Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu], Hawaii) 1844-1864, 1850-01-12

himself IN the House of Commons voting 70,
tax or grant Of public money, and he wa.
not prepared on the same night to vote fo
Universal Suffrage, he would certainly con.
s'der himself a thief and robbers
MIR. G. Thompson, NJ. p, advocated Uni
versal Suffrage, and said:-" Why, if there
we're millions in this country not fit for the
iranchlse, there were millions not fit to be Al
large. To tell him that the man who was .
trusty porter, an honest shopman, discreet
ana upright foreman, an ingenious mechanic
toii'ng and thrifty weayer-to tell him thai
sn9h n man wns not competent after the can.
didates had given every publicity to the,.
principles, to say which Of them he would
have to represent him in Parliagnent, was a
libel on the intelligence of his fellow-coun.
trymen. But the real secret was, that the
arlstocracy were not afraid of the ignorance
Of the unenfranchised classes; they were
afraid TO appeal to their intelligence. A
man was never ignorant if he had vote.
see the candidates 60 round amongst the
chaw-bacon men-and then how intelli-
gent and independent they were Their
wives were angels, their children cherubs,
and the fawning candidate would court the
man to-day whom he would not condescend
to spit upon Tomorrow. The audience that
one Of these men disliked most was any au-
dience that they might gather, if they allow
ed the people at large to attend the meeting !;
and let them have but confidence in the man
who spoke, and knew that they had an equal
right to judge Of the candidates political
principles with any individual in the assem-
bly,, and he Mr. Thompson) was able to de
clare, from twenty years experience of the
working classes Of this country, that they
constituted the very beau ideal Of the au-
dience for an honest man to address. He
was glad the Council had resolved upon ma
king that national association, and he fore
saw for that Society the honor Of leading the
honest and uncompromising Relormers oi
this country. He was sure, if they put their
shoulders to the wheel during the recess,
they should have the country with them.-
That great movement was but the means to
an end. Whether it was that they wanted
to remove that stupendOus abuse-the Es-
tablished Church of Ireland, or very largely
to reform our Established Church at home !;
whether we wished to reduce our taxation,
or equalize our imports-all those in favor
of any Of these reforms would come to that
Association which sought to procure House
OF Commons willing to discuss and deal with
all those questions on their own merits, and
not leave them to depend upon costly agi-
tation of ten or fifteen years to carry them.
He rejoiced to see such remarkable ANAL
gamation of Reformers Of different opinions
as the present meeting displayed; and he
congratulated the Council on the fact that
with one or two exceptions, all the gentle
men of the highest rank on the platform had
manifested the most hearty concurrence in
the hitherto despised principles Of universal
and unlimited franchise. Let all continue
zealously affected in the good work; lei them
sow their seed in the full assurance that in
due time they should reap, if they tainted
not"
Several other gentlemen spoke, and the
meeting adjourned in good order, and highly
grati6ed with the demonstration. This is
but the beginning.