The Express.
London, England, 1848-05-22 00:00:00

JAMBS BEIOBE,

Bir,—My attentionZino ie;;;;Iled to an extract
Inserted in your paper some time since from a letter of the
Bishop of Exeter, published in the !hawks Cowrier. As
the contents of this letter are calculated to mislead your
readers, you will, I trust, insert a few lines from me in reply.
From the bishop's letter, your readers may be led to con-
clude that, notwithstanding the indelibility of holy oaten, I
should regain the status of • layman, if the bishop were to
excommunisate or depose me from the ministry. I appre-
hend, from the case of Horne Tooke, this would not be the
result. I should still be a clergyman, but under degrade
tion. I could not enter parliament, and I should have no
more legal riakt to officiate as a nonconformist minister than
I hive at present. The object of the bishop's offer appears
to be to keep the public in tne dark so to the real state of the
law in this matter. It is quite clear that a seceding clergy-
man may be imprisoned by the bishop for contempt of court,
if he persist in preaching the gospel as a dissenting minister.
When I first seceded from the establishment, I wrote to the
bishop, through his secretary, to know if I could do any-
thing more effectually to taco the status of a nocconformist
minister. I received merely an evasive reply, and in the
articles exhibited in the court against me, the Who, does
not say one word about deposing me from the ministry for a
few shillings, but ho prays that I may be re-
strained from preaching, rtc., and be condemned in
the costs. To my there is no possibility of
imprisonment for preaching, the gospel, is an unworthy
quibble. Strictly speaking it is true, the imprisonment
would be for contempt of court, but this contempt arise*
from preaching the gospel contrary to its monition, and
ti,erefure the imprisonment would virtually be for preaching
the gospel. That your readers may the better understand
the caw-, I enclose a copy of the statement made by me in
Exeter-hall, which I shall be obliged by your inserting in
your paper.—Jett.. SHORS.—Bridgetowa, Tatum', Devon,
May 18th.

THE REFORM MOVEMENT.
MEETING AT DERBY.
On Friday evening, in pursuance of a requisition
very numerously signed, a meeting of the inhabitants of
Derby was convened in the Guildhall, by his worship the
mayor, in support of the new reform movement. The hall,
which is an extensive building with • large gallery at one
end, was crowded to excess. Hundreds went away unable
to, gain admittance. It was, indeed, one of the most flume-
' roue and most unanimous meetings ever held in theborough.
Mr. Mon in the chair.
Amongst those present were several aldermen and mem-
bers of the town-council, several leading manufacturers, and
• nuralwr of professional men and tradesmen,
The CHAIRMAN, in opening the proceedings, said ;—•With-
out entering into the particular questions that would be
brought er fere the attention of the meeting, he was bound
to state his belief that the time had arrived when • further
reform of the constitution of this country was needed, (Loud
cheers.) It was because he was a friend to order in the
strictest sense that he considered it of vast importance to
the welfare of all classes that there should be an extension
of the rights and privileges of the working classes. Every
one who hod witnessed passing events, said who had at all
applied their minds to a consideration of the subject, most
be aware that there were anomalies existing in the consti-
tution of this country that required to be removed
or repaired. (Loud cheers) Possibly, constituted as
this country was, we could not have a better
system of government than a constitutional monarchy,
provided the rights and privileges of all classes of the penile
were respected It was because he was a friend to colorant-
tional monarchy, so reformed sed so improved, that he was
there that night to preside over their meeting, and he was
sure that there was no true friend of freedom present who
would d:sturb the meeting, or who would not support him
in the chair. (Hear.) Those who wished for improvement
in our institutions would do well to let their enemies
see that they could meet as peaceable persons, disposed
only to promote the welters of all climes; that whilst
they sought to reform the constitution they would not de-
grade themselves by having recourse to violence or disorder.
There was one caution ho would give them. Certain hand-
bills had been distributed in the meeting, without a printer's
name, the object of which was to create disunion and dia.
effection. No doubt those bills had emenared from the
enemy's camp. This, however, was a time for unanimity,
for co-operation, when each shade of reformers must give •
little in order to obtain the beet practical thing that was
attainable. Ile rejoiced to see unanimity once more
bringing together the middle and working classes of the
country; and sure he was that, as the principles of right, and
truth, and justice, were eternal, so in the end they must pre-
vail. (Cheers.)
The Rev. N. JONES proposed the first resolution. They
were assembled that evening to take into consideration the
hest means of supporting certain friends of liberty in Y.
forming the House of Commons, which had been tried in
the balance an I found wanting. The foundation of the re-
presentative system proceeded upon this one principle—that
the people have a right to express their feelings fully awl
freely as mpects all those laws they are called upon Is
obey, and to have a voice in the making of those laws. This
was, in fact. the one great principle of seltgovernment;
it was the only way of saying there is no legitimate
power hut what is the action of truth, justice.
and righteousness and that the laws ought to be
the expression of the people's mind. Now it was taught
them 16 years ago, by the reform then introduced, that the
people would be left this inalien”ble right, and that they
would have free management of their own concerns. The
great leaders of the reform party told them that the result
of that measure would be to secure to the working classes a
great increase of the blessings of life. They were told that
it would secure to the nation "good and cheap government."
What was the state of this country after 16 years of " re-
form "1 What was the state of the working classes? Where
was the promised " cheap government "? lie believed that
the expenditure of government was large as at the
present time. He believed that upwards of 30,000,000
had been added to the national debt, and fist
the estimates this year were ;beyond all former
precedent. (Shame.) A great deal of this arose from
the increase: expenses of the army and navy—readers'
necessary, it had been argued, on account of the state of the
continent. If they had no other means of checking revolts-
tionary tendencies than by force of arms, then, indeed, he
feared they might look forward to troublous times.
(Hear.) But surely there was a way of averting this, and
that was to do justice one to another. (Cheers.) After ad-
verting to the state of many of the labouring classes, and to
the amount of their wages seized by the tax-gatherer, he said
it must be miserable legislation indeed that could not apply
itself to a remedy, by curtailing the extravagant expeneiture.
He then adverted to our inequitable system of taxation,
which presses tightly upon the propertied and territorial
classes, but falls heavily upon the industrious ; and he did be-
lieve that if the people had a fair share of the representation
they would elect members who would support better laws
and a more equitable distribution of taxation. (Cheers.)
There were certain clauses in the Reform Bill which gave
tremendous power to the aristocracy and largo capitalists in
the counties and the small constitueaciee ; tt was to break
down thin unjust preponderance, and obtain a redistribution
of political power that the present movement had commenced.
He had Crest plenum in moving the following resolution:
' net the fundamental principle of the British comtitutioo meg-
Mug the right of the people to a full and fair representation in the
House of Commons: sod that, in the opinion of tins meeting, the
Home of Commons, as at present coastituted, does not fairly represent
the population, the property, or industry of the country, from which
hue arisen great and increasing discontent in the minded :a large por.
Lion of the people.
Mr. Sec no eon seconded the resolution in a speech 'home
length. During the last four years he had come in contact
with the working dames, and found that there was quite
as much intelligence amongst them as a body as amongst
the enfranchised ; and he for one had resolved on helpin
them to attain their fair position in the state. (Cheers.)
He did not recommend them to adopt the practices so
fashionable upon the continent--no, he recommended them
to seek their rights in a peaceable and cons'itutional man-
ner, so that their worst enemy could not deride or oppress
them. (Cheers) The resolution was carried unanimously
amidst loud oheers.
The Rev. W. F. Ports moved the next resolution. He
commenced by reading two anonymous hand-bills circulated
in the meeting, whereupon Mr. Biggs (a leading chartist)
stated that a person near him saw a man bring the bills from
the tory printer's. This announcement was received
with loud cheers. The reverend gentleman then
proceeded to say that he did not stand there as
a party men ; he stood there, en he ever had
done, and as he ever hoped to do, an unflinching
advocate of the principles which Le held. He stood there as
an advocate of cooperation without compromise, as an advo-
cate of order, peace, and liberty. o.der had unhappily been
too frequently assimilated with despotism, and peace with
corruption, and liberty with anarchy. He was an advocate
of order without despotism, of peace without impurity, of
liberty without anarchy. The cause which had called them
together was the extension of liberty, the progress of truth
and righteousness. Now if he had read the history of man
with anything like correctn' se it taught him this lesson,
that two parties had principally governed, princes and priests.
Primoa had bound men by physical power, and then endea-
voured to teach them that they had received their mission from
the Almighty, and therefore they must submit to them. They
had taught passive obedience. Mankind had not bean
governed by. truth and righteousness, but by ruthless mill. '
tog oppressions and dictation (Cheers.) If the country
told the aristocracy of the country it was the right of the
whole people to hold the franchise, they would re;dy, "It
is very right to bestow it upon certain classes who are pre-
pared to receive it, but the great mess of society are not fit
for such a privilege." Very beautiful logic this, no doubt;
but very fulsome to his taste. (Cheers.) He went to a lower
grade in the scale of society, who had no long line dame*o
tral progenitors, but who, nevertheless. were posasesad Of
large property, derived from relations or friends, or amassed
by their own industry. These were termed the middle '
Many of these were gentlemen both by education
and nature, and who had worked up their way in the
the scale of society : but let them not forget the
clothes they once wore ; do not let them forget
the cottages in which they were born. Now, •
great many of these middle class gentlemen had ne-
glected their duty to themselves and the people. (A ,
voice " Not all.") No. not all, but far too many of them.
Did they doubt it? Why, the present House of Commons
proved his assertion—their present taxation proved it. He
maintained that a great many of the middle classes bad
neglected their most solemn duty; and if same who were now
advocating the moue of right and justice had done so earlier, •
the people would have been enfranchised ere this. (Cheers.)
He was most anxious that all men calling themselves:Christians '
should act with Christian consistency ; that they should
carry out their principles, not only iu the pulpit and in the
prayer-meeting, but also in their social relations with their
fellow-men. If there was one thing more then another that I
had taken off tee sharp edge of God's truth in the world, I