ment for another session, in order to scot-and-lot voters could not now be repeal the clauses of the Reform Bill just where they were, as they now had, which make the payment of rates a part of the qualification of voters, and which have disqualified nearly all the scot and lot voters of this populous parish.

M. Arbor was unanimously called to the chair.

to qualify themselves, to pay King's taxes as well as poor-rates due up to the 31st of July, even if the election did not take place till January. Afterwards Lord Althorp had said that scot-and-lot voters might vote as 101. householders. He (Mr. Michie) believed that it was Mr. MICHIE then proposed that the quite impossible for a new Parliament petition be adopted. He observed that to be elected with such glaring defects they had been, by the rate-paying clau- in the bill, and he had no doubt that ses of the Reform Bill, reduced from the only way to remedy the evil was to 1,796 scot-and-lot voters to the number call another session of the present Parof 153, and that it was impossible for liament, in order to get rid of these them to think of exercising their right damnatory clauses in the bill. He, as of franchise under existing circumstan- a radical reformer, would wish that all ces. They were not the only rate-taxes, rates, or rent, should be prevented payers in the same situation. He would from interfering in the right of voting. just lay before them a comparative list of the numbers who had been entitled to vote at the last election, and also of those who were now entitled to vote for the several parishes to which he would refer. He would first allude to St. George's, Hanover-square, where there were 5,144 inhabitants rated, and only twenty-two were now entitled to vote. (Great marks of disapprobation.) He had said that the scot-and-lot voters in the parish of St. John's were reduced to 153; he would still further assure them that, if the remainder were all allowed to qualify who were entitled to vote under the 101. clause, they would amount to no more than between 500 and 600. The number in that parish who paid King's taxes and poor-rates amounted to 540, and they would thus be under the necessity of paying King's taxes before they could vote, as well as the poor-rates, which they were for-polled at the election in 1818; but the merly called on to pay (Hear, hear.) number who were now entitled to vote Lord Althorp had said that the bill left amounted to no more than 22. In St. the scot-and-lot voters just as it found James's parish there were 2,884 rated them. None of the lawyers in the inhabitants; 2,066 was the extreme House of Commons had corrected him, number that ever had voted, and of these that the rates which were due must first there were only 180 qualified. In St. have been demanded; secondly, that Martin's parish there were 2,218 ratethe Reform Bill merely changed" the payers, of whom 1,748 polled in 1818, day of the election" to "the 1st of and of whom all were now disfranchised August," on which all rates and taxes except 150; and even this number must be paid. Now he (Mr. Michie) would not have been qualified had not would contend that these two positions the inhabitants upset a 2s. rate, and subwere contradictory to each other. The stituted one of is. In the parish of St.

(Cheers.) Under this bill the candidate who had the largest purse would be sure to get in for Westminster, because he had no doubt but people would give their votes if the members paid their poor-rates. (Cries of No, no, and Yes.) He was not to suppose that people had become more honest now than they were, especially when he heard Mr. Hume say that he had in his pocket 22 letters from 22 voters who were entitled to vote for the parish of St. Marylebone, declaring that, if he called in another candidate to buy their votes they would return him. (Hear, hear.) After some more observations on the non-necessity for a new power to collect the taxes, the speaker referred to his comparative list of the number of persons entitled to vote in 1818, and at present. In the parish of St. George, Hanover-square, there were 5,144 rated inhabitants: 2,271

These observations were received with the most marked demonstrations of dislike of the Hon. Member for Westminster, and the meeting with one voice called out "We won't have him again." It was then agreed that the petition should be presented by a deputation, consisting of Messrs. Arbor, Michie, Butt, Mallet, aud Powles, to Lord Melbourne, with a view to its being presented to his Majesty.

Clement there were 1,875 rate-payers; man in the room who would vote for a 1,289 voted in 1818, and now only 320 Tory; and, as for Sir J. C. HOBHOUSE, had the right of voting. In St. Ann's the man who would vote for him would parish 901 had voted out of 1,322, and deserve to be scouted from Westthere remained only 490 now qualified. minster. In St. Margaret's 1,900 paid rates, and 1,896 had polled; but there were now only 271 with the right of voting. With respect to St. John's, they were reduced to the state of a rotten borough, and every vote would be worth 100l. They had 1,796 rate-payers; 1,659 polled in 1818, and they now were reduced to 153, and it was very probable that even of this number not more than 50 would vote. The parish of St. Paul would have only 10 voters. He believed this bill, which was proposed to enfranchise half a million of people, had disfran" Ichised three times that number. The speaker concluded, amid loud cheers, by stating his opinion that the Ministers had erred from stupidity, but were still better than the Tories. He then moved To his Majesty's Justices of the Peace that the petition, which was read at for the County of Middlesex, sitting length, be adopted. at the Workhouse, of the Parish of Fulham, in the said County, on Wednesday the 29th day of August,

Mr. MOORE seconded the resolution, and believed that all other parishes would join them in petitioning against so great a grievance. He hoped that they would besiege the throne with petitions, and the King must then notice

them.

Mr. PowLES proposed that the allegation that the constituency was reduced to 153 should be expunged from the petition, as it would be declaring themselves a rotten borough, and admitting that such a view of extensive disfranchisement was correct, and could not afterwards be controverted. In allusion to the Ministers, he declared his belief that they never meant to grant an honest reform, or they would not have introduced those clauses, or divided the counties.

After a few words from Mr. WELSH, anda conversation in which it was stated Mr. Chitty had coincided with Mr. Michie as to the disfranchisement of the voters, Mr. Powles withdrew his amendment, and the motion was carried with one dissentient.

In the course of this conversation Mr. MOORE said he hoped that there was no

Thanks were heartily voted to the chairman, and the meeting dispersed.

1832.

LOCAL TAXATION.

GENTLEMEN-I have patiently waited for a summons for the highway rate, or composition money, as an opportunity of laying before you and the parish generally, what I consider to be, the abominably unjust, unfair, and oppressive conduct of the Commissioners of the Metropolis Trust towards the parish of Fulham.

It was a strange whim for the Parliament to take the management of the turnpike roads from the resident gentry, and the local magistracy of the several divisions, and place the management in the hands of members of parliament and others, the greater part of whom are, for a considerable time of the year, far distant from the metropolis, and who have no local knowledge or interest in the affair. The consequences have been severely injurious to a great part of the inhabitants of the formerly Kensington Trust, now called the First District of the Metropolis Roads.

In 1825, the Kensington Trust stood clear of debts, and with reduced tolls.

I am ready to pay the rate: but I do impeach the conduct of the surveyors, for repairing the King's private road: and I decididly say, that I am confident, that they cannot recover one single farthing of the money they have expended on that road for repairs, if their accounts are appealed against, by any rated inhabitant of Fulham.

The toll-gates were fairly and judi- riot, and placed double tolls on the ciously placed; and every one contri-productive and busy part of the combuted equally according to the use made munity; even to the poor man's ass. of the roads. The metropolitan com- Gentlemen, you will say, perhaps, (if missioners took the affair out of the you have patience to read it,) What is all hands of the then trustee, and a pretty this tirade about? It does not concern devil of a mess they have made of it as far the payment of the rate. You should as regards the parish of Fulham. The law pay that. It does not impeach the conhas given them leave at their discretion, duct of the surveyors. Fair and softly, to erect gates and toll-houses where gentlemen. they think proper; and as many gentlemen from Bedlam would have fixed them as justly and as wisely as they have done. In the exercise of their profound judgment, they have freed the most opulent parts of the trust from the payment of any toll onwards to London, and doubled the tolls of all the rest, nineteen journeys out of twenty being to I do not quarrel with the surveyors London. And, God bless us! they for what they have done. They are have thought fit, in their wisdom, to both men I respect. One of them, Mr. barricade the little dirty town of Ful- A. Dancer, was one of the Fulham ham with a turnpike gate at each end. deputation that had a conference with (And here I must remark, that one of Lord Lowther, and others of the Metrothose gates is so illegally and STUPIDLY politan Commissioners, on their own inplaced, that I engage I can fine the col-vitation; and he doubtless recollects the lector at that gute 100l. in a single day, | chastisement the ignoble Lord and his either for taking toll of me, or for re- colleagues received on that day. At fusing to take it in a CERTAIN instance. the request of several inhabitants, I In 1825, the Kensington trust stood wrote a petition to the House of Comfree of debt. We are now amalgamated mons complaining of the metropolis with these pretty ignorant fellows the trust. It was given to Mr. Byng (our commissioners of the metropolis roads; county member) by Mr. Wilcox and our tolls doubled; the roads in a myself. Mr. Byng requested the Fulwretched state; and shares in a debt of ham deputation to attend a meeting of above 120,000l. Had we remained the Commissioners of the Metropolis under our former jurisdiction, we should Road, previous to his presenting the have had no debt, our roads greatly im- petition to the House of Commons; we proved, and the turnpike tolls not above acceded to it, and attended. We met one-third of their present amount. Why nothing but insult and ignorance from is not Walham Green, and the road the puppy Lord Lowther, but which I through North-end to Hammersmith, think he had his change for, except in improved and lighted? It is an im- the latter article. Our conference ended portant road. But, the truth is, the in our requesting Mr. Byng to present tolls levied on barricadoed Fulham are our petition to the House that evening, expended on the roads of those who do and to move for a committee to inquire not contribute to the tolls. The Metro- into its allegations. He presented the politan Commissioners have released petition, and moved for a committee, the estates and the tenants of the es- but had not courage to pursue it further, tates of several noblemen and other and there the matter dropped; at the wealthy persons from paying tolls on- next election for Middlesex, inquiries wards to London, and actually doubled may be made. the tolls on others. They have taken off It is said the King has given up his the tolls from the idle and the opulent, private road to the parishes. His from the gig and the nobleman's cha- Majesty cannot give it up

nor the

parishes take it without an Act of Parliament to authorise them to do it.

Gentlemen, I am contending, (humbly situated as I am) for a public benefit. I have no private interests to serve. But I will not be satisfied until the Metropolitan Commissioners take the King's Road and the New Road from Brompton Lane to Hammersmith Bridge into their keeping, at the same time to equalize the tolls, or resign us to our old masters of the Kensington trust. I am, gentlemen, most obediently Your humble servant,

THOS. POYNTER.

GAME-PRESERVING BISHOP. (From the Welshman, 31st August.) DESPERATE AND FATAL AFFRAY.- Ou Friday last, a number of poachers having shown themselves in the vicinity of the moor called Stanhope-hope, in Weardale, they were cautioned against shooting there by Fenwick, principal gamekeeper to the Bishop of Durham, and they agreed to withdraw. No sooner, however, had Fenwick entered upon the moor, and the consequence was a quarrel, and subthan the poachers made their appearance, sequently a fight. Fenwick defended himself gallantly against a superior force, until overpowered by numbers, when he was knocked down, and held upon the ground by his assailants. Some of the watchers and other as-istants soon came to his relief, and while one of the latter, named William

List of the present Head Scavengers of Holmes, who had mastered one of the poach

the Metropolis Roals.

1 Duke-Portland.

2 Earls-Essex, Verulam.

2 Barons-Dacre, Bexley, formerly Commissioners of Scotch Herrings, 3 Lords by courtesy- Lowther, Duncannon, Belgrave.

3 Baronets-T. Baring, J. Sebright, H. Parnell.

ers, was kneeling over him, another poacher, named John Price, came behind, and with a dreadful blow with the butt-end of his gun, literally smashed in the back part of Holmes's skull. Price, in his turn, was severely wounded by a watcher, and taken into custody. morning, and has since been committed on He was brought to Durham jail on Saturday the Coroner's warraut on a charge of wilful murder, the unfortunate man Holmes having died while undergoing the operation of trepauning.-Durham Advertiser.

12 Nominal Esquires-Nicolas Calvert, James Broggen, Davies Gilbert, but who are M. P.'s; Thomas Wood, William Heygate, George H. Sumner, John My readers, pray read the following Maberly, Frankland Lewis, Right carefully. It is good, real good stuff.

Hon. J. W. Croker, William
Holmes, William Henry Trant,
Sheldon Cradock.

8 The members for London, West-
minster, and Middlesex, for the
time being.

London-Matthew Wood, Wm.
Thompson, Wm. Venables.
Middlesex-George Byng, Joseph

Hume.

Westminster-Sir. F. Burdett, Sir J. C. Hobhouse. 16 Commoners not Esquires-Sampson Hanbury, Wm. Hobson, Rob. Ashton, James Clitherow, James Copeland, Daniel Mildred, James Deans, R. L. Jones, John Carrick, Edmund Treherne, Richard Hen. Cox, John J. Austin, Archibald Campbell, William Day, Richard Carpenter, Alexander Milne. 47 None of them knowing how to use a pick-axe or shovel.

W. C.

WARWICKSHIRE ELECTION.

(Birmingham Journal, 1st September)

On Saturday last, Dempster Heming, Esq. made a public entry, as a candidate for the northern division of the county of Warwick, sion he delivered the following speech, exinto the town of Nuneaton; on which occapressive of his principles on the great question of reform :

Gentlemen and Fellow-townsmen,-The have this day received from you, is amongst warm-hearted and cordial reception which I the most agreeable and gratifying events of my life. I am not so vain as to attribute the marks of approbation I have this day met ascribe them to the noble cause I am come with to my own merits. No, gentlemen, I here to espouse, and to the conviction in your minds that in supporting me, you are supporting a man who will strenuously exert himself to procure for you, and the people of England, all the beneficial fruits which they expect to derive from a reformed Parliament.

I consider we have now arrived at the first

stage of the Reform Bill, and in this stage ductive of great evils to England, inasmuch you, the electors, are the actors. That bill is as out of this class of men the members for to produce such an alteration in Parliament counties, with very few exceptions, have been as will accomplish a redress of grievances, the elected. Born to large estates, they are geremoval of abuses, and the restoration of the nerally nursed on velvet; they acquire no rights of the people, which have been so long professional, no practical knowledge; they usurped by the boroughmongers. In order to do not mix in the bustle of the world; and, iu effect these and other beneficial objects in a short, they are an exclusive race of men; yet, reformed Parliament, it is essential to attend unfortunately for England, this has been the to the recommendation inscribed on one of class into whose hands the representation of the flags I now see before me, I mean "Pu- the country has for the most part fallen. If rity of Election;" for without it, it is impos- a proof of the unfitness of primogeniture men sible to secure the return of right sort of men to legislate for the people is wanting, I might to Parliament, and without them what good refer you to the House of Lords: but I must is to be expected? Money per se ought not not wander on this occasion out of the other to be a qualification of a member of Parlia- house of Parliament, a retrospect of which ment; for if enormous expenses be again per-will abundantly substantiate my proposition, mitted at elections, the old abuse of making that hereditary property generally unfits men money a test of fitness will recur. Gentlemen, for the business of statesmen. Gentlemen, is I could, it I had chosen, have long ago ob- it possible to believe, that if the members for tained a seat in Parliament, through one or the counties had been fit and equal to the disother of the rotten boroughs, as a representa- charge of the trust reposed in them by the tive for a parcel of wretches, who having sold people of England, that a tax so suicidal to themselves to me, cared not a straw whether the land as the malt tax, would ever have been or not I sold them in return., (Cheers.) Inas-imposed upon the country?-that taxation much, therefore, as I despised such means of would have been allowed by them to go on obtaining a seat in Parliament, so shall I esti-increasing and increasing, till at last it has mate in the same proportion the value of being returned by such noble and kind-hearted men as are now before me. (Applause.) A great deal has been said and written about pledges; I will not now discuss the merits of that question generally, but I cannot but ask you one question, and that is this:-Should we have obtained the Reform Bill if the people had not required pledges at the last election? (Cries of No, no.) Then, gentlemen, I advise you not to give your vote to any candidate who will not distinctly pledge himself to vote for the repeal of the Septennial Act and a return to triennial Parliaments. It is absurd to talk of a reformed Parliament, till that unconstitutional invasion of the people's rights, the extending the duration of Parliament from three to seven years, be remedied. (Cheers.) Therefore, I repeat again to you and the other electors, require a pledge for a repeal of the Septennial Act, than which there never was a more flagrant infringement on the rights of the people. When we had triennial Parliainents, the people had a certain degree of control over their representatives; but in the time of George the Second, the duration of Parliament was extended, as 1 before mentioned, and this extended duration of Parliament is one of the main causes of the long and continued misgovernment of this country, because from that time it ceased to have any sympathy with the people, and popular opinion ceased to have any control over it. I stated a short time ago, that wealth and large property was not a certain criterion for a man's being fit for Parliament; and by the way of elucidating my meaning, I will shortly advert to the law of primogeniture which prevails in this country, by which all the real property devolves upon the eldest son; and this law, in its operation, I conceive to have been pro

become so excessive as to be absolutely unendurable any longer? (Cheers.) To this cause, gentlemen, namely, the sending of unfit men as members of counties, I also ascribe in part the misgovernment of the country. But if Parliament will grant to us triennial Parliaments, and an extension of the elective franchise to all householders, the evils and mischiefs which have resulted from the law of primogeniture, I think, would for the future be prevented. I have just alluded to excessive taxation, and that, in my mind, is always coupled with what is called the national debt. (Cheers.) I think this is a misnomer, aud as I like to call things by their proper names, we will, if you please, call it the debt of the boroughmongers. (Great cheering.) This debt began in the reign of King William, who has been called the deliverer; and a pretty deliverer he was, for he delivered the people of England into the clutches of Jews, jobbers, money-dealers, and tax-collectors. (Laughter and applause.) We have been told byone statesman, that property has accumulated in large masses and in few hands; and by another statesman, that the people of England must be content to eat dear bread as long as they continue to pay the dividends of the national debt. I ask, gentlemen, if property has thus accumulated in large masses and in few hands, why not tax those large masses and those few bands, instead of wringing the money from the labour and industry of the country? (Applause.) The Duke of Wellington had boasted that 6,000,000l. of taxes were repealed in his administration; but I ask you, what benefit have any of you derived from this boasted relief? (Cries of None, none.) Well then, it shows they began at the wrong end; they should have repealed the taxes that press on labour and the necessaries of life. (Applause.)