The Sun.
London, England, 1832-05-16 00:00:00

ranee.—(Cheers.) He conc'uded by seconding the res,.
lution, which, being put from the chair, was carried
unanimously amidst great cheering.
Mr. Joserir JoltNaos; rose to propose the secon !
resolution ; in doing which, he took occasion to raisers,
that there was no question of the right of the people to
have a full, fair, and equal share in the representation of
the country. It did not depend upon the passing of ti
Reform Bill, it was the people's right by law. Black-
stone, an authority which even the Tories themselves would
not deny, said that every man who was a free agent ought to
be in some measure his own governor. Such was the
state of things in the petty kingdoms of Greece ; but in this
country, where the people were more numerous, it was
wisely ordained to choose representatives ; but if the
choice of these representatives was left to the borough-
mongers, to the Lord* who bad rejected the present Bill,
how could it be said that the people of England tr.el
any share in the representation of the country ?—(Cheer.)
It was the representation of the boroughmongers alone ;
th y were the sharers of that plunder, extracted from the
people by the laws which they themselves made.—(Cheers. )
Would this measure of Reform take from the Peers any
privilege which they ought to possess? No, but it would
give them their loaf. It would take nothing from the Peers
which they ought to have, or which they had a privilege
to maintain. Were the people to be deprived of their
rights by a faction of 151 boroughtnongers ?—No, never!
lithe people of England were satisfied to give up a por-
tion of their claim to their rights—if they were satisfied
to try the measure of Reform which was about to be given
to them—if they were satisfied to do this, would they
submit to be deprived, without one struggle, of the little
they were willing to take?—(Cheers.) He (the speaker)
was for the whole, but he would try this Bill, and if it
did not do all they wanted, then he would go for the whole
Bill. He begged to conclude by earnestly entreating
the people to go on steadfastly and unanimously in the
good w..rk. and moved the following resolution :
That this Meeting, satisfied that the Ministerial plan of Reform
was no more than a partial restoration to the people of their
constitutional tights, of which they have too long been unjustly
deprived, and well knowing that no part of the Bill could directly
or indirectly interfere with any legal and honest possession or
privilege of that body by which it has been defeated, is unable to
find language sufficiently strong to express the indignation with
which it has witnessed this second refusal of an acknowledged
right.

Mr. TIIO7,IAS POTTER seconded the resolution. It was
known, he said, that he was no orator ; but if he were,
such was his indignation at the conduct of the Peers that
he could not trust oimself to speak of them.—(Cheers.)
Mr. PRENTICE, observing some little misapprehension
of the resolution, ruse to read it over again, remarking
that it was as well it should be read by a person with a
strong voice. It was true, he said, that it atatid that the
plan of Rectum only gave them a partial restoration of
their rights ; but, partial as it was, the boroughmongers
had rejected it. He hoped that every one was determined
not to accept any such measure of Reform from a Wel-
lington or Polignac Administration.—(Cheers.) They
might take it from a Ministry that they had confidence
in; but he trusted that the people of England would take
nothing but a full and just measure of Reform from a
Wellington or a Peel.—(Loud cheering.) The object of
the present meeting was to obtain a hither degree of sup-
port to those parties who were now fighting their battles
in the House of Commons. He hoped this would be
done, that the Reformers would reject minor differences,
and confine -themselves to one objet', namely, that of
stopping the supplies. But if they did not get their ob-
ject by stopping the supplies, there was another resource,
that having lifted up their hands here in favour of resolu-
tions to maintain their rights, if this last resource was
thrust upon them—if all legal, constitutional, and peace-
able means bad been tried in vain, then let them lift up
their hands with something in them.—(Tremendous
cheering, which lasted several minutes.) He (Mr. Pun.
tice) had always advocated peaceable measures, and
though he had sometimes made himself unpopular by
it, he had always held out that if peaceable means
were in vain, he know what to recommend afterwards.
He would recommend now, that if there were any more
attempts to coerce the people, any attesnpta to cry down
such a meeting as this, that then the people would exer-
cise the privilege of bracing arms, and of using them.—
He said this, that they might look to the ultimate re-
medy after all others had failed, but it had not come
to that yet, there was yet a good deal to be done.
There was the petition to stop supplies—there was the
abstaining from using taxed articles; and if the Duke
of Wellington should dissolve the House of Commons, he
hoped they would heed him not, hut continue to sit and
act for the people.--(Loud cheers.) Mr. Prentice then
referred at some length to the acts of some of his ances-
tors, who b id not scrupled to raise their hands against the
tyranny of Charles the First and Second, and he trussed
if the time should come which should be needed, that he
would not be the last to raise his hand against the op-
pressors of his country.—(Cheers.) After some further
observations as to the propriety of unanimity in their pro-
ceedings, Mr. Prentice concluded amidst great cheering.
Mr. ELIJAH DIXON appeared as the representative of
the working classes of the tow❑ and the neighbourhood,
and expressed his entire concurrence in every sentiment of
the resolution, inasmuch as the gentleman who had pre-
pared the resolution had agreed •o admit that every man
had a right to a share in the choice of representatives in the
House of Commons. These rig hog were acknowledged, and if
they were denied to them, they had the remedy in their
own hands. He would not say how they were to apply
that remedy, but he would repeat the words of the great
Lord Chatham, " if the House of Commons is not reformed
from within, it will be reformed from without with a
vengeance."

Mr. JOHNSON, an operative, said that he agreed with
Lord Lyndhurst, that it would have been better to have
gone first to the consideration of the enfranchisement
clause ; because if they had done so, it would have been
found that every man having a right to the elective fran-
chise, the disfranchisement clause would not need to have
been considered at all. After some further remarks on the
necessity of radical reform, the speaker concluded, and the
Chairman putting the resolution from the chair, it was
carried unanimously.

Mr. HARVEY said the resolution which I have to pro-
pose will, lam sure, meet with your unanimous vote. It
is to withhold the supplies—(Cheers)—until an effec-
tive measure of Reform is passed: I ask will you suffer,
the boreughmongers to continue to tax you to the tune of
fifty millions annually ? Are they to fatten on the spoils
of your industry for ever? Are you eternally to submit
to the extraction of 9i. out of every 16s. you earn in the
way of taxation to support men who never did nor
ever will do the state any service?—(Cheers, and cries of
No, no !) They take from you twenty millions annually
in taxes on your drink, sugar, and tobacco. In order to
explain to you how you are affected by the taxes, I have
a diagram here. The circle imports the whole of the
taxes, which in 1819 amounted to 54 millions, one-half
of which is laid upon beer, sugar, tea, and tobacco. The
other half of the circle represents the imposts
upon stamps and customs. In order to let
you see bow the taxes are expended, I have another
circle, the half of which is comprised of the debt called
national. How long are we to continne to pay the inte-
rest of that debt ? The other half of the circle represents
the sums paid to useless placemen, pensioners, sinecu-
fists, &c. If we had a reformed Parliament, would they
not abridge the Boronghmongers of their ill-gotten plun-
der ? Would they not cut down the expenses of the
army and navy, and abolish all useless places and pensions?
If a reformed Parliament would not do these things, it
would be useless..—(Cheers.) I am satisfied with the
present Government because I believe it would, after the
question had been settled, have proved a cheap Govern-
ment; and as it is my opinion the boroughmongering
faction will not give us a cheap Government, I will
support a petition to the House of Commons, not to vote
any more supplies—(Loud cheers.)--and I have a belief
that the House will adhere to the recommendation. We
cannot legally pass a resolution to pay no more taxes, but
we can resolve amongst ourselves not to consume those ar-
ticles which are so heavily taxed.—(Hear, hear.)
—There is tea, which is so very common a
beverage, costs 6s. per pound, is taxed 3s. per pound,
and Is. per pound of a monopoly tax. Sugar costs about
271. or 281. per cwt. and is taxed 275. per cwt. Malt
pays a tax of 21. 7d. per bushel. and, as for spirits, I am
unable to say to what amount they are taxed, but it is very
serious. Tobacco costs 4d. per lb. at first hand, yet taxa-
tion increases the price to the consumer to 4s. per lb. and
you will find that these boroughmongers always take care
to throw the weight of taxation upon your shoulders, by
laying the heaviest imposts upon the poor man's necessaries.
—(Cheers.) Mr. Harvey then moved the third resolution :
That this meeting concurs entirely with the petition that has
already been sent from Manchester to the House of Commons on
this subject, and does hereby solemnly call upon this House to
adhere with steadfast and unyielding determination to the Bill,
and atom all, to vote no supplies whatever until tht Bill, or r.