The Sun.
London, England, 1835-08-29 00:00:00

MUNICIPAL REFORM BILL.

PUBLIC MEETING IN CARLISLE,
TO PETITION TIIE COMMONS TO REJECT TEE CORPORATIOS

tILL:

(Abridged from the Carlisle Journal received this day.)
On Monday last one of the largest public meetings ever bela
in Carlisle, took place in the Coffee-house Assembly Room,
agreeably to a requisition signed by nearly 200 of the otl
respectable inhabitants of the place, for the purpose of •pet.',';
tioning the House of Commons -to reject the Corporation 1310
as altered by the House of Lords.
Upon the motion of Mr. John Blamire, seconded by gr.
Joseph Mahon, of Scotch-street, JOHN DIXON, Esq. of Knells,
was called to the chair.
JOHN DIXON, Esq., then rose, and was received with general
cheering. He 'said :—Friends and fellow-citizens,—l nee
not go into the question of the Corporation Bill as it now
stands. I think the Bill, passed by the House of Commons,
was reasonable and sensible, and in every way calculated to
meet our wishes and feelings 2 • and if the House of Lords had
acted towards it in the way I had expected they would base
acted, we should not have had occasion to meet here to-night.
I expected they would have shown some regard to the feelings
and wishes of the people, and have passed the Bill as sent aP
by the House of Commons. Instead, however, of acting in
this manner, they have ruined it—they have torn it into pieces;
They might as well have thrown it out altogether.—(Muci!
cheering, and cries of, "It is an insult as it stands.") 1
think it is utterly unfit for our acceptance—(Much cbeering),,
—since the alterations made in it by the Lords. That 01
dividing us into classes is most objectionable.—( Cheers.) We
have had quite enough of that.—(Much cheering in all parts
of the room.) The people of Carlisle are perfectly qualified
to judge who are fit to compose their town-council—they are
fully competent to form such an opi.nion, without the assist-
ance of their Lords.—(Cheers, and crie., of Bravo !")
JOHN CONNELL, Esq., banker, of Fishec-street, moved the
following Resolution
That the Bill for the regulation of the Municipal Corporations
of England and Wales, as passed by the House of Ce.mninns, wag
founded upon such broad principles of justice and equity, and vso well calculated to put an end to that system of self-election al)e
misrule, and of those party strifes and contentions which have a9n
so much injury to society, and of which the people at large have ?°
long complained, that it was almost universally hailed as a gift
worthy the acceptance of a free and enlightened people. I"'"
therefore, with feelings of indignation, which they will not attempt
to describe, that this meeting has witnessed the reception given t°
that Bill by the House of Peers—the extensive alterations they
have made in it, by which all its most valuable principles
been destroyed, and the determined hostility shown by a majoritY
of that branch of the Legislature to the rights and privileges of the
Bill."
Mr. JOHN BLAMIRE (a freeman) seconded the Resolution,
The Resolution was then put in the affirmative bythe Chair'
man, and, as far as it was possible to judge, every-h&nd wal
held up for it. When the Chairman asked, "On the ant
trary," he looked in vain for a dissentient, which caused nIllc"
laughter and several jocular cries.
PETER DIxoN, Esq., then stepped forward amidst much all-
plause. He said—We ask for nothing but our rights, which
have been unfairly withheld from us.—( Cheering.) Our op-
ponents talk about hardship ! Why the hardship is all ono nAe
side—it is all on our side.—(Cheers and laughter.) An"
when we ask to have those rights given us, or to share in
them, they begin to abuse and revile us, and sneer at us as
tt
set of Radicals.—(Much cheering.) They who are so cane'
deserve a better name than one of reproach.—( Great cheer-
ing.) That word Radical has long been used as a term of re-
proach ; but it is fast coming into better favour.—(Cheers-)
Events are rapidly proving that those who hitherto have been
reproached as Radicals, were nearest right, after Loud
cheers.) Mr. Dixon then read the following resolution
" That the Bill, as altered by the House of Lords, is now whonY
unworthy the acceptance of the people of this country, and ought
to be at once rejected; and that a Petition be immediately for'
warded to the House of Commons, praying the House not to ACM'
the Bill as altered by the Peers."
As for the Bill as it now stands, it is a complete wreck ;
has been so mutilated by the Peers, it is not now worth our
acceptance.—( Cheers, and a cry of " Put away the Peers
altogether," applause.) Well, we will talk about that aft'
wards. Mr. D. sat down amid much applause.
Mr. Ross came forward to move the next resolution
" That the Petition now passed be entrusted to Mr. Marsn'',..
and Mr. Howard for presentation; and that those gentlemen Ps'
requested, as our Representatives, to support its prayer ; to ta-
press our full and entire approbation of those principles laid doe"
by Ministers, and other friends of the populfir cause, in the House
of Commons on Friday last, when defending the right of th.ei
people's representatives to refuse granting supplies of money unti
all grievances be redressed; and, in conjunction with other li-
beral Members, take such steps as the Constitution authoriies
them as guardians of the public purse, for enforcing compliance
with the just desires of the people."
Mr. ANDREW ELLIOT, solicitor, briefly seconded the re'so'

lution.
WM. MARSHALL, Esq., M.P., then presented himself, an
was received with general cheering, and " one cheer morep,,-
which was cordially given. He said, the Lords are now, 1:
appears, determined to exercise their independence. Thes
say they cannot be independent if they are not to be allowed
to refuse to pass Bills sent up by the Commons, if they choose'
Their Lordships forget that it is impossible both Houses Clf
be totally independent of each other.—( Much cheering.)
it be the fixed opinion of the one House, upon any.particm,"
subject, that it is right, and the equally settled opinion of tke
other House that it is wrong, they cannot both carry out their
opinions—one of them must necessarily give way.—(Cheers')
Have we never before found the Lords differ with 01.,,"
Commons in this manner ?—( Cheers.) We have. We 0"
them differ with the Commons in the case of the Refer°
Bill ; but what was the result ? Why, the Bill passed the
next year.--( Cheering.) They might have taken an exame
from that occasion in acting upon the present Bill, and ho,e
learnt that it is not in the power of the Lords, nor of the Kifb
along with them, to withstand the just demands of the peoPic"
--(Much cheering.) They might have been satisfied with the
lesson they then received : but I am afraid their Lordships
will be difficult to teach.—(Great laughter.) I doubt they
are too old to learn.—(Laughter and cheers.) They have 6°_,
long enjoyed irresponsible power, and hve so long govern?!
Englishmen, that they cannot believe that that power can F;
taken away from them, except for a short time. We 10/
steadily sought to obtain, by fair and legal means, the rotors.'
tion of our just rights, hich is the object of the Bill for the
Reform of the Municipal Corporations proposed this year be
a liberal Ministry, and, carried by a large majority of tht,
people's Representatives in the Commons, and which rig h,,,
we will have.—(Tremendous cheering from all parts of t"
room, amid which Mr. Marshall resumed his seat.)
W. JAMES, Esq., of Barrock Lodge (formerly Member 0;
this city) next stepped forward, and was received with long an,
loud cheering. The Lords know nothing`of the great hrik
of the people ; they are entirely ignorant both of their physic
and mental condition ; they never mix with the people ;
their. notions are aristocratic and oligarchical ; they do of,
know the fact that there is not a tradesman or hardly
ing mechanic in any of our towns that does not possess r
much sound natural sense, and as high a degree of inte,lll-
- as any of their " Order "—(lmmense cheering)'-
and a monstrous deal more than the Tory majority, and ;
good deal more honesty into the bargain.—(Cheers.)
certainly had hoped that Municipal Reform would have I°`t
lowed Parliamentary Reform before this time. I did no
a %orb.,
give the Lords credit for acting so mad a part, which seeilli
tome like cutting their own throats, and putting another ealer
into their coffin.—( Immense cheering.) But you will do in
the justice to recollect, that I always told you that the UPP,ey
House, as it is called, stood quite as much in need of Re°`-
as the Lower. I, for one, never had any faith in, or dePeri-
dence on, hereditary wisdom.--( Cheers.) I am, therefor e!
not much surprised at the course which affair& have taken. 7,
regards this Bill ; but I regret the delay that has taken Or oi
because sure I am that the people at large are possesseu
that degree of intelligence and character, and have that dee,
interest in good and cheap government, that they may at °/1:,,
be entrusted with perfect safety with the conduct and
ment of their own affairs, without any limitations or reN
tions whatsoever.--( Cheers.)
JAMES HEYSHAM, Esq., briefly seconded the resoloti°r°
which was as follows :
" That the cordial thanks of this meeting are due, and are he'4lgo
tendered, to Lord Melbourne and his Colleagues in office, for t
noble stand they have made in the face of a virulent and faotift:
opposition, in defence of the rights of the people ; and that
meeting, in calling upon Ministers to continue firm in their re'
sistance to the attempts of a majority of the House of Peers to
petuate the system of misrule under which the country has so 7r
groaned, assures them of its most strenuous support in whateict
measures they may deem necessary for carrying into complete offerto
those liberal and enlightened principles on which they have hitl'e,o
conducted the Government, and which are so ably developed in A%
two great Bills of Reform now pending in the House of Lords, fue
the regulation of the Municipal Corporations and the Reform of
Irish Church."
Aed
It was then put by the Chair to the meeting, and ear,'"
without a dissentient voice, amidst loud and general cheer,l3:,
A voice in the crowd—Three cheers for the Ministry.
(Cries of " Bravo !" and an instant round of cordial cheers.) 0,
A voice from the platform—One cheer more for Lord gb„.,
bourne—(Loud applause, followed by a general and ent "
siastic cheer.)
Another voice—Three cheers for Lord Brougham-4°lh
ich
was also complied w
A
Another .groanvpoice— for the Lords (much hog bid&
followed by an odd medley of deep groans and sounds
conveyed a, marked expression of aversion and conteolPo..nest
The meeting then separated in the quietest and r
peaceable manner.

HULL. or
We congratulate the Reformers of Hull on the reeet.,ilder
hstandi,- the disadvantages ~05

Wednesday, w;:jch, notwithstanding disauv..
which it was held, v.-s one of the most spirited and unanilli°'
that we ever attended. doetv
The Petition from Hull, which is no milk-and-water-moo
ment, will, we expect, receive a larger number of signa";,....
than was ever appended to any petition from this
Hull Advertiser.

WISBEACII. ael
As might have been expected Wisbeach has taken the .ceif,
in Corporation Reform ; not because it wanted reform itS
se
for in this respect it might be considered perfect—but be
having so long experienced the good effects of popular ant
-darer;
sponsible government themselves, the people of Wisbeac'
anxious to extend the same advantages to others. titicals
On Thursday a public meeting was held, at which Pe usly
to the King, and to the House of Commons were tlanini°-
adopted.

EDINBURGH.
At the Edinburgh Town Council, on Tuesday,
FARLAN, in an able and spirited speech, proposed th t
Council petition the House of Commons not to adopt 1,f,,Yr00,
teration that may impair the efficiency of the English tiWor.
ration Bill, and at the same time to vindicate themselves
Bali° a
tto