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 rumber of addresses were delivered, and reso-
lutions were unanimously adopted, expressing
an entire want of confidence in the present Ad-
ministration, and :,n oi,inion that the peace,
order, and good government of this country le.
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 is undiminished and entire confidence in
Mr. Gladstone, and c tiled upon the reformers of
the ljuited Kingdom, of all shades of opinion, to
unit._: 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
succes,ful meeting in favour of reform was held last
evening at Devonport, ou 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 and commented on the
" Resolutions," he said—" What are 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 be is going to bring
the subject of Parliamentary reform to
a satisfactory termination ? (Cries of " No, no.")
I say with you No, no. (Hear, hezr.) I say that
if this plan, under ordinary circumstances, were
proposed to us, our course 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. (ic. 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 cheers)—his earnestness of purpose and won-

derful accomplishments—his great sagacity and in-
comparable eloquence—are any qualifications for
that duty. (Loud and protracted cheering.)

GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY.

MEETING THIS DIY.

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 rend, and the further business of this
meeting was to elect four directors in the place of
Major Answick, Col. the Hon. C. Duncombe, Mr.
Turner, M.P., and Mr. Waterhouse, M.P.., who
retired; and also an auditor, in place of Mr.
Morgan.

The CHAIRMAN said that the report was longer
than usual, because they wished to give to the pro-
prietors, 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 reasons 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 West Riding
and Grimsby Company's stock. The expenditure
on the capital included £415,130 on account of new
lines not yet completed ; 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
had been an increased receipt of £44,120, 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 weather,
and the panie.which had taken place in the money
market during the last autumn.

The report having been seconded was unanimously
agreed to.

SHIPPING IN FELLIGENCE.

LONDON, Feb. 23.—Wind this day at noon, North-West;
moderate breeze and fine weather.

(By Telegraph.)
GRAVESEND, Saturday lforning
Arrived, Feb. 23.—A lbion, steamer, from Ostend; Mau,
steamer, from Antwerp; General Slade, from Guernsey;
Providence, from Gravelines; Wave, from St. Michael's;
Caroline, from Faaborg; Wopkea, from Emden ; Aretas,
from Genoa ; Carl, from Alexandria ; Humber, from Trini-
dad ; Evelyn, from Adelaide; Heron (steamer), from
Hamburg ; Rhine (steamer) from Antwerp.
Sailed—Panther, steamer, for Boulogne; Holland,
steamer, for Ostend.

DEAL, Saturday Morning.
Passed—fronsides, for Auckland; Satellite, for Panama;
Express, for Madeira—all from London; Egean, from
Mauritius for London.

DEPARTURE OF GARIBALDI FROM

CAPRERA.

FLORENCE, Feb. 22.
Garibaldi disembarked at Leghorn yesterday
'rout Capron% and has arrived in this city to-day.

The French steamer La Seine and Tatnise, Capt.
Corr, belonging to Messrs. Gaudct Freres, yesterday
embarked at the 'l' pier at Woolwich arsenal 300
tons of War Department models, being the heavy
portion of the samples of ingenuity prepared and
packed in the departments for the Paris Exhibition.
She expected to sail to-day. About 50 tons still re-
main of additional lighter articles, which will be
shipped from the Cus.torn-house in London on the
10th of March.
THE LAUREATE'S new volume of poems, consist-
ing,a ,:ed3, A. S. s v
f seven songs,
u lillustratedafi tuu,
to pea
b j i
is llaisa,randr aceom-
tli about
Easter.
We understand that the candidates at the Army
Medical Examination on Monday were ten below
the numder required, and a few have been plucked,
making a further alight deficiency. Forty-five vacancies
were announced, and only thirty-five candidates pre-
sented themselves. The competitive character of the
examination is of course altogether destroyed by the
present unpopularity of the service, which the authorities
are doins their best to increase.—British Mtlica/ Journal.