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

THE GOVE.

7FORM BILL.

Yesterday a meeting, convened at the instance of
tke Parliamentary Reform Association, was held at
Caldwell's Rooms, Dean-street, Soho, for the pur-
pose of adopting such measures as might be deemed
requisite on the subject of Parliamentary reform.
Mr. T. PROUT, having been called to the chair,
said at length they had the Ministerial Reform
Bill before them, and he acknowledged that he was
more than surprised that Mr. Disraeli and the
Derby Ministry had been so unwise as to produce
so small a measure of reform. It was so mise-
rably small that it was rather a backward move-
ment, and such as no reformer could for a moment
accept. If the account were true that
at the meeting at Lord Derby's it was
decided if the bill were not accepted he would dis-
solve Parliament, he (Mr. Prout) thought they were
very near their end, for the dissolution of Parlia-
ment would be the dissolution of the Ministry.
(Hear.) As electors of Westminster the meeting
must stand forward for reform of very considerable
magnitude, and show that they knew what reform
was. He, therefore, thought it was necessary to call
a general public meeting as soon as possible, to have
an expression of public opinion on the question of
reform. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. H. G. ROBINSON said such an atrocious
attempt at legislation he had never noticed since he
had been an elector, and so small a bill in so large
a space he had never seen. The whole of the persons
that were to be enfranchised by that bill had votes
already. The provisions of this bill were all on the
side of the Government party. They said nothing
about the poor man who did not possess a lodging
of Bs. a week. He was entirely excluded from all
benefit from the measure unless he occupied a part
of a house to the amount of £2O a-year. He thought
the bill ought to be strenuously opposed, and that
Westminster should lead the way. He therefore
moved—" That what is termed the Ministerial Re-
form Bill is so highly defective that it is not
entitled to our support, and we have no doubt that
the people in every part of the country will repu-
diate such pretensions to correct the acknowledged
defects in the representation of the people in the
Commons' House of Parliament.
Major LYON seconded the motion, and said the
Government bill was not an enfranchising but a
disfranchising measure. It did not much alter the
votes of Westminster, but where it did it was to
take away those of some of the constituency. There
was no principle in this bill that would be accept-
able, and the only course left to them was for West •
minster to take the lead and call an aggregate
meeting of the electors —(hear, hear)—and he hoped
they would be found to be the first to speak and to
speak the loudest on this occasion. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. CLARKE said that this bill was so great an
abortion that no person could take anything out of
it. If it had been a half-and-half measure they
might have been split up, but no person with any
pretensions to reform could take any portion of it.
(Hear, hear.) The Government had taken one
member from some boroughs that had two, but they
were only half-and•half pocket boroughs, and if
one-half in their representation were taken away,
then they would be wholly pocket boroughs. He
was of opinion that, whatever reform they accepted
in Westminster, they must accept nothing that did
not contain the ballot. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. GEORGE thought the country would be very
wrong if it accepted any portion of this bill for the
sake of the good that was in it. If they accepted
that bill they would shut the door to reform, but if
they rejected it they opened the door to that reform
which they would have whether they got it from a
Tory or -Whig Government. (Hear, hear.)
The resolution was then carried unanimously.
Mr. BEALE moved, " That rather than be deluded
by such pretensions to reform it would be far better
to remain in our present position ; but fortunately
for the country the scheme promulgated by Mr.
Bright offers for our acceptance a plan of reform
which we believe is in accordance with the national
requirements, and exhibits a straightforward ho-
nesty of purpose." He thought the machinery was
cumbrous, and never could be carried out, as it was
a perfect sham. He was surprised the Govern..
ment was mad enough to put forward such a bill
as this in the hope that it would pass. The great dan-
ger to the Liberal cause was from the dangerous
position in which Lord Palmerston was placed. If
he should give his support to the Government he
would in that manner cheat the people of their bill.
Dr. BAINBRIDGE seconded the motion, and said
them was no doubt that that bill would occasion a
change of Ministry, for no such bill could pass ;
and if it did not, they must resign.
The motion was then carried nem. con.
Mr. BIDGOOD then moved a resolution, that a
committee should be appointed for the purpose of
calling a general meeting of the electors and non-
electors of Westminster, which was seconded by
Mr. POUNCEY, and carried unanimously.
The committee was then nominated for carrying
out the objects of the meeting, and a vote of thimks
to the chairman terminated the proceedings.