The Sun.
London, England, 1866-03-05 00:00:00

Parliamentary Reform.

A second public demonstration in favour of the
principles advocated by the Reform League was
held on Friday in St. Martin's-hall ; Mr. EDMOND
BEALES, the president of that body, occupying the
chair. The attendance, as before, was exceedingly
numerous, and both the galleries and floor of the
hall were well filled, the auditory consisting chiefly
of.,working men.

The CHAIRMAN, in his introductory address, said
the meeting had been called together to receive the
report of a conference which had just been held on
the subject of reform. That conference was coin-
posed of delegates from every part of the country,
including Ireland and Scotland ; and without fol-
lowing the example of another place, and waiting
for statistics, they had resolved that registered resi-
dential manhood suffrage, protected by the ballot,
was the only principle upon which a new reform
bill ought to proceed, and they had agreed to peti-
tion the House of Commons to allow twelve of
their number who were working men to be heard at
their bar in support of that principle. (Hear, hear.)
Having offered a few remarks upon the evils and
corruptions arising out of the existing system of
representation, he insisted that the continuance of
such a state of things was not only subversive of the
constitution, but revolting to common sense,'and the
sooner a remedy was applied the better it would be
for all classes of society. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. GREENING of Manchester, before proceeding
to move the first resolution, gave an explanation of
the absence of Mr. Ernest Jones, who was to have
been the first speaker, according to the programme
of the evening's proceedings. It was feared, he said,
that Mr. Jones's excellent constitution had been
overtaxed in serving the cause of reform, and his
friends were now apprehensive that it was breaking
down ; at all events the present state of health
would not admit of his undertaking a journey to
London, and at the last moment Mr. Jones had
been compelled to telegraph his excuse for not
being present. The resolution which he had now
to propose, in place of Mr. Ernest Jones was
this :—" That this meeting highly approves of the
resolutions passed by the Reform League Con-
ference held in St. Martin's-hall the 28th Feb-
ruary and Ist of March, and cordially affirms the
principles advocated by the Reform League of resi-
dential and registered manhood suffrage, protected
by the ballot, as the only sound and proper founda-
tion of all real representation and of self-govern-
ment, as being in entire accordance with the theory
and spirit of the constitution of these realms, and as
imperatively necessary to render the House of Com-
mons, not in name only but in reality, the house of
the commons of the United Kingdom." In advo-
ting manhood suffrage he combated the objections
which Lord Elcho and Mr. Lowe had advanced
against it, and insisted that the fears which these

opponents entertained to an extension of the suf-
frage were groundless. He next dealt with the
scheme of reform which had already been shadowed
forth as that of the Government. A£6 franchise
would still leave that arbitrary line which the league
were anxious to see abolished. Such a suffrage was
exclusive rather than inclusive in its character, and
would make: no change in the present conservative
system. It would do no good for London and the
other great cities of the state, and therefore could
not satisfy the people who were demanding to be
admitted within the pale of the constitution. He
was equally opposed to an educational franchise,
such as that proposed by Mr. Clay. One of the
qualifications embodied in that gentleman's bills was
being able to spell correctly, and he had been told
that if this should become law it would have the
effect of disfranchising a majority of the present
House of Commons. (Laughter.) But give the
people that franchise which the league advocated
and education would soon follow. On the other
hand, if it rested on education the opponents of the
people would have a direct interest in keeping them
in darkness ; and on that account he called, in the
language of the resolution, for an unlimited fran-
chise. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. GREW, of Birmingham, seconded the re-
solution.

Mr. SAMUEL POPE supported it in an argumenta-
tive speech, though he thought it ought to demand
as a right what it asked as a favour. He agreed
with the Edinburgh Review, that the question was
not an amendment of the Act of 1832, but an exten-
sion of the electoral power of the people. Experience
had convinced him that working men would make
better, more loyal, and more independent voters
than any other class in the kingdom, and he advised
that when next the league sent a deputation to
Downing-street it should be accompanied by such
a mass of working men as should for the time stop
the traffic in Parliament-street. (Hear, hear.)
The resolution was then put to the vote, and
carried by acclamation.

Two other resolutions were also passed, one in-
viting all classes of real reformers throughout the
country to unite in contributing to the funds of the
league, and in agitating, and labouring in their
several localities, by means of local associations or
otherwise, in support of the principles of reform set
forth in the first resolution, and the other directing
that copies of these resolutions should be transmitted
to Earl Russell and Mr. Gladstone.

A vote of thanks to the chairman closed the pro-
ceedings, and the meeting separated at a late hour.

AN END TO A NEW YORK PROJECT.—
New York, or at least certain interests in it, have
lately been jubilant over the prospects of an under-
ground railway, which was to relieve the crowded
streets of their throngs, and whisk rejoicing pas-
sengers, in darkness, from the Battery to Harlem, as
fast as steam could carry them. They have under-
ground railroads in London, why should they not
have them in New York ? Ah ! why not ? New
York is a " metropolis," so is London. Why
should not the metropolis of America enjoy all the
advantages of the metropolis of Great Britain ?
There could be no satisfactory answer made, and so
the underground railroad was declared to be a cer-
tain thing. It was settled, upon theory, that the
scheme was perfectly practicable, and until lately
the speculation promised well. But now there
comes forward one Craven, who sweeps away the
whole project with a few strokes of the pen. He is
the Chief Engineer of the Croton Water Board, and
he tells his fellow-citizens that unless they are will-
ing, large numbers of them, to go without water
during the months that the great public improve-
ment is in progress—unless they are willing to build
new sewers to an extent which cannot even be
estimated at this time, to relieve those which will
be disturbed by the operations of the railroad
builders—they might as well give up the plan. The
route chosen for the railroad is under the largest
water mains and most important sewers and cul-
verts in the city of New York. It will be impos-
sible to prosecute the work without stopping off the
water in extensive districts, not only adjacent to
the railroad, but in remote sections which are
supplied from the main pipes. The consequence
would be the stoppage of manufactories which must
use the water, increased danger from fire in conse-
quence of the want of means of extinguishment, and
the serious inconvenience and injury to citizens
deprived of a necessary fluid. Add to this the
nuisance of stopping communications with culverts,
and the consequent injury occasioned by the accu-
mulation of deleterious matters above ground which
might occasion malignant epidemics, and there are
reasons sufficient to put an end to the underground
railway schemes, and to compel the savans of the
American metropolis to find some new method of
getting rid of an undoubted difficulty, enabling them
to present something startlingly original, and alto-
gether unlike what they do in London.
SIR ROBERT PEEL AT TAMWORTIL—Sir Robert
Peel presided at an annual meeting on Friday night of the
Fazeley Club, Reading-room and Library, of which ho is
both the founder and the president. Ile was accompanied
by Lady Emily Peel. Mr. John Peel, the other M.P. for
Tamworth, and his family were also present. The parish
school-room, in which the meeting was held, was thronged.
SACRED HARMONIC SOCIETY, EXETER HALL.—
liadyn's "Creation" will be performed on Friday next,
March 9. Principal vocalists—Miss Edmonds, Mr. Cum-
mings, and Mr. Santley.
Dr. Wilson, who has lately received the appoint-
ment of consul at Antwerp, was the physician of Gover-
nor Seward during his illness consequent upon the mur-
derous attack of Payne, one of the Wilkes Booth con
spirators.