The Express.
London, England, 1851-12-02 00:00:00

REFORM MEETING IN LAMBETH.

Yesterday evening a meeting of the electors and
other inhabitants of the borough of Lambeth, Summoned
by the council, and in furtherance of the objects of the
Lambeth Parliamentary and Reform Association, waa held
at the Horns Tavern, Kennington.

The chair wan 'occupied by W. Wituams, R.q. M.P.,
and on the platform were Sir J. Wallasley, M.P., Mr.
Thompson, M.P., Mr. J. William., M.l'., Mr. R. Cooper,
Mr. Ap.lry Pellatt, and several others of the leading mem-
bers of the Association.

The CHAIRMAN, who was loudly cheered in opening
the proceedings, expressed himself tench gratified to see so
large an assemblage of the reformers of Lambeth present.
This was the first time that he had had the pleasure of
meeting them since the Lambeth Parliamentary and Finan-
cial Reform Association had done hint the honour of elect-
ing him to be its president. (Hear.) He had in the first in-
stance to announce to them that he had received a commu-
nication from Lord Dudley Stuart, stating that he would
have been there but was prevented by indisposition. and
Mr. Locke King would have been present also but was out
of town. They were assembled on the present omit-
PIM on a most important question—viz., to determine
what measure of reform they deemed sufficient for making
the Howie of Commons a true representation of the people.
The notice in the bill calling the meeting was this, " to
consider the best moms of obtaining a full and efficient
reform of the House of Commona." (Hear, hear.) In his
opinion nothing short of the prineipl s adopted by the Lust-
beth Parliamentary and Financial Reform Association
would satisfy the eountry—(hear)—those principles being
the granting of the suffrage to every occupier of a house,
or a part of a house, who has paid rates (or twelve months ;
the reduction of the duration of paeliaments to three yearn
—(hear, hear)—the protection of the voter by means of the
ballot—(hear, hear)—the total abolition of all the small
boroughs throughout the kitatdom—(hear, hear)—an entire
reconstruction of the parliamentary districts, and the total
abolition of the money qualification of members. (Cheers.)
These principles, extensive as they were, were still but a
compromise between the opinions of two classes of reformers.
(Hear.) There was ono class, and a very largo class, who
went beyond those principles—and another class, a
large elms, though out so large as the first, who did
nut go quite so far. (Cheers.) Ile considered that
those priuciples which, after mature deliberation,
hail been fixed upon as those of the association,
by none of the leading reformers of this country, including
between fifty and sixty members of parliament, were a fair
neutral ground on which every class of returners might
meet without sacrifice of any principles the/ professed.
(Hear, bear.) And if those principles should he adopted
and become law in all their integrity, he hail not the small-
tat doubt they would be foand perfectly ancient for the
purpose of nuking the douse of Collll4oll* a roof represcii-
tatiou of the people. Hut without a perfect union of both
neither the working nor the middle close would be strong
enough by itself to carry any really useful measure of re-
form. They must eonlially unite together, and put their
shoulders,to the wheel, and then no power on earth could
withhold that measure of reform they might deem necessary
for Lie peed government of the country. (Hear, hear.)
Everybody was asking what the new reform bill
was to be, but nobody seemed able to answer the
question. There were many rumours about disunion
in the cabinet, hut nobody could tell them what measure of
reform was to be brought forward. If it were only s hill
to whitewash the corruption which had been briught to
light, every honest reformer in the house ought to smut
such a mockery and insult ; hut should it he a measure
founded on the principles of the Ref am Association, they
would support it as tending to place the institutions of the
country on a solid and immovable foundation—viz., on the
cauteutment and affections of the people. (hear.)

. .
Sir J. WALMSLEY, M.P., rose to tauve the first re-
solution, expressing satisfaction that the government had
at last come to the conclusion that reform of the House of
Commons was absolutely necessary, and the necessity for
cheers and n^n-electors to use their utmost endeavours to
impress on the government and upon their representatives
that they were fully alive to the abuses that exist, as being
the only means of obtaining a large and comprehensive
measure. Ile observed that to the reformers of Lunbeth
and the metropolis they on ed the bUCCLIS of the association
of which he had the honour to be the president; and if the
means placed at the disposal of the association had not
enabled them to do all they could wish, it had enabled
them to do much good, in bringing the cause of the people
before them from one col of the kingdom to the other.
The chairman had told them that the association called upon
them to unite fur a practical measure of reform. Meer.)
But let them not be mistaken what that nicasarif of reform
was. He believed there was some mistake; and he believed
so from what he had heard front the chairman since became
into that room. A rote-paying franchise ! Away with it.
(Much cheering.) They-had asked for a rating suffrage,
but what did they mean by that ? They meant to take the
parochial assessment, hut no rate-paying clause. (More
cheering.) If they submitted to a rate-paying clause, they
would be precisely where they now were. (Hear, hear.)
They couid not then appeal to the hundreds of thousands
and millions of the people if they (tho association) went for
rate-paying clause, fur where would be the relief to them
in that caw? (Hear, hear.) What they were going for
was, a household or home suffrage--a suffrage under which
every householder, every occupier of a house, or part of a
house, should have a vote, whether ho paid rates or not.
Let that go forth if it was not already fully understood
lie had always hitherto thought it had been fully under-
stood. He asked no working man to unite wits him ter
anything Inc

Mr. AI'SLEY PELLATT seconded the resolution. He
condemned the truckling of the Whigs in times past in re-
ference to church rates, parliamentary reform, and other
popular measures, the result of which was the disappoint-
ment of the people, and the increase of corruption and ex-
travagance, and a system of legislation whereby we were
lawyer-ridden on the 0110 hood and liscal-ridden on the
other. Ho spoke highly in favour of municipal goverumeut
as opposed to the system of centralisation.
Mr. WEBBER also supported the resolution, and stated
that ho believed that no honest man could be a minister
unless he was hacked up by the people out of doors.
Mr. M'LEOD, as an old reformer, advised them
to look with suspicion on anything comiug from Lord John
' Russell or the present House of Commons, which was essen-
tially a middle class assembly—though if the promised re-
form were a good measure, they of course would be fools not
to take it. He believed the contoured changes in the cabinet
—the introduction of inert of talent (for such nincompoops
SS the whigs were not in the country)—were for the purpose
of thrusting an ineffective measure of reform down the
throats of the country. lie wanted no measure which would
give justice to only a portion of the people ; and no measure
would satisfy him which would not give the suffrage to
every intelligent man in the country. (Hear, hear.)
Mr GOLDSMITH thought they should be satisfied with
nothing else than the whole suffrage—universal suffrage.
(hear, hear.)
The resolution was put and carried.
A person in the body of the meeting, who said ho was a
lodger and a working man, asked how he was to obtain the
franchise upon the principles of the association?
Mr. SLAr K said, the principle of the law was that th
lodger did in effect pay rates in his rent; but it would com-
plicate the affair very much if the tax-gatherer had to
apply to every lodger in cock house, or that a separate re-
gistration of lodgers should be prepared, and Mr. Hume so
framed his resolution, that the parish books should be made
to do the whole of the work, instead of having an unneces-
sary number of expensive functionaries to collect the tax
from and register the lodgers separately. Mr. Slack con-
cluded by moving a resolution : " That this meeting being
fully impressed with the importance of an extensive and
immediate alteration in the electoral law, in order to ensure
the future stability and wellbeing of our country, and to
prevent the repetition of such disgraceful prucecdiugs am
have lately taken place in the House of Commons, and in
some of the provincial boroughs, feel fully convinced that
the only mode by. which that can be accomplished, is by
embodying the principles of this association in the statute
book of this realm, and with this view that a petition be
presented to the House of Commons by our honourable
members, embracing Mr. Hume's motion, as the least
amount of amelioration with which the people will rest
content."

Mr. 1.. DOL LTON seconded the resolution.
Mr. O. THOMPSON, M.P., also spoke in favour of the
resolution. Reform was now, he believed, inevitable, the
public mind hiving become convinced that it was impera-
tively required. It was admitted on all hands that there
must be a concession of parliamentary reform, and with
that question of parliamentary reform was linked all re.-
: forms—civil, ecclesiastical, and political. The choice, how-
-1 ever, was not between the scheme of the association and
that of those who would go further, but between theirs
and a much less comprehensive measure. (Hear.) If he
thought there was a chance of success he would go the en-
tire length of the concession of the franchise to all.
(Hear, hear.) Hut that was not the question. The
rincylloe,se of the emaciation had been found to
be
only on which they could unite the
middle and working classes as one in the movement ; and,
whatever might be his individual opinion as to the extent
to which they ought to go, he subscribed to them as the
only practical solution of the difficulty, He feared no at-
° tempt to circumvent them in the ballot or triennial patina-
. meets, but he did contemplate within 49 hours or less the
' possibility of the framine of a measure less comprehensive
I than was advocated; by the association, unless they were
I united to resist it. The scheme of the association, though
it did not, perhaps, meet the abstract justice of the case
would emend the suffrage to every man who had a home ;
it was essentially a home suffrage.
The resolution was carried, and a petition founded upon
it adopted, and after a vote of thanks to the chairman, the
meeting separated.

CORK AND PASSAGE RAILWAT.—The eleventh
half-yearly ordinary meeting of the above company wan
held at their office, us Cork, ea Friday. The chairman,
Dr. Lyons, presided. The statement of capital meount
showed the diabenements and receipts up to the Zith

October, 7651. Tie total disbursements sieve
6s. Id., and the total receipts 132,2934 13s. 6d., leaving •
credit to the capital amount of 3,7351. 7s. sd. The half-
yearly revenue account showed a total expense of 5,11137.
16s. 11d., among which were for omnibus expanses,
2301. 16s. Bd., and locomotive expenses (coke, 2701. es. Id.),
6591. 10s. 4d. The receipts for the half year were frame
251,100 passengers, 3,97,1. Is. 6d., which subscriptions andl
interest raised to COWL 13s. 5d.; the amount to credit Issit
April was 1,816/. Its. 3d., =Akins a total of 5,877!. 7s. M.
The cash in bank to the credit of the half-yeuly account
was therefore 7661. 10s. 6d. The report was unanimously
adopted.