The members of the Wandsworth Reform Registration Society bad a
meeting on Monday evening, at Wandsworth ; Mr. Hawes, M.P., in the chair. Mr. Hawes, says the Globe, " appeared to sanction opinions rather more sweeping and extensive than we had been in the habit of attributing to him." Indeed, Mr. Hawes must be a terrible Radical : only read what he said about the Ballot and the amendment Of the Reform Act !— He feared that before the Reformers succeeded, they must adopt some of the weapons used by their opponents : for instance, if the Tories employed attornies, the Reformers must do so likewise. Whilst the system of unprotected voting existed,—whilst it was not possible for a man to give his vote without remark or without injury,.—they could not, in his opinion, succeed unless they took a leaf out of the book of their opponents. Lord Melbourne had declared, no doubt on good authority, that as long as his Government was supported by a majority of the House of Commons, he would continue at the bead of the affairs of the country ; but unless the Government were supported by a majority of the people out of doors, they would soon lose the small majority they had within. He did not know whether those whom he had the honour of addressing went so far as lie did on the subject of the Ballot; but all would admit that electors ought to have an opportunity of voting according to their consciences, without injury to them in their business. Let those who did not like the Ballot find out some other means of effecting that desirable object. He did not say that the Ballot was the only means; he did not say that it was the best ; he simply called on the parties objecting to it to point out another system that was better. Mr. Grote's plan would effectually secure secret voting. * He believed that every Liberal now felt that the Reform Act must itself undergo a reform—they must certainly have a change in that Act. At present it woiked for their opponents, and against themselves. What was the present position of the Reform party? They had scarcely a majority to work with, though the late election took place under the favourable auspices of a Reform Government being in power, and its being known that the Queen was favoutable to the Reform principle. How W43 their situation under the circumstances to be accounted for ? He attributed it to the great power given by the Reform Act to the landed aristocracy, who were thus enabled to sap the virtue of the counties and the small agricultural towns. • • * He could not help coming to the conclusion that the Reformers were in a worse position than they were after the election of the first Reform Parliament, owing to their apathy ; and that the example of such apathy was set them by the Government itst which consequently lost the confidence If the People. By their timidity or indifference, they discouraged their friends and encouraged their enemies : if they had pursued a bolder course, their enemies would have been dispirited and the confidence of their friends would have been much greater.
Mr. Hawes was wont to be a great favourite with the Globe; but in faun , that Ministerial organ will be rather cautious in praising a gen. tleman who, having discovered the cause of the Liberal defeat, lays the blame of it on the right shoulders.
There was a meeting at the King's Arms, Pimlico, on Monday night, about the Dorchester labourers. The proceedings were very itnperfectly reported in the Ministerial papers ; according to which all went Off smoothly ; but a correspondent of the lilorning Post (whose statement also must be received with some allowance) says— Resolution was carried after resolution—each unanimously—execrating the treacherous and bloody Whigs ; speaker followed speaker, instil the whole vocabulary of disgust was exhausted iu describing the unsavoury odour of the *elfish crew at the head of affairs. One very intelligent man—albeit a Radical —tploterl with singular felicity the speech of the Irish Demagogue delivered at the Dorchester bauquet ; which afforded rather an astounding contrast to the loathing adulations which are at present bestowed upon her Majesty's Ministers by that unprincipled mendicant with 1010111 they are now so noxiously leagued. All this was applauded by the meeting to the very echo : and yet what was the conduct pursued next morniug by the menial scribes who so unblushingly strut in the tawdry livery of Dowuing Street, laying all the while peculiar claims to honesty and patriotism ? Why, their columns presented a mere garbled repot t of thc proceedings unaecompauied by a single syllable unmet for Whiggish ear."
Mr. Buckingham gave his farewell lecture on Monday evening, at the Crown and Anchor. The subject was the " Reform of the Reform Act ; " which did not prove attractive, as not snore than eighty or a hundred persons were present. The tickets of admission were
a shilling each. Persons were employed distributing bills about the room with the following announcement
" A few copies remain of a biographical sketch of Mr. Buckingham, in. eluding the principal events of his life and travels by sea and land, over a period of many years, especially in the countries of the East ; in three separate editions. These may be had at the door, price 6d., Is., and 2s. each."
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