The Express.
London, England, 1866-07-25 00:00:00

P'6•PIPP

floation explaining the state of the question. and not per-
sist in the disastrous course of endeawaring to keep
order by an exhibition of polies on the owe head and of
soldiers on the other. In conclusion, he asked the Home
Secretary to produce the notification armed by Sir B.
Mayne, and to state what step had been taken to disabuse
the minds of the people of the erroneous lamination that
they had • right to hold political meetings in Hyde-peek
and to preeerve the peace of the metropolis.
Mr. WALPOLE clouded that any exclusive privileges-In
the parks were granted to one class in preference to an-
other, and It wee far the purpose of securing to all clams
without distinction the benefits for which the parks weal
appropriated that the police notice bad been awned. In
order to show that the public had no right to the use of
the perks for political or religious meetings the right hon.
gentlemen mad the report of the commissioners on
' 1 the Hyde-park riots in 1855, and the opinion !aft-
quantal given by Sir Alexander Cookbu
that the
ni, Sir R.
IBe and Mr. Wines ; and he contended
government, in prohibiting the meeting in this in-
stance, were not punning a new course and one
hitherto totally unknown to the house and the country.
He admitted that the moral influence of public opinion
must be the guide of administration, and the use of force
unnoomearily he repudiated altogether. But the grave
responsibility rested upon him.. Home Secretary of pre-
serving the public peace. He had no desire, however, that
any public meetings should be checked when they were
held at the proper time and place, for thediacussion of any
subject whatever, but he did not think that the royal
r were intended for such a purpose. The notice
which in this case had been untied by his authority stated
that the parks were open for the recreation of the
public, and that therefore this particular meeting ought
not to be held. It was at once communicated to the
leaders of the Reform League and circulated throughout
the metropolis, in the hope that it would have had the
effect of inducing that body to alter their resolution ; but
they chow to take another course, and he did not hold
himself to blame for the consequences. Bather the re-
sponsibility devolved on those who had written such
letters as that with which they were all familiar. The
police were also instructed to warn the people of the
illegality o' the meeting, and not to resort to force until it
was absolutely necessary, or to call out the military ex-
cept in a like necessity. It had been stated in some of
the papers that the military appeared on the scene
before any riotous proceedings took place ; but this
was not true, and the fact was that the military
were not called out one moment too soon.
I ought to say (added the right hon. gentleman)
in justice to the military force that was called out, from all
quarters I have heard that they exercised the greatest
fo-beanume—(heez, hear,)--and that they did nothing
whatever in the way of severity or coercion ; and I ought
to say in justice to the police, that I do not believe, from
all I wallow, that they took any measures of undue severity,
but they did take strong messiness, which they were
bound to take when the railings of the park were being
pulled down. I ought to say aloe, and I think it fair to
say, that those who were collected together—l do not
mean to apply this remark to all—but I believe that the
peat lam were orderly and good-tempered. But it is
extremely painful that the precautions which we took did
not prevent that great disturoance which occurred yes-
terday evening. It acted in some measure as a preventive,
but it did not pretest the pulling down of the railing
and the breaking into the park, and I doubt if that could
have been prevented by any inch measures that could
have been taken by way of precaution. It has been
doubted whether locking the gates was the best
thing to do. I hope the house will not judge after the
event, but will see cm the other side of the
question, that if tens of thousands of men had
been allowed to go into the park it would not have
been possible to have prevented the meeting. (Hear,
hair.) It would not have been possible to take measures
that would have secured the preservation of the peace—
(eras of " Oh !")—that is my opinion—without great risk,
without great excitement consequent upon them, and upon
the whole, therefore, lam still inclined to think that the
maturity taken of locking the gates was really the best
meaeure. (Cries of " No.') I hear some gentlemen differ
tom that. I have expressed my opinion, and in express-
ing that opinion I can only say that it has been tried be-
fore in other cases, and I think I have heard it said in this
house that that was perhaps the beat precautionary mea-
sure that could have been taken. At all events, whether
it was best or not,no one can doubt thatthow who began the
disturbance were not the police. The disturbance commenced
with men who came there for • very different purpose than
that of open discussion. (Hear, hear.) The responsibility
of that nets with others, and not with me. lam bound
to myths! I have to add that some disturbance has occurred
in the park this afternoon. The measures we have taken
are as moderate, I believe, as the circumstances of the case
will admit of. I hope I may appeal to the right-minded
people of this metropolis, I hope I may appeal to all those
who really wish to have free discussion, and at the same
time that the peace of the metropolis should be preserved,
that they will not give • grudging support to the govern-
ment in whom hands that peace Is entrusted. (Cheers.) I
have nothing more to say than that I thank the house for
the kind manner in which they have listened to me, and
having made these observations I hope the house will be
satisfied that there is really no ground of complaint against
the government for adopting that course which it was its
imperative duty to adopt.
Mr. OLIPHANT gave the right hon. gentleman credit
for having used the powers placed in his hands to the best
of his ability and discretion ; but he ventured to think that
the measures he had adopted were not judiciously taken.
Without raising the question of the right of the people
to the park—as to which he entirely differed from the
right bon. gentleman—(hear, hear)—and even assuming
that the park was to be kept sacred, he was at
• loss to understand how the right honour-
able gentleman could justify the utter failure of his plane
to preserve it from desecration. The result of marah-
ing the military up and down, without any intention to
use them, bad been simply to lessen itsprestige. The effect
of the whole proceeding had been very seriously to impair
the authority of the executive, to bring the police into
corhinipt, and to make the military ridiculous. At the
same time be thought there was • moral to be drawn from
this little episode. He looked on it as providentially sent
to warn them that if they looked the gate of Reform
against the people they might have them pulling down the
paling of the constitution. (Cheers.)
Mr. B. COCHRANE wished to call attention to a letter
which had been written by a member of that house, and
which he considered had tended both to excite the people
and to incite them to • breach of the peace. (Cheers and
erica of " No, no.") He referred to the letter of the hon.
member for Birmingham (Mr. Bright), which he had
written after the declaration made by the right honour-
able gentlemen the present and late Secre-
taries of State for the Home Department, end
when the hon. member therefore knew perfectly well
the force of the language he had used. (Hear, hear.) It
might be said that he (Mr. Cochrane) ought not to attack
an absent man. (" Hear, bear," and laughter.) The hon.
member was not only absent from that house, but he was
absent from London altogether. The language of the
letter was not more remarkable than the care and caution
which the writer showed for his own personal safety.
(Cheers.) It reminded him of lines written of another
greet agitator—
With the cold caution of his patriot spleen,
Which seeks for treason, but which seeks a =sew
And keeps this marlin ever In its view—
. What's basely done should be done safely too."
(Laughter and cheers.) He (Mr. Cochrane) must protest
against that letter. (Cheers.) He regretted very much
that when be put a question to the late Secretor, for the
Home Department some two or three weeks ago, as to the
legality of the meeting in Trafalgaroquare, the right hon.
gentleman said it would be legal, unites it were held
for the purpose of petitioning parliament. That
answer he thought at the time was calculated to mislead
the people, and he considered that it would have been
more to the credit of the right hon. gentleman if he bad
expressed some strung opinion spinet the legality of those
meetings, instead of leaving to his successor the whole
odium of putting a stop to them. (Cheers.)
Mr. LAYARD thought that justice to a very large
constituency, composed principally of artisans who were
deeply interested in the question now before the house,
I called upon him to say • few words on their behalf. He
would not enter into the legal question raised by the hon.
member for the Tower Hamlets, which would probably
be decided by a court of law. It appeared to him that the
measures taken to impede the meeting were most inju-
dicious and most foolish. (Hear, hear.) The working
classes hadbeen taunted by hon. gentlemen sitting opposite
in no measured terms with their want of interest in re-
form ; and they were told not only that their lukewarm-
noes was • justification of the course taken by the oppo-
nents of the bill, but that it proved the late government to
have been wrong in introducing it. These taunts touched
very deeply the working classes, and they desired to show
by their public meetings that they really took an interred
in the question of reform, and approved of the measure of
the late government. That being the owe, it was very
natural that they should think of making • demonstration
in Hyde-park. They had seen that park used for large
volunteer reviews, and as they contributed to its main-
tenance they not unnaturally thought they bade right to
bold a meeting in it. It might be said that they could
have met amongst themselves—amongst their own kith
and kin ; but their own kith and kin knew their
opinions. It was the people of this end of
London whom they wanted to know them.
(" Oh, oh.") What he ventured to assert was,
that if the Home Secretary had met them in an open and
candid waothing of this kind would have happened.
Major JBRVIS wished to know whether he was in the
vestry of St. George's, Hanover-square, or in the House of
Commons? (A laugh.) It was their duty to see that the
lawn wane property respected, and not to stimulate people
to violate them, as the bon. gentleman had done when he
talked about feelings going through the length and
breadth of the land. The hon gentleman said that if the
meeting bad taken place there would only have been • few
foolish speeches—was that what be said when he was in
Southwark! (Laughter.) He (the gallant member) thought
the police had only done their duty, and that the house
oa&t to give them all the support in its power. (Hear.)
Sir G. GREY coafinned the views of the Keene Secre-
tary with regard to the illegality of holding political or
=lmeetings in the perks, and regretted that the
7of the Reform League had not in this instsnos, ea
en a preceding occasion, held their meeting in Trafalgar-
NUM
Xr. OMIT= sided his Assisi ho then of Mr. wards

~ i

EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JULY 25, 1866.

t3%3 Inteliffinut.

FROM

COURT OF BANIERITPTCY.--JuLY 3i.
(Before Mr. Registrar Brougham).
Di as D. IL ILUZ.
The bankrupt was a merchant, of Lime-street and Cal- ,
mitts. In the statement aocompanlring his petition he
ascribes hie failure to his not obtaining a further advance
on security held by the Agra Bank, to the great dill:ciao;
Lion in the value of tea property, and to pressure the
Himalaya. Tea Company. His debts are about 70, .
but many of the creditors hold security to a considerable
amount.
This was the tint sitting.
A proof for 10,0761. was tendered on behalf of the Hima-
laya Tea Company in respect of 400 shares in the company.
Mr. Manna opposed the proof, and elicited from the secre-
tary of the company that the shares were still in their
pommies.
Ultimately the choice of sage-noes was adjourned.

August T. at 11.
WILLlam May, 1

FAZITTE.

Dune or smarm asp rum= 'memoirs. To Tr
MAIM AT SIM MICR OP TM OHM BZOIISALS,
00015 OS wrimoroar, zumposAurorizaT.)

June Scarfs, llunnlngar, maLltagitre, contractor, to surrender
August 6. at 2
ANUS 811ZWIIIIDGI, liorgan-tarraat, Bow-read, hate publican,
-

tsars* dealer,