The Express.
London, England, 1858-01-14 00:00:00

turel. the manufacturing, the moneyed chutes—the law
and the army, were represented ; but the working clams
were not. They adirnied that the taxes were unequally col-
lected, and u unequally distributed—taxes which, If fairl/
distributed, would thoroughly advance and elevate the condi-
tion of the people, and take comfort and education into
every man's deolling in the country. They maintained that
the weling theses were dieproportionately taxed to the
members of the privileged cluses—the peer being taxied
fcur per cent. upon Ilia expenditure, the working man 25 per
rent. Mr. Cowen uid that last year lonthil preperty geld
17 ratilions for tun ; trade and commerce, 82 teilet star-
deg. He maintained that the quiet, orderly peeph of Eng-
land paid 25v. s year more than the excitable population of
Films, and destinies more than the men of their own
race, the Anglo-Saxons in the west of the Atlantic.

The follos;:ing resolution was adopted :
" That in the opinion of this meeting, ths prsment restricted
fnutchiss deprives • largo mumble of one ow-countrymen
of their electorsl rights ; entails on the nation bad tegis•
loiont anoxia' entraysganoe, and an irresponsible foreign
policy ; and demands a radical reform in the representation
of the people in parliament, based on nunhood suffrage, pro-
tected and sustained by vo:o by ballot, and the abolition of
the present property qualification for members of ths Howe
of Commons."

A polio ion to pszlisment founded on this resolution, was
else unanimously agreed to. The petition to be preeented by
lir. needle:a, MP. The proosediags were orderly,. sad
upon the whole, the speakers were temperate In their obser-
vations. The chief speaker wee Mr. Joseph Cowan, Jun. •
mansber of a leading manufacturing lima on the Tyne, who
armed to can 7 with biro the sympathies of the large
atiMmee. He want through the national expenditure, and
'repaired it with the cost of goveuieLawkAnssUcueJeas—

:nett-atter Wet tovernraettie Whined for the
the privilrged cL.eer ; the correction to which
Was • full representation of the people —Jfaucksater Guar-
dia".

BIRMINGHAM REFORMERS' UNION.
A meeting of the supporters of the new reform
movement was held at Birmingham, in the Publio-office, on
TueAday evening. Mr. G genes EDMON DP, the Clerk of the
P.LI,N, presided.
The CLUBMAN, in opening the proceedings, traced his
own career in connexion with parliamentary reform, and said
he did not repent one atom of the pert be had borne through-
out.. He observed that the Reform MU of 1832 had inserted
the thin end of the wedge, and if they exerted themselves
now they would most assaredly succeed in driving the
wedge hems. He had always been an advocate fur the
widest passible extension of the suffrage, bat at the same
time he counselled them, if they could not at once get all they
were desirous of obtaining, to accept with thankfuker such
concestion as might be made to them. Hs conaideted the
mart was a particularly favourable time fur a reform agi-
tation and what be advised was, that their efforts should be
combined, and that they should be as unanimous as possible
in the demand they made, In order that the government
might be compelled to introduce as liberal a measure as they
could possibly expect from them. Whilst he thought the
dignity of a man entitled him toe vote, and much as he should
like to see it conferred upon ev. ry one of them, he thought
that an equitable distribution of the electoral districts was far
mere important. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. J. 8. WILIOUT thought the time had now come when,
U they were all united, they might obtain a very wide exten-
sion of the suffrage. It all de ded upon the demand
which the people ware to make, and it only re-
quired earnestness and determination to obtain all they
dried. (Cheers.) There were 26,000 working men in
Birmingham who were entitled to a vote, but who were
deprived of it under the existing state of things. Many of
titre were ea well able to exercise the franchise as he was.
After some remark' upon the laxity of the present remain-
tries oyster end the evils that lolloweVnot the least of than
being the vest patronage improperly exercised by the govern-
ment, Mr. Wright said they could not hope for improvement
la thr respect until they obtained • aids extim of the
garage ; and if they, succeeded as far as he trusted they
might, and as they might if they would only exert them-
shonld some day wonder how such • state of
corruption had been endured. (Her.) Let them not be led
away by the Syron voice of Lord Palmerston. (A laugh.)
Let them not depend upon an Educational Franchise Bill,
or any redone promise of the kind ; but keep their eyes and
ears, open and be cautious. Every man must enrol himrell
In the sew Reformers' Colon. }ltch one of them must give
time and money in due proportion. Let them deny them-
selves a couple of pinta of ale a week in support of the cause;
and if they did not choose to do this, they did not deserve an
extension of the suffrage. He therefore moved, That this
meeting, having heard the bens upon which the Reformers'
Unirm le established. pledge themselves to give it their earnest
support." (Cheers.)
WALLIA secooded the proposition.
Mr. J. P. Horn =limited it, and in doing so took occa-
sion to express his belief that the first clause of the bans of
the union would extend the franchise as far as may of them
could wish to ses

—TheCHATRSAiiasid he thought hie friend Mr. Hoppe wee
mistaken as to the meaning of the first clause of the proposed
scheme of reform, and explained that the real object of it was
to extend the franchise to every occupier in part or whole of
premises rated to the relief of the poor, whether the rats was
paid directl
thely,
and or. by
rd'. means of the compounding clause,
thr lo
Mr. RADFOUD condemned the injustice of the ratepaying
clauses, and advocated the redistribution of electoral districts.
Though as warm end thorough a chartist, bs said, es ever,
he was disposed to go heartily with the present movement,
and he hoped all hie fellow working men would take the
sense view. Theme.)
Councillor J. TAYLOR, in an able address, coutanded that
under the Bret clause of the scheme, any lonian man who
occupied as lodger say part ofmsampreintres rated to the re-
lief of the poor—and what were not ?—would be
minded to • vote. He had omfirmed in this inre-
teflon of the clams by a member of the .ocean,. m Loam',
who had been visidet him; sad if this defisition were cor-
rect, wee there say washer of the &artist body who would
cot support it ? (Cheese
eti lt. Taylor metntainad, with much
spirit, If 0101 would enfranchise from 20.000
to 23,000 of their il rw-townamen, they should throw aside
ell old differences, and give " a long pull. and a strong
pull, and • pull altogether," to convert it into law. (Cheers.)
He ridiculed the idea that the Premier would introduce any
bill that could commend itself to their acceptance. Mr.
Tsylor closed his remarks by appealing to the working men
of all shades of opinion to unite in a common effort to ob-
tain an object which would promote the benefit, liberty, and
happiness of all. (Cheers.)
Mr. REDDOWIN who followed, hoped that every one pre-
sent would give • tangible proof of his adherence to the
principles on which they seemed to be so uaaahnous, by
taking tickets of membership, which had been provided kr

ths pnrpowa
Tim resolution was then put from the chair, and was can
by a load shout of " Aye." There were only three or
four dissentients.
Ur. WRIouT afterwards intimated that another ineethig
would be held neat week, and that steps would be taken to
call an aggregate meeting at the Town-hall prior to the
meeting of parliament, at which both the borough members
would be invited to attend.