The Sun.
London, England, 1861-11-19 00:00:00

TUESDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 19, 1861:
THE SUN, LONDON,

-REFORM CONFERENG'.E.

LEEDS, MONDAY AFTERNOON.

This day, in the Civil Court of the Town-hall of
this borough, a conference on Parliamentary Re-
form commenced its sittings. It was held under the
auspices of the Leeds Working Men's Parliamen-
tary Reform Association. Delegates attended from
various associations in diftirent parts of the coun-
try, but the greater portion of the delegates were
from Yorkshire and Lancashire towns, and most of
them were appointed at meetings of extreme Libe-
rals, held for the especial purpose, and represented
the meetings which elected them rather than any
reform 'association. The number of persons de-
legated to attend the meeting was upwards of 180,
and *bout two-thirds of that number were present
shortly after the commencement of the proceedings,
including Mr. E. Baines, M.P., Mr. W. E. Forster,
M.P., and Mr. Barnes, M.P.
A little before 12 o'clock at noon the proceedings
were opened by
Mr. FINNIE (a journeyman compositor), the
president of the Leeds Working Alas Parlia-
mentary Reform Association, who said that the

great object for which the conference was held was to
show that working men were not so indifferent to the
quebtion of reform as had been bo freely repre-
sented. Tie said at first it was intended this should

only be a Yorkshire conference, but now it was to
be a meeting of men from all parts of the country,
20 or 30 having that morning intimated their in-

tention to be present, in addition to 162 who had
before promised.
Mr. G. Wilson, of Manchester, should have
opened the meeting as chairman of the conference,
but it was reported by gentlemen who had arrived
from Manchester that Mr. Wilson had started with
them and they had lost him on the way. Until he
should make his appearance,

Alderman BnowN, of Bradford, took the chair,
and expressed his gratitude to the working men for
making such an effort in the cause of reform. He
hoped the occasion would lead to a union among
the most intelligent of the working men in this
country, for if the cause of reform must succeed the
working men themselves must be the foundation of
that success. (Applause.)

Messrs. Hickes and Geves, of Leeds,were appointed
secretaries, together with Mr. Derry, of Birming
ham, and Mr. Cowan, of Newcastle-en-Tyne.
A business committee was chosen, consisting of
the following persons ;—Messrs. Hickes, Sugden,
Derry, Cowan, Cooper, Hanson, Alderman Baldwin
(Birmingham), Walker, and Alderman Brown. The
committee having retired for the despatch of busi-

ness,

Mr. FINNIE read letters of apology for non-atten-
dance from the Earl of Carlisle, Earl Russell, Lord
Londesborough, Sir J. V. B. Johnstone, M.P., Mr.
Bright, M.P., Earl de Grey and Ripon, Mr. H.
Cosham, of Bristol, D. M'Laren, of Edinburgh, Mr.
Tillott, of Norwich, Mr. Stansfeld, M.P., Sir C.
Woad, M.P., Hon. C. W. Fitzwilliam, Mr. G. Had-
field, M,P., Mr. R. Palmer, Solicitor-General, Mr.
Brown, M.P., Mr. Vyner, M.P., Mr. Greenwood,
M.P., Mr. W. Aldain, Mr. Clay, M.P., Mr. Cobden,
M.P., Mr. Schwann, Mr. Westhead, M.P., and Mr.
Whitehurst, vice-chairman of the Ballot Society.
The letter from Earl Russell was as follows :
" Foreign-office, Oct. 29.
" Sir,—Earl Russell has desired me to acknowledge the
receipt of your letter of the 19th inst., thanking him for his
answer to your previous communication, and expressing a
hope that he would give a further reply, showing how far
the proposed reform conference proceedings met with his
sympathy; and in reply I am to say that his opinions on the
subject of parliamentary reform are already well known and
do not require to be repeated. But he is convinced that any
expression of wishes onfothr% WAIF& Tie,lviggl,ll!°22,e,
encouragement from Ministers of the Crown.—l have, &c."
Mr. Cobden excused himself on the ground of its
being necessary for him to abstain from addressing
public meetings for some time to come, with a view
to avoid the recurrence of the bronchial attack from
which he has been lately suffering.
Mr. J. Bright wrote :

" Rochdale, Nov. 4.

"Dear Sir,—l am glad to hear of your progress in the ar-
rangements for the reform conference. It is unfortunately,
however, fixed for a time when it will be most inconvenient
if not indeed quite impossible, for me to be present at it.
"I have engagements for the whole of the week, begin-
ning on the 18th inst., and particularly for the 18th and 19th
inst., engagements which are so depending one upon another
that I cannot well put them by.
"I do not think it important that I should be with you.
No one will doubt that I shall willingly give any assistance
in my power to further the object you are seeking to pro-
mote, and it will give me great pleasure to hear that you
have an influential gathering, and that the movement you
are commencing is taken up with spirit by the population
of the country, and especially by the poople of Yorkshire
and Lancashire.

" Wishing you all the success you can desire, and thank-
ing you for your labours in the good cause, I am, &c.,

" JOHN BRIGHT."

Mr. G. WILSON, of Manchester, then delivered
what may be considered the inaugural address. He
said the reproach had often gone forth that no effort
was made to assist the working classes in obtaining
an extension of the franchise. He would not discuss
that point, but say that long ago he had made up
his mind that until the working classes themselves
offered to aid and co-operate with those who were
anxious to promote their interests and success, it
would be in vain to carry on any agitation on the
question of reform, Self-dependence was the basis
of action in this life, and the moment the people felt
their self-dependence in this question that moment
they were on the way to obtain that which was
their right. The working men of Leeds, ho rejoiced
to say, had cast away all that reproach, so far as
they were concerned. The question they were met
to consider had engaged a great deal of attention
already, and the present state of the representation
of this country was what no man could support in
his conscience. On making a division of the people
into voters and non-voters they presented two very
great inequalities. At present the voting power of
the country was 1,221,000, 950,000 being in Eng•
land, 101,000 in Ireland, and 170,003 in Scotland.
If each of these voters represented a family of five
there would be six millions who would be directly
or indirectly interested in the election of members,
but taking the population of the United Kingdom
in 1861, exclusive of the Isle of Man and the Chan-
nel Islands, at 29,000,000, there would remain
23,500,000 unaccounted for, who had no more con-
nexion with, and were no more recognised in the
election of Parliamentary representatives than a
foreigner. Of those, at least six or seven millions
werande
wghr
uo wu
unm-uppr
speople,n d w h o had no
six-sevenths
of
the rightrising
of s
inavoting,young
men of the country.
oi
pe
01
re
tc
at
no re an d snt r cnt
esf
t fßho
reudt
utahnpes
dapcurereesodefnu4t distributionoo sot ilplemopu lree,
two members were returned by 216 voters, and
each of those members had as much power in Par-
liamentas Mr. Baines, who represented 7,000 or
tBr, On
mooe voters.easnb
utHhee foundingh t be
24 z
uml told
thise
rmembers
returned was
an ex-
treme
voters in 12 towns, whereas 12 other
constituencies, with a population of 205,970,
only returned the same number of members. He
would advise the advocates of a redistribution of
seats not to cease for one moment from their exer-
tions. The counties most injured by the exist-
ing state of things wero Lancashire and the West
Riding. These two constituencies returned 45 mem•
bers, although their population was equal to that of
18 counties which sent 167 members to Parliament.
It might be said population should not be taken
into account, but he maintained that property and
population went together, and that in the two cases
he alluded to they were synonymous. (Applause.)
He then gave some statistics showing the dispropor-
tionate number of representatives of Lancashire and
the West Riding, considering the increase of popu-
lation, and asked if, in the face of such facts, re-
formers were prepared to endorse the present ar-
rangement of electoral districts P Was it not time to
I:declare aloud that all such inequalities should cease?

What fight had decaying towns to the same elec-
toral influence as
.energetic ones ? and would thriv-
ing and otrong constituencies submit any longer to
be linked to dead bodies ? During the 30 years that
the Reform Bill bad been in operation the popula-
tion had increased as nothing in comparison with
the incrwse•in the mental and moral improvement
of the people. Ho did not say all working men were
' educated ; the barons Signed Magna Charta with a
cross ; but a man "night have good principles in him
without being edu aated. Ile had taken interest in the
well-being of working men, and he knew they were
qualified to vote, beoause they were industrious and
moral, loyal and pati iotic. He considered that mu-
tual intolerance h3d hitherto been the great ob-
struction to the cause of reform, but he appealed to
all for co-operation, as ...far s• they could go, in carry-
ing out those principles which had been enunciated
by great Constitutional-authorities offormer ages.
The meeting was subsevently addressed by Mr.
Hickes, of Leeds; Mr. R. Cooper, of Manchester;
Mr. Alderman Baldwin, of
Birmingham; Mr. H.
L. Dodds, of Hull ; Mr. Stok4 Is, of Manchester ; Mr
Whitehead, of Bradford; Mr. Hobson, of Manches-
ter; Mr. Smith, of York; Mr.. Walker, of Dews-
bury ; Mr. Hickes, of Liverpool ; Mr. G. Cowan, of
Newcastle; Mr. W:sM Forster, M.P. ; Mr. John
Neild, of Oldham ; Mr. Jas. Heywood, of Manches-
ter; Mr. J. R. Cooper, of Manchester; Mr. Shep-
herd, of Rochdale.
The great feature of the discussion was, whether

the conference should express opinions in favour of

manhood suffrage, universal suffrage, household
suffrage, or a £6 franchise, coupled with vote by
ballot, triennial or annual parliaments., and equal
electoral districts. The majority of the speakers
appeared to hold nearly the whole of those prin-
ciples, but many of them counselled that the con-
ference should support a measure of Parliamentary
reform of a less extensive character.

Mr. BAINES expressed his opinion that the day
for passing a great and comprehensive measure of
Parliamentary Reform had passed away, but he
thought Reform was still to be had by bit and bit.
The first object was to get the franchise lowered,
and then other things would follow. He thought
at present there was no chance of obtaining house-
hold suffrage. He had just asked Mr. Forster how
many members he thought in the present House of
Commons would vote for household suffrage. He
replied, "Perhaps u." Ile (Mr. Baines) said,
"Would there not 25 P" Mr. Forster said, " Cer-
tainly not." A £6 franchise would increase the
borough constituencies 50 per cent. In conclusion,
he expressed his willingness to bring forward again
his Bill of last Session, if it was desirable. He
counselled that the members of the conference
uniting in declaring themselves
should sink their individual differences, but retain
measure as was likely to obtain
Legislature.
tit
in favour
ee i
ar s
seownutooof pf
such i
the
hi
eo n
Lsa , e g

Mr. BARNES, M.P., said that his opinion was
that in the present House of Commons there was
not so strong a feeling in favour of household
suffrage and vote by ballot as there was
in the Parliament elected in 1852. He in-
stanced the question of Church-rates, too, as tested
by what had taken place in the late Session as
one on which the feeling of the House of Com-
mons was not so liberal as formerly. He said
he had lately been at Birmingham and Liverpool,
and at both places he found even among pro-
fessing Liberals that there was not that affection
for further Parliamentary Reform. People thought
the Reformers, such as Mr. Bright, were gcing too
far. In conclusion, he advised that there should be
a united effort to procure a Reform Bill. But nothing
to compromise principle. He expressed himselfl in
P,Nrir n,
boroughs. 1' ere would be no inconsistency in
uniting to support such a bill as that brought in by
Mr. Baines, and at the same time for individuals to
petition Parliament for manhood suffrage, for such
conduct would help on such a bill. He was glad he
was present at so intelligent a conference, and he
would do all in his power, both in and out of Par-
liament, to get an efficient Reform Bill enacted.

Mr. Orrell, of Bolton ; Mr. Willis, of Ackworth;
Mr. Plance, of Liverpool; Alderman Pocking, of
Salford ; Mr. W. Chadwick, of Arksey ; Mr. Snow-
don, of Halifax ; Mr. Robson, of Leeds ; and Mr.
Fleming, of Leeds, addressed the meeting in suc-
cession.

In reply to Mr. Cowan, Mr. BAINES said he
meant a £6 rental, and not a £6 rating in his bill,
for the latter would be equivalent to an £8 rental,
and a £6 rental was what Lord John Russell pro-
posed in his last bill.
The CHAIRMAN said, if nothing was done which
would exclude the co-operation of certain Reform
associations, the objects of the conference would
be half accomplished. He recommended after this
another conference should be held before the meet-
ing of Parliament, and then delegates should be
authorised to operate in London. The question
should be put directly to the Government whether
they intended bringing forward a Reform Bill or
not this session. If a n:gative answer was returned,
then steps should be taken for bringing forward an
independent measure.

Mr Baines, M.P., Mr. Barnes, Mr. Forster, M.P.,
Mr. Smith, of York, Mr. Dodson, of Hull, and Mr.
Hobson, were added to the business committee, who
were instructed to bring in a definite proposition on
the subject of Reform.

The first day's sitting of the conference termi
nated at 7 10 p.m.

The conference will assemble again to-morrow
(Tuesday) and will conclude with a demonstrative
meeting in the evening.

The following letter was received on Friday from
Mr. Bright, M.P., by the Secretary of the Glasgow
Council of United Trades :

" Rochdale, Nov. 13, 1861.
g, Dear Sir,—l have received your letter with much plea-
sure, and I need not tell you that I regard your movement
as most important and most wise. It is now nearly three
years since, on more than one occasion, I advised the unen-
franchised classes to take the course which your Council
has now adopted, a course which, if followed by the trades'
organisation throughout the country, cannot fail to bring
about a speedy concession of the suffrage to a very consider-
able number of those to whom, up to this time, it has been
denied.

"At this moment there aro at least six millions of men
in the United Kingdom who have no more political power,
through any system of representation, than they would have
if they wore inhabitants of Russia or Austria ; they are
more in number than all the men in the now Italian king-
dom, and they aro purposely excluded from every political
franchise in a country which professes a great anxiety for
the establishment of representative institutions in other
lands.

" Up to no year 1832, the year of the Reform Bill, the
Government of England was entirely in the hands of the
territorial aristocracy. They formed, as they still form, the
House of Lords ; and in the House of Commons they were
supreme through the influence of rotten boroughs. The
Reform Bill destroyed many rotten of the boroughs, and
gave a limited suffrage, and a number of seats to populous
towns ; it also increased the numbers of county members,
confirming the power of that branch of the representation
in the hands of the territorial proprietors by extending the
county franchise mainly to the occupying tenants of farms
without affording to them the security of the ballot.
"Looking at the Reform Bill in the most favourable
light, it left many boroughs whose population is too small
to secure their independence ; it continued a distribution of
seats without any regard to industry, wealth, or population 1
and while it cut off several channels by which working men
enfranchised themselves as freemen in boroughs, it effec-
tually barred them out from the now franchises it created
by the high range of rental which
it fixed as the line below which the righ andboroughs
not bo permitted to descend.
below
n countiestofvotingshould
universallysin c the Reform
felt
thatßil Bill
thebe -
came law, an
"Nearly
is,3odyeitars have
I arrangement then made can no longer be defended or main-
tained. Three Whig Governments, one Coalition Govern-
ment,think, passed
and one Tory Government have within the last ten
years admitted this. The Queen has admitted it by express
declarations in several speeches to Parliament, and by con-
senting to the introduc ion of Government bills proposing
to extend the franchise to £lO occupiers in counties, and to
£6 occupiers in boroughs.

"Last year, in the session of 1860, bill was brought in

by the present Government, proposing a £lO franchise for
counties and a £0 franchise for boroughs. It was introduced
feebly, and without any apparent earnestness ; and, as its
authors did not even pretend that they staked their position
ss a Government on its success, it had to encounter not only
the opposition of its own open foes, but the hostility of
some whose professions on the hustings are liberal, but who
rather retard than urge forward any liberal measures in
Parliament.

" The existing constituencies, with all the disadvantages
of small and dependent boroughs and nomination counties,
returned a majority, at the general election in 1559, pledged
to Reform to the extent proposed in the Government Bill.
But Reform to any exten`, if hated by the Tory party, is
at least not welcome to some of the Whigs; and in the ab-
sence of dangerous manifestations of impatience on the part
of the people, and with an Administration not believed to
be zealous even for its own measure, Parliament thought it
as safe as it was pleasant to forget its solemn pledges, and
to disregard the just expectations of the nation.
" The •position is this,—The Queen has admitted your
case. Statesmen, the most eminent of every party, have
admitted it. The existing constituencies have admitted it.
The Rouse of Commons has admitted it, for it read a second
time, without a division, the Bill of 18G0. 'What, then, is
wanting to your success, so far as that measure grants your
claim ? Nothing is wanting but your own earnest resolu-
tion, manifested during a few months of political discussion.
" I speak to the great unenfranchised class, and especially
to those resident in towns and villages. You have an organi-
sation, more or less complete, almost everywhere. Cannot
this organisation, for a single year, be made an instrument
for your political deliverance ? Is good or bad govern-
ment of no consequence to the millions who toil? Is re-
presentati n good in every country but in this? I know
how opinion has grown, and that accident and combination
only are wanting to make it an omnipotent force on this
question. Accident rarely fails a good cause, and combina-
tion is a weapon that may become invincible in your hands.
Your correspondence with the unenfranchised throughout
the country will show you how ready your countrymen are
to help you.

" I would advise you to call upon them in every town
and every trade. They will see that the hour is come.
And, while you manfully assert your right to free citizen-
ship in your own country, there will not be wanting those
in classes not now excluded to take you by the hand in a
real fellowship, and to work cordially with you to throw
down a barrier which is as personally insulting to your-
selves as it is injurious to the country.
" Wishing you every success in the work you have under-
taken, I am, yours very truly. " JOAN BRIGUT.
" Mr. Matthew Laurence, Secretary to the Council
of United Trades, Glasgow."