The Express.
London, England, 1849-12-06 00:00:00

HOLLOWAY AND HORNSEY REFORM

ASSOCIATION.

A meeting of the Holloway and Horneey Reform
Association wet held at the Prince Edward Tavern, Park
road, Holloway, yesterday evening, EDWARD MIALL, EWA ,
in the chair. Mr. William Arthur and Mr.
W. John Hall, attended as a depatatias from Wilkinson„ihe Council
Maks National Reform Association. The members for the

borough of Finsbury had bee invited to attend.
Mr. MIALL, on taking the chair, said that they were
%rumbled this evening for the purpose of meeting and wel-
coming a deputation from the Council of the National Parlia-
mentary and Financial Reform Association, an association
that had secured the suffrage, and the confidence of the great
body of reformers of all shades throughoutths country. (Hear.)
It was quite impossible that a country, in which riches were
continually accumulating in the hand, of the rich, and
pauperism was increasing at the base of society, the distance
tween the two classes becoming daily greater and greater,
that • county in this position could long sustain itself. We
looked round about them, and we saw pauperism iocreasiug,
and, as a necessary consequence, crime increasing also. We
endeavoured to ascertain what were the causes of this con-
tinual increase of pauperism and crime, and we found that I
the system adopted by our rulers, the government in this
country, was perpetually augmenting the number of those
who were living upon the fruits of the industry of othen.l
Our taxation amounted in round number, to very little less
than 85 millions per annum, including, of course, all the public
objects that were promoted and supported by it. Some GO
millions were withdrawn from the available resources of the
country and from the fruits of industry, for the mere pur-
pose of civil government. Some 10 millions per annum were
absorbed by the established church. Some 12 millions per
annum by local Melon, and the maintenance of the poor,
and there was no doubt that both in the collection and the
expenditure of this immense sum, there were some millions
per annum wasted and entirely lost. When we considered
the amouot of our population, and remembered the*. the
whole of this amount of taxation was taken from the
fruits of the annual industry of the people of
ibis country before they could secure for themselves the
reward of labour (for labour paid the taxes), it must be ob-
vious that here there was • sufficient cause to account for
very much of the pauperism, and the consequent crime.
It is impossible for us to obtain those financial reforms which
ere needed without having a better House of Commons. It
was nearly impracticable that we should obtain a better
House of Commons without havieg a much larger constitu-
ency. If we were to have a larger constituency it was the
part of wisdom so to widen the basis upon which the consti-
tu'ion rested as that we should not need, within a little
period of time, to proceed to widen it again. (Hear.) His
own opinion was that every man who had arrived at an age
of maturity, who was of sans mind, and unconvicted of
crime, had as full • right to participate in the election of
representatives to serve him in parliament as any pe non
could poribly have. (Hear.) He mostheartily wo,tedwith the
present movement, under the enlightened and ener-
getic presidency of Sir Joshua leValowley—(cheers)
—conceding, for a time only, • portion of the
principles upon which he took hie stand, andj accepting
as much as he thought it possible to emery in the present
state of the constituency of this empire. He was heartily
willing to do what he could, both at home and away from
home for the promotion of the objects which these Rend.-
men had in view. He would only just say this much more
—having already given in his adhesion to this association he
deemed it his duty to show that he had done so in the
neighbourhood in which he resided. (Cheers) He had no
great confidence in the sincerity of throe individuals who
were liberal only when away from home, and who in their
own neighbourhood held themselves aloof from any move-
ment whereby the objects to which they professed so much
attachment were sought to be carried out. He had re-
sided for some time in Holloway, and felt it his
duty, as aeon as application war made to him, to preside
over a mouths to be held here of the Parliamentary and
Financial Reform Association, to secede at once to their re.
quest; and he fully believed that if the committee here
would but actively and practically go to work, they would
find a very large number of persons residing in the neigh-
bourhood willing to eaglet them, and to use such kaki.
once as they had in order that the end they had in view
might be finally and triumphantly accomplished.
After addresses from Mr. Wet. Aientun WILILINSON and
Mr. HALL,
An levity was made why the members for the borough
were not present
The CHAIRMAN read a letter from Mr. Buncombe,
stating that the present state of his health precluded the pos•
eibilitv of his attendance, his medical Writers having en-
joined the strictest quiet as affording the greatest probability
of being able to resume his parliamentary duties. It was
stated by the chairman that no answer had been returned by
Mr. Wakley.
Mr. BEOGS explained the object of the freehold land
movement. Some of the daily papers had been reiterating
caution and suggesting difficulties of every kind ;
but thee, was no difficulty except it were the su-
pineness of the people, as to the great instrumentality
of a movement of this kind. The committee had manifested
excess of caution. Up to the first of last month they had
2,000 shares taken; they had 2,0001. in the hands of the
bankers, and 95 pertain had given notice that the moment
a qualification was produced they were ready to pay their
money up and take it. He advised every man, before
entering! upon the scheme, to make himself acquainted
with all. the details. He believed it would tend to culti-
vate provident and thirty habits amongst the working
classes of this country and by that means raise them in the
social scale.
Mr. RILEY moved and Mr. Ctfuwen seconded the first
resolution :
" Thar the absence of a really representative House of
Commons, the preponderance of close legislation, the unequal ,
pressure of taxation, the general extravagance of the public
expenditure, and the consequences of these evils, engender
ing discontent sad threatening (Burden fatal to the political
and to the social prosperity of this empire, render the com-
bination of the middle and working classes for the attain-
ment of the reform advocated by the National Parliamentary
and Financial Reform Association a matter of momentous
importance to the state."
Which was carried unanimously.
Mr. CLARIS moved and Mr. Bsiersnen seconded the
second resolution :
" That, as one of the most powerful Mans for the peace-
ful accomplishment of the great objects now sought to be
effected, the National Freehold Land Society, established in
connexion with this association, adapted as it is to the varied
positions and circumstance, of all classes of the people, is
calculated to work great results upon the representation of
the counties over which its operations will extend; and that
this meeting strongly reoommeads every reformer, what.
ever his means may be, to avail himself of the great advan-
tages which this today offers."
This resolution was also carried unanimously.
Thanks were then voted to the deputation and to the
chairman, and the meeting separated.
that I