The Sun.
London, England, 1867-05-07 00:00:00

Meeting of the Conservative Party.

A meeting of the supporters of Lord Derby's
Government was held at the noble earl's official re-
sidence, Downing-street, yesterday afternoon to hear
from the Premier the course which the Ministry in-
tended to take relative to the proposed amendments
to the Reform Bill. 225 members were present.
Lord lig
by
explaining fully the plan the Govern-
ment intended to adopt with regard to the meeting
to be held in Hyde-park. He stated that though
Dni r, who was loudly cheered, com-
menced
they had been accused of vacillation andirresolution,
and especially Mr. Walpole, yet the course that
they pursued at the end was what they from the
very first determined upon, and was the united
tini eg onon
d e uir n question was
the advice of
not only the existing law officers of the Crown, but
legal, He
action of the Cabinet, and not of Mr. Walpole only.
lid explained at considerable length the law with
regard to the rights of the Crown to the park, and
horifarsucshtnitnedeettihniagts as
, acting
t t
also of all the previous legal advisers, they had
issued a proclamation, which was in the form of a
public notice, warning all persons against an in-
fringement of the law, and they had further made a
personal service of a notice upon all those persons
who had been advertised to speak, and all who were
about to take part in the proposed political discus-
sion in the park, notifying to them that, should they
attempt to address the meeting, they would be liable
to a civil action at law for trespass, and Lord Derby
stated that such actions would be immediately
commenced against them. lie a(lded that the
law officers of the Crown had not
only advised this
as the proper course, but as the
sole course that
could be pursued according to statute law. He was
determined, whilst maintaining the dignity of the
Crown, not to illegally endanger the liberties
of the subject. Hie lordship
to the Reform Bill, and explained at length
the various bearings of the questi •
on of the
personal payment of rates in'
full, expressing his
opinion that there 1,1 be • • •
could no justification in
exempting the compound householders from the
same liability that was Common to all other rate-
payers, and that he considered
payment of the full rate was a necessary barrier
against household suffrage pure and simple. Hold-
ing this opinion so strongly as he did, whatever the
was he decision of the house
as he could not give way.
Ho then alluded to some new clauses which the
Chancellor of the /4 I,would Ic.equer introduce that
evening. .

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, who on
rising was loudly cheered, then explained the nature
of these new clauses, by which he maintained the
inequalities which were
complained of, and which
had been reproachfully termed
a fine upon compound
householders, would be entirely obviated.
The meeting then broke up after expressing, with
entire unanimity, their determination to support the
Government, and their satisfaction with the state-
ment of the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

A Cabinet Council was held after the meeting of
the Conservative party at the Earl of Derby's, at
which the whole of the Cabinet Miuisters were
present.

MR. ROEBUCK AND REFORM.

SHEFFIELD, May 6.

A large open-air meeting of working men was
held at Sheffield this evening. It was called by the
Local Reform League. The meeting unanimously
condemned Mr. Roebuck's conduct on the Reform
Bill, called upon him to resign, and pledged them-
selves to oppose him at the next election. Confi-
dence was expressed in Mr. Gladstone, and thanks
given to N.r, Hadfield.

)
t

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

PRUSSIA.

BERLIN, May 7.

The King of Prussia has conferred the Grand
Cross of the Royal Order of the House of Hohen-
zollern upon the King of the Belgians and the Count
of Flanders.
The United States Minister at this Court is seri-
ously ill.

THE CROATIAN DIET.

AGRAM, May 7.

The Committee of the Croatian Diet has sus-
pended its sittings in consequence of the impossi-
bility of any understanding being arrived at between
the different parties.
It is believed, however, that the party in favour
of the union of Croatia with Hungary will obtain a
majority.