The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-23 00:00:00

Reform Meetings in the Provinces.

Last evening (we learn by telegraph) a large
town's meeting was held in the Temperance-hall,
Leicester, to consider the Government's proposed
Reform resolutions. The chair was occupied by Mr.
J. T. Paget, and the assembly numbered about 2,000
persons. The borough members, Mr. P. A. Taylor
and Mr. J. D. Harris, who had been invited to at-
tend, sent letters of apology for not being present.
A number of addresses were delivered, and reso-
lutions were unanimously adopted, expressing
an entire want of confidence in the present Ad-
ministration, and an opinion that the peace,
order, and good government of this country re-
quire a speedy enactment of a Reform Bill which
shall secure a full and fair representation of the
working classes in Parliament. The meeting also
recorded its undiminished and entire confidence in
Mr. Gladstone, and called upon the reformers of
the United Kingdom, of all shades of opinion, to
unite their efforts in supporting the right hon. gen-
tleman as the leader of the liberal party in the House
of Commons. We learn also by telegraph that a
successful meeting in favour of reform was held last
evening at Devonport, on the occasion of the in-
auguration of a branch of the Reform League.
The hall was crowded by respectable persons,
chiefly artisans in the Governments establishments
of the town. Resolutions were passed, amidst
deafening cheers, declaring that the conduct of the
present Government in its treatment of reform is
an insult to the well known wishes of the people,
besides marked by a very despicable desire to ob-
tain office by any means ; and that under these
circumstances the meeting declared its conviction
that the liberal majority of the House of Commons
would be justified in proceeding at once to the ex-
pression of a vote of want of confidence in the
Ministers. Another resolution in favour of the Re-
form League's principles was unanimously passed.
Meetings were held on Thursday of the Wallsall
branch of the Reform League, and at York, the
latter being one of the largest assemblages which
can be remembered in that city, at both of which
resolutions, in substance the same as those referred
to above, were adopted. Sir W. Hutt addressed a
meeting of his constituents on Thursday, at Gates-
head. Having referred to mid commented on the
" Resolutions," he said—" What arc we to do?
(A voice—" Kick them out.") Are we to swal-
low heaps of resolutions, and follow Mr.
Disraeli wherever he would lead us, under
the assurance that lie is going to bring
the subject of Parliamentary reform to
a satisfietory termination ? (Cries of " No, no.")
I sly with you No, no.. (Hear, hear.) I say that
If thin plan, under ordinary circumstances, were
proposed to us, our cours.! would be simple and plain.
We ought utterly to reject it. But in the emergency
in which we are placed, I think we must take a dif-
ferent course. I think it is the duty of the House
of Commons—and especially the duty of the Liberal
party in the House of Commons—to endeavour, if
they can, to shape out of those unpromising mate-
rials, a real and an effectual reform bill. And if,
gentlemen, after an earnest and sincere endeavour
to arrive at this end, we should find that it is
wholly impracticable, well, then, I say that the
time has arrived when the Liberal party must
step forward. (Loud cheers.) They cannot have in
the House of Commons a better advocate than Mr.
Gladstone. (Loud and prolonged cheering.) Let
Mr. Gladstone introduce again, with certain amend-
ments, the bill which was rejected in the last session
of Parliament. (A Voice—" Let him go further.")
And in the conjuncture we have arrived at I have
no doubt we shall carry the measure triumphantly
through the legislature. (Hear, hear, and cheers.)
Mr. Gladstone is not titularly—is not nominally—
but he is really now the leader of the House of Com-
mons. (Cheers.) He will be the leader and the
Prime Minister of England—(a voice—" Yes, he
will, soon")—if the nation's confidence—if his own
singular training for public life—(cheers)—his own
unimpeachable honesty and integrity—(hear, hear,
and
city andand cheers)—his earnestness of
qualifications for
purpose and won-
derful accomplishments—his great saga in-
comparable eloquence—are any )
that duty. (Loud and protracted cheering.

GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY.

MEETING THIS DAY.

This morning the 41st half-yearly ordinary gene-
ral meeting of the proprietors of the Great Northern
Railway Company was held at the board room of
the King's-cross station ; Col. Packe, M.P., in the
chair.

The report, which has already been published, was
taken as read, and the further business of this
meeting was to elect four directors in the place of
Major Answick, Cul. the Hon. C. Duncontbe, Mr.
Turner, M.P., and Mr. Waterhouse, M.P., who
retired ; and alsa an auditor, in place of Mr.

Morgan.
The Ch AIRMAN said that the report was longer
than usual, because they wished to give to the pro-
prietol s, who did not attend, the fullest information
possible. He (the chairman) and 'his brother
directors regretted to announce that they had been
obliged by circumstances over which they had no
control to decrease the dividend during the past
half-year, but it would be satisfactory to know there
were ample rea3ons why such a course should be
adopted. The receipts on capital accounts during
the last half-year had amounted to £666,171, out
of which there was £210,000 which had been issued
in exchange for a similar amount of Wrest Riding
and Grimsby Company's stock. The expenditure
on the capital included £415,130 on account of new
lines not yet complAed ; but, in reduction of
this sum, £201,771 had been received from the
Midland Company for their proportion of the amount
expended on the Cheshire and the Liverpool station.
He now came to the revenue ; and although there
bad been an increased receipt of £41,120, yet their
traffic had fallen off. This was owing to several
causes. The excursion traffic had fallen off princi-
pally, in consequence of the unfavourable
and the panic which had taken place in the money
market during the last autumn.
The report having been seconded was unanimously weather,
agreed to.