The Sun.
London, England, 1866-04-24 00:00:00

THE REFORM BILL.

A meeting of working men was held last evening
on Clerkenwell-green to take into consideration the
progress of the Reform Bill now before Parliament.

By a placard they were invited to attend in thou-
sands to assist in carrying the bill, not only through
the Commons, but through the Lords. At 8 o'clock,
the hour appointed for their assembling, there were
about 300 persons collected around a waggon which

served for a hustings, and gradually, the number
increased till it reached to upwards of 1,500 per-

sons, boys and men included. A Mr. Lucraft hav-
ing been appointed chairman, said there would be
two resolutions submitted to the meeting ; but as it
was their intention to keep up these gatherings until
the Reform Bill was passed they bad arranged to
have the attendance of a Garibaldi band, in order
that they might blend pleasure with business. Com-
munications had been received from different parts
of the country to know whether the working classes
of London could not assist them in their efforts to
promote the carrying of the Reform Bill, and it was,
therefore, the wish of the committee to let their
friends know that they could render them material
assistance. It was evident that the pending bill
would never become law unless there was great pres-
sure from without ; therefore it was necessary for
the working classes to show that they were not to
be trifled with any longer. They were ready to
assist the Government in carrying their bill, believ-
ing it to be good as far as it went, although it was
by no means up to the mark. Their opponents had
accused them of seeking to gain their object by inti-
midation ; but, on the contrary, thanks were due
to the committee of the Working- Men's Reform
Association for preventing 100,000 men from going
down to the House of Commons and making a de-
monstration that might have resulted in serious
consequences. It was earnestly to be hoped that
there would be no necessity for resorting to any
such step as that. They were quite willing to
conduct the question by argument, whether with
Mr. Lowe, Mr. Horsman, or any other renegade
Liberal. Mr. Horsman objected to class inte-
rests being predominant in the House of Com-
mons, whether aristocratic, railway, capitalist, or
any other class ; but what the working class con-
tended was that all those interests were combined to
keep their interest out altogether. That was their
great grievance. But they had many friends in the
House of Commons, and, believing that the Minis-

,ers were honest in their intentions towards them

they came willingly forward to the rescue. Mr.
Davis then moved the following resolution :—" That
in the opinion of this meeting our thanks are due
to those members who have supported the Reform
Bill and vindicated the character and conduct of
the working classes." He observed that some mem-
bers of the House of Commons were apprehensive
that if the bill were passed the working classes
would override the other interests of the community,
but it was quite obvious that the bill would give the
working classes a very small fraction of Parlia-
mentary power. It was not the ignorance, but the
intelligence of the working classes of which their
enemies stood so much in fear. The question, how-
ever, was not whether the working classes should
be paramount, but whether they should have a por-
tion of political
power equal to the degfee of inte-
rest they possessed in the general wellbeing of
the country. Was it not a fact that if a state of
anarchy were to prevail the working classes would
be the very first to suffer ? All other classes would
have their property to fall back upon, and be able to
wait for the return of happier times, while the work-
ing classes, if deprived of their wages, would be
impoverished at once. In 1832 a contract was made
between the middle classes and the working classes,
by whicli it was understood that if the latter assisted
the former in obtaining their elective franchise the
middle classes would, on a subsequent occasion,
assist the working classes to obtain their elective
rights ; but, while the working classes had fulfilled
their part of the contract, the middle classes had
neglected to perform theirs. The resolution was
seconded by Mr. Brighty, and supported by Mr.
Joyner, and unanimously adopted by the meeting.
A second reeolution was then moved by Mr. Smith,
and seconded by Mr. Finlan, and carried with ac-
clamation, to the effect that the meeting, feeling
convinced that the Reform Bill would be a great
benefit to the country, pledged itself to use every
available and legitimate means in its power, and
never to cease agitating until it became law. After
; some other speeches,
of bribery' and corruption, the game laws, the ad-
ministration of the poor law, the management of
public charities, in the course of which the law
especially as regarded education,
the law of master and servant, and other topics pe-
culiarly affecting the interests of the working classes,
were dwelt upon, the meeting quietly dispersed.