The Express.
London, England, 1866-04-05 00:00:00

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[TWOPENCE

consideration, and as regarded the second reading of the
bill he was sore that no one present entectelned any doubt
as to which way he should vote. (Cheers.)
The other speeches were of a local ur peesceil chatactar-

FINSBURY. —A meeting of electors of Finsbury
was held last night at the Angel, Islington, when resolu-
tkus were speed to far the purpose of holding • borough
meeting on Wednesday, the llth inst., and • lazesa:l
influential committee was appointed, the members,
Torrens sad Lusk, promising to alined.
Karr.—A public meeting in support of the
government measure el rebirth was Iliad at Craninook,
in the Weald of Kent, on Tamar, evening. Kr. A. Han
lax, one of the oldest supporters of the liberal cause in
the neighbemrhood, took the chair, and there was a
numerous attendance, principeily of that cline
of persons who would be enfninchised by the 141.
county occupation clause. The Rev. J. A. Spurgeon
moved the first resolution, to the effect that in the opinion
of the meeting it was highly desirable to give every pod-
\tale
hmarsoort to tlbyempresr:ment at this when
they
staked their existence upon a Redone Bill. This motion,
having been seconded by Mr. Waters (a tradesman of the
town) and supported by Mr. W. Jull (illephikurti) was
carried unanimously. On the motion of the Rev. Mr.
Shelley, seconded by Mr. Stakes, it was further resolved
that a petition be presented to parliament in favour of the
bill. Mr. T. Wells (secretary to the West Kent Liberal
Registration Association), and other gentlemen, also ad-
, dressed the meeting, sad a very earnest spirit pervaded
i the pmeeediap throughout.
Pianrrow, Kesix.—A public meeting was held
here on Tuesday night, largely attended by the more
intelligent of the working-men of the dir—ict. Mr.
Ebenezer Cleats took the deb. Speeches in favour of the
government bill were mode by Mr. Packet endeavor work-
ing men ; by the Rev. John Conroe, Rev. dohn Poster,
Mr. John Palm, Mr. John Barton, jun., Mr. Crow, and
ethers. A petition was adopted by the meeting, endor-
sing the bill, and a resolution was strongly expressed to
call meetings in other part of this populous district, and
Meal other meetings in the name- place, if say mishap
should come to the bill.
DEFOSPOST.—A large meeting of dockyard men
and others was, we learn telegra , held last evening at
to consider the sixteen clause of the Reform
11111.°V.whole of the speakers were dockyard men, and
were unanimous against the clause, giving as a meson that
it wee introduced bemuse Devonport rejected government
nominees. They looked upon the clause as a stigma upon
themselves, and passed a resolution to the effect that the
proposition to disfranchise depcs4 factory, and arsenal
employee, would deprive them of zenship, and was un-
called for and unjust in the extreme, no charge having
been sustained against them of having ibueed their privi-
lege, to warrant the government in taking such cruel
steps. It was agreed to memorialise the government to
exp_unge the objectionable clause.
Tan Noun OF EMIL/nth—This will be a great
week for reform gatherings throughout the mantles of
Durham and Northumberland—the middle climes of these
two counties having taken the subject up earnestly.
There is no central association urging on the movement.
All the meetings that are being held are the result of spon-
taneous movements that have taken place in the towns
themselves, and they are essentially of a middle class cha-
racter. The working °lames have attended, and are at-
tending the meetings, and working men speak at some of
them, but they have been called together, in every in-
stance, at the request of citizens who have the vote.
Meetings were held in South !Shields and Gates.
bead last night. At South Shields, the borough
member, Mr. R. Ingham, attended and spoke, and
several influential manufactiuers and other influential
inhabitants took part in the proceedings. A town meeting
will be held in Sunderland this evening, when Mr. John
Candlish, M.P., is expected to speak ; and a meeting will
be held in Durham city to-morrow night, at which Mr.
Henderson, the liberal member, has promised tote present.
Arrangements have been made to hold public meetings at
Jarrow, Blaydon,and other places in the county of Durham.
hpeat ampasnaatal meeting has also been arranged to be
eld in Sunderland on Monday. Mr. Henry Vincent will
be the leading speaker • end last night a grand reform ban-
quet was held in ii.anderland in honour of the id-
nmphaht return of Mr. John Candlish, the newly-elected
advanced liberal member for that borough.
BURIFLICK.—A public meeting on the subject of
parliamentary reform was held at the Town Ha/1. Biuslem,
on Tuesday evening. There was a large attendance, and
Kr. non Hughes, earthenware =nut acturettook the chair,
in the unavoidable absence of Mr. Pearson, the chief bailiff.
The chairman mid that there was nothing in his experience
elan employer of labour which led him to fear the extension
of the franchise to the working slams, and he appealed to
his conservative friends to my whether the potters of
Burslem were not as worthy of the suffrage as the freemen
al the neighbouring borough of Newcastle. He was very
glad the government had staked their existence on the
Itefarm Bill, and he hoped that, for Mr. Gladstone's sake,
the liberal party would stand shoulder to shoulder, and
never yield until the bill had been passed into law. Kr.
W. Woodall, china manufacturer, proposed the first reso-
lution, which affirmed the meetings cordial approval of the
Reform Bill as an honest and satisfactory measure. Mr.
W. Heath, colliery bailiff, seconded the resolution, which,
like those which followed, was carried
with entire unani-
mity
. Mr. T. Boetock, agricultural agent, proposed the
adoption of a petition to both houses of parliament. Mr.
.er, operative potter, seconded the motion, and via-
&mead the working classes from the aspersions of Mr.
Lowe. The meeting was also addressed by Mr. M'lntyre.
china ma:info:term, who saki that from investigations
which hadbeen made it had been discovered that, instead
of the present electors including twenty-six per cent.
of the werideg classes, the actual percentage was
only fifteen. In the potteries it did not exceed
10 or 11 per cent. ; and in Burslem, out of 190 electors
who were classified as working men, between 40 and 50
were homelier', who voted as tradesmen. He regretted
that Earl Russell bad shrunk from proposing span
borough franchise and a 101. county franchise, but would
accept the present bill as a step in the right direction.
ifttnval.—At Halifax a town's meeting was
held last night The mayor, who had called the meeting
in response to a requisition signed by upwards of 800 of
the inhabitant, was in the chair, and Mr. Akrcyd, one of
the borough members, spoke in favour of the government
bill. Mr. Stansfeld, the other representative, was pre-
vented attending by a severe cold. Resolutions and peti-
tions approving of the bill were adopted at the meeting.
Tux Isii or WIOHT. —The liberal party in New-
port, Isle of Wight, are about to petition the Home of
1 Commons in favour of the New Reform Bill.

SCOTLAND.
The opponents of parliamentary reform (says the
North British Mail) can no longer avail themeless of the
argument that the mass of the people are indifferent and
apathetic on the subject. Throughout the entire country
the agitation in favour of the Franchise Bill recently intro-
duced by the government is being puebed forward with
vigour and enthusiasm, and Scotland, ar we expected, is
not at all behind other portions of the kingdom in promoting
the good work. A crowded and most influential meeti was ng
held on Tuesday night in our City Hall (Glasgow), when rm.
lotions and petitions in favour of the bill nowbefore parte•
silent were unanimously adopted. Amongst the advocates
of the measure who addilreesed the ma'am were the
Lord Provost, Mr. Daiglish, M.P., Major Holum, Bailie
Gilkison, Mr. H. Dunlop, Mr. J. Ramsay, and Mr. Wm.
Burns. Another large meeting was held on Tuesday night
for a similar object at Greenock, and there, too, a series of
resolutions wire adopted, supporting the bill and trusting
that ministers would, in due time, complete the im-
portant question of the redistribution of seta, not
forgetting the undoubted claims of Scotland to an incr.:sae
of members. At Paisley, owing to the difficulty of ob-
taining a sufficiently commodious place of meeting, and
the short period that must elapse before the ascend raiding
of the bill, it has been determined to get up a petition at
mane in favour of the government measure.