The Sun.
London, England, 1835-09-02 00:00:00

YORKSHIRE GREAT WEST RIDING
MEETING.

A numerous and most respectable meeting of the West
Riding of the County of York, was held at Wakefield, on
Monday last, in pursuance of a requisition signed by nearly
700 gentlemen, including four Baronets, and a great number
of Magistrates and landed Gentry.
A very strong feeling prevails in the Riding on this impor-
tant measure, and the attendance at Wakefield far exceeded
any we have ever seen at a Riding or County meeting, ex-
cepting only the great Riding meeting, when Earl Grey re-
signed in 1832, and may, we think, be fairly computed at from
twelve to fifteen thousand persons. From Leeds alone nearly
three thousand Rersons must have gone to Wakefield.
Sir Francis Mod and other requisitors assembled at the
White Hart at teat' o'clock, and soon after that time they were
agreeably surprised by the unexpected arrival of the Earl
Fitz william, with Lord Milton and two of his other sons. At
eleven o'clock they adjourned to the hustings, which had been
erected in the large area of the Corn Market at the top of
Westgate.
As soon as the gentlemen had taken their stations on the
hustings, Siy,,F. L. Wool) took the Chair amid the unanimous
acclamation,g of the immense assembly.
Mr. R. STANSFIELD moved the first resolution, to the
effect that,the meeting being firmly convinced of the evils of
the present Municipal system, had seen with much satisfaction
the Bill for the Reform of the Municipal Corporations, which
had been introduced by the present Administration, and had
also witnessed with regret and astonishment the alterations
which the Lords had thought to fit make in that measure. The
resolution also stated that the meeting should forthwith peti-
tion the House of Commons not to consent to these pernicious
alterations.

Earl- FITZWILLIAM then presented himself, and was received
with loud and continued acclamations. The Noble Earl said—
Now, gentlemen, although I certainly agree with the resolu-
tion moved by Mr. Stansfield, yet you must not expect me to
say that I entirely disapprove of the alterations which have
been- made by the House of Lords.—( Hear, hear.) I disap-
prove of many of those alterations, but there are others which
I approve of. Ido not approve of that part of the Corpora.
tions Bill proposed and passed by the House of Commons,
resting the granting of licenses to public-houses in the town-
council. Ido not approve of that part of it. But now, let
me come to some other of their Lordships' alterations; and
the first I meet with is this—" That for the election and for

the formation of the town-council, the burgesses in each town
are to be divided into six lots, according to the amount of
rate paid by the persons in each lot. and the town-council to be
chosen only out of that lot which is the highest rated.—( Shame,
shame.) Now, I think that is a most unjust alteration.—
( Hear, hear.) I say that it is unjust in one branch of the
Legislature to tell the people that they shall not put into the
town-council a man, whatever may be his abilities, virtues,
or qualifications for exercising political power, unless he is
among the wealthy rate payers who come under the sixth de-
nomination,—( Hear, hear.) That, 1 repeat, is unjust, and
not calculated to lead to good local government. I will be
bound to say, in those places which retain a far greater share of
commercial character than this, that men of the wealthiest
character would not be by the rate, in the first six por-
tions of the rate-payers.—( Hear, hear, hear.) Now, the
next alteration was, that the mayor and assessors are to
revise the list. In case of an objection made to a person
on the list, the objector is not required to prove his ob-
jection until the person objected to has proved his quali-
fication.—( Hear, hear.) It is, in my opinion, most unjust to
lay upon the person objected to the onus probandi that he is so
qualified. I think there is no great harm in retaining the al-
dermen, who are a class associated with our oldest recollec-

tions of English history. But we now come to one of the
alterations which I conceive the most pernicious of all. What
is the alteration ? The Lords have decreed that the Crown
shall appoint justices without any nomination of the town-
council. I ant of opinion that that is the worst of all the
alterations. Now, gentlemen, there is another part of the
Bill ; the alterations made in the House of Lords carry for-
ward the principle of dividing corporate towns into wards. I
confess this alteration appears to me to be desirable, in order
to prevent the corporation being too much (if I may so say)
of one colour. The only way of preventing that result is to
divide the towns into wards, and in that respect the House of
Lords has made an improvement in the Bill. Now, having
stated these details, I am afraid I may have detained you
longer than may be agreeable to you.—( No, no ; go on.) I
have thought it right, not only to state the alterations of which
I disapprove, but also those which I do approve ; but the por-
tions of which I disapprove are of sufficient importance to jus-
tify me in seconding the resolution of Mr. Stansfield, and I do
it the rather, because it does not enter into any of the details ;
because it does not call upon the House of Commons to take
any steps which might lead to that sort of collision which
would not be conducive to the public welfare ; but calls upon
them rather, in their dealings with the House of Lords, to
distinguish with them as I have distinguished with you, and
leaves them at liberty to take what is beneficial in the altera-
tions, and reject what they think is pernicious. The Noble
Earl concluded amidst loud cheers.
Lord MILTON next presented himself, and was received with
enthusiastic applause. The Noble Lord spoke as follows :
Gentlemen, certainly every one who has watched the progress
of the Municipal Corporation Bill through the House of
Commons, cannet have seen what Lord Brougham termed
the unsparing application of the butcher's knife to the Bill,
without feelings of deep regret.—( Hear, hear.) In a mea-
sure which had for its object the reform of the local govern-
ment of the country, it might have been supposed that Tory
Lords would have forgotten something of religious differences.
But no. There was an opportunity, and it was too favour-
able a one to let slip, to have a back-hand rap at the Dissen-
ters.--(Hear, hear, and cheers.) I will just explain what I
mean. This is one of the improvements adopted by their
Lordships' House—That the aldermen, if present, are to
preside in council, in the absence of the mayor. Members
of the Church only to appoint persons to fill the vacant be-
nefices, notwithstanding anything heretofore contained to the
contrary. Gentlemen, what a change is this l—( Hear, hear.)
Where is the restriction existing now upon a Dissenter ap-
pointing to a vacant benefice.—( Hear, hear.) What is the
object of this ? It is the curtailment of religious liberty.—
( Hear, hear, and applause.) The Noble Lord concluded by
reading an address to his Majesty, expressive of a hope that
his Majesty would continue to support his present Ministers in
carrying into effect the great measure of Municipal Reform,
and to give entire confidence to the Administration who now
conducted with so much ability and patriotism the affairs of
Government.

Sir E. VAvAsourt seconded the address, which, having been
put from the Chair, was carried unanimously.
THOMAS BENTON, Es 1., then moved an address to Lord
Melbourne.

JOSEPH LEES, Esq., seconded the address, which was una-
nimously adopted.
Sir W. B. COOKE, Bart., then moved the adoption of a
petition to the House of Commons, expressing the earnest
hope of the meeting that with the same uncompromising
spirit it had hitherto manifested it would now reject this muti-
lated Bill as delusive and utterly unfit to afford satisfaction to
the people of England.
T. GREENWOOD, Esq., having seconded the petition, it was
put from the Chair, and unanimously agreed to.
After a vote of thanks to the Chairman, who returned the
compliment in a suitable speech, the meeting separated at half-
past one.

It appears from a printed plan, that fifty-three class-
leaders, formerly connected with the societies under the Con-
ference in Liverpool, are now in connection with the Wesleyan
Methodist Association in this town.—Liverpool Albion.

THE WEATHER.—Copious rains have fallen since
our last, which have proved highly beneficial to the turnip and
potato crops, as well as the pasture and the corn crop on back-
ward soils. Shearing in a few days will be general throughout
tho country, and even at present many fields are cut down in
the neighbourhood. On Thursday evening lightning was very
prevalent, and on Saturday night and Sunday morning it was
again seen, accompanied by low distant thunder. The atmos-
phere this season appears to have been charged with the elec-
tric fluid in a degree very uncommon in the North.—lnverness
Courier.