The Express.
London, England, 1861-01-22 00:00:00

NR. EDWIN JAMES AND HIS CONSTITUENTS.

The electors of Marylebone, in compliance with
the invitation of their member, Mr. Edwin James, assembled
yesterday evening iii Ball's Biding kichoul, Albany-street,
to heir from that geutloman his views and opinions upon
politics, foreign and domestic. The ball, which is a very
bur place, was nearly full, and the utmost good humour
and unanimity prevailed The chair was taken by Sir
Jana, DIME, Nalth whom on the platform were Messrs.
E. James, M.P., Wyld, M.P., Williams, M.P., Lord P.
Lennox, and several loc,il notabilities.

After some introductory observations by the 'CHAIRMAN,
Mr. EDWIN JAMES came forward, and was received with
load cheers. The boa. end learned gentleman mid that the
object of their meeting was to take stock of the year which
had rolled over their heads eines they lad met, and to see
whether the political events of that year had been favour-
able or subteen:able, and whether the traces it had left
justified its being favourably recorded in the history of the
time. Events which formerly would have taken ages to
accomplish are now completed in a few months, and there-
fore they were already able to Nellie the results of actions
which were in progress or only commencing at their last
meeting. The matter* they had now to discuss were of the
greatest importance. One was whether be had forfeited or
abused the confidence which the electors had reposed in
him. Her Majesty's speech at the opening of the minion
promised many things, and alluded to many things prepant
with importance to the country. That speech nom-
mended non-intervention in foreign affairs and • oommer-
cial treaty with France. the latter he believed being
decided to be • strung bead of union between the two
countries. (Hear, bear.) :t also promised a reform bill,
a pledge which attracted much of the attention of the
House of Commons. It promised an amendment of the
bankruptcy lawn, the laws regulating the transfer of land,
and ultimately specified and recommended the consolidation
of the statutes of the criminal laws. Any one of these
topics would, in former times, have cut out work for a
whole Manion. Thu first question was the commercial
treaty, for which they owed so much to Mr. Cobden, a
gentleman whose name should never be mentioned in as
assembly of Englishmen without applause. (Cheers.) That
treaty he had supported on every occasion upon which his
vote was necessary, because, although England bad made
many sacrifices to obtain it, and had through its operation
suffered in many of her important manufactures,
he believed it would ultimately lead to the lad-
ing sdvantage of both oountries. (Hear, hear.)
The Emperor of the French had also made many great
sacrifices for that treaty, and bad to deal with long-standing
prejudices and vested intereste ; but his Majesty had over-
come all these obstacles,and to his honour had carried out
the treaty in all its integrity. (Cheers.) Whether the
treaty would rivet the hoods of international alliance still
closer—whether the Emperor was sincere in wishing that
suclishould be the case—he (Mr. James) could not say; but
his Majesty had certainly made great sacrificada for the
treaty, which would be of great importance to us. With
regard to the question of reform, he believed he had beau
one of the first of those gentlemen who, very shortly after
parliament met, when ministers promised to bring in a
reform bill, ventured to tell Lord J. Russell that any delay
in bringing it forward was calculated to jeopardise
its ultimate success. However, week after week that
bill was postponed. it might be said that the commercial
treaty was more pressing, but he saw no reason why the
reform bill should not have been taken at the mine time.
When the reform bill was at last brought forward, he was
accused of having made damaging objections against the
bill. Why had he mode those speeches? Because it was
the mad miserable bill that had ever been introduced on
that vitally important subject. (Cheers and some direst.)
If the government had milled the I ill merely an instalment,
he would have taken it even in homoeopathic doses, but
when the government spoke of their measure as • settle-
ment of the question fur the next quarter of a
century, he said—" Sootier than have such a bill,
I shall do without any." (Cheers and dissent.) He
would have a bill that gave • fii. franchise, and
would take the rate book as • standard. He would there-
fore have seppweed • Gt. .baß. (A. Voice—Why didn't
you?') (Cheers and laughter.) He did, read more, had
asked for the lodger franchise, and for a repeal of the rate-
paying clauses. The bill had not been introduced an hour
when he (Mr. James) pronounced it to be insufficient with.
out • lodger franchise. Well, what did this Reform Bill
do as to the redistribution of seats? It left such large
boroughs as Marylebone and Lambeth with two members.
Was that such a settlement as they ought to be contented
with for the next quarter of • century? (Hear, hear.)
Were they content to have their borough balanced for that
period by one of the little rotten boroughs which the
Whigs were interested in maintaining? He thought
Mr. Disraeli's lodger franchise • most excellent one.
A member said during the debate on Lord Derby's bill
that that franchise would add 15.003 men of intellect
to the constituency of the metropolis alone, and Lord J.
Russell did not bring in anything of the kind. In short his
lordship's bill was a small bill, and its epitaph might be
"Sacred to the memory of • very little bill, which lived a
a very little time, and when it died was very little re-
petted." (Laughter.) That bill failed because the people
were apathetic. (No, no.) Had they been otherwise the
government must have staked its existence on it, as Lord
Derby's had done, and it must have been carried. The hoe.
and learned gentleman proceeded to allude to the question
of law reform, which he trusted would be carried effectually
through parliament next session, including • smaller bank-
ruptcy bill and a careful consolidation of the criminal law.
He next canvassed the conduct of the house regarding
the paper duty, and vindicated his own respecting
thielamplementary measure of the government. With respect
to the coming session a het was to be done about their re-
form bill? Could it lie possible that • government which
had turned out Lord Derby on • solemn pledge !Impacting
reform could meet the parliament in another session utterly
ignoring the question? Lord Derby staked his government
oa it, Lord J. Russell outbid him with a fit. franchise,
but that promise had not been redeemed. Why had there
been attempted " counts out r Who had ever heard id
each a thing on a reform bill? Where had been the
whipper-in ? One evening be went to get a cup of tes,when
somebody came running to tell him the house was being
counted. " Counted out," he replied, " who ever heard
such • thing on a reform hill?" Did that show that the
government was sincere? (Hear.) In next session there would
be no commercial treaty to retard what Lord J. Russell
celled the placing of the people on a wider and firmer basis.
He knew not what course the liberal party would take ; in.
deed he hardly knew who the liberal party were. (A laugh.)
He had been told that he had not attended • meeting of
the liberal party on the papar duties in the to- -room. He
replied, he could not help it, but asked who were they.
The answer was, "We are eleven." He could not call such
a muster in a wretched tea-room a representation of the
liberal party. (Laughter.) Let the people, if they were
sincere, petition the government to pass a reform bill • let
them rally round their members, and then they would see
who were the rest reformers and who were not anxious for
a reform bill lie could hardly believe that Lord John
Russell,who had expelled Lord Derby from office on reform,
would allow her Majesty to address the House of Commons
without some definite allusion to the subject. The hon.
and leaned gentleman next complained of the paralysis
which seemed to have overtaken the conservative party.
The only representative of that party—one who had does
as much for democracy as any ono—who had spoken had
confined himself to carrots and church rates. (Laughter.)
The right hon. gentleman said that his party would take
its stand upon church rates ; but what did Mr. Walpole on
the 21st Feb.. 18.59 ? He then iutroduced shill of adjust-
ment, calculated to suit the views of both churchmen and
dissenters. But the question of questions fur next session
would be the question of retrenchment. (Hear, bear.)
He had not been asked to sign the recently pub-
lished memorial, but if he bad been he would have
refused ; because the obvious answer of Lord Palmer-
ston would be, to • docnment of that kind, "Gentlemen,
you have the power in your heeds." And it was the truth.
11 the House of Commons only exercised a proper vigilance
no extravagance could be perpetrated by a constitutional
government. But lad session the estimates were all passed
in houses of from twenty to thirty members, and he and his
friend Mr. Williams were laughed at when they divided the
house only to.bring up troops of members:from the smoking.
room to vote for the government who had never heard a
word of the debate. Mr. James next alluded to the gum-
tree of peace and war. He did not fear invasion, but was
an advocate for keeping the country in a proper state of
defence, as no one knew to what complications the
French Emperer's policy might draw this country.
They must be prepared, but riot armed to tits
teeth. If the Emperor built a frigate that was
no reason why we should build another, as he did not
believe that any single country in Europe would like to go
to war with England. Having criticised the French system ,
I of " nou.intervention" at theta, Mr. James expressed his !
conviction that the Emperor dreamed nightly of the Rhine, !
sad that his object was to follow out the old policy of his ,
uncle. Still, England, by adhering to nountervention,
would be able to umuatain her position, and to preserve :
the balance of power in Europe. The people of Esgland
would not grudge what was necessary to maintain that '
greet principle. What they complained of was
the nal-atiministration of the revenues. With re-
spect to the cons ulsion in Arutrici., the moral intleetice
of England would, of course, be benign; co hear in favour
of the slave. (Cheers.) The 1100)antLle and learned gentle-