The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-05-05 00:00:00

LORD STANLEY'S IRISH REGISTRATION BILL.

Yesterday a public meeting was held in Cleyton-square
for the purpose of considering the propriety of petitioning
the legislature against the bill introduced by the Right Hon.
Lord Stanley, for the purpose of reforming the notorious and
monstrous vices of the Irish system of registration. The note
of preparation had been extensively sounded, and accordingly
a considerable body of the whig and radical forces made their
appearance in the square at twelve o'clock, headed by the
leading members and orators of the Reform Association.
Mr. Taos. BLACKBURN-, having been called to the chair,
stated the object of the meeting, and after having urged the
miseries that would be inflicted, not only on Ireland, but on
England and Scotland, by the proposed measure, he said if
it passed, he would not say that he should not become a re-
pealer. He was, however, confident that it would not pass;
and that it had already raised a spirit that would shew the
tory party the impossibility of their principles ever becoming
the government of the country. The bill must be defeated,
if it were for no other reason but that Lord Stanley had in-
troduced it.

Mr. W. W. CURRIE moved the first resolution. which was
to the effect that the right of electing representatives in par-
liament, was the undoubted constitutional privilege of the
inhabitants of all parts of the United Kingdom, and that all
unnecessary difficulties placed in the way of their exercising
that right was an invasion of that privilege which it was their
undoubted duty to resist. Mr. Currie, in support of this
resolution, contended that this was a case in which they were
called upon to resist—Lord Stanley's bill, that it ought not
to be entertained, as it had a concealed object in view, and,
lastly, that if reforms were required; the party now coming
forward were not the party whom they (the liberals) expected
to make them.

Nr.JOSEPH EwAIT seconded the motion. He was de-

lighted to see his fellow townsmen assembled under the
canopy of heaven, whilst their opponents were too much in
the habit of packing their meetings and stifling the free voice
of the people, in the way in which he trusted they would
always meet to discuss legally, quietly, and constitutionally
all those great measures which affected either them indi-
vidually or the general interests of the country. It was
incumbent on the town of Liverpool, circumstanced as it
was with regard to Ireland, to do its utmost to assist him in
the glorious struggle in which she was engaged ! and he was
sure Liverpool would never rest satisfied till every measure
of justice was conceded to that country. He trusted this
great meeting would be followed by others in various parts
of the country. There were very few privileges conceded
yet—there iVere the corn-laws and the ballot, which though
they _were apparently slumbering for a time, were only
slumbering to wake like a greater giant, who would never
forget, in them the rights and privileges of Ireland. • The
resolution was carried.

Mr. War. RArHBONE in moving the next resolution,
wished he had :the voice and language of an angel to bring
home to every one's heart as much as it was to his, how
much the noble lord of thimble-rig notoriety was inclined to
give a specimen of the system the people must expect from
him. Lord Stanley professed that tilt bill was to assimilate
the Irish registrations to the English, now he (Mr. Rathbone)
had looked at it, but he did not find that it would make any
similarity between them. He must candidly s,y that the
measure was one the despotic ruler of China would have
been ahamed to have introduced to the poorest of his people.
If there were no other reason for it, he (Mr. Rathborne)
would oppose the bill, because it would throw the repre-
sentation of the counties into the hands of thegreat landed
proprietors. He begged to move " that this meeting cannot
to strongly express its indignaticn at the introduction of a
bill in the House of Commons by Lord Stanley, for the
regulation of the registration of vot.s in Ireland, being con-
vinced that the insidious, unfair and compulsory provisions
of that bill are such as if passed into a law, must eventually
disfranchise many of those who are legally entitled to vote
for members of parliament, and make the members for
counties the mere nominees of the great landed proprietors
of the country."
Zr. JAMES AITKEN seconded the resolution, and it was
carried.

COL WILLIAMS, after a long discursive speech, in which
he complained of all the grievances that have supplied whig
orators with materials for their eloquence, mixed up with
much abuse of Lord Stanley, Lord Sandon; and Mr. Cress-
well, moved the next resolution.
Mr. JAMES MULLENEUX seconded the resolution, and
said, that since they had wrested the reform bill from the
hands of an insolent oligarchy, that oligarchy, through the
Marquis of Chandos, had maintained their power in the
counties ; and through the old freemen in some of the bo-
roughs thus grasning at the whole representation of England.
If they succeeded in this hated measure of Lord Stanley's,
they would substantially repeal the reform bill, and rivet the
chain as effectually as ever it was bound by feudal robbers,
round the necks of the people; if they succeeded we should
have heavy taxation and expensive establishments kept up
for their support, and the consolation of labouring and toil-
ing to enable them to wallow in luxury and idleness. Lord
Stanley was a man steeped to the eyes in insolence, pride,
and arrogance; and why? Was it because of his fancied
superiority ? He was but the accident of an accident ; and
if he were swept away by the angel of death to-morrow, the
community would suffer far less loss than by the removal of
the poorest artisan who contributed to the national wealth.
The resolution was carried.

Mr. RICHARD SHIEL proposed the next resolution, which
was to the effect, that if this bill was carried, it would
strengthen the efforts of those who wished to dissolve the
legislative union between the two countries. The last time
he had the honor of addressing a public meeting, he was
threatened with an opposition, but where was now the gen-
tleman, who said he was ready to meet him in Clayton
Square ? Did he appear without giving that gentleman fair
notice ? Had not the annocncement of that meeting been
posted publicly in every district of Liverpool ? Why then
did not the gentleman appear? Having made these allu-
sions, Mr. Shiel proceeded to speak on the resolution, con-
cluding, by reproaching the people for having appointed
conservative overseers.
Mr. WILSON LEDGER seconded the resolution, and con-
tended that Ireland had never been treated as the sister
country ought to have been. Lord Stanley's bill, he de-
clared, would puzzle the wisdom of Solomon himself to
comprehend.

Mr. FLETCHER supported the resolution, on the ground,
that the proposed measure was an insult, a sin, a shame. It
was then carried.

The remaining resolutions were moved by Mr. Rosson,
Mr. Charles. Williams, Mr. R. V. .Yates, Mr. Ottiwell
Wood, Mr. Theodore, Ratbbone, and they were all carried.
The meeting separated about three o'clock. Several dis-
turbances occurred during the proceedings, but they were
speedily suppressed.