The Express.
London, England, 1861-03-28 00:00:00

REFORM MEETING Ar COLCHESTER.

A meeting of the inhabitants of Colchester was
held on Tuesday evening, in the public-hall, to consider the
desirability of petitioning parliament upon the question of
reform in the representation of the people. if an opinion
rosy be formed from the attendance at the meeting and the
general spirit of the assembly, the people of Coinbmter at
least give a denial to the oft-repeated assertion that the
working-alarm an indifferent to the queetion of reform.
Them was a large assembly, the isalt being well filled,
and the meeting was entirely sustained by inhabitants of the
town. _ -

—Mr. J. B. Ream wee idled to the Asir, and in opening
the business of the evening said, they now occupied a very
different position with regard to this question to that which
they occupied 20 or 30 years ago, for now all parties in the
mate professed to be reformers. It wan not Dow the rah-
ad or the vAlg oely who called for reform,
but even Lord Derby and Mr. Disraeli pro.
Jeered themselves attached to the great intend
of parliamentary reform; and they would all remember that
in the bill introduced by Lord Derby provision was mode to
admit the 101. bousaholden hi counties, and they ought not
to despair that by the preesure from without a mead»
pair
be pared which would "dud to the exercise of elec-
tive rights a large number of those who were now excluded
from all participation in the representation of the country.
Baying pointed oat the injustice of Lord Derby's "fancy
franchises,* the chairman proceeded to dynes his opinion
that there was NM proasect of obtaining Ines the premed
Bode of Comisoes • suitable measure Oi 1110191, for it
awed bo og.irbed the. whet holise did oath. enjoy 610 nna•
dead of the acinetty. He was not inclined to cast a severe ,
censure npoe Lord Resell for not at:adding a reform
bill this esseicd; though be believed such a mewed would
have bass Wird by the people had he introduced a bill,
deserving the public confidence. But that noble lord saw
that many of colleagues would not dissent to the intro-
ductioa of the 11 this session and he might have enter-
tained a hope that before soother year Mom might be
elected a Harass el Oesunons more honest sad patriotic than
the present, sad more deserving of public confidence. Be
believed that Lord John Russell, with all his faults, was
prepared to be the leader of the cause of reform, but be
must her backed by publie opinion. He bed told them, la
fact,. that the Mona ooach was ia readiness, the borer
were put to, mad the driver was. ppos his seat, but the
coach would not dove till the oda*, put their shoulders
to the wheel to "tad it forward. rod was the object of
the premed needlieg—namely, to dirt thrived the Mona
odd es the mod leading to its muehdadred deatindios.
Mr. GOODY, p 'shelter, then moved the following resolu-
tion :—" Thai is the opinion of this meeting the quotas
of parliamentary reform is of vital importance to Me vast
Interests of the country, and that it is. the May of all
classes to press upon the attention of the Hare of Cont.
WWI the necessity of passing a measure which ilia ratify
the great expeditious of the people." Mu reisingay depre-
cated the idea of the =Atoms of the working elides for the
exercise of political rights, and contended that they were
as Arm in their attachment to the mosarehy end to the is-
ablution' of the country as any clam el Ow Majesty's
"objects.
This was mended by Mr. BLUM, a 'Domains, who
pointed out the hardships inflicted upon the respectable
mechanic sad artisan by the deprivation of their political
riot&
resolutios wee added unanimously.
Mr. T. BAUM moved the nazi resolution, as follows :
" That, in order to render my mamas of reform acceptable
to the
ibilet is the optima of this meeting that it mod,
by an tedsotica of the qualification to vote both
In couti and boroughs, enfranchise the great body of the
=solawaseundii. the meaties cordidezl
Ring
of the
in the bill of Mr. for the
• extensions of the county franchise recently rejected by the
; Housed Cam and in the bell of Mr. Baines now before
the lodise for red the qualifications in boroughs."
This wee by Mr. J. Assn, ass., and slats
amid sem coa.
• hewed other eddies,. were delivered during the evening,
and a petition to the House of Commas, embodying the
• sentiments of the meeting, was aped to, and was left with
• Mr. Hardeastle, formerly a liberal member of the bordello;
for presentation.

REFORM MARTINO AT HUDDERSFIELD.

1 On Tuesday evening, a meeting, called by the
Retrotion Society, was held in the Philow-
Bell, Hada:dield, for the purpose of considering
• ' r.B sines's bil for the ralectioe of the !trough franchise
to SC Mr. Bz=llcmiksos took the chair. Therein'
wt.?
The Rev. R. Bates moved the first resolution, which
was as follows :—" That this meeting, while expo:ing its
I regret that her Majesty's government has not fulfilled its
' pledgee on. the subjoin of parharnsutary reform, sad that
the Roues of Comas:Has has rejected Mr. Locke Ring's bill
for the extension of the county franchise, rejoices in the
introduction of Mr. Baines's measure for the extension of
the borough franchise, as an important step in the direction
of such a comprehensive reform as the country needs.*
Mr. Josaan RHODIE seconded the resolution.
LIATHAM, M.P., supported the resolution.
•Ms following resolutions were subsequently propose 4
and carried unanimously :—" That this meeting is of
opinion that the intelligence, morality, and patriotism of
the working classes, imperatively dammed such an eaten.
mica of the banchise as shall give to them gleam a fair
Aare in the electios of representative' to parliammit."
"That apetition embodying the
_previous resolutions be
immofflately prepared, and that Mr. Lmthem be respectfully
requested to present it to the Haase of Oacomees."