The Express.
London, England, 1859-01-18 00:00:00

(Stuoped id. Additional.) [TWOPENCE.

sivell conneeted with the land. Th:re Y mil one other
port, and that is with reseed is Iralsad; and here I
foal extreme difficulty, because lam IlliZtool to extend the
same principles to Ireland as to England and Borland, yet
I am well convinced that there are many persona in Ireland
well qualified to give ea opinion who will not coincide with
me in the course that lam proposing. The boroughs in
Inland are much is.. than the boroughs in Ingird. They
have nine boroughs whom average straber of electors is
only 178. They have one whir umber of shears is only
Bt or 86. What am Ito do with these little boroughs?
Boras would sey, "Leave them r they an;' others
would say, " Make them into groups." I believe
that, make them Into whatever groups you like,
with Hale exception they will still be boroughs, way smell,
and hardly competent under an Improved system to return
merbre of parliament. I have =eluded to take this
rune. Now, I would leave myself at liberty to make
such dirges as would be mod eatiafectoty to the people of
Ireland the selves. I have proposed that nine of those
boroughs, beginning with Portarliegton and ending with
Bandon, be disfranchised, sad that six member be MEd.
bred In this way : one to Dublin, and one eac► to Beller,
Kilkenny, Limerick, and Cork. Than looking at the Tar
population of many of the Irish arida, I repose to give
in= the kneel* of /maimed dr mew inembees, Thiele
added he the limes wed In the dleftreidesd Irish boroughs
I would &W ear as Soiree t—Ores amber each to eta of
the principal of the Irish cooties, Ned two to the county of
Cork, which may be teemed the workshop of Ireland. lam
afraid She ennmeratiem of ell tile list has been neon-
earUy tedious ; bat I could not avoid
ft in the cause I had laid out for myself in
addressing you this evening. It is possible that somebody
may think I am unreasonable in proposing four members for
certain boroughs sad nix for arta= other boroughs. What
is the real basis of your representadve system ? The timid
say property; others say tax/sham a great deal to do with it.
I will give you one or two facts. I mores to give to Man-
chester and Liverpool six members each. Now, what do
these towns pay annually to government in the ahspe of in-
rate tax, in =bode's', and trade, prolamine, house tax,
rawer tars, and lend tax ? They paid in the year 1857,
the sum of 887,0001. ; and what did all the boroughs I pro-
pose to &theorise, which form the constituencies of 87
members, pay ? 221,0001. The constituency of eighty-seven
memters paid that amoont, while the constituencies of four,
which I proper to =mere to 12, paid more than four times
se much. Comparing Manchester and Liverpool with other
plane in schedule D, I propose eixty.nine boroughs
with or member each. The oonatituencir et

ally-esvea of these boroughs mid only about 386,0001. ; and
if you add to them 65 members and 41 boroughs, taking all
the heletlithe under the proportion of 25,000, the whole then
paid in taxes in 1867, amounting to 857,0001., as against
597,0001. paid by Liverpool and Manchester. I am not
afraid then that any one that looks into thee, schedules will
charge me with giting undue influence to the position or the
property of great towns end cities. If any man tells you that
this will do mischief, either be is not at heart for the true
representative system at all, or be does not comprehend it.
When it was proposed to me, end I undertook, hazedously
and unwisely perhaps, to prepare this bill, I did not look at
the difficulties which lay in my path. I knew that in draw-
ing tip a schedule no exact line could be laid down. In the
bill of 1832 every point wan contorted, and la say hill of
1869, whether It be mine or that of the government, there
le no reason for supposing that it will not be as much
contested. The question is not whether you should make
some little change on one side or the other Which might be
desirable, but whether this scheme, upon which I have con-
sulted some of the most judicious friends of reform in the
country, does or does not in its broad features recommend
itself to the country meatablishing great and free constitu-
encies, and giving them the fair share of influence to which
they ere entitled. (Cheers.) Some persons will tell you.
and before the wed' Is over you will see it stated in the
newapapers that lam treating the menthe in a manner
which ie *DCA*, considering the population and amount of
property coming within their boundaries. County seats are
at present, ae you know, landlord sofa, with the exception
of Weser four counties, where other intereeta have grown
up act largely as to overshadow the territorial power. Now,
whenever the counties shall claim—which they have not yet
done--a proportion of members in accordance with the popula-
tion shown on the emus, the time will come when the
towns will ask why the counties should he the sole
constituents for the members of the House of Lords.
If the House of Lords Is to be the representative of
all the great interests of the country, why should we not be
among the barons, the marquises, and the dukes, and the
prim: mot the manufacturing districts ? (Prolonged cheering.)
I have no wish to prolong the questioe. lam so far con-
servative mto be willing to retain the institutions which I
find in my time so long as they can be retained without
serious damage to the interests of the community. (Cheers.)
Let as goes with the Homed Lord■ by all means, but let es
bays a reel espementation in the House of Commies, and den
the Lords will wake up, rib their ere, and find that they
have been mistaken in several important particulars. The
hon. member concluded with saying, I cannot consent
to delay the progress of this measure by taking any part in
mesons! conflicts. (Cheers.) From this platform I speak
upon a national question of parliamentary reform. I
am in earnest, I believe, and therefore I speak. (Loud
cheering.) I have no eloquence but that which
comes to me on the part of truth—(oontlnued cheering)
—and the facts and arguments I make use of reach the un-
derstanding and the hearts of my fellow-countrymen. As an
individual I am powerless; but I trust my countrymen, and
to theca I commit the Wine and fate of this great weirs.
(The hon. member resumed his seat amid loud cheering,
which was repeated again and again )
As soon u the cheering bed subsided, Mr. FORTER moved,
" That this meetieg, assured that the public opinion of the
country Is ripe for a large and oouipreherinve measure of
reform that. will include the admission of 101. occupiers to
the count j ft-anodes ; the establishment of household
auffrege in boroughs ; vote by ballot, and a more equitable
distribution of the reprmentrtives to population ; pledges
Itself to use all constitational means toprocure the paean of a
measure through Parliament in the ensuing session that will
embrace them points'•—which motion was seconded by Mr.
PRILIMIAN, and Carried by aonlemation.
The proceedings terminated with a vote of thanks to the
Adman.

CODDIN.—The efforts made in Rochdale to
secure the return of this gentleman to parliament at the next
election are considered tole quite successful. The promises
of votes to favour of Kr. Cobden much exceed the number
which placed Sir A. Ramsay at the heed of the poll at the
late election. Whilst referring to the distinguished anti-
corn low leader, it will be interesting to state that, iu his
temporary retirement kw the excitement of political strife,
be is not unmindful of his duty as a citizen of sets world.
For some time past ha has been engaged in the preparation
of a work of considerable impedance to all classes of the coin-
enunity—" On the probable fall in the value of gold; the
ofternercial and acid conseqoences which may moue, and
the measures which it invites." The work is the production
of Michel Chevalier, member of the Institute of France; and
Kr. Cobden has translated it frem the French, and will
shady send It forth in an English dress, with a preface from
his own pen.
NORFOLK Nnw LIFEBOATS.-.-NORNVICII, JAN. 15.
—lt will probably be remembered that at the oommenco-
moat of last year the Norfolk Shipwreck Association be-
came a brace dabs Royal National Lifeboat Institution,
and transferred to It the whole of its income, together with
its boats and all Its other property. Accordingly the No-
tional Lifeboat Society at ow commenced to renovate the
whole of Its estalistunsests, and to place new lifeboats
and
carriages at Palling, Batten, Wintertoo, Noodesky, and
Cromer. Two lifeboats—a large one for the distant shoe*
• smeller cos for service on the beech—lave been also sta-
tioned at Yarmouth, and each station bas in en supplied with
every kind of gear and equipment. New bat-housse have
also been built at Yarmouth, Waterton, and Seam This
humane work has involved an expenditure of upwards of
2,000 t. In a circular now issuing by the Dam of Norwich
and other members of the Norfolk branch of the imitation,
they state the good effects of this step are already &menet
at the various atations on our extensive and dangerous meat,
whore the old, heavy, and ill-oonstructed boos have bean
replaced by others of the newest and moat scientific descrip-
tion whkh, with equal security and increased toad. po-
or, el= the advantage of being able instantly to tight them-
selves, should they by any sodden' be upset. All the oom-
amicatioua, indeed, receivcd from the coat respecting them,
bear ample testimony to the perfect efficiency and to the
doily lacewing coolidenca with which they are regarded by
their crews. It Is obvious that throe increased exertions
most require a large additional expenditure; sad as ft ought
to be the with of this wealthy county to provide he the meat
'Solent manner foe tits escapee{ mariners eldpwreckal cm lie
dangerous coasts, we venture to Walt whether It is
dateable that the Norfolk bench of the Royal National
Lifs;boat Institution should be left to draw from other puts
of the kingdom the funds asereuy for the rotation of its
' ova aces.