The Express.
London, England, 1849-06-04 00:00:00

THE FREEHOLD LAND MOVEMENT.

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ham Freehold Land Sudety took formal poseersion of the
Bloomsbury estate, it being the third_ property of the kid'
which they have recently purchased. The members for the
borough and a large camber of visitors from different
parts of the country misted at the ceremonial. It may be
worth whilst° state that stimulated by the example and
aided with the amistance of the Birmingham Society, insti-
tutions of a similar kind have sprung up all over the coun-
try. In Wolverhampton the society has 700 members, Dud-
ley 150, Stourbridge 300. Coventry 4.50, Worcester 80,
Stafford 100, Derby 700, Newcastle on-Tyne 460, Bradford
140, Cheltenham 200, Sheffield 300, Shields 200, and Lon-
lase about 6,000. In Birmingham. Dudley, Wulverhamp-
MIL Stourbridge, and Coventry, 1,636 allotmeats will very
speedily be made. Altogether there has been called into
adetenee a body of between 10,000 and 11,000 men.
who by prudence and economy, have worked slut their own
decal safranthisemeat. With regard to the Birmingham
, it now numbers 1,600 members, subscribing for 2,000
shares . It has already given allotments to 215 members in
North Staffordshire, on the estates the directors purchased
et Handsworth and Perry Barr ; and having recently made
emether purchase at Bloomsbury, in North Werwickehire,
they resolved to take advantage of thee, holiday tines,
walk in procession to the land, and place the members in
lennal possession. This estate is very pleasantly situated,
wimmanding an extensive prospect, contains about thirteen
urge, and las been divided into '231 allotments. Each
allotment will thus contain about 390 square yards, with a
frontage of from 18 to 20 feet. On reaching the site of the
property, the immense procession belted, and
The CHAIRMAN (Mr. J. B.Wright) addressed the assem-
blage. He commenced by stating that this was the third
estate which the Birmiegham Freehold Land Society had
purchased. It was a people's estate, and showed that the
people were determined to have their share in the land
which produces their food, as well as having to pay taxes,
and being the producers of all the wealth of the country.
This was a spot to which their children would point in fu-
ture ages, and say " It was by these means our forefathers
achieved their rights, and obtained what had been so long
denied them." The people of this country had a better
way of gaining their rights than those on the continent,
who were compelled to resort to the sword. The land
ought to be more fairly divided than it bed been. Many
' years ego the land was divided among 270.000 holders ; but
in 1813 the number was diminished to 30,000, and continued
so until 1847, when the Freehold Land Society was esta-
blished for 'be purpose of dividing the land for the la-
bourers. Their object was to get the men of Birmingham
to join them, so that they might be enabled to defeat the
designs of their opponents, and have a rice in the legisla-
ture of the country. Their object was also to get the suf-
frage for every man of twenty•one years of age, and if they
stopped short of this, they would be making a had use of
that freehold which they that day saw before them.
Mr. JAMES TAYLOR, jun., secretary of the society,
then came forward, and was received with cheers. He wee
very glad on taking possession of their first estate in North
Warwickshire. 'they had given 231 allotments in a few
weeks, and in a few weeks more they would give other 450
allotments. In the course of a few months the society had
spent 20,0005 in land. They had bought three estates,
which were allotted, and they had secured a fourth, which
would be allotted in a few weeks. Many persons had bought
gardens in that neighbourhood at double the price they
solid have had the land from this society, and one man had
paid In rent what would have bought him a freehold if paid
into this society. They had 10,000 men and women holding
16,000 shires, which would qualify the men ea voters for the
c ninty ; so that it was all up with Speiser and Newdegate.
In conclusion, he earnestly called on those who heard him
to join the society.
Mr. A. PRENTICE, of Manchester, next spoke, and
ermimeneed by observing that his mission wa. twoeid ; first,
that of learning how they proceeded in Birmingham, and to
assure them that the people of Manchester looked with
great interest on the Freehold Land Society, were also very
anxious to follow their example, and desirous of having a
II Birmingham man among them to set them in the right way.
At the lest meeting of the Parliamentary and Financial Re-
form Association, 'W. George Wilson' the chairman, occu-
pied one half his speech in showing the advantage of the
Birmingham plan of obtaining votes over that adopted in
Lancashire. They were aware that it was Mr. Cobden who
first suggested the purchase of freehold land for the purpose
of conferring a county franchise; in consequence the League
purchased a great number of such franchises, and thereby gave
great alarm to the gentlemen who nemins•ed for counties.
The result was, that Yorkshire returned.. Mr. Cobden by this
means. But in Lancashire they made the mistake of
holing land at the retail price, and thus bought in the
dearest instead of the cheapest market. The Birmingham
'society had shown that land could be purchased in large quan-
tities at the retail price, and he had been deputed expressly
to solicit their favour, sympathy, and assistance.
Mr. N. GOODRIDGE, of Coventry. gave an account of
what they were doing in that city. They had but a popu-
lation of 30,000, and they had 500 shares in the Freehold
Land Society. This, be considered, beat Birmingham, in
proportion with its 2,000 shares and 200,000 population.
They had lately purchased fifty more acres in Coventry.
Two or three other speeches having been delivered the
procession returned to the town, when a large meeting was
held in the Corn Exchange.
Mr. )&UNTZ, M.P., having been called to the chair, said :
Very few of us were careful enough, and there ought to be
some inducement to lead them so to lay by what would be
medal. The society embraced these advantages, and he
hoped they would persevere in carrying them out to the
greatest extent. The government of this country, in his
opinion, most unjustifiably refused to the great majority
of the people a voice in:the election of their representatives.
(Hear, hear.) They knew that these was but one way of
altering a law—either to make it work disagreeably, or set
it aside altogether. The law had worked very disagreeably
of late, with regard to the want of the franchise ; but there
had been an answer, the justice of which he could not deny,
and that was the reply of those who did not wish the people
to have the franchise—that if the people really wished t have
it, they would not, as was the case in many instances, refuse
to pay their poor-rates, and disfranchise themselves, even in
municipal affairs, from the same cause. He could not deny
that there was some truth in this, and the working eland
had certainly ebowa much supineness in the matter.
lie had often said, and he now repeated it that nineteen-
twentieths of all the troubles of this country were attributable
to ignorant and indolent government—ceitfiy by ignorant
I government. No one was admitted to the government
unless he subscribed to all the fooleries of those who were in
it. Under such circumstances. how could they have improve-
ment in the government ? Was there a manufactory in this
town where the practice and arrangement were bad, that
whim a new man was called in he was bound to subscribe to
all the previous bad practices and arrangements? How could
ke make improvements? So it was with the government
I for centuries and was to this very hour. All other
theories and, principles, however good, were to be cast
aside, and thus all the evils under which the people
ilthoured were to be attributed to the want of capability
as the part of the government, whether it was whig,
tory, or radical. A man ought to vote, not for a party, but on
account of the principle involved in a motion, and the effect
it would produce. He had said, on a former occasion, that
if the d-1 propthsd a good resolution, he would second it.
(Laughter.) What mattered it who brought in a motion, if
its main proviclons were what they ought to be ? And how
foolish on the part of a man to support or oppose a motion
according to has party. He could mention names, and he
could tell them of men who voted against measures pro-
posed for the interest and advantage of the pople and the
saving of the country, not because they considered those
measures to be wrong, for they had acknowledged to him
i that they were admirable, but because they came from a
particular person whom they did not like to follow. As
Burdett once said, " this country is crucified between two
thieves." (Laughter.) But it was no laughing matter.
Their means of labour were crucified between two par-
ties, who cared not what they did if they got what they
wanted. The present government was like a nice, small,
family party, being all connected by blood or marriage.
He admitted that a lord's son might be a most excel-
lent man, as he well knew same of them were; but how was
it possible that they could learn to manage the people's busi-
ness ? If they wanted a partner in business, would they send
for a lord ? What sort of buttons would he make ? (Laughter.)
don be would say that, during the ten years he had been In
Hownia cocaugeld"a loortndlenntacoandat
thTheeirpargar.cip,lewwhasen
l had he acted without a regard to the interest, of the
the
he couldum e
not
' people ; he had never once considered his own interest while
°moldering theirs, or thought of his own affairs while think-
parliament, in no vote or epee& that be had given or deli-
verediag of theirs.
Alderman WESTON recommended them to perseverance,
and concluded by moving the following resolution " That
the moths which has hitherto attended the Birmingham
Freehold Land Soddy is such as to call for the warmest ex-
pressions of congratulation from this meeting, and its prac-
ticability having now been demonstrated, we. fed justified is
calling upon the inhabitants of this towro to come forward
and immediate) y join the sante."
Mr. J. B. WRIGHT seconded the motion at considerable,

W. ith
. _CHOLBFIRLD, Esq., M.P., is proposing the next
resolution, expressed the great please:* he felt in meeting
his constituents, especially on occasions like this, when their
object was to promote the political eafrenchisemezt of the
people, and thereby their moral sad social prosperity. The
geenmore
ces he knew of these eotdeilee, and of r cones-
, the more he approved of them, andthei the more
anxious was be to 'summered them to the adoption of his
fellow-townsmen. He then concluded by moving the fol-
lowing resolution:—" That believing as we do, that the
principles of freehold land societies are the simplest and
most efficient means of extending the suffrage, and breaking
down clam legislation, and political exclusiveness, whilst
they promote the social happiners, and enhance the domestio
comfort of the winking classes, we appeal to all true friends
acted and religious liberty to enrol themselves OA members,
and through their instrumentality be registered u electors
foe the county."
Mr. A. PRENTICE, Manchester, seconded the motion,
He considered the present time peculiarly favourable to the
movement, which ought not to be objected to on the ground
that it might divert attention from the agitation for peace
or few financial reform, inasmuch as this must be the
forerunner of their success. Must they have another
tea years' battle to introduce economy into the affairs
of government? ? Nay, they knew that public opinion
had small influence in that house ; but they should
let their determination be known—spread abroad through-
out all the country—that they would possess more
of it, and would rest not tillthey had obtained it. (Cheers.)
In conclusion, he earnestly asked the men of Birmingham la
meet Manekester in tkeTres Trade Hall, and set them In the
right way of working out their 'part in this grill evolution.
(Loud sheen.)
Alderman MARTINEAU briefly support:4 the