Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-01-13 00:00:00

THE REFORM MEETING IN BIRMINGHAM.,

The Reform meeting held in our Town-hall on Friday
last, partook in seine degree of thunatraoeof .a surprise.
It was an entertainment that nobody expected, and
nobody wanted. The requisition lay abort for a "gdod
while without attracting signatures, and when, with
much labour, these were obtained, very few of them
were presentable. The promoters of the meeting put
out a list containing perhaps 100 names, and announced
that 500 others were attached to the requisition. The
character of those not published may be inferred
from the few which were made known. These
comprised one magistrate, 20 aldermen and councillors,
and probably 25 other persons tolerably well known ;
but none of them can fairly be reckoned among
the leading inhabitants of the town. The platform at
the meeting showed an equal deficiency. Besides Alder-
men Baldwin and Sturge, and Mr. George Edmonds,
not a leader of the Liberal party was , present. Even
those who were most active and influential in securing
Mr. Bright's election absented themselves from the
meeting,—we have been told that they were not
consulted about it, the Ultra-Liberals having taken
the business into their own hands. Further, the _Daily
Post, very lately quite frantic in praise of Mr.
Bright and in advocating Reform, scarcely said a word
in reference to the meeting. So manifest was its
sin of omission that Mr. George Edmonds for-
mally complained of the neglect of duty on the part of
the press. These signs of apathy lead us to believe that
there must be a split among the Liberals of Binning-,
ham.; perhaps some of the most intelligent and respect-
able members of the' party find that, while high-sound-
ing democratic theories are pleasant enough, association
with ultra-democrats is a very different thing. Some of
them, we know, are sadly disappointed with Mr. Bright.
They thought his defeat at Manchester had rendered
him milder and more tolerant ; but finding him to
be the same man he ever was, they heartily wish
themselves well rid of him. We should not be
ranch surprised if, at the next election, a section
of the Liberals were to start another candidate.
Seme of oar contemporaries, we observe, exaggerate the
-importance of the meeting on Friday by over-estimating
the numbers present, which were variously set down at
from 6;000 to 8,000. Now, the Town-hall will not hold
anything ice either of these numbers. The greatest
umber the hall is capable of seating is under 3,000, and
the removal of the seats would not accommodate more
than 1,000, of at the most 1,500 in addition. Moreover,
Hen Friday night, the hall was not at any time inconve-
niently full, so that 4,000 would be a high estimate of
the number of persons present. The speaking was chiefly
remarkable for the contrast between the two mem-
bers. Mr. Scholefield's address was of the old. Liberal
type, moderate in tone, courteous to his opponents,
and judicious in statement. He professed himself
willing to accept a reasonable instalment of Reform,
even if the ballet be excluded ; repudiated any claim to
special virtue, or intelligence, or patriotism for the
working classes ; and candidly admitted that the House
of Commons, " with all its faults, is the noblest repre-
sentative assembly in the world," although he thonght—
as every true statesman also thinks—that it would be
improved if it comprised "some men who should be more
immediately the representatives of the working classes."
Mr. Scholefield further took occasion to express his dis-
belief in the assertion that the owners of property had
"manifested a desire to shift the burden of taxation
from their own shoulders to the shoulders of the indus-
trious classes." On this point he carefully guarded
himself from- agreement with Mr. Bright's recently
expressed views, and he also incidentally displayed
another point of discordance between himself and his
colleague by recognising the necessity for "keeping up
an efficient army and navy." It is impossible, in the
limits of a newspaper article, to deal with Mr. Bright's
lengthy and discursive speech, which was in effect, a
summary of the other speeches he has lately delivered
on Reform, with some statistical additions of the start-
ling" eider. For example, Mr. Bright sought to prove
that his own proposed bill . was a ;moderate measure,
because it was-deSignedao add only 2,00,000 voters to
the register, and would have left 20,000,000 of popu-
lation " as entirely unrepresented as if they lived in
the kingdom of Naples?' NVhat-does Mr. Blight mean?
We always understood that in his most liberal moments
he never proposed to go beyond manhood suffrage. Does
the assertion that even under his bill 20,000,000 Would
still be unrepresented imply that he would give a vote
to women and children ? He cannot pretend that there
are 25,000,000 of men in England. It is clear, how-
ever, that Mr. Bright is prepared' to sacrifice his own
bill—that - tender bantling which he exhibited with
paternal pride on so many platfoims last Year. He is
willing to replace it by a neketty measure of Lord John
Russell's' provided Lord John and his colleagues will
let him have that particular panacea for all political
evils which is described as " a £5 rating or a .£6,
rental in boroughs, and a £lO rental in counties."
Mr. Bright ignores the ballot, but insists on a liberal re-
distribution of seats; but lie evidently has great doubts
of getting the full measure for which he aski, 'for he
proceeds to' hreaten ministers with severe punishment
for contumacy. Mr. Bright, however, reckons some-
what too fast. He imagines that the Conserva-
tives will assist the Radicals to turn out ministers.
He will, we believe,' find himself entirely mistaken.
If the Government should bring, forward a bill in
which it is possible for Conservatives to concur, that
bill, however distasteful to Mr. Bright and his
friends, will be passed into- law ; for, as parties at
present stand, it is the Conservatives who will pass or
reject the Reform Bill. They will not be likely to
accept a measure which would please Mr. Bright, nor,
we believe, will ministers dream of proposing such a
hill. Mr. Bright must therefore, really make up his
mind to take what lie can get, resting, assured, also,
that he will get but a very moderate proportion of what
he asks. In all probability the question will be settled
next session, and with a House of Coinmons in which
the Conservatives are outnumbered but by a handful,
there can be little fear that an extravagant measure will
be adopted.-1 irmingha Gazette.

THE VALUE OF RIFLEMEN.-Mr. Mclierdy, a gen-
tleman speaking to -a volunteer meeting on Saturday, at
Lesmahagow, told the following anecdote :—' Many
year's ego, when travelling on the continent, I had as
servant an old Prussian soldier, who related to me the

folloWing remarkable eireninsiance :-.--InlBl3 or 11314,
he belonged to a corps of 'l,OOO men of all arms
operating as a guard on the right bank of the Rhine,
while the French were in possession, of the, country on
the left of the river. The season was early in autumn,
when the weather was delightful, and the harvest just
gathered in. One afternoon the corps bivouacked near the
river, for the advantage of water ; and the place' was
considered perfectly safe from attack, as the opposite
bank was a vast plain of corn stubble, without a single
fence as far as the eye could reach : an advancing army,
therefore. could be more easily seen. The river was
unfordable and about 200 yards broad. The troops,
therefore, considered themselves perfectly secure from
attack, and set about preparing their supper, and
making themselves comfortable for the night, *hen. a
shot was heard from the oppoSite bank, and a cry from
the bivouac that a man was wounded. Eveiy soldier
started instantly to his legs, and, looked across-the
river, bat no one could see even the vestige of an enemy,
which greatly surprised all, as these was no covert, and
the yellow stubble was especially well adapted to show
the smallest object for a considerable distance, from the
river. While the whole corps were thus gazing, a puff
of smoke was seen to rise about yards from the brink
of the stream, followed by the report of a rifle, and
another soldier dropped wounded. In a moment, with-
out the command of an officer,.about 100 men.rashed
to the edge of the water, and commenced firing at
the spot from.whence the shots came, although nothing
but the stubble was to be seen. Soon after there was
another report, followed by the fall ,of another man,
which so exasperated the whole force that nearly every
soldier set about firing at the spot 'from which.the puffs
of smoke were seen to arise. By this time all were
convinced the mischief was done by a single rifleman.
More shots followed, and more men fell; so that the
officer in command had serious thoughts of moving the
encampment; but the feeling of shame that so strong a
forceas 1,000, men should be driven. off by one soldier,
Caused him to hesitate, until eighteen shots had been
fired by the rifleman, and seventeen men were killed or
wounded, when, to the great satisfaction of all, a man
was seen to spring from the stubble, a lucky shot having
killed him ; but this did not take place until many
thousands had been fired at him. Here is an evidence
of the power of the rifle. The man had lain down in a
slight hollow, so small that it-was not perceptible across
the river, and there brought down seventeen men, while
he lay in almost perfect safety, having
nearly routed a
little army,"