The Express.
London, England, 1848-05-26 00:00:00

THE REFORM MOVEMENT,

MEETING AT MANCHESTER.
A meeting was held in the township of Hulme,
borough of -Manchester, on Wednesday niabt, to torm
another district absOCiatiou in favour of the new movement.
Alter the resolutions had been passed, the suggestion of Mr.
Rome, dated from the House of Commons on the previous
night and published in the Express, was promptly
acted upon, and the substance of the resolutions emuect
to be embodied in a petition, for the purpose of ning
the Premier aster the opinions and wishes of the middle
reforms and
working classes in Manchester respecting the of
which the hon. member for Montrose had given notice.
The meeting had been called by four members of the town-
council of Manchester, upon the req&aition of a number of
burgesses. and these gentlemen, Councillors Haworth, to
Dearden, and
Cotterell, were all present, and tuok
part in the proceedings. Mr. Councillor Haworth was
called to the chair.
Mr. Councillor TOMLINSON moved theme rst resolution
That this vseeting deprecates the ob,i-etio manner in which
the }louse of Commons has received every proposition for the reduction
ot the tams which prom upon the industry of the mutt: y, and is per-
suaded -bat the inkcesta of trade and commerce au:not be maintained,
me juMee be rendered to the suffering people, until property LIMO
to contribute its just proportioe of the public burdens, and dime
taxation is adopted in lieu of our present unjust and objtctic.,bis
system.
Mr. Councillor Correner.x seconded the motion, and it
was adopted unanimously.
Mr. J. R. WHITE moved:
That the evident spirit and tendency of the government principles
recently adopted by the limee of Commons convinces this meeting
Lbat the mind and intelligence of the people are not represented there-
in, ioid Ii that no effectual check car he put upoe the govern-
ment in its shameles waste of money in sinecures, pension% am,
unui parliament is thnrouo/bly reformed, this nieeti.4 pledgee itself
to assist, individually and collectively, in teament now beand ing
too manhood eat ego, vote by ballot, l parleunenta,
emade
qual electoral districta, nor will they cease to agitate until the people
are fully and fairly represented in their own house of parliament.
Mr. Councillor DEARDEN seconded the motion; and it
was adopted with cheers.
Mr. SIMMONDA moved
That a petitioe, founded upon the above resolutions, be 'signed by
the Chairman, on behalf of the meeting, and forwarded to the mem-
bet s Mr pra
ys Mly, ma a request to Mr. Cobden that he would sup-
port its prar, tor pre
to the llouse of Cemmons.
Mr. J. NSLSON seconded the motion. When in expla-
nation of the necessity for this last motion, the statement of
lord John Russell in the Rouse of Commons, on the pre-
aousso at the evenin, was read, great indignation was expressed,
alstatements made by t:iffereatnt speakers ' illus-
trative of the exorbitant expenditure uf: the pre,ent govern-
ment in various department'', and in those of the army and
navy especially." A motion was passed for establishing a
district asso.iation, in aid of tLe new movement, and • great
many persosss put down tbeir names as a committee, to aid
in orgauising it, before leaving the room.

MEETING AT NORWICII.
On Wednesday evening a large meeting of the re-
formers of Norwich yr... heldm in St
. Brew'sAn' Hall, in aid of
the movement for the prootion of iy rrforrn,
equalisation of taxation, and other meaeures. Soon after the
hour appointed the hall was quite filled, chiefly by tradesmen
and op.ratives.
J. CoLNAN, Esq., the deputy-mayw, presided. He
opered the proceedings by briefly stating the objects for
which the meeting hail been convened, and expre 'eel his
concurrence in the measures sought to, be obtained.
J. H TiLwerv, Egi., after some introductory remarks,
gave a historical account of the constitutien ae it existed
ytan
re ago, with a view to show that the objects now
fought to be obtained were not novel—that they, as re-
formers, had no right to be called " dotruetives" of the con-
stitution, whey, in fact, it was the old-loeld•ined tory who
was the real destructive, and the radical was the preserver
of it. They wanted to revive the Fpirit of the constitution,
and to fall back upon the wisdom of their ancestors, who de-
clared that every man not a slave had a per-
fect right to share in the privileg a of the con-
stitution. He proceeded to show the excessive
taxation en all commodities a general consumption, such as
tea, coffee, wars, beer, tobacco, and spirits, and that not one-
tenth of the taxes were paid out of the laud. lie next ad-
verted to the state of the representation, urging that it was '
unjust th it those who con.ributed the greateet char. of the
revenue should have no voice in the legislation of the coun-
try. 11, showed that the charter was not a novel thing, as
the Duke of Hichmond, in 1780, and Churl*. James Fox re-
commended that identical measure. Ide concluded by
moving:
That with a view to the removal of the national grieeances, result-
ing from the enormous burden of taxation unitt the
arsonfhtful accumula-
tion of p .uperism it was abeolutely masseu,' hat on should bc
birmed betwocn the middle and the working clashes for obtaining a
thorough reform of parliament, by extending the elective franchise to
all men registered as residents for a limited wrne c,essary and pro and securing
p the
free :end efficient exercise of the franchise, by all
provi‘ions.
Hr. F. Pew:, a builder, seconded the resolution, thinking
that the preeent times called upon every man to give up his
private inclinations is promote the public good.] He
maintained that the public expenditure was excessive, and
urged the necessity of retrenchment.
Mr. Ilt; VIEW, a chartist delegate, apposed the resolution,
because he considered that it pledged them only to house-
hold sulinsge, while be and his brother chartists would not
be content with lees than universal suffrage. He moved an
amendment:
That this meeting viewed with feelings of gratification the approxi-
mation of the middle rimers to lbw mmoures E
wa national refo e-
sired by the working chimes, yet as the suffrage i mane inherent
right, without a property qualification, they could not with consist-
ency peiu in any agitation for any measure short of the " people's
charter."
Mr. 11/ammeter, an operative, seconded this resolution,
and contended that they ought to agitate for the charter.
The Custiosast, amid great confusi n, pot the amend-
ment, which was negatived. Ile then put the original
resolution, and, upon the show of hands, declared it
carried.
The Rev. I. CROMPTON, unitarian minister Be
ebexressed his
warm interest in the social improvement working
classes. He thought many of their evils arose from the want
of a proper uederstanding between them and the middle
dames, and he was desirous of promoting their union. He
moeed—