The Sun.
London, England, 1867-05-06 00:00:00

THE REFORM MEETING IN HYDE

P ARK.

THIS D.Y.

The excitement caused by the proposed meeting
this afternoon in Hyde Park under the auspices of
the Reform League, in defiance of the expressed
determination of the Government not to allow the
park to be used for such a purpose, has somewhat
subsided in consequence of its being semi-officially
announced that no active steps will be taken on the
part of the authorities unless an attempt is made
to erect platforms for the accommodation of the
speakers at the meeting. The Secretary of State
has, we believe, agreed to allow audiences to be
collected in any number, but nothing further will
be permitted.
The attendance of the public to-day in the early
part of the morning in Hyde-park was as gay as
the weather was brilliant, Rotten-row was crowded
with the cream of the aristocracy, and nothing was
at all apparent that would give any indication of
the scene, the, park will present between six and
seven o'clOgic this evening.
Thenumber of special constables sworn in to-day
in different parts of the metropolis has been very
great. At one o'clock t3-day not less than be-
tween 14,000 and 15,000 persons had taken the
oath to assist in preserving the public peace. As
they were sworn they, in most instances, were
formed in companies of six, when a sergeant was
appointed and a district appointed to each. The
nroccedings were conducted with the utmost good
humour, the great majority of the newly ap-
pointed officials looking upon the matter as a capital
bit of fun.

MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE OF THE

REFORM LEAGUE.

A meeting of the executive committee was held
this morning at the offices of the League, Adelphi-
terrace. The whole of the executive committee were
present, and also deputations from Birmingham,
Portsmouth, &c. The O'Donoughue, M.P., P. A.
Taylor, M.P., Thomas Hughes, Esq., M.P., and
Mr. Whalley, M.P., and several members of the
general council were also present.
The representatives of the press were not ad-
mitted, but they were furnished with the following
account of the proceedings :
" A long discussion followed in reference to the
Government prohibition of the meeting after the
opinions expressed by the law officer:3 of the Crown.
" The following resolution was carried unani-
mously :

" That it is the desire of the Executive Com-
mittee that their friends abstain from holding any
meetings except those appointed by the Executive.
It is also desirable that the speakers should abstain
from any unnecessarily exultant reference to the
conduct and position of the Government with re-
gard to the Hyde-park question.'"

THE RESOLUTIONS TO BE PROPOSED
THIS EVENING IN THE PARK.

The following is the resolution prepared by the
League for adoption by the meeting in the park
this evening :

" That this meeting, whilst still adhering to resi-
dential and registered manhood suffrage, protected
by the ballot as the only really efficient means of
reform in the representation of the people, hails
with satisfaction the withdrawal last Thursday even-
ing of Lord Grosvenor's proposed amendment, and
the majority of 81 on the same evening against
the two years' residential clause in the Government
bill, and earnestly calls upon the Houso of Com-
mons to make that bill a more full and honest
means for the extension of the franchise by
expunging from it the rate-paying clauses,
equalising the borough and county franchises
on the principle of household suffrage, and intro-
ducing a provision for giving the vote to lodgers,
or else to reject the bill altogether."
It was also arranged at the final meeting of the
League prior to the meeting that the meeting should
commence at the sound of the trumpet ; and at the
conclusion of the meeting around No. 1 platform
the trumpet will again sound, when the Council of
the League hope the whole of the other meetings
will conclude and quietly disperse.
The great points of rendezvous will be Clerk-en-
well-green, Kennington, Russell-square, and Tra-
falgar-square. The Council will quit the offices of
the League about 5 o'clock, and proceed in the most
unostentatious manner to Hyde-Park. The Cler-
kenwellers, however, having engaged a band three
weeks ago, have made up their minds to avail them-
selves of the music as far as Regent-circus, at which
point the band will cease playing, and the north
entrance section will proceed to the place of meeting
in accordance with the directions of the League.

Ti*. .BISHOP OF LONDON'S Furs.—Yesterday
evening there was a special service in the large open space
under the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral, and a collection
on behalf of the fund which the Bishop of London has es-
tablished for the spiritual destitution in his diocese. Tho
sermon was preached by the Bishop of Ripon.
VIRCRItIA WATER.—The well-known Chinese
fishing temple at Virginia Water having become de-
cayed, it will be replaced by another building, designed
like a Swiss chalet, which will give increased accommo-
dation when required by the royal family. It is to bo
completed by the autumn;

The Sunday Gazette states that the object of the
meeting of Lord Derby's supporters summoned for to-
day is to give a full explanation of the course the Go-
vernment have made up their minds to adopt with re-
gard to the amendments proposed or threatened to the
Reform Bill. It is thought most probable that the lodger
franchise scheme will not be opposed, but it is said to be
now unlikely that the united Cabinet will agree to Mr.
Hibbert's amendment or abandon Mr. Disraeli's last pro-
posal to abolish invidious distinctions between one class
of compound householders and another by the repeal of
the third clause of Sir William Clay's Act. The
&ticky Gazette believes that the Liberal party will
unanimously resist this step, and that the consequence
will be the fall of the Ministry or a dissolution of the pre-
sent "louse of Commons.

----
THE TooMER CASE.—On Saturday morning Mr.
Ferry, the governor of the County House of Correction at
Reading, in which `roomer has been confined since his
trial at Abingdon last year, received a post letter from
the I-Tome-office ordering r'oomer's release, her Majesty
having granted him a free pardon for the critno of
which he stood convicted. The contents of the letter
were immediately conveyed to Tootner, who appeared
much pleased that the demand he had made through his
friends for a free pardon had been acceded to. Ile quitted
the gaol durihg the morning.
TRUE BRITISH INSTINCTS.—A white bear got
loose from a menagerie the other day at Nottingham,
and strayed into a field where some labourers wore at work.
They looked at the strange animal, thought it looked dan-
gerous, and went off to call the police, the richest illustra-
tion of true British instinct we have recently had. If
Satan were to appear to an average Englishman, he would
firs call a constable, then write to the Times, and then
escribe his visitor at a public meeting.—gpectator