The Express.
London, England, 1866-05-22 00:00:00

MR. BRIGHT AND REFORM TACTICS.

Yesterday afternoon there was a reform " demon-
stration" on Primrose-hill. Mr. E. BEALEB was called
to the chair, and announced that he had just received the
following letter from Mr. John Bright, M.P., which he
would read to the meeting :

" Rochdale, May 19.—Dear Sir,—l thank you for your
invitation to the meeting to be held on Monday, but I am
not able to be present at it. I hope all your friends will
understand the exact position of the reform question. The
main portion of the objections made to the Franohise Bill
on the second reading were mere pretences ; there was no
truth in them. The only real objection was against the ad-
mission of any portion of the working men to the
suffrage. The same game will be played hereafter. There
will be resolutions saying one thing and meaning another.
Everything will be criticised, but the thing really hated
and feared will be the extension of the franchise to the
working men. The government Distribution of Seats Bill,
I fear, is not good enough to excite the hostility of
the conservatives or of those from the liberal ranks
who have joined them, as it has little in it to
excite enthusiasm or favour among the people. It will
be opposed chiefly because it is henceforth a part of the
bill which offers the franchise to working men, and because
a rejection of any considerable or important part of the bill
will be the rejection of the whole. The tory party, and
those from the liberal ranks who join it, are animated by
au unchangeable hostility to any bill which gives the fran-
chise to the working men. They object to any transfer of
power from those who now possess it, and they object
to share their power with any increased num-
ber of their countrymen who form the working class.
They regard the workmen here as the Southern planter re-
gards the negroes who were so lately his slaves. They can
no longer be bought or sold • so far they are free men.
They may work and pay taxes, but they must not vote.
They must obey the laws, but must have no share in se-
lecting the men who are to make them. The future posi-
tion of the millions of working men in the United King-
dom is now determined, if the opposition of the tory
party is to prevail—it is precisely that fixed by the
Southern planter for the negro. Millions of workmen will
bear this in mind ' • they will now know the point or the
gulf which separates one party from the other in the
House of Commons. There will be great efforts made to
induce the government to abandon the line of 14/. for the
county, and 71. for the borough franchise. If the govern-
ment yields it will probably destroy itself, and it will leave
the question open for the next parliament—for no man
rnn suppose the suffrage question settled for the term of a
single parliament, on the basis of a departure from the
figures of the present bill. Lord Derby's bill of 18.59 pro-
posed a 10/. franchise for counties, and Lord Palmerston 's
bill of 1860 offered the same county franchise, and a Cl.
franchise for boroughs. If anything less or worse than a
14/. and 71. franchise be now earned there will not be a
single reformer in the kingdom who will not be at liberty,
when the bill is passed, to petition or to move the house for
a further extension of the suffrage. I hope you may have
a good meeting, but I shall regard it only as preliminary
to the meetings you will hold if the moderate measure now
before parliament should be mutilated or rejected. Work-
ing men everywhere should feel that the real position and
future of their class are now in suspense, and that they
depend mainly on themselves.—l am, Sc.,

JOHN BRIGHT."

The following letter had also been received from Mr. J.
Stuart Mill, M.P. :—" Blackheath, May 19, 1666.—Dear
entirely approve and applaud the object of the
meeting to be held on Monday next on Primrose-hill—that
of encouraging and strengthening the government in re-
sisting all compromise in the leading provisions of the
Reform Bill. lam greatly obliged by your very cordial
invitation to attend the meeting, but my absebce from
town will prevent my being present at it.—l am, &c.,

J. 8.'241iLi.."

The CHAIRYAN said the meeting had been called for the
purpose of supporting the government in the measure of
reform they had introduced, against the factious hostility
and the aristocratic exclusiveness of those who, though
born in a free country, and reared amongst representative
institutions, were continually showing their antipathy to
the principles of liberty and progress, and their objection
io making popular representation a reality. lie congratu-
lated the unenfranchised classes upon the late discussion
in parliament, and on the present aspect of the reform
question.

Resolutions in accordance with the object of the meeting
were adopted.

REPRESENTATION OP STOCKTON. —The people of
Stockton are doing their utmost to procure the enfran-
chisemont of their borough. A petition to the House of
Commons, signed by upwards of 2,000 persons, will shortly
be presented, and yesterday an influential deputation from
Stockton waited upon Captain Surtees and Mr. J. W.
Pease, the representatives of South Durham, to endeavour
to facilitate the object of theixtition.
WAREHOUSEMEN AND CLERKS' SCHOOLS. —Yes-
terday evening the half-yearly general court was held
at the Guildhall Coffee-house, under the presidency
of Mr. R. White. The institution was founded in 1853,
for the purpose of clothing, maintaining, and educating
the children of warehousemen, clerks, and agents of
every wholesale trade who have been engaged in ware-
houses or manufactories in any part of the kingdom,
without distinction of sex or religion, and its valuable
operations have since been carried on at New-cross. In
July, 1863, the first stone of the new building, for which
twenty acres of freehold land had been obtained at Bus-
sell-hill, Caterhani Junction, near Croydon, was laid by
the Prince of Wales, and the work being now nearly com-
pleted, his royal highness has consented to be present at
the inauguration ceremony, which is appointed to take
place on the 18th of June next. The half yearly report
stated the gross income on account of the general fund at
1,7101. la. 3d., and the disbursements at 2,0471. 84. Id. The
receipts on account of the building fund had amounted
to 1,, 281. 17s. 2d., and the expenditure t 03,896/. Is. 3d. The
I oard of management expressed their thanks to the gen-
tlemen in the employ of Messrs. J. and C. Boyd and Co.,
Messrs. Bradbury, Greatorex, and Co., and Messrs. Cook,
Son, and Co., who had given entertainments in aid of the
building fund. The three houses which were rented at
New-cross for the purposes of the institution had been
given up and the children received into the new building
on the 11th of last month, although there were still a
Lumber of workmen on the premises. There were now
100 children in the schools, of whom nine would leave at
Midsummer, but 10 new inmates were now to be elected.
At this time last year there were 81 children in the
schools, consisting of 61 boys and 20 girls, and there were
now 75 boys and ..5 girls, being more than at any former
period. The board earnestly solicited the co-operation of
all subscribers, trusting that by a combined effort the
remaining 7,0001. might be raised, and the new building
opened free of debt. The report was unanimously
adopted.
[Advertisement.)—HOLLOWAY'S PILLS. Indi-
gestion, flatulency, bilious disorders, liver complaints, and ner-
vousness and general debility, are all evils that may be easily
and speedily subdued by these inestimable Pills, which see at
once the mildart and most efficacious medicine ever yet disco.
mired. They do not merely get rid for the time of the parti-
cular disease, but exercise eopowerful, beneficial, and lasting an
influence upon the whole system as to protect it from a recur-
rence of the LIMO affliction. They impart tone to the stomach,
restore the appetite, give strength and flesh, and make the pa-
tient feel himself quite a new man. Being composed of vege-
table extracts, without the admixture of say mineral substance
witatarrar, was Plab art as ash as they an aMeacioaa.