The Sun.
London, England, 1859-03-04 00:00:00

ARRIVALS THIS
.WEEK.

Wheat. Barley Malt. Oats. Flour.
English 1,610 1,120 ; 3,410 ; 2,080 ; 1,230
Irish
Foreign • 3,910 i 70 i 680 580 sks
bls

THE GOVERNMENT REFORM BILL.

EDINBURGII.—A meeting of the Edinburgh Par-
liamentary Reform Committee was held on Wed-
nesday evening, to consider the ministerial plan of
reform. Mr. D. M'Laren, who presided, designated
the measure as a most objectionable one, cutting
off, as it proposed to do, 95,000 or one-fifth of the
entire constituency of England, by disfranchising
the 40s. freeholders. The proposal to make new
boundaries for burghs .would, he said, greatly dimi-
nish the number of county voters, as well as the
creation of new burghs. Mr. M'Laren then - gave
figures with reference to several burghs in Eng-
land, showing the value of farms within them and
the value of houses and shops. As to the reduction
of the franchise in counties to £lO, the speaker
contended that as it was applicable to land merely
and not houses, the effect would be to bring in as
voters a multitude of the smallest cottars in the
Highlands, who would be at the beck of their
landlords, while men occupying premises rented at
£8 or £9 a year, and having an income of £lOO,
would`be excluded. Nothing was stated in the bill
about the voters within burghs, requiring to reside
within seven miles of them, and if, as he believed,
that clause of former acts was to be repealed, the
effect would be to enable parties to buy property in
burghs, and residing anywhere, in order to gO and
vote in them. Altogether, he regarded the bill as
the boldest innovation and the most unconstitu-
tional measure that could have been proposed.
Bailie Blackadder proposed that a petition to Par-
ment against the bill be adopted, which was
seconded by Bailie Russell, and agreed to.
MANCHESTER.—A meeting, convened by the
Lancashire Reformers' Union, was held on Wed-
nesday evening. Mr. Alderman Goadsby presided,
and said he thought the Government Reform
Bill was so ridiculous for the purpose for which
it was intended that it would be laughed at
but for the almost universal contempt with which
it was looked upon. The bill lowered the fran-
chise in the counties, but, on the other hand,
it reduced the number of voters—as would be the
case .to a considerable extent in regard to voters
for South Lancashire residing in Manchester. He
felt certain that on the second reatling the bill
would be rejected by the house. A new house would
be the result; and he presumed that that body
would have to canvass Mr. Bright's bill, or some-
thing very like it; for it would be an insult to the
country to suppose that a majority could be re-
turned in favour of an administration whose Reform
Bill was such an abortion as that introduced on
Monday night. Mr. J. R. Cooper moved—" That
the so-called Reform Bill of the present Govern-
ment is a mockery, a delusion, and an insult to the
country; and that we pledge ourselves to support
the hon. member for Birmingham in his honest and
resolute endeavours to secure the most extensive
measure of Parliamentary reform practicable." The
motion was seconded by Mr. H. Ogden, supported
by Mr. J. J. Merriman, and carried unanimously.
A. petition to Parliament was adopted against the
bill. A second meeting was held in the Indepen-
dent Chapel, Great Jackson-street; Mr. J. Whalley
in the chair. The Chairman said there was one
thing in the Government measure he approved of,
and all the rest was so bad that he did not know
what to call it. It was satisfactory that there was
now a party of politicians pledged to the £lO fran-
Chise in counties.—Mr. Griffiths moved a resolution
alleging the necessity for a large measure of Par-
liamentary reform. He said the meeting was
assembled to say that Lord Derby's bantling could
not live. The great point will be that relating to
the equitable distribution of members to population
and property. That was the very essence of a
Reform Bill.—Mr. Macdonald seconded the resolu-
tion, and said he looked upon the Government
measure as .an insult to the country.—The resolu-
tion passed unanimously, as did also another
pledging the meeting to support Mr. Bright.
BRADFORD.—Yesterday afternoon a preliminary
meeting of influential leading reformers of the dis-
trict was held in St. George's-hall, at Bradford, in
order to initiate measures to elicit a demonstration
of popular opinion upon the Government Reform
Bill, which was denounced as a delusion and a sham.'

JOHN HUNTER.