The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-15 00:00:00

Professor Fawcett on Parliamentary Reform.

On Monday evening Professor Fawcett delivered a lec-
ture in the Town Hall, Brighton, on Parliamentary Re-
form. The large room WAS crowded with an aurience
composed chit fly of working men, but which included a
tolerable sprinkling of ladies.
The PROFESSOR, on ascending the platform. was greeted
with enthusiastic applause, and the feeling exhibited during
the address was of the warmest description. In the course
of his address he intimated repeatedly his strong attach.
meat to the cause of the working men, and the necessity of
an extension of the suffrage so as to include them, and he
pledged himself, on account of the fidelity of his supporters
at the last election and the increased support he was pro-
mised at every visit to Brighton, to stand as candidate at
the next election. In concluding his lecture Professor
Fawcett said he had now merely touched the fringe of the
subjeot,but he hoped to have future opportunities of explain-
ing his opinions in detail. (Cheers.) He would just tell
them now briefly his opinion as to the redistribution of seats
which must accompany an extension of the franchise. He
would not disfranchise small boroughs, but ho would
group them together, so that every market town in the
kingdom should be represented. In this way he believed
many advantages would be gained. If four or five small
boroughs were grouped together, we should bring together
four or five prominent landholders, who each had a special
interest clashing with that of the others, and in such a way
the boroughs might be ma de independent. (Hear, hear,
and cheers) The line must be drawn somewhere ; and, if
an artificial and arbitrary line were drawn, it would always
present a case for fresh agitation. If it was said that all
boroughs having less than 6,000 population should be dis-
franchised, an argument would at once be raised that the
line should be drawn at the 6,605 populations, and so on.
By his plan he believed the great inequality at present
existing between the county and borough representation
would be removed. He did not pledge himself to the plan,
but he thought it worthy of consideration, and should be
glad to hear their opinion of it.
Mr TATIIAI4I proposed, and Mr W. D. SAVAGE seconded,
a vote of thanks to Professor Fawcett, which was carried
all but unanimously, Mr Macfarlane bolding up a hand to
L the contrary. Enthusiastic acclamation succeeded.
' Professor FAWCETT having briefly acknowledged the
compliment, and renewed his pledge to become a candidate,
the meeting broke up amid renewed cheering.
Lieut.-Colonel FAWCETT, in introducing the professor,
took occasion to wish him every happiness in his approach-
ing marriage.

THE FRACAS AT BADEN-BADEN.---A Baden
letter written the day after the late disturbance
mentions that the irritation of the previous day had gradu-
ally died away. In the evening the public were observed
to be still excited, and would easily have taken offence, but
the croupiers of the bank were of extreme politeness, and
appeared to have received orders not to give the slightest
pretext for a repetition of the scene of the previous day.
The official who had given offence was replaced by another,
and satisfaction is said to have been offered to the person
who was so brutally expelled. The administration of the
gaming establishment is anything but pleased with the in-
cident, as it has driven from the tables the moat respectable
players, just at the moment of the races, when the number
of strangers is largest. In the race week the bank generally
makes a profit of about a million francs, but that sum will
fall tar short this year,

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