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Leader (1850-1860), 23rd October 1858, Edition 1 of 2, Page 1135, Untitled Article

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      tralion , and he thought a Reform Bill by them would be a tolerably satisfactory piece of legislation . A new Reform Bill ought , he thought , to be based on two or three simple principles . There-should be an extension of tho franchise , and , in his opinion , a ol . household nualilication would not be too low , and it would introduce a great amount of property and intelligence into the political system of the country . But he was also in favour of an educational qualification . Ihis

      qualification would give the privilege of voting to many persons engaged in professions , and woiild also admit a great number of working men to the privilege of voting . Two or three years' connection with a mechanics institution , or a successful examination by the Society of Arts , or the Oxford and Cambridge middle-class examinators , ought to be a good test for this qualification . The result would be to put a premium on education . Though the ballot might not be the universal panacea that some thought it , it would invariably receive his

      support . Lort > Wodehousk ox Foreign Affaiks . —At the dinner of the North Walsham Agricultural Society , Lord Wodehpuse , late ambassador at the Court of St . Petersburg , said that nothing was more important than that a man who took an interest in politics at all should keep his eyes steadily fixed on our foreign relations . "We had heard a great deal lately about Cherbourg and the French alliance , and he thought that in some respects a great deal more had been said than was necessary about the dangers which appeared to threaten us . On the other hand , he had no hesitation in observing that a great deal too much had been said in favour of the French alliance . No doubt an alliance with France was necessary to this country , and it was especially benc'fi . ui'il in the case of the late Russian war ; but if

      medium of receiving small investments from the working classes , in the way of savings banks , the money to be guaranteed by the " Government . He also alluded to the promised new Reform Bill . Whatever might be done in the direction of a new franchise , he did say that if a maai attended for a certain number of years an institution like their Athenaeum , he was a most fit person to have a vote ; and he could only express a hope that in any scheme of reform which might be framed , such a qualification would not be overlooked . - Mb . E . W . Cox at Tewkesbuey . —The electors of Tewkesburv having requested Mr . Edward W . Cox , Recorder of Falmouth , their Liberal-Conservative candidate , to give them his views on the promised Reform Bill , that gentleman met them on Saturday evening . He said that he was a humble follower of the Liberal section of the existing Government , represented by Lord Stanleyto whom he looked as his future leader , Sir J .

      , Pakington , Mr . Disraeli , Sir E . B . Lytton , and Sir F . Kelly ; and he hoped that Lord Derby would guide his administration so that the views of the party of " progress " might prevail . He had no fear of the workingclasses . He did not believe that the Liberal-Conservatives had any reason to fear them ; it was not among the working men that their opponents were found . The last Reform Bill had done a vast amount of service ; but it must be admitted that it was essentially a party measure . If not so intended , by a happy accident it hit upon precisely the franchise , and preserved the small boroughs that gave constituencies favourable to one party , and that party had dominated for twenty years , and below them

      the greater was his chance , not only of satisfying his own conscience , but of doing that which was best for the whole country . . This Forkign Affairs Committees . —When we tell our readers that in some seventy of the principal manufacturing'towns of this country these committees meet weekly , to consider the state- of our foreign relations- — that many of them have obtained an extensive knowledge of all the proceedings of our Foreign office for the last fifty years , and that they discuss the merits of those proceedings with a judgment and ability which would do credit to many a member of the Legislature—and further ( what is far the most remarkable circumstance connected with them ) , that they are composed only of

      working men , obtaining their livelihood bj r the sweat of their brow , we think it cannot be denied that it is worth the while of the public to know something about them . It may be true that these committees appear sometimes to be acting in a sphere for which they are not fitted ; but it is not to be wondered at that men in their position of life should sometimes blunder ; but this is the mere by-play of the part which they are acting . The task which thev have set themselves is to create an interest , in the public mind of the great manufacturing towns ^ in foreign affairs . They believe that the internal prosperity of this great nation is deeply affected by the management , or the mismanagement , of our exhout the

      ternal relations ; that every man throug country is affected more or less by the expenditure occasioned by expensive wars , carried on at a distance , on unjustifiable pretences , and for the attainment of verydoubtful advantages , and they believe that each individual subject of the Queen ought to feel interested in England being the nation to stand forth as the doer of . justice , and the upholder of international law . Such is the character , such the objects of " The Committees of Foreign Affairs . " Had they not been composed of working men , and had they not afforded evidence of what working men are capable of , we perhaps should not have thought it necessary to give our readers this insight into their organisation and objects . —The Press .

      The Ballot . —A public meeting on this subject was held on Thursday at Exeter . The success of the ballot and its mode of working in Australia was adverted to at some length , and a resolution was adopted to the effect that , as it was understood that a reform in the representative system will engage the attention of the legislature next session , the meeting desired to record its conviction that . no extension of the suffrage will be satisfactory unless protected by vote by ballot ;—A meeting on the same subject was also held a few evenings back at the Devonport Mechanics' Institute , at which a resolution to the same effect was unanimously adopted .

      This Ballot in New Zealand . —A debate on the vote by ballot took place in the New Zealand House of Representatives , on the 8 th July . The motion was defeated by a majority of three , the numbers being , Ayes , eleven ; Noes , fourteen , The debate was a very animated one , and the arguments were extremely well sustained on both sides . This Ciiartkk . —A meeting of Chartists was held on Tuesday in the Blackfriars ' -road . Both speakers and resolutions went in strongly for the Charter and nothing but the Charter , and all attempts to unite with the middle classes were denounced . This was a blow aimed tit ; Mr . Ernest Jones ' s attempts to unite the two classes on a basis of manhood suffrage .

      Political Mkkting at MANCHEKTEn . —A meeting of working men , desirous of promoting the cause of Parliamentary Reform , was held in Manchester on Monday . The following resolution was adopted : —" That a provisional committee be forthwith appointed for tho purpose of inaugurating a Reform movement in Manchester , similar in principle to the Political Reform . League , viz . on the basis of manhood suffrage , vote by ballot , triennial parliaments , and a readjustment of electoral districts . "

      to the exclusion of the classes above . The next Reform Bill , then , must be a national one . Lord John Russell had proposed a 61 . franchise . The cry , of course , was directly , Why not a 51 ., or a U ., or a 3 / . ' ? He had come to the conclusion that no merely arbitrary distinction should be adopted ; that the only satisfactory settlement of the question would be a householder ' s franchise . As for the ballot , reflection had satisfied liiui that it was a mistake . He had no fear of it in itself as a political engine , but he did fear that it would be injurious to the national character , by the cultivation of habitual hypocrisy . With the franchise lie proposed it would not be wanted , because the electors would be too numerous to make it worth while for any

      man to coerce them . Mr . Baxter , M . P . —This hori . member addressed a meeting of his constituents on Tuesday . Referring to the constitution and policy of recent Whig aristocratic governments , he said : They flatter themselves , I hear , that the independent party to which I belong is dead : next session may show them their mistake . They may find that it possesses quite as much vitality , and rather more of organisation , than before . Some of the contests of last session showed us our power , and that we only required more union to beat Whigs and Tories combined . When the really Liberal party agree , they can make themselves both heard and felt ; and perhaps the stationary Whigs who love office so dearly , may find that the only way to enjoy it once more is to move on in our direction . I wish " to speak with all respect of Lord Pulmcrston . I shall not soon forget that he was

      the man who , iii 1854-5 , preserved his faith in the power of Ilia country , and , by his firmness , maintained its reputation in Europe . If you ask me whether I have confidence in the present Government , I ask you whether you menu in the Tory or in the Radical portion of it ; for no one can say that the political creed of Lord Stanley , Sir J . Pakington , and Mr . Disraeli , isthesume as that of Lord Salisbury , Mr . Henley , and Lord J . Manners . All 1 know is , that already they have redressed some grievances which tlieir predecessors would not attond to , and I wait patiently to see what measures of a similar tendoncy the recess is to bring forth . Should they manfully grapple with tho question of churchrates in a liberal spirit , effect a reduction in the oxpondituro , and propose a really progressive measure of Reform— ¦ which , however , can scarcely be expected—then I will support them .

      Micsaua HioADLAsr , M . P ., a >* d Ridley , M . P . <—At a public dinner in Newcastle , on Thursday , the members for tho borough attended . Mr . Huadlam said : With respect to tlio future , they had a Reform Bill promised them next year , and one of her Majesty ' s Ministers had expressed an opinion that a bill might bo produced which would please all parties . Ho thought that was a somowhut rnsli expression . Though they found all men reformers , " \ vlion details came before thorn thoro was some possibility of a difference of opinion . One thing ho demanded was , that tho Government should approach this grout question with an honest and sincere spirit ,

      that they should propose something which they think will bo a real and substantial improvement upon that constitution of ours , which , though It may be defective in aomo respects , docs at the present moment confer a degree of reul and substantial freedom , a groator security for ponce mid order in the country , and u greater chance of good government , titan did tho constitution of any atato dr which ho ' ' over road or had any possible oxpor ' ioncG . Mr . Ridloy , M . P ., also roforrod to tlio Reform 13111 proposed , by the present , Govornniont , observing' that ho , amongst others , would eventually have to judge of that which might bo proposed for their rojootion or accontanuo , and tho loss ho gave of any pl < xlgo

      sr . ch an alliance was to prevent the expression of our free opinion on the administration of affairs in France and what took place in that country , it was no longer a healthy alliance , and the moment it came to be tried it would be found to be a broken reed on which it was unsafe to lean . A frank and open line of conduct was certainly thu best , and if we did not approve of what was done in France , it was much better that we should not avoid saying so at any reasonable and proper time . Of Iiussia , the noble lord said that it " was undoubtedly a great and growing country , whose hostility might be dangerous , and whose , friendship might be valuable . Oil his arrival in Russia he found there prevailed towards England a deep-seated hostility , on account of the part vveiiad taken against her , but he thought that the feeling had of late been materially diminished . The hostility did not arise from the fact that Russia was

      conquered , for she had been no more conquered than we were , although undoubtedly she got the worst of it , as 3 he admitted ; it was only a natural feeling of resentment , which was now being greatly diminished . The attention of tho Russians was now fixed on internal nil airs , and so great were the improvements going on , so radical were the reforms in which the Russian Government had embarked , that we might fairly calculate that thoy would be desirous that tho peace of Europe should bo kept , at least for man } ' years to come . Hit . Massev , M . P . — On Wednesday , Mr . W . N , Ma . ssey , Member for Salford , and late Whig Undcr-Secrotary , addressed his constituents . He said : Whatever other measures might be brought forward in the

      next session , there was one which hud been kept dangling before tho country ( to use the words of the Prime Minister ) for along series of years , and which could not bo any longer put off- ^ -ho meant a me asure of Parliamentary Reform . Such a bill ought , ho thought , to remove the anomalies which at present existed in the representation . Insignificant towns of three hundred or four hundred electors , subject to the inUueneo , perhaps , qf some great proprietor , and to tho still more objectionable inlluenc s or" bribery and corruption , ought to bo disfranchised , ami their votes given to places of wealth and intelligence , such us Liverpool and Leeds , Manchester and Maryleborio . lie thought a large extension of tho franchise might safely and with great advantage

      be mude . Ho thought a sort of industrial or educational test might bo devised which would admit a largo number of now voters . But , of courao , tho franchise could not stop thoro . They would require also an extension us regarded tho property qualification , As to the ballot , lie had always advocated it , he had always voted for it , ho would continue to support it by word and action . He should certainly glvo his support to Mr . Locke King's motion for extending the oounty franchise . Messrs . Imokam , M . P ., ani > Adams , M . P . —At a aoirje in connection with tho Boston Atheniauni , speeches were made by Mr . Ingrain and Mr . Adams , tho representatives

      of the borough , Mr . Adams referred to the forthcoming Reform Dill . Ho had understood Mr . Ingrain to be ol opinion that tho franchise should havo an educational basis , and he declared that to bo his own feeling . If a man wore At to uxorclso a vote , lot him Uuvo it . Ho would havo a franchise based on a man ' s fitness to exercise it , belioving that such a franchise would bo a more sure and certain protection to tho country and to p * * orty it soli ' than ono based on property nlouo . Mr . Ingram called the attention of his hearers to sonio educational coneldorationa , and said ho thought it , would bo desirable for tlio post-oillcos throughout the country to become the

      Untitled Article

      No . US , Octobeu 23 , 1856 . 1 THE lEABEE , 1135

      Untitled Article

      PnonoGATiON . —With tho usual formalities Parliament was on Tuesday prorogued to the 10 th of November , on which day it will , no doubt , be prorogued for another six weeks . DlSMONSTUATION AOAINST THE CONFESSIONAT ,. —A great vestrymen ' s demonstration has been made against tho practice of confession in the Church of England . Tho resolutions woro strong in condemnation of that practice and of Pusoyistic ideas generally , and tho speechifying was a good deal in excess of tho strongth . of tho resolutions . The meeting was held in St . James ' s Hall , Piccadilly , Mr . Alderman Halo in tho choir , and Colonel Verokor and Mr . James Bealo as tho leading speukors . Admission was by ticket , and no arguments or resolutions in any way favourable to what was condemned were pormittod . Two goiUlcrnon mndo their appoaranco with amendments , tho ono to amend tho first resolution , so that tlio movement should take the fllmpo of demanding a revision of the Prayer JJook o «»/ usal ° " statements , the other in favour of those f ^™^ .. follow the course they bollovo tho l ' rayor . 1 ook prwa Ibos . . liut the task these opponents " « Vn fS i ^ of ' " ootlv honolosd . Tlio most reinnrknWu feature « f the mootinguTo determined attitude which it appeared 1 " assufno against confession under any circumstances .

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 23, 1858, page 1135, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2265/page/23/