The Express.
London, England, 1866-11-26 00:00:00

TEE TRADE AND FRIENDLY SOCIETIES'
REFORM DEMONSTRATION.

apUTATION TO
WORKS. THE CHIEF
—(THIS C
DAY.)OMMLSSIONER
OF
At noon to-day a deputation from the committee
trusted with the carrying out of the arrangements of
de proposed Trade and Friendly Societies' reform demon-
tion, waited upon Lord John Manners at the offices of
robin Works, Whitehall-place, to ask the use of Hyde-
?irk or the Green-park for the holding of the demonetra-
tna, the committee having as yet failed to get
use of a private place for that purpose.
the
The deputation consisted of Messrs. George Potter, R.
gartwell, J. Coffey, S. Brooke, Jenkins, and Bryan.
Mr. POTTER, addressing the Chief Commissioner, raid
the deputation had sought the interview for the purpose of
submitting to him what the working men of London in-
tended to do on Monday next. He had no doubt his lord-
ship was aware that the London trades societies, the
friendly societies, the temperance societies, the Odd Fel-
lows and Forestera, and other organised bodies had,
through delegates, expressed their determination to hold
demonstration on the 3rd of December in favour of par.
bornentary reform. They had been led to this step by
various reasons, the principal being that their fellow
working men throughout the. country had held demon-
strations of the same kind as that which they intended
to hold. Delegate meetings representing 200,000 working
nen having arranged the preliminaries of the demonstra-
tion, steps were taken to proside a private place, in order
that the gathering should be of a bond fide character and
entirely composed of working men ; but unfortn-
oetely the committee were disappointed in reference
to a place which they bad selected, and at
present they did not know where to meet. Under these
circumstances they had been sent to his lordship to request
Ida to permit the demonstration to be held in Hyde-park
se the Green-park, and in making this request they wished
ilea be (.stinctly understood that they did not want to in-
terfere in the dispute ea' sting between the Reform League
sad the government with respect to the use of these places.
They hoped and believed he would grant the working men
al London what they asked as a favour, and their belief
`the success of their inter% :ow was strengthen:d by the
bet that he had given the working men of Edinburgh the
we of the Queen's-park for the hold 'erg of their reform de-
monstration.
Mr. Blneiee, the treasurer of the Demonstration Com-
aittee, said the granting of the request of the deputation
would be an act of grace on.the part of the government
&Mich he had no doubt would tend to heal the
taimoniotur feeling which was evinced by large numbers
d people towards the government in reference to Hyde.
park. They did not come to ask the use of Hyde-park or
the Green-park as a matter of right, but as a matter of
few, and he would pledge his honour that on the occa-
sion of the demonstration not a shrub nor a branch of a
tree would be disturbed.
Mr. Coven', who represented the Foresters and the
Manchester Unity of Odd Fellows, both of which he said
lei capital to the extent of four millions sterling in the
hinds, stated that the working men would act as special
constables at the demonstration.
Mr. JENKINS and Mr. BRYAN having given expression to
their views,
Mr. HARTWELL urged, in support of the request of the
deputation, that the bond fide character of the demonstra-
tion and the arrangements which had been made by the
organisation committee would prevent the possibility of
roughs or mischievous boys causing a disturbance. A
number of gentlemen occupying respectable positions had
offered to walk by the aide of the procession, and
tokrep order,and he (Mr. Hartwell) assured the Chief Com-
missioner that nothing would be wanting on the part of the
committee to attain the same end.
Lori JOHN Maerieea expressed his satisfaction at the
very temperate statements made by the deputation.
They could not expect an immediate answer from him
but he hoped to be enabled to give it to them in the
course of the day. With regard to Mr. Potter's allusion
to Holyrood-park, near Edinburgh, he begged to say that
he considered the granting of the use of that park for the
purpose stated, a matter quite apart from the proposal now
made to hint If the government refused to give Holyrood-
parkfor the use of the people of Edinburgh, on the occasion
in question, they would be reversing a hitherto established
practice, while the government, if they were to give
the use of Hyde-perk or the Green-park, as represented by
the deputation, would be also reversing an established
practice. There was a great distinction between the two
eases, in principle, and when they looked to the situations
of the two parks the difference was greater. Ilolyrood-park
is situate outside Edinburgh, and therefore all the dangers
and inconvenience to traffic did not exist there at the
bolding of a meeting such as were likely to occur at a
similar gathering in Hyde-park or the Green-park. He
seed not tell them that the government folly recognised
the pains which they had taken to procure a fit place on
private ground ; and he was quite sure that the govern-
ment very much regretted that their efforts hitherto had
not proved successful. Although their intention to
hold that meeting had been publicly announced for
some time, there had been no indication of opposition
from the government to their holding it, and they must all
be perfectly aware that the government had not the
slightest doubt that the respectable working men of
London would conduct themselves in an orderly and
peaceable manner at such a demonstration as that
proposed. The reference made by a member of the depu.
lotion to the appointment of special constables, pointed
at the immense difficulty and danger attending the
management of an enterprise of that sort, and he considered
the government would take upon themselves a grave res.
ponsibility if they did not seriously consider the effect of a
concession such as that desired. He trusted they would
sot leave the room without understanding that
if the government thought it proper to decline
the request, it was from no disposition that the
working men should not express their feelings on the
subject of parliamentary reform or any other subject, but
solely from a sense of their duty to the people of the
metropolis.
Mr. JESKINS stated that the space in front of Chelsea
Hospital would answer the purpose of the deputation.
Lord J. MANNERS replied that the late government had
given the use of the place referred to ; and he had no doubt
the present government would do the same, but he world
tot make such a proposal to them, because the depu-
htion were hardly prepared to make it to him.
Mr. HaerweLL said the committee thought that by the
selection of Hyde-park or the Green-park they would not
interfere with the traffic. They would have no objection
to • portion of the park being enclosed for the meeting, an
they wanted to erect four temporary platforms wherever
tie meeting was held.
Lord Jon!: MANNERS replied that such a measure would
exclude other people from the place.
Mr. Hairrarett said the object of forming a cordon
rand the meeting would le to prevent disturbance. The
ether people could amuse themselves by listening to the
music, and in other ways.
Lord JOHN MANNERS thought the selection of Primrase-
lull would leas interfere with the traffic than either Hyde-
Park or Green-park.
The deputation stated they had not referred to Prim-
rose-hill, because they thought the route would materially
interfere with the traffic.
Lord JOHN MANNERS promised to take the entire sub-
Sect into his serious consideration.
The deputation then thanked his lordship and withdrew.

THE PROPo,ZD REFORM BANQUET AT LIVER-
)(NIL—We understand that the leaders of the liberal party
at Liverpool have resolved to abandon the proposed reform
banquet in that town. The differences of opinion amongst
the resident liberal leaders, combined with the inability
of .Mr. Bright, Mr. Mill, and other influential members of
parliament, to he present, are supposed to have induced
the promoters of the proposed banquet to relinquish it.
linar TIDE.—A tide of unusual height occurred
on Saturday in the Thames, the highest point being reached
at seven minutes past three. Large portions of the space
between the river wall of the embankment and the shore
were ender water, and quantities of timber and other
ratterials were floating about in confused mama. The
largest portion winder water was nets the new Tempelanding stairs, the water having obtained entrance through
the sewer which is in course of construction to carry off
the sewage from the streets leading from the Strand to
the i:ver to the potion of the low level sewer in the em-
bankment. No serious injury was done, and on the open-
rig of the sluices the water was very speedily drained off
into the liver. Since the commencement of the works,
lone three years niece, so high a title has not been wit-
nessed, and when at the full it reached to within a few
inches of the upper course of masonry of the river wall.
On the other portions of the embankment where the tide
swept over the works no dame's of any consequence was
exile-tented, as the great work is too far advanced to be
injured by any tidal action of the river.