The Express.
London, England, 1860-05-31 00:00:00

(Stamped id. Additional.)

people as to deem them unworthy to be trusted with the
franchise. When government proposed to give them • six
pound franchise they should remember that that only in-
cluded those who paid seven pounds per year rent, so that
if the landlord pad the rates it would be reduced below the
six pounds yearly value. It would stand thus—when the
man went before the revising barrister to claim he would be
asked who paid the rates, and on being told the landlord,
then would come the calculation—a two shilling poor-rate
would amount to 14a., and one shilling borough rate,
to 75., making the rates twenty-one dulling'.
The barrister, turning to the law, would then say the
21s. reduced the rental to 5/. 195., which excluded the
applicant from the vote. (Cries of " Shame !") In saying
that he did not wish to make them dissatisfied with the
proposition of the government, but to show them how
greedy insulting and how unjust the language was which
bad been used with reference to this class for whom they
had been legfalating. He would therefore say, if they did
not get a bill with as low • franchise sa that now proposed,
they would do nothing towards opening the door to the
working classes through the medium of the franchise.
If the government passed • Lill one hair's-breadth less ad-
vantageous than that now proposed it would only be a cheat
on the people, unsettle the population, and destroy what
faith sti3 remained in those who were considered the lead-
ing men of the country. Now for one or two facts, for
they were difficult things to deal with. When the census
should be petai•herl ne.et pose, it wail Amer eaves voillious
at malt men 1* Great 'Blinn sad Ireland, and they knew
that only one million out of that number exercised the
right of voting; there were in point of fact twenty-five
million of the population excluded from the electoral fru- '
chime, and what was the extent to which the present go-
vernment measure would go, and which certain parties is
the House of Commons were trying to defeat? Why,
it would add •• hundred and fifty thousand
county electors in England and Wales. In the boreues
perhaps as many mere, and adding 50,000 for Scotland and
Ireland, the whole increase would may be 350,000. If they
liked be would minim* that these would then be two rail.
lions of the population represented, and that would still
leave 23 millions unrepresented. What was the govern.
meat niessure? Why, they found six millions of men who
had no votes. They proposed to give 350,000 of them the
franchise, including amongst thou selected what they con-
sidered the cream of the class which they intended to bane.
fit. Mr. Bright then went on to describe the growing in.
tang' mice and merit of the class of men whom the govern-
ment proposed to enfranchise, and proceeded to say that
notwithstanding all their former promises, end all their
calculations, Lord Derby and his ;arty in the House of
Lords and House of Commons were telling them, telling
each other, and telling the country through their press, that
the present bill was really • very dangerous and revolutionary
measure. (Inughter.) The hon. gentleman then proceeded
to criticise the speeches of Mr. Disraeli, Sir E. L. Bulwer,
and others who opposed the Reform Bill, and vindicated the
working classes in most emphatic terms from the aspersions
cut upon them by various members of parliament ; and
having urged the necessity of increased union and activity
amongst the reformers, with a view to the final carrying of
the measure, he proceeded to the consideration of the rejec-
tion of the Paper Duties Bill. If it wan desirable that they
should have a representative body, it was not less desirable
that its functions and powers should be in no degree impaired;
and such had been their expectation, when suddenly new
difficulties had sprung up. The question now put to them
was this—Were they, the men of Birmingham, willing to
swept new masters? (Cries of " No, no.") No man living
had ever seen the people's power thus usurped. No man
weld say he remembered the day when the House of Lords
bad levied a tax upon this great free English nation. It was
for the year 1860 to witness this monster
make its appearanee, and it would be
de to put such • ban upon it that '
Again appear, there could not be •
did the no ~7•i poplar'

strong terms the conduct of • portion of the press—et

head of which stood the hmee—with reference

the subject, They were aware that at the mo-
ment when the Lords were endeavouring not to
recover • power which they had ever lost,
but to obtain • power hostile to the House of Commons and
the liberties of the country. The immediate repeal of the
paper duty would put into the coffers of the Tuna some
25,0001. • year, but the competition would compel the
Times to reduce its price, which would ultimately
prove a greater loss. The repeal would at once
Impart new life and vigour to the penny papery.
They would become the great staple reading of the people,
and the day would not be far distant when they would lad
• daily paper in the cottage of every poor man in England.
They would find the cheap press competing with the dear
press, and especially against that newspaper which was at
that moment selling the dearest interestsof its country for its
own private advantages. 4 Loud cheering.) In conclusioa, he
said it mu; not until the ministerof the daythreeAened the Lords

with a new creation of peen by the crown and the people,
and with something worse out of doors, that some of them
absented themselves from the House of Lords, and allowed
the measure to pass. It required all the influence of the
late Sir R. Peel and all the horrible effects of a famine
in Ireland to induce them to abandon the cora laws ;
and be hoped they would find them on the
present occasion still obstinately determined to act against
the principles of the constitution and the will of the nation.
It would, indeed, be a fatal day for England if the Lords
were to assume to themselves a power they did not possess,
and meddle with those rights for the viudicstion of which
their forefathers would have shed the last drop of their
blond.

The hon. gentleman resumed his seat amidst loud cheering.

ROYAL FREE HOSPITAL, GRAYS-INN-ROAD.

Yeeterday evening the anniversary festival of the
Royal Free Hospital took place at the Frecanneoure Tavern ;
Lord Lawn, in the unavoidable absence of the Duke of
Wellington, in the chair. The Noble Chairmen was sup-
gig4by some 150 gentlemen, &room whom were General
tl, General Watkins, Captain Hey, R.N., Rev. J. B.
Owen, Dr. Marsden, Dr. Bristow, Dr. Hama% Dr. Cockle,
Mr. Thos. Wakley, Mr. Juts. Robinson, Dr. O'Connor, a
physician to the hospital, and honorary physician to
the Irish Volunteer Corps, at whose instance a num-
ber of that body were protest, including Mr. M. J.
O'Connell, Mr. Montgomery, Mr. Hamilton °ode,
Mr. Hodges, &c. The peculiar features of this insti-
tution cannot be too frequently brought before the
notice of the public. Previously to the founding of this
hospital there was no medical establishment in this metro-
pohs where the destitute stranger, when overtaken by sick.
ness or disease, could find an asylum for his immediate re-
ception. In 1827, certain striking circumstance; induced
Mr. William Marsden, surgeon, who had been
struck with the difficulty and danger arising to
poor from the system of requiring letters of recommends.
tion before admission to the public hospitals, and of having
only appointed days for admission, to take steps which re-
suited in the founding of the present hospital, the prinoi•
plea of which are, as regards in-door patients that foreign-
ers, strangers, and others, in sickness or disease, having
neither friends nor homes, are admitted to the wards
on their own application, so far as the means
of the charity will permit. And as regards out-door
patient, all sick and diseased persons, having no
other means of obtaining relief, may attend at this hospital
every day at one o'clock, when they will receive medical
and surgical advice and medicine free. During each year
great numbers of the destitute sick are received on their
own application into the wards of the hospital ; and gime
it foundation, in 18214, up to the 31st December, 1859, no
less than 6410,441 patients have obtained relief by its means.
In the past year the usefulness of the charity has kept pan
with the extension of its means (which it may be said in
passing are far from adequate to the requirements
of
the innitution), the returns exhibiting an increasing
="is the number both of In and out pa-
the number of in-pationta being 1,083, and of
oatiationts, 40,2110; making • grand total of 41,353 as.
of destitute siokneas were more or lees relieved. It may In
anutioned that no contributions afford more satisfactory
*Adam of the grateful appreciation of this charity by the
weho, ae the persons directly benefited, am the best
of its utility ; as by them the comparatively large
sums are secretly chopped into the street-boxes, in Anthem,
of ewes sad silver coin, Dunng the past year the
reslisad fin 10e. from these sources, Y. 12s. Id. of
wee contributed in copper, including 210 farthing", evi-
dencing the lowly gratuities of the poorest of the poor. All
this and more was prominently and ably brought before
the gentlemen assembled on this occasion by the chairman
and other gentlemen ; and the result was so far satiafactery
that emir I,OOSI. was sallashad.

[TWOPENCE;

BRITISg AND PORSION UNITARIAN
ASSOCIATION.
Yesterday the annual meeting of the friends and
supporters of this association was held at the Whittington
Club; Mr. PAGET, M.P., in the chair.
The report, which was read by the Rev. R. B. ASPLAID,
gave a favourable description of the missionary labours of
the society throughout the country during the ear. It.
also contained an interesting letter from Mr. J. Paget •of
anneenburg, in Transylvania, pirtiying that students from
Transylvania might be admitted into the schools of the
society in England. It appeared from the financial state-
ment that the society had got out of all its financial diM.
culties, sad that there remained a good balance in hand.
The report having been agrocsl to,
Resolutions were proposed and adopted against imbscrir
tion to the SO Articles as a condition to the exercise of the
franchise in Universities, and against the monopoly of
printing the Bible.
In the afternoon the friends of the association again as.
sembled to celebrate in • festive spirit the anniversary of
the society. Mr. Pane; M.P., also presided on this oc-
casion ; and anscogrt those preheat, amounting to about 300
altogether, WWI) 3-431 r John Bownng, Mr. Herbert New, of
Evesham ; Rev. W. Mounthed, of /merit% ; Rev. J. Scott
Porter. Mr. J. C. Derbishir. e, Mr. Ws.. Sharpe, Mr. Win.
Enfield, of Nottingham ; Mr. Jno. Troup, PAW. J. Penton,
Ham ; Mr. W. C. Penning, Mr. Joseph Preston, Mr. D.
Martineau, 3. C. Lawrence, Faq., Rev. D. SadlerMr.
Alfred Collier, Rev. Thos. Mme, Rev. D. Davis, of Nor.
wish ; Mr. It. A. Marsden, and Mr. Alfred. La Doe.
The CliAllitair, having opened the • the
fn shish be reoom.
ar= VaitleM".6.llth• IMpp,"tn the nidiarbahody in
a nieseare essuainsande wttli• the grestners of the objects
41 bad tir view, end the merits of the body who directed its
operations, proposed " The health of her Majesty," which
was drank with ell the honours.
The C7AZIBLUI as the next toast, " Civil and
religions liberty sL the world over."
Prof awasr.l. J. Term, who replied to the toast, said
that there were some sentiments so true in
themselves that X wag diflioult to say anything
to Nicene That was particularly the case with
the town hs was called on to respond to, in favour
of which many of the wisest, the beet, and the most
eloquent of men had often spoken. Bat when he cast his
eye over the existing state of the world, he believed there
never was a moment when inch a toast was so appropriate
as at present. (Hear, hear.) Never win the feeling of
the necessity of a closer and name intimate union between
civil and religious liberty so strong as it was now. The
French revolution had shown that, no ideas of liberty, how-
evek pure, no social,aniirataens however. beuesoleuto could end
in the permanent welfare of mankind when divorced from the
deep and universal convictions of religion, and it was because
he recepieed in the writing and teaching of such men as
Maxami and Kossuth an aide tone, which admitted the
connexion between social progress and the great truths of
religion, that he had faith in the ultimate destiny of
humanity. (Cheers.) All the movements of mankind *ere
more or less connected with religion. ln Hungary the
people felt the want of a deeper and more spiritual religion
than ROOlllll catholicism could produce. It might nut be
their form of religion in which that movement would end,
but thatit would mini some deep and vital form of religion he
could not for • moment doubt. The condition& Northern Italy
was tell of promise, and lie hoped that. the result of the
struggle which was going on in Southern Italy would end
in the establishment of civil and religious liberty. there
also. He could not but recollect that some five or six cen-
tur:eo ago Frederick IL, the greatest of the Hobenstanfens,
and the reputed though not the real author of the "Liber
Trium Impostorum, established in South Italy a univer-
shy to which the Arab and the Muneulman were free to
come and to be educated. But the state of things was very
different now in the kingdom of the Two Siohes. It had
not maintained the point to which it bad arrived
some five centuries ago. (Hear, hear.) Then, turning
to America, what a fearful struggle was going
on there ! In that soil of freedom and democrecy princi-
ples of slavery were incalotted anti enforced which, if
carried out to thew logical ooncluaion, must end in re-
establishing the doctrines which Washington anti their
forefathers struggled to abolish. (Hear, hear.) And speak-
ing of America, ha mold not forbear to remark on the loss
they sustained in the death of Theodore 0-- • r, who,
'• he could r ,10 in all the sentir- •
prated ••• be a

British and Foreign Uz;itailian Association. May it
be a bond of union, light but strong, to the liberal churches
of Greet Britain and Ireland, and may it be strengthened to
diffuse the knowledge of Christianity both at home and
abroad."

The Rev. R. B. ARPLAND returned thank' in an appro.
priiate and fervid tich.
The CHAIRMAN t en proposed the spread of Christianity
in heathen lamb, coupling therewith the name of Sir J.
Bowring.
Sir J. BowffiNo, in replying, detailed some of his expe-
rienoes abroad, and remarked that if Christianity was to
make its way amongst heathen people, it must not come to
them in the shape of menaces or prejudiees, in which form
it would be rejected, but as • good and wise principle, in
which form it would make its way to hearts that would
willingly receive it, and to lips that would as willingly
diffuse it. (O'beers.)
The other toasts of the evening ware "Our Northern
Churches,' proposed by the Rev. J. Scott, pastor of
Belfast, sad responded to by the Rev. J. Wright, of Bury.
Luirmekins ; "The mike hi sentiment and work of minis-
ters and laymen,"propoesd by the Rev. Samuel Bache, and
to by Mr. Herbert New ; "The Transatlantic
riT=Chrireb," proposed by the Rev. W. Mouutford ;
" Our Religious Literature," proposed by the Rev. Hrook
Herford, of Sheffield.
Sir J. &wring, the new president of the association, then
took the chair, and a vote of thanks, proposed by Dr. Sadler.
was pealed on the chairman, Ur. Paget, which terminated
the proceediugs.

a

had levied a tax upon this great free English nation. It was they suataineTri in the death of Theodore Parker, who,
reserved for the year 1860 to witness this mood., though be could not agree in all the sentiments he pron.ul.
of legislation make its appearance, and it would be gated, proved kisvell to be • vibes did lovo. And
si
for the people to put suck a lieu upon it tint it ir.' luaaadYeall— ell. Wlli 11" . irto. 41%. t' . and, to . ,I
should never again appear, there could not be • worse taar„ al ~,,. ,11.• . 14,,,,r - .(e g,) , B . • - - ~•
affecting as it did the Welliver* of Ilmt peep* disk ' .—• • + • yid* .irent . • 011.
papa% their Mae et rioraelimw aI imulmiAtiii.• • . • . ........„ • . „.„. ./
- •
ak‘etil.M. 1 ./hence, he Pe°e•eeded to-, ;' ' • and - . admit the fact that under •it: event forms men ..
AnilkerkiAgigkaugatiligoaogystscangg 114.: ' T. 'V .* •
strong terms the conduct of • portion of the press—at the might recognise the same real and substantial truths.
head of which stood the Tina--with reference to The Rev. P. W. Curtin's proposed as the next toast,
She subiart. They were aware that at the mo. _"The &Wall and Foreign Unitarian Association. May it