The New York herald., 1867-04-04
THE RADICAL OPPOSITION

Important AsscmbIaGc Of the liberal and
Whig Radical Members at MIR. Glad
stones.
From tho London Star, April 22l
was held Al the house OF Mr. Gladstone Carlton house
terrace. About three hundred members were present
Amongst them @ were Nj Mr. vsrs rs MT Montague Cham am
berley, Mr.. p. A. Taylor. Mr. Cardwe Mr. Layard, Mr.
B osborne, Mr.. Ayrton, NJ. Roebuck. nr 7.
Professor Fawcctt Mr.. Crawford Dr. Brady, Mr.. John
Fildes, NJ Miner Gibson, Mr. 4 Baines. Mr. Baxter,
NJ Mr. piss Mr. Mo pssmsl. Mr. Hcss
Mr. Otway, MI. Biddulph, Mr. s. Laing Sir J. Ogilvy.
Mr.. Robertson Mr.. White, Mr.. W. Ewart. Sir George
Horsman, Mr.. Stone. Sir w Huti the Marquis Of Hart.
ington, Sir J. Johnstonc MI. Brand Mr.. Knnard &c.
Mr.. GLADSTONE in opening the proceedings. referred
to the time crisis In the question Of reform, and ono
Of difficulty with regard to the various parties in
the House Of Commons Al the last meeting which
they held in his residence he referred 10 two topics
with regard the necessity Of acting the general
opinion OF the party for the purpose OF preserving their
unity and their party unimpared He said at that time
that the only statement with regard TO the borough fran
chise before them that contained In the
speech Of tho Chancellor Of the Exchequcr, which
proposed q six pound rating franchise. Ho thousht
that was a point which probably OF clear
nature that might be left TO DO discussed and deter
mined in committee Mr.. Gladstone then referred 10
his own speech Of Monday night. and 70 what he mad
said about the possibility OF some arrangement being
made respecting the vote being fixed at that amount At
that all persons that point might BE- introduced
wihou, any question Of rate or rental But he said he
Thought It was not wise for them as an opposition 70
undertake at that stage Of the question the responsibility
OF naming the exact plan upon which the suffrage
should be based The tiwe might come when u DorId be
necessary for them 10 state the baris of plan,
and when Il should be tho conviction OF himself
and his friends and OF the party Tat such period had
conc he voud mot shrink from stating whaf oosrse ne
should s prepayrd to propose. Turning, however, for
the present TO the new bill before them, he
said that he spoke with the strongest feeling and
vcton that he was right when he declared TO be bad
BILL and In fact the worst Reform bill that had been
ever submitted TO Parliament by any government IN
this country. But, notwithstanding that there might
be, probably, some difference Of opinion even amongst
those who condemned the bill 70 whether the proper
course was TO oppose II on tho second reading to
second reading 10 20 by unchaIenged He then
proceeded TO dissection OF the measure describing u
rs containing ten fundamental points The drst the
county franchise which he thought they would ali pro-
badly DO unanimous In considering had been fixed q too
high rate, and 1t must therefore, Of necessity, in any
branch Of the bill which referred TO the rcdistrbution
Of seats, which he thosght wholly Inadequate and
II hs voes 9s sn
change OF nature TO which was, 90 far -
he could comprehend 1t, he belivecd they would
DO all equally and unanimously adverse Then
there came the fancy franchises some OF which he
thought entirely bad and probably none Of them indeed
rOTa ~ g and he thought they
ton Of the bill should entirely disappear Then came
the fact that the odger franchise entirely omitted.
and that portion OF Reform bill he held TO be absolutely
essential for any satisfactory settlement of the borough
franchise There the suffrage based upou income
and assessed taxes which, he explained 10 ths House
the other night he thought was TO lead 70 most
extensive system OF fraud; and he feared that with
regard 70 household suffrage at the very iswest
point Of the franchise there would be found class Of
voters who we're 80 poor and % dependent that they
must necessarily afford an opportunity for . very
extensive trn1c In votes He then referred 70 what he
considered An old and most valuable principle Of
parliamentary representation and that was when Par
lament had given votes TO any ciass Of the people,
an men entrusted with the suHTage should Be
equal at The poll. He declared that he would
to the very last set himself against any
and every plan which would make one
man at the polling booth inferior to another
man. When oncs the franchise had been cor
fsrred upon any one, ought 10 give that
man equality Of power with his neighbor This he
regarded a. an essential point Looking at the btu
altogether he thought ne might say that divided the
constituency into five different classes There was nrst
the dual voter with his two ves NEXT there the
old Glo householder who II RESIDENT might BE- rated
for any kind OF building he occupied In the borough
There then the voter a 60 and under who vas mos
equsf the f10 voter because he only allowed 70
register for his dwelling house. and he had 10 be ress
dent os double the length OF time which required Of
the Gle householder. Then thee were the com-
D0undsrs abov0 flO vauethat yas the present com