that
there were 197 000 louses unoccupied. It was true that
many houses were necuped by wom e, who could not ec•
quire and exercise tee elective franchise ; but that aemeer
wee cempeeset, d by the extent to whims new notice had
been erected slice 1841, and which would give an in-
ertia' of more than 2i millions to the present con
stieuency of Grit Bret dn. In 1841 there was an intuit
mole population .1 4,700,000. The chartists Fed that they
wanted to make the Rune. of' Commons the representative of
the eemocrecv. He would venture to went that the excite
si en of 1,000.000 of men would !take the Commons leas de-
mocratic than household suffrage would effect. And he
would show the meeting why it would be so. But there
was a large elms of ie not householders—a vast number of
highly-respectable, wi 11 eiiurate a young men, et go d cha-
reeve, employed in public etfices. merchants' and banking
estaelishments, and oilier hints II of busier's, in thousauds
and tens of thousands. Taking this dais roeighout the
country, it would be found that they compesed a vast maju
nit y of the mellien ; sodthey ought not to be deluded.
(Cheers.) But if the gm stein were reduced to one of mire
or less democracy, the ade Mien of this elms would not make
the electors more democratic. (Hear.) Recently the char-
tists had meuifeeted the best feeling througeout the country:
they hail ceased to iniertere with public meetings; amt, lake
sensiele, honest, and well-encanieg men, j ened public ase
remelies convened by per-one who did not go se f.r as them-
wires. (Hem, hear.) In none of the Meer' of life
could men get everything they wanted—they must
wire and take a li'r'e. (lieure Those who were for house-
hold suffrage and thn'e who were tor universal suffrage mu.,
each concede a little and Unite in one io id phalanx. (Cheers.)
The history of this *Avery for centuries pent show e that all
section, of the arietoer icy had been meted ; conservatives
and tone. were new united is sue man to maint tin the
power the, hid so niece abused ; and they would treintain
it to the utmoet eitent of their ability. (Hear.) Knowing
what a vast power their wealth, position, and influence over
their dependants pave to these perties, the only hope ot
success for reformers was in their perfect union, and in their
agreeing to "give aid take." (C: eers, aed " No, no.")
The onion, good sense, sod manly courage which on all
occasions die inguishe d the people of England, would en-
able them to triumph, and to strain that just government to
which they were jusee. enteltel, and welch their fathers to
former days hid foueht for and won- (Cheers.) One of
the ablest constitutiertal writer' am: lawyers of the last egg
had laid down the de critic dist Englishmen were bound by
thelaws because the'. erre ',resent by their nape mentrtives
at the making of these laws. (Lim/liter, and " No. no.")
Supposing that the three chums, the aretocracy, the
middle-chime, and the w Irking-sleet, were eallee together
to settle the basis of a constitution, in all pro-
bability the aristocrat would say, "I might to have the
franchise in order to defend my great landed estates." The
middleclue mai• would say, " I ought to have the franchise
in order to protect the w. olth which I ave acquired be my
industry ant ingenuity, and the property which is engaged
in my businem." And the werking man would say, .• 1
dent the franchise to delrnd the hard earnings of my daily
toil." (Cbeers, "And we'll have it.") They might also
may to the other two classes, with that good feeling which
always distinguished the working man, " It is our industry,
WI, and ingenuity, which have given value to your land ;
but for th it it would only have yielded what sou y emelt
could extract from it." (Cheers.) To the middle-class awn
he might say, "It is my industry at the loom, the aura, and
in the workshop, weed, his created the property that you
have sold at a pint)', reel has placed you in possession 04
your wealth." (Ceiete) Wire he (Mr. Williams) called
Inn to sit in judgneett, he should se; that the sen of toil had
made out as geed a cue an litht roi the others. (C .cu rs.)
Ile had but one wore to Te to add; ns they d their
country, and desireel to have good goverienene, let them
consult amongst thema'dvre, mouerate tete, op Mole, and
epee to unite and co-operate in attaining that gent and
common end, the isteelitem of clam legialeeem. (Cli e:s )
Be would now nine the first resolution, which was as
follows :
That in the opinion of thin meeting the Onmmons house of parlia-
ment, as at present constituted, does not fairly repirsent the popula-
thin the property, or the f olustry of the wintry—that the direlostires
made before committees of 153.5, 1642, and alio during the present
session, termer that tar return of ire members has been extensively in-
eerie:eel ey bribery, correetene coercion, and intimidation ; that the
Reform Act has not the twit ratxestions ot the country;
that since the pawing of that act the public expenditure has not only
been more ex ravagant. but lias exceeded by many millions sterling
the expenditure of the !vases...Ms of the =reformed pat liament ; that
the system of Lunation is so contrived as to femur emerietocrecy, and
to throw the pressure of its burden unjustly on the industrious
clauses of the people.
(Loud chee rs follow, cl the reading of this resolution.)
Mr. J. Hutt, banker, sit Uxbridge, and chairman of Mr.
Oehorne's committee :it the lest election, seconded the reso-
lution. He said he else had rises to prates', as one of the
middle class, and in the name of a large constituency,
I against the enormous and extrayagent exeendeture e f the
country. He rejoiced to see present so many of the working
I class, who at the last eli a time fur Middlesex had nearly a 1
voted for the lib. ral candidate. lei the exertions lie had
made in 1831 fur obtaining the Reform Bell he had be-
lieved that it would he a radical reform ; but ho wee
grievously disappointed, for there wan no radical chat ee in
the measures of the houee. (Cheers.) There was "till but
a small minority of 40, 50, or 60, when the people'. Call6C
was brought forward; end, they. fore, he vein demanded a
radical reform. (Cheers.) Could the middle classes effect
that alone ? (No.) Could the working men effect it alone ?
(" No," and " Yes, yes," from the body of the meeting.)
As a middle-class man, he said, let one and all unite.
(Cheers.) Who dared nay there was env one in the county
of Middlesex unfit to give • cute? (Hear.) The working
men, by their conduct, their guietnets, their convincing az-
gement*, and the diemminati in of their gen:Merits by
pamphlets, would effect more reform in the opinion of the
middle classes than by any other course. Ile en-
treated them to be peueeable, orderly, and to en,
deavour to conciliate opinion. (Hear, hear.) He de-
nied that the middle classes were now represented in
parliament; they w uld be better represented by a larger'
infusion of the democratic element. (Cheers.) He remem-
bered with regret a former contest for this comity, when his
excellent friend near him (Mr. Hume) was rejected. 20,0001.
having been spent by theie opponents. (Hear, hear.) This
must be done away with. That very morning he had b: en
threatened by some of the aristocracy of the county that at
the next election they would return two torks. It was per-
fectly clear to him that, even if the franchiee were fully
given to the people, maces some measure was palmed for
cutting down the expenses of elections, they wool I still not
be represented. If a member were now returned for a small
borough by a small majority he might be ousted for an ex-
penditure of 2,0001. or 3,0041. It was high time these things
were done away with. (Caeers.) Other countries had made
advances ; why should not we do the same 1 lie regretted
the bloo 1 that had been shed in France and elsewhere ; but
he knew that in Ireland it had happened that at an election
for Tipperary 100 lives had bees lost. (Hear, hear.) If the
working men were true to the middle chosen the latter
would be true te them. (Cheers.) They must combine ;
money man be met with money—he did not say to an extra-1
vagant extent; but a men.ber could not be returned for a
metropolitan borough under 2001. or 3001. Already near
100 members of parliament had joined this movement; let
the working classes aid them, and they would then succeed
in ebtaining all desirable reforms. (Cheers.)
Mr. KYDD wished to make an observation before the re-
solution was put
Mr. I). W. Witte—ls Mr. Kydd a freeholder 1
Mr. KYDD—No; an inhabitant.
Mr. WlWl—Then you cannot speak, sir; it a a county
meeting ; only freeholders eon be heard. (Great disappro-
bation, and cries of "Kydd.")
Mr. KYDD was ultiinotely allowed to proceed. He said a
uni' n between the middle and working closes was much to
be eetirei, and absolutely necessary for carrying out every
useful reform; but the working men had main up their
minds on great questions--(bear), and that there should be
no peace and no end of ugiteuon until such time as the
working-man's rights we re recognised. (Cheers.) He was
anxious, however, to say that he saw nothine in this resolu-
tion to which any rea.onable man could object. Mr. Wil-
liams's arguments could not pessiblyhe disproved, melds they
showed the raultelication table to be false. (Cuter') Mr.
Kydd proceeded to obe roe that, were labour represented,
there would be no fa er of war or convehion ; for the people
of this country heel no Utopian dreams of equality of income
or property. All they sought was to feet! the universal
law of the Creator, of earning their breed by the sweat of
their brow. (Cheers.) At present the working men were
detest unrepresented; cud, if the sys'em of military
and despotic gm-:element wee persevered in, they might
exhaust the limits et human forbearance. (Cheers )
He feared the aristocracy did not understand their own in-
terest-, and miegove rue d the people through ignorance. lie
wished Lord John Buse II and Sir 0. Grey could see this
meetiog: would they then 'tare to pass a gagging bill?
(Cheers.) Ye would have the working classes to join this
greet movement for r. form under the guidance of high
mural principle; each, in Met, was involved in the people's
chatter. Were the men ot Leedon thou prepared to do their
duty, and to show that they violet: political power for no
destructive purples? (Cheers, and " Yes.") He always
knew that the working Moises of England were eminently
eoneervative; the bowed down weever of Bpitalfieldi was as
anxious for the preservation of order as the bishops or the
House of Lords themselves. (Cheers.) The working men
had vs great an interest ire the decrease of pauperism ; and it
the legislature could net decrease it, let them 'yew their in-
ability. The people wanted no charity, but only the means
of exercising their iuslo.try. (Cheers.) It was essential
that human beings should not be swept off by bun
dads tram the land. on whieh their forefathers
had lived for c ntwiee ; teere was needed a roe g-
nition of the rights of ell clusee ; and for this the working
classes must etruegle. (Hear.) The passing el the Reform
Bill had not been productive of positive evil; it had done
good to the midd:e classes ; and the working classes now de-
manded an extension of the principle. Let them forgive
those who had in former days offeteled arairet them ; bat
let them at the same time be true to themselves, taking for
their motto, " Onward, and we conquer ; backward, and we
fell." (Cheers.) If the aristocracy of England del not con-
cede their political rights to the working men, he would tell
them that there would be no peace in their halls while thus
was want in the cottage. (Lied thee,..)
Mr. Johnson rose amidst loud cries fir Mr. Hume, but
the meeting decide/1 by a large majority not to hear him.
Two other gentlemen having apaken, the Int resolution was
pawed upiaiwougy.