The Express.
London, England, 1849-11-27 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, TUESDAY EVENING. NOVEMBER 27, 1849.

ipie dinner all the propeolip beogist &kali be divided
woo& neat, and that- she mashirs of the ameedades
awl ban its reftseal at sin prin. (Hear, haw.)
pia.mbeciggr it met 201., or 301., it 401, or 601.,
• a owes to wltieb I de sot oseiertake to pledge myself,
kens@ it is a s
parhite
many person get I mann ceatrol.
se It hes hap
wool at Blemine that muck land
&gem them a radiation fee ete little sel 201., bet I say
owe easy be a Inky snidest. I will sot denies the publU
Rw • peeN to an pledgeesf pisseginw them lead es eqsal
Wet (mows bow-) hlieu=ltavissajeksand she
semeed ',that theme may be se loom
Tor mem to the anskisenies efthoeheneter then who
weeks hails meneging things of tbiekinL lam very happy
Wes wet eheireem bare • thheornien. (Loud cheers.)
tee is en of the Mae s, awl I seed set tell you that he
esep wee is Lieshard-tenet. (Hear, best.) The
jag Weston MO responsible men ; not merely responsible
ga fend penshey sernimatuters but men say ewe el
dun I should be lumpy. wee I marine my will to-morrow.
gg teem as treinges tee my 'laden nes every farthing I
bei in the world. (Heat, bear.) That the ooly ton sae
gm have in public matters. If you have not
so whose private charestete will boar mach a
pet es that. r had bitter have nothing at all
gone with them. ( Conn.) Hendee the trainees, you lave
ebe burl ef direction. I have attended every inteting of
rho hosed of dinners when is town, and there is not one of
the leadsmen I met at that board whom I should not be
woe m moot in private life and to cell them my friends. I
therefore, leaving myself out of the question, thot
the sears of she asesentin are in truly responsible and
wised hands. And here I beg not to be niesundirotood.
We de not come here to puff ourselves off at
the expense of other assonatious. There also Mime
norieties formed, or forming, and no doubt their
directors are ao honourable se shun et oar men:dation
We are not se fez gone in England that we gannet tad
honour and heavily enough for anything we want. You
will get the strictest integrity for twenty llier a week
so much as you wish to hire. (Loud cheers.) It bas been
objected, and I confess there was some &Scully in my mind
es the subject, that in worming an association of this bend
you may got be able t• find ireehold property in
convenient situations or of convenient size to carry out
the movement. There may be that difficulty, but there are
difficulties in everything undertaken in this world, and there
slits) s will be. (Hear, ten.) Those who make it their
Winne to turn a green eye ea our proceedings will no
doebt and plenty of Amities ; bat from every inquiry I
have made shin my connittion with the hoar i of directors, I
believe that there will be no incurrmontable difficulty in
working otiose plea. (Hear, h )tun perfectly true that
ia meeting to hay property you may not get it at your own
dean. U you live is assent in this metr4polis you may not
be able to bay belling land in the immediate neigkoorhood
of year owe residence, but. you mum he conti et to go
further from home, jest as you would in oilier investments.
One man buys Spaniels Weds and eoother Rueiman end
Austrian bonds. (Groans.) Gihers, again, buy rulers,
shares, which are ranting all over the country, and some of
them running away. (Laughter.) But give me a freehold
immunize in the earth, which never doss run away, and it
does not natter whether it is in my own parishes not, so that
hem good title deeds acacias get my sent by the penny poet.
I need not care then whether I over see it or not. (Hear.)
With that proviso, that you cannot always get lend at year
Ova Coon, I do not see any difficulty in qualifyiog • penes
Is the county in which he results niilt a freehold trenching.
Many people think Coat the only obj.et for which they
should buy land is to build • house upea it, bat there are
other ways of disposing of it. Gardens, for instance, than
which nothing is more sure of a rent, and if you buy land in
the neighbourhood of any town, that land is always leaves-
lag ID 'elite, for, whatever the corn-laws may have done to
the agriculturist, you may depend upon it, that se hood grows
cheep population will be isereasing in towns, tad town
the land
will be increasing in value. (Hear.) Whatever fo-
reigner may send as the shape of wheat, he cannot send
gardeu round. (Laughter.) Naw, for the purpose of
illestretioo, I will take the case of Sung. Many of you,
I have CO doubt, come Irma the other side of the bridge.
I will suppose, then, that our friend Mr. Russell, the iudeta-
rsolicitor of this asmciation, whom I have had the
sawn of knowing and of co-operating with foe many years,
heard that there is a bit of land to be gold in the nigh-
boeshood of Guildford. I will suppose that there is a farm
of 100 acres of land to be sold within a mile o
rr two of that
Sown, and that Mr. Russell goes, with one f he din nom
to I.ok at it. They get a valuer to test:dee it, and having
learnt the price at which this farm can be bough:, they buy
it; sail then, instead of letting the 100 acne to one farmer,
they determine to cut it up into plots of one or two aeres.
Now, if you wanted a test, and were to have the lowa
bell
tang, and the shopktcpses and mechanics of the town were
told that this land was to be disposed of. I will
.venture to
say that there is not one of the plots which would not let
for 40s. &leer. I knew the avidity with which the peasantry
is out towns and villages take half an secs or an acre ut
lead. It is an article which is in ereateT demand than
almost any other. I could find :sod in WiltsLim whico is,
I am sorry to say, let to the peanuts"or eight pounds
altar. (Hear, bias.) lam supposing that a person wish id
to buy as much land as would give him a county vote, but,
living in a borough, did not require land fur his owie pur-
poses. Such a person might let his acre of land for 40s. iu the
form of garden allotments, without any ditfi silty. And here I
wish very much to guar a myseif ageiliet wh et has b. en a very
popular but, in my opinion, a very pernicious delusion in the
country. I would not have it %aortic' that i
ova a par y
to the plan of transferring people from their em,l eremite so
that they may live on an acre of hied. (Hear, hear, and
.been.) If anybody ever leaves a w.ekehop, • foundry, or
a factory, and tries to live on even tee or three acres of
inn t, Irby all I can my is that he will be very glad to get
beck to his former occupation. (Laughter, and beer, heir )
No, no, we have no such scheme as that. (Hear, hear.) It
a man has foll^ wed a particular pursuit, whatever it may be,
up to the age of twenty or five.endowsisty, awl if he is still
reining wastes or profit from that paned, that man hs t
honer, as a general rule, stick to his purist. than WO to any
other. (Hear, hear.) Is 99 casts out of 100 he will
seemed better in that pursuit than in any other to which be
can turn his hand. (Hear, hear.) But what we say is thee,
that it is a very good thing for a man whole reeeiving weekly
wages to have a plot of Isnd in adoitien. (Cheers.) Nothing
can he more advantageous to the people ot this country than
to have, betides their weekly wag's, a plot of ground en
which they can employ themvelvee with the spade when
they hove not at the employment that could be desired io
their trade. With the proviso which I have mentioned—
uarding myself against being supposed to be a perty
delusionto which I have alluded—l say that it you have a
freehold qualification in the neighbourhood of an agricul-
tural tows, at a distance from you, though in the same
county, even in that ease the security will hug ad, the rent
will be received, and the value of your plot of land will
always be increasing instead of diminishing. If your ooject be
to get a vote, and to bees along with that Vote a freehold pro-
piety, even et the worst, if you cannot get a hit ot garden ground
In the metropolis, you can al •ays get ono in the county.
The freehold being in the onny, you can claim to vote in
any part of the county. If the prof erty be elute. d at one
end, you era poll at the other. I have locked at this matter
with some care, and, I will confess, with some susiicion, and
I must say that I see no difficulty in the way of everybody
qualifyiag, and obtainieg good security for his mousy.)
(Clre's.) Well, sow, I have txplaired practically what is
the object of this seeociation, suppose now I go • little morel.
widely into this question. Leaving our immediate prae-
tical object to others who wiil follow me, and wise
Will StillWa any question that may be put to
them, let to leek at this question generally.
(Cheers.) Now, he we are standiog in the
ancieut ways. (Chien.) Nobody can say that we are red I
republicans err rnelatiemies. Here we are, in the ancient
ways of this sewatry, trying to bring back the people to the
enjoyment of some el their ancient privileges. Why, we
have deg into the depths of four centuries at least to find
the origin of this 40f. freehold qualification. But now, as
IA the Pleollesbait yof our plan as a menu of effecting
glen changes in the depository of political power in this
cottony.hear.) That is the question. Cu you,
by this means, effect a great clangs in the depository el
political power ? Bemuse I avow to you that I can,
constitutional and legal mear.s, ts piece, as far as I
political power in this country in the hands of the middle
and industrious classes. (Great and prolonged cheering-)
When I speak of the middle and industrious classes, I regard
them, as I ever did, as inseparable in interest. (Hunk
cheering.) You cannot separate them. I defy any
man to draw the line when the one ends and the other
begins. (Hear.) We are governed in this country—l have
sold this again and agile, and I repeat it here to night—we
are governed, in tranquil and ordinary times, not by the will
of the Indite and industrious deems, but by dames and it
tenets which are insignificant in numbers melba importemeo
in comparison with the great mass of the people. (Chosee.)
Every session of parliament, every six months that I err'
in the House of Commons, convinces memo?, and tore that
we waste our time there—l mean the seventy or eighty inn
with whom I have been accustomed to vote in the Howes eff
Commons, and to wl om your chairman has alluded ia terms
of so much kindness. I may we waste our time in the Hone
of Commons if we do not in the reeves come to the people
and tell them candidly that it depends upon them, and up=
them alone, whether any essential agaelinration shall be
effected. (Cheers.) I ;midst that in ordinary times we
are governed by classes and interests which are ineignificent
in real importance, as regards the welfare of the country.
But they are emus and interests which, If we did not
now and then check them, if we did not now and then, by
the upheaving of the male of the people, turn them from
their folly and their selfishness, they would long ego have
landed this country in as great • state of cochineal as has
hem witnessed in any country on the continent. (Hear,
he, aid dune.) Take the class of men who ere ordina-
rily returned by the agriculture' counties of this country.
It is one of those classes which are so petty in eonsperirat
with the mighty interests to which I belong. What emild
they do, dyes let them alone? Nay, what are they nobs(
to on at this moment ? Why, at the very time when even
the Austrian government is proposing to abandon the prin-
ciple of high restrictive tariffs when the govern-
ment of Russia has in band a reduction of duties;
when America is participating in the spirit of '
the times ; when Spain, which some wicked wag
has called the beginning of Africa—(laughter)—hat
imitated the example set by Sir Robert Peel three years ago,
these country members and members for aviculture' die-
tricta are thinking of nothing but how they may restore pro-
tection. (" Hear, hear," and laughter.) Surely such people
must be the descendants of those inquisitors who put Galileo
into prison. Galileo was imprisoned because he said the
physical world turned upon its nis—whereas these men
theist that the moral world shall not turn ; and, BUR to
themselves, they would soon reduce England to the state in
which Austria is now. (Cheers.) But is it a wholesome
state of Mier that nothing can be done in this country in-
apt by means of great coogregatious of the people,
forcing the representatives of tt e people to do
nonething like justice, and to observe something
lake common sense in their legislation? (Huh hese-)

Nogg of importense is ever Ow is this smuttly tetedl
-a osvan.years seand.np Sea between the pupas on du
MIK sad those who Gall theweedves the people's repro-
nmeMius on the Mbar. Now I my that that la an absurd
Male di *ire mod that by conesitational end have
mesas
be Mort try to am and I Milieu that we have now
beim os a medium whisk seek an 'bastion ma be
eilMoi. (Chum) I os bore waiting at a sate's* to
obi& I have gives mute Mention fir the sin years. It
is mare than sin years duo it was ottempted M memo the
ropes& et the earn laws ht=ed Mo fila besaideo; INN
than sin Teen slum that
of the tootles of the Asti-Coes Idyl: Leagarna" adistbal Aida-
any to claim to myself the Masa: of Ent
it. I rather think that Mr. Charles W
Rochdale, reemansesded it before I massam4 it
publicly. But from the 'mem that the plea &Mod woo
pug both at a rut misting Is liaashrstar, I never dashing
oldie ultimate repeal of the mu laws • although wadi *ma
I could
whieh we eould legally sad constitutionally sewn Ode
abolition. (Hear.) I will give you the mull of oar labours
M that time is two or three coaatin. You know that the
West Riding of Yorkshire is considered the great lade: of
path. foiling in this country. Is that great divides, ma-
bluing 37,000 voters Lord lamps* was, as yea INN OWN%
I defeated on the question of free trade, sad two pralosttrobb
were returned. I west into the West Riding with this les. I
freehold plan. I stated in every borough and in every die
tries that we net have 5,000 qualifications made is two I
yeas,. They were made. (Hem, hear.) The silly
=orawhe opposed us raised the ay that the
-law League bad bought the qualifloMMas.
limit • cry was ridicules". The truth was, tha, men bought
Iba auldention with a view of helping the lessee to dada
dm repeal of the mini laws—(hmar, hear) • aad you anew's*
that In consequesee of this movement, L;tl Morpoth walked
over the course at the next elemion. We took the seam
I enuresis Smith Lneashire, •
sad with a similar result. Oct
men walked over the coarse at the nest election, although at
the previous one we bad not &chance. My friend he
map
bet for Rest Surrey joined us in earryiog out our plea in
his division ; and its adoption was there, also, attended with
sateen. lam not sere that it would not have boat better
in some respects if the con laws had not been repealed so
sous—though, of clime, I should like to have had them
suspended fur %brie or four years—(lsughter) ; for in that
case we should have carried hall the counties et Ragland.
(Hear, hear.) Now whoa I ease back from the continent,
after toe repeal of the eora lane, I told my hived.—(l have
i never disguised my feeliegsfrom that day to this)—as the re-
milt of constant reflection for six years, "If you want to make
another move constitutior ally and legally, you mast do it
through the 401. freehold : by no other process will you
succeed." (" Hear, hear," and cheers.) Let us talk this
matter over as men of common sense. Ask yourselves how
do you intend to obtain rotornas ? Do you intend to try
violence and fighting ? (Expressions of dissent.) No, no ;
you am the result of that everywhere that it has been vied.
(Hear, hear.) Violence does no good to those who resort to
it. I do sot mean to blame those in other countries who
have not the means of meeting in assemblies like this
because they do not pursue the same course as we do
(Hear, hear) I do not blame them because, being
without experience, and not being permitted to gain experi-
ence, they do not succeed when they make a bold and
sudden trial of constitutional foram No ; I leave those to
blame them who will b!mne us mealy for adoptieg mord-
tutional forms. (" Hear, hear,' and sheen.) These par-
ties who are intolerant with regard to the tailing ot Hun-
;arises and Italians, and Ger.-mar I have had down upon
m- in this country. (Hear, hem.) 'Every species of abase,
every species of mit reprountation, every species of suppres
Won was resorted to by theta tenth we breams strung ; and
when we were both strong and fashionable we str. re be-
slavered with tt sir praise; and I confess I liked it less than
tneir abuse. (Cheers and laughter.) No; we du not come
here to censure other parties. (Hear) E.ighind is under no
n. entity fr resorting to Moroi or violence. r neeston
did all thato for us. and they were obliged to do a it. (Hear.)
During nearly the whole of the seventeenth century, Rag-
land presented a some of commotion almost as "mat as that
which has been witnessed in Hungary, Germany, or Italy;
and to the great sacrifices then made we owe mast every
thiag that we peewee at present. (Cheers.) But Lo
go back
would he to
to the warfare of the seventeenth eetatury,
descend from our bigh position after all that our aneeetors
hays obtained for us. (Cheers.) Well, but se everybody
admits that we must not go into e streets to fight, let use
ask my friends what other step y intend to take ? Peti-
tion parliament! (Laughter.) Petition parliament to
reform itself! (Renewed laughter.) Why, no; Si. clubs
would not like that; it would not suit their cards.
Laughter.) Nobody thinks of get'irg a reform of par-
liament by petitioning. Well, then, how are you to get it ?
(Hear' hear.) I find that every person is bought to the
some dead lock ss regards substantial reform or real rib
treachmest that I was when in 1843 I sat down to think
of the freehold movement. (Hear, hear.) Y.,u mud sins
at. the accomplishment of your object through the plan
which the constitution has left open to you. Men of com-
mon sense, when they have a certain thing to do, look
round for instruments for effmtine their purpose. In other
countries men who resort tophysical force always a•lopt that
p 1 in. If the people of Switzerland have to fight for diem
liberties they retire to the mountains, and dare defend
them ; ir. Hungary the army of the people, retreating from
barren heaths, puts two rivers between itself and the
enemy; while the people of lislland let in the
water to drown their enemies. Than are the
moans adopted by parties who have to use physical force.
What are we to do who have to fight with moral fora ?
((Amore.) Why, here is a door open which is soof expansive
that it will admit everybody who has the means qualify-
ing himself through a small 40e. freehold. These are our
tacties—them ale our mountains—these are our sandy plafils
—•hese 100 our dykes. (Chem.) We must fight the enemy
by metes of the 40e. freehol t. (Much cheering.) Now,
what chance have es of succeeding ? (Hoar, hear.) Ihe av
paid a great deal of attention to this subject, end
fr I shall
which
you will be 'annulled to find out how litde you h
re are to do.
Intl e first elute. how many registered electors ha w laths
kir gdom altogether ? We have as near as possible, at this too
menu, a million of registered electors for the whole kingdom.
According to a value le return made on the motion of Mr.
Williams, the late member for Coventry, the total number
of county votes on the register in 1847 was 512,300. Now,
how many of those votes do you suppose an the votes of
occupying unman ? 108,790. (Hear, hear.) All that
' boasted array of force about which we have frightened our-
Iselves so much amounts only to 108,720 tenants-at-will in
, the 52 counties of Ragland and Wales. (Hear, hear.) Why),
' half the mosey spent in gin—(a spontaneous burst of cheerswould
—in one year wou.d buy as many county freeholds as
counterpoise these 108 000 tenant farmers. ('
Hear, hear
i"
and cheers.) What resources have we to aid us n
the process of quailing fcr these counties ? I
shall surprise you again when I Micros you bow very few
people there are who are q 4141 ed for the *unfits. (Hear.)
I will take three for illustration—three or four of the coun-
ties at random. There is Hampshire : then are in Hamp-
shire, according to the lest census, 93,9J8 malts above 20
years old. The registered eleeten in the state county ,
amount to 9,2 l 3 ;so that ouly one-ninth ot the adolt males
are upon the register
—Omar, hear )—and 84,68-5 are not urea
it. In Sussex there are of males above 20 years old 76,677 ;
of registered electors, °sly 9,211, or ore-eighth of the entire
number of adult melee. (Hear, hear.) 67,466 adult males
are not voters. Take the purely e gricultural county es
Berkshire : Berkshire has 43,126 males above 20 years old ;
5,24,1 or on.-eighth, was the eumberof registered electors.
37,8115 en not yam for the county. Indiddleeez the numb's,
rated are es follows make ave twenty years old, 434.181;
registered electors, 13,781, oreone-seventseuth; 420,400 use
WM. voters. (Hear, hear.) In Surrey the males amulet
so 104,633; of these, 9,800, or one-sixteenth, is the promo-
Nom or registered Weenies; and thus 144,833 are not voters.
(Hem, hear.) Why if only one in ten of the men who are net
qualified to vote in London and Southwark would purchase
votes in the neighbouriag empties, it would almost suffires
M early every good meanie that you and I entire. (Het.
In mud numbers there are 16 millions of people in Engl
and Wales ; there are 4 millinns of adult males above 20
years of age. There are 612,000 county electors in the 62
aunties of Beg'and and Wales, so that in round numbers at
this moment there is but ose in eight of the adult males of
ItarOand and Wales who is upon the county nester, and
oven-eighths of them have no votes. That is our ground of
bops for the future. It is to induce as many as we possibly
ma of these uneninachised people to loin this association or
some other aesociation, co by man me ins endeavour to pos-
sess themselves of a vote. Now, I do not dimuise it from
you, there is a class in this country that has sot
the means of finding money to purchase a vote.
The great bulk of the agricultural peasantry earplug
th., 10s. a week, it is impossible you can ninon
say body of that clue can possess a vote ; but when I speak
a the mechanics and artisans of oar great towns, 1 will
my there is not one of them that, if he resolutely Ws to the
work, may not possess the county franchise in a few years,
aid having the county franchise he wail be in a position to
help his poorer and humbler neighbour. Now, gun lemon,
' I gar perfectly well aware that this is work thati cannot be
' duo is a day, and U it could be dons in a day it would not
be worth doing. I have no faith in anything that is done
eery speedily. My opinion is, that no very great change in
the policy of this country or the representation or this
country will bdose in less than seven years.
Most groat struggles have lasted seven years. The
great war of independence in America took seven
years. The great war in which our ancestors werelengaged
against prerogative took 10 years. The Anti-Corn
law contest lasted seven yeses. I think we might assert of
than great public questions, that the
no
is that when
you have effected your eject you do not know how
it, and haven the wmviotion that it is valuable and worth
prourving. That is the great advantage of having So
struggle some time for a great object ; and I tell you ma-
&idly., when I enter ou this 40r. movement. it is with tits
idea it sill be a long and great struggle. lem prepared, if
health and strength are given to me, to give some time of
every working day for the next seven years to the working
of this question. (Cheers.) I do not propels this as an
den • I do not propose this as an obstacle to any other
14411 whicit anybody may have in view. If anybody thinks,
they mere carry rebrm In parliament by any other plan
than this, I hope they will show us how they I
would do it; Ido not see any other way. Let no ono who
has any other popular object or great reform to carry in this
country—if they do not cooperate with to, let teem sot
look disparsgingly at oar efforts, for I tell them that i=
portion as din 40e. freehold qualification movement
,:just in that proportion will they find that the votes
aka
progress jut
of Commons on all liberel questions will I
make progress too. And when I say that it may be MOW
sary to work for 7 years to accomplish this object—OM isel
to effect a great change in the depositary of public power MI
this country (for this is the object, and I avow it), altheogh
it may be nestssary that for these seven years there should
be continuous work in this matter, it does not follow you
will not rap the fruits log before the seven years are
expired. They are wile people in their gonmatiorn, them

whom we went la leinmea. They pm sup the cora laws,
for the/ saw tie wed= sun trek& when we carded
South Lmeaseemo Ile Wed Wig, Best Emmy, mad Ili&
dime& I said, if we can eery this. smatim, they
will give up *ma laws. I. ;mortice as yea stir pear-
selves kw di pad seemeesM, in ',speedos es Foulness
powerfel, penvell Mesons 11111 W livery elms diesel
that eels idea! bendy te ;meet figlireas of the Ma'
quaillealimverses as may es el that dams US
the regiakeir find itself milifraity ea=
biall.s• tim it has given deaf. - Take
eking amid so elevate them I. the eyes ef
Melt esentrymen is to kaow they had the VOWS of the
taurloya at the knights of the shire were indebted M
Mem ire their skiatien. Take the clam oldimentars. Mir
= snts
elisbeares h Ignored by the m members eaty membe ; the sod
measure el justice they ma ask Is the removal erf
March rates. (Cheen ) I do not believe there are tes
meaty members who would vote for that moderate instal•
matt of jestios—(from the meeting, "Not five")—perhaps
sot Gm ; bet I bays heard the mom isselting Imps'se from
scanty members towards &seaters oa that very question.
Why Is it ? Because this aumeroes and really tells •atial
body of ISM ham ant bad seltrespeet to
Wthemselves by the pomades of enough
the fan-
ged to protect their religions liberties by a
idis eardel forrethenght sad prudent soonemy ia the
mninies Mike dearest privileges el tree sea. All through
the eresy you will dad great bodies al religions dissenters
who sem Mi./a mak rumen, and, wield' always is the
a momm who manage to keep theen-
seal=ithese easseess ebb& produce poverty sad degra-
dation, and these are the very men who apply to messes the
franchise. We all them to place theorises es die toasty
Est—not to give them the complete demist's and power in
Ides country. I say to no clam come and ain exclusive
power or inflames in the country; lam against elm legit
Won, whether from bele, or above • but I say if you wafit to
' have your intertsueonsulted, your agitiman rightsreepseted,
if you want no longer to have yew existence ignored in these
counties then come forward and join such a movement es
this, and ty every possitle seam promote the canon= of
the qualification movement. Let nobody misunderstand me
in conclusion. I do not come here to ask this or that
astute change without having practical objects in view
which I believe to be essential for the laments of this
cottony. I believe such is the state of our national
finances, that I look upon it as a perilous state; I
look upon it as a disgraceful state. I say that these
sztrevagant outgoisp of the government are utterly
imonsistest with the prudent, cautious, marooned
lives which the great body of this people are obliged to fol.
low. I want to infuse the common sease which pervades the
bulk of the people into the principles of the government, and
I declare lus no other way of doing it bat by increasing
the number of voters, and no ether way of going to the House
of Commons which they will not refuse, but your joining
yourselves and possessing the 401. freehold. Mr. Cobden
concluded by moving, modest great cheers:
" That this meeting is of opinion that the freehold land
soy. meat, adapted as it is to the varied position and dr-
COMIAMMOS of all cluses of the people, is calculated to inn
prove the parliamentary representatitn of the country."
M. WILKINSON seconded the resolution. It wee
now @bout six months einct he assisted on this platform to
establish the national reform emaciation, and they wen
told that one of the moans by which that amociation meant'
to accomplish its objects was by favouring associations of
this description. If that society should have done nothing
else pat invite such movements as this, it would not have
acted in vain.
The resolution was put sod unanimously agreed to.
Mr. CHARLES GILPIN moved "That this met ling Is
further of opinion that the freehold land movement is emi-
nently calculated, by encouraging saving and provident habits,
to elevate the social and moral position of the working classes."
It was very clear, es stated in he first instance, by their ex-
cellent chairman, that this was a movement which had two
special characteristics; it was a political movement and a
morel movement. He heartily sympathised with the p,li.i
cal part of the movement; ha was an eased and sincere
advocate for the extension of the franchise far beyond what
mat beside him would extend it, but be content& that
the most important part of this movement to him was its
moral character. Mr. Oilpin concluded ea excellent speech
by wishing the society every sumer, and espreerieg his con-
viction that it would ultimately Whine net only the pt li.
drat but the moral entranchisment of the people. (Cheers.)
A person in the body of the meeting here sddreese4 the
chair, stating that he had saved a few halfpence at • time by his
labour, andhe was ready to subscribe 101. in furtherance of
the freehold land movement. He ems forward to the plat-
form and paid down ten sovereigns amidst the loud cheering'
I
of the meeting.
Mr. CASSELL announced his name to be Daniel Hop
kins, of Billingsgate-market.
Mr. W. C. HALL seconded the resolution, and conceived
that he was aiding the landed interest by increasing the
number of landlords in the country. He complained of the
contempt with which the aristocracy treated tradesmen,
allegina that the peers were nothing more than tradesmen i
themselves. He bad mace bought a dead horse from a peer.
Mr. CASSELL said he united himself with this movement
not merely on account of its political aspect, but principally
because he recognised in it a powerful instrument for the
moral, soda', as well as political elevation of the people. '
It commended itself also to him as a financial reformer, as
be thought it would be a most efficient means of getting
down, and of keeping down, the national expenditure,
( Hear, bear.) There had lately been a great deal of excitemedt
about railway mismanagement, and a cry had been raised for
government audit, but how coati those men seek to audit
the accounts of public companies who had their own ac-
counts in a state of this most hopeless cosfusion 1 (Hear,
hear ) They knew that certain railway boards bad prac-
tised a delusion by taking from their capital to add
to their revenue, thus making the revenue appear
erecter than it really was. The government board had prao.
timed the contrary delusion in npresenting their revenue as
less than it so uslly was. They stated their revenue to be
fifty-one millions, while the sum raised from the people was
ctually flay-eight millions, the balance being abstracted by
1 toe plaoehorders on its way to the Exchequer. (Sliame.) A
, flagrant instance of this was the case of the Woods and
'Forests. In 1846 that department was 44 2451., but the sum
paid into the Exchequer was only 8,3061. ; si that the sumer).
etracted on the reed was 35,9391. (Great laughter.) That
was the establishment which had never made up
their accounts since 1843, and who, when asked to
do it, declared that they were totally unintelligible
In the case of the accounts of Ceylon, the last audit occurred
in 1839 ; although 150 clerks were employed in the Audit-
office, at the exoense of the people. (Hear, hear.) The
oommirsioners of the Shannon navigation laughed when
the were asked tor their accounts, declaring that they
could sot furnish any. It had since been discovered that
one person unhealed 8,0081., for which offence he was tried
and transported 130,0001. of public money still remained
unaccounted for. It was thus that the money of the people
was squandered. About 191. had secured the franchise to
the ,working men of Binniaghera ; but if 401. or even
501. would do so, there woul
B d be good interest for
ligeice,
the
expenditure of the mousy. y the spirit el
sobriety, and virtue they would gee the present system
down, and when they had It down depend upon it they
would keep it down.
The resolution was then put and unanimourly agreed to.
ltlr. COBDEN aid that he had had a motion put into his
bomb ea which there would be no difference of opinion ;
bat before he moved it he had so state that a gentleman in
the body of the room had sent a note to him and asked,
whether the first step in the right direction in this movement
would net be a general registration of the land for the purpose
ef meditating the obtainment of secured tiles to the free-
holders ? That was an important change in the law. He
hoped to loathe time when the land would be as easily trans-
tared as railway shares or console. There was ao reason
in the world why it should not, and he thought the 40s.
freehold movement would help to bring that abed. At
present there was no registration of deeds, except In Midges. I
sex and Yorkshire. The next question was, whseisez a
single act of the imperial legislature might am die.
possess them of the proposed franchise by raising the
I medtise to 401., instead of 40s. There well oar 1
gibe which the House of Commons could de, end
ems things which they dare not do. Nobody demi to
bring forward a :motion to nomad the 40e. freashise; it I
was too old and venerable a am to be teached. He I
should like it te be understood that, besides ualifying by 1
periodical payments, he thought the offices of this associa-
tion would be made a Dort of register where people would ,
sad word what freehold property they had to sell; and he I
thought that all people who wished to buy a freehold would
have the opportunity of healsgg of property that was for
sale, and be able to get a qualification, whether in the
shape of rent charge or otherwise. The society would
be the means of facilitating the enfranchisement
of a number of claim. He would conclude by
collies on gentleness to bear Sul c that this
movement must he doss nag' ndividual effort. When en.
gaged to the league agitation he used to tell his friends that
it was no ass mere taking, and if the work they did in the
Anti Cons-law League was nothing but what wee seen till
the surface, the corn 'sew would sot have been repealed
pis
till
doomsday. It was by work, by correspondence, tha
businees must be done. They might not me him of n the
platform, but every day_ he would attend a board of
this society, and would more somebody who might
move a whole neighbourhood. (Cheers) It
sense within their own power to do it of them-
selves, and therefore he hoped every one would se a•
a.
eider himself a missionary in the cause, and by bis
man might do more good than all the talkers ea the plat.
form. He begged, in conclusion, to move the thanks of the
meeting to the Chairman.
Mr. EBENEZER CLARKE seconded the motion, whfria
was carried nasoinsously.
He reminded the
The CHAIRMAN returned thanks.
meeting that the game was in their own hands ; he had not
the slightest doubt of the success of this movement, if
the system was acted ea by those who were foremost
in condemning the system which they wished to see altered.
It we. three years since he had acted on the suggestion of
Mr. Cobden, by perchating four freeholds in the neighbour-
hood, which was- an moslleLt investment, and enabled him
to exercise the franchise in support of the principles he pro.
fused. He would take care not to rest until he bad the
power of IlliTaiM hi! inflames in all elections in the im-
mediate neig hood el Leaden.
Three cheers and one cheer more were vociferously given
for Mr. Cobden, when the meeting separated.

A SLATE-STATE VISBDICT.—The Boston
oftßmaci-
otor statPs that an inquest being hold recently on Wad ly
o female slam, whipped to death by her master, a jury of
planters returned the complaisant and considerate verdict—
. Died of apoplexy, brought on by excitement!"
CHINESE IRON.—The vessel Minims arrived at the
e
port of Liverpool, from Bong Kong, has brought 2,
pigs of iron, as a portion of her cur, consigned to a firm of
seamenee. This is a very interamg imputatton from the
Chinese empire.

CITY QF LONDON CORPORATION REFORM.

A public roasting of the inhabitants of the ward of
Parrisideo Without took place last erasing, at Andertra's
Betel, Fleet-street, " for the purposed adopting measures
to wars as istessies of the sattaidpal franchise to aU par-
Ilasiestery electors, and as egnalkasies of the repressaistiv•
oysters la the various wards, and a therough refers et all
night; shun is the adoinissatios of the corporate Shin
of the City of Indoor."
DV. IiSRAPATII moved that Mr. Rickard Taylor should
take the duds; bet that yodel:um &disks, es the ground
of saseqsaintsios with the intentions of the p Wes am-
vesibi the sawathur, Mr. J. T. Baera, barristers-law, was
snanirsonelp called on to prssidek and the siestas' was
addressed by bin Mr. JAIIRO ACIAND, Mr. 010103
Ft.tarrorr, sad Mr. MICRON) TLYLOP., on the following

Tee011111011:—.
" That whereas, the London Ceeporatkis Act, passed in
the last sessiza of parliament, has bad the effect of reducing
to an extraordinary extant the number et those enjoying
the sausicipel franchise within the City of London it in
highly necessary Meet there should be as extensiou'of the
municipal franchise to all inhabitants end occupiers within
the City of London, an lan equalisation of tte representa-
tive system in the various wards."
Mr. J. M. TATLOR then moved, " That the following re.
quisidon be adopted by this meeting sr d forthwith sub-
mitted for signatures, and that the same be presented to
the alderman of the ward at the earliest possible moment."
"To Bir James Duke, Bart., M P., and Alderman of the
Ward of Farringdon-without.—We, the undersigned, re-
spectfully request you to convene a ward meeting of the in-
habitant householders and occupiers of the ward of Far-
ringdon-without for the purpose of adopting meassees to
secure an extension of the municipal franchise to all parlia-
mentary *lectors and an equalisation of the representative
system in the various wards of the City of London."
Mr. MIZATATIi seconded the resoistioa, which was

slim& to.
The proceedings cloud with a vote of thanks to the
chairman.

BRITISH AMERICAN LAND COMPANY.-
ST. LAWRENCE AND ATLANTIC RAILWAY
COMPANY. -

Yesterday, a special meeting of this company took
place, at the allots in New Broad-street, for the !sepal of
considering despatches received from the commissioner, abi-
des I. an arrangement he had conditionally !leered into.
for the purpose tif affording aid towatds the completion of
the St. Lavergne. and Atlantic Railway, and of deadieg
thereon.
ALBIANDIII GILLICIPII, Esq. took the chair, whet
The SECRETARY read the despatches, in which the
commissioner, Mr. Galt, gave his reasons for advising the
directors of this company to aid the railway company.
After some observations from Mr. CLeitma, as to the ad-
verieensent lint being sufficiently explicit,
The SECRETARY read the report of the directors,
which stated that, after considering the despatches of the
commissioner. and the actual condition of the British Anse
rictus Land Company, they advised the proprietors to sane
tint the arrangement conditionally entered into by the
commiteloner, as the only means of making profita-
ble, sooner or later, their undertektog. The agreement
was, that the seminary of St. Sulpice, in Montreal.
and this company should mutually bind themselves to aid
the St. 'Airtime* and Atlantic Railway Company to the
' extent of 25,0001 each, making together 60,0001, by means
of debentures en their security at 6 on cent., the principal
being payable in ten or fifteen years. The effect of the con-
tinuanre of the railway would be to aid the townships in
I which this company's lands are shaved. The government
of Canada had passed a law that sehe one-half of a line
of railway exceeding 75 miles was completed, the aid of the
provinces might be demanded for the comeletion of the re-
maining half. Under this impression the corporation of
Montreal felt themselves interested in taking part of the
capital of the company to the extent of 126,0001. It was
now discovered that the railway company were suffering by
the !IMO of upwards of 60,0001. of expenditure over the
receipts which they had expected from the allotment of shares.
The directors, considering the immense ague the undertaking
would be in developing the resources of the oompen's
lands, and the town of Sherbrook in particular, advised Ike
agreement to be sanctioned, as they °Doddered the security
of a mortgage on the finished part of the line quite amp:. for
the sums demanded.
The CHAIRMAN flatly told the shareholders that this
agreement to aid the railway compels, was the only way to
extricate themselves from the liabilities which now sur-
rounded the land company. The subject had receiv d the
most serious attention of the directors, and it was their
opinion that this agreement wan the only means of the com-
pany retrieving its affairs. They must all be satisfied of the I
great import-site of the railway being continued to the Atlan-
tic, when the province would come forward to complete one-
ha( of the line, the wealthy seminary of St. Salpice were
ready we.h 25,0001., end the corporation of Montreal had
*greed to issue debentures, and make their property respor.si-
ble for 125,0001. more. He might alai state that the
citiz •na of Quebec had agreed to i•sup 100,0001. for the same
purpose. To the people of Quebec the railway was of vest
importance, at d to the British American Land Company it
I wee also of great consequence, as it would enable them to
king emigrants up to that city, and on to Melbourn and
Sherbrook, the effect of which mast be the advance of those
towns in wealth end importance.
A PROPRIETOR asked it the 'greasiest was recom-
mended by the whole of the directors ?
The CHAIRMAN said it was recommended by the great
majority. tho principal affect of this agreement would
the
be
to enable the railway company to e..mplete uue hall ot
line, when they could go and ask the government for assist-
ance. There was upwards of 200,0001. expended on the
finished part of the line, which was about thirty miles,
over which they could have a mortgage, in his opinion quite
suffiedent. It was true, the government would come in and
override them all; but they would come in before the corpo-
ration of Montreal. Thus there would be ,the 200,0001.
already expended on the thirty miles from Longue,' to St.
Hyacinth, and the 125,0001. of the corporation of bliontree I
would then come in as an additional security. By this time
they would be in a position to ask for the aid of government
to complete the other hell of the railway. lie would ask if
that wee not ample security.
Mr. Scorn, Mr. CLARKS, and some other proprietors
strongly opposed being made liable to any further (longed,
on the part of the railway scheme, which, in their opinions
ought to be left to the parties themselves.
Mr. J. J. CUMMINS, (
thy director,) observed that a
further liability in the way po oat would be the means
of rendering their 20,0001. already spent on the railway
available. This, independently of the great advantage. of
railway communication through the company's townships,
was his reason for joining in the security now proposed.
Mr. PAYNDER (a director) regretted as well as the hon.
proprietor, Mr. Clarke, that this company should be in-
volved in any farther liabilities, but nreadieg the de-
spatches of Mr. Galt he had sound it to be the only mean,
of their making this concern of any value ultimately, for be
had always looked upon his property in it as a reversion to
his relatives. It was true they had laid out 3&. a share
and the thing was still unprofitable • but what, he would
ask, coul so much alter the character of their land a I
railway ? d
He mast say that, after the most attentive
con-
sideration of their actual position, he saw no other al•enua
tie* but to support the recommendation of the directors.
After some further observations from Mr. PEMBERTON
(a director) as to the local importance sand railway,
Mr. CHAPhtAN proposed that the tional agreement
enteral into by Mr. Galt, the commissioner of the company,
be sanctioned by this meeting, leaving any details to be
agreed upon by the directors.
Mr. WHITE seconded the motion, which was carried by
a majority of 12 hands to 7, and of 26 to 18 votes.
Upon tois decision a ballot was demanded, which was
agreed to by the Chairmen.
A vote ot thanks was then passed to the chairman and
I directors, when the meeting separated.
it

REVENGE.—Yesterany, a cams WhiCh caned great
excitement, and was the source °lamb interest, came before '
theitement.
Menchester magistrates, in which a young man named
Charles Gooch, butler in the family of A. J. Wolff, Esq.,
merchant, Greeuheys, was charged with admiaistering some
poisonous or deleteruum drug to six of his fellow airman, in
revvege for suppoeed injuries which he had charged them
with doing him, and which had led to his discharge them
service. The prisoner had come Into Kr. Wold's ser-
vice as butler about • month ago, having previously
held • similar situation in the family of • lady at
Peterborough; he did not give satiraction to his master,
and it was intimated to him, at the beginning of last week,
that he would have to leave at the end of the month.
He then became very violent towards the other servants,
accusing them of being the cause of his discharge, and de-
clarinie that he would have revenge. On Wednesday Mr.
Wolff paid him his wages, end, having heard of his conduct,
desired him at ones to leave the house. The prisoner
complied with this request, and left in the course of the
the
evening. At a late hour on Wednesday night, when
servants bad retired for Mae hours to rest, the family were
atermed by the intelligence that nearly the whole of the
servants had bees taken ill, and that they were seivd
with violist pains ia the Monads, accompanied with
purging and sickness. The lady's maid and the cook were
suffering in a serious manner, and Mr. Wolff directed that
medical men should be sent for. Dr. Mellor, of nurling
thestreet, tow
street, Greenling, visited them, and made inquiry
but
as to
food the servants had taken during the previous day,
there was nOthing in that which could possibly account for
their sufferings. Mr. Mellor administered such re
list as he could, and visited the servants twice on Thursday,
and twice on Friday, before they were sufficiently reeOlared
to render it safe to discontinue his attendance. On Friday,
Robert Ramp, the botanist, was in Oxford-street, Man-
chester, when he met the primmer, and they went to • pub-
lic-house, where liarrop told the latter how ill all the
family had bean, and he informed Harm that he had given
them something which was the cause, and there were two
other of the servants which he yet intended "to do for."
The prisoner went and loitered about Mr. Wolff's grounds,
on Friday night and fisturday, end on the
com
been he was
muni-
cated to Mr. Superintendent Taylor of the police,
taken into custody. The servants described the conduct of
the accused as being violent, and stated a belief that he bad
caused their illus. by some drug. Mr. Hodgson, the
megistrate, at first ordered the case to be taken. to the see-
sions, but afterwards disposed of the case summarily, for
want of direet evidence aping the prisoner, by calling upon
him to find two sureties of 101. each to keep *s pesos for
three mouths. In default a bondsmen the prisoner was
locked up.