The Sun.
London, England, 1852-02-03 00:00:00

EVENING-,

TUESDAY

forward. He had always done so; but at the same
time ho was free to confess that though he might vote
in favour of something far short of what he believed
to be needful and desirable, yet he would accept no-
thing as a final measure.—(Hear, hear.) They had
done with such nonsense as that; but they would
take whatever they could get, in order that they
might be able to go on to obtain that which the
people had a right to.---(Hear and cheers.) What he
wanted was a real, not a sham representation of the
people, and those who wished that the people should
be completely and fully represented must vote for the
ballot.--(hear, bear, and cheers.) By that test he
would try all reformers ; those who were not for the
ballot were not real reformer,. They might wish the
people to appear to be represented, but in reality
they desired that this landowner or that millowner,
and not the people, should return Members to
Parliament.—(Cries of " Hear, hear.") Give him all
the rest of the demands made by the association, and
they would be incomplete and imperfect without the
ballot. He could not say that he had always voted
for the ballot, for he confessed that he had been for-
merly opposed to that mode of voting, on the ground
that a man ought not to discharge in secret a great
public duty. But reflection and consideration had
slowly but surely brought him to the conviction that
without the ballot there was no real representation.
—(Hear.) Let them take care that in any measure
that might be passed by the Legislature the ballot
should be at all events included.—(Hear, bear, and
cheers.) The Noble Lord, in company with Sir B.
Hall, then retired from the meeting.
Mr. CHARLES FREETH moved the following resolu-
tion :
" That the Prime Minister of the Crown, having sig-
nified his intention to introduce a measure of Parlia-
mentary Reform during the ensuing session, the people
should lose no time in giving an effective expression to
their wishes; and this meeting would therefore declare
that any measure which does not extend the franchise to
every occupier of a house or part of a house, protect the
voter by the ballot, shorten the duration of Parliaments,
re-arrange the electoral districts, and abolish the
Mpro-
perty qualification required of
embers, will fail to sa-
tisfy the just expectations of the people, be effectual in
preventing injustice and intimidation at elections, and
will not effectuate a full and free representation of the
people in the Commons House of Parliament."
.1. Admiral NAPIER seconded the resolution. He had
always been a free-trader and reformer, and he re-
mained so still ; but be confessed that his views were
more enlightened on those subjects than they were
seven years ago, when he would not have been pre-
pared to go so far as he was at present. He was now
ready to assert that any measure of reform would be
incomplete without the ballot.—(Hear.) There was
a reform in one matter which had not been men-
tioned, by which more money was taken out of the
pockets of the people of England than by any other
means—he alluded to the naval estimates.—(Hear,
hear.) Last year these estimates amounted to nearly
6,000,0001., and at the present moment we had only
one fully-manned ship of war on the English shore,
and she was about to be sent to the Mediterranean.
The country was not protected at present, but that
was not the fault of Abe people, who paid their
tore', but of those who managed their money
—(Hear, hear.) He was not a rich man, but
be would give 5001. to be in Parliament during
this session in order that he might show the helpless
w
state in which the country was placed at present, and
its liability to have a descent made upon it by Louis
Napoleon.—(Hear, and No, no.) Persons might
say "No;" but after the manner in which Louis
Napoleon had treated his own country, it was im-
possible to say.what attempt be might not make upon
us, assisted with an army of 400,000 men.—(Hear.)
Sir J. HARE spoke to the resolution, which was put
and carried unanimously; as was also the following,
which was proposed by Mr. P. Graham, seconded by
Mr. Mitchell :

"That theMombers for the borough of Marylebone
are hereby respectfully requested to use their utmost
endeavours to obtain a reform of the Commons Rouse of
Parliament, and to impress upon the House the strong
desire that exists in the parish for such reform, in ac-
cordance with the principles of the N. ational Parliamen-
tary and Financial Reform ASSOCIatIOII.,
The meeting was afterwards addressed by the Rev.
Mr. Burns, Mr. Yates, Mr. Smith, and other speakers,
and a petition to Parliament was agreed to. The

proceedings terminated with a vote of thanks to the
chairman.

THE NATIONAL LAND COMPANY.
__Yesterday a meeting in this matter was held in
ice-Chancellor Kindersley's court, before Mastery
in Chancery Humpbry, M.P. for the general exami-
nation of Mr.PergusO'Conno; the directors and other."
to inquire into the management and financial transac-
tions connected with the company's affairs under the
Act company,
of Parliament passed to dissolve the to
dispose of the lands and property belonging to
it,
and generally to wind up its affairs. The hour fixed
tor the meeting was ten o'clock, at which time all
parties, with the exception of Mr. O'Connor, who
had been summoned, were present, and some twenty
minutes elapsed before that gentleman, accompanied
by his solicitor, appeared and took his seat under-
neath the woolsack. The court was extremely
crowded throughout the day.
Mr. Roxburgh, who appeared as counsel in support
of the official manager, commenced the proceedings
the o
with a short history ofcompany's operationF, ob-
jects, and present state of affairs. It was started in
1845, wider the title of the " Chartist Co-operative
Land Society," to purchase land and locate members,
upon such terms as might enable them by moderate
industry to live in comparative comfort and inde-
dendence. The title of th
after-
wards changed to that of the undertaking was
"National Land Com-
pany." A number of estates e
made, and members located, Were bought, allotments
and a large number
branches were established
kingdom. The object of in variousgparts of the
of
th
examine the originators elide Present inquiry was a
with reference to the accounts,directors of the scheme
application of the moneys received and the amount and
company, to put the afficial on account of the
information to enable him to
manager iu possession of
Parliament.°
of the Act of carry out the provisions
of Mr. Goodchap, the „Since the appointment
court, that gentleman and manager of the
his solicitors, Messrs.
Tucker and Sons, had
estates, and had obtained gon over all the
as possible, but this was found as
a personal as
me uch information
to be of so deficient
a description that
parties became absolutely examination of the
had been subscribed and necessary. A large sum
five different estates expendedamounting in the purchase of
estates were the Herringsgai to 100,000/. These
the O'Connorville estate, el or, as it is now called,
Minster Level estate, the Ln Rickmansworth; the
at Snig's End, and the Great wbands estate, the estate
ascertain object now was to the Dodford estate. The
re-
ceived, how, where, and by
whom, amount of money
to its ultimate application, an, and with reference
crden-s with this view he pro
posed to examine Mr.
:or in detail.
Mr. O'Connor was then worn and examined for
nearly five hours, but as his
evidence was principally
a recapitulation of of that give
before the House of
Commons Committee on
etheseorencasion of their inquiry
into the matter, it is unn3a
to repeat it here. He
deposed that he did not know
received on behalf of the com how much money was
1846, but stated several
ti,
_Patty between 1845 and
of these transactions
gizir rer that the accounts
f, appeared
at intervals in the Northern
were Star, and recently
iu the Daily News. There
of these matters in the lodcre_, no doubt, entries
pany, the directors of sahin'h's, of the Land Com-
neverne would trust with
anything, and they had
defrauded the com-
pany of a farthing. He had never
seen these books.
He was now a creditor to the Company to the extent
of 7,505/. It appeared in the
haderse of the
evi-
dence that some of the estatesbeen sold since
the Act of Parliament prohibiting the diosal of
them passed; and he (Mr. O'Connor)
by Lord Campbell and Sir J. Polloo, had been
thathe
e toldha
d a
right to sell them, and put all thet Money in his
pocket—though he believed that
declaration
was then was before the Act passed. Witness at
Whaeseexereised in the
ex-
amined as to the general powers
thalled upon to
purchase and sale of lands, and
produce receipts and vouchers for
could not ; invariably referring the Coe same, but
questions being put, to an account urt, these
the money
on
transactions he had published in the Dailf o
Y News and
Northern: Star. He was also questioned as to the
particulars of the respective allotments on the various
estates, but he gave no definite information on a ma-
jority of them. When the Land and Labour Bank
was proposed in connexion with the La
he protested against is, and the bank ad Company,
had new failed,
owing 4,0001.
-
Mr. Roxburgh—Can you inform us, Mr. O'Con-
nor, how it was that portions of the Great
estate that had been sold by you do not app
Dodford
was required in the schedule to the Act aPPear, as
ment ? Mr. O'Connor--I think it is thereof Perna-
Mr. Roxburgh—You had better look at the Act
This is such a gigantic scheme that we h
8 all get con-
fused if we are not careful.
Mr. O'Connor—lt is a gigantic scheme, sir, and I
have been greatly confused by it.
Mr. Roxburgh—lt would appear, from the various
accounts to the House of Commons, that you have re-
ceived 16,000/. on account of the company Since
I dare lB4B ?
il Mr. O'Connor—Yes, more than that,
Mr. Roxburgh—Well, what have you say.
clonehave with
it ? Mr. O'Connor—All the accounts
been
published in the Daily News and Northern
,Star.
Mr. Roxburgh—But we cannot find any materials
in them to test the correctness of the statements they
conta.n.
Mr. O'Connor—lt is published :word for
word in
the Daily News. I got the particulars from the
passbook of the Gloucestershire Bank. 1
may state, in this movement spent 150,0001. have, I
to im-
prove and elevate the condition of the people, and
au) abused for it, whereas if a middleman or a
nubleman 'had done it, it would have
been very
different! If Prince Albert had t buil
these cot.