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Messes . Chketnam and HETwooi > .-rThese gentlemen the Liberal candidates for South Lancashire , addressed a , crowded meeting at Manchester on Tuesday . Mr . Cheetham said—What then should be the course of the Liberals in future ? The Reform question could no longer remain in abeyance ,: and he recommended that the united support of the Liberal party should be given to the statesman who should introduce a measure for extending the franchise to those classes in counties and boroughs which thev had all ceased to doubt the propriety of placing on the register . At the same time there must be such a redistribution of seats as would give a £ ur balance of representation , and give greater power to this county . On the question of the ballot , he
conceded that it was an evil , but it was required to counteract a still greater evil . He feared it was now impossible to nvokl the great evil of a continental Avar but his view was that this country ought steadily to remain neutral ; and whilst he had little . faith in the French Emperor ' s sincerity with regard to Italian freedom , we ought to depose any umi'ster who should seek our interposition on behalf oi Austria — Mr : J . Pemberton Hey wood said : —\ Y ith regard to his views of Reform , lie should not be satisfied with less than fifty seats for redistribution , and he trusted that a substantial and a comprehensive measure would be introduced by Lord J . Russell , which would settle the question . He-had long been in favour of the ballot ; he . believed , however , to
it would neither lead to a millennium nor a despotic republic , and that unless it were made compulsory , ¦ ¦ ninety-nine , out of every hundred Englishmen would insist oil voting openly . After declaring himself resolute for the abolition of church-rates , Mr . Ileywood concluded by expressing his belief that greater political power would certainly be obtained by the people , and he trusted they would use it wiselv , prudently , and cautiously , being satisfied with " " Queen , Lords , and Commons , " looking at Prance on one side and the United States on the other , and recollecting that " equality" did not always end in liberty . . Mr . KotTi'Ktr .. —On Tuesday this gentleman addressed the electors of Lambeth . lie said the
Government had sent no Tory into Lambeth . They had reqxiested no incipient Lord of the Admiralty to contest this . borough . ' They could congratulate themselves in being a free and independent constituency , and in not being at the mercy of a few seedy statesmen , who met in a frowsy back-parlour , in a rieketty old house in Downing-street , to settle the affairs of the nation . Referring to the question of Parliamentary Heform , he reminded them that in . Lambeth was the erv first 3 * aised against tho Government Reform Bill . " - He asked them to ratify the decision they had come to on the former occasion . What they wanted was not a set of fancy franchises , but a measure that would redress the various anomalies which still existed in their representative institutions . Agaiiist the use of the ballot they had ranged only the same stale , musty , fusty , antiquated
arguments that had been advanced again and again in the House of Commons , and as often ignominiously refuted ; and in its favour they had the best of all arguments—the fact that , wherever the ballot had been fairly tried , as in South Australia , it had been found eminently successful . He hoped to see Lord John Russell before long the earnest advocate of the ballot . ( Hear , hear . ) But he was afraid that would not be until the country had loudly and fully declared itfielf in its favour ; and ho could assure the noble lord that the Liberal party would never bo united while those who aspired to be its leaders were in direct antagonism on this great subject to the bulk of those whom they expected to follow them . He was not ' what whs called a peaceat-any-pricc man , but he did not hesitate to avow his detestation of war as the greatest calamity that could nffiiet the human nice : and to assure them
that he would use his earnosfc endeavours to secure the maintenance of peace . Mit , Ayktox . —In addressing the inhabitants of the Tower Hamlets , on Tuesday , the lion , gentleman said he hud that day soon Parliament brought to a close , and thoreforo ho thought he could not appear before them at a more fitting poriod to ronderail account of his conduct . At tho vary moment whon tho people expected Parliament would pass a law , to reform themselves , thoy brought forward ; a measure founded on a thrice condemned basis , and the result was that the House rejocted ' tlmt measure
introduced by tho Government . Ho regretted that the Government had determined to dissolves the Parliament , feeling that they had shown themselves unfit to deal with tho question . Ho condommed in strong 1 terms tho language of tho Quoen ' s speech delivered that day . With regard to tho lato measure of reform , without going into its details , ho had no hesitation in saying that ho saw nothing like reform m it , and Us only oflbot would , bo to place Parliament in tho hands of a chosen fow , For himself , he did not wish that Parliament should doacuud into the hands of uiloducatod mon : but , at tho snmo time ,
the existence of the right of the working classes ought not to be overlooked . By the late bill , however , they were overlooked , and , therefore , he said it was no measure of reform . Sir Charges "Wood ; Sir J . Eamsiken , avu Mr . I * . Crossi . ey . —On Monday Sir . J . Ramsden and Mr . Crossley , the Liberal candidates for the West Hiding , met the electors at Bradford , and also at Halifax . At the latter place Sir Charles Wood was present , and said , ** I address you as a brother elector of the West Riding , I address those , who are my brother electors , those who I hope will be so soon , and those also , whether electors or not , who cannot but take an interest in this district , of which
we are all inhabitants . I am anxious as a landowner to address you as a manufacturing body , and to tell you that we are as anxious as you are that both our candidates should be returned together to Parliament . I tell you that in one respect I am sorry , because a better friend and colleague than my colleague , man could not have . I am sorry to part with him as a colleague- but it will be some satisfaction and comfort , which , however , depends partly on you , that though he will no longer be my colleague , he will henceforth be my representative . lam anxious that they should both be returned . The Government have brought in a bill—miscalled a Reform Bill . The House of Commons decided
• against that bill , and they have appealed to the country . Three candidates are before you for the Riding—One voted with the Government for the bill , and two voted against ; it , as a sham and a delusion . Which of the men will the electors of the West Hiding return to Parliament ? I cannot doubt for a moment . But I wish also to say that I , a landowner , in conjunction with the whole body of -the- Whig landed portion of the Riding , am anxious to see a manufacturer as a colleage of Sir John Ramsden ; we ai * e anxious to prove that our prosperity depends on you—that agriculture , trade , and commerce are indissolubly bound up together . People deny that sometimes ; but do you send a Britain
proof from the largest constituency of Great that a landowner and manufacturer are sent together to represent the joint interests of the Ridingsinterests which are those also of the whole empire . Gentlemen , you must exert yourselves ; Our opponents are . strong . You must be united—landowner ami' manufacturer . Every one calling himself a Liberal must not shrink from trouble or exertion . It will be a hard struggle , and will require all your exertions . " Sir John Ramsden said that they should not be surprised at any moment to hear that war had broken out , and they knew what would be the character of that war . In a war . the object of which was to free a down-trodden population from the oppression of a foreign and despotic master—they knew that the sympathy of thegi ' e ' nt English people would be heartily and cordially given—but they not i of that charac
knew that this was : war - ter . If England was to interfere at all , it must be in the character of a mediator , and not of a combatant . Speaking of reform , he said , as regarded the county franchise , he had always hitherto voted for tho reduction of the franchise to . £ 10 occupiers , and it was probable he should continue to do so . He thought the . £ 6 borough franchise would be a safe and proper extension of the franchise . He was disposed to gi > further than the Government in tho disfranchisemont of boroughs . Mr . Crossley said that he should be inclined to give Lord John Russell ' s proposition his henr . ty support ~ to reduce the qualification in counties to . £ 10 , provided ho had a . safeguard that not less than onehttlf of that qualification should bo a house , and with regard to boroughs , ho should bo in favour of the franchise being reduced from . £ 10 rent to £ Q .
Sin CifAiUKs Wood , —Tho right honourable baronet made a second speech on Thuradny at Halifax . The right lion , gentleman commented somewhat in detail upon the course pursued by that party which now governed thitj country on tho discussion upon the Conspiracy to Murder Bill , tho defeat of which led to the resignation of Lord Fnlmerston ' s Ministry . Ho then criticised tho Government failures , ' with their India Bill , and their church-rate measure . Coming to their Reform Bill , he said its provisions were monstrous . One of the most serious defects was the proposal to abolish the freeholders' franchise . The danger to county
representation was , that it should fall exclusively into tho hands of a few groat limited proprietors } and the security against this evil was to bo found in tho oxistence of the independent freeholders , the number of which Government intended so seriously to reduce . In a small county , they would boo at onco that such a measure would runilor tho representation as close and us safe aa Inokl timos it was in tho boroughs of Mldlmrst anil Old Sarum . Tho same principle , in fact , was extended to the borough * , beuauso it was as easy to create a 40 a . freehold as a £ 10 occupation , tho difference being that they could mako five of one at the cost of one of the other . Why hail any reform at all boon thought necessary
for years past by all thinking men Why , in . consequence mainly of the improved intelligence ^ education , and morality of the working classes , whoshould be admitted to a shaTe of the franchise . He was hot in favour of any sweeping and extensive change ; he was not in favour of universal suffrage . He believed that the wisest course , to pursue was ta adopt the same plan they had hitherto done , and . which had enabled them to enjoy a greater amount of freedom , liberty , and prosperity than had been the lot of any other country under the sun . He was for taking the Bill of 1832 , mending its defects , and extending it so far as subsequent experience and improvement had shown to be desirable . He was
opposed to household suffrage ; and he entered at some length into his reason for that opinion . An . educational test had been proposed , but he did not think this would answer the purpose . He believed they must come to the test of the state and condition in life to which the working classes had raised themselves . He quite agreed that a 107 . house was far too high . Two bills—one in 1852 and one in 1854—were proposed to Parliament . He was one of thp Government of the day , and responsible for those bills . In both the franchise was based upon a rated value , and his opinion was that it would be a great advantage to establish the franchise upon a fated value . He knew the objections to arating franchise ; he believed
but if it could be carried into effect , it would be the best arrangement ; and he should be prepared to support a 5 / . rating , which he believed to be equivalent to a Gl : rental , which was the reduction he supported in 1852 , as one of Lord John Russell ' s Government . The worst bill the Liberals would pass would be infinitely better than any measure the Tories would give them , and there was nothing to prevent them in the future pressing for what they thought desirr able . He was of opinion that a large measure of reform was better , safer , and more conservative than , a small one , but , after all , they must look to those measures which there , was a prospect of carrying , and not to those which would have the effect of sending a great number of Liberal members into the
Tory lobby on a division . As to-the ballot , he said he had always opposed it , believing that the best security for the right discharge of any duty was the influence of public opinion . . If the ballot were adopted , however , he had-not the slightest fear of what was called democratic changes ; he should stilL be satisfied of the permanence of their national institutions . He believed no . , effort would , be spared by the Government of the country , in whatever hands it might be , to preserve the peace oC Europe . He knew that the declarations which were made by the leading statesmen at the opening of the present session produced no inconsiderable effect upon foreign Powers ; an . 1 he considered that We should look with infinite disgiist and disapprobation upon that Power , be it which it might , that broke the
peace of the world . Siu Jabiks Gr . vu . vm . —The right lion , baronet addressed the electors of Carlisle on Wednesday evening at a great open-nir meeting in front of the Town-hall . After enlarging upon the mutual friendship existing between himself and the men of Carlisle , he proceeded to dissect the royal speech by paragraphs . He styled the present ministry a " provisional government and a government by suffrage . The case of Lord Derby is that he , being in a . minority , attempted to rulu this country , ami appeals from the House of Commons , wlvere he was in a
minority , to the people , to see if i * Hey will send him a favourable majority . There is no mention of reform in this speech ,, mid still moro , there is no promise whatever on the part of Lord Derby , if he continue Minister , that he will undertake another Reform Bill more liberal and more popular than that against which I voted and for which my present colleague , Mr . Hodgson , voted on the second reading . The question really to bo submitted to you is this-r-Will you have Lord Derby , without reform , to > rule over you ? The issue of reform—tho especial issue of reform is almn . lonoil , and the general issue af confidence in Lord Derby pleaded . In
Parliamentary language it Is a disingenuous manoouvre , — that is , what in homely parlance we . should call on " artful dodge / ' In ' 52 tho DorbyU 6 s in the cities wore , all Free-traders , now thoy nro mi ¦ " * - - formers . In ' 02 in the counties tl > ev worn nil tho " former ' s frlouus ; " now in the counties tho »«' unites are the enemies of" revolutionary change . Upon tho foreign policy of tlie Government , ho remarked * "It was nv lot to listen to the Minister of t'lo Crovvu on Moniliy last , when ho announced to the assembled c " £ «» Sna of B . ilun , j that < mr . r » l «^»> VI « a ? mos " Powers woro most disturbed , ami that it was most doubtful whotlior tho peace of Europe would be proaurvod . Wo pointed to tho neutrality of England wn , nrvod it must bo an armed . neutrality . So the
much for tho preservation of pence under aus-X 08 of Lord Derby . " Sir James adverted to tho charge brought by Mr . Hodgson , tho opposing candldau ? that ho ( Sir James ; was trying to mako a >
Untitled Article
¦¦? ¦ y ^ - ; 4 y ^ » W g 3 185 & : i . THE LEADEE , 521
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), April 23, 1859, page 521, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2291/page/9/
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