The Sun.
London, England, 1867-06-20 00:00:00

RAILWAY BILLS.

Yesterday the Committee on Group 12 proceeded
with the London, Chatham, and Dover Bills. The
Bill No. 4 was entered into, and the committee
came to the conclusion that the preamble was not
proved. The London, Chatham, and Dover Bill
(No. 1) was adjourned, as were London, Chatham,.
and Dover (No. 2), and London, Chatham, and
Dover (No. 3).

In Group No. 13 the Great Eastern (Finance)
Bill was proceeded with and adjourned ; and the
llayling Railways Bill, being unopposed, was re-
ferred to the Committee of Ways and Means.

The Disturbance in St. James's Hall and
the Reform League.

The council of the Reform League met last night
at their rooms, Adelphi-terrace.
The CHAIRMAN, Mr. J. Guedalla, referred to
the disturbance which took place in St. James's
Hall, on Monday night, and denied that the exe-
cutive council of the League took any part officially
in that meeting of the so-called Working Men's
Conservative Association. The resolutions propose 1
to be passed at the meeting were in point of fact
the gauntlet thrown down to the League, and it
was no wonder that the members of the League
attended the meeting to vote against the resolutions.
(Hear, hear.) No physical force was intended to
be used, and the Leaguers had no reason to use it
because they were a clear majority. The Conserva-
tives used violence first, and then force was used
in return.

Mr. MANTLE—And they got wallopped. (Laugh-
ter.)
Me. W. MANTLE said the fact was that there was
no such body existing in London as a Conservative
Working Men's Association. To put it in plain
language, a number of Conservative swells from the
Carlton Club, who had drunk a gool deal of wine,
and had a good deal of courage, got into a corner
of St. James's Hall, and fought like lions in trying
to hold a meeting, the object of that meeting being
to slander the Reform League and tell the most con-
summate lies. (Hear.) The course of these gen-
tlemen began by ordering members of the Reform
League to the back seats, so that there should be a
wall of Tories between them and the front of the
meeting. If that meeting had been permitted to
pass quietly the Conservative press would have
trumpeted the success all over England, and the re-
pudiation by the meeting of the principles of the
League. (Hear, hear.) That would be a fine
thing, but the Conservatives could never do that
in London. (Cheers.) It was very well that the
Tories should know that the men of the League had
got tongues, and —when violence was used—fists to
use. (Hear, hear.) When Mr. Fowler came on the
platform he distinctly refused to take the chair un-
less he was voted into it by the meeting, and it
was a mere farce to say that the members of the
League had no right to vote. What was the use of
asking them to vote if they had not the right ? If
the Tories had defeated the men of the League he
(Mr. Mantle) would have bowed to the decision, and
let them have their own way. Mr. Langley was
voted to the chair, and it was then the Tories tried
to throw him and his friends off the platform; but
if the police had not been sent for the men of the
League would have put them out into Regent-street
and into the Carlton. (Cheers.) He believed it
was the duty of the council to prevent any sham
association from endeavouring to speak out in the
name of the working men of London. (Cheers.)
The members of the League carried a Reform
League chairman, and prevented a political swindle
from being foisted on the people of the country.
There could be no doubt what occurred would have
its effect in the provinces, so that if there were any
Conservative Working Men's Associations there
they could hold their meetings fairly and honour-
ably, but any attempt at foisting a swindle on the
country would be laid bare in the provinces as well
as in London. (Cheers.)
Mr. BENNETT thought that Messrs. Mantle and
Langley were unwise in interfering with the meet-
ing.

After a very warm discussion, Mr. HAWKER
moved, and Mr. ELLIS seconded :—" That the St.
James's Hall meeting fully proves that the Work-
ing Men's Conservative Association is an arrant
sham, and that the attempt was a simple effort by
Tory squires to bolster up an expiring faction.
Resolved, therefore, that the thanks of the council
and delegates be given to the Reformers who, on
Monday night, maintained the legally elected chair-
man against the violence and brutality of an edu-
cated mob."
The resolution was carried.

Mr. GOLDRING moved, Mr. BRISK seconded, and
it was agreed :—" That as Mr. Fowler, who was to
have been chairman of the projected meeting at St.
James's Hall, thought proper to assert that the
Reform League were afraid of discussion, the council
of the Reform League hereby resolves to challenge
Mr. Fowler and the representatives of what pur-
ports to he the Conservative Working Men's Asso-
ciation to meet the representatives of the Reform
League, and publicly discuss the questions and
principles involved in the resolutions that were to
have been submitted to the meeting at St. James's
Hall,"