The Sun.
London, England, 1866-10-17 00:00:00

Iteform Demonstration at Glasgow.

GLASGOW, Tuesday, Oct. 16.
The greatest public demonstration that has occurred
in Glasgow for a long series of years took place here

this morning. During the Reform agitation of 1832
a large assemblage of Reformers, numbering about
70,000, met together on Glasgow-green, and this
morning a similar meeting, only one of twice the

size, estimated to contain about 150,000 persons, as-
sembled on the same spot, under the auspices of the
Reform League, to pass resolutions in favour of an-
other Reform Bill. A large trade procession, con-
taining, according to the most accurate estimate,
from 28,000 to 30,000 persons, was formed on the
green at 11 o'clock, and from thence walked through
the principal streets of Glasgow and back again to
the starting-point, where, from various platforms,
meetings were held simultaneously and resolutions
in favour of Parliamentary Reform adopted. Some
better idea of the size of the procession than can be
obtained from any vague estimate of the numbers it
contained may be formed from the fact that, march-
ing four abreast, at a fair speed, it occupied two

hours in passing any given spot, and although its
ranks were kept pretty close together it extended over
a length of from four to five miles. When the main
body of the procession was threading its way

through the principal streets of the town, and before
the tail end had left Glasgow-green, the head of the
line had actually completed its journey and returned
to its old place on the green. Fortunately the wea-
ther, upon which the success of out-door demonstra-
tions so much depends, was tolerably fine ; although

there was no sunshine until late in the afternoon
there was no rain, and a nice cool temperature, best
suited for large open-air gatherings, prevailed dur-

ing the morning.
Mr. John Bright, M.P., who had accepted an in-
vitation to address the inhabitants of Glasgow upon

the subject of Reform at an evening meeting, wit-
nessed the progress of the procession from the win-

dow of the Cobden Hotel in Argyle-street. He was

accompanied by Mr. M'Laren, M.P., Mr. Dalglish,
M.P., Mr. Graham, M.P., and a number of
others, including among them a daughter of the late
Mr. Cobden. As the procession and the immense

crowd which accompanied it passed by the hotel re-
peated cheers were given for Mr. Bright, who bowed
his acknowledgments. The line of the procession
presented a very animated appearance. Many of the

houses within the route taken by the procession

seemed dressed for a holiday, and flags and banners
of the Glasgow colours floated from the windows on

every side, while at some points lines were suspended
across the streets, and so thickly adorned with
flowers and leaves that they assumed something of

the appearance of triumphal arches. Business lathe
town was almost entirely suspended throughout the
day, and almost every shop was dosed, either from
a wish to give greater impressiveness to the pro-
ceedings, or from a wholesome dread of smashed
windows—a dread which the size and densely packed
character of the gathering in the streets sufficiently
warranted. The procession itself was headed by a
large body of carters mounted on horseback, and
well adapted to clear the way. These were followed
by bodies of workmen from various trade establish-
ments in the town, and representing already every
branch of manufacturing industry carried on in
Glasgow. There were cabinetmakers, foundrymeni
coppersmiths, shoemakers, trunkmakers, builders,
pipemakers, goldsmiths, and shipwrights. There

were also ironmoulders, puddlers, tinplate-workers,

miners, potters, glassmakers, wireworkers, cloth-
lappers, and boilermakers. There were dyers,

ropemakers, engineers, warpers, handloom weavers,
factory operatives, coachmakers, tailors, and brass-
founders ; and there were printers, lithographers,

bookbinders, blacksmiths, bakers, edge-tool makers,
whitesmiths, irondressers, and nailmakers. Each
trade carried multitudinous flags and banners, and
was headed by a brass band, and each exhibited
specimens of the productions of its own particular
craft. The shipbuilders, for instance, carried a
variety of shipwrights' tools, and bore aloft on
high poles series of miniature ships in various
stages of construction. The carpenters and
joiners carried models of all descriptions of
carpentering, among the rest a small pulpit, with
the orthodox crimson resting upon the desk, an ob-
ject which attracted considerable curiosity. In the
same way every trade represented in the procession
carried something or other indicating the peculiar
nature of its own work. Banners and mottoes were
distributed in the greatest profusion along the whole
procession, most of the mottoes protesting against
the withholding of manhood suffrage and the ballot
from the working classes. One of the mottoes ex-
cited considerable amusement, the cabinetmakers of
Glasgow marching under the inscription, " The
people should be the Cabinet-makers." One of the
flags bore a huge coloured portrait of Gladstone,
with the words " Reform," " Retrenchment," in-
scribed beneath, and a sort of companion picture,
representing Mr. Bright, was shown on another flag,
with the curiously-worded motto, "Honour Bright,"
" Stick to your colours." Another banner told the
people, "Reform, ' if 'twere done, 'twere wellit were
done quickly.'" Borne high upon a pole was a de-
vice emblematical of the Cave of Adullam, with a
figure, supposed to represent Mr. Lowe, sitting dis-
consolate at the entrance. Immediately behind came
another representation of the cave of more question-
able propriety in the shape of an inverted household
utensil. This gave rise to great merriment along the
whole line of the procession. Among the banners
there were several moth-eaten and battered, which
figured in the Reform agitation of 1832.
Thefollowing among other towns were represented
in the procession by deputation :—Paisley, Dum-
barton, Greenock, Brechin, Stirling, Govan, Ren-
frew, Kilmarnock, Itothesay, Rutherglen, and Port
Glasgow. The scene upon the green after the re-
turn of the procession was of a very animating de-
scription. It was really impossible to form an esti-
mate of the number present, but it far exceeded the
attendance of any, previous demonstration of the
same character. Every portion of the green was
crowded, and flags and banners by thousands lent
an additional attraction to the scene. There were six
platforms, at each of which the following resolu-
tions, for the English of which the gentlemen of the
local committee are responsible, were adopted :
" Ist. That this meeting protests against the continuance
of the present system of representation, whereby the people
are compelled to obey the laws in the making of which they
have no voice, which is opposed alike to the spirit of the
ancient Constitution and our sense of justice. This meeting
further pledges itself to support the Scotch National Reform
League in its efforts to obtain by all lawful means registered
residential manhood suffrage, as the only just basis of re-
presentation, and the protection of the ballot. 2d. That this
meeting tenders its most grateful thanks to the Right Hon.
William Ewart Gladstone, John Bright, John Stuart Mill,
and all the other true friends of Reform, who throughout
the late discussions in Parliament vindicated the character
of the people and vindicated their cause. 3d. That this
meeting also returns its thanks to Edmond Beales and the
other members of the Reform League in London, for their
defence of the right of public meeting and of the true prin-
lirPalgeeB;,)l Reform, residential and registered manhood suf-

Before leaving the subject of the morning demon-
stration, it, 1., only just to say it would be hardly
possibleto collee-
covne more defective arrangements than
those made in. exion with it. At all the great
Reform demonstrationsarra which the present
produced, the recess has
out
arrangements have been far better
planned and carried
has been the case with
those organised in Glasgow.n
The evening meeting was held in the City Hall,
Candlerigg,s, which was crowded even to inconveni-
ence. Mr. Bright, on entering
the hall,
was loudly
cheered. Mr. Daiglish, M.P., presided,
.Bright
those on the platform, in addition to '\lr•
rand
i N among
were Mr. Graham, M.P., Mr. T. B. Pate
Mr. Duncan MlLaren, M.P., Mr. H. E.clriu.P.,
'
Ewing, M.P., Mr. J. Merry, M.P., Mr. E. Beal:, 1
Provost Macfarlane (of Paisley), Provost Mackay,
Bailie Hay (of Dundee), &c.
The CHAIRMAN, in opening the proceedings,
briefly congratulated the city of Glasgow on the
demonstration that had lately taken place.
Mr. PROUDFOOT moved the first resolution :
" That this meeting, while recording its indignation
at the resistance offered in Parliament to the work-
ing classes and their advooates, calls upon the peo-
ple of this country to insist that the question of
Reform be no longer trifled with, and to rally round
those men who uphold their cause."
Mr. G. NEWTON seconded the resolution, which