The Sun.
London, England, 1867-03-26 00:00:00

THE REFORM LEAGUE.

A torchlight meeting of Reformers, which had
been convened by this association, took place in
Trafalgar-square last night, under the chairmanship
of Alr. E. Beales, the president. During the past
few weeks the league has held a meeting in this
square en a Monday evening, for the purpose of
protesting against the different reform measures
which have been brought forward by the Govern-
ment. Each night the weather has been unpro-
pitious, but, notwithstanding damp and rain, the
working men have attended in large numbers, and

last night there were between three and four
thousand present.. The proceedings were of the
most orderly character. The several speakers were
listened to with the utmost attention, and those
assembled evinced their determined opposition to the
bill now before Parliament. The chairman, in his
address, congratulated them upon the fact that
they were so earnest in the matter, and so resolved
to obtain their just rights, that they were not de-
terred from meeting by the inclemency of the
night. There had been a variety of statements made
respecting the actual extension of the franchise as
proposed by the present bill. Ile should be glad
to know how many amongst the three or

four thousand before him were entitled to
vote? In answer to this request about half a
dozen persons held up their hands. It was evident,
he said, that so far as they were concerned they
were not represented in the House of Commons.
It would be well to ascertain how many of them
would be enfranchised by the different clauses of

the bill which was called the " Representation of
the People Act, 1867." It professed to amend the
representation of the people for England and
Wales. Of course, the Government meant that

it should not be a mere sham. (Cries of "No, they
don't, they are only cheating us.") First of all
he would ask those who were lodgers to hold up their
,hands. (More than two- thirds of the meeting did so,
amidst cries of Let Gladstone give lid a lodger
franchise.") Well, the Government pretended that
they had made due provision for lodgers. All who
had £5O in the savings bank or in the funds would
possess a vote. How many would be thus enfran-
chised ? (Only one hand was held up, which occa-
sioned a good deal of laughter, and shouts of "Turn
out the Tories.") He would tell them that there
was another chance there was the compound
householders clause. Let them show their number.
(About 10 or 12 responded.) That, then, was another
sham ; but there was another chance, there was the
20s. direct taxation—for income tax, hair powder
tax, armorial bearings, &c. How many paid
that? (Two persons signified they did, amidst
cries of " They are hair-powder men.") It appeared,
then, that the bill was a sham, and one which ought
to be condemned by all honest men. The following
resolution was proposed by Mr. Davis, seconded by
Mr. Bannister, and carried unanimously—" That
this meeting protests against the confused, decep-
tive, and contradictory measures introduced into the
llouse of Commons by the Government for the
alleged amendment of the representation of the
people, and renews its adhesion to the principle of
residential manhood suffrage protected by the bal-
lot, as the only sound basis of a real and satisfactory
reform of the representation of the people in Par-
liament."

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PAW ‘or
Cifn °
_ an Tar
1. • -

HER, MAJERTY, &c•

WINDSOR CASTLE, March 25.
The Queen and Princess Louise rode on ponies
this morning in the llome Park.
Their Royal Highnesses Prince and Princess
Christian went out walking.
His Royal Highness Prince Arthur, attended by
Major Elphinstone, has left the Castle for Green-
wich-park.
The Bishop of Oxford and Sir Stafford Northcote
have also left the Castle.

The Prince of Wales rode on horseback yester-
day, attended by Lient.-Col. Keppel.

The Belgian Minister and Madame Van de Weyer
left London yesterday morning for the Continent. During
his Excellency's absence M. Bartholeyns de Fosselaert
will act as Chargé d'Affaires for Belgium.
The Earl of Lonsdale has gone to spend a few
weeks at Folkestone. His lordship, we hear, has materially
recovered in hoalth of late.

The Countess of Malmesbury, according to ac-
counts received in town yesterday, is going on so favour-
ably towards convalescence that there is no necessity for
any further bulletin.

The Thames Angling Preservation Society.

This excellent society, which has now for five
and twenty years persistently persevered iu its
modest but excellent efforts, gave its customary en-
tertainment on Saturday, at the Red Lion, at
Hampton, on the occasion of the annual inspection
of the breeding tanks and the live stock hatched and
hatching.
On their arrival at Hampton the whole party
inspected the tanks of Mr. Ponder, to whose exer-
tions and skill the society owes the highest debt
of gratitude for its present position and the over-
growing success which attends its efforts. It is
Mr. Ponder who directs and personally superin-
tends the hatching and development of the spawn,
and at this time he has in his breeding tanks up-
wards of 56,000 young fish, namely :—Trout,
37,755 ; greatlake trout, 2,168 ; salmon trout, 2,680;
and salmon, 13,453, all in tha most lively con-
dition. These will shortly be transferred to the
ponds, and thence, when they have arrived at a
sufficient stage of growth to be beyond the attacks
of the numerous enemies the fry have naturally
ready to prey upon them in their early ages, these
fish will be turned into the Thames. That the fish
sent into the river in this manner during former
years are now beginning to show results is certain,
for very good fishing may be had in particular parts,
and salmon have during the past two or three years
been noticed returning up the stream, and doubtless
many would breed in the higher inland waters of
the main river and its tributaries if the pollution
of the water was diminished, and there were some
artificial means afforded to the fish of overcoming
the obstacles which existing weirs and mills oppose
in their path.
At two o'clock the committee and a large party
of visitors sat down to luncheon, an abundant sup-
ply of excellent champagne having been provided by
the venerable president of the society, W. H. Whit-
bread, Esq. The chair was occupied, in the ab-
sence, through ill-health, of the president, by S.
Whitbread, Esq., M.P. After the usual loyal
toasts, the chairman proposed " The Thames
Angling Preservation Society," and in his comments
criticised, with all the skill and knowledge of an
accomplished fisherman and naturalist, the practical
proceedings of the society, paying well-deserved
compliments to Mr. Frank Buckland and Mr.
Ponder.
Mr. Ponder next spoke, and,with his usual ability,

remarked upon the practical object of the society,
and on the importance of pisciculture. The
Thames Angling Preservation Society, he said,
was the first public body who had introduced that
noble and useful art into practice in England.

There was a want yet of the deTeloptnent of
this process to a wider and more national extent ;

but the society, through many difficulties, and sur-
mounting many disasters, had brought the art to
a perfection, and had set an example which had
given an impulse to pisciculture throughout the
kingdom. During the past five years the society
had put into the Thames 205,000 fish, of which
some 48,000 were salmon-9,150 char, 2,000 grey-
ling, and the remainder common and great lake trout.
It might be asked what was the result in the Thames
of all this contribution ? The immense volume of
water in the first place rendered it hard to know the
actual condition of the fisheries, and very large
numbers of fish indeed must be required to properly
stock the river; it must be remembered, also, that
it is the habit of trout to proceed against the stream,
and considerable quantities, therefore, may be accu-
mulating in the higher portions of the river and its

tributaries. It would be desirable for this reason
that corresponding establishments should be formed
at distances of 20 miles apart to aid and assist each
other in the general work.

Mr. FRANK BUCKLAND followed with a very able
speech on the cultivation of salmon rivers, with
especial reference to the Thames, which was de-
lived in his usual humorous style. He stated that
there were 480 rivers in the United Kingdom capable
of producing salmon, and containing in the agggre-
gate, 10,399 miles of water. Rivers were to the
salmon as trees were to birds, and the fish would
breed in the highest branches. The instincts of the
fish were so strong that they would get over all but
insuperable difficulties to get to their proper spawn-
ing grounds, but obstacles too numerous and too
impossible were put in their way on the Thames.
First were the stake nets, draft nets, Sze. ;
then the mill darns and wheels ; and, lastly, the
steamboats to frighten them. It was an old
adage that there could be no chickens without
eggs, and without eggs there could be no salmon.
He spoke in most condemnatory terms of the
pollution of the river, especially in regard to the
chemical refuse from manufactories and mills, the
gaseous products of which wero of all things most
fatal to the fish ; and he took this very admirable
ground for his argument that persevering to prevent
such pollutions in the water as were inimical to the
fish was taking the most effectual means of making
the water fit for the requirements of man. Mr.
Buckland then pointed out how the salmon might be
cheaply but effectually helped on its superior jour-
ney ; and how it would be desirable to divide the
whole of the coast line of the British isles into de-
partments, by which means the salmon-breeding
rivers might be properly preserved in groups under
distinct boards of conservancy. He proposed that
the society should undertake the conservancy of the
Thames, and by coming before the Government ill
that capacity effectual aid could be given thew,
which there was no legal means of affording there
as a private society.
Mr. Menzies, the deputy surveyor of Windsor
Park, strongly commended the efforts of the society',
and urged that the proper way of disposing of the
sewage was on the land and not direct into the river'
Ho also proposed the establishmentof fish-hatching
apparatus in connection with engine-houses, where
the waste steam could be utilised in warming the
d cold
water in the hatching tanks during frosts an

weather.
Mr. Sache, Mr. Roper, and other gentlemen made
excellent practical addresses ; and it may be truly
said that none of the previous annual gatherings
have equalled this one iu the interest of the topics
brought forward or in the practical value of the dis-
cussions. Every one will certainly concur in the truth-
f uluess and justice of the concluding remarks of Mr.
Whitbread that, whilst it was only those who sowed

abundantly that could hope to reap plentifully, tho

society had attained magnificent results from the

insignificant expenditure of £lOO a year.

CONFESSION OF THEFT OF JEWELS.—A man
named Edward Jones, who was convicted of a burglary
last week at the Sussex Assizes, before leaving the dock
confessed that he had committed a burglary also at Linton,
in Kent, and had stolen a packet of jewels, the property
of Viscountess ilolmesdale, and also several articles be-
longing to his lordship. Suspicion has always rusted on
the lady's maid. Lord Chief Justice Bovill said inquiries
would be made in the hope that the young woman's cha-
racter might be cleared from the stigma cast upon it.