The Sun.
London, England, 1867-08-29 00:00:00

TLIE REFORM LEAGUE.

Last night the Council of the Reform League met
at their rooms, Aidelphi-terrace.
Mr. E. BEALES, who was in the chaii, said the
principal business for which they had met was to put
forth a statement of the immediate policy of the
League. lle had prepared one, which had been in
the bands of the executive council, and which he
would read to the meeting, for the suggestion of any
alterations or amendments. It was as follows :
"Fellow ccuntrymen,—A Reform Act, valuable
both for the principles it admits, and for the exten-
sion of the franchise it concedes, but falling short of
the requirements of the Reform League, as sanc-
tioned by you at numerous and multitudinous meet-
ings and demonstrations, and encumbered with con-
ditions which are likely to render it vexatious and
disappointing in operation, has been passed by the
Legislature. The bill for the suppression of public
meetings in Hyde Park, under the deceptive title of
the 'Parks Regulation Bill,' has been withdrawn ;
and thus the violation of animportant constitutional
right, under the pretence of the locality being unfit-
ted for its exercise, has been prevented, and the law
has been vindicated. The labours of the Reform
League, according to the admissions of its most bitter
foes, have been to a large extent instrumental in se-
curing the passing of the one measure and the aban-
donment of the other. Timid friends now suggest,
and opponents hotly urge, the disbanding of the
League, as if its work were done. The executive com-
mittee and council have determined otherwise; and
while they venture to think they are entitled to your
congratulations and approval as regards the past, they
confidently and hopefully solicit your consideration of
their reasons for their decision as regards the future.
They consider that the organisation of the League
may be serviceable and useful in advising and assist-
ing the new voters, particularly in matters connected
with the registration, and also in promoting, with-
out undue interference, the return to Parliament of
persons qualified to represent the feelings, opinions,
and interests of the working classes. They consider
that the condition for the payment of poor rates
attached to the household franchise, and the condi-
tions relating to residence, £lO clear yearly value,
and claiming to be registered attached to the lodger
franchise, are likely, upon the act coming into ope-
ration, to have a very disqualifying effect, and to
disfranchise very many persons morally and justly
entitled to be voters, and that it may become of
great importance to press for the removal of those
conditions, and for the amendment or alteration of
the acts in these and other points, including that of
the contrivance for representing minorities in what
are called three-cornered constituencies—a contriv-
ance which they regard as unconstitutional, and
calculated only to promote injurious class interests
and influences. They further consider that one of
the original and principal objects for which the
League was established—that of protecting voters in
the honest and independent exercise of the franchise
by means of the ballot—has grown in importance in
the course of the late discussions in Parliament, and
from the experience of its beneficial operation in our
own colonies and in other countries ; and that the
Reform League would be abandoning one of its most
essential duties to those who have supported it if it
were not, instead of relaxing, to redouble its exer-
tions to obtain this protection for the new, and espe-
cially the working-class voters under the Act. Finally,
they consider themselves imperatively bound to use
their best efforts to assist their Irish and Scotch
friends and fellow-labourers in obtaining such Re-
form acts as may be satisfactory to them. For these
reasons, and without at present entering into the
consideration of how far any suffrage short of man-
hood suffrage can be permanently satisfactory to
the great body of the people, or of how far the
League may be enabled to usefully assist in promot-
ing other essential reforms consequential upon Re-
form in Parliament, the officers and members of its
Executive committee and Council earnestly invoke

PRICE 4d.
STAMPED sd.

your continued sympathy and support--a sympathy
and support so heartily accorded to them hitherto--
in enabling them still to continue their orginisztion
and labours for the pulZe welfare and the rights of
the people."

He bogocd to say that there was no intcntio i on the
part of ttie League to ab_inclon their platform of
manhood stn7rag,e.
Mr. LUCRAFT said he should move—" That it is
not adviialde to alter the platform of the Le igue,—
namely, manhood suffrage and the ballot--bat that
it is the duty of all Reformers, and especially of the
League, to get all those entitled to the vote on the
register."
Mr. BUBB seconded the resolution.

The CHAIRMAN strongly objected to the inference
that the statement he had read deserted the flag of
the League.

Mr. MERRIMAN said that the statement re-asserted
the principles of the League, and proposed to deal
with the power they possessed in order to get the
rest of what they wanted. The time had come when
it was incumbent on the League to let the world
know what they were going to do. He thought it
was most desirable that the League, the National
Reform Union, and the Ballot Society should form
one compact body and adapt themselves for the
great work of registrotion. He begged •to give
notice that at the next meeting he would move the
following resolution :—" That the Executive Coun-
cil of the Reform League be instructed 'to confer
with the executive authorities of the National Re-
form Union, the Ballot Society, and other large pro-
vincial societies with the view of uniting those seve-
ral bodies, and the formation of• one great party,
and one consolidated power, to detect and oppose
reactionary influences and agencies, and endeavour
by all legitimate means to secure the true and effec-
tive representation of the people by the first general
election under the new Reform Act."

Mr_ DAVIS supported the principle of the three-
cornered constituencies.

A long discussion ensued, in which opinions in
favour of the representation. of minorities were ex-
pressed.

The CHAIRMAN said that at that part of the ad-
dress in which it was stated they " considered them-
selves imperatively bound to assist their Irish and
Scotch friends," there should be added, " and for
other reasons, and still entertaining the convictions
that no suffrage short of manhood can be perma-
nently satisfactory to the great body of the people,
and without at present entering into the considera-
tion."

This was agreed to, and Mr. Lucraft withdrew
his resolution.

A motion to omit the paragraph referring to
three.cornered constituencies was negatived by a
large majority.

A noisy discussion on the question of adopting
the address ensued. The address was adopted, and
the proceedings terminated.

711 E WORK OF THE SESSION.

The half-yearly meeting of the Liverpool Cham-
ber of Commerce was held yesterday, Mr. C. E.
Rawlins, jun., in the chair. Mr. S. R. Graves,
M.P., was present, and seconded the adoption of
the report. He said that when last he had the plea-
sure of meeting the Chamber the town was just
emerging from one of the most severe crises on record.
He had hoped that when the semi-annual meeting
came round he would be able to congratulate them
upon a greatly improved state of things. No doubt
an improvement had taken place, but it had not
been to the extent they could all wish for. The pros-
tration they were all suffering from only showed
how severe was the crisis through which they had
passed. It was fair to expect, however, that the
reaction when it did come would be equally great.
There were various means of judging of the general
prosperity of the country, but particularly were they
able to judge by what were called the home con-
sumption returns, and these, he was happy to say,
showed a large increase even during the last year.
They were, in fact, the largest on record, notwith-
standing the severe crisis throughout the country,
and showed that the country still went steadily on
in its march of progress and prosperity. The past
session had not been very fruitful of practical legis-
lation. They could, however, point to some mea-
sures which bad been forced, as it were, through the
house during the last week or two of the session.
The great impediment to the introduction of many
useful measures had been happily removed ; and he
did not think he would be wrong if he expressed a
strong hope that among the changes which the
great constitutional measure passed this session was
likely to bring about might be the strengthening of
the commercial interest in the House of Commons.
The short experience he had had of that house had
led him to the conviction—and when he looked to
the progress our commerce had made in the last few
years he was borne out by facts—that the com-
merce of the country was very inadequately repre-
sented. Within the last few years-10 or 15
—we had almost doubled our exports and imports.
We were now approaching very close to 500 millions
per annum of both imports and exports, and he did
feel that the extent of representation in the house of
Commons which other classes and interests enjoyed
did not bear a just proportion to that possessed by
the commercial interest, and he trusted that under
the new Constitution it would be materially strength-
ened. (Cheers.) He could look to one other measure
which had been passed during the session, though it
was almost forced through the house without dis-
cussion, with much satisfaction. With the excep-
tion of the Reform Bill itself he knew nothing of
greater importance than the Companies Amendment
Act. Very early in the Session it engaged his
attention. The concerns started under the Act of
1862 represented a nominal capital not very far short
of £400,000,000. The terrible depression these in-
stitutions were suffering and the ordeal they had
gone through had been aggravated by the share-
holders, and the public finding, for the first time,
that there was a liability on their shares, which was
never thought of sufficiently when they attached
their names to the deeds of association. Many a
sound institution was at this moment struggling for
existence, because the shareholders, panic-stricken,
were fleeing from it, fearing their liability ; whereas
if their liability had been only what they had paid
up they would have remained iu and reaped the
benefit of their investments. Ile believed that this
Act which would come into operation on the Ist of
September, and which enabled existing companies to
reduce their capital under precautions which would
give the creditors of the companies the most ample
protection, would be a most valuable concession,
which could not fail to restore public confidence to
a very large extent, and, he thought, would make a
most useful measure of the limited liability prin-
ciple of 1862. There was also in that Act a power
by deed of association in all new companies, and he
thought also in old ones, to make their managers
and directors unlimited in their responsibility. That
was one of the defects, he thought, of the Act of
1862. The liability of managers and directors when
unlimited could not help but to tend to greater care
and discretion in the guidance of those concerns.
There were many other provisions equally useful,
and he had received from all parts of the country
the most gratifying proof that this Act was re-
garded as a measure of great relief, and it was
a matter of great satisfaction to him that he had
been able in any way from the position in which he
was placed as their representative to assist in carry-
ing that measure into law. He would not, however,
be right if he did not state there that a great deal
was due to the determination of the Vice President
of the Board of Trade. He entered into the matter
with a determination and goodwill which added
much to the ease of those who had the conduct of
the bill. One other act which had been passed, and
which should not be without interest to a commer-
Act,
cial community, was the Merchant Shipping

wspApElt
17 1',4
174,7"Z'
,which he thought would tend greatly
-
tarp improvement of the seaman. Thou
urc• 4 44:P
contemplated when first introduced to hav ix .
up some other matters with it, it was ultimately de-
cided that all should be abandoned for the present
except those which related to the sanitary improve-
ment of seamen on board ship. One clause would
give power to foreign shipmasters to prevent unau-
thorised interference with their vessels or crews, in
the same manner as if they were under the British
flag. This he thought was a most desirable 'Provi-
sion. It was well known that the merchant shipping
laws wcr, in a most unsatisfactory condition. They
were now distributed over six or seven acts, in more
than 700 sections, many )f which hal becomeobso-

Tete, and in many o hers of which alterations were
required. Ile was glad to be able to state that the
Board of Trade would be able during the cumin-,
winkr so to conFider the matter—he had the assure
auce of the Presi lout himself—as to be able nc..ct
session to bring up a consolid ited and amended bill.
There werc many matters in our merchant shipping
laws requiring revision, but this was not the time to
go into the details. Mr. Greaves then proceeded to
comment on several subjects mentioned in the repert.
In regard to a petition to Parliament from the Cham-
ber praying that Government would assume the
charge of telegraphic communication, he said that the
reason why he specially referred to it was that in the
leading London journal the previous day reference
was made to objections which had been made by
some gentlem en connected with the telegraphic qs.
tern of this country—he could not for the moment
remember his name. As it was a subject in which he
(Mr. Greaves) took a very deep interest, he should be
sorry to let such an opportunity pass without an-
swering those objections. He agreed with the
Chamber that the telegraphic system of this country
was not made so useful to the public as it might be.
They should not, however, condemn too rashly.
The managers of the telegraph companies had their
shareholders to consider, and it could not be ton-
dered at that they should be cautious in attempting
a bold scheme by which alone telegraphs could be
made available to all parts of the kingdom. It had
been stated, as one of the objections, that the Post-
office was already overtaxed with work, and that to
place more duties upon it would only be to render
inefficient the discharge of the duties to which it was
already specially devoted ; and another objection
was that the subordinates of the Post-office would
not be sufficiently competent to undertake the
duties of the telegraphic system. These were both
very grave objections, if they could be maintained.
As to the first, the same objection was made when
it was proposed to Add the Savings bank and Annuity
offices to the Post-office ; but, so far from efficiency
being endangered by that addition;.it was admitted
that of all the institutions connected with Govern-
ment it was the most perfect in its management.
Then, in regard to the inefficiency of the subordi-
nates, it was managed by them in Belgium and
Switzerland, and he had yet to learn that our subor.
dinates were less efficient or intelligent than those
of other countries. With increased remuneration
we got increased efficiency, and they would get a
staff perfectly efficient and capable. He then
quoted statistics to show how well the Government
system of telegraphs worked in Belgium and Swit-
zerland. Two and a half million was the outside
estimate of the cost to the English Government ;
and if the plan was carrried out it would result in a
profit to the State and a benefit t 6 a large number of
towns in the country. In regard to CUstoms duties,
he strongly advocated a further reduction to four
or five principal things, and quoted statistics to
show the benefits which had accrued from the liberal
policy of the last few years. Our bankruptcy
laws were in a peculiarly satisfactory state. He
believed that the bill of Sir John Bolt could
have been made a more satisfactory measure. Ile
had the strongest assurance from the Attorney-
General that he would endeavour to deal with the
question, and bring in a bill early next session. Ile
was bound to revert to the great assistance Govern-
meht had received in this matter from the chamber,
and especially from Mr. Clarke, who had discussed
the subject thoroughly with the Attorney-General,
and made many valuable suggestions. Upon the
question of local Admiralty jurisdiction, he strongly
supported, on the ground of public convenience, the
claim of Liverpool to an independent Court of Ad-
miralty. Government, he believed, was favourably
inclined to it, and, with a strong effort next session,
he believed it would be carried into effect. In re-
gard to the matter of the Mersey Docks Bills, he
said that in the House of Commons everything that
the Dock Board asked was granted, and in the
House of Lords everything they asked was refused,
and on a suggestion being made whatever was asked
for was given. It was a conflict of opinion on a
matter of fact, and a grave doubt arose in his mind
how far in these great questions—for he called this
a question of great public importance, though
nominally a private measure—how far some change
of system was not desirable which would remove
what he called a blot in our constitution. (Cheers.)

He thought we ought not to have in these matters
so grave a difference of opinion upon questions of
fact, and so quick an alteration upon it. He was
free to confess he was desirous and would have ad-
vised that the bill should have gone back to the
House of Commons and have been discussed by the
whole house. He was sure that the decision of its
committee would have met with its cordial appro-
val. Still, if the compromise' which had been
effected would be a permanent settlement of the
question, he was satisfied with it. Mr. Graves
briefly alluded to one sr two less important topics.
The report was adopted, and the proceedings
were unanimous.

MOSES and SON, Ready-made and
--d • Bespoke Tailors, Habit Makers, Woollen Drapers,
Hatters, Hosiers, Boot and Shoe Manufacturers, and Ge-
neral Outfitters for all Classes.
MOSES and SON respectfully invite an
• Inspection of their Stock of Ready-made Clothing,
which in magnitude, variety, lowness of price, and general
excellence surpasses any that has ever been placed before
the public.
The Bespoke Clothing or Order Department is furnished
wlth a very large assortment of materials, selected with
2articular care from the principal Home and Foreign
..narkets. Only First-class Cutters are -employed, and
therefore the best styles and a perfect fit can be depended
upon.
The Hosiery and Drapery, Hat and Cap, and Boot and
Shoe Departments, are also supplied with a large and
varied stock.
The Outfitting Department coitains every requisite for
Sea or Shore, including tin-ware and Cabin Furniture of
every description.
All articles for Charitable Objects supplied at Wholesale
Prices ; estimates promptly furnished.
E. MOSES and SON'S Establishments are CLOSED every
FRIDAY EVENING at sunset till SATURDAY EVENING at
sunset, when business is resumed until Eleven o'clock.
Every article is marked the lowest price in plain figures,
from which no abatement can be made.
Any article not approved of will be exchanged, or the
money will be returned.
List of prices, with rules for self-measurement, patterns,
and fa.shion-sheet, and "History of London" (second part)
gratis and post free.
TO TOURISTS AND EXCURSIONISTS.—
E. MOSES and SON have made preparations on a
large scale in all departments of their business for Tourists
and Excursionists, and respectfully invite an inspection.
The following aro the London addresses of E. Moses
and Son :-
151, MINORIES.
M1NORII:S.
1 31INCRI Es.

157, MINORIES.
83, ALDGATE.
81, AL PGA TE.
85, A LDGA.TE.
86, ALDGATE.
87, ALDGATE.
$B, T,DGATE.
89, ALDGATE.
506, NEW OXFORD-STREET.
:")(17, NEW OXFORD-STREET.
NEW OXFORD-STREET.
HART-sTREET.
2, HART-ST REEL
3, HART-STREET.
137, TOT TEN HAM-COURT- ROAD.
138, TOTTENHAM-COURT-ROAD.
213, EUSTON-ROAD.
Also,
13, BRIDGE-STREET, BRADFORD, YORKS.
20, BRIDGE-STREET, BRADFORD, YORKS.
SPECIAL NOTICE. —ln consequence of frequent mis-
representations, E. MOSES and SON find it necessary to
state that they do not employ any travellers or agents,
and that their only Establishments are the above-men-
tioned.