The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1867-04-06
Reform I'm England.

For wha; are the British masses agi;a;ing: Why
fhF-e monster meetings u artisans and labCrers
What cln call 50 often from their employment and
their homes from 10000 10 10000 men who have
20 labor for their daily bread The moving power
! the example Of America These men ask only The
right Cfsusrags, the liberty to choose q portion Of their
ON Tuier--for they are At present content 10 let the
crown remain IN the present ruling family and 10
permit the Lords 10 III a. before 70 the Upper House.
but they DO insist On having % voice in the selection
q the members q the House Cf Commons. That i a
very reasonable request, aud one would say sbou. j
be readily granted, but II can only be wruug from
what are called the middle aud upper classes.
Among these two classes there Is % wonderful autips-
tby 10 the enlargement Of the franchise. IL i true
that ba: few cym para;iyeiy, Of what may he called
the middle class have the privilege o. yoiiug-but
those who have il are not willing 10 confer ii upon
otlers. These classes have heretofore denied the
rizht Q. suffrage to the masses Oh the ground OF icnO-
rance. TLey hold working men being uueducaiei
know nothing VI the government under which they
live. and are not therefore capable Ct deciding who
shall make their laws The common school system
and cheap NEWSPAPERS, both Il which have been in
trOiuced into Great Britain within the last twenty
years. have 10 : large extent abolished this excuse
for take them a. a class the mechanics Of the three
Kingdoms are as intelligent as their fellows Of any
other country, save perhaps the United States. At
any rate ihey know their rights, and from present
appearances are bound 10 maintain them. They
have continually before them in this great struggle
the grand exam pie Of America, which they point to
will pride and ask, Why may not We also be a part
VI u 10y H'N -F ~ ENAA-Ch
force, but they exercise a great; moral power. To
the working men Of England in 4 great degree may
be attributed the fact that peace was maintained be-
tween their Government and that IF the United
States They were abou; the only sympaihizers this
Government had in her contest with rebellion, and
yet they more than any others Of that land suffered
by reason Of the war.
The right of the franchise granted in Great Brit
ain and ireland u the people on the basis OF = man
hood suffrage" which u tie demand Of the reform
err, would be an almost certain guarantee Of courin-
ual peace between shat country and this. The House
Of Commons holds the purse Of Great Britain, and
war cannot be made and carried on without lis con-
sent, and the people, being represented in that
branch of the Government, would take care that war
should not be made upon their American friends
without ample cause.
And there is hope that they NAV, TO n certain
extent. succeed in their efforts during the sitting OF
the present Parliament. The resolutions proposed
by the Government have been Withdrawn, and a
promise given that a reform hi / will soon be intro
duced. This bill, however. will not, a. we under
stand it, grant the right demanded, but will materi
ally enlarge the franchise, keeping it still upon a
property or income basis. Ia that case the people
must take what they can force out OF the Government
now, aud work for the balance They will have a
frmer basis and larger platform 10 stand upon
Their friends having power will be better able TO
assist them to conduct the agitatiOn-SGc Bee.