The Sun.
London, England, 1865-06-30 00:00:00

LEEDS.

Mr. Baines and Lord Amberley addressed ameet-
ing of several thousand persons last night in the
Cloth-hall.

Mr. BAINES gave an account of the votes he had
given during the last six years, and vindicated his
support of the Government and their domestic and
foreign policy. He said Lord Derby's Reform Bill
would have spread the franchise among the upper
and middle classes, but would have scarcely touched
the working classes at all. He did not think him-
self dishonoured by the reception which his £6
franchise bill had met with. People had so im-
proved in knowledge and virtue that it was impos-
sible to maintain that artificial line which would
exclude three-fourths of the people from the fran-
chise. All sensible people said it must be extended,
and the principle he proposed would not admitmore
than one in three in boroughs, and Mr. Locke King's
one in five in counties ; it would only be an instal-
ment, and in England gradual changes were pre-
ferred. Under a £6 franchise the same class of
men as now would be returned. He would not say
what he should do in future, but his views were un-
changed. He invited those disposed to plump for
him to split for Lord Amberley, so that Leeds should
no longer be a nonentity in the House of Commons.
Lord AMBERLEY came forward solely because
he claimed to represent the ltading doctrines of
the Liberal party. He referred to the death of
Mr. Cobden and the assassination of Mr. Lincoln.
Each of these men sprung from obscurity, and each
pursued with unwearying zeal his country's good ;
each was rewarded with ultimate success in the
achievement of his patriotic purpose. (cheers.) Un-
fortunately, legality of secession could only be settled
by arbitrament of war. Terrible as that arbitra-
ment had been, he thought the happiness of the
result called for congratulation ; that result had
been more conducive to the interests of humanity
than if war had terminated a few years since, for
the people of the North had undergone the process
of education, and had come to see most completely
the emancipation of the slaves. (Cheers.) He
criticised the speeches of Mr. Lowe and Mr. Hors-
man in the debate on Mr. Baines's Franchise Bill.
It had been said that there was no logical necessity
for stopping at £6. The House of Commons was
the last body in the country likely to be guided by
logical necessity. The £lO franchise appeared to be
regarded as one of the most essential safeguards of
the Constitution, and only a short time ago it was
part of that revolutionary measure, the Reform
Act. (Cheers.) If the £6 franchise were introduced
he did not see why the same power of resistance
should not be enlisted on its behalf as was enlisted
now on behalf of the £lO. Mr. Baines' Bill was a
measure which conciliated different sections of the
Liberal party; but the Conservatives said, " You
don't intend to stop there." However, if the bill
was passed, the Liberals would not be invested with
despotic power, still there would be the same secu-
rity against passing extreme or dangerous measures
as at present. A great deal was said about its being
a step on the road to democracy ; that word " de-
mocracy" was held up as a bugbear to terrify the
House of Commons, but this country in its essential
character was a democracy already. What was about
to take place ? The country was to have an oppor-
tunity of reconsidering the choice of its represen-
tatives. The new House of Commons would have the
power of deciding upon the continuance in office of
the present Government. Therefore, the House of
Commons elected by the people had virtually power
of appointing the Ministry. If, then, democracy
meant Government by the people, this was a demo-
cracy already, and there was no reason to fear demo-
cracy here. (Cheers.) The giving of the suffrage
to a greater or smaller number was a matter of de-
tail, and not of principle. The effect on the English
Constitution was that no Government should hope
to remain in power any length of time against the
opinion of the nation. (Hear, hear.) lie concluded
by saying he and Mr. Baines stood entirely on the
same principles and the same ground, and should
they be elected they would support the same mea-
sures. (Cheers.)
The meeting almost unanimously pledged itself
to carry their election.