The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-23 00:00:00

The FrA,nehio.

4.-
Last evening the "unenfranchised masses" were invited
to a meeting in the Freemasons' Hall, Great Queen-street,
to claim the franchise for all not morally or intellectually
disqualified. Mr F. nettles, M.A., occupied the chair, and
he Wb littpported by Mr Nicholay, Mr 'Washington Wilke,
Mr George Jacob Holyoake, Mr Odgers, and others Well
known iu connection with political and trade agitation.
Letters were read from Liberal members of Parliatteht Who
had been solicited to attend, but who, from various causes,
had not accepted the invitation. Among these letters was
one from Mr John Bright, who said "I think you are quite
right to move for manhood suffrage) for that is what you
must approve, and it would be alesurb for Working leen to
propose a erhette, Which would exclude three out of four of
them Iran the franchise. I think the people everywhere
should ask for what they want, but at the same time 1 would
recommend that they who ask for much should not regard
as enemies and opponents those who ask for lees, By a com-
bined and friendly movement we shall get something, and
that once gained is never lost again, but becomes an additional
power to obtain more. I think the time is near when we shall
see another step in the path of reform. The present Govern-
ment lives only on the name of its chief Minister. It it can
survive his time of office, it can only be by adopting liberal
principles and by keeping to them and acting on them. We
are every day nearing the time when the House of Commons
must undergo another change, and that change will be
largely in the direction of what is popular. In this I see a
botter day for our country and for the great people' hitherto
excluded from political rights. In the contest which is ap-
proaching, I hope I need not say you may calculate on my
hearty exertions in your favour." These views were loudly
cheered, as were those given by Mr Potter, M,P., Mr W.
Cox, M.P., and other gentlemen. The chairman,in the course
of a lengthy speech, expressed his hearty sympathy with
the cause of the unenfranchised, and said that in his belief
the government of the country would be carried on better
than it is if the working classes had a greater amount of
power. Mr Leno, a working man, in the course of a tempo-
rate speech, proposed the following motion That this
meeting is of opinion that the existing limitation of the
right to vote in the election of members of the House of
Commons is most unjust to the people of this great country,
and a gross violation of the true principle of representation,
by depriving of the franchise millions who contribute to the
real strength and wealth of the nation, and who, as liable
to the duties and obligations of citizens, have as well founded
a right to the franchise as those to whom it is now caprici-
ously restricted.' Mr Nicholay seconded the motion, and
said this was the time for this agitation, as Parliament was
about to die a natural death ; and he urged the working men
to mark well the names of those who had voted against Mr.
Baines's motion on the franchise and against the ballot.
The present Government, he reminded his hearers, had
come into power pledged to reform—a pledge, he said, which
had been forgotten. His motto was—' No taxation without
representation.' He urged that if the working men could
as volunteers he intrusted with arms, they could be trusted
with the vote ; and, in conclusion, he expressed his willing-
ness to take his seat in the Senate-house' for the sake of
the working men. Mr W. T. Malleson supported the mo-
tion, and said the fact of Mr Coningsby, of Penge, writing
to the Times declaring that he did not want the franchise,
was the exception which proved the rule that the working
men desired it. The reselution was then carried unani-
mously. Mr G. Howell, another working man, proposed
the second resolution, which was as follows That in
the opinion of this meeting, the time has arrived when the
unenfranchised masses of the people of this country should
be admitted to a share in the right of election of members
of the House of Commons, by that right being extended
to all resident and registered male persons of sound
mind and unconvicted of crime.' The mover quoted
' Blackstone' to show that, in the opinion of that great legal
authority. every man was entitled to the vote, an opinion,
the speaker said, which was also held by Jeremy Bentham.
He added that the working men, though they had not agi-
tated in lawless assemblies for the vote, had not the less
thought of the injustice which kept them from their right.
He said he had read ' Plato,' as well as Mr Coningsby, but
had learnt a different lesson from that learnt by the person
named, for he had been taught to take his stand as a man
for the right to which he was entitled. Capt. D. Rogers
seconded the resolution, which was supported by Mr Wash-
ington Wilke, who in the course of a long speech argued
that to debar the working man from the iranchise was to
lower him in his own eyes, and degrade him in the presence
of his fellow-citizens. The resolution was then carried
unanimously. The concluding resolutions laid down steps
for organising committees to confer with members of Parlia-
ment on the opinions expressed in the first two resolutions,
A vote of thanks to the chairman concluded the proceeding