The Sun.
London, England, 1861-03-09 00:00:00

MEETING AT DERBY.

On Tuesday evening last a crowded meeting was
held in the Town-hall, Derby, for the purpose of
" taking into consideration the statement made by
Lord John Russell respecting the wants and wishes
of the people in regard to the reform question."
The mayor (Mr. Cox) opened the meeting, he
having called it in compliance with a requisition.
He, however, declined to preside, but evade a few
remarks, in the course of which he said, whilst they
had a perfect right to-meet and discuss the question
of reform, he thought it would have been more op-
portune if the meeting had been called to consider
the present depressed state of manufactures and
commerce, and the best means to alleviate our
suffering mechanics. His worship having left the
hall, Mr. Councillor Etches was voted to the chair;
and called upon Mr. G. W. M. Reynolds, of Lon-
don, who delivered a long address. A working
man named Reynolds moved, and a working man
named Watson seconded, the following resolution :
—" That in the opinion of this meeting her Ma-
jesty's Ministers in their treatment of Parliamentary
reform have grossly betrayed the trust reposed in
them by the people; that the present restricted
franchise deprives a large number of honest and
industrious citizens of their just electoral rights,
entails on the nation bad legislation, great financial
extravagance, and an irresponsible foreign policy ;
that a comprehensive measure of Parliamentary
reform, in which the electors shall be protected by
the use of the ballot, is the just demand of the
working classes; that this meeting pledges itself
to maintain the principles of labour being fully and
fairly represented in Parliament; demands the
total extinction of class legislation ; recommends
that committees be formed in all cities, towns, and
villages throughout the kingdom, for the purpose
of forming one great reform union ; and resolves
to promote, as far as it can, in every locality, the
agitation of the question until equal rights, equal
justice, and equal protection, are obtained for all
classes of the community. And further, that this
meeting requests the members for Derby to remind
her Majesty's Government that an alteration of the
present representative system has been prayed for
by petitions to Parliament for the la•it twenty
years by those whose lot it is to labour ; and that
the members
_be requested to urge the,,MinistFy to
take tfie'eleclive-fitaahiie Into threir seiieus con-
sideration, to prevent being driven by popular im-
pulse to grant as a matter of necessity what is re-
fused on the ground of justice, viz., a recognition
of the inherent right of the working classes to

political liberty—a recognition which would be
the bulwark of constitutional freedom." The reso-
lution was supported by the Rev. W. Griffith
(Wesleyan reformer), who, in the course of his
speech, said Birmingham must be put in motion
again. A million of people must march up to St.
tinir hi ~f right.s Thtir hands.
They must tell them that they will not leave
the doors until their rights are conceded. The
gates of the house will then be thrown open
to them, not from a sense of justice, but from
fear of a rebellion, and the people would
then get possession of that liberty which had been
so long denied them. (Cheers.)
The resolution was then adopted.