The Sun.
London, England, 1866-09-03 00:00:00

Reform Meeting at Bristol.

On Saturday afternoon an open-air demonstration
in favour of political reform took place at Bristol. A
procession and bands of music marched through the
principal streets of the city, and a meeting, at which
it was Calculated there were nearly 10,000 persons
present, was held upon Brandon-hill. Mr. Handel
Cossham presided, and Mr. Edmond Beales and Mr.
Charles Bradlaugh were present as a deputation
from the National Reform League.
The CHAIRMAN, in the course of a lengthened
address, remarked that he considered that grand
gathering, and that much grander gathering at Bir-
mingham the other day, were complete answers to
the assertions constantly made by the Tories that
the people of England did not want Reform. The
Tory party would not listen to reason, and refused
to given them the smallest measure of reform ; but
what they had refused to give in answer to argu-
ment they would obtain by the display of England's
greatness. (Cheers.) He said that he was in the
House of Commons when Mr. Lowe said that they
(the working classes) were drunken, ignorant, and
venal, and of all the disorderly assemblies he ever
saw, he never beheld anything more disorderly, or
heard anything more disgraceful than the yells of
the Tories when Mr. LoWe made that assertion.
(Hear.) He challenged him to prove that the work-
ing men of England were more ignorant, drunken,
or venal than were the class to which the hon. gen-
tleman belonged. At some length he defended the
working classes from the charges brought against
them by the hon. gentleman, and referring to the
charge of venality, said they could not introduce
upon the register a more venal class than that now
upon it, as evidenced by the proceedings at the va-
rious election commissions now being held. The
speaker declared himself in favour of the widest ex-
tension of the suffrage, and after referring to other
phases of the question of Reform, read letters of
apology from the members of the borough, Mr. H.
Berkeley and Sir M. Peto,:and from the Rev. J. W.
Caldicott and Mr. John Frost.

Mr. Moss moved the following resolution :
" That this meeting, while regarding the retire-
ment of the late Ministry with sincere regret, consi-
ders the advent of a Tory Administration as a na-
tional calamity, and the people here publicly assem-
bled feel it their bounden duty most solemnly to
declare that they will never rest satisfied till a Go-
vernment in unison with the feelings and wishes of
the people be established, deeming that such resolve
on their part can alone redeem the pledge made by
them to support Lord Russell, Mr. Gladstone, Mr.
Bright, and other honest advocates of public rather
than class interests, who so nobly sustained their
rights and the principles of just government against
an adverse faction in a corrupt and dishonest House
of Parliament."

Mr. GAWLER having seconded the motion,

Mr. BEALES rose to support it, and was received
with loud cheers. He said the reception they had
given him in Bristol, going to his heart with the re-
ception he had met with from hundreds and thou-
sands of his fellow-countrymen, was a large recom-
pense to him for having yielded to the dictates of a
conscience indignant at the present system of class
representation and class legislation—indignant at
seeing a constitution trampled under foot—indig-
naut at seeing a parliamentary faction so grossly
misconducting itself towards the people of this great
country as not only to exclude them from their just
rights, but to revile them and insult them as unfit
for the exercise of those rights. (Cheers.) Those
receptions were a recompense to him for conscien-
tiously under these circumstances overstepping the
ordinary limits of his professional avocations, and
what was called professional etiquette, the validity of
which he did not recognise—(cheers)—overstepping
those limits to advocate the rights of the people.
Those receptions, he beligved, showed that if it was
inexpedient for the public service that he ' should
continue to exercise judicial functions it was not in-
expedient for the public service that he should re-
tain the office of President of the Reform League
—(loud cheers)—for the purpose of carrying on, as
he trusted, to victory the standard on which was
inscribed manhood suffrage and the ballot. (Cheers.)
He did not quarrel with those who advocated a less
measure of reform, but he contemplated that every
man morally and intellectually qualified to exercise
it should have a vote in the election of those who
have the making of the laws and the imposing of
the taxes. (Cheers.) The speaker quoted an illus-
tration for the purpose of showing that the present
system of Parliamentary representation in this
country rested upon a false basis, and, as a practical
test, he called upon all those present who had votes
to hold up their hands, and then those who had not,
when it appeared that the latter constituted at least
three-fourths of the assemblages of political Re-
form, and resumed his seat amid loud cheers.

Mr. HENRY WAY, in a humorous speech, moved
the second resolution, which was as follows :

" That this meeting earnestly considers that it is
the imperative duty of the people of this country
who regard their lives and value their rights and
liberties to strike for the amendment of the repre-
sentation on thebasis of residentialmanhood suffrage
and the ballot, and support the cause.of the Reform
League by enrolling themselves members, and by
every legitimate means assist in sustaining them in
their great battle for the true and just rights of the
unenfranchised millions of their fellow countrymen."
Mr. ROGERS seconded, and Bradlaugh supported,
the resolution, which was carried unanimously, and
the meeting separated with a vote of thanks to the
chairman.

Two SEA CAPTAINS WORTHY OF EMPLOYMENT.
—Captain Sherard Osborn, R.N., C. 8., having re-
signed the very lucrative appointment which he held in
India, is now in England, and is desirous, we understand,
of placing his services at the disposal of the Admiralty in
any position where they can be made most available for
the public interests. Captain Cowper P. Coles has, we
understand, applied to the Admiralty for active employ-
ment. It is true that the Royal Sovereign is at this mo-
ment in commission under the command of Captain F. A.
Herbert, but merely as a tender to the Excellent. There
should, however, be no difficulty in the way of Captain
Coles superseding Captain Herbert, who doubtless would
prefer having an independent sea-going vessel, particu-
larly as Captain Coles would prefer having a turret-ship.
The friends of Captain Coles will be glad to hear that his
health is thoroughly restored, and that he feels equal to any
undertaking connected with his profession. Army and
Navy Gazette.
WHO INVENTED TIIE STEAM-HAMMER ?—Al-
though Patricroft was undoubtedly the birthplace of the
steam-hammer in its present compact and manageable
form, it is now conclusively proved (by the testimony of
Mr. Gaskell and Dr. W. Fairbairn), that Mr. Smiles was
not justified in giving, as ho has done in his " Industrial
Biography," the credit of its invention to Mr. Nasmyth.
The first practically useful hammer made in England was
produced at the works of Messrs. Nasmyth, Gaskell, and
Co., at Patricroft, but Mr. Nasmyth's hammer was similar
to, and no advance upon, the hammers of James Watt and
Deverell, patented nearly half a century previously, until
the self-acting motion was designed and applied by Mr.
Robert Wilson, then manager to the firm, and now ma-
naging partner in the works at Patricroft. From the time
of Mr. Wilson's invention being applied the steam-hammer
has become a necessity in every engineering workshop, its
introduction marking anew era in the history of mechanical
progress.—Mining Journal.
FREE SUNDAY AT THE CRYSTAL PALACE.—Yes-
terday being the day set apart by the directors of
the palace for the free Sunday to the officers and leading
members of the metropolitan trade societies, and other
working class organisations, these parties largely availed
themselves of the privilege. About 8,000 tickets had been
placed at the disposal of the committee of the Sunday
League, under the superintendence of whose secretary (Mr.
R. Morrell) they were apportioned out to the various socie-
ties according to numbers. The doors_of the palace were
opened at half-past one o'c:ock, and, undeterred by the wet
morning, by four o'clock the whole of the ticket-holders
had assembled at the palace, the great majority of whom
were accompanied by their children, for the admission of
whom tickets were not required. Altogether, at the above
hour, at least 10,000 persons were present, all highly
appreciating the liberality of tho directors. During the
afternoon a selection of sacred music was performed on the
large organ by Mr. James Coward. At five o'clock Mr.
Baxter Langley addressed a large audience from the front
of the orchestra explanatory of the principles and object.o
of the Sunday League. Mr. R. Morrell, the sers„.
of the Sunday League, also add the meeting, 'mac
stated that an c Sundry would be
given Pia Sunday
next f
Idewlud their friends, on w'sich day
any perTiois wbb had not used their tickets, owing to the
threatening state of the weather, would be admitted. At
eight o'clock the palace was closed and the company de-
parted.
its Vicksburg is fast regaining old prosperity.