The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-02-15 00:00:00

CASH/MIME COLL\ CY-.IIIEO-11;Sili _

PARLIAMENTARY REFORM.
(mom THE MOSICIIM CHIEOXItLita •
A Meeting of the Freeholders and other Inhabitants
the County of Cambridge and the Isle of Ely was yes ee-
day held, pursuant to the following Requisition present.,l •
to Messrs Pemberton and Hayward, the late Under 'he.
rills (the lee High Sheriff, Robert Jones Adeane, Esq.
basing died tef •re the Requisition was presented:—)
"Cambridge, Jan. 2b, Ine2:
" We, the undersigned Freeholdeb, request that yea will
convene a Meeting of the Freeholders and inhabitants of
the County of Cambridge and Isle of Ely, for the purpose of
taking into consideration the present distres.ed state of the
nation. the most effectual means of obtaining a redress of
grievances. and restoring to the people their undoubted
right of being fully represented iu Parliament."
To this Requisition the Under Sheriffs returned the follow-
ing answer:—
' We do therefore, io pursuance of such Requisition, ap-
point a Meeting to be held for the above purpose et ti.e
Shire hell ih Cambridge, oa Friday the 11,th of Feb. at
o'clock at noon.
(Signed) " CnetsT. Pinestroir,
" W. W. Haawasta.
" Executing the office of Sheriff foe
" the County of Cambridge."
At aft early hour in the morning the Freeholders began
'o crowd into town, and at eleven o'clock a large numbee
of persons had assembled on the Market-hill.
. l'onsiderable disturbances having been expected from
the attendance of the students. it was understood that they
were to be prevented from being present at the Meeting;
this order, however, was not issued, and even if it had 0
would have been to a certain extent unavailing. milt wised,
only apply to those who resided within the Colleges, iri-
addition to which a considerable nitaaber reside us jLe
town.
There was also a rumour afloat that Mr. CoSbett Win
expected, and this added in no sinall degree to as appre-
hemion that the business of the day would islet go of •
quie ly.
We owe it to the High Sheriff and Undeelheriff
state; that they atfortlsi every secommodatiou to the'Lott-
don and Proviso ial Reporters who attended the Meeting.
It having been understood that the attendance of Free.
hoPers would be too great to be contained In the Shire :
Hall,temporary hustings were er cted in front of the Ross
Inn, on the Market-hill.
At 12 0'c10..11 the High Sheriff, W. Raynor, of Wise- I
teach, Esq., attended by the Under Sheriff, Mr. Heed, •
GirJlestone, and several other Gentlemen, took his atatists I
on the hustings. •
Among the Gentlemen present we noticed Lord P. 0.
Osborne. the Rev. F. Maherly, Mr. Wedd, Mr. Wells,
Mr. Fordham, Mr. E. K. Fordliatn, Mr. George Fordhatn,
Mr. F. K. Eagle, Mr. C. Butes, Mr. E. Forster; Mr. If.
Gunning, Mr. J. Page Mr. Gemming on, Mr. Death,
Mr. W. Nash, Mr. S. P. Miles. the lice. Mr. Mott* the
Rev. Mr. Drake, the Rev. Mr. Eduresubt, Mr. TbSchary,
Mr. Pryme, Mr. Nash, Ste. Scc. •
The HIGH SHERIFF opened the proceeding by sW-
ing, that he had teen the Requisition whteh -ha t been
presented to hit predecessors, an l be glove theta credit for
the promptitude with which they roWied with the T -
quest of the Requisitionists; he hoped alit Meeting would
give every Gentlemen who addre sed them a patient bra:-
ins', and that the Resolutions would be so tempered as to
do credit Loth to the Meeting and to the County at lame.
The UNDER SHERIFF here read the Remit-DION
observing, that it contained the hignsitureNs of 900 Fr.-
h.tlders (a person on the hustings :.aid it was signed by .
1024 Freeholders.)
Mr. C. !leaks said, that before he proceeded upon the
business of the day, he felt it his duty to read to the Meet-
I ing a letter which he had that morning received from his
Grace the Duke of Bedford, on the subject of the Meet-
ling. 'I he Worthy Gentleman then read the following •
letter:—
" London, Feb. 12,1892. •
a:lorelaraofflowaroveliti lamaaihritimamkka-4101triallatis,F
Oder Requisition to the High Sheriff of the Cane yOf •
bridge, to call a County Meeting, for the repose of Infant' .
into conalderstion • the present distressed state of the ea- •
tion, the most effectual means of obtaining a redress of
grievances and restoring to the people their undoubted
right of being fully represented in Parliament,' yo. will re.
collect that I declined signing the Requisition, from an up- •
prehension that the state of my health could not allow of my
being present at the Meeting. 1 now feel myself justified
in having withheld my name, as my health is still so mobilo
as to render me wholly incapable of attending to any sort of
business, sod more particularly the fatigues and anxieties
inseparable from a great pubils Meeting on so momentous a.
question , but after the part I took at a Meeting in Cam-
bridgeshire, last year, on the same subject, I think it incum-
bent upon me to account for r y absence now, though I-feel
at the same time, that the uniform consistency of a long po-
litical life in support of the people's rights, mustexempt me
front the suspicion that my seal for Parliamentary Reform
has suffered any abiOment. Every day, nay, almost every
hour that my life Is prolonged, more and inure convinces lee
of the absolute necessity of this vital measure; and I re-
quest, Sir, that you will have the goodness to state to the
Meeting, that nothing but extreme debility could keep me
from obeying the summons of the Sheriff, at the Shire Halt •
on the 14th instant. _

_
" I wilt not detain you now by a single argument In fa-
vour of a Reform of the Representation of the Represents- .
don of the people in Parliament. There will, lam sere, be
many on the Market hill on Friday, far abler than mysely to
advocate and enforce this great measure. You koow my
unalterable sentiments upon it. I seek not to i',istroy with
a rash innovating hand, but to restore the constitution to its
original purity, by snaking the House of Commons the real
representatives of the people in Parliament, acting as ad
efficient controul over the power of the Crown, and not, ac
it has emphatically been called, ' a convenient instrument
in the hands of the Government, to register the ediets of
the Croton." .
'• I trust the real friends of Reform in the County of Cam-
bridge, will be united in their object. We have mach. to
contend against—the overgrown influence of the CroWn.
operating through endless channels, • has spread coiruptiod
over every part of the country, paralysing the.eforts of bo-
nest and independent men; but we must not he detotre4l by:
difficulties; the County of Cambridge bas done itself infinite
honour by its unshaken perseverance; we must steadily , -
pursue the great object we are seeking, io one straight un-
deviating course ; and as our cause is that of sougat pallgy6
truth, and justice, It moat and will ultimately prevail.
1 " I am, Sir, with sincere sateen, . . ...,
" Your faithful and obedient seitant,
- , "-lilisenan." .
Sorb, proceeded Mr. Be ales were the noble, th 4
manly, the patriotic sewiniews of tft it great man 'upou
the question before them.. flaying been in sonvb degr..
instrumental to the calling of the meeting. hi hoped ther
would pardon him for corning forward to move the Rew-
lotions. They were all. met there to prom de the gieat
and glorious cause of Reform in the Representatiqp of ,
the People, and who was mere p iss•ssed of the heart n:. '
a man, and the feelings of an Rrigliihrnan, who wont)
hesitate to raise his voice against that 'system 'A VOrrup-.
tion and misgovernment which had plunged the mint's-
into bankruptcy and ruin ? The lando.vner, the teneni..
and_the labourer, had all tasted *of the same hitter sup;
they had all suffered the sew privations, and • under tyn
present system it was impoi.sible that Ministers 440.4
grant them any effectual relief, trel,ss by taxi,* some
other branch of the community. Their distresioe. aris'ag
out of the evils of the present system antic so otiieti,,,
that none would attempt to deny them, (heir,.'bear.
hear,)—except by those persons wao fetreitd tart OM all-
on the bleeding vitals of their. co.inftli 114151)
rt
Corruption wa. at the bottom; apt! lokory • t tail .14 of
all our institn ions--(hear,) —a tar/1)100p- retrgbtottv
that accursed p.aper systeni' which y. is ri,:Ois' 64x V
she Revolution of-16 - which ha-t c• ' vl,Slllo,tett '',i
engage in wa,t4tl.:nl mini-cr.-v.4 wi‘fs by ne;;Tch tit' :
plundered the na•ion with aa in.parittr ha A; the . co I.SI-
• '