The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-27 00:00:00

National Reform Union,

A public meeting in connection with this union was hold
in the Assembly loom at the Free Trade Hall last evening
—Mr G. WILSON in the Chair. There was a numerous
attendance.
The CHAIRMAN in opening the proceedings, said they
oharged the House of Commons with not having fulfilled
the pledge which had been given to the country on the
question of parliamentary reform. He was not aware when
Parliament would dissolve--some people said a dissolution
was expected to take place very shortly—but he could not
think that the House of Commons would dissolve without
making an effort to give effect to the engagements it had
entered into. He trusted that it would show it had not out-
lived its honour, and that it would take some step to pre.
vent the historian having to record of it that it was born
at a period of great promise, that during the first two years
of its existence it exhibited great strength and vitality, and
that towards the end of its days it showed physical weak-
ness, and died when the sands of life had run out, leaving•
the object of its life unaccomplished,and bequeathing to us,
instead of a noble inheritance of regained rights, a legacy
of disappointed hopes. (Applause,)
Mr Alderman HEYWOOD moved a resolution urging
upon all reformers the importance of combined action in
demanding an extensive measure of reform, and of esta-
blishing branches in connection with the association. He
implored those persons who had the opportunity and
possessed the desire to aid the movement to use their boa
endeavours in order to provide such machinery that at the
next election they might be prepared to make a better se•
lection of men than those who now occupied the benches in
the House of Commons.

Mr J. W. MELLort, of Oldham, in secondin the resolu-
tion, said that Whigs and Tories alike had promised feform,
but they had dene little or nothing towards that object,
Messrs R. Cooper and J. B. Torr having been heard in
support of the resolution,
Mr S. POPE said that meeting was held for the purpom
of banding themselves together, not only for mutual enthu-•
siasm and action, but also to purge their own ranks from
the rottenness that had crept into them. (Applause.)
They owed the defeat of the Reform Bill of 1560 not to their
opponents only, but to the treachery and supineness of those
who pretended to be their friends. The effect of Mr Glud-
stone's speech had not entirely subsided, and it was now
acknowledged by the administration of the country that'
the true principle on which the extension of political
power must rest was that the exercise of that power was
the right of every man. (Applause.) Reformers de-
manded that right. It would be a mistake to propose a
compromise. There was an election coming, and t.he
question then for reformers to answer would be--Were theyr
to be deluded by fair promises, or were they to secure,
at all events, some representation of their principles in Par-
liament. He was not sure that it was necessary that the
real radical reform party in the house of Commons should
be in the majority; a minority under th• 3 present aspect of
the question could make it imperative upon the Govera-
ment to listen to the demands of the people. It would be fax
more important it they were to band themselves together
for the sake of securing adequate support to the indepen-
dent men, such as the member for Birmingham, who sit
below the gangway. What was the meaning of the itp-
preaching dissolution? It was that the Government and
the house had no principle, had nothing upon which to ap-
peal to the country bat the personal popularity of the most"
unprincipled statesman that ever ruled, (Applause.) Had
Lord Palmerston done anything for the Liberal party? Bo
had demoralised it. (Hear, ilea.) lie (Ur Pope) lzird
that the Radicals would have no terms with the W•lm'g-
.
whatever. 1 here were no politicians so absolutely danger-
ous and fatal to political returin as the Whigs. iA-PPlau"
Alderman GOLDSI3I- said that what the people bad gaine d
they had gained by their own efforts. The Whigs only
helped them throuLh they could thereby serve their w
selfish interests.

A vote of thanks having been accorded to the chairman,
.he proceedings terminated.

Messrs. Coutts and Co• have received £5OO for
the National Life-boat Institution, from a friend, by L
hands of L,