The Express.
London, England, 1861-02-16 00:00:00

REFORM Damozionurrox IN SOUTHWARK.

A very numerously attended public meeting,
convened for the purpose " of calling ou the government to
bring forward a comprehensive measure of reform without
any further delay," was held yesterday evening at the South
London Repository.

Mr. Jetta VICILZHB was ea/led to the chair.
Mr. NEWNAN krupOsed the first resolution, to the effect,
"That this meeting regards with surprise and indignation
the declaration of Lord John Russell, that the people are
indifferent to the question of parliamentary reform, and
desires to express a decided opinion that it is the duty of
the government to introduce forthwith a comprehensive
measure for the extension of the franchise, in accordance
with their solemn pledge to do so on taking office."
Mr. JOHN DAT seconded the resolution, and advocated
a lodger franchise, without which, he contended, no re-
form bill would be regarded by the country as complete
and satisfactory.
The resolution was carried unanimously amidst loud
cheers.

Mr. Joux Locos, M.P., quite agreed with Lord John
Russell, that the House of Commons was indifferent
to the question of reform, but he could not admit that the
people of the country shared the same feeling. They were
told that they were to have no Reform Bill from the
government this session, but in the midst of their
disappointment came a gleam of sunshine in the
shape of • bill laid on the table on the previous night
by the Home Secretary, to appropriate the forfeited seats of
Sudbury and St. Albans. This was a small concession of
the principle they desired to see extended, and it was for
the people of Southwark to strengthen their representatives
to fight this battle of reform, and if other constituencies
would only act with them in this, they must ultimately
succeed. (Cheers.
Mr. LAYABD, M.P., who was received with vociferous
cheering, said the ,bill of last session bad been referred
to. There were mistakes in that bill, and no
doubt it was not a perfect measure, but it had
the sanction of a man, of whom ho would venture to ay
that no other man in the country had him knowledge of
what were the wants of the people, and what should be
done to supply those watts—he meant John Bright. (Great
cheering.) John Bright was of_ opinion, and rightly, that
if parliament had prated that bill, imperfect as is wee, it
would have improved the electoral list, and a parliament
would have been returned which would in all probability
have passed such a measure IN would satisfy the country.
If a better bill could have been pissed he would have been
glad to see it, but he felt, as O'Connell felt after years of
bitter experience, that it was well to " Aek for all you can,
and take all you can get." (Cheers and laughter.) He
was not there aa the censor of parliament, but he would
say that there were members representing constituencies
not 100 miles from Southwark who, had they chosen heartily
to support that bill, could have carried it. (Cheers.) Would
any one then believe, after what pissed last session, that
the present government would bring in a reform bills-
Any one who had eatertained that opinion must be an
idiot. When the Queen's speech was debated there were
only found forty-eight men in the Ilmise of Commons to
vote in favour of reform. (Cries of " Shame.") He was
fora reform bill upon broad and comprehensive principles ;
but could they get such a measure! He believed not.
But a bill was brought in on Thursday night which would
give them four more seats. He took these four seats, and
he would undertake to my that Chelsea and Kensington,
South Lancashire, North Yorkshire, and Birkenhead would,
if not deluded, send men who were true reformers to the
house, and instead of fortyeight there would be fifty-two
of them ; and thus they might go on increasing their
strength one by one till they could command a majority in
the House of Commons to pass a bill. He would rather see
anything happen than that a tory government should again
coins into power. When he found Mr. Disraeli and Lord
Derby condemning the Italian people, denouncing that great
hero who fought the battles of his country, and
then retired to his plough without a shilling in his
pocket, as a villain who ought to be hung, and expncsing
sympathy with Austria, he could not support these men
or help them in any way to power. (Cheers.) But setting
aside sympathy with the cause of Italy, and taking the
general political principles of Lord lkrby and Mr. Disraeli,
be should regard their return to office as one of the greatest
misfortunes that could happen to the country, and the
people might depend upon it that, were they again called
into power, war and increased taxation would serve to set
aside any ides that might be entertained of passing • mea-
sure of reform. As long as the lilwral party was divided
and without a leader, so long would they have no reform
bill, but let them choose a leader, Mr. Bright if they
would—(elieers)—und if they were only true to each other
and to their leader, and placed contideuce iu the people,
the liberal party would go on increasing in strength, till
ultimately it would carry a reform bill. (Cheers.) There-
fore ho said, let the liberal party be true to itself, and let
the country he true to itself and before long they would
have a reform bill that would satisfy the wants of the
people, and enable them to send men to parliament
who would look properly after their interests. The most
important obstacle to this was the expense of elections. He
wanted to see parliament open to every class, but to obtain
that result they must send men into parliament who would
work to reduce the election expense., uod not send in sham
liberals ; and when they did this, and not till then, they
would have a reform bill.

Mr. WASHINGTON WILLS moved a resolution approv.
ing of a petition to parliament in furtherance of the objects
of the meeting.
Mr. SAUCLL seconded the resolution. _

Mr. FaweErr, who was loudly cheered, then briefly ad-
dressed the meeting. Re dismissed the historical part of
the question as well known and uninteresting, and directed
his remarks to the practical point, how were the views of
the people upon the question of reform to be carried out
He could not expect that the liberal party would for the
future be more true to their colours than they had been
hitherto, and he did not think that any legislation upon this
important subject could be expected until after another dis-
solution. What had tended to destroy the efficiency of our
present electoral system, and bad been an obstacle in the
way of the passing of a reform bill, had been the weight of
election expenses, to check which some step must be taken
before the people could be properly represented.
The resolution was carried. _ . - _

-.----- —.—.
A vote of thanks wag, upon the mntion o! Mr. DAY.
accorded to the chairman, and the meeting then separated.

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ce° 'h meet.
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Marsden, Mr. Lomita), Mr. Man, de., were present.
mours..l. W. Iti.hop, J. Fairburn, T. Cowing, Richard
oixrag.T.ildofwiffbalithihi!erioamtbe,itmmteeS°:mwasm
..shYyeidmileurcT.h.nßolTienunct.l.2:lnis,odwillitval,
Mr.
ut,
Jaques, J. W. Smith, all of Ripon, members of the cum.
mates of the recently fanned Ballot Society in that city,
and Mr. William Hickes, secretary of the Leeds Working
Man's Parliamentary Reform Association, were eleeted
members of the council of the parent society. It was re-
ported that 2,000 tracts had bees distributed in the course
of last week in various parte of the country. Au applica-
tion for 1,000 tracts for the Pembrokeshire borough, was
granted, end it was resolved that a conference between the
executive committee and some of the parliamentary friends
of the ballot should be convened to consider the best mode
of promoting the ballot in the present session.
Carew. PALLoa. ONE SHILLING DAY. -•••
FRIDAY. Fn. a—Maisano on payment, 450 ditto
by NY= 100 ; told vimitore, 850.