The Sun.
London, England, 1859-02-02 00:00:00

protested against a fair share of taxation being laid
on their constituents. They have taken simply the
great principles of political economy. They want
those principles carried out in the Legislature.
They want economy, not for Manchester only, but
as much for Suffolk as for Manchester. (Cheers.)
I should be ashamed to go to the House of Com-
mons to represent a sectional and special interest,
to be the organ of shipowners or cotton manufac-
turers, or Birmingham traders. No • I would "go
there broadly and generously and truly, so far as
my intelligence and powers enabled me, to consider
all subjects that came before the house with refe-
rence to the great interests of every portion and
class of the population of this great empire. (Loud
cheers.) There is one other point only with regard
to this scheme that I need speak of, and it is
tlus—
If you look over your population tables you will
find that great boroughs are increasing in popula-
tion, perhaps three times as rapidly as the counties.
(Hear.) If it were possible to show that there was
a single figure in favour of the counties or in favour
of the boroughs, I ask you what it will be 10 years
hence ? The population of this county, I believe,
has increased about 700,000 since the passing of the
Reform Act; its population is now over 2,000,000.
By the census of 1871—that is, the, census next to
that which we are just approaching—the popula-
tion of this county in all probability will approach
3,000,000. Then make your calculations accordingly
with regard to
.your boroughs and your counties.
You are not legislating as if it were all hidebound
in the great bulk of your agricultural counties.
During the last 15 years there has been no increase
whatsoever in the county electors ; but what an
increase there has been in your. great manufactur-
ing and mining counties, and particularly in this
district. And so it will go on as long as coal and
iron last, as long as your capital is not absorbed
and squandered in wars—(great cheering)—as long
as your intellects are clear and your hearts honest
and earnest, so:iong will the eminence of this county
continue, and so long shall we find the population
of these great manufacturing counties, with all
their vast interests, making infinitely greater pro-
gress than it is possible that the agricultural popu-
lation of England can make. (Cheers.) Now, I ven-
ture to say that my scheme is a moderate scheme of
reform. (Hear.) Ido not think that any man who
is in favour of a representation at all, who has any
reliance upon the character of his countrymen
—who believes in the perpetuation of freedom
through a real Parliament—l do not think he can
deliberately and conscientiously condemn the pro-
position that I have laid before the public as one
unjust to any section of the people, or likely to tend
in any way to the weakening of any institutions in
this country which it is worth the while of the
people to care one single farthing about. Why, as
to our friends of the House of Lords—(laughter and
cheers)—they ought to be very much obliged to me
for discussing. this question with the public. Their
own position is not particularly enviable with re-
gard to it. You observe them coming out at " Social
Science" meetings, at mechanics' institutes, and in
little villages here and there, doing of course, a cer-
tain not easily appreciable amount of good—(laugh-
ter)—telling the people all those things which, as
we all know, every Sunday school teacher in Eng-
land could tell them just as well—(laughter and
cheering)—cothing on to platforms, descending,
shall I say, from their altitude to come among. com-
mon men. But now, when the whole country is dis-
cussing this question, when every newspaper is
filled with it, when the population from one end of
the country to the other is expressing its approval
more or less entire, of this measure, why there is not
one of these gentlemen who comes upon any plat-
form and meets the public, who faces the breeze of
popular opinion, and helps in the deliberation of
the greatest question that can-possibly be discussed
by a great people. (Cheers.) Now, we have no idea
—not the slightest—of meddling with the House of
Lords. Reference has been made to what has been
done in a past time when the power of the Crown
was limited by Act of Parliament, and we are not
proposing to limit the power of the aristocracy of
Parliament. We leave them as they are, with all
the power and prescription law, privilege, custom,
and opinion will permit them to have ; but we say,
here is another House sacred even to higher inte-
rests than the interests of an aristocracy. (Cheers.)
The constitution has no more regard for Crown and
aristocracy than it has for the people. The people is
the most durable part of the kingdom. (Hear, hear.)
Privileges are ephemeral, but the people is immor-
tal. (Great cheering.) What we ask, then, is thisr?
we claim it by the constitution, and the House i;ir
Commons shall be made not with reference as to
whether it shall be convenient for the House of
Lords or not ; but that it shall be made a real, un-
deniable, sensibly felt representation of the great
body of the people. (Cheers.) What is wanted is
this, that we should all as much as possible under-
stand the question. You observe that nearly all the
people who now come into the field to contest it
against us don't understand it at all. (Laughter.)
Great authorities, as you have seen lately, have
made blunders with regard to it. What we should
all endeavour to do is thoroughly to understand
what we want—to make up our mind whether this
proposition—l am not speaking, of course of every
detail, for there may be a borough to put in or out,
or facts may be laid before any person or any Go-
vernment having the management oy a bill in its
passage through Parliament which mayjustify some
alteration in some particular case ; but I say we
should make up our mind whether this measure as
a whole is a great measure, recognising great prin-
ciples, adequate to meet great wants, and worthy
the great and irresistible resolution of the people.
(Cheers.) Mr. Baines, I think, says what this coun-
try
.could do. Why, of course, there is nothing that
is right to be done that this country could not do.
Two or three counties like this have gone far to
make the marvellous change which we see in Eng-
land compared with what England was 100 years
ago. Your ruling classes, when their Chancellor of
the Exchequer stands at the table, are delighted to
hear that your fleets are on every sea, that your
manufactures are flourishing, that the people are all
employed and tranquil, that taxes are pouring in
with a constantly increasing volume. (Laughter.)
All this they are delighted to hear, and recognise
the greatness of Lancashire and the West Riding
of Yorkshire. Yes, but come down here, and see
how much of toil, how much of capital, how much
of heart work and head work, of daily and nightly
anxiety are required to produce all these grand re-
sults—(cheers)—and don't let us hear of it only in
the budget, but let us give to this population, so
great; so powerful, so renowned, so irresistible when
united—let us give to them that—for we ask for
no more than that—which the ancient, the boasted,
if you like the glorious constitution of this country
says is rightly theirs. (Prolonged cheering.)
A vote of thanks was given to the chairman on
the motion of Alderman Livesey, and the meeting
. concluded.
•

GREAT REFORM MEETING IN

BIRMINGHAM.

BIRMINGHAM, TUESDAY NIGHT.

A town's meeting, for the purpose of considering
Mr. Bright's new Reform Bill, was held here to-
night. The Mayor presided. The attendance was
large.
It was moved by P. H. MIINTZ, Esq., and
seconded by Mr. Alderman BALDWIN, " That in
the opinion of this meeting the present restricted
franchise, which excludes the great body of people
from the right of voting in the election of members
in the House of Commons.the plan of voting which
interferes with the free and conscientious exercise
of that right, and the unequal distribution of mem-
bers to the population, whereby the opinions of
large constituencies are swamped by small and cor-
rupt boroughs, are unjust, and should no longer be
contined."

It was moved by GEORGE EDWARDS, Esq., and
seconded by Mr. Alderman MANSON, " That this
meeting, agreeing generally with the scheme of
reform propounded by Mr. Bright, and having
entire faith in his integrity, hereby pledges itself
to give him its most hearty support in his endea-
vours to promote such a measure of parliamentary
reform as shall• be satisfactory to the great body of
the people."
Both the above resolutions were carried unani-
mously, and a petition to Parliament was agreed on.
An amendment in favour of manhood suffrage
was negatived by a large majority.
The meeting, vhich was an enthusiastic one, ter-
minated at ten o'clock.

LOCAL SHARE MARKETS.

LIVERPOOL-FEB; 1.

The market was quiet most of the day, but improved at
the cloie. nerwicks, 93 931—Leeds Northern, 48 481—
Eastern Counties, 121 12I— Midland, 1024 —Chester
and Holyheads, 48 I—Caledonians, 851 51—Lancashire
and Yorkshire, 96/—London and North-Westerns, 95 11—
East Lancashire, 95 sl—Dutch Rhenish, 51 5 dis.—
Grand *Trunk of Canada, 84 81—Great Western, 55 I
Great Western of Canada, 16 161—Devers 221 5-16—
—North British, 621 1--York and North Midland, 77