The Express.
London, England, 1856-03-26 00:00:00

ADMINISTRATIVE DEFORM.

A public meeting was held in St. Martin's Hall
list corning, "To consider the nemesity of a vigoroaseffort
to counteract existing abuses in the administration of the
affsirs of the country, to ter ose corrupt influence and
favouritism is government appointments, the consequent
inefficiency of the public 14 Trice, and the enormous increase
of tuatioc." Mr. BMW:MI; toe Hugh Bailiff of West-
minster. was in the chair • and amongot the gentlemen on
the platform were Mr J. V. &bailey, M.P.. Mr. Jacob Bell,
Mr. Bunkum, Mr. H. 0 Robinson, Mr. Wtitehunt, and
others; but the hell wris cot tall filled.
The CHAIRWAN said t• bed been requested by a large
number of the electors of Westminster to preside on this
occasion, when the aavest;stment (from which he oaf the
statement of the objects of the meeting, which we have
quoted above) presented what he might call a very attrac-
tive bill of fare, and be had only to ask the meeting to give
a fair hearir g to the gentlemen who were about to speak.
Mr. JACOB BILL one the first tpcsker &preset g as one
dine deputation from the Adenicistrative Reform Assc-
elation, as well as au inbebitant of Westminster, and a mem-
ber of the Westminoter Parliamentary &firm Association.
He said it bad been thought desirable to make at this time
so appeal to the reformers of every data, and induce
them to merge their distinctions in one great effort
to amide administrative together with psrHamentary tethers.
The remlution he would move was this : " That the ap-
pointments to responsible situations under government are
made, in numerous instances, under corrupt political in-
fluences and favouritism, without refeeence to the fitness t r
otherwise of the persons at pointed ; and that to this system
chiefly may be attrthuted the inefficiet cy of many depart-
menus of the public service, both civil and military, coning,
among many other evils, an increased expenditure and cm
responding pressure of tuition ; mid that the efforts of tke
Administrative Reform Association, in ezporieg time
abuses with the view of providing a remedy, claim
the support and assietance of this meeting."
_ _

Mr. H. G. ROBINSON, who said he believed he bad been
a member of all the parliameatary and other reform usc-
elation which bad been established in 1..,nd0n dories his
own lifetime, seconded the resolution, likewise in the opt.
city of one of the deputation from the Administrative Bo-
leros Association.

Sir J. SHILLiT said he regarded this as a meetleg, not
of the Administta•ive Reform Alsociation, but of the
electors of Westm inter, the High Bailiff, in his official
ceptcity, baying convened it end taken the chair. °ther-
mos be should not have moms to town during the Easter
holidays on purpose to attend it, for to wu uct a member of
that mos:anon, though he was an adnuoiatrative reformer.
He would imply no dterwpict to the sescoiation, to which
he Olt muck indebted, for silica it had done, and which, if
It Undone nothing else then to give us that shr et ea pree-
sive phrase " the right seas in the right place," would act
have Beef in vale. (C• sera) But he te ought the aceocis -
doe had put the cast before the tone. To carry oat admi-
nistrative reform it should and it moat been by reforming
the House of Commons. (Cheers) With a view to setting
forth this principle, which had been left mat of the addresses
aid evolutions of the aucci■tion, he should now preps*
to sdd to the resolution moved by Mr. Jacob Bell the fol-
lowing clause :—" That inasmuch as the Commons House
of Parliament does not, except in nme, represent the
people, no appeal for redress to that house as at present een-
sticuted is likely to be attended with a satisfaaory result
and that a complete and permanect removal of suiting
shines can only he 'weeded se the result of a reform of the
Hesse of Commons, Mending the vote by ballot."
Mr. FINLAN then moved the following amendment,
which was wroonded by Mr. Wnt.o :
"That, whilst this meeting acknowledges and deplores
the corrupt and corrupting practices in the administration,
it cannot rightly conclude teat that administration can be
reformed to the eitect needed, until a radical reform takes
place to the Home of Commoas ; and it is also of opinion,
mat the House of Commons cannot be reformed wad each
a reform take, plus in the elector cl system, as would be
guarasteed by an act giving universal manhood suffrage and
the oppertunity of eating by ballot, the payment at mem-
►er cf perliameut, equal electoral districts, annual pulls-
mentr, asd the abolition of the ►roperly qualification ; and
that no 'isolation is worthy of 'opt) at, wafts it has sack
reform for its object."
Several sprakere occupied the meeting for some time in
avocado' the Charted amendment.
Mr. Nnerrore urged upm Mena the importance of we
movies/ my cosset:on of disunion, and agreeing to pass the
to ;Outten of Mr. Bell as eslatged by Sir John &alley
unanimously.
taterpored, in the midst of great disturbance end
confusims, to say that he was rc ap .naine for co :ling the
meeting, and although he bad been told beforet and that in
Westeninattr a *ottani party would be sure to attempt to
inmoducs disorder into such • meeting, if it were bald, he
bad refused to believe it, and hoped it would not appear
now to bo the foot.
After an hour Cr mare of extremely irregular and noisy
disenesiou,
The CB,llllllloc having first carefully ezplalued the
manner in which the vote wee to he takes, put the amend-
meat of Mr. Fenian to the vote, end decided that it was not
carried. This declaim seeming to excite some dieratisfactiost,
he agile took the show of hands for and against it, and u
woad time declared the amendment sot earned. Be next
pat the t riginal resolution, as altered by Sir John Shelley,
to the vote, for and against it, and said—. I in m decide thee
critter the original section nor the amendment is ca•rid."
(Great laughter, and cheers from both lid. a)
A vote of thanks to the Rath BallS having been passed
he meeting separated w.thout having adopted any other,
tuolution.