The Sun.
London, England, 1854-03-02 00:00:00

THE REFORM BILL.

A meeting of Messrs. Gibson and Bright's election
committee was held at the League-rooms, Newall's-
buildings, Manchester, on Monday evening, preparatory
to holding a larger and more public meeting, for the pur-
pose of considering the provisions of the new Reform
Bill. Mr. G. Wilson was in the chair. The principal
speaker was Mr. Bright, M.P., who discussed the pro-
visions of the bill at great length. He complained that,
whereas a 101. householder need only have been in
possession for a year, the term was three years
in the case of a Cl. householder ; that a man,
drawing 3/. out of his 501. deposit in a savings-bank to
apprentice his child, for instance, was to lose his right
to vote ; that it would rest with employers whether
their men, receiving 2/. a-week, should have votes,
because it would be for them to choose whether they
would make advances for current necessities, and pay
the balance quarterly ; and that the different franchises
were too complex, and no one would know to whom he
ought to object. He observed that some of the disfran-
chised boroughs are perfectly pure, and some perfectly
free ' • and you might give members to large bodies under
such circumstances that a very few sitting at a private
dinner-table shall decide who are to be members. The
bill, he insisted, shows an innate hostility to popular re-
presentation, and a distrust of the people. Seats are to be
given to the inns of court, he said, not because lawyers
are wanted, but to prevent more seats being bestowed on
the large towns. The announcement that there were
not to be more members for the metropolitan boroughs
was cheered by the Opposition. Though counties
with a few more than 100,000 people were to have an
additional member, Lancashire was not to have an in-
crease proportioned to its vast numbers. A man
accepting office ought to go before his constituents ;
a minister ought to have their confidence as well as
the confidence of the Crown. The object of the mino-
rity-representation clause, he said, was to give the
Whigs some of the 46 new county seats ; but Whig
county members were of a class that only put a drag on
a Liberal Government, as much so as if they were
Tories. Why, again, were eight or nine great towns to
send a member to Parliament to vote in opposition to
their opinions ? It was most ungrateful to those eight
or nine towns, which had been mainly instrumental
in doing everything on which Lord J. Russell now
defended the passing of the Reform Bill of 1832. Mino•
rities were already so well represented, that a Govern-
ment could get but a narrow majority. But this clause
was the pivot of the bill, and without it the bill would
insure a Tory majority. The clause, however, was
objected to by the Liberal members. The truth was,
that the distribution of members was so arranged in the
bill as to give power to the territorial interest. The bill
would not give a representation in accordance with the
opinions of the great bulk of the people ; and he had no
wish to see the measure pass into a law. Other gentle-
men followed Mr. Bright, complaining of various parts
of the bill ; and it was arranged to have a general meet-
in.-0 of the committee, which consists of 1,600 or 1,800
persons, to consider the steps to be taken.

The Simoom, screw troop-frigate, Captain Smith,
steamed out of harbour this day about noon, with the
Ist Battalion of the Scots Fusilier Guards on board for
Malta. Thousands of the inhabitants crowded the walls
of the garrison and the Victoria and Albert Piers to give
a parting cheer to the gallant Fusiliers as they emerged
from the mouth of the harbour.
ARRIVAL OF REAR-ADMIRAL CORRY.
The Odin 16, steam-frigate. Captain Scott, arrived at
Spithead this morning between seven and eight o'clock
from Dover, whether she had been ordered by Rear-Ad-
miral Corry to precede him on parting company with
him on the 23d ult., in lat. 44 N., long. 13 W., at noon.
She saluted the flag of the Commander-in-Chief of the
port, and then Captain Scott came in to deliver the list
of defects of the squadron which he had been furnished
with prior to leaving. The squadron hove in sight at
noon to-day round Bembridge-ledge, and stood up for
Spithead, where they anchored at half-past one. The
Prince Regent was towed by the Imperieuse. The
squadron was ordered, by signal, not to moor. The
Admiral was making direct to the Downs when he was
signalled last night, about seven o'clock, by the steamer
sent in search of him, who bore down and gave the Ad-
miral the new orders to make all speed for this port,
where we now have anchored—

Guns.
The Princess Royal, Captain Lord Clarence
Paget, flag of Vice-Admiral Sir Charles
Napier, K.C.B. 9l
The Prince Regent, Captain Hutton, flag •f
Rear-Admiral of the White A. L. Corry 9O
The Blenheim, Captain Hewlett, flag of Rear-
Admiral of the Blue H. D. Chads, C.B.
The St. Jean D'Acre, Captain the Hon. Henry
Keppel lOl
The Boscawen, Captain Glanville
The Hogue, Captain Ramsay 6O
The Imperieuse, Captain Watson, C.B 5l
The Arrogant, Captain Yelverton 47
The Amphion, Captain A. C. Key 34
The Tribune, Captain the Hon. S. T. Carnegie 30
The Odin, Captain F. Scott l6
The Magicienne, Captain Fisher.
The Valorous, Captain C. H. M. Buckle .... 16
The Dragon, Captain Willcox 6
The Frolic, Commander Nolloth l6

Rear-Admiral Corry's division unmoored at Lisbon on
the 15th at 10.30 a.m., and proceeded down the Tagus,with
a strong breeze from E.N.E., in company with the Prince
Regent, the Duke of Wellington, the St. Jean d'Acre, the
Arrogant, the Tribune, the Amphion, the Valorous, the
Odin, and the Tinperieuse, it stood to the north-westward
to the 17th degree of longitude, when, the wind fall-
ing li2ht, and drawing to the northward, it tacked
and stood to the E.N.E. ; weather very fine ; barometer,
30.50. On Tuesday, 21st, the squadron hove to, laid
out targets, and exercised firing shot and shell. Wed-
nesday, 22d, wind north, 3 to 4, exercised firing at tar-
gets with musketry. Thursday, 23d, wind N.E. and
by E., to 4. Friday, 24th, wind eastwardly and light.
barometer 30.70 ; every appearance of a continuation of
light winds and calms ; exercised general quarters, after
which the Admiral gave orders for the Valorous, the
Duke of Wellington, the Arrogant, and the Tribune to
get up steam and prepare to tow, at 5 p.m. of that day.
The Prince Regent was taken in tow by the Valorous,
the St. Jean d'Acre by the Tribune, and the Amphion
by the Arrogant. Saturday, 25th, calm, with a high
broadside swell ; the Tribune and the St. Jean d'Acre
nine miles astern ; squadron at slow speed to allow them
to come up, and as the Tribune could not tow the St.
Jean d'Acre more than from four to six knots, the Itn-
periense was ordered to take her place, which was done
at 3.15 p.m., and, in getting into station (astern of the
Duke of Wellington) now towing the Tribune, towed
the St. Jean d'Acre at the rate of 71 miles per hour.
Monday, 27th, the wind springing up from the north-
ward, at 7 a.m. the steamers all cast oft', and made sail,
after having towed their respective ships about 225 miles.
At sunset off the Lizard, the Duke of Wellington parted
company for Plymouth ; the rest of the ships steered on to
the eastward ; passing the Start at about 15 miles and
Bill of Portland about 18 miles, wind fell light. At 8
p.m. the Admiral communicated with a steamer. During
the night, calm ; squadron five leagues to the south-east
of St. Catherine's. March I.—The Imperieuse, the
Arrogant, and the St. Jean d'Acre got up steam, the
Imperieuse taking the Prince Regent is tow, the St.
Jean d'Acre the Tribune, and the Valorous the Am-
phion ; the Arrogant by herself.
The Tribune and the Imperieuse showed their superi-
ority over all the others in point of sailing, but the Duke
of Wellington and the St. Jean d'Acre are splendid
ships.

The victualling of the fleet has commenced, and Spit-
head and the harbour channel are studded with lighters,
powder hoys, water vessels, steam tenders, boats,
wherries, and all kinds of craft. All leave has been prohi-
bited to the crews of the fleet at Spithead, and the work
of storing and equipping for war is going on in every di-
rection. The whole of the ships at the anchorage, before
the arrival of Rear-Admiral Corry's squadron, were
practised daily in great gunnery by Rear-Admiral Chads.
Signal having been made by order of the Commander-
in-Chief, Sir Charles Napier, to follow the movements
of the Edinburgh, Rear-Admiral Chads consequently
ordered every commanding-officer to cause the first
and second captains of guns to fire four rounds
each at a target moored at 800 yards, and to report
to him the time in which it was done by each ship. This
has displayed some splendid practice in gunnery. The
Dragon was particularly skilful with her 84-pounders,
having struck the bull's-eye twice, and struck the target
several times, her last shot knocking it away. The
practice, generally, was admirable. As the first impor-
tant preliminary to a state of actual war, the Admi-
ralty have issued new code signal-books to the fleet,
which come into use this day. In a few more days
double the number of ships now here will be at Spit-
head, presenting the grandest fleet in power and charac-
ter ever assembled at this or any other port.

WOOLWICH, MARCH 1.

ROYAL ARTILLERY.

Captain Romer's company, 7th battalion, recently re-
turned from foreign service at the Cape of Good Hope,
left the garrison yesterday morning, at an early hour,
and proceeded from the Arsenal station of the North
Kent Railway to Strood, and thence took passage in one
of the steamers for Sheerness, to relieve Captain Adye's
company, 9th battalion ; and the latter passed the dock-
yard station of the North Kent Railway at 10 minutes
before 12, noon, in a special train, from Strood to Lon-
don, en mate to Eastbourne, to relieve Captain J. Tur-
ner's company, under orders to return to head-quarters,
to form part of the second division of artillery, under
orders for service in the East. Captain Turner's com-
pany joined head-quarters at 2 p.m. same day.
Captain George B. Shakespeare's company, 3d batta-
lion, left the garrison at 7 o'clock a.m. to-day to relieve
Captain Adair's company, sth battalion. at Manchester
and Leeds ; and the latter proceeded to-day to Ports-
mouth to relieve Major C. C. Young's company, 12th
battalion, under orders to return to head-quarters at
Woolwich, and they will arrive in garrison this evening.
The Master-General has sanctioned an exchange of
companies between Captain Harrison, of the 11th batta-
lion, and Captain Barker, of the 6th battalion, Royal
Artillery.
Lieut.-Colonel E. C. Warde has taken the command
of the 4th battalion ; Lieut.-Colonel Flude of the Bth
battalion ; and Lieut.-Colonel Shone of the 13th batta-
lion, consequent on the recent promotions, dated Feb. 21.

GENERAL ORDER.
Deputy Adjutant General's-office,
Woolwich, Feb. 22.
The Master-General has appointed the following offi-
cers to be adjutants provisionally, under the regulations
contained in the General Order of the sth of February,
1826 :

Second Captain C. S. Henry, to the Royal Horse
Artillery, vice Brandling, promoted.
Second Captain F. W. Hastings to the 13th battalion,
by augmentation. In consequence of the above the
under-mentioned officers are posted as follows :
Second Captain Taswell to the 11th battalion, vice
Henry; and Second Captain C. W. Elgee, to the 9th
battalion, vice Hastings.
GENERAL ORDERS.

WOOLWICH, FEB. 25.
The following changes have been made on the promo-
tion of Second Captain J. R. Anderson, of Captain
Taylor's troops of Royal Horse Artillery, at Canterbury,
vice Cheetham, retired on full pay:—
His Lordship the Master General has appointed Se-
cond Captain R. Gregory to the Royal Horse Artillery,
vice Anderson, promoted.
Second Captain Carthew is therefore posted to Captain
Campbell's company, sth battalion, in the room of Se-
cond Captain Gregory.

SOUTHAMPTON, MARCH 1.
Nothing in connection with the embarkation of troops
has occurred at this port since our last report. A
rumour was prevalent in the town and neighbourhood of
the docks yesterday that the General Screw Steam-Ship-
ping Company's steam-ship Queen of the South had been
taken up by the Government for the conveyance of
troops to the East. Although it is very probable that
such a circumstance will eventually take place, yet upon
application at proper quarters for a confirmation of the
report, we find that up to the present time no know.
ledge of the statement has reached Southampton in au
official form. It is only, therefore, to be presumed for
the present, that she will leave, as previously stated, on
the 14th of March, with the usual mails for India, the
Cape, and Mauritius.

The Australasian and Pacific Royal Mail Company's
screw steam-ships Emu and Kangaroo have been char-
tered by the Government for a period of time, not less
than six months, during whch they will be engaged in
any necessary way the Government may think proper.
The Royal Mail Company's steam-ship Magdalena,
which is expected to arrive from the West Indies, with
the usual monthly Mexican and West Indian mails, on
Saturday next, has been taken up for Government pur-
poses. Arrangements will be made by the company to
which she belongs to place her under proper renovation
immediately upon her arrival, so that no inconvenience

Considerable surprise was created here last night by
the reception of orders from the Horse Guards for the
97th Regiment of foot to hold themselves in readiness to
proceed to the seat of war in the East. The regiment
marched into the town only last Friday, and it was
fully anticipated that they would be in garrison for six
months. The regiment is commanded by Colonel Lock-
yer, who has seen much service, and had the command
of one of the infantry brigades at Chobham last year.
The 97th returned from foreign service about 12 months
since, having been quartered for a length of time at
Halifax, Nova Scotia.

DUBLIN, 3.I..iRcH 1.

The 33d (or Duke of Wellington's) Regiment will
leave the Royal Barracks at half-past 9 o'clock this
morning, and proceed along the North quays, Parlia-
ment-street, Dame-street, Nassau-street, to Westland-
row, en route to Kingstown, for embarkation in the
Etneu, to take part in the impending Eastern war.
Lieutenant-Colonel Blake and all the officers were
most sumptuously entertained last evening at Mor-
risson's Hotel, by Lieutenant-General O'Doyly, co-
lonel of the regiment. Saunders of this morning
says—" The 63d Regiment,
in this garrison, being
the first corps in the army to complete its esta-
blishment to the war strength by the success of
its recruiting, and not having received -orders to form
part of the first division of the expeditionary force, was
called upon to contribute 20 volunteers to the 50th
Regiment for immediate active service. The men to be
received as volunteers were required to be above 18
years of age, unmarried, and not non-commissioned
officers. When the request of the Commander of the
Forces respecting the volunteers was made known to
the regiment every man in the corps coming within the
required conditions immediately stepped forward. 20
gallant fellows were selected, and the commanding-officer
having acquainted them with his high sense of their noble
conduct, they were marched off to the quarters of their
new corps. Since the order for augmenting the regi-
ment to 1,000 rank and file was received, 191 recruits have
been approved at the head-quarter:, only 18 of whom
were sent in by the parties detached on the recruiting
service, the remaining 173 having been enlisted exclu-
sively at the head-quarters of the regiment in the Linen-
hall Barracks, Dublin."

DUBLIN, WEDNESDAY EVENING.

The 33d (Wellington's) Regiment embarked this fore-
noon on board the Erneu, at Kingstown, for service in
the East. The day was brilliantly fine, and the enthu-
siasm and excitement of soldiers and people defied all
description. On the march through the streets the
bands of the regiments which accompanied the 33d
played and sang alternately the popular song of " Auld
lang sync," which the vast crowd of civilians seconded
with deafening cheers.
The Erneu will not sail until to-morrow morning.