The Sun.
London, England, 1867-09-27 00:00:00

THE COMPOUND HOUSEHOLDER.

Yesterday evening a meeting of compound house-
holders was held at the King's Arms, Iloxton-
street, to consider their position under the Reform
Act of last session.

Mr. COOK (who was voted to the chair) stated

that the meeting had been convened in consequence
of a parochial notice which had been served upon
householders whose rates were compounded for,
threatening to demand of them instead of their
landlords the payment of sewers, main drainage,
and general rates, as well as poor rates.
Mr. J. ACLNND, a delegate from the Reform
League, explained that the Reform Act gave male
adult household suffrage conditionally upon a twelve-
month's occupation and the personal payment of the
poor rates. It would have been better if the latter
qualification had been omitted. The question was a
social rather than a political one, and if the middle
classes were wise they would not provoke the hosti-
lity of the working classes, who were quite strong
enough to hold their own if they were only true to
themselves. (Hear.) He did not mean to say that
Mr. Gladstone's was a better measure than that
which passed this year. Both parties were to blame,
but the Conservative act had the advantage that it
recognised indirectly the right of every occupier to
be an elector—a point from which there was no re-
ceding. (Hear.) The occupier of a small tenement,
the rates of which were compounded for, was placed
very much at the mercy of the landlord, and it was
for those who were so situated to call upon the
Legislature for an enactment that whatever rate
they were required to pay they should be entitled to
deduct from the rent paid to the landlord. It was
true that there was a greater demand than supply in
the case of house property, but the lath and plaster
landlords, who formed the residuum of the middle
classes, were not in a position to defy public opi-
nion. The select vestries, composed of landlords,
saw the advantage under this act of putting money
into their own pockets, and they had accordingly
given notice to compound householders, that after
the 29th inst. all compounding would cease, and
the tenants would thereafter have to pay their own
parochial rates. But the act of Parliament had no
reference to any other rate than the poor rate, and
Mr. Beales, after the breaking up of the Council of
the Reform League at 11 o'clock on the previous
night, had prepared an elaborate legal opinion,
showing conclusively that that was the correct read-
ing of the act ; therefore, until the existing contract
between the tenant and landlord terminated, the
sewers, main drainage, and general rates could not
be legally demanded of the tenant. The advantage
of successive occupation of different tenements
which the act gave to the householder was denied to
the lodger, who could only obtain the suffrage by
twelve months residence in the same lodgings. In
that respect he thought the measure would prove
more Conservative than many persons supposed,
because in poor neighbourhoods the lodgers were
continually moving, and not many of them would
come upon the register, while in the more " respect-
able" portions of the metropolis occupiers and
lodgers were more likely to be Conservative than
Radical. 'Nothing less than manhood suffrage would
satisfy the working classes. (Cheers.) They hailed
this act as a step in the right direction ; but before
full justice was obtained a hard battle would have
to be fought, arousing the working classes to an
assertion of their independence, and binding them
together by a common grievance. The object for
which the present meeting was called was only to be
attained by an organisation covering the entire
metropolis, but when such an organisation had been
provided they would be enabled, with the support
of public opinion and of the Press, to correct step
by step the errors of a rascally act, which intention-
ally, by ignorance, or by gross negligence, placed a
whip in the hands of the landlords to scourge the
tenants. (Cheers.)
The meeting was subsequently addressed by
Mr. Joiner, Mr. W. J. Mete, Mr. Lucraft, Mr.
Seymour, Mr. Brisk, and others, and the following
resolutions were unanimously adopted :—" That
this meeting, comprising compound householders
and direct ratepayers, is of opinion that the
7th section of the ' Representation of the People
Act, 1867,' has put an end to the composition be-
tween the owners of houses and the parochial autho-
rities only as regards the payment of the poor rate,
and consequently that occupiers, having compound-
ing landlords, and having taken their houses free
from taxes, are not bound by law to pay, in
,addi-
tion, the lighting, sewers, main drainage, and
general rates ; which latter demand is, in its opi-
nion, not only oppressive but also illegal, and should
be resisted by all legitimate means ; and this meet-
ing desires a copy of this resolution to be forwarded,
through their principal officers, to the various paro-
chial authorities."—" That this meeting, comprising
compound householders .and direct ratepayers, is
also of opinion that the system of compounding for
the rates, which has existed for many years, between
the owners of houses and the parochial authorities,
has always proved most convenient and satisfactory
to all parties concerned, including the occupiers;

but that the legislative prohibition of this compound-
ing system as regards the poor rates will not only
involve the parochial authorities with vastly in-
creased costs of manifold difficulties in, and probable
collisions and breaches of the peace with occupiers
during collection, but greatly oppress, impoverish,
and embitter the occupiers to be thus personally
rated, cause disarrangements and dissensions be-
tween owners and occupiers, as well as add to the
already heavy burdens of the present direct rate-
payers. And, therefore, this meeting respectfully,
but earnestly, urges upon the attention of her most
gracious Majesty Quen Victoria the paramount
necessity of forthwith reassembling her Parliament,
in order that the ratepaying cl tuses of the Repre-
sentation of the People Act, 1867,' may be repealed
without delay. Aud this meeting desires that a
copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Secretary
of State for the Home Department, for transmission
or presentation to her Majesty."

It was also resolved that an aggregate indigna-
tion meeting of compound householders and direct
ratepayers should be held in London-fields on Tues-
day next, to which the Reform League and Work-
ing Men's Association were to be solicited to send
deputations.
A cordial vote of thanks to the chairman for
having taken the initiative in the movement con-
cluded the proceedings.