The Sun.
London, England, 1867-05-14 00:00:00

REFORM MELTING AT BERMONDSEY.

Last evening a densely crowded public meeting
was held in Newton's factory, Rouel-road, Ber-
mondsey, in support of a lodger franchise, and in
opposition to the personal rating clause of the Go-
vernment Reform Bill. Mr. E. D. Rogers occu-
pied the chair, supported by Messrs. Locke and
Layard, the members for the borough, and a large
number of the ratepayers of the district.
The CII.IIIIMXN opened- the proceedings with a
strong condemnation of the Government bill, and a
declaration that nothing short of a residential and
registered manhood suffrage would satisfy the great
body of the people.
lie was sLroecc
received
dM . . , then addressed the meeting.
with
loud cries of " How about the
tea-room ?" The hon. member then proceeded at
some length to justify his conduct in attending
what was called the tea-room meeting. By attend-
ing that meeting he had no intention of deserting
Mr. Gladstone or the Liberal party, to whom he
had given a constant support, but to endeavour to
get rid of the arbitrary £5 rating line. (Hear.) He
was one of the few members of the House of Com-
mons in favour of household suffrage pure and
simple—(hear)—with a liberal lodger franchise. He
had voted with Mr. Gladstone both ou the 12th of
April against personal rating and again with him,
last Thursday evening, in favour of the compound
householders. (Hear.) He was still in hopes that
the bill might be so improved as to make it accept-
able to the people, but if not, they must endeavour
to amend it in the Reformed Parliament. (Hear.)
Mr. LAYARD, m.p., on rising was received with
great cheering. He said he had not the same faith
as his hon. friend that the bill could be made any
better or more acceptable to the present house of
Commons. (Hear.) Neither was he at all sure
that a new Parliament elected under the provisions
of the present bill would be inclined to amend its
obnoxious principles. (Wear.) His own impression
was that it was likely to be even more retrograde
than the present House of Commons. While there
were 50 traitors in the Liberal camp there was but
little hope of any real or satisfactory improvement of
the bill. The hon. member then went on to explain
whatwould be the inevitable working of the present
bill in relation to the compound householder. lt
would subject him to bribery or intimidation from
his landlord, and place it in the power of
the paro-
chial authorities whether he should be rated or not.
By the clause carried in the House of Commons last
Thursday, by the aid of the deserters from the Libe-
ral party, not only were all those arrangements dis-
turbed, but the compound householders, now exer-
cising the franchise under the act of Sir W. Clay,
were to be deprived of their
franchise unless they
complied with the requirements of the present bill.
(bear.) This was such a monstrous injustice that
he could not understand how any man calling him-
, self a Liberal could have voted
for it. (Hear, and
cries of " Out with them.") They would have to
settle their delinquencies with their constituencies
whom they had betrayed,
Ile was quite willing that
the bill should be thrown out. (Cheers.) It would
be thrown out if th LI 1 e era s were true to themselves
and their principles, but as he had said before they
had 50 traitors in their camp. (I -1.• Imes.) He would
advise them to keep on and increase their agitation,
hold meetings everywhere, and in petitions against
the bill, and where the constituencies had been be-
trayed let them insist on their members doing their
duty, and it was '
possible they might yet succeed.
A resolution in favour of a lodger franchise, and
protesting against the principle of personal rating,
was then unanimously adopted, as was also another
expressing confidence in Mr. G 1 tdstone, and con-
demnatory of those b nem ers of the Liberal party
who had voted against ' •
him.
A vote of thanks to the chairman concluded the
proceedings of a most enthusiastic meeting.

THE SURREY STAGDOUNDS.—Thispack of hounds,
under the mastership of Mr. Arthur fleathcote, terminated
its hunting season last week, and on Saturday the pack,
which has been considerablystrengthened by doge of high
blood and strain, were laid up till the autumn, while the
running deer, comprising some "fleet and staying" bucks,
were turned into park for the summer. The hunt, which
is chiefly sustained by the Epsom Squire (the master), has
received substantial support from the gentlemen who at-
tend the meet, and this old established pack of Surrey
staghounds augurs well to be a permanent sporting adjunct
of the county. The fears recently entertained that this
pack would be broken up are now dispelled.
SUICIDE IN TIIE BOROUGII.—On Sunday morning
a man named Boyd, residing at No. 14, Bedford-row, Great
Guildford-street, Borough, cut his throat with a carving
knife in a closet of that house. When discovered life was
quite extinct. The deceased had been in a desponding
wood for song) time back,