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" Mr . Bezer , who had spoken with so much eloquence and effect , had discovered that manhood , suffrage would settle the whole matter . Probably Mrs . Bezer was equally eloquent , and she would say , * and woman suffrage too . ' ( Laughter . ) He ( Mr . Wakley ) had in his lifetime really "one further than manhood suffrage , and he should be glad to see the married ladies entitled to the suffrage too ? ( Hear , hear . ) And "he said , why not ? WJiat was to obtain
the object of the suffrage ? The object was good government ; and what was the object of good government ? A happy home . ( Cheers . ) And who so interested in a happy home as the woman ? Not a soul on earth . ( Loud cheers . ) He said , therefore , she was the party of all others who would give an honest vote ( hear , hear ); and if her husband did not comply with her request , he would have rather an uncomfortable time of it . ( Laughter and cheers . )"
Adopting the received idea that Lord Palmerston had been ejected as a sacrifice to the despots , he declared that that proceeding was an " indelible disgrace" to the nation . As for himself , the accession of a Tory administration had taken twenty years off his life ; he felt quite young again . He stigmatized the cabinet as the ally of the despots , and exhorted union among the advocates of reform . In the " Vestry Hall" of St . Pancras there was nothing , or next to nothing , that was not " respectable . " Quie ' t , gentlemanly'denunciation of the late Ministers , who fell , so said the resolution , from their " want of
political integrity / ' and an assertion of the insecurity both of People and Throne , without reform of parliament . A univew ^ l suffrage resolution was negatived , and a resolutJoiBP ^ fj ^ d demanding household suffrage , the . ballot ,- ' t ^^ -f- ^ ga ^ aments , extinction of small boroughs , >' . i ? i : ; v ¦ ¦ ¦ » . . representation . Sir Benjamin Hall and ^ Ii 6 . !^ iMriV'V ^ ' ; B . tuart ' spoke , denouncing both the old and ^^;^ ili ^ ry . Lord Dudley Stuart professed that h «^|^ ;^ te in % maze as to the motives or meaning of iirf ^ e ^ P ^ hiiterston . A strong resolution against prote ^ m % iall y woiind up the proceedings .
Like th 4 J (^ i | OT ^ metropolitan boroughs , Lambeth , " not to be 4 ^^^^^ jf the " sudden and abrupt termination of I ^ M& 0 Russetfs ministry ^ ( sic ) from pressing its well matured views of reform on the House of Commons , met on Wednesday at the famous Horns Tavern , Kennington , arid resolved to that effect . There were five liberal members of Parliament present , Mr . Alcock , Mr . D'Eyncourt , Mr . W . Williams , Mr . Locke King , and Mr . Trelawney . The object of the meeting was to consider the now defunct Reform Bill : but the
speakers wandered away from that to the more interesting topic of free-trade . Mr . W . Wilkinson was apr pointed to the chair . He said that " had the Queen proposed to make Mr . Cobden Chancellor of the Exchequer , and Mr . Bright First Lord of the Admiralty , he believed the nation would have fainted away / ' As to the immediate topic before the meeting , it was unanimously resolved that " every liberal constituency throughout the country ought at once to pledge their representatives to demand of the government such a
change in our representative' system as shall embrace the important principles of residential suffrage , vote by ballot , triennial parliaments , equal electoral districts , and the abolition of the property qualification for members . " An attempt was made to pass a resolution for universal suffrage , but it failed . All the senatorial speakers seemed to look upon a reimposition of the bread-tax as imminent , unless strenuously opposed . Mr . W . Williams and Mr . Alcock spoke of stopping the supplies .
THE BEFOBM CONFERENCE OF NEXT TUESDAY . The following letter has been addressed to the President of the National Reform Association : To Sir Joshua Walmsley , M . P . SiR , —Would you permit one who has had some experience in conferences , and who takes great interest in the one announced for March 2 nd , convened by the Association of which you are prosidont , to suggest that it would bo a great advantage if each dolegato would , " possible , present his report in writing ? By this plan , all essential facts are told in the shortest time , and the matter communicated ready for reference and use at once . Yours , in political respect , One who uas attended man y Confeeenoes .
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THE LEAGUE THREATENS TO BipB AGAIN . Summoned at six' hours' notice , tho onorgotio and wealth y membors of the' qld League mot in Manchester , on | Wednesday , in groat numbers . They hud been called together on the firHt official notice of tho accosaion ot Lord Derby and Protection to ofllco , by Mr . Goorgo Wilson and tho Manchester Financial and Parliamon-« "y Reform Association , to decide on what policy should now bo pursuod . Mr . Wilson presided . Ho snowed , from speeches , that tho whole Cabinet wero
pledged to Protection , arid he thought that they ought to place themselves in a position to say to my Lord Derby— . " Better the condition of the agriculturists if you can— - do what you can to improve their conditiou , so that it is not at our expense ; but the moment you put one penny ofduty upon the bread , of the poor man , look to yourself , Lord Derby , and your order ( loud cheers ); for ; this question has been settled once , and beware how you and your order provoke the discussion of a question again which will involve in itself the disposition of many things not to the interest of either yourself or your order . " ( Great cheering . ) .
The tone and temper of the meeting were evidently of the most resolute . Mr . H . Ashworth testified that his friends , " one and all , had expressed their willingness to make as large , or indeed larger , sacrifices both of time and money than they ever did before , rather than allow one vestige , one rag or tatter of Protection to be reimposed upon them / ' ( Loud cheers . ) Mr . J . Whittaker was himself ready , and those of the district in which he lived were equally ready , to come forward to give their time and subscribe their money , " even to a greater extent than ever they did , rather than submit to the iniquitous imposition" of a bread-tax .
" Now , the question was , whether every one there was prepared to do the same ? ( Loud cries of ' Yes . ' ) Were they prepared to give their time and money as before , if necessary ? " ( Loud cries of " Yes . " ) Mr . R . W . Phillips said they must not be content with keeping what they had , but must go for more . Mr . A . Watkiri " hoped their measures would be worthy of former days , do what they might ,-and that they would be prompt , energetic , and , of course , successful /' ( Applause . ) Some one called out , "We shall never be clear of this question till we have a reform of
parliament / ' an exclamation received with cheering . Mr . J . Simpson was for keeping to the name of the " League /* " For himself , he was ready to give as much time as ever he did , and fight the question to the last shilling he could find it in his power to give /' ( Cheers ) . Mr . ArrowsmrEh . thought that the -Tories " might as well attempt-to restore the heptarchy" as Protection . He also thought the " League" would be a prestige of _ victory . Mr . Jacob Bright was rather glad Lord Derby was in office , for he was not in power . The policy adopted was embodied in the following resolution :-
—" That the gentlemen who formed the executive council of the late Anti-Corn-Law League be requested to watch the proceedings of the new Administration , and , should the necessity arise , to call together the parties who formed the general council of the League ; and that tliis meeting stands adjourned to Tuesday next . " It was understood that the executive should call the meeting earlier than Tuesday , if necessary . Birmingham met on Monday , for the purpose of expressing its opinions on the Russell Reform Bill . The Mayor presided , and Mr . George Edmonds ( the clerk of the peace for the borough ) moved :
" That this meeting having before it the bill introduced into the House of Commons by Lord J . Russell , for amending the laws relating to the representation of the people in Parliament , is of opinion that , while it falls short of a full and efficient measure of reform , it is entitled to the support of the country , in so far as it extends the franchise , enlarges small constituencies , dispenses with the property qualification for members of Parliament , and abolishes distinctive oaths ; and that no Ministry that docs not accept these provisions as the minimum of parliamentary reform which it is prepared to give to the people , is entitled to tho confidence and support of the country . "
Mr . George Dawson seconded tho motion . After several speeches , Mr . Alderman Baldwin moved an amendment in favour of universal suffrage , shortening tho duration of Parliament , and tho ballot . This amendmont was eventually carried , and a petition founded upon it was adopted .
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REPEAL OF THE TAXES ON KNOWLEDGE . St . Matitin ' 8 Ham was quite full by half-past seven o ' clock oh Wednesday evening , at tho annual public meeting of tho Association for the Repeal of tho Taxes on Knowledge . Hundreds wore unable to obtain admission , and they shrioked for ' *« more room , " in such an obstreperous manner as to disturb tho proceedings during the first half-hour . At eight o ' clock , tho Right Honourable T . Milnor Gibson , M . P ., tho ProBidont of tho Association , was called to tho chair . He obsorvod , that it would havo been very appropriate if they could havo prevailed upon somo eminent literary man to take tho chair . Applications had boon mado to sovoral authors of celebrity , and ho would road tho replies that
had been received from two of them—Mr . Douglas Jerrold and Mr . Leigh Hunt : — - West Lodge , Putney Lower Common , February 25 th , 1852 . Dear Sib , —Disabled by an accident from personal attendance at your meeting , I trust I may herein be permitted tq express my heartiest sympathy with its . great social purpose . -. , " _ . That the fabric paper , Newspapers and Advertisements , should be taxed by any Government professing paternal yearnings for the education of a people , defies the argument of reason . Why not , to help the lame , and to aid the short-sighted , lay a tax upon crutches , and enforce a duty upon spectacles ?
I am not aware of the number of professional writers— - of men who live from pen to mouth—flourishing this day in merry England ; but it appears to me , and the notion to a new Chancellor of the Exchequer —( I am happy to say one of " my order ; " of the goose-quill , not of the heron ' s plume)—may have some significance ; why not enforce a duty upon the very source and origin of letters ? Why not have a literary poll-tax—a duty upon books and " articles" in their rawest material ? Let every author pay for his licence , poetic or otherwise . This would give a wholeness of contradiction to a professed desire for knowledge , when existing with taxation of its material elements . Thus the exciseman , beginning with authors ' trains , would descend through rags , and duly end with paper . tious and
The professed tax upon news is cap arbitrary ; arbitrary , I say , for what is not news ? A noble lord makes a speech : his rays of intelligence , compressed like Milton ' s fallen angels , die in a few black rows of thin type ; and this is news . And is not a new book news ? Let Ovid first tell us how Midas laid himself down , and —private and confidential—whispered to the reeds , " I have ears 1 " and is not that news ? Do many noble lords , even in Parliament , tell us anything newer ? The tax on advertisements is—it is patent—a tax even upon the industry of the very hardest workers . "Why should the Exchequer waylay the errand-boy , and oppress the maid-ofrall-work' ? Wherefore should Mary-Anne be made to disburse her eighteen-pence at the stamp-office , ere she can show her face in print wanting a place ,
although to the discomfiture of the first-created Chancellors of the Exehequer , the spiders ? la conclusion , I must congratulate the meeting on the advent of the- new Chancellor of the Exchequer , the Right Hon . Benjamin Disraeli , who is the successful man of letters . He has ink in his veins . The gbosequill—let gold and silversticks twinkle as they may—leads the House of Commons . Thus , I feel confident that the literary instincts of the Right Honourable gentleman will give new animation to the coldness of statesmanship , apt to be numbed by tightness of red tape . We are , I learn , early taught to despair of the Right Honourable gentleman , because he is allowed to be that smallest of things , " a wit . " Is arithmetic for ever to be the monopoly of substantial respectable dulness ? Must it be that a Chancellor of the Exchequer , like Portia ' s portrait , is only to be found in lead ?
No , sir ; I have a cheerful faith that our new fiscal minister will , to the confusion of obese dulness , show his potency over pounds , shillings , and pence . The Exchequer £ . s . d . that have hitherto been as the three witches — -the Weird Sisters—stopping ns wherever we turned , the Right Honourable gentleman will at the least transform into the Three Graces , making them , in all their salutations at home and abroad , welcome and agreeable . But with respect to the £ . s . d , upon knowledge , he will , I feel confident , cause at once tho Weird Sisterhood to melt into thin air ; and thus—let the meeting take heart with the assurance—thus will fade and be dissolved the Penny News Tax—the Errand-boys' and Maid-of-allwoika' Tax—and the tax on that innocent white thing , the Tax on Paper . With this hope , I remain , Yours faithfully , ( Signed ) Douglas Jerrold . Alfred Novello , Esq ., Sub-Treasurer to the Association for the Jcepeal qfall Taxes upon Knowledge
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Kensington , February 24 th , 1852 . To J . D . Coli / ett , Esq ., Secretary of Association for the Repeal of all ' Paxes on Knowledge . Snt , —I regret extremely , sometimes , that the state of my health prevents my attending public meetings , especially on such occasions us yours . Taxes on Knowledge appear to mo very like Taxes for tho prevention of fingerposts , or for the better encouragement of " erring and
Htmying like lost sheep . " Misdirections may be set up hero and there ; but how could it be anybody's interest , in the long run , to give wrong information , when pv ' erybody was concerned in going right ? Partial knowledge , indeed , is foolish enough to do so ; but that is the very renson why partial knowledge should bo displaced by knowledge , all-completing and universal . I am , sir , your faithful servant , Leigh Hunt .
Mr . Milner Gibson made somo observations on the present position of the question . Sometimes they woro told that those taxoa woro retained for rovonuo ; somotimes it was avowed that it was to restrain cheap newspapers . For his own part , ho believed that it waa
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Feb . 28 , 1852 . ] T H R L E AD E B . 191
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Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 28, 1852, page 191, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1924/page/3/
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