6 APRIL 1867, Page 2

Both Mr. Gladstone and the Chancellor of the Exchequer have

received deputations this week from the Reform League. The former persuaded the working men not to make any demonstra- tion on Good Friday, and said something to soften the extreme and almost frantic objection of a Mr. Western to giving the franchise to savings' bank depositors. Savings' bank depositors were, said Mr. Western, "intensely selfish," and "took no interest in Trade movements." He seemed, indeed, rather in favour of ex- pressly disfranchising savings' bank depositors, as such, for their intense selfishness. In the interview with Mr. Disraeli, who received the deputation from the Reform League in place of Lord Derby, who was ill, a Mr. Mantle, eloquent working man, promised Mr. Disraeli and his colleagues,— " Raise us to the rank of citizens, and we shall raise you to the rank of heroes; lower us to the level of serfs, and history will not speak with that respect which we should desire of men who had a great opportunity and would not use it,"—a vague promise of conditional glory or disgrace, which did not produce any great impression on the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Mr. Disraeli devoted himself to showing the working men that there were very influential people opposed to their claims, and that, as "professors -of extreme opinions," they could not expect to have it all their Own way.