The Sun.
London, England, 1831-03-21 00:00:00

WARMINSTER, WILTS.

A very numerous and highly respectable meeting of the
inhabitants of Warminster, Wilts, convened in pursuance
of a requisition to the High Constable, was held at the
Town Hall on the 16th instant.

HENRY WANsty, Esq:, in the Chair.
An address to the king, and petitions to both Houses
of Parliament, in favour of Lord John Russell's measure
for Reform, were carried by acclamation, not a single hand
being held up in opposition.
It was stated at this meeting by the Steward of a Noble
Marquis (Rath), Lord of the parlor of Warminster, that
the Noble Lord, though a borough proprietor, would not
'egret making the sacrifice if the Constitution required it.
The announcement was received with great delight, and
followed by tremendous cheering.

1V 0 R CE S TER
(From the Worcester Herald of Widgyi)
A meeting of the freeholders of this county was held
this morning at the Guildhall, as convened by the High
Sheriff, in compliance with the requisition which appeared
in our last, " to petition Parliament in favour of the great
measure of Reform brought into the House of Commons
by his Majesty's Ministers." The attendance was large
and respectable. Upon Oman Ricardo, Esq., the High
Sheriff, taking his seat in the Crown Court, the Court it-
self and the body of the Hall were almost entirely filled,
and amongst those present we noticed a considerable num-
ber of the leading and most opulent land owners of the
county, numerous of the Clergy, and a fair proportion of
the principal tenantry and extensive farmers.

The hour at which the meeting took place, and the al-
ready crowded state of our columns, confine us to a brief
outline only of the proceedings of the day. The Sheriff
having opened the business in the usual form, Sir Thomas
Winnington moved the first resolution, to the effect that
the gratitude of the meeting be conveyed to the
King and his Ministers for the introduction of the Reform
Bill, and that the meeting deem it essential to the public
welfare and tranquillity that such Bill, unaltered in its
principles, should pass into a law. This resolution was
seconded by Sir Christopher Smith. C. E. Hanford,
Esq. then moved, and H. E. Strickland, Esq. seconded
that an address and petition, founded upon the above re-
solution, should be presented to his Majesty and both
Houses of Parham- An address to his Majesty, em-
bodying the of the resolution, was next read and
moved by Robert Berkeley, Esq. and seconded by W.
Welch, Esq.
These resolutions were carried with the accordant and
unanimous voices of all present. Lord LYTTILTON then
addressed the meeting at considerable length, expressing
his delight at having lived to see the day in which those
principles he had through life advocated were at least to
obtain a triumph in the wise and salutary measure of Re-
form brought forward by his Majesty's Government.
The HIGH SHERIFF now announced the business of the
day to be at an end, and signified that he should have
much pleasure in complying with the wishes of the meet-
ing, by signing the address and petitions.
The whole proceedings of the meeting were charac-
terized by the most perfect unanimity and concurrence in
sentiment and opinion.

G ORBAL S.
(From the Glasgow Free Press.)
On Monday evening a meeting of the heritors and in-
habitants of Gothals met in Dr. al‘Lean's Church, to ex-
press their approbation of the Ministerial plan of Reform,
WILLIAM Drxosi, Esq., of Govan, in the Chair.
[We omit the speeches, as it seems there is a dispute as
to the correctness of some of the statements made at the
meeting; but Mr. Bell expressed himself so liberally in
favour of the newspaper press, that, in return, we shall
insert his speech as we find it in Wednesday's Chronicle.]
Mr. DAVID BELL observed that, although not at present
residing in the Barony, he had attended the meeting as an
heritor, in consequence of the public notification which
appeared in the newspapers calling the meeting, and, till he
entered the church, he did not expect that he would have
offered himself to the attention of the meeting, as he was
not aware of being included in the plan.—(A laugh.) In
the great cause of Parliamentary Reform, all parties should
lend a hand ; he was happy to be employed in the humblest
capacity, even that of a " hewer of wood and drawer
of water," and it was therefore with much pleasure
that he assisted in the business of this highly nume-
rous and respectable meeting. It was right that the sen-
timents of the Barony of Gorbals, testified by so nu-
merous an assemblage here met, should he made known
not only to the citizens of Glasgow, but to the world at
large, and he was aware of only one effectual way of ac-
complishing this object, viz., through the medium of the
press. Ile therefore would move " that the resolutions of
this meeting be published in the newspapers ;" and as he
was now before them he could not but congratulate the
favourablegs t awt eh i
cohf
gt ha
ve
egreat
nciavue sr es aol fc
aRu rs. -e
cause as the cutting off the represents-
tofmorenmereto.jinofgic6TiOnlingreortiletnitee‘tvnfhaae:boroughs.—(Cheers.)—For his part he
might be permitted to say, that whatever plan of Reform
might have been anticipated, there were none that ex-
pected that the gross number of the House of Com-
mons would have been diminished. On that part of
the plan he would give no opinion ; but since it ap-
peared to his Majesty's Ministers, many of whom are
Members of the Commons, and who should know the
advantages of diminishing the number of the House, that
part of the plan should also be supported.—(Cheers.)—
The cutting off the 60 rotten boroughs has been done in
capital style. They had all heard of a celebrated London
publication called the Lancet, conducted by Mr. Wakley,
who lately stood candidate for the office of Coroner of the
county of Middlesex ; now, many extraordinary and suc-
cessful operations have been described in the Lancet, but
successful as the most extraordinary of these may have
been conducted, the operation of cutting off the Members
from the 60 rotten boroughs by his Majesty's Government
eclipses them all.—(Loud cheers and laughter.) Here he
would take occasion to state, and he could not but look
' upon it as an extraordinary occurrence, that the Ministry
proposed to reduce the total number of the House of Com-
mons from 658 to 596—now, this was just 62, and if you
take the 60 burghs to be disfranchised, and add the east
neuk of Fife burghs—(A laugh)—this makes 61. It
certainly occurred to him, when he heard the plan as
stated by Lord John Russell, that this was rather an omi-
nous occurrence. Could this be done in order to enable
the Ministers, if hard run, to stop the mouths of the 60
boroughmongers with one Member each, as they intend to
do with the 47 which are to lose one each ?—( Hear. )
For his part he would state to the meeting, that had the
Government proposed at the outset to keep the gross num-
ber of the House at 658, and left one Member each to the
60 rotten boroughs, as they intend to do with the 47,
but opening them, the plan would have been re-
ceived with satisfaction—but certainly not with equal
satisfaction to the plan of totally disfranchising them.
—(lmmense cheering.)—Now, however, that the Mi-
nistry had submitted the plan to the country, and
supported as they now are, he (Mr. B.) protested against
one Member being given to any one of the sixty to be dis-
franchised.—(Cheers.)—If the number of Members is to
be increased aboved 596, let them be added to the great
counties and towns, but not one to the others, and this
they should insist on.--(Cheers.)—He congratulated the
meeting that the barony was to vote along with that city
for their two representatives. If this had not been the
cass considering the great and increasing number of inha-
bitants in the southern district, (25,0000 he would have
called their attention to the propriety of the barony, having
a Member of its own, as Leith was to have.—(Cheers.)
—Mr. Bell concluded by proposing "that the resolutions
should be inserted in the Glasgow Newspapers.—(Cheers.)

SPIT.ALFIELDS' TVEAVERS.
This morning a meeting of the journeymen silk weavers
of Spitalfields and its vicinity took plat, at the Camden's
Head, Bethnal•green-road, pursuant to public notice, for
the purpose of addressing his Majesty, and petitioning both
Houses of Parliament, in approbation of the meavalcs re-
commended by his Majesty's Ministers, as to the necessity
of Parliamentary Reform.
Mr. JACOB BAY was called to the Chair.

Mr. SAMUEL DEANE addreseed—tielneeting at con-
siderable length, during which he justified the necessity of
the silk•weavers meeting as a separate body, independent
of parochial meetings. The silk trade had much to com-
plain of respecting many Acts of Parliament that had
previously passed the House of Commons, highly injurious
to the interests of the working classes, which would not
have been the case had they been fairly represented. They
had also another and an equal important motive to meet as
a b•dy_namely, that of not only testifying their allegiance
to their Sovereign, but of conveying their gratitude to her
Majesty, for having taken such a lively interest in the re-
commendation afforded by her example in the consurnp-

r ion of Bitish n anufictured silk.—( Tremendous cheering. )
['hese were, he tho.ight, sufficient grounds for the trade
to meet.

Mr. CARPENTIR WllO addressing tl2l mteting rid en oir
reporter left.

Sr, MARY-LE-STRAND.

At eleven o'clock this forenoon, pursuant to a requisition
signed by nearly all the respectable inhabitants, a meeting
if the parishioners of St. Mary-le-Strand took place in
t'ie vestry room of the pari,h in Charles-street, Covent-
vs' den, Mr. T. Robertson, the senior churchwarden in the
chair.

The CHAIRMAN briefly stand, that himself and brother
churchwarden, Mr. Bellringer, haring been requested to
convene a meeting for the important purpose of enabling
the parishioners to express their approbation of Lord John
Russell's Bill for Reform, and in support of his Majesty's
Government, to agree upon petitions to both Houses of
Parliament, that the same may pass into a law, they
had most cordially acted with them, and had taken the
earliest opportunity of calling the present meeting, which
he (the Chairman) was proud and happy to see so re-
spectably attended.

_ .
! Several gentlemen addressed the meeting upon the sub-
ject for which they had met, and a resolution was pro-
posed and seconded that a most dutiful address should be
presented to his Majesty for his most gracious sanction to
the measure brought forward by his Ministers, and that the
Address should be transmitted to the Fight Hon. Lord Mel-
ville to be presented to the King. Upon the resolution
being put to a show of hands the whole of the meeting
held up their hand, with the exception of
Mr. GREENSILL, the glass-manufacturer in the Strand,
who declined, observing that he did not see any necessity
for it.

The CHAIRMAN arose amidst several voices, and
was addressing the me,t:ng when our Reporter left.

GLAMORGANSHIRE.—A requisition, most res-
pectably signed, having been sent to the High Sheriff of
Glamorgamhire, he has appointed a county meeting to be
held on Wednesday next, the 23d inst., to petition in
favour of the Reform Bill.

HALESWORTH.—A numerous and respectable meet-
ing of the inhabitants of Halesworth and the neighbour-
hood took place on Tuesday last, when a petition, ex-
pressive of an entire approval of the Ministerial plan of
Reform, was unanimously adopted, and afterwards signed
by 400 persons.

NEWPORT PAGNELL.—At a numerous and res-
pectable meeting of the inhabitants of Newport Pagnell,
in the county of Buckingham and its vicinity, several
resolutions in favour of Lord John Russell's Bitj were una-
nimously carried, and a petition has been numerously
signed in support of the measure. The chair was taken
by a clergyman, and several of the resolutions proposed and
seconded by clergymen.
CITY OF WORCESTER.—Yesterday a meeting of
the citizens and other inhabitants of this city was held at
the Guildhall, " to consider o❑ the propriety of voting a
loyal and dutiful address to his gracious Majesty on the
subject of the Reform in Parliament Bill ; and also ad-
dresses and petitions to the Houses of Lords and Commons,
expressive of approbation of that most important mea-
sure, and that it may be passed into a law." Resolutions
to this effect were put and carried unanimously.— Wor-
cester Herald.

GREAT YARMOUTH.—An unsuccessful attempt
was made here on Thursday last, during the proce,clings
at a meeting of operative freemen, under a pretence of
serving their object, to introduce, in an underhand way, a
hole-and-corner petition—by whom got up no one knows.
" The spread of revolutionary principles !" " The licen-
tiousness of the Press!" Confiscation of the property
of boroughs!" &c., were brought forward to prevent the
death-blow to con option ; but all would not do,—it was
not listened to fur a moment ; hut 113 S since been taken
for signature to a room behind Mr. Megey's shop, having
a back entrance, where names may be received without
trouble or inconvenience. Yesterday a meeting of the
borough, publicly called, was held at the Hall of the
Mechanics' Institute and Commercial Rooms, which was
crowded to excess; Mr. Alderman Barth was called to the
Chair. All the speeches were warmly i❑ favour of the
Bill, and a petition to that effect was carried by acclama-
tion,—two hands only were held up against it. It is in-
tended that both petitions be presented on Monday next.
RIPON.—A correspondent at Ripon assures us that
Mrs. Lawrence, of Studley, who is in effect the pro-
prietress of the borough of Ripon, "has approved of the
Reform Bill ; but as the Members (for Ripon) are discreet
good men, she will not influence their votes, though she
should be glad to observe that they supported a measure so
well calculated to advance the best interests of the nation."
The number of burgage houses in that borough is 177, of
which 30 are independent, and the remainder belong to
Mrs. Lawrence. Lord John Russell's Bill will include
labout 80 of these. The number of houses rated at 10/.
in Ripon is 283, but the number whose actual rental or
value (which gives the franchise) is 10/. a year, is about
430. There are at present seven persons in the corpora-
tion who have votes; by the Reform Bill there will be 30,
the other Members being non-resident. Thus it appears
that the election will in future be in 00 persons, instead
of one, and that the interests and opinions represented
will be those of the people of Ripon, not of the proprie-
tress of Studley. So much the more honourable to the
latter is her approbation of the Reform measure.—Leeds
Mercury.

CITY PETITION AGAINST REFORM; OR
THE CORRUPTIONISTS AT FAULT.

(FROM A CORRESPONDENT OF THE Tnias:s.)
An active canvass is going on in the city to procure
signatures to the address against Reform, in the course of
which the conductors of it, who are chiefly Kist India and
Bank Directors, have met with some smart rebuffs, even
in quarters where they reckoned on the most col dial sup-
port. A specimen or two may perhaps amuse the readers
of the Times.

The head of a wealthy house engaged formerly in the
East India trade was waited on on Saturday, with a copy
of the address, and his signature to it was requested. He
expressed a wish to read it, but the deputation assured him
it was quite unnecessary to give himself that trouble. It
expressed those sentiments which he had always enter-
tained through life, and those opinions which they knew
he could never cease to advocate. It was an address against
that sweeping pl in of Reform now under consideration,
which must he so destructive to all their interests. His
reply was, that he would rather cut off his right hand than
sign it. In vain was it urged how anany good things were
to he secured under the old system which must now in-
fillib!y he lost ; they were met by the remark, that the
times were now wholly altered ; that those " good things"
must go,—they must be given up,—it was utterly out of
the question that they could be suffered to continue any
longer. In fine, the deputation were compelled to depart
without accomplishing their errand. The nature of the
" good things" adverted to can only of course be guessed
at, but there is ample field for the imagination.
The remark of another individual applied to who actually
signed the address, was almost as mortifying as the refusal
above described. He said, " Gentlemen, this is a petition
in favour of corruption ; I have lived by corruption all my
life : give me the paper."