The Sun.
London, England, 1866-04-03 00:00:00

TEE REFORM BILL.

SHEFFIELD.
A great meeting of liberal electors and non-elec-
tors was held yesterday, in the Te mperance Hall
Sheffield, to consider the Government Reform Bill,
'
and to pass resolutions in its support. The unfa-
vourable state of the weather rendered it necessary
to hold the meeting in the Temperance Hall, instead
of Paradise-square, as was originally intended. The
hall was crowded with a meeting representing the
working classes. The Mayor (Mr. W. E. Laycock)
presided ; and he was accompanied on the platform
by the borough members, Mr. Roebuck and Mr.
Hadfield, Mr. G. H. F. Beaumont, one of the mem-
bers for the South West Riding, &c. The members

were received with loud and hearty cheering. The
Mayor, who was received with loud cheers, said it
afforded him great pleasure to convene and preside

over the meeting which had been called to consider
the great question of reform. Mr. Thomas Dunn
moved the first resolution —" That this meeting
desires to express its gratification that her Majesty's
Government has shown itself resolved to urge ugin.
Parliament the necessity of a reform in our elec-
toral system ; it cordially accepts the bill now

before the House of Commons to enlarge the elective
franchise as an honest and valuable measure ; and
confides in the present Government to follow it up
by such a re-distribution of seats, that the industry,
the intelligence, and the property of the country may
be fairly represented in the Legislature." (Cheers.)
If, he said, after ten or twelve years, when the Re-
form question had been mooted by all parties in the
State as one necessary to be dealt with for the good
of the country, Parliament, or any majority of
Parliament, should turn round and say that because
this Bill was not everything that they could wish—.
that party being anxious that there should be no
Bill at all—(loud cheers)—why then, if he knew
his countrymen, that room would not be able to hold
a tithe of the persons who would attend if there was
found to be a disposition in the House of Commons
to reject the Bill which had been brought in by the
Government. (Cheers.)
Mr. H. F. BEAUMONT, M.P., who on rising
was received with loud cheers, said, when
everybody was thinking of reform he did not
want to appear apathetic in the Riding in which
he had been so recently returned. As far as he
understood the Government Bill on the night of its
introduction he did not like it, because it was too
limited ; but on considering it further he thought it
worthy of support, for it proposed to lower the fran-
chise as far as the Government, in their wisdom,
thought there was a chance of lowering it, and he
was confident that that was the case, for there was
a very strong opposition in the House of Commons.
He was perfectly prepared to support the Bill, be-
cause he considered it an honest measure. It would
give substantial benefit to all classes—to the middle
classes, who were now fairly represented—and a
substantial benefit also to the artisan classes, who
were now almost unrepresented ; and for that reason
he thought it deserved their utmost support. Mr.
Hadfield, M.P., strongly supported the Bill. A
person named Neil attempted to move an amendment
—similar in purport to that of Earl Grosvenor's—
but the meeting would not hear him. A petition
in favour of the bill was adopted.
Mr. ROEBUCK, who was received with pro-
tracted cheers, said—The meeting has done
me the honour to place in my hands its peti -
tion. AR an old rafarmor T lv,
life that I have supported reform, though this is the
first time I have been called upon to express any
opinion about the bill now introduced into the House
of Commons. (Hear, hear.) I cannot understand
the morality of that man—there is one man who
will understand me—l cannot understand the
morality of that man who says that I am to-day
about to change my phase and appear for the first
time as a supporter of the bill. (Hear.) I think
the bill is really an honest bill ; I cannot under-
stand the meaning of what is said about dishonesty
in this bill. What is the intention of the bill? To
enlarge the franchise ; and it does that, Mr. Glad-
stone said, and no doubt he spoke advisedly and is
right ; he said it would increase the number of
voters by about 300,000. It does that directly, but
not only that. I, as an old reformer, for 33 years
have been fighting to obtain the doing away with
the ratepaying clauses. The bill of the Ministry
does that. It moreover adopts some that I recol-
lect were some time ago rather sarcastically called
" fancy franchises." I recollect incurring somewhat
of your displeasure for supporting a bill that had
fancy franchises ; and I am very glad to see any-
body cometo my opinion. (Laughter and cheers.)
I ask myself what is the necessity for this bill ?
What is pressing the Government to induce them
to introduce it ? The reason the Government has
brought in this bill is not because the house of
Commons is unworthy, but there are blots upon the
electoral system which have had that effect. The
first and greatest blot is the distribution of seats.
The next blot is that classes are excluded from the
franchise that in every way deserve it. Now, as a
politician, having all my life studied statesmanship,
I should agree with my hon. friend (Mr. Beaumont)
and say, that I think the wisest plan would have
been to have begun with a bill for the redistribution
of seats. But as the Government, with whom rests
the discretion and responsibility, have adopted
another course, and have brought, in a bill to en-
franchise certain classes not enfranchised, I submit
myself to their judgment, and will do my best to
aid them in passing their bill. Glad I am to
say at the present time the intelligence of the
working classes has so won upon the lead-
ing men of the country as to force this
upon their attention. I dare say it is not
a very agreeable thing for an amazing num-
ber of gentlemen to vote for this bill. You will have
unwilling supporters, but you cannot help that ;
accept them. I am not one to turn round and abuse
those gentlemen who have taken upon themselves to
criticise this bill. If I thought badly of the bill I
would say so, and I should think you very wrong
if you turned round on me and said I was a rogue
if I did that. I have a right to my opinion, and so
have they. They stated that opinion in a manner
which must have startled every one who heard them,
so admirably, so eloquently, if I may say so much
of those persons who opposed the bill. That is but
just and fair to men who, knowing that in express-
ing those opinions they would incur the indignation
of a large portion of their countrymen, yet had the
courage to express those opinions. I do not agree
with them, and shall do my utmost to oppose them.
The Reform Bill will pass the House of Commons;
whether it will pass the other right honourable house
is another question. (Laughter.) I recollect the
passing of the great Reform Bill. It won its way
through the House of Lords by the threat of a re-
volution. We were ready to fight ; we were really
upon the brink of battle. We forced the House of
Lords ; we frightened a man not easily frightened—
the old Duke of Wellington. (Cheers.) He said, "I
will no longer oppose this bill," and he left the
House of Lords : he never did a wiser thing in his
life. Our time is limited, and therefore all I will
say is this, fairly and candidly, I will deal with this
bill ; I will steadily support it ; and, by the
grace of
God, we shall carry it. (Loud cheers.) The pro-
ceedings terminated in the usual manner.
BRlSTOL—Yesterday an open air meeting, con-
vened at a very short notice, was held at Brandon-
hill, Bristol, for the purpose of considering the pro-
priety of supporting the Government Reform Bill. It
was called by th_e_Pris' tol Reform Union, abody corn-

posed almost entirely of working men, and avowedly
advocates of manhood suffrage. The weather though
dry was bleak, and there was, all things considered,
a fair attendance. Mr. Jennings was called to the
chair, and, having briefly introduced the business;
he called on Mr. Way, who moved the first resolu-
tion :—" That this meeting regrets that the Reform
Bill now befpre the House of Commons is not more
comprehensive in its provisions, or based on the
inherent right of every man of moral character to a
share in the representation of the people. But,
considering that the question at issue is whether the
people shall further exercise their political rights or
not, this meeting does not consider any member of
the House of Commons worthy the support of
working men who, under any pretence, refuses to
support that bill." The speaker severely censured
Mr. Lowe, Mr. Horsman, and Lord Grosvenor as
political shams, and indignantly protested against
the first-named gentleman's insulting remarks on
took
the working
wishes, he working classes. The 'Reform Bill was not up
o
butitwathsehonestand m
ea n
tf
Bill for
such
contrastedthey accepted it, and would sup-
eartily. Mr. Gawler seconded the
rpoweonisrteoht
hutaithtni
aodtni na,on of asdt
n Lordthepresentßeform other. The reso-
lution having been carried wit • h four or five dissen-
tients, Mr. Rogers proposed, " That as the existing
inequalities of representation to Population will
-beao,Er..n,greater by the me
trusts that the bill promised by he Government
will embrace the whole of the subject, and by a wise
redistribution of the seats remove such injustice
from our representative system." The speaker
pointed out some of the anomalies at present exist-
ing in our electoral system, and the class legislation
which, as he considered, had sprung from them, and
he invited his brother operatives to support a mea-
sure which would add 400,000 members to the
electoral roll of England, and would go some way
towards working out the needed reform. The re-
solution was seconded by Mr. Powell and adopted,
and it was also resolved to petition Parliament in
favour of the Government bill. A second reform
meeting, convened by the Bristol Liberal Associa
tion, is to be held a week hence.

SOUTHWARK.—A public meeting of the inhabi-
tants of Southwark is to be held at the Bridge-
house Hotel, on Monday next, to consider the pro-
visions of the Government Reform Bill.

SOUTHAMPTON.—A public meeting is to be held
at the Victoria Rooms, Southampton, on Thurs-
day, to support the Government Reform Bill.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

ILLINOIS CENTRAL.

The report of the directors for the year 1865 states
that this railway lost at the opening of the Ameri-
can war its Southern business, whirl had been
growing up for many years. The close of the war
found the season too far advanced to admit of
planting, thus leaving what the war had spared of
the capital and industry of the South to a great
extent unemployed. Those circumstances placed
the railway largely on its local resources for traffic
during the past season. Notwithstandirg Illinois
had sent to the field over 200,000 men, they found
the population and area of cultivation had steadily
increased during the war. The gross earnings of
the line for 1865 were $7,181,208, against $6,329,447
in 1864, being an increase of $851,761. The Mobile
and Ohio Railway, an extension of their line from

the Ohio river to the Gulf of Mexico, was hardly
yet re-opened ; other Southern lines tributary to
the Illinois Central had not been placed in working
order. When those and other old channels of trade
were re-opened, and the business relations of the
North and South restored, they confidently expected
to increase the traffic. For 60 days past all the
Tr- - supplies 101 tuu ovum, zuuwiug
that the cotton, sugar, and tobacco plantations
were now being re-constructed. Since the last an-
nual report they had earned $7,181,208 on the
railway, they had received from collections in the
land department $1,933,915, together $9,115,123.
They had expended on permanent structures and
increase of equipment $854,434, and for working
L4a, 510t9a,x7904f 7 p
. They had
cent.h a
on
dp at paid to
grossthe Staearningste
theirfor an-
year ending October Si, 1865, arn ouutizi." to
$496,490, they had paid in interest on the funded
debt $810,050, and two dividends of 5 per cent.
each on the capital stock amounting to $2,236,584,
in addition to a stock distribution of $lO per
share, and had reduced their funded debt by the
redemption and cancellation of bonds £900,500.
They commenced the new year with a balance of net
cash assets on hand of £1,703,525, being $550,000
in excess of the dividend of 5 per cent. declared for
Ist Feb. last and since paid, having a stock of sup-
plies on hand of $876,479. The amount of bonds
cancelled on Dec. 31 was $2,341,500. During the
past year the equipment of the line was increased
by $532,541, and construction account for renewals
and improvements to the amount of $321,893. The
working stock was now equal to a traffic of
$8,000,000 per annum. During the past year the
earnings had increased by $851,761, and the work-
ing expenditure by $1,049,055. The sales in the
land department were made to 2,364 purchasers of
155,057 acres, at an average of $12.07 per acre, for
£1,872,310. Their rule was now to require the pay-
ment of one-fourth down on all sales made, and to
sell only to actualsettlers. There were 998,069 acres
of land remaining unsold at the close of the year.
In Dec., 1858, the debt of the company in round
numbers was $19,500,000 ; now it was reduced to
$12,300,000.