The Express.
London, England, 1866-01-13 00:00:00

MEETING IN BRISTOL.

On Thursday evening a meeting, convened by the
Bristol Reform Union, for the purpose of considering the
question of Parliamentary Reform, was held in the Broad-
mead Rooms, under the presidency of Mr. HANDLL
COWMAN. It had been announced that the members for
the borough—Mr. Berkeley and Sir Morton Peto—would
be present, and this announcement bad the effect of fin-
ing the room to its utmost capacity fully half an hour be.
fore the time at which the meeting had been advertised
to commence. Mr. Berkeley was unable to be present,
but Sir Morton attended, and on taking his place upon
the platform met with an enthusiastic reception, the, vast
audience waving their hats, and meat' of them shouting,
"Peto for ever" Among those on the platform were
Messrs. H. Peto, G. IWills, H. 0. Wills, W. H. Wills,
W. Terrell, H. Kingdoo, H. E. Allen, &a.

In the course of his speech Sir M. Prro said—My
advice to you to-night is this. Exprees your confidence in
the government—the government are =titled to ask that at
your hands. Their antecedents entitle them to that devil*
of confidence, and your feeling with regard to them, in re-
turning Mr. Berkeley and myself as warm adherents of the
administration shows that you were during last year of that
mind. (Applause.) Embrace that to-night in &resolution,
and we shall get the Reform Bill. And I will tell you
what we will both .10. When you get the measure
introduced sift it carefully, thoughtfully. considerately,
and if you like Mr. Berkeley and myself will be pre-
pared to come down, and we will meet you and go into
the whole of the questions arising at that time, and then,
if it is really what I believe it to be, as good • measure
as they can carry, and as good a measure= you think they
ought to attempt to carry, let us have no bandying about
of thiogs upon which we are all agreed. and if we cannot
get the whole into that bill, let us by our earnest support,
shouldr to shoulder, give the government • strong ex-
pression of our; opinion in regard to it. (Hear, hear.) My
opinions with regard to the ballot and the re-distribution of
seats are the same I expressed to you during the election,.
I consider it a crying sin and a shame that Mr. Berkeley and
myself should be representing—if taxation and represents-
tion go hand-in-hand—that we two only should be repre-
senting the same amount of voting power as 75 other mem-
bers from smaller places. This and other things must be
altered. But I said at the beginning of my address, which
you have so kindly listened to, if we cannot carry all at
once, let us carry what we can'; and while we have friends at
the helm let us support them, and feel, that while we cannot
do all we desire to do, yet do all we can—while we do what
we believe to be right, and do all as far as we can—that we
and the ministry, and all public men, are entitled, at any
rate, to the su..port—to the well thought of, the anxious,
careful, considerate, determined support—of the good men
of the city of BristoL (The hon. member resumed his seat
amidst prolonged cheers.)
Mr. WAY moved the following resolution :—" That, in
the opinion of this meeting, the time has come when a large
extension of the franchise should be made, so as to admit
within the pale of the constitution, and to the rights of
citizenship, a large number of the hard working, intelligent,
and industrious classes of this couotry, who are now, as this
meeting believes, unwisely and unjustly excluded from all
hopolitical right.." The speaker contended that in point of
nesty and morality the industrious classes of the country
were on an equality with those above them, and were
equally entitled to the franchise. He hoped in regard to
the promised reform bill the government would receive
that support which they asked for—he could not say from
the bottom of his heart, which they deserved. (Hear.)
Mr. SCOTT seconded the resolution, which, on being put,
was carried without single dissentient, and amid loud
cheers.
_ _ .

-Mr.ROGERS moved the next violation—" That this meet-
ing rejoices to learn that the present government are pre.
pared to submit to parliament, and to nee all their infliwooe
to carry, a large and liberal measure of reform ; this meet-
ing therefore pledgee itself to give that measure its best
support."
Mr. W. H. Waist, in Neceedlog the resolution, said the
tone of the meeting had been so eminently prectkal that
he believed the effect of the nieetiag upon those oinseas who
were present, and who reed the reports in the news-
papers, would be to satisfy their salads that the charges
made by tory speaker at public disuses, and by the *cry
pear, wars Wounded and estrus. (Applause.) Those