The Express.
London, England, 1848-06-10 00:00:00

MEETLNG AT OXFORD.

A public meeting was held in the Town-hall, Word,
on Thursday, to further the movement now making by Mr.
Hume and others to obtain extension of the suffrage and
other reforms. The meeting was convened by the Mayor,
in compliance wit► a requisition which he had received,
signed by several members of the town council and inhabit-
ants. On taking the chair,
The Mayon stated that the object of the meeting was to
consider the propriety of petitioning the House of Commons
in favour of the motion to be made by Mr. Hume on the
20th inst., for an extension of the suffrage, an equitable ar-
rangement of taxation, a reduction in the public expendi-
ture, vote by ballot, the establishment of electoral districts,
and the shortening the duration of parliaments. The chair-
man expressed his concurrence in several of the points for
which they were assem►led, and read letters from the two
city representatives, Mr. Langston and Mr. W. P. Wood,
both expressing themselves favourable to the movement,
and regretting that they were obliged to be absent in conse-
quence of an anticipated division on the navigation laws in
the House of Commons. _

Mr. J. T. DU/tNEY, town-councillor, moved the first moo-
ninon, embodying the paints laid down in Mr. Huree's ma-
nifesto on which the petition was to be founded. He stated
that their object in meeting was to refute the statement of
Lord John Russell, that the people were not desirous of re-
form of any kind, but were content to let things remain in
their present state. It was the duty of the people to con-
vince his lordship by their voices, and by the weight and
number of their petitions, that his assertion was as absurd as
it was untrue. He was not an advocate for republicanism,
but changes must be made, and reform must be upon a broad
basis—taxation and representation must go hand in hand—
those who had no vote should pay no taxes, while those who
were expected to obey the laws should have a vice in the
making of them. The only property which a poor man had
was his labour, which was entitled to as much protection as
other property. The measures which they desired to see
carried he regarded only as an instalment—it was
the small end of the wedge, and he hoped
the people would drive it home. The speaker
entered at considerable length on the present constitu-
tion of the House of Commons, the number el' place-
men there, and the increasing taxation of the country, and
concluded by moving the following resolution :
That the taxation of the country has become insupportable by Its
inert...Mg and enormous amount, as well as by its unequal pressure
on the Ineuatrtous classes, and that we an see no remedy for this
grievance but such a reform in the electoral and reprewntatice sys-
tem on shall by widely extending the suffrage, securing the freedom
of election by the ballot, distributing the franchise into numerical
district., and shortening the duration of parliametiM give the people
at large their due &hare of Indus:nos in the legislative assembly of the
kingdom.
Mr. GRUBB, towa.councillor, seconded the resolution, end
maintained that timely reforms were the surest preventives
of revolution, while those who resisted all reasonable re-
forms were in reality the destructive,.
The resolution was submitted to the meeting by the chair-
man, and carried unanimously.
Mr. Fat:moose, town councillor, moved that a petition,
embodying tho sentiments of the meeting, be adopted, and
transmitted to the city members for presentation, and that
they be requested to support the prayer of the same.
Mr. TowLe, town councillor, seconded ti e motion, and
referred to the increasing amount of taxation, and the failure
of manufactures, from unwise interference with trade by the
legislature.
The petition was adopted unanimously, and the mayor
signed it on behalf of the meeting.
Alderman Satmeu being loudly called for, stated that he
had been a reformer for many gears. He was not prepared
to go the whole length of Mr. Hume's motion, though he
could go a great w.y. Ho believed Lord John Russell was
greatly in error in thinking the people did not want reform.
He thought there should be en extension of the suffrage to
all householders who pay taxes; but he saw dangrr in
equalising the elect.,ral di.trict*. Vote by ballot he certainly
would concede, it it was found necessary for the protection of
the electors. lie concluded by moving a vote of thanks to
the Mayor for his conduct in the chair.—The motion was re-
ceived with every demonstration of respect, and Carried.
Three cheers were then given for the Mayor, and three
for Mr. Hame,after which the meeting broke up, the utmost
order and good humour having preys he 1 throughout.

ST. PAUL'S, COVENT-GARDEN:Lant evening
meeting of the inhabitant rate.payers, convened, pursuant to
a requisition, numerously signed, was held in the vestry-
room adjoining the church, to consider the propriety of a
reform in the representative system of the county and an
equal xation of the taxation. Mr. Spicer, one of the church-
wardens in the chair. The meeting was addressed by Mr.
Walk, r, Mr. Cribb, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Tipster, Mr. Childs,
Mr. Daniels, and Mr. Tufton, who advocated a residential
suffrage, a shortening of the dura'ion of parliamen's, the
ballot, and the substitution of • uirect for the indirect
system of taxation, which, it was contended, would, by
throwing the burden on the right ahouldeis, awaken the
attention of the upper classes to tho enormous sums unne-
cessarily I xp•nde-t, and have the drat of lessening taxation.
Lord Jobn Ru sell's assertion that the people of England
required no alteration Irons tte present state of things was
indignantly denied. Resolutions in accordance, deprecating
violence, and calling upon the members for Westminster to
support Mr. name's reform motion, were unanimously
adopted. A petition for household suffrage, triennial par-
liaments, vote by ballot, and direct taxation, to be presented
before the 20th of June, was adopted.

ST. LUKE'S, MlDDLESEX.—Yesterday, a meeting of
the parishioners of St. Luke's, Finsbury, convened by the
St. Luke's Reform Association, was held at the School
Room., Cowper-street, " for the purpose of adopting a peti-
tion to the House of Commons in support of Mr. flume's
motion, which is to be submitted to the house on the 20th
instant."—Mr. Palliser having been called to the chair,stated
that, in consequence of the assertion made in the House of
Commons, by Lord John Russell, that the people of Eng-
land were indifferent to the proposition about to be brought
forward by Mr. Hume, several gentlemen connected with*,
parish formed themselves into a committee, in order to ono-
blish • Reform Association, which should advocate dm
pr;yocipl, of Mr. Hume. At a meeting of the parishioners,
held is that place, on the 22nd of May last, the association
Was established, and he was happy to say that they now had
enlisted above 400 of the most influential parishioners.—Mr.
Briscoe moved the first resolution :
That Mr. llume's maim, (or reform having been postponed to the
ihk frne•htleerWrbetant. and Lord .John Russell having since decanted
middle nor the waiting classes were anxious for
Ant great reform' which le proposed 6y the honourable member
kr Montrose," this nateting or tepinica that Lord John Russell Is
either wilfully adainfortned of the wishes of the nation, of boa unwit-
tingly misrepresented the earnest donne of the people.
The resolution was unaaimoealy agreed to, and a petition
parliament was glue resolved upon.