The Express.
London, England, 1849-07-05 00:00:00

GREAT MEETING IN MARYLEBONE.

A public meeting took place lee! evening at the
Princess's Theatre. Oxford.street, in supgort nf the principles
op mad by the Motropolitan Parliamentary and
Reform Association. The theatre was crowded in every
Part.
Sir JOSHUA WALMSLEY, M.P., presided, and, in
opening We proceedisgs. coagratuletel the meeting on
the number of ladies present, ae.d hailed it as an omen
of success. In alluding to the unavoidable absence
of Sir B. Hall, from illness. he bore testi inony to the
zeal aid ability of that hon. member, end stated that he had
enroJed himself a member of the as ociation, and, by his
donation, had quelitied himself for a seat to the
council, of which he would, no doubt, become •
worthy member. (Hear, hear.) Sir Joshua continued—l
appear before you this evening 111 In some degree the rpm-
sentatlve of the souneil of this association. It will ant, hem.
ever, be necessary that I should particularly dams the rules
and regulations which the sock ty has formed for its guidance.
Thus mach I em bound to say, that the basis of the associa
Boa is • broad and VIT. preheasivo extension of the suffrage.
(Clasen ) To the demand for manhood suffrage and the char-
ter, what is the answer? Can we carry it? (" Yes, yes.")
How ? (" By the people.") By moral force, by kindness,
by good feeling, and by care not to ask for more than we
are likely ti obtain. (Cheers.) Let us take what we can
get fir the time, never for a alumni forgetting that we look
forward to the full esteasim of the suffrage. (Cheers.)
Have the council, with that statement before them,
pidgin rightly ? I my yes. (" Y.., yes ") But this
is nut t"e quest:on wo are now met to disown.'
We are met to submit to you those views whkh thee...veil
eine associatin has thought proper to develop as meet
likely to carry out these piineip:es which we all think old
sagely will be carried. (Hear, hear.) W. seek net to
destroy, bat to build up—not to Hun the rights of any, bat
to attain justice far all. (Cheer..) We are satisfied that ear de-
demands are bend spnnjwitice; and we believe that their
attainment would result in honed; and good to every class
of the community. (folded and guarded by such clews, we
shall retie forward with an earnest hope for their full sad
complete secomplishment. (Applause.) In our efforts for
the attainment of the suffrage, and of that whieh we sup-
port, we shall pursue none other but the most loyal,
Jul, and constitutional means. (Hear, hear.) We are
and we are held in thra!dom by hundreds;
end lambed of makieg the neceesuy effort to be free, we
are eatioNed with bigness, and repining,. (Hear, hest.)
Is this • mate of things that shall cantina', or that ought to
continue ? (No, a..) I appeal to all who hear me, whether
they will say lower submit to such • state of things'
—whether they will not rather unite as one man, forgetting
all personal feelings and animosities, in one earne.t, deter-
mined, and continuous effort to do moral battle for the nee-
nigatyot the people. (Chien.)

ilex NICII6LAY mewed—
" net the abeam of • really representative Home of
Coationts, the preponderant.* of class legislicion, the unequal
pressure of taxation, the general entravacance of the public
expenditure, and the consequences of these evils engender.
ing discontent and threatening disorders fatal to the politietal
and to the social prosperity of this empire, render the coma-
blaaii it of the middle and working Mum, for the MUM-
nt of the velem advocated by As Metropolitan Parlia-
mentary and Financial Reform hasecistim, a matter of
momentous importance to the state. That, MOM of the
met powerful means for the peaceful amomplishment of the
great ut.; etc now sought to be effected, the system et the
Fri ehold La. d S .ci-ties, established for the purpose of faci-
litating the acqui.i^ ion of 404. freehold., is ea'culated to
work great results upon the representation of the counties ;
and that this meeting strongly recommends every reformer,
whatever his means may be, to avail himself of the great
advantages of that system."

Mr. HUME. M.P. on rising, was kindly cheered. He
said the present meting reminded him of the exertions of
that parish some 17 years ago, when they assembled to the
number of 20,000, peanable and d 'term i at d, end effected their
object of reform. They were then united, and it was aely by
subequent divisions that the tones had been allowed to re-
fuss- the penile their rights. (Cheers.) To remove this di-
vision certsin members of the House of Commons bad last
year firmed themselves into an association, with a view to
secure for the people the rightof managing their own affairs,
fres from the dictation of the aristocracy. (Cheers.) In
such an object it was imposible to get any twenty men to
agree as to the precise smears; but the association having
adopted tee course they thought best, and laid their de-
mands before parliament, they now sought the support of
the middle-class electors and the great body of the people.
(Hear, hear.) He regretted the apathy which had pre•
railed in the metropolis since the repeal of the corn laws,
and trusted that it would soon be dispelled. Lost night's
discussion must have opened the eyes of the people as to
what they had to expect from the present House of Com-
mons. The motion was for all the points of the charter. He
approved of them all, but was anxious to secure
thosi &sons by moral conviction and a sense of
the benefits which they would bring to ell
(Hear, hear.) If the measure he had advocated
in the past and present session were proved inset&
tient, he would be ready to go further. (Cheers.) On
that account be hailed the advances now making towards a
union of classes on this gentian. It was true, last night, he
was one of a minority of 16; he had teen ono of five before
now—(hear, hear) ; he regarded not majorities, being con-
vinced that ignorance and interest must ultimately give way
before a united demand for the (nimble,. The excuse of the
minister was, that he saw no symptoms of an extension of
the franchise being called for. (Cries. " Bring him here.")
Hence, Lord J. Russell was not opposed to progressive re-
form ; he even said if he were satisfi,d that it would produce
a better government, he would go along with the demand
for extension of the suffrage. (Hear.) Let them then con-
vines his lordship that the interests of the nation r
quired this measure—let such meetings as this be held
throughout the country—and let the middle and wcrking
claims be united in their demand—a demand for nothing but
what the constitution promised—and the government must give
Way. All the people wanted was possession of their own
hones ; let the aristocracy keep the other, but let them not
have tooth hoes is in their nomination. (Chien.) At present
four-fifths of the people had no voice in the choice of their
representatives—what were they but slaves? (Hear, hear.)
Give them the franchise, they would become content and
pepperoni ; refuse it, and good government was impossible.
With !As present constitution of the house, not more than
80 or 90 mould be got to vote for the ballot or any measure of
noncety. A champ was dearly necessary • and the objectof tills association was to effect that chow by constitutional
measse. If the present electors would bat smite in sending
to parliament men disposed to carry out such =emeriti, the
object would be attained at once. Then, Ina a Hew of
Commons properly constituted, every other Jibe& 1114111111M1 of
fleancial reform and improvement would be serried let.
(Cheers.) Many feared to give power to the people t•lst
their union avd moderation convince these prone diet their
apprehensions were groundless. As Lord John Rasta had
stated that whew he sae the people united in their &meads
for a change. he would not be slow to grant it, let the eke-
ton show him that it was now high time for another reform
bill to be passed.
_ _

L.rd I). STUART we nest welled ea, and name forward
amidst loud demonstrations of applause. After alludiog to
the Mug and tried services of Mr. Rotas in the cause of
reform, and to the importance and wrigultude of the meet-
ing, he observed that, though he add not delight the
Mouse of Commas with Sulam of eloqueoce, he would
fail to raise his voice there is support of the rights of
the pi”ple. lie bed date a beeetotore, and should con-
tinue to pursue the mune coarse. (Cheers.) Financial re-
fer., above ell things, was needed ter the greatest good to

the greatest amber; and though the demands oldie people
might be rejected more than Nee, he would renew them
again and again, and show the government that English-
men would not submit to unjust taxation, or to beg
by patronage. (Cheers.) To get rid of that system of taxation
which around down the people and took frem the working
man ball his wages, they must that have parliamentary
reform and extension of the suffrage. (Chaim ) He was in
favour of all the paints demanded by Mr. Hume ; there
ought to be full, fait, and free representation, and to tbianod
extension of the varies was absolutely necessary. (Hear.)
Mr. J. WILLIAMS, 14.1', eongra•ulated the sesemuly
ea the tictory recently gained the City, and expressed a
hope that Cue lords would not dare to throw back on the citi-
smack, man of their choice. Public opini wu now too power-
fill to be disregarded ; the Lir 3 would not venture on the
experiment. ( Hear, hear )
Mr. J. CASSELL seconded the resolution proposed by the
first speaker. He observed that a certain characteristic of a
bed goverrnwat was that it was a spendthrift government ;
and no country en the face of the earth had been more
cured then this witn a succession of spendthrift ruleis.
(Heir, hear )
Mr. A. MACK hY said that this country had two coosti-
tutiona—one f r sh,w, the other for use—one in theory, the
other in practice. by the former, there were three co-
ordinate powers of legislation; but by the latter, one over-
rode the other two.

Mr. F. O'CONNOR, M.P., said this win the first time he
had ever addressed a middle-elan meeting. Without aban-
doning& single principle that he had advocated for a quarter
of a century, he sought to allay any antagonism which might
tend to continue the predominance of the aristocratic cliu.
(Cheers.) Every man, except those who read toe Times,
whou only object was to mislead—every reader of
the Daily Neves, which contained the best compilation of
Intelligence, both foreign and domestic—knew that this was
the questicn which was now stirring the whole of Europe;
and, until the feudal system was brain down, the working
classes would never obtain their full r;ghte. In alluding to
the dews of the preceding night, and the coarse taken by
Lord John Russell, the hoe. gentleman observed that hie
lordship was the smallest man both in mind and body that
he had ever seen for nothirg. (Laughter.) In concltpion,
he declared that he would sooner abandon life itself than
aluadon a sleek p dot of the people's charter. (Cheers )
Mr. H. HETHERINOTON supported the resolution.
Hitherto the working classes had acted on a policy which
had retarded their cause, by opposing every proposition short
of the people's charter. (Hear, hear.)
The rewrite' n was tht n put, and agreed to ; and the pro-
ceedings terminated with a vote of thanks to the thairmru.