The Express.
London, England, 1849-06-19 00:00:00

the health of an illustrious prince who does us the honour to
attend our anniversaries—l mean his Royal. Highness Prise*
Albert. I have the greatest pleasure in welcoming his
Royal Highness among us ; and I am sure you will join
wan me is drinking the health of his Royal Highness and
the rest of the oyal
The toast having been duly honoured,
His ROYAL HIGHNESS expressed his acknowledg-
ments in a few words. He said he very highly appreciated
the great honour of being allowed to participate in the plea-
sure of a meeting to which no merit of his own could entitle
him. Althoogh he flt that h. ought not to be there, he could
assure them that it gave him the highest possible gratifica-
tion to meet them oo each succeeding anniverary, and he
hoped to do so many more times.
The noble DUKE next gave in succession the Cavalry
who fought at Waterloo, cowling with it the nom. of the
Marquis of Anglesey ; end the Infantry, coupling with it the
name of the Earl of Strafford ; the Guards cud Sir Alex-
ander Woodford ; the Artillery and Sir Hew Ross.
On again rlsisg, his GRACE said they all knew bow much
they were indebted to the armies of the Allied Powers at the
battle of Waterloo. The Hanoverian army especially had
ne its duty most admirably, and he rejoiced to see around
him on the present occasion many efficera who were in that
service, and who hid gr qtly aided in obtaining the viz•ory
they were met to commemorate. Arnontr three officers he
might mention his Excellency Count Kielmaneeege, the
gallant prince upon his left, General Prince Castelcicala, and
Sir Colin Halkett, (Hear, hear.)
Count KIELMANSEOGE, in responding to the tout,
said it gave him great satisfaction to et It -et that the Banc-
"'avian army had certainly always maintained its character
for valour and loyalty. (Hear, hear.) rh, y was not less
valiant now than forty years ago, and should tronblons times
arise they would he ever found ready to support the princi-
ples of order and good gsvemment, and to oppose anarchy
in whatever form it might arise.
General Prince CASTELCICALA and Sir C. HAL-
M:UT replied or some lergth to the compliment.
The Noble DUKE neat gave the "Infest try o' the Line,
and the It.flt. Brigade," c .upiing with the totea tue names
of Sir Fred, ti :k Adam and Sir Andrew Barnard, each of
whom returned thanks.
The last toast of the evening was the "Palmist% Army,"
which his Grace said had always behaved g thaetly under
every variety of circumstances. He was happy to see among
them the officer who at the battle of Waterloo was
attacoed to that army, end who had lately behaved
so gallantly in India —he meant Lsra Hardie-sec. .
(Hear, hear.) He begged to give them " The
Prussian Army and Lent H .rdinge."
Viscount HARDINGE r.spotaled to the tout in
an excellent speech, after which the party broke up.

FINANCIAL AND
PARLIAMENTARY REFORM.

MEETING OF THE INHABITANTS OF
FINSBURY.

Last evening a public once log of the reformers of
the borough of Finsbury was h. Id t Sadler's Wells Theatre,
for the purrs.e of giving publicity to the principles and
eta of the Parliamentary unit Financial Reform Associa-
tion, and adopting rerolutions of co-operation with that body.
Sir J. WALMSLEY, accompaeied by several influential
members of the council of the association, entered the meet-
ing 50011 after seven o'clock, and having tak. n the chair
amid loud applause, proceeded to ad& u the meetint :
lie said, our meeting is convened fir the purpose of giving
extensive publicity to the objects of the Parbamentary and
Financial Reines Assoebstion, and to promote a relirm of the
representative system. I egret that nvereboliepositien pre-
vents the att'ndanee of both your members on this occasion,
and I am sure that their regret at h: it g unavoidably obliged to
absent tiemeeilves is as sincere as nun, for I believe there are
not two more consistent, hocest, and firm refs trams in the
Hous of Commons than these gentlemen. (Ili or, hear.) I
may say further, that they re (Let much credit en the choice
of the constituency by which they were tent into the house.
(Hear, leer.) I have litters trout both of them, which I
shall proceed to read to you. The letter from Mr. Bun-
cunbe is as follows ;
"6, Palace Chambers, St. Janice's, June 14.
"Sea.-1 have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of
your letter of the 12th inst., and to express to you the satis-
faction I entertain on bearing that it is the ink's' ion of the
Metrololitan Parliamentary t .1 Fiume iel Reform Associa.
tion. to hold a public 'tentine in the borough of Frisbury
on Monday next, fei ling convinced that in no quarter of
the metropolis well ' reform principles' n mire a readier Cr
more cordial support thou in that diarist. My only regret
is, that my health is not yet tuftl.i.ntly restored to enabler
me to ho with you on the occasion, my medical advisers
having striely forbidden my taking sty rart it present in
any public meeting. You will oblige me, there'ore, by
roam yin.? to the council. as well as to the meeting my deep
disappointment at the unavoidable cause of my absence. In
the mean tune 1 beg to enclose my humble contribution of
ten gait me, in aid of the funds of the association, and to re-
main, Sir, your obedient servant.
"THOMAS SLINOSBY DUNCOMBE.
" E. M. Whitty, Esq., Seeming."
Mr. Wakley writes as fellows:
" Harefield Park, Juno 18.
" Dear Sir,—l deeply regret that it will hat he in my
power to attend the meeting on Monday. 1 need not say
to you that I most laterally concur in the objects o' it. I do
not think that financial) reform in the government of this
country is a little question, or an unimportant subject, as
has been stated ; but, on the contrary, I consider it to be a
great question, and one which is iiitunati ly connected with
the happiness of the people, ried the integrey of any and
every administration.
" In consequence of a most severe indisposition, I have
been confined to my residence here since the end of Fe-
bruary ; but I hope, should my health be restored, to make
up, by workirg ' double time,' for any loss my kind and
gent roue constituents may have sustained, owing to my not
having been enahlea to attend the Howe of Cumulous during
the present session.
" 1 am, my dear sir, your's faithfully.
" 'l'. WAKLF:Y."
I have also received letters from Mr. W. J. Fem M.P., from
Mews. Miall, and C. Lushimetoe, Dr. Price, sod Item.
T. E Fere sq. (Cheers.) Tem letters, yeu will ee el opinion
with me, show that those whe have heretofore taken an in-
terest in the progress of reform, continue still to manifest a
strong feeling for the advancement of the question. (Hear,
hear.) You (continued the hon. gentlemen) is the metro-
polis do not Mt I the absence of the ballot so much as we in
the country, but there, whether we look et the farmers,
driven like sheep to the hustings to record their ewes at the
bidding of their landlords, or at the Mf chinics of the towns,
we will find the same sy stem permed in both cues, and
undue influence pressing upon both. (neer, hear.) The
next object in view is the seduction of the sittings of parlia-
ment to three years. The reineining queriou is one of
the utmost importance, and it has reference to an equalisa-
tion of the electoral districts. You are aware that there
are many boroughs containing not 200 elr etore which return
two members to parliament. There are 30 boroughs, with a
constituency of 300 electors, which return two me inhere each
—GO boroughs in which the number of cle.tors is 41i0, which
likewise return two members each, and there are GO
boroughs totally without tie centre' of popular influence,
being represented by the landowners of the eistrict. They
may be whies—they may be tories—that is nothing to us—
we find fault with the system, and not with t.e men.
(Hear, hear.) Is it not monstrous that 86 members are
returned to parliament by a smaller number of electors than
those who return my hon. friend, George Th impson, for the
Tower Hamlets ; so that if he had the measure of right to
which the p ipulation be represented entitled him, he
should represent forty one member,. (Hear, hear.)
The great reforms which have been established in this coun-
try never would have been brought about, except through
the medium of agitation—that agitation at which the finger
of scorn has been pointed. By what means bad the
Corporation and Test Act, the Catholic Bruancipation
Bill, the Reform Bill, the act for the abolition of slavery,
by what means had these reforms been carried ? And though
last, not least, what had carried the repeal of that abominable
law which had brought the country to the verge of starva-
tion—the coin law ? Why sgitation. (Cheers.) Agitation
had become the very food of the people. Even prime raids-
ters could encourage it when it suited them. (Cheers
and laughter.) We follow the Manchester school—.
(cheers)—and if we could persuade our ft llow-reformers (the
chartists), who seek the franchise, to believe that we are
really honest in our professions—if we could convince them
that we can carry our measures, arid will carry them, if we
have their support, and that we cannot without it—if I could
induce them to join heart and hand with us in skimming
this great movement, I woull promise them that we will never
forsake them until we have obtained a full, and fair, and free
representation of the people in parliament. (Hear, hear.)
But, in order to obtain this, they must make sacrifices for a.
time ; they must be sells& d to go with those who do not
wish to go the whole of the way. Let us show them that we
are worthy of the franchise which we seek, and they will ul-
timately be ready to join with us to the fullest extent. (Hear,
hear.)
Mr. GEORGE THOMPSON, M.P., proposed the first
resoluticn, and said, I come amongst you to state my delibe-
rate conviction, founded upon the experience of two parlia-
mentary wesioi,s, that no rodic or even large reforms in the
financial, reeler isatical, or colonial spatial' or thi., country can
be expected, without a previous change in the representative
system. (Cheers) I shall be reminded of the gr. at measures
which have been carried during the last 35 years, with a House
of Commons as at present constituted, or, what is more, pre.
viously to 1833, with one in which there was much less of
the popular and democratic element than is to be fouad in
the one to which I have the honour to belong. (Hear.) But
none of these measures were passed because the House of
Commons or the House of Lords saw that they were just and
righteous. They were not carried in consequent of any
spontaneous deliberate discussions in the legislature, leading
to an apprehension on the part of our lawmakers that they
were bound to pass those measures because they were
reasonable and right, but beceuse of a ong pr -
made
it of out-ef doors effort and agitation,l which made
it at last perilous to refuse the thing demanded.
Take parliamentary reform as your first object, and you
adopt the wisest and most potent means to the attainment
of all your other legitimate and constitutional end'. (Hear,
hear.) The number of the qualified electors of the thew
kingdoms is a standing and notorious insult to the enamel&
sense, the virtue, the patriotism, the loyalty, and the religion
of the people of this Christian country. (Loud. cheers.)
Were a foreigner to stand up and say that throughout
England, Ireland, Wales, and Scotland, out of 28 millions
of inhabitants, only 800,000 could be trusted to have • voice
in the election of representatives to the C ad
oas• of
Parliament, there is scarcely an old-+shi.4.
era who would not resent such an Welkin &car
upon the population of hit native lepsk..... (.9earklAitirsi.,
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