The Express.
London, England, 1848-05-04 00:00:00

THE REFORM MOVEMENT.

FIRST MEETING OF THE REFORM LEAGUE
AT BIRMINGHAM.
Yesterday, a meeting. took place at Birmingham
of the persons who had signed the declaration in favour
of household suffrage, vote by ballot, electoral dis-
tricts, and triennia parliaments, (or the purpose of form-
ing themselves into an organised society, adopting rules
and appointing officers (or carrying out theme objects. There
were about four thousaud persona present, including
a large number of the advocates of the "six points." On
the plattorm were several members of the corporation, and
many of the principal inhabitants of the town.
The chair was taken by Mr. Alderman WISTOK, who
stated that the meeting consisted of parties who had signed
a declaration in favour of " household suffrage, vote by bal-
lot, triennial parliaments, and electoral districts." 'lt was a
meeting called for the express purpose of agreeing to
certain rules to be adopted by an organised society, united
for carrying out the principles before named, and
also fur the election of officers. As, therefore, it
was a meeting for the carrying out the busi-
ness of a society, it would be expected that those who had not
signed the declaration would not take any part in or frus-
trate its objects. If any gentleman asked permission to ad
dress the meeting he (the chairman) should ask him whether
he had signed the declaration, and, if not, the meeting
would see the propriety of asking that gentleman to with-
hold his address till the business to be brought forward had
been disposed of. (Hear, hear.) There was no doubt but
that reforms were warded, and that the system of reprven.
tattoo in this country was very defective. At the same time
there was a vest deal of misery and depression from one and
of the land to the other. Some of them, perhaps, might say
that the measures of reform about to be submitted, and ad-
vocated by an immense number of the middle class, did not
ge so far as they ought ; but he asked the country to con.
sider—he asked the men of Birmingham—he implored
the working classes of this country to consider whether, if
they obtained household suffrage, vote by ballot, triennial
parliaments, and electoral districts, they would not be in a
better position to secure further reform if required. (Cheers.)
He should not detain the meeting with the particulars of the
principles t 3 be discussed, as they were favoured with the
company of so many gentlemen much better qualified to do
so than himself. He would recommend a cordial union of
the middle and working clauses, as without that their objects
could nut be obtained, for while the working classes alone
could not obtain the reforms they sought, ifthey joined in the
middle clam movement, he might, if time permitted, have
drawn aside the veil that hid the future and shown them a
bright prospect. Even supposing the measures they were
going to advocate that day should not bring prosperity to
this country and to the working clauses, the latter could
appeal to the middle class men sod say, " We assisted you
in the attainment of your object, and now go with us till
we obtain our liberty and the prosperity of England." With
the indomitable perseverance and energy possessed by English.
men—with the commerce, the climate, the naturalresources,
and the manufactures,the railway s, the canals of England—it
could not be expected with all these advantages, with a
people progressing es they were, that the government of the
country should steno still, or obstruct by bad laws the
blessings that should result to a people from their labour,
and which ought to be in their possession. (Cheers.)
Mr. G. F. MUNTs, M.P., who was loudly cheered, then
addressed the 'meting and apologised for the absence of his
hots. colleague (Mr. Schulefield) who was detained on busi-
ness in London, but sincerely sympathised with the
objects of the meeting. It was not a very easy
thing for him, after entering so fully into the
subject at the meeting. on Monday, again to ad-
dress them upon it without making repetitions; they
must therefore excuse him if he did so, as be felt the subject
was one of so much importance. He had stated in that hall
repeatedly, and had stated it too in the House of Commons
that when men could obtain employment and fair wages foe
their labour, they would not trouble themselves about poli-
tic. It was only when there was anxiety at home, when
wives wanted clothing. and children cried from hunger, that
ther
ple began to reflect, and inquire how and why it wee
the were in such a state. There were thousands in this
country who were willing, who were desirous, of labouring
for their living, but who could not obtain that laborer.
(Hear.) It was not enough that one half of a people should
be employed while the other half were not, and were left
without food, but such had been the case for a number of
years—and he dared say there was a number of those
present who from bad trade had been short of loaves,
or were now. Vi bile there was another clam
who from the same effects, if they had loaves
enough were unable to meet their rent and expenses.
Now there was always some reason assigned for this state of
things —there was always some stock of reasons held by the
government. The late stock-in-trade cry so held by them was
the unfortunate famine in Ireland. No one could regret
more than he did that misfortune, but let them see also how
this country had suffered; but the cry of the famine in Ire-
land causing our difficulties was grown old, and the present
stock.in-trade cry was that the affairs of the continent had
depressed trade, because the people abroad were all thinking
about politics and had no money to pay for English goods.
His (Mr. tduntz's) firm conviction was that the great trade
of this country was its home trade ; and though from Bir-
mingham great quantities of good, were exported, if they
looked throughout the country they would see the impor-
tance of home consumption, and that it was not mere foreign
consumption they wanted. (Hear.) But the government
had always some stock-in-trade cry, and now, as he told
them, it was foreign affairs; and in his own opinion
in a very short time the state of the foreign
markets would be worse than they were now. He
held that every man whose stomach was short
of food became in a short time partially deranged, and it
was a well known fact that a man became more comfortable
after his dinner ; and who would think of asking a favour
from a man before he had dined ? Now, the dinner hour'in
the House of Commons was from 6 to 8 o'clock, and though
it was generally kept a pretty well ordered place by the
exertions of their excellent Speaker, still he himself could net
obtain order when dinner time came, and it was generally
understood in the Howie of Commons that none but a fool
would bring forward a motion at dinner time, when the
Speaker could not get order. (Laughter.) If that was the
case with those who ate too much every day to be good for
their health, what must it be with those poor creatures who
were unable to supply the wants of their family for weeks
and years? And so those poor creatures become deranged
partially, and altogether sometimes. 'to remedy these dis-
asters what was the panacea—what bad the government
done? or had they proposed any remedial measures? They
always said they wotdd, but then they brought forward other
measurer' first, and then by the time they were carried
the remedial measures were forgot. (Applause.) Let them
look at the measures which had been proposed during the
last six months. The House of Commons was called toge-
ther under an impression that affairs were worse than they
had been for the lad six years, and the government had a
committee appointed. But what sort of a committee was it ?
Why, they took oars that three-fourths of its members
should be the friends of the government, and attached to
them. So: he would leave the meeting to imagine what
sort of a committee it was. He (Mr. Munn) was asked if
he would be examined before that committee, but he replied :
" No; I won't be examined by any such a humbugging
set." (Loud laughter.) He had no objection to give his
evidence before a committee, or before the whole house ; but
he was perfectly well aware it was no use giving evidence
before a committee unless it was fairly picked, and if the
i wanted that why did they not pick man for man from each
side of the hottest ? He had been examined before a com-
mittee, but what were the facts ? Why, they could not
agree noon a report, and there was none ; and what was the
use of rich humbugging nonsense? They weresome of them
not fit to examine a cat. (Loud laughter.) They should have
upon such committees men of practical knowledge, who did
not judge by the abstract, not men who were born in the
clouds and who swam in the moon. (Applause. Wes not )
he right, then, in refusing to be examined by that commit-
tee ? (Criee of " Yes.") After alluding to his nomination
on the committee, when he was rejefted as a member of it,
the hon. gentleman proceeded to say that the next thing the
government proposed was the Coercion Bill for Ireland ; and
though he did not like coercion, and was no friend to it, he
was obliged to vote for that mAssure when he saw the state
of that country and the murders and outrages committed in
it ; but let .hem mind that he voted for that meosure with
¶he understanding that remeedel measures would be pro-
posed. With reference to the recent appreheaded disturb-
ances in London, while not blaming the government in
taking precautionary measures when there was a disposition
to bleak the law, the lion gentleman remarked, that if the
I people of this country were to endeavoar to ob-.
tan their rights by disorder, the position of the-
would goirognido a hundred years. He believed
that the display of salami polio% aad glottal Goa/tablas