The Sun.
London, England, 1867-09-19 00:00:00

REFORM CONFERENCE 1N GLASGOW.

A conference of Scotch Parliamentary Reform
delegates was held in Glasgow on Tuesday, Provost
Hay, of Dundee, presiding. The conference was
attended by delegates from 36 towns in Scotland,
and from London, Manchester, Birmingham, and
Leeds. Letters of apology for non-attendance were
read from Mr. Gladstone, Mr. Bright, Mr. Mill, Mr.
Hughes, Mr. Berkeley, Mr. M'Llren, Mr. Carnegie,
Admiral Erskine, Mr. Crum-Ewing, and the city
members, Messrs. Dalglish and Graham.
Mr. Gladstone forwarded his recently-published
letter to certain reformers in London as indicating
his views on the present aspect of the reform question.

Mr. Bright wrote:—" I thank you for the invita-
tion to the proposed conference, although I do not
expect to be able to attend it. As to what reformers
should now do I have a very distinct opinion. They
should continue their associations, and make a
grand effort for the ballot. This is necessary both
for burghs and counties, and there will be no real re-
presentation without it. The ballot will more than
double the value of the now extended suffrage, and
will give to public opinion a freedom and a power
which it has never yet possessed in this country.
The demand of every Reformer should be for the
ballot, and if the demand be general it will soon be
gained."
Mr. John Stuart Mill wrote :—" I beg to say that
absence from England, as well as the demands on
my time and exertions, will make it impossible for
me to attend the conference at Glasgow. Nor
have I at present the leisure necessary for writing
out such a statement of my political opinions as
would be of any use to the League in preparing a
programme of future policy for reformers. I can
only recommend as among the objects most pressing
and urgent,-Ist, a more just redistribution of seats
in Parliament; 2d, measures for the repression not
only of bribery at elections, but of that monopoly of
seats in Parliament by rich men which results from
the enormous expense of elections ; 3d, an efficient
and unsectarian system of national education ; 4th,
restoration of legal protection to the funds of trade
societies, combined with efficient measures to pre-
vent physical molestation, or the threat of physical
molestation, from being employed to promote the
objects of these societies by their officers or mem-
bers; sth, complete justice to our Irish fellow coun-
trymen, especially in the essential points of the
Church and the land."
Resolutions were carried, declaring manhood suf-
frage to be the only true basis of representation, but,
" accepting household suffrage, with a liberal lodger
franchise by burghs, as an instalment of just rights ;"
protesting against an equally extensive franchise
being withheld from counties, against the conferring
of votes on non-resident tenalts as occupants in
counties, against the principle of the representation
of minorities ; and against the meagre addition pro-
posed to be made to the number of Scotch represen-
tatives ; advocating vote by ballot ; and demanding
the establishment of a free and unsectarian system
of national education ; a complete revision of the
laws affecting the relationship of labour and capital ;
a Reform Bill for Ireland similar to those for Eng-
land and Scotland, and complete justice to Irishmen,
especially in points of the Church and the land.
In the evening a public meeting, very largely at-
tended, was held in the City Hall. The speakers,
with the exception of Mr. Beales, Mr. Ernest Jones,
and one or two English reformers, were local men.