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

BIRMINGRAIti _RADICAL _REFORM

_LEAGUE.

The members of the above league, of which Mr.
Charles Sturge is chairman, held a meeting at the
offices, Bennett's-hill, on Monday—Mr. J. Taylor,
jun., in the chair. The provisional committee's
report stated that they had been in communication.
with reformers in many towns, and although so
short a time had elapsed, the most encouraging and
satisfactory replies had been received, and a la .ge
number of subscriptions had been announced. Let-
ters from societies working for the same,objects
had been. received from London, Newcastle-on-
Tyne, Carlisle, Norwich, and other large towns,
while at Banbury, a similar league had been formed,
expressly to co-operate with that at Birmingham.
The report recommended that all subscribers should
be members ; that it should be managed by a com-
mittee and officers elected by the members; that its
objects should be to obtain a measure of reform
which should include manhood suffrage, vote by
ballot, and equal electoral districts. The report
was approved, and the following resolution unani-
mously passed, "That the deliberate and dishon-
ourable abandonment of reform by her Majesty's
Government having again thrown the question
before the country, it is the duty of reformers of
all classes
,'promptly and earnestly to combine to
force upon the attention of the House of Commons
the national desire for a thorough reform. This
league, therefore, calls upon the people in every
town in the kingdom to petition Parliament during
the present session, praying for an immediate con-
sideration of the subject, and for the adoption of a
measure which shall satisfy the just requirements
of the people by including manhood suffrage, vote
by ballot, and equal electoral districts. That the
league further recommends the adoption of memo-
rials to individual members, calling upon them to
endeavour by all means in their power to procure
an immediate settlement of the question ; and ear-
nestly exhorts the people, by the promptness of
their union, and the energy of their proceedings,
to strengthen the remnant of real reformers in the
House of Commons." The meeting then separated.

-PARLIAMENTARY REFORM.

MEETING AT NORWICH.

A meeting of working men was held in a room
at the Free Library, Norwich, on Tuesday even-
ing, for the purpose of organising a movement in
favour of their enfranchisement.

Mr. C. J. BUNTING, having been called to the
chair, said that for some time past there had been
an opinion in Norwich that something ought to be
done to give expression to the feelings of the work-
ing classes with respect to the present state of the
reform question. When they looked at recent oc-
currences in the House of Commons, they could not
but feel that they had been insulted by one party
and betrayed by another. He did not expect to
have seen the time when a Liberal Government,
placed in office almost for the purpose of passing a
Reform Bill, should repudiate the measure on the
ground that in the present state of public feeling
it was inexpedient. The question would never be
the leading question of the day till the working
classes took the matter up for themselves, for if
they did not move on its behalf, who could be ex-
pected to do so ? There might be a difference of
opinion on the subject, but he was sure they were
all agreed that it was time that the national dis-
grace, the non-enfranchisement of the industrial
classes, should be removed. (Hear, hear.) For this
object they should combine, and should, he thought,
revive the old agitation for manhood suffrage, for
they •had cf late been limiting their demands to
such an extent that they had become almost infini-
tesimal. (Applause.) But, in addition to this, he
might add that, when the working man had got a
vote, he would want protection for its exercise,
and therefore he was an advocate of the ballot.
(Cheers.) Whether or not it might be prudent to
organise such an association as he had alluded to
was now the subject for. consideration ; at any rate,
he felt that they had done right in convening that
meeting, and he would now leave the matter in
their hands.