Eby etTOPHIHt NATIONAL UNION. —There was an extraordinary meeting of the
members of the National Union on Thursday,—Mr. Hume in the chair,—with a view to discuss the propriety of addressing a memorial to the King, praying to take the necessary constitutional measures to insure the passing of the Reform Bill umnutilated, and also of petition- ing the House of Lords to the same effect. Mr. Hume noticed the progress which the Bill had made from the time that he had last met with the members of the Union. He remarked on the conditions under which that-progress had been made—on the declaration of the moderate Reforming Peers, that if the Bill were not greatly altered in Com- mittee, they would even yet turn round and vote its rejection— Though diffi•ring from Ministers in many points, he was one of those who thought it necessary to give undivided confidence to his Majesty's Ministers in bringing forward this great measure, and to waive any minor differences of opinion. He could not, there- fore, wish that any expression should fall from him which might be construed into want of confidence in Lord Grey. Still, be could not but regret that the course Which that ' Minister had thought proper to take, was not that bold and decided course which it would have been his best policy to have adopted. There was Earl Grey with the People at his back, with the Sovereign at his elbow ; and thus supported, good God! what had Lord Grey and his Majesty's Ministers to fear from the fraction of the Nobility opposed to them ? It was their policy to have taken a more decided course. There was nothing which struck more terror and dismay into the minds of the Tories, than the eirciim- stance of the King's coming down at a few hours' notice, and dissolving in person that Parliament which had opposed itself to the declared wishes of the nation. If, after the rejection of the Bill in the Lords by a majority of 41, the next morning's Gazette had contained a list of sixty new Peers, created for the purpose, the whole Bill would have been passed long ere this. (Great cheering.) The Ministers had thought differently. They might, perhaps, have adequate reasons for the course which they had thought proper to pursue; but it was the duty of the people of England to prove, that in them there had been no change—that their opinion remained unaltered—that they were still determined to have Reform—that they would have all that the House of Commons had granted—that they would not be satisfied with one iota less. (Enthusiastic cheering.) To those who had any objection to the creation of Peers, he would address a few words. Almost during his own life—at least, from the commencement of the reign of George the Third to that of William the Fourth—no less than 360 Peers had been created. Of these, 330 had been Tory Peers, made by the dominating power—for what purpose, but for the purpose of carrying measures not merely not consistent with, but actually opposed to, the interests of the public ? If, therefore, the Tories had made 300 Peers and upwards, to carry measures opposed to the wish of the nation, he appealed to their common sense, whether any Minister should have hesitated to create Peers to any number, for the sake of carrying a measure which a whole nation united in demanding. Lord Grey was too much afraid of the power opposed to him. He had only to act with firmness, and the opposition to him in the House of Peers would be dissolved as rapidly as the Anti-Reforming party was dissolved hi the Lower House, by an appeal to the People at a general election.
Mr. D. Wakefield junior, Major Revell, and Mr. Murphy, moved
the resolutions on which the address to the King was to be founded ; and Messrs. Fox, Place, and Wakefield, were appointed to draw it up. The resolutions are as follows-
" That this Union seizes this opportunity of declaring to the People, that although the principle of Reform has been recognized by the House of Lords, it has no confi- dence that that Noble House will pass the Reform Bill, unless the opinion of English- men be universally and energetically expressed upon the subject. "That if any alteration be made in the enfranchising. the disfranchising, or the 101. clauses of the Bill, the meeting will esteem such an alteration a direct attack upon the principles of the measure, and resist it by every legal means in their power."
The petition to the House of Lords, which was moved by Mr. E. Perry, runs thus-
-That in the hope 'the Bill for Amending the Representation of the People in Eng land and Wales,' now before your Lordships, would become law in the same state in which it passed the House of Commons, your petitioners have endeavoured to persuade, and to a considerable extent have succeeded in persuading, the ardent and honest advo- cates of more extended suffrage than is thereby provided, to unite in support of that measure as a whole.
" That your petitioners submit to your Lordships, that a mutilation of any of the provisions of the Bill which tend to secure an extension of the elective franchise, will produce consequences as fatal as those which wouldassuredly follow the rejection of the Bill.
" That in either case there is reason to expect that a cessation of the payment of taxes will take place ; that other obligations in society will be disregarded ; and that the ul- timatc consequence may be the utter extinction of the privileged orders. "That to prevent these calamities, and to promote a peaceful and effectual Reform, your petitioners pray that your Lordships will pass the Bill, for Amending the Repre- sentation of the People. unmutilated and without delay."
The resolutions and petition were carried unanimously. A Mr.. Lockhart proposed a resolution in favour of universal suffrage and vote by ballot, but only two hands were held up in favour of it.
The gentlemen who manage the Westminster Purity-of-Election dinner, have postponed the celebration of it until after the third reading of the Bill. The reason assigned is their entire confidence in his Majesty's Ministers. The real reason is, their entire want of con- fidence in his Majesty's subjects. It was easy to be seen, that if the dinner was held before the fate of the Bill was ascertained, it would be the very reverse of a pleasant one. The postponement was, there- fore, judicious. We are glad, at the same time, that Sir Francis retains an assured hope of the Bill's passing ; we trust that neither he nor his constituents will be disappointed.
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