The Express.
London, England, 1868-05-09 00:00:00

THE MINISTERIAL CRISIS.

Mr. Disraeli having in his speech on Monday
last stated that the majority of the people of lingland
were opposed to the disestablishment of the Irish church,
the council of the Reform League, st a very full meeting
co Wednesday last, decided to take up the gauntlet, and
as an earnest of their intention of refuting his statement,
have convened a meeting at St. James's-ball, on Tuesday
evening. This meeting will be but the first of a series un-
der the auspices of the League ea this question, others being
projected for Trafalgar-square and other open sites, the
whole terminating with an aggregate demonstration in Hyde-
park. The Holborn andelerkenwellbranches of the League,
whose members played so prominent • part in the late
reform demonstrations, have agreed to meet at 7 o'clock
on Clerkenwell-green, and march to the meeting with their
bands and banners ; in several other parts of the metro-
polis preliminary meetings will be held on Monday
evening to organise for the great meeting on the following
night. The working men in the South of London are very
active, and hold an open air meeting on Monday night in
the Rodney-road, Walwortb, as a tributory to the 'Tues-
day demonstration.
A general meeting of of and members of
various working class ormurisstione and of reformers gene-
rally, convened by the London Working Men's Associa-
tion, was held last evening at the Bell Inn, Old Bailey, for
the purpose of considering the propriety of holding an
oat-door demonstration, to express an opinion on the con-
duct of the government at the present arise. There was
a numerous attendance, Mr. George Potter occupying the
chair. The chairman having stated the object of the
meeting, said since it had been convened he had been
informed that the Reform League had called a public
meeting on the same subject in St. James's-ball, for next
Tuesday evening. It would be the duty of all reformers to
co-operate in making that meeting a smooms, and what they
had now to consider was whether they should supplement
that meeting by an out-door demonstration on another
evening. Mr. Stacey said, to test the feeling of the
meeting, he would move the following resolution " That
, this meeting is of opinion that an open air demonstration
should take place in Trafalgar-square on Wednesday
evening next, at seven o'clock, for the purpose of con•
demning the conduct of the government at the present
crisis, and of calling upon the liberal leaders in the House
of Commons to move a direct motion of want of confi-
dence in her Majeety's ministers." Mr. Wicks seconded
the resolution. Mr. Warburton, of the Northern Reform
Union. Manchester, supported the resolution. The people
had but one duty to perform at the present crisis,
and that was to condemn the conduct of Mr. Disraeli
for the disgraceful way is which he had dragged the
name of her Majesty before the public, and to insist upon
the resignation of the government. (Cheers.) Mr.
Osborne, of the Reform League ; Mr. Weal, of the Tailors'
Association ; Mr. Bolton, Mr. Henly, and others, supported
the resolution, which was carried amidst loud cheers. Mr.
Weal then moved " That this meeting recommend the
members of the Working Men's Association and Reformers
generally to co-operate with the Reform League in its
meeting at St. James's-hall on Tuesday evening next."
Mr. Wallace seconded the resolutiou, which was carried
unanimously. A committee was then formed to sat in
conjunction with the Executive Committee of the Work-
ing Men's Association, in carrying out the arrangements
for the Trafalgar-square meeting.
A synodical conference of the Archdeaconry
of Stafford was held there yesterday afternoon. Two
hundred and fifty clergymen and the same number
of lay representatives were present. After the
transaction of the conference business, Lord Shrews-
bury, at the request of the Bishop of Lichfield,
moved the first resolution passed at St. James's-hall on
Wednesday. Mr. F. Perry seconded the motion, and the
Earl of Dartmouth supported it. An amendment was pro-
posed that the subject was not a proper one to be brought
before the conference, but the motion was carried with
great cheering, only five voting for the amendment.
Great excitement prevailed again at Bolton on
Thursday evening. As a rejoinder to the meeting held a
week ago, the Rev. Dr. Massingham, of Warrington, de-
livered a lecture in defence of the Irish church. Admis-
sion was by ticket only, obtainable at the Conservative-
rooms, the Temperance-hall was crowded, above 3,000
persons being present After the lecture a number of
questions were asked, and the meeting was addressed by
several clergymen and gentlemen. In the meantime the
opposition got up a meeting on the Market-square, which
was attended by from 5,000 to 6,000 persons, and resolu-
tions were unanimously passed in support of Mr. Glad-
, stone's disestablishment policy. Subsequently the opposi-
tion went in a body to the Temperanee-hall and gave
three cheers for Gladstone and Bright and ;brae groans
for Disraeli. A serious breach of the peace bad been
feared in consequence of threats to forte an entrance into
the ball without tickets, but happily the proceedings
passed off peaceably.