The Sun.
London, England, 1866-07-26 00:00:00

" THE REFORM LEAGUE AND THE GOVERNMENT.

" The Government, by the Right iron. Spencer Walpole
the Home Secretary, have this day agreed with the Counci
of the Reform League to facilitate in every way their obtain-
ing a speedy decision, either in Parliament or in a court of
law, as to the right of the people to hold public meetings
in the parks, and it is earnestly requested that in the mean-
time and until the question is decided no further attempt bo
made to hold a meeting in Hyde Park, except only on next
Monday afternoon, July 30, at 6 o'clock, by arrangement
with the Government; and it is further earnestly requested
that all will abstain from disorderly acts, and do everything
in their power to preserve the peace and protect property,
the Government undertaking, on their part, not to make
any further demonstration of the military or police;
" EDMOND BEALES, President."

Several speeches were made, consisting chiefly of
exhortations to those present to leave the park and
retire quietly to their homes. Coming, as these re-
quests did, from the leaders of the movement, the
people evidently seemed to think they were entitled
to respect. They accordingly cheered and applauded
vehemently, but that was all they did, for not one
of them appeared to have the slightest intention to
leave the park. The crowd, on the contrary,
gradually increased, and about seven o'clock a
large open-air meeting was held. Mr. Brookes, in
opening the proceedings, hailed Mr. Beales as the
saviour of London, and Mr. Beales, in his turn,
congratulated those present on the " great and
glorious victory" they had won. Colonel Dickson
and Mr. Cunningham also addressed those present,
and after listening to much advice as to their beha-
viour the assembly separated, a large portion at
once walking down the drive which runs parallel to
Park-lane, some of them suggesting, to the tune of
" John Brown," the suspension of Sir R. Mayne,
and others of Mr. Walpole. The crowd determined
for once to show that all the arrangements were
under their control, and as they swept down the
drive, the carriages keeping well in front of them,
they resolutely refused to allow any of the carriages
behind to break through their line. One carriage,
whose occupauts seemed to be in some haste, re-
peatedly made the attempt, but the driver was as
repeatedly deterred by the threats of the men and
by the evident determination of those in front, who
had linked themselves arm in arm under the horses'
noses, to allow themselves to be driven over rather
than give way. On arriving at the bottom of the
drive most of them left the park; but, independ-
ently of the roughs still diverting themselves in the
neighbourhood of the burning tree, large numbers

remained discussing the success of the League, the
conduct of Sir R. Mayne and Mr. Walpole, and,
above all, the conduct of the police, whose want of
discrimination in the use of their truncheons on the
preceding day appeared to be a fruitful theme of
debate. The feeling against the police, indeed,
appeared to be very bitter, and it was well for the
sake of both parties that chances of collision were
avoided. The crowds lingered until late, but as the
excitement was evidently over for the night the
people melted gradually away, until at length the
park was again left to the mercies of the roughs and
the street Arabs.

On inquiring yesterday we found that no further
damage had been inflicted on private houses than
the breaking of glass, in which respect Lord Elcho
seems to have been the greatest sufferer, 17 large
panes having been broken in his house in St. James's-
place. The patients at St. George's Hospital are
progressing favourably. Collins, the man who was
so severely injured that he was not expected to sur-
vive, has somewhat rallied, and can now take his
food. Simon, a policeman of the A division, though
suffering from very severe bruises, and Clements,
favourably. Some of the police who
who had his arm fractured and knee crushed, are
progressing
have not been brought to the hospital have also been
severely we
oruiontdseill,vhogota
particularly
dangerous gash in
Sergeant Phelps of
the A division—which seems to have suffered greatly
during h
the face from a blow of a stone. There is no doubt
the severe sentences inflicted in do police courts
have produced a salutary effect, and we may hope
that the disgraceful tumult of the last few days will
not be repeated.
t

DEPUTATION TO THE HOME SECRETARY
Yesterday afternoon, at 2 o'clock, a deputation
from the Council of the Reform League attended,
by appointment, on the Right Hon. S. 11. Walpole,
at the Home-office, in reference to the disturbances
which have taken place in Hyde-park since Monday
last, and to devise some means by which peacemight
be restored. The deputation consisted of Mr. E.
Beales, president of the League, and the following
members of the Council :—Colonel Dickson, Capt.
Walhouse, and Messrs. B. Langley, G. Brooke, J.
Holyoake, G. Davis, G. Odger, B. Lenc, G. Howell,
Cremer, and R. J. Cunnington. Mr. G. H.
Whalley, M.P., was also present.
The deputation having been courteously received
by Mr. Walpole, with whom was Lord J. Manners,
Mr. E. BEALES said—Sir, we attend here in con-
sequence of a desire expressed by you last evening to
two members of our Council that you would like to
see a deputation from the League. It would be im-
possible to overrate the gravity of the present crisis,
and, without at present entering upon the right of
the people to meet in Hyde-park to discuss their po-
litical grievances, we think the first duty of all good
citizens is to bring to a speedy end the present dis-
turbances, arising out of the refusal of the Govern-
ment to allow the meeting on Monday evening last.
The people are exasperated, and justly so, at the
violence which has been displayed by the police both
on Monday and Tuesday evening, and, unless some
conciliatory measures are taken by the Govern-
ment, the consequences will become very serious.
We would therefore urge upon you, Sir, the pro-
priety of your at once giving an order for the
withdrawal of the police and military from
the Park, and allowing the Council of the
League to use its influence with the people
to-night in the Park to restore that peace, order,
and good feeling which would not have been dis-
turbed had the meeting taken place in the park, as
intended.
Colonel DicKsoN endorsed the statement of Mr.
Beales. If the request now made were complied
with and the Council of the League allowed to go
to the park that evening unmolested by the police
he would pledge himself and the League that no
further disturbances would take place. He then
detailed several cases which had come under his
knowledge of violent conduct on the part of the
police.
Mr. B. LANGLEY said, unless something was done
at once, there was no knowing to what length they
might be driven, goaded, as they had been, by the
brutality of the police. He also asked for some
consideration to be shown to the persons who had
been apprehended and committed to prison many of
whom he believed were perfectly innocent of any
offence. He also thought that the sentences of the
magistrates had been unduly severe in many cases.
Several other members of the deputation having
expressed similar views to that of their colleagues,
and Mr. Whalley, M.P., having in a few remarks
supported the object of the deputation,
Mr. WALPOLE said—Mr. Beales and Gentlemen,
—I have to thank you, in the first place, for coming
here, and, in the second place, for the conciliatory
tone you have all used in reference to the present
unhappy proceedings. (The right hon. gentleman
here paused for some seconds, evidently being much
affected.) You all, with me, have the desire to see
peace restored to this metropolis ; but there are
many subjects mentioned in your remarks which no
one here present can expect I can give an answer
to. With regard to any decisions given by the
magistrates, it is one of my first duties to examine
and attend to them, and upon an application being
made I shall feel it my duty and pleasure always
to go carefully through any case submitted to me
and consider it. More than that I am sure you
will not expect me to say. Other remarks have
been made with regard to the conduct of the
police. I do not desire to enter into any irritating
topic, and I can make every allowance for the
observations made, as I know well when excitement
of this kind takes place there may be charges
brought—gravely and honestly brought—on both
sides. I am not going into that part of the ques-
tion ; but, at the same time, I think I must say the
police deserve great consideration on your part as
acting in obedience to orders, and maintaining,
under trying circumstances, the peace of the city.
Other remarks have been made with regard to the
desire you all have to discuss public questions of
great importance, and to have open spaces or places
in which you can go, and in which those discussions
can be carried on. On the part of the Government,
I hope you will all distinctly understand that to
such discussions we have no objection ; but, on the
part of the Government, I wish you also to under-
stand, for the reasons I offered in the House of
Commons last night, we do not think—and my pre-
decessor entertained the same opinion—that parks
are the best places, or the proper places, for such
discussions. That, however, will be a matter for
future consideration ; it may be brought before the
House of Commons, and when it is I will give my
opinion upon it. I only ask you now whether you
think that if you discuss on one side an exciting
on the
exciting
topic you must not allow it to be discussed
this is
other, or on many other sides, and whether
likely to maintain or uphold the purposes which
the parks are
real question, thaepp t propriated.
Now I come, to the
position of affairs. I don't
want to look back tore present
of what has occurred the pasty except to make use
in avoiding the same thing for
the future. The whole of this, Mr. Beales, arises
from the different views we took as to whether
Hyde-park was a place in which, as a matter of right,
you and your friends could call a large meeting,
and enter for the purpose of political demonstra-
tions and processions. One observation has been
made by you to-day which I only wish had been
made to me last week—that your desire was to esta-
blish fairly whether that right existed. Had such
an observation been made to me last week, I should
have said to Mr. Beales what I now say to him,
that for the purpose of determining that right---that
alleged right—and to facilitate that determination,
the Government will offer you every assistance in its
power. That being so, I think we ought all of us to
arrive at this conclusion, that during the suspension
of that question, without prejudice to one side or the
other, we had better not anticipate what the judicial
proceedings may result in. Now, assuming this to

police or military. I can assure
're to make env unnecessary demonstrations or use
of the police or the military ; but, on the other
hand, I beg you will bear in mind that in the posi-
tion I fill,.being the guardian, to a certain extent, of
the peace of the metropolis, I should not be justi-
fied in relaxing all proper precautions, seeing that
should mischief arise, should windows be broken,
should attacks be made upon persons and property,
I should not be justified if I did not use all the
powers the Constitution places in my hands to pre-
vent such mischief. Probably that can be remedied;
perhaps it may be done without any demonstrations
of police or military; for I know that such demon-
strations may lead to mischief in the end. Specifi-
cally, then, what is passing through Mr. Beales's
mind is this :—Mr. Beales says, " Withdraw the
police and military force, and I will undertake—at
least as far as I can—that no disorder or disturbance
takes place." Well, if you will assure your friends
that the Government will give you every opportunity
of trying the legal right, and facilitating the deter-
mination of that-right, and that they ask of you In
the interim not to insist on that right until it is deter-
mined one way or the other ; that in the meantime
you will convey to your friends that the Government
wish to meet them in the fairest and frankest man-
ner as to the opportunities they may have of
discussing public questions, in places which are
recognised as places where the police would not be
ordered to interfere ;—if you will only do that I
think I see the solution of the present difficulty. In
that case I will undertake to say that, unless any
mischief arise to-night, unless any disturbance be
created, unless property be attacked—which it is my
duty to defend—there will be no demonstration of
either military or police. (Cheers.) Of course, 1
will keep a reserve, but I will make no demonstra-
tion of either one or the other. Indeed, the military
were not called out until it was thought there was
a necessity for it. I was going to say I place my-
self in your hands, gentlemen, but I leave it to you
to put an end to these proceedings, without at all
compromising what must be settled judicially, or
tilhaonukseedotfhee°;nigrahtmihso'n gentleman for
possibly
ir. BEbAyLtEhse
his kindness and consideration, and said that he
understood that if himself and friends proceeded to
the park this day there would be no interruption on
the part of the police.
Mr. WALPOLE—Certainly not, there will be no
interruptions.
The deputation then retired, cordially thanking
Mr. Walpole for his courtesy and kindness.