22 OCTOBER 1831, Page 6

REACTION. — The number of places and districts that have met and

remonstrated on the subject of the rejection of the Bill, beats our anti'. metie : the list for a single day, in one of tl:e papers of the week, con- tains oni Imndred names, with an " &c." at the end of them.

Among the more marked signs of the times, is the feeling displayed by several corps of yeomanry cavalry. These have ever been held to form the strong hope of Buroughamongeriem, if the dispute between it anti its victims should come to be settled by an appeal to the ultima ratio. In future, the system must lean upon some other prop. The rst Doncaster troop, %Odell forms one of twelve of the regiment com- manded by Lord Wharneliffe, has addressed his Lordship in the follow- ing terms:

•• As stanch advocates for the Bill of Reform (as passed by the Commons' House tif Parliament), being anxious to continue our services to our country at this fearful crisis of the nation's affairs, we feel we cannot ecm,ktently continue those services under the command of one so diametrically opposed to our sentiments and the best interests of our country. We therefore respectfully hoi,e, that when your Lord- ship perceives that you have forfeited the confidence of your troops, you will also perceive the propriety of resigniaZ the command, that onr services, however ineffi- cient, may be continued under the command of another, wi.ose sentiments and -wishes are more in unison with our own, as well as with those of the great majority of the nation."

This is plain speaking. Each of the other elevea troops, says the Lec•is Mercy/ea is about to address to his Lordship a similar remon- etremme.

Even the Cumberland Yeomanry, which have hitherto figured rather :as a body guard for the Earl of Lonsdale than as a public corps, are, it is eaid, actuated by similar sentiments.

The senthnents expressed by the Yeomanry are not confined to that description of force alone. "On :Monday het," says the York Herald, " when the rejection of that Reform Bill WaS made publicly known at Beverley, tlu: East York Militia, now upon duty, at their afternoon parade, put oranae cockades in their caps, as a token of their approval of the Bill."

In Scotland, the assemblages of the people have been conducted with a degree of spirit, enthusiasm, and good order, which dues credit to the " perfervid" nation.

The mail which carried the news to Perth arrived at tell o'clock in the evening; before midnight a requisition was signed and delivered to the Chief Magistrate of the borough ; and by the following noon, there were, it is calculated, about 10,000 individuals—an entire moiety of the population—assembled in the adjoining meadow of the Inch, ready to throw up their hats and bonnet: for the Reform Bill and Reform Bill.

The town of Dundee met on the day after the news reached that busy, tussling borough. The meetime was held in the largest church of the town; which is calculated to have been crammed on the occasion by not less than 3,000 men, one-third more than its estimated complement. Prevost Lindsay, who was lately chesen by the spontaneous voices of Lis townsmen, presided. The worthy Provost and his colleagues in the magistraey, did not wait for the ceremony of a requisition, but, know- Mg the sentiments by which time people were inspired, called them at once together, in order to give them expression. There is both vigour awl originality in the straightforward :anguage of these sturdy burghers. Prevost Lindsay and Bailie Boxier very ably stated the ease for the lefople. Mr. Christie, a banker of Dundee, observed, that time Ministry "had not lost confidence in the King, and he trusted that the King had Tint lost confidence in his Ministers. Forty-one individuals had stood letween the King and the people—a set of base oligarchs, whose Fewer would be short-lived. Twenty-one Bishops, too, had set their faces against the People, and helped to make up the number of forty-one. The Bishops must 71.) longer he livislators ; for his own Fart, he thought they should never have been so. Their doom, however, was fixed. "The Bill" was now overdue, and must bear intercst from the dale of Ilw 7eftoial, and the interest he hoped would be put upon the backs of the Bishops." They are terrible fellows, these Presbyterian Reformers ! Mr. :11ilae, another of the speakers, took up the same argument. The Bishops, said he, "are unworthy of a place amongst British legislators, on ecomma of their incorrigible antipathy to good laws and cheap government ; and / most fervently hope that the first proceedings of a Reformed Parliament will be to pass a bill depriv- ing these men of their present high fimctions. At this crisis, they have

stepped forward as the avowed snpporters of acknowledged abuses and

the determined enemies of all political improvement. 'Will you tolerate this state of things ?" (Cries of " no!") One of the crowd, a

weaver, and, as he stated, an old soldier, expressed a strong desire for a procession composed of delegates from the different towns to carry up their addresses to the King, " in an orderly and soldier- Ere manner." This zealous friend to the march of Reform argued

atronelv that if a man wished to succeed in his prayers to Majesty, he .

remst deliver them in person—" He begged the meeting to look to the 7esnit of the petitions which had been sent up from Dundee in favour of the boys sentenced to be transported for rioting at the illumination : the petitions had produced no effect; but when a poor widow woman, the mother of one of the boys, went up to London in person, she obtained her object. Not only Dundee, hut every town in the kingdom, should send sap a deputation on the occasion. As Jethro said to Moses, the people 3hardil assemble by fifties, by hundreds, and by thousands; and let captains le appointed to preserve order and discipline. He was an old soldier him- self, and knew well the benefits ef organization. If the higher classes of aociety would take the lead in this business, he was sure that the work- ing classes would manfully turn out. He for one was ready to march. Baying fought in former days for a couple of Kings, he was now mer- lons to do something on his own account." (Laughter and cheers.) It is not a little surprising, that the rejection of the Reform Bill should have excited, apparently, little attention in the great town of alasgow—after the numerous notices of black flags and processions with NrIeteh the provincial journals teemed some weeks ago. We do not learn that even a meeting has taken place. If this quietude proceed from apathy, the people of Glasgow must have been strangely misrepresented heretofore. The Glasgow Chronicle speaks of a civic guard of the re- spectable householders as having been talked of ; but for what purpose, unless to provoke attack by a show of defence; it would not be easy to discover. The Cdasgow Courier, in noticing the first arrival of the news of the rejestion, said it was hailed by the operatives with a shout of de- light : if so, the operatives are a set of idiots. We imagined that Hunt's balderdash had been confined in its influence to Parliament and Preston, and that it would seek in vain for credit or currency in any- assembly where men retained the faculty of thiaking.

Blume, emen.—The :1ferchants' meeting took place, as was appointed, on Wednesday. It was held at Mr. Beardsworth's Repository, the room at l'ea's Hee el being inadequate to contain a fourth part of the persons (about 10,000) who assembled on the occasion. Resolutions of can& dence in illinisters, of continued attachment to the Bill, in favour of a creatien of Peers, aud of the disqualification of the Bishops as lords of Parliament, were unanimously passed.

From the speeches we can afford to make but one extract. It is from that of Mr. Joieph Parkes in moving a resolution calling on his Majesty to create new peers. Mr. Parkes said—" What was the fact ?—That the House of Lords had thrown out the Bill ; that this successful exploit, thus far safely accomplished, would embolden them to repeat their des- perate resolution. He would call their attention to the numbers of the division. The House of Lords consisted of 4e1 Peers, and 109 voted against time second reading of the Bill ; 158 voted in favour ; 64 Peers did not vote at all ; of the latter number 20 might be absentees, insane, and minors. Therefore, there were 40 disaffected to the Bill, who did not vote. Now it was notorious that, of the minority, many Peers voted for the second reading who were inimical to the principle of the Bill, and who would have opposed its details in Committee. Thus, in fart, only about one-fourth of the Peerage was sincerely in our favour. Deny this glemny fact who may—deceive the people in hiding it who might, he would not be a party to the delusion. How was such a criti. cal situation to be overcome ? Would intrigue, corruption, fear, con. victian—would any other causes or motives, operate in the short inter- regnum of the prorogation to reduce this formidable majority of their opponents ? Would they not be entheidened by their impunity ? Voumld they not again combine and intrigue e hen Parliament again assembled ? Would not the Bill be again thrown out—or, more probably, be smothered or torn in pieces, and rendered useless in Committee? He again repeated, that he would not delude the people. There were but two numdes of carrying this measure—by constitutional means, or by means not strictly constitutional ; in other words, he told them it could only 1:c carried by more Peers or fewer." (Loud cheers) After noticing that though consonant with the letter, the jurisdiction of the Lords over the rights of the Commons was inconsistent with the spirit of the con. stitution, he added—" If new Peers were not made, he solemnly warned the House of Lords that the next is-mild be the last time of asking: He soleznnly warned the Government, that if it had not the energy to make the change in the represeetation required by time people, that the people would make it for themselves. Ile warned the Peers, that in proportion to the fortitude and forbearance of the people, would be the deluge of their fury and retributive justice, when they did break frosn the moorings of their patience. If any Anti-Reform Administration attacked the press, the liberties, and the lives of the people, revolution would and ought to come, and God forbid that he should be the last to join it." (Loud cheering.) The following is the resolution of the meeting respecting the Bishops : —" That in the opinion of this meeting the systematic opposition of nearly the whole corporation of Lords Spiritual to the constitutional rights of the people—of those who voted against the Bill and those who absented themselves—their rooted attachment to corrupt and corrupting institutions, and political disregard of the first principles of that holy religion of which they claim to be pre-eminently the ministers—have justly deprived them of the national respect and confidence, and will ultimately be the means of depriving them of their legislative functions."

Iaveneow. RzeanseerrasrioN.—Lord Sandon and Mr. Thorneley were nominated by their respective friends on Thursday morning. Lord San- dell is what we always thought him, a bit-by-bit Reformer ; yet, from the line of argnment he has taken up—no disfranchisement unless of very small towns—he may probably come in to swell the minority of his friends. Mr. Thorneley is a Reformer out and out.

TILE SclUIT MBETING—The meeting of time freeholders of the county of Surly on Thursday, was distinguished from all the other meetings that have been held on the subject of the Reform Bill, by a formal amendment being moved to the proposed address : it was moved by Mr. Cobbett, who had given public notice of his intention. Mr. Leach, in moving the address, remarked on the character of the Bill which had been thrown out, and particularly on the disfranchising Schedules A and B. If any bill were introduced which did not contain those sche- dules, the people wonld have a right to say that the Minister had de- serted them. He spoke in severe terms of the conduct of the Bishops; and said, if Lord Grey would act on his advice, he would bring in a short bill to exclude them from Parliament.

The Rev. Mr. Courtenay seconded the address ; but, as officially bound, deprecated, very earnestly, any attack out the Bishops.

Mr. Cobbett, after observing that the requisition made mention of the Bill that had been rejected and no other, went on to ridicule the no- tion of a "quite as efficient" measure. " Quite as efficient" might mean something or nothing. Supposing you had a pretty girl, and some one was to take her from you, and say, "Oh, I'll give you another quite as pretty," what would be your answer ? Why, to be sure you would say, "Leave me the one I have ; what the Devil, should you take her away for, if you mean to give me one quite as pretty ?" He adverted to the pledge of supporting Ministers—" How did the matter stand ? Lord Grey, when he brought in that said that he would stand or fall by it. He did not then say any thing about a quite as efficient Bill. At the last meeting that they had held at that place, the freeholders of Surry and their county members had pledge:1 themselves to the Bill, the whole Bill, and nothing but the Bill. But Lord Grey had not fallen with the Bill, which he ought to have done ; for if he had resigned his office on the Lords throwing it out, he would have been forced back again on the shoulders of the people; new Peers would have been created ; Parliament would have been prorogued for a -week ; and perhaps at that moment they would have been meeting in that very spot to return thanks for the carrying of the measure. Instead of this, Ministers were now talking of altera- tions and modifications. But, mind this, they would not tell the people what those alterations and modifications were to be. Could they believe —he did not—that Schedules A and B would be left unimpaired ? He would be content with this test : if Mr. Denison and Mr. Briscoe, the county members, would pledge themselves to abandon the Ministers if the new Bill did not contain the Schedules A and B, he would withdraw his opposition. But he knew very well that they would pledge them- selves to no such thing. They knew as well as he did that Schedules A and B would not again be presented, unless the people bestirred them- selves. Lord Grey, according to his own statement, would not recom- mend the creation of new Peers. Then how, Ise should like to know, were the Ministers to carry the same Bill with the same Peers ?" Mr. Cobbett concluded by moving his amendment ; which was the sub- stitution of another address, in which he declared that the people had no trust in any one but his Majesty:

Lord King opposed the amendment. Mr. Cobbett, his Lordship ob- served, doubted whether we were to have the same Bill again ; and he must confess that there could be no question but that there would be great difficulty in passing that Bill through, what he must, to say the least of it, call an untractable assembly. But still there was room to hope that the Bill might be so modified as to bring it forward without any real alteration, in such a shape as should save appearances with the Lords a little. For instance, one objection that had been made to the Bill was, that part of the power of Parliament was placed in the hands of Commissioners. Now, as the labours of those Commissioners were in a very forward state, it might so happen that this question could be arranged so as to embody their labours in the Bill itself : this was one modification, and it was evident that many such _might present them- selves. Mr. Cobbett had asked the members of the county to pledge themselves to Schedules A and B. He had never been more surprised or astonished than to find that any one could doubt that those schedules were to make part of the next Bill. What would the Bill be without them ? It would be a mere mockery. The Reform of the Tories was talked of as a delusion ; but this would be a grosser delusion than any Tory Reform. His Lordship afterwards observed, that this good would come out of the evil of the rejection of the Bill, that there could not now be any compromise. If the Bill had been carried by a small majority, it was very possible that the Ministers would have been forced, when it got into Committee, to yield points that were really important ; but under the present state of things this could not happen ; and not only must A and B be carried, but a great deal more.

Mr. Maberley expressed his opinion that the Parliament would not meet for the despatch of business until the middle of January.

Mr. Denison stated his willingness to pledge himself to Schedule A but he had objections to certain parts of Schedule B.

. Mr. Briscoe said he was willing to pledge himself in respect to both; but he doubted the propriety of doing so after so much had been said of pledges.

Mr. Cobbett stood at first on his right to reply to whatever had been said ; but the High Sheriff ruled that he could only reply to the objec- tions against his amendment. He was at length prevailed on, in consi- deration of what had fallen from Mr. Leach and Lord King, to forego his intention of replying, and to withdraw the amendment altogether. The original address was in =sequence carried unanimously, and by acclamation.

TREE OF REFOEM.—On Monday the 10th, the first meeting of the Aylesbury Independent Union, a club formed to commemorate and per- petuate the triumph of Reform at the last election, took place at Lord Nugent's seat of Lilies. Lord Nngent took advantage of the meeting to add to a clump of trees in front of the house, each tree of which has been planted to commemorate some political event, a fine young English yew, to mark the :era of Parliamentary Reform. In committing the plant to the earth, his Lordship said—" Centuries hence, if-this tree shall be seems still flourishing ; when those who planted it shall have been for ages forgotten, may it yet be told that this tree took root in the year when first was planted in England the law which gave free representa- tion to her people. This law it has pleased an illustrious body in the State to reject. At an untimely and ill-fated hour it pleased their Lordships to reject it. That step, mark my words, their Lordships will retrace. Before the roots of that tree shall have quickened in the ground, before it shall have put forth its earliest spring shoot, that great and glorious measure, which has been judged unworthy to be even considered in their Lordships' august committee, will have become a law of the English people."

O'Coeneera.'s Aimee TO rue Inasma—" Take my advice, and let it circulate through the land, that you never can have fair play till you are represented in Parliament, and till no taxes can be levied on you by per- sons who buy their places, and redeem the purchase-money by selling the people. Join with me now, heart and hand—for three months,- let Re- form be the word and the cry. When I have done, you will all simulta-

neously disperse. Let Reform, I say, be your watch-word—let that be your cry, and show to the world that you again deserve liberty. Trample under foot him who would separate one Irishman from the other—the man who would talk to you now of religious fends, frown into silence—he who would exasperate Protestant against Catholic, tell him he is no Christian at all. Combine one and all for Reform, for the King, and for the Ministry. Do this, and you combine together to secure the peace, liberty, and prosperity of Ireland."

PROVIDENT Poarricaues.—For a long while, you scarcely met an Irishman, at the close of autumn, with his face to the West, but he

was rejoicing in a new hat and an umbrella. Last year, the favourite articles of export were donkeys, which in Irish agriculture are rapidly supplanting mules. This year, we are informed by a commercial gentleman, who, during the last two or three weeks, has had most ex- tensive opportunities of observing their motions, that the article of ex- pott is almost invariably fire-arms of some description. The shop-

keepers on the coast of Galloway have had their stock of pistols almost generally exhausted by these customers ; and one tradesman in a little seaport was mentioned to us, who had twenty or thirty applications of the kind in-one day.— Whitehavem Herald. Isounses aesDBRIM—Three adjourned inquests were held on Monday at the Town-hall. The first on the body of John Gardner, aged seven- teen, who was shot during the late riots in front of the county gaol—. Verdict, " justifiable homicide." The second was on the body of Henry Haden, Esq., the circumstances of whose melancholy death, in conses quence of being pushed down by the mob, have been already stated. It did not appear that the violence was premeditated, and the verdict re. turned was " accidental death." The third was on the body of John who was shot in the market-place. After a long investigation, the verdict returned was "accidental death."

TORN LOYALTY.—At the Mayor's feast at Looe, a few days since, when the " King" was proposed from the Chair, several of the corpora- tors, who are placemen, turned down their glasses.—West Britiin.

RIOTS.—There were some rioting and breaking of windows at Blandford on Monday, in consequence of the issue of the election. The mob were particularly zealous against Mr. Chard, the clergy- man ; who, like the rest of his Dorsetshire brethren, has bees an active partisan of Lord Ashley. A troop of the Third Dragoons were called in, but they were not required to act. There has been some rioting at Tewkesbury, on the occasion of a piece of plate being- presented to Mr. Hanbury Tracey, the Reform candidate at the last election. The ire of the mob seems to have been called forth by a pro- cession of the corporation, and their appetites stimulated by the dinner in which the procession was meant to end. They broke into the inn, ate the dinner, aml carried off some silver spoons.