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The Working Men's Association had a public dinner on Wednes- day, at the White Conduit House. There were about four hundred working men present. Among the guests, were Mr. O'Connell, Mr. Leader, Mr. Roebuck, Mr. Wakley, Mr. J. Fielder), Mr. Hindley, and Colonel Thompson ; who were also the principal speakers. We have only room for two or three extracts from the speeches.
In giving the toast of " The People," Mr. Roebuck (whom the truth-telling newspapers had sent to Canada about a month since) said— is definition of universal marl-ere was, that every inhatitard arrived at leafs of discretion, and iimainted with crime, should possess a voice in the election of Itepre• aentatives to govern them This was a ride which he had adopted us his political greed, not because he believed the People were immaculate-hot because he was in elined ever to sacrifice his own opinions to the opinions of a majority-but because he believed there were no other meatus of funning 11 government that could bring out the welfare or the People in the same degree. Dirt they believe a got...run...1d emanntiug entirely from the People would commit no mistake? Did they belb te that, though each indieninal was fallible. neverillekha that when congregated into masses they Miele infailible? Not at all. Ile. lor his part, had bo belief in the infallibility of ;thy por- tion of the human race, Did he then wt,,t, to i„,. the 14,01!e power because I.e be- lieved Girt mould r.eyer do mm oug Far from it. The history of all times told Owm that tt majority was generally in time wrong. But was that a reason why they Jambi throw politico power in the hands Lf the minority, who had a direct iuterest is doing wrong' The great mbfference between a ropalar and an Alistecrattcal government was this, that the one had a direct intere•t in doing wrong, and the other in dual, right. He believed if they had a Popular governmeut tomorrow, they would tteryl iiroliality go writhe; but they would go wrong because they did not know the right path. and Lot because they did not desire to follow it. The people of England, when they desired an object, knew well how to obtain it— It might then be asked, why had they not universal stiffrage? why had they not a popular Government ?-I was because they lout not attained to the knowledge they were requisite to their happiness. They might blame the Aristocracy • they might talk aboot the factions or tt legs nod' ulles; but the taitit lay with the Aristocracy; they themselves. Let uo now blia,d and delude himself with the notion that the Amisto• evict kept them down. No such thing : they were dawn became they would crawl. Colonel Thompson (whose whereabout we had lost sight of for the last tw o months) eommeneed one of his terse, well-compacted speeches,. by a quaint but startling question- • ' Mr.rhairman. have you yot a bag wig? (iore,hter.) I promised, in a remote part of the country to ask you this question; aim bow I wilt show lam it hears upon the present subject. ft is as y know, a long time since suspicions crossed my mind that all ens not right in high places; and these were mach confirmed, when I saw course the Whig Miiii.tm y had chosen to adopt towards the winking classes. Think only. that on the acre. ion era Prince.. %ming, ignorint, itancent. the M.nisters of the Citron could do nothing in the way of intrieliwing her to the lutist numerous, nee therefore, in one sense. the MORI cl,s. of her lieges, except throwing in their face: what had leer of Alonamolly, ,,nri compounding out of them what had all the apt eatance (la premeditated insult I Such had been their most suspici. us policy ; but what had Lappetusl willful the last eight•atut forty hours, had hutted speculation 'btu certainty, ail shout those klinisters •1S the deit.IMISSII 0111.ot'lrta Or all the hopes and expectation. of the working classes. For the with- drawal or Het veil our alhanks were die-. The reasons assigned also laid as under ohligatii.n ; for they afforded us some !milks or our future conduct. It apiwared the great argument was that or the schoolboy, w Imo refused to learn A because he knew he 01004 he made to learn Ii next Meet this, by avowing openly, that as yon never expect to gain numb at once, so y never intend that ant thing you gain at once, shall satisfy you. Declare plainly, tlmat you 11 Ice no conti.leuce in what one or another party is to do for you; hut that you int. ml. by dint or your own exertions, to create a twrpetttal deniauil for progressive impunetneuts. and bequeath it to your posterity." Mr. Leader thought there was no use in keeping up the distinction of IVhig and Tory— The teal fact was. that the Whig party committed suicide the other night. As a panty, the W-higs were now extinct. If they had not openly coalesced with the Turin, he would venture to say that very few meeks or even days would elapse belbre they would see a coalition. Let him then hear nothing more about Whigs and Tories: the only parties now were the Aristocracy and the Democracy. He eutifes•eil he for one was not sorry that this distinction had been draw n. Ile had no fear of what the 'rode, could do against the People. lie gm :eyed to say that they might do mischief in Ireland, but he trusted red the people of this country would not support them in inflicting injmistice upon Ireland.
Mr. Hindley, M. P., considered Toryism as utter darkness ; Whig. gism as the first dawning of day; but Radicalism as the brightness of the noon-day sun !
Again, lie considered Toryism as a typo 0' e departure from Egypt ; Whiggism type of the passage of the Red Sea ; and ttailicalian as the Land or Canaan, to which they were fast approaching.
Mr. Wakley recommended organization— Let the non-electors in every parish form an association, to be called "The Franchise or Suffrage Association:" and let them cheose a Vice-President from amongst their own neighbours. Let them subscribe price-for pence would be amply sufficient, as it was not necessary for is farthing to go out of the parish. Let them Own elect a Pre. sident. Ile would suggest that the President shout I he a Member of the House of Commons ; and, if tuts:Sage, that the Member representing the place should he chosen. Such a society mould not come within the Statute against Corresponding Societies. A party thus tanned in the House of Commons. acting together and representing the great mass of the people, would two a weight which no Government could resist in the attainment or just rights.
Mr. O'Connell said, be used to avow himself a Whig. Radical • but he was a Whig-Radical no longer. He was now simply a Radical; and be would tell at once why he threw off the adjunct....
10411 John Russell had told them the other night, that it was intended by the Reform Bill to vise mote power to the counties of England than to the towns. How had the county constituencies repaid him? They had sent au immense majority or Members to oppose his policy; indeed they had drown themselves the most ungrateful consti. Wu ndt... that ever existed. (.4 voice in the TOWS cried out They tin not oppose his policy!") Hid they Lot oppose his polic vim] Ireland? It might be considered exceed. 'ugly selfish, but he could not overlook the interests of Ireland.
Mr. O'Connell contended that the Whigs were infinitely better for Ireland than the Tories ; and, though the doctrine seemed rather unac- ceptable at first, he went on to illustrate it with such power—blending his argument for the Whigs with such felicitous illustrations and artful appeals to true popular sympathies—that his reception on the whole was most cordial, recalling the memory of' what it had usually been in large meetings before the days of the Whig. Radical " compact."
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