Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. SATURDAY, SEPT. 27, 1884. HOME FRANCHISE BILL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 258, 27 September 1884, Page 2

Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. SATURDAY, SEPT. 27, 1884. HOME FRANCHISE BILL.

An immense demonstration has -.-recently, taken, place, m. ;syde Park, London, m consequence of the Franchise Bill having been rejected by , the House of Lords. The gathering seems to have been under the organization of the political clubs, of which there are so many m England. In the accounts which reach as we see that these clubs alone managed to muster up some 5090 members. When the vast numbers of those who do not belong to these clubs are talfen into account, the immensity of the crowds that assembled m London on that occasion may be imagined. Banners emblazoned with short paragraphs not altogether complimentary to the Peers headed each squadron of the clubs. Some of the inscriptions were ominous, and almost suggestive of insubordination, but, curiously, the utmost order was preserved. For instance such words as •' Peers your days are numbered," and " Government ky the people," were apt to be mistaken, by those who read them and were not aware that the intentions of the people were peaceful. Such gatherings may or may nothave the desiredeffect, and most probably this particular one will not be successful, but they must riot be accepted as being totally . insignificant. Doubtless the rulers thought more than they cared tocommit to words when these crowds of human beings came out into Hyde Park en masse to shew their disapproval of the action which the Lords had taken m depriving them of the extension of the franchise. There will be indirect good, however, to be gained from the demonstration, even if the people of London do not carry the day'in precisely the manner they intended. They will, shew that there is a limit m the extent to which any one section of the community may govern the whole. The crowds only came out m a good-natured sort of j a Way this time, but, the fact of their J having come out at all is a proof that they have sufficient courage to follow their convictions. One remarkable feature m the gathering may be seen more especially by comparing it to what \ similar meeting would have meant a century or two ago. Would a mob of the roughest class m London have maintained such peace and order when many thousands of them met together on a subject of universal interest such as the frauchise? Would there not have been an insurrection straight away, the strongest party overpowering the weaker, and thus the question be temporarily settled ? It is more likely that this would have . happened years ago, than that many thousands of rou«rh individuals would meet m the crowded thoroughfares of a crowded city, without the slightest ill-feeling being displayed or disturbance made. The advance of the times is plainly visible, when men use fair and honourable means for settling their mutual disagreements, instead of descending to the aid of brute force and furious behaviour, which are only temporary means of solving the difficulty.