The Sun.
London, England, 1851-09-26 00:00:00

S (IN,

LON DON,

that cause in times gone by. Tile championship of
the cause by such a man would be natural and becom-
ing, and in keeping with a career begun in the cause
of freedom, and consummated by the acknowledgment
of the equal political rights of all bis fellow-subjects.
Having glanced at the opinions of men and parties,
we come to consider that which is of greater import-
ance—what, under all the circumstances, the people
should do. Am I asked what I would have them do?
I answer, I would have them save the Minister the
trouble of deciding what the new Reform Bill shall be,
by deciding that question for themselves, and by
making the carrying of their measure in the legisla-
ture inevitable. If asked how they should du this, I
answer, Look back twenty years ; see how it was the
Whigs were able to beat the boroughmongers in 1831
and 1832, and go and do likewise. Practice the les-
son in 1851 that your Whig advisers taught you in
1831, and do that for yourselves now which you did
for others then. Are the working men of England
fewer now than then ? They are vastly more nume-
rous, more intelligent, more enlightened. Then they
were deceived. Now they know by experience they
must trust none but themselves, and aid in no reform
which does not include themselves. The advice given
twenty years ego was—to be united, to be firm, to be
resolute. The advice was taken. What was the re-
sult ? The great captain of the age was deposed. Tne
boroughmongers were defeated in the House of Com-
mons, and when the Whigs resigned through the op-
position of the Peers, the people brought Lord Grey
hack to power in ten days. If these things have been
done once, they can he done again. You are
multiplied in numbers ; you are wiser from
experience ; you are advanced in knowledge
and intelligence ; you have a better ac-
quaintance with your own grievances, and a
clearer insight into their causes. The middle classes
are aware that it is only through the concession of
your rights that their burdens can be alleviated, and
there are many of them willing to join you. What,
then, is to prevent your achieving your constitutional
objects if you are consolidated, and prepared to sus-
tain your claims in the omnipotence of your numbers
and moral power ? Intelligent working men, let the
next four months be sacred to the cause of your own
political advancement. Men of Lancashire, set an
example to your brethren throughout the kingdom.
From this great hive of industry let your voices be
heard, calling upon the industrial classes everywhere
to be up and doing. If you speak, your own class
will hear, respond, and obey. I have spoken of fa-
vourable indications; they should be interpreted only
as encouragements and incentives. They are indica-
tions of what may be accomplished, but the labour of
accomplishment rests with ourselves. Once more,
let your petitions crowd the table of the House of
Commons. In times past it may have been wise to
abstain from sending your petitions to a House where
they were despised ; but it may be equally wise to
exercise this constitutional right now, and thus to sus-
tain those who will have to fight your battles on
the floor of Parliament. But if done by one, it
must be done by all ; not only must the city petition,
but the town, the village, the hamlet, the workshop.
Let their name be " legion." Let there be no mis-
take whether the people desire reform, and none as
respects their determination to have it. Many other
practical measures must be carried out, in order that,
when the day of conflict comes, the friends of the
people may be found at their posts. Let the repre-
sentatives of the people be well looked after ; let them
know what the people want, what they expect, and
what they have determined to achieve. Your oppo-
nents are looking to the registration, you must do
the same. They are alive to the importance of filling
every vacant seat with men after their own hearts.
You must imitate their example, and be prepared to
fight a battle in the right cause. I have spoken of
sacrifices ; let them be made freely, promply, and by
all—l am prepared with mine, be each of you pre-
pared with yours. There must be concessions of
opinion where principle is not compromised. Above
all, we must lay aside our ancient animosities—be
henceforth comrades and fellow-labourers. A great
contest is at hand, and we shall only be equal to it
by entire union. Money will be required, and
efforts must be made to supply it. The question
must be settled at once, and, for the sake of future
exemption, we must furnish the sinews of war now.
In this matter we might learn a useful lesson from
the example of the friends of freedom in other
counties, whose self-denial and devotion might well
rebuke our indifference. In the remarks which I shall
now bring to a close, I have addressed myself
principally to the producing classes. Let me end
with a word to those who compose the trading and
mercantile portions of the community. The objects
you have hitherto been seeking can only be per-
manently realised by the speedy concession of the
constitutional rights of the disfranchised millions.
Then, and not till then, when justice is done to the
great body of the people, will you attain the objects
you have at heart. In times past they aided you
against the enemies with whom you had to contend,
and with their assistance you conquered. To-day,
they ask you to aid them against their opponents.
Their triumph will be your great and permanent ad-
vantage. Then may you hope for cheap and good
government, the blessings of unshackled industry,
and the removal of those abuses which you seek to
abolish. Aid them, then, in this great and good
work, and let the struggle be twice blessed ; the
blessing of reconcilation, union, and indissoluble
friendship in its progress, and the blessing of a peace-
ful and patriotic victory at the end.
Mr. J. C. DYER moved the following resolution :

—" That, the First Minister of the Cro a n having in-
timated his intention to introduce a measure of Par-
liamentary Reform during the next session, the
people should lose no time in giving effective ex-
pression to their wishes; this meeting doth, there-
fore, declare that any measure which does not rear-
range the electoral districts, extend the franchise to
every occupier of a tenement, protect the voter by
the ballot, shorten the duration of Parliament, and
abolish the property qualification required by Mem-
bers, will fail to satisfy the just expectations of the
people—will be ineffectual in preventing the cor-
ruption, intimidation, and oppression now prevailing
at elections, and in securing the full and free repre-
sentation of the people in the Commons House of
Parliament."
Mr. HEYWOOD, of Bolton, seconded the motion
which was carried unanimously.
Mr. W. J. Fox, M.P. for Oldham, next addressed
the meeting. He said that great meeting was worthy
of the great cause which they were congregated to
support. The speaker who preceded him complained
of the feebleness of his voice; but it bad been well
said that one voice had many echoes. It was always
so when that one voice, however feeble, told some
great truth, or asserted some noble right which be-
longed to human nature, and the possession of which
was claimed or reclaimed for it; and if one voice so
raised had many echoes, how must it be with the
voice of congregated thousands such as were then as-
sembled ? What was the echo to their assertions of
public right and justice but the exclamation of mil-
lions declaring that they had waited long enough for
the possession of their legitimate inheritance ?
(Cheers) They had beard, from letters read to the
meeting, and they knew in other ways, that the
labour of the last session had required some re-
laxation for recruiting the health and strength of
the Members of the House of Commons. It was
a very laborious session.— (Laughter.) The House
of Commons heaved with the throes of the mountain
in labour, and brought forth the little black mouse
of theological enactment.—(Laughter.) But, if
individual Members of the House of Com-
mons who, though they had on their shoulders
the burden of responsibility to their constituents and
their consciences, if they felt the need of change of
air for the renovation of their physical, moral, and
intellectual condition, how must it be with those on
whom devolved the nerve and responsibility of guid-
ing the destinies of the nation and conducting the
policy of the British Empire ? If Mr. Hume, Mr.
Gibson, Mr. Bright, and others needed a change of
air, how much must Lord John Russell need a
change of air, and he wished he were with that meet-
ing to enjoy it.—(Applause.) He would find it a
different atmosphere from that of the House of Com-
mons, and it would do him much good.—(Laughter.)
If he could be put under a course of Manchester
meetings his Whig sickness would give way to the
strength and energy of real reformers, and he would
become " strong enough for his place."—(Applause.)
The fact could not be denied that the atmosphere of
that meeting, and of any large meeting of the people
of England, was different from that of the House of
Commons ; a different class of feelings prevailed, other
principles were asserted, other objects were contem-
plated, and other sympathies were glowing in the
bosom. Why, look on many of the leading points
which now interested the public mind of this
country and of Europe. In the House of Com-
mons the sympathy was with large armaments,
and their enthusiasm was unbounded when a lucky
officer won a victory and got a pension and title ;
m
,nwsia
nations,
peace,s(n andl,
chimericalrtt.
that
to theysxah lookedu sympathies ylodwm leupdr
aet tohwpi
ieitatsonh
eventuateho patftebaae the
and people before
greatht
h eb othersrtoshwte
h oewrrredohgrebakeresddi
being
ofgdf
beaten into the ploughshare, and the spear turned into
a pruning hook.—(Applause.) In the House of
Commons they found a readiness to vote away mil-
lions of the people's money, almost as a mere formal
matter, whilst Manchester sympathies were with those
from whose bones and sinews those millions were ex-
tracted, and whose hard earnings they wished to see,
and had a duty to see, rigidly economised. There
was too much of sympathy with the despots of the'
Continent in the House of Commons, but here the
sympathy was with the patriots of the Continent. He
had beard a Member of Parliament ask, with a sneer
upon his lips, whether the Secretary of State was
aware that there was such a person as Maazini in this
country, whilst here the question was—when will
not Alfizzini, but when will liessuth be here
cr,ihnich