The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-29 00:00:00

Reform Demonstration at Bradford.

BRADFORD, Thursday Night.
A large meeting has been held to-night in the Mechanics'
Institute, called by the committee of the Liberal Registra•
tion Society, to consider the present position of the liberal
party with respect to the reform question and the approach-
ing general election. Several leading liberals of the town
were on the platform, The room was well filled. Alder-
man Brown occupied the chair ; and, in commencing the
business of the evening said, after explaining the circum-
stances under which the meeting was called, that they all
felt the liberal party was not now in a proper position.
(Hear, hear,) They felt that they had been deceived,
and therefore their position at the present moment
was not what it was at the time of the last general election.
He expressed his sense of obligation to Mr. Barnes, M.P.,
for that gentleman's recent able letter advocating extension
of the franchise. After some further remarks he called upon

Mr. J. PRIESTMAN to move the first resolution—" That
this meeting, considering that the unsatisfactory character
of the Reform Bill proposed by Lord Derby was the imme-

diate cause which led to the dissolution of the last Parlia-
ment, that the present Government came into power, and
that the Liberal members of the present Parliament were
returned on the express condition that they would carry a
substantial and honest measure of Parliamentary reform,
hereby expresses its disappointment and indignation at the
indifference and bad faith which have betrayed the just hopes
of the people and frustrated the expectations which inspired
the Liberal party at the last elections." Mr. Priestman, in
the course of his observations, declared it as his conviction
that if the working men had received the franchise 20 years
since, the country would never have been burdened with
taxation in the manner it was at present through the increase
of expenditure. The pecuniary benefit of the repeal of the
corn laws had been totally lost to the country, for while an
annual gain of 20 millions had accrued the expenditure had
since increased to about the same amount. With reference
to the Danish-German question, it would be a very foolish
action for England to go to war to preserve the balance of
power, for if it was settled to-day it would be disturbed
again to-morrow. He concluded by urging social reform
on the working men. If that were attended to, they would
soon have an extension of the franchise in their own hands.
Mr. ROBERT KELL, in seconding the motion, strongly
denied what he said had been stated, that the meeting had
been called to consider the ousting of Mr. Foster from the
representation of the town. He proceeded to review the
action of Parliament in relation to reform from the rejec-
tion of Lord Derby's Reform Bill. Lord Palmerston, by
pledging himself to a large measure or reform, lulled the
country into a sense of security and confidence that such
reform would be granted, but in his belief Lord Palmerston
had not one drop of liberal blood in him. (Applause.) If
they determined to stand it no longer, the present rotten
system was doomed. He urged both electors and non-elec-
tors to agitate in the matter.

Mr. J. WILKINSON, a working man, supported the mo-
tion,
strongly condemning the workingmen for their apathy, 111
and denouncing the present House of Commons.
After some remarks from Mr. Greenwood, another work-
ing man, Mr. R. Moss, and Mr. Sharp, defending the
working classes,
The CILkIRMAN put the resolution, which was unani-
mously carried.
Mr. Councillor Moss moved the second resolution, which
was as follows :—" That this meeting, believing that the
continuance of such anomalies end iniquities as church
rates, the Irish church, and the enormous expenditure and
unequal taxation of the country, is directly due to the in-
adequate extent to which the people are represented in the
House of Commons, recognises a large extension of the
franchise as a step absolutely necessary to any further pro-
gress, and essential to the realisation of the acknowledged
aims and objects of the liberal party." He argued from
the treatment in the House of Commons of the questions
mentioned in the resolution, that the Liberal party, so called,
was now absolutely powerless for any good in the House of
Commons, All those questions which had formerly been
firmly supported in the House of Commons by the Liberals
were now contemptuously treated, and yet the Liberals
were still in power. The only remedy for such a state of
things was an extension of the suffrage.
Mr. B. HAuntsox seconded the motion, vigorously de-
nouncing the conduct of the Liberals. They were told the
working men were not sufficiently educated to receive the
franchise, but in his belief the more educated and more
polite they grew the less chance would they have of obtain-
ing what they wanted. 'heir only chance was in demand-
ing it firmly.
Mr. Alderman GoDWIN maintained that it would have
been better to pray for reform on the broad basis of the just
rights of the working classses, and not to have specified any
particular questions.
Mr. A. ILLlNGwortnt defended the resolution. Simply
to claim reform on abstract grounds would lead to no result.
Mr, B. WAINWRIGHT defended the resolution, which,
after some words from the mover and seconder, was put to
the meeting and carried, with the introduction of the
words, " and the delay in dealing with other important
subjects." _ _

After the enumeration of questions deserving attention,
Mr. Alderman FIRTH moved the next resolution, which
was as follows :—" That this meeting, regarding the pro-
posed bill of Mr. Baines for a a franchise in towns, and
that of Mr. Locke King for a £lO franchise in counties, as
affording a favourable opportunity for testing the sincerity
of the Liberal members prior to the next general election,
calls on the Liberal party throughout the country for a
renewed and energetic effort in support of those measures,
and urges strongly upon the unenfranchised to show by a
firm and unanimous demonstration of opinion that they
will no longer submit to be deprived of their just share of
national representation." The demands made in the reso-
lution were, he considered, mild and moderate. Some of
those before him might wish to go further than this, but if
they got these measures they might soon go further. Ho
denounced the present system of taxation as unfair to the
working classes, clumsy, and expensive, and he believed an
extension of the franchise would have the effect of remedy-
ing this state of things.
Mr. Alderman KENNION seconded the motion. He re-
garded the behaviour of the Government and the House of
Commons as highly blameable, but the people deserved
blame for not agitating for what they wanted. However,
they might remedy their fault of the past in the future
The present time was the best suited for a measure of re-
form.

The resolution was then put to the meeting, and unani-
mously carried.

Mr. Alderman LAW moved that a petition embodying the
foregoing resolutions be prepared and signed by the chair-
man and sent to Mr. Wickham, M. t'., for promentation, and
that Mr. Forster be requested to support it.
Mr. Alderman SMITH, in seconding the motion, regretted
that the resolutions did not go far enough, and alluded to
co-operation as a proof of the fitness of working men to re-
ceive the franchise. The notion was unanimously can-ied.
A vote of thanks to Mr. Brown, for his services in the
chair, brought the proceedings to a close.

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