The Sun.
London, England, 1866-03-30 00:00:00

The Reform Bill.

NOISY MEETING AT SALFORD.

On Wednesday a meeting was held in the Salford
Town Hall, convened by the Mayor, in compliance
with a public requisition, " to consider the propriety
of supporting the measure of Parliamentary Reform
brought forward by her Majesty's Government."
The Mayor (Wright Turner, Esq.) presided.
The CHAIRMAN said that as Mayor he had no
politics, and he should confine himself to conduct-
ing the business of the meeting.
Mr. J. B. FODEN read letters apologising for the
absence of several gentlemen whom the promoters
of the meeting expected to be present, among the
number being one from Mr. T. B. Potter, M.P.
Mr. 0. Heywood had verbally expressed his regret
that his health would not permit him to be present,
but he sympathised with the policy of the Govern-
ment.
Mr. Alderman Po CHIN proposed, " That after the
repeated delays and disappointments to which the
country has been subjected, this meeting desires to
express its satisfaction that the Government is now
resolved to deal seriously with the question of Par-
liamentary reform." He said that all parties were
pledged to a measure of reform, and the country
and the circumstances of the times demanded a large
extension of political power. Though the bill pro-
posed by Government did not go so far as he per-
sonally would have liked, he considered it an honest
measure, and worthy of their support. He was not
desirous of giving the franchise to those who had it
not at the cost of swamping those who possessed it.
(Hear, hear.) He strongly advocated the re-dis-
tribution of seats, to which he considered the Go-
vernment were now fully committed.

Mr. HENRY RAWSON seconded the proposition.
He said that the question had been too much tam-
pered with ; it had been a question of party politi-
cians for 15 years. Previous reform measures had
been tampered with, and they in Salford were to
some extent responsible, and there were even yet a
number of members in Parliament who had made
professions such as those made by the gentleman
who once sat as their borough member. (Applause.)
He spoke of Mr. Lowe and his lot, who, forgetting
that they once expressed opinions identical with
those gentlemen who promoted the present mea-
sure, but who, now that they had left the Treasury
benches, discovered that their opinions were wrong,
and they therefore stood forth as opponents of the
bill. He denied that there was any force in the
arguments deduced against working men from their
conduct of trade's unions, for he believed that the
interests of capital and labour were the same, and
that anything but peace and unity would be detri-
mental to the benefit of the working classes.

Mr. J. WAINWRIGHT supported the motion. He
expressed his surprise that Mr. Pochin should have
said anything about " swamping" the middle-
classes, any fear of which he considered to be
most absurd. (Laughter and applause.) He con-
sidered the bill a middle-class bill, but if it was
carried Government would gain great power, and
should the working classes succeed in getting their
head and shoulders into the house they would soon
be in altogether. (Applause.)
M. S. HEELIS rose to address the meeting. He
was received with much interruption, but he an-
nounced that he bad but recently dined, and he was
quite prepared to remain in the room till 3 o'clock
next morning.
The CiIAIRMAN appealed for a hearing for Mr.
Eeelis, and, the noie.e having lulled to a compara-

tive calm,
Mr. HEELIS said that if he had desired to have a
speech upon his view of the question, he could not
have wished for one in stronger terms than those of
the last speaker. The position to which his prin-
ciples led was unmistakeable, for he said, " Give us
this measure, and we will have a great deal more."
(Applause.) The meeting endorsed his views—
(hear, hear)—but he considered that even going so
far as the last speaker was going too far. (Interrup-
tion. A Voice—addressing some of the interrupters
—" Will you roughs shut up ?") In 1859 Lord
Derby's Government introduced a far better bill,
which, epitomised, was this—(" A shim," " Sing
it." Laughter and interruption, which brought
Mr. Heelis to a stand-still.)

The MAvon again appealed on behalf of the
speaker, and obtained a hearing.
Mr. lIEELis proceeded, saying that the objects of
the bill of 1859 were to create a £lO franchise in ,
both boroughs and counties; it proposed to admit
lodgers paying Bs. a week, members of the universi-
ties, certificated schoolmasters, Dissenting ministers,
persons with £6O in the savings banks 12 months,
and Mr. Disraeli promised that if the bill was allowed
to go into committee it might be amended in its de-
tails. That bill also dealt with the question of re-
distribution of seats, and the scheme named 15
boroughs which returned members, and which it
proposed to disfranchise in whole or in part.
Among the number were Thetford and Totnes, of
unfortunately too unenviable notoriety. (Laughter
and applause.) It proposed to give additional
members to the West Riding of Yorkshire and to
South Lancashire. (" Gladstone for ever." "Let
him pay for a room, and' we'll hear him some Sun-
day," an observation which elicited much laughter.)
Mr. Heelis asked what was done with Lord Derby's
measure ? (" Kicked out.") A town's meeting
was called at Salford. (" Give him his supper,"
and interruption, which completely drowned the
speaker's voice.),

Mr. H. RAWSON appealed to the meeting to allow
Mr. Heelis to speak, and expressed his admiration
of Mr. Heclis's " pluck."
Mr. HEELis continued, saying that a town's meet-
ing was called in Salford at which the present mayor
took part, and a resolution was passed against the
bill, because it failed to recognise the rights of the
industrial classes. He (Mr. Heels) wanted to know,
in the name of common sense, whether the present
bill professed to go to anything like the extent
of what was proposed by the bill of 1859 ? Like the
bill of 1832, Lord Derby's bill proposed to deal
with the whole question. (" Take an instalment.")
No ; he would not take an instalment. (Cries of
" Time," " Sing," " Question," and interruption.)
His objection to the bill was that it was only part
of a scheme, and he therefore thought Mr. Disraeli's
the better measure. (" Nonsense." "It was a
sham," and confusion.) Some of the best men of
the Liberal party regretted that the bill was de-
feated. (No, no.) They admitted that it was a
grand mistake. (Interruption.) Since that time a
pamphlet had been published by a gentleman who
had his respect. (Name.) He would tell them who
was the author. (Cries of " Time," " No," " Sit
down, " Cheetham," and " Go home, owd lad.")
The CHAIRMAN again asked that Mr. Heelis
might be heard.

Mr. lIEEms continued, amid more interruption
than ever, to read his extract, but all that could
be heard, even by those immediately around him,
were the words " indirect taxation," legislative
Power, c,
mentatl People generally," and other such frag-
pantomir,,,thressions ; everything else was a dumb
Mr. AldermanltZkltVEY appealed to the meeting
to grant Mr.
ge4llearing, and tried to get the
audience into a
dote of Daniel O'C°lllterrur by repeating an anec-
terrupted, said that hew °lllO, when similarly in-
him had a hot potato in 1,141, 'wed ever everybody before
Mr. Harvey
tubeeediute created
expressed a similar wish.--'l%,,:itail_
much laughter, but did not stay
and the Chairman suggested to Mr./jellt,erruption,
eha that he
should make his remarks as brief as 11
. °Emlble.
Mr. HEELIS (indignantly)--I am a townsman
of
Salford, and I mean to stand upon my rights.
(Applause, and more uproar.) Mr. neelis con-
tinued reading his extract, but the only words that
a portion of the audience could hear " when the
fowls of the air rot in its branches,' an expression
which led to continued laughter. Some one on the
platform vainly appealed to the Chairman on a
question of order.

Mr. WARBURTON tried to throw oil on the
troubled waters by asking whether the speaker had
a right to read so long an extract ?
The CHAIRMAN replied that he had.
Mr. HEELIS—You don't like the extract. (Ap-
plause, and ironical cheers.)—Another gentleman
on the platform sagely shook his head, and said it
was " very wrong," whereupon Mr. Heelis pro-
mised him that he had but to read a few lines more.