The Express.
London, England, 1866-10-09 00:00:00

THE WEST RIDING REFORM DEMONSTEA.

TION.

The numbers present yesterday at the Reform
demonstration on Woodhouse Moor are estimated,
by the Electric Telegraph Company's report, at
80,000. The Time*, which has a special report, says it is
no exaggeration to state that the whole concourse
ss
gambled on the moor numbered little lees than
200,000. The Maischaffer Guardian gives the numbers
at as nearly as possible 90,000. The Lads Mercury
says it is reasonable ti conclude that at least 100,000
persons were present on the Moor during the afternoon,
while many thousands more witnessed the procession
through the streets. Many persons, it adds, whose cal-
culations maybe adopted with some confidence, have made
an estimate even as high as 150,000. The same paper thus
describes the scene on the moor when the procession
arrived :
" As the time wore on, and 2 o'clock, the hour at which
the van of the great procession was to be expected to
appear at the corner of the Moor, approached, the spaced
immediately in front of the platforms bream. more
and more densely crowded, and had the appearance of
five great semicircles of spectators extending for many
yards, in front of each other, and touching each
other with their far spreading wings. Beyond these
bodies, and on the portion of the slope that may be re-
garded as the hollow of the slope running through its
length, there were for a long time comparatively few
people, and at no period of the afternoon were they
so closely packed here as they were lower down. The
ridge of the slope, however, vied with the neighbourhood
of the platforms in the animated appearance it presented,
for it was covered long before the platform proceedings
commenced, by an immense throng whose numbers grew at
a rapid rate, after the procession began to pour over it
on their way to the platforms. Passing across tbe table-
land of the Moor, one could not fail to be impressed
even more with the vastness of the grand total of the most
moderate estimate of the demonstration, for this great
ewe was covered with a crowd certainly by no means
close, but, from the very capacity of the place, of huge
dimensions. The great bulk of it was gathered at the two
points, which, as we have said, were from the first selected
by a vast number of spectators ; the others were either
wandering towards the western side of the Moor or were
careless where they took up a position, and so remained
prepared to be wherever circumstances should place them.
At 2 o'clock, with great punctuality, the music of
the bands was heard in the distance, and the first banner
of the procession appeared over the brow of the slope
shortly afterwards. From that time even until 3, the
hoot continued to pour down towards the platforms, the
unmarshelled who awaited them breaking up, easily and
without disorder, into two msssea, between which they
passed to the various positions that had been assigned
them. The line was, however, preceded by a carriage
which contained Mr. Reales, Mr. E. A. Leatham, Mr. Ald.
Carter, Mr. Alderman Tatham, and Mr. R. Kell, which
bore these gentlemen straight down to No. 3 in the
centre of the line of platforms, amidst loud cheers from
ten thousand throats. They were followed by the first
portion of the procession, who bore down on the same
point and soon swelled the crowd assembled there to huge
dimensions. On the procession rapidly swept down the
slope, like a broad mountain to. Tent, end broke up into
streams that now bore us away, now to the far left, now to
the right ; in the various channels that seemed in their un-
varying regularity to have been formed by them through
the long course of time, the throng grew ever denser.
The arrangements were of the most admirable descrip.
tion, and though the numbers were so great, there was
not the slightest confusion, and the stream poured
along without the slightest break or the least incon-
venience either to the procession, or the masses that
hemmed it in. Nor was less remarkable the patience and
the quiet good humour which the crowds before the plat-
forms exhibited in waiting for the commencement of the
platform proceedings. At length there seemed to be
somewhat of a lull in the advancing line ; though their
banners still floated gallantly in the breeze, they seemed
to be fewer in number and many were of opinion that the
end was at band. Whether that was so or not, Mr.
Alderman Carter, amidst loud cheers, at length opened
the business of the day at No. 3, and soon at all the plat-
forms the orators were busily engaged."
" Everything," says the Time* account, " passed off in an
orderly manner, notwithstanding that the enthusiasm was
at a high pitch. There were but few symptoms of brutish
and sensual indulgence on the part of the labouring class.
Whether it was in consequence of a warning voice having
gone forth from the central committee it is impossible to
say ; but the chairman of the Leeds Association had pub-
licly exhorted these parties to be on their gaud, as he
knew that their conduct would be strictly watched by those
who did not believe in their many high qualities."

The recent deaths of the Marquis de Boissy,
Count Bacciochi, and the Marquis de Turgot have vacated
three Senators' chairs in France. As their successors, the
papers talk of Auber, the popular French composer, Nisard,
the Academician, who has lately published in the Ilfoniteur
critical articles on the Emperor's Life of arear, and finally
M. Benedetti, now French Ambassador at Berlin, but who
will soon quit that post.
The steamer Floride, belonging to the Trans-
atlantic Company, was preparing on Saturday to leave
Havre for New York, when all at once she was observed
to be sinking,: and before another half-hour she grounded
in the basin. The vessel was about to take out 580 emi-
grants ; and besides the stores necessary for so many people
she had on board supplies for the French troops in Mexico
and 150 tons of various merchandise. No conjecture can
be formed as to the cause of the disaster. Divers were sent
down to examine the ship's bottom and position, and the
pumps are at work to keep her as free as possible of water.
MR. BRIGHT AND THE ABERDEEN RZFOILIG
Miirrirm.-111r. Bright announces in the following note his
inability to be present at a reform meeting in Aberdeen,
convened for the 17th inst. :—" Rochdale, Sept. 29, 1888.
Dear Sir,—l regret to say that it is quite out of my power
to come to a reform meeting in Aberdeen. I can make
no further engagements than those I have already
made—and these I feel to be a burden which I
am not wise in taking upon. myself. If I at-
tempted to attend half the rceetanp to which I am
invited, I should utterly break down before the
meeting of parliament. I must therefore ask you and
your friends to excuse me, for I dare not accept your
friendly invitation: With many thank, for our kind
note, I am, very truly yours, JOHN BRIGHT. Rev. Wm.
Sharman, Orchard-place, Aberdeen." Mr. Dingwall For-
dyce, M.P., will be present at the meeting, which will
also be addressed by Mr. Edmond Beales, is a deputation
from the National Reform League, and other reformers.
Colonel Sykes excuses himself from being present on the
ground of other engagements, and because his opinions
on the question are well known.—Aberdeen Herald: