The Sun.
London, England, 1866-07-03 00:00:00

Reform Demonstra`ion.

Soon after 6 o'clock last evening the Reformers
commenced mustering in Trafalgar-square. The
most eligible spots were speedily seized by boys
and roughs. They congregated in large numbers
around the fountains, probably attracted by the
refreshing coolness of the vicinity, and then literally
swarmed around Nelson's column, occupying the
spots to be devoted at some distant date to Sir
Edwin Landseer's lions. Outside the square, espe-
cially on the side opposite the National Gallery, the
' assemblage was of a more respectable character, and
the square itself was filled with groups chiefly em-
ployed in discussing the probable interference of the
police, and the possible incarceration of Mr. Beales,
in whose interest the general public appeared for
the nonce to take an unusual interest. Here and
there gentlemen with banners, deriding the Tories,
and decrying despotism, attracted crowds of juve-
niles, while a few ardent Reformers occasionally
undertook the enlightenment of their neighbours in
anticipation of the general proceedings. The police
were very smally represented and were rarely to be
seen except when their services were required for
the purpose of securing pickpockets, whose opera-
tions seemed in one or two instances to be detected.
The people behaved, on the whole, in a quiet and
orderly manner, although the non-interference of
the police was certainly a disappointment to an ex-
ceedingly large number, who had evidently been
attracted by the curiosity and by the hope that the
"vindication of the right of public meeting" would
lead to something at once exciting and amusing.
The crowd gradually thickened in front of the
side of the column facing the National Gallery,
and the leaders of the agitation on their arrival
had to fight their way through a dense mass
of humanity. At length Mr. Beales and his
friends having attained the base of the column,
a space was cleared for them, and by the aid
of friendly hands they managed to obtain a stand-
ing. The proceedings commenced with the election
of Mr. Beales as chairman, and for about an hour
and a half certain gentlemen whose connection with
the movement is well known attempted to address
the multitude. Human lungs, however, like Sam
IVeller's vision, have but limited powers, and the
oratory of thesegentlemen, fervid as it undoubtedly
was, and excellent though it might be, necessarily
failed in reaching more than a few in the front
ranks. The great mass of those present., therefore,
indulged in amusements more congenial. The boys
clambered up the column, availing themselves for
that purpose of the figures in bas-relief which were
designed for the purpose of representing the death
of Nelson. From the positions gained by this means
they were speedily hooted, and on the failure of mild
persuasions their neighbours seized them by the feet
and pulled them ignominiously down. In the square
the costermongers, who mustered rather strongly,
and the apparently more indigent members of the
working classes, testified to their fitness for thefran-
chise by occasionally bonnetiug their more respect-
ably clad neighbours, and surging first in one direc-
tion and then in another. The latter amusement, in-
deed, continued throughout the evening, and led to
several collisions between the offenders and those
who objected to this highly exhilarating but not al-
ways pleasant occupation. Mr. Beales stated that
his presence there that evening was almost entirely
attributable to the rumoured intention of interfer-
ence on the part of the police, and he congratulated
the crowd on the numbers that had mustered under
the able superintendence of their Reform captain,
Mr. Luckcraft, and their equally able lieutenants,
Kr. Osborne and others. Mr. Beales then read a
letter he had received, stating that the Commissioner
of Police had no intention of interfering with the
meeting, and that the police had instructions to
remain passive unless the people paraded the streets
in a manner calculated by their numbers, noise, or
violence, to excite terror or to cause intimida-
tion. The simple allusion to the Commissioner of
Police was sufficient to put Mr. Beales's auditory in
a ferment, and the hissing, groaning, and hooting
which ensued were anything but complimentary to
that fan c Lionary. The announcement that the police
had been instructed not to interfere with the meet-
ing was received with more pleasure, and, headed
by one of the leading agitators, the people cheered
as heartily as they had shortly before hooted. The
very idea of their parading the streets in such num-
bers as to excite terror or appear like intimidation
was ludicrous in the extreme, and, headed by the
same gentleman, the crowd for some little time in-
dulged in derisive laughter. It soon, however, be-
came evident that Mr. Beales was not the chief
favourite of the meeting. If the police intended to
interfere it was of course a very capital thing that
they should vent their indignation upon the person
of a revising barrister, but all fear of their interfer-
ence being at an end, the mass soon commenced
clamouring for " Bradlaugh." After a reference to
the words " violence, ignorance, and venality," a
reference in itself sufficient to evoke loud cries in
condemnation of Mr. Lowe, Mr. Beales exhorted
his hearers to " shout out," if they liked, "
the
thunder of their gratitude to such real patriots
as
Mr. Gladstone and John Bright," an exhortation
with so
cheering. Lord Elcho's name did not meet
strong
naturally enough followed by loud outbursts of
ressing
pleasant a reception, one nnihnaccixP„ a benefit of it
opinion that 11;s lordshaipsenh
at the recent review,"
atidmentllNlv:ießileawleass'sdOur lay-
applauded by his
At this stage of the proceedings
temporary check by the arrival of
ora-
tor received a
nd the " men of Clerk-en-
the " men of Hoxton a
•Abours.
we 11,,, whose advent was announced by the strains
of their band, and by the sympathetic cheers of the
assembled multitude. The new arrivals marched
round the square, but the standard bearers and the
chiefs of the new party were evidently determined
upon asserting their right to a footing at the base of
the column. They accordingly
charged the mass in
front, and after much fighting and
strugglillT
managed to get through, when they were hauled
up one by one, each corner celebrating
by cheering and
waving his banner. Banners more
or less respectable in appearance were scattered here
and there throughoutthe crowd. Some of them pro-
nounced emphatically against despotism, many
against Toryism, and one especially objected to
anything in the shape of " ruffianism," while nearly
all expressed high approval of the conduct of Earl