The Express.
London, England, 1848-06-07 00:00:00

they were prepared to listen patiently to any set of opinion,
however adverse to their own, they were not fit to exercise
the franchise they coveted. (Cheers.) With this view he
must say be regretted that Mr. D'Eyncourt had not been
listened to with that attention his speech deserved. (Hear.)
Lord J. Russell had been pretty much abused that night.
But it must be remembered that Lord J. Russell was the
leader of the Whig party—the juin, militia party—the party
which stood between taryism and radicalism—the party that
would hive when it could no longer kick—(a laugh)—and
would do only just irs much for the people as they were
constrained to do. Now he thought the recent and cele-
brated declaration war intended to try the metal of
the constituencies, and see whether the people had
sufficient spirit to answer his challenge. (Hear, bear.)
He knew there were seine who thought the present move-
ment did not go far enough ; but those who were disposed
to go " the whole hog" 'hostel remember that everybody's'
stomach was not so ationg as their own. (A voice, ' Let us
have the charter.") If they would listen he would tell
them how to get the charter. (Cheers.) He biped to see
the day when the charter would be the hereof the land, and—
if he were not afraid of creating dissension, he would say—
something more than the charter. (Hear. hear.) Ile
wanted to show that they might support Mr. Hume and Mr.
Cobden in their present movement without compromising
themselves. (Cheers ) In his opinion representation should
be coeval and coequal with taxation, and that all men were
entitled to the suffrage ; but it was bad policy in the
working chases to throw filth in the faces of those
who wished them well, and who, to the extent of
their ability, held out to them the right hand of fellowship.
Notwithstat ding his horror of bloodshed, and his die
testation of violenoi, he must say that some of those who had
advocated bloodshed and violence were not without some
justification. (Loud cheers from one part of the
meeting and symptoms of disapprobation from the
rest.) Let those who, sitting by their firesides
in comfort, with the necessaries and the luxuri s ot
life at their command, place themselves for a moment in tho
position of the unemployed working man, with his wife and
children around him, crying in vain far bread—(hear, hear)
•—and then say whether, if, in the severity of their sufferings
they lost their patience, they were altogether without excuse.
(Cloves ) But he went further. lie held that occasionally
there was no harm in frightening our governors • little—
(laughter and cheers)—and those who did so at their own
risk he looked upon as public benefactors. (Much cheering.)
He hated silence and bloodshed as much as any men, but
he affirmed there were seasons when men were justified in
proceeding to upon insurrection and revolt ; and he thought
those who now took that course.—blind though they
might be to their own interests—were reading the
government • useful lesson. (Hear, hear.)
The resolution was Nursed unanimously.
Mr. F. DOI:LION moved the second resolution, 5i,..:
Itrat this meeting declares Ito conviction that the HOW of Com-
mons does nut truly represent toe people, and that en Inag no it hall
continue to be constituted as at prevent, It cannot become a proper
organ for the expression of the nation's wilL That any reform of oar
represent stirs midair% which fails to rceognae the right of envy
man to the franchise, limited only by such regulations as may be
necessary to secure its legitimate use, will neither be complite nor
o-rmaigint; but that regarding Mr. liume's motion, now standing
for the 20th instant, area unpirtant practical advance towards a tale
and full representellim of the people, this meeting determines to give
to the movement its earnest and utmost support.
Mr. A. STEVENeI, a member of the society of friends. se-
conded the resolution. He belonged to a community who I
held that bloodshed and violence under no circumstances
we re justifiable—(hear)—he therefore could not concur in
the sentiments which had been expressed by Mr. Southwt 11.
The question they haul to consider was, whether they should
obtain that reform which was necessary for the prosperity of
the country and the happini ss of the people by peaceful and
constitutional agitation, or whether the insane infatuation of
• few men should be permitted to plunge this csun-
try into all the horrors of bloodshed and civil seer.
(Cheers and hisses) Why did not those who dissented
know that disaffection was even now spreading far and wide.
(Iliac.) Were we not at this moment holding the ester
country in subjection by the bayonet ? (Cheers, and cries
of " Shame !") It was because he saw in power a govern-
ment incapable of good though powerful for mischief, and
because he dreaded the consequence of allowing such •
government to rule the destinies of this country, that he had
come to that meeting to give his support to peaceful and
constitutional reform. (Cheers ) In order to show how fat
the Reform Bill had failed in its object,and how great was the
necessity of another measure to amend the present represen-
tative system, he would call the attention of the meeting tea
list of boroughs. with the names of the nobleman or lady
—for ladies meddled in such thiugs ILS well—by whom the
members were nomivate2:
Arundel, nomination by the Duke of Norfolk; nridgenorth, by the
hitniore family; Buckingham, by the Doke of Buckingham ;Caine,
be the Marquis of Lansdowne; Christchurch, by Sir ((forge Rose;
Chichester, liche Duke of Itkhuarind;Ciretorster, by Earl Bathunit;
Dorchester. the Earl of Shaftesbury and Williams' the bunkers;
Fir, by Sir :award Kerrison; Crest Grimsby, by the Karla Yee-
barough; Ilelsterle, by Lady Bassett; Ilimunglan,by the Earl of Sand-
s idi and Lady Olivia Iternard Sparrow ; Launceston, by the Duke or
Northumberland ; Malnusbury, by the Earl of SuNolk ; Mahon, by
Lad Marlborough, by the Marquis of Aylesbury ; Mid-
hued, by the Marquis of Exeter; Morpeth, by the Earl of Carlisle;
Newark, by the Duke of Newcastle; Pembroke, by Sir John Owen ;
Peterturough, by Earl kitzwilliam ; Peterstleld, by Sir W. Joltitre;
Itelinite, by Earl Somers; Richmond (Yorkshire), by the Earl of Yet-
land; Ripon, by Earl de Grey; shaftesbury, by ibis Marquis
of Westminster; Stamford, by the Marquis of Exeter;
Tuvlstock, by the Duke of Redford; Tamwerth, by Sir R. Peel; met-
ford, by Lord Ashburton; Wenlock, by Lord Forester; Whitrbavea,
by the Furl of Looedsee ; Witten, by the Earl of Pembroke; Winches-
ter, by the Duke of Buckingham; Window, by the Castle; Wood,
Omit, by the Duke at Marlborough ,• Bandon-heulgo, by the Euel
Hanlon; Dungeon., by the Earl of Itanfurty; Lisburn, by the
Marquis of Hertford ; Cardiff, by the Marquis of flute, or his eerie-
sentalives. In counties there were: Anglesea, nominated by the
Marquis of Anglesca ; West t7urnhetlznd, by the FAH of Limsdale
Denbighshire, by Sir W. W. Wynn; Pembrokeshire, Sir J. Owes;
Westmoreland, by the Earl of Losisdale.
New, owing to this system of nomination, the following
large constituencies were virtually disfranchised : London,
Finsbury, Greenwich, Lambeth, Marylebone, Southwark,
Tower Hamlets, Westminster, Birmingham, Bristol, Hull,
Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle-on-Tyne,
Norwich, Nottingham, Sheffield, York (City), Elinburgh,
Glasgow, Belfast, Cork, Dublin, West Riding of Yorkshire,
Eest Surrey, Middlesex, North and South Lancashire, return-
ing 62 members wish an aggregate number ofelectors of '279,2e0;
while 62 members for those important localities coign as
well, owing to the; nomination system, by which their votes
were counteracted, be re presentatoes for a department of
France. (Hear, hear.) What, for instance, was the use ot
the two members for Lambeth voting tor Mr. Hunte's mu-
liun
whi n they would be opposed by the members for Thet-
ford,
or some other borough nominally representing 200
men, bet. really only one or two, while the memb rs for
Lambeth represented some thousands? (Hear, hear.) So
with the counties, excepting some few which had been res-
cued form the landed interest by the Anti-Cora-Law League.
Lord Stanley admitted in his place in the House of Leeds
that, knowing the political opinions of the landed proprie
tors, he could tell those of the representatives of the county.
Some time ago a liberal member represented the western
division of Somerset : the Earl of Egremont died, and
his successor being a tory, the next election sent
a tory represeatative to the House of Commons. He would
i:sk them to leek abet at the pension list, to be found in a
little publication callc l bloc "Black Book," to be had for
, a here they weul.l find that the country was paying a
pension of 8,0001. a year to the Duke of Grafton, because his
ascsstor was the illegitimate child of Charles 11. (Rear,
and a laugh.) Let them look also at our enormous naval
and military establishments which furnished places fir the
aristocracy, and kept the people in defiance. (Cheers.) The
only means of getting rid of this system was to reform it
altogether, and that could only be done by the cordial union
of the working and middle classes. (Hear, hear.) The
man who attempted by uny means to sow dissension between
those classes was the bitterest sod worst enemy of the coun-
try. (Cheer's) The middle classes were accused of using strong
language, but if they did they had been taught to do so
by the coilesgues of Lord J. Russell, who called the
vote or the House of Comments the whisper of a faction, and
encouraged the idea of the men of Manchester searching
upon London. It wan no sufficient answer, therefore, to the
people to say that their language was too strong. They I
sought not to interfere with the constitution. They ought
rather to place the crown of these realms on a firm basis—
namely, on the affections of a peaceful, loyal, and contented
people. (Hear, heats) If her Majesty knew what was
right to be done, he believed she would do it ; but the truth
was kept from the royal ear by favourites—(loud cries of
" hear," and " three cheers for the Queen")—who wanted to
make the throne in England rest as already it did in Ireland,
upon bristling bayonets and constables' staves. But the time
was gone by for a monopoly of legislative wisdom; and he
never expected • good day for England until teen sprung
from the people, and ith ntificd with them in interests and
feelings, should have seats in the cabinet. (Cheers.)
Mr. T. HARDY seconded the resolution.
Mr. C. PHARSON, M.P., supported the resolution. He
obsessed that if he had not hail that opportunity of meeting
them he might have been, as Lord J. Russell appeared to
be, in ignorance of their real wishes and intentions. But
now he could not plead that excuse. lie now believed that
what they required was a thorough and effectual reform in
parliament, so that enemy man in the country who contri-
buted to the payment of taxes directly or indirectly, or who
was liable to be called upon by hie person to defenel
country from external aggresaion or internal commotion,
had a natural and indefeasible right to a voice in the selec-
tion of those by whom his lite, liberty, anti property had to
be governed. (Hear, hear.) To that doctrine he expressed
his complete adherence. The bon. gentleman having
expressed his fullest concurrence in the necessity
of reforming the House of Commons, observed
that he regarded the late declaration of Lord J. Russell
as a gratuitous insult upon the people of England, concluding
by suggesting the propriety of adopting a resolution of
thanks to the Lambeth Electoral Association, with a request
to put themselves in communication with the real retorm
members of the House of Commons, and to co-operate with
the varieus reform associations throughout the empire, so as
to ensure to the people a thorough and effectual reform of
the House of Commons.
The resolution which the hon. gentleman supported was
put and unanimously carried.
Mr. D. PRATT then moved the adoption of a petition to
the House of Commons, founded upon the resolutions, and
in favour of Mr. Hume s motion, which was seconded by
Mr. R. A. FAIRCHILD, a chartist, and adopted almost una-
nimously, the few climentients refusing to hold up their
hands in its favour, on the ground that it was useless to pe-
tition a parliament which did not represent the people.
The resolution of thanks, &c., to the association, suggested
by Mr. Charles Pearson, was then adopted, and the meeting
separated.

MEETING AT MANCHESTER.
On Monday evening, at the Free-trade Hall, Man-
chester, a meeting was held by a new society, called the
People's League ; or, Association of Manhood Suffragists.
The object of the meeting, as set forth is the circular, WAS
to take the opinions of the audience on Lord John Russell's
declaration, that the middle and working classes did not
wish for the one great reform nor the other, " that they are