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    ^rii/4, 1857.] THE ¦L EA-DEB. 319

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    The General Election. •. '¦¦ . . . •?—: ...

    of -Commons nothing but objections to that measure ; and . we were told that if it had been a larger measure the objections -would have been , stronger and more decisive . But , as soon as there was a question of the dissolution of Parliament , it was discovered that they were in favour of that measure , only it seemed that there were in Mr . Locke King ' s Bill—which they had never seen , and . which , I am told Mr . Locke King had never communicated to them—certain faults and defects which Lad . alone prevented them from supporting it . If that be the case , they will have an opportunity in the new Parlianaent of bringing in measures of their own , in which they can put all the guards and securities which they can desire , and . in which they can insert all the guards and

    securities that I inserted in a bill which I introduced two years ago , and then the }* can no doubt carry it through both Houses of Parliament . It is in this way that the dissolution of Parliament will be of real use to this country . I trust , as I have formerly said , to see the edifice of religious liberty perfected . I trust to see free trade completed by the abolition of some obnoxious duties . I trust that by economy and retrenchment we shall be able to spare those additional duties on sugar and tea which tend so much to diminish the enjoyments of the people . ( Cheers . ) I trust , also , that by extending the franchise to the enlightened , the respectable ^ and the Aionest classes -who have not had hitherto the benefit of exercising that privilege , we may extend still further the basis of our representation , and give an additional

    security to our institutions . ( Cheers . } Such may be , I trust , the result of this dissolution . The good sense of the nation has seen the advantage which might be taken of it in having a new Parliament , fresh from communicating with the people at large . Gentlemen , I trust that you -will in the future see supported by the four members for the Gity of London measures of economy , measures of reform , measures conducive to the prosperity of this great empire . ( Cheers . ) Gentlemen , again I thank you for the honour you have done me . I have been exposed for some years to much obloquy , to much misrepresentation , to much misconstruction of my motives ; but , whatever I may have suffered in this respect , the generous manner in which you have come forward to support me at this election , affords me full compensation . " ( Much cheering . ')

    Mr . Crawford then thanked the electors for having recorded nearly six thousand votes in his favour . Mr . Rowe next came forward to propose a vote of thanks to their late member , IVIr . Blasterman , upon whose efficient and faithful services as the representative of the City of London for sixteen years he passed a ligh eulogium . Dx . Sparke seconded the resolution , ¦ w hich was carried by acclamation . . During the proceedings , M . Alexandra Dumas ( accompanied by M . 3 ) elille , of the City of London Schools ) , and other foreigners , were on the hustings .

    SOUTH WARK . The nomination took place on Saturday , when Mr . Apsley Pellatt was very roughly received , being greeted with such exclamations as—" How about the British Bank ? " "Who was laughed at in the House of Commons ? " " Who put" out the gas ? " & c . He defended his Parliamentary conduct , expressed confidence as to his being again elected , and then gave place to Sir Charles Napier , who wore the riband and collar of the Bath and numerous foreign decorations . He was received with great favour , and began by eulogising Lord Palmeraton for his conduct in connexion with the China business . His fame had spread to the uttermost

    corners of the world , and even the Emperor of China supportedhim , as he had sent despatches to Commissioner Yeh , disapproving his conduct in the affair of the lorcha . Yet , in many instances , he ( Sir Charles Napier ) disapproved of Lord Palmerston ' s policy , and in those cases he would heartily oppose him . Reform , also , must be firmly preBsed upon him when the new session begins . —Mr . Locke then spoke to similar effect ; and , a show of hands being taken , an immense majority was exhibited in favour of Sir Charles Napier and Mr . Locke . A poll was then demanded on behalf of Mr . Pellatt . The official declaration of the close of the poll showed —Napier , 8991 ; Locke , 3 G 47 ; Pellatt , 2499 .

    LAMBETH . The nomination last Saturday exhibited a sceno of great confusion , noise , and " chaffing . " Mr . Williams —" sweet Williams , " as one of the electors oxolaiinodtook credit to himself on the ground of hia having looked after the national pocket , and prevented , or at any rate diminished , a wasteful expenditure of the public money . The present Governinout , he said , had been more extravagant , even since the war , than the Ministries of Lords Derby and Aberdeen . Mr . Wilkinson then addressed the electors , who , however , were greatly disinclined to hear him . He expressed his satisfaction with tho conduct of the Government in the China affair , and accused Mr . Williams of voting with Mr . Cobden because l » o wibhed to bring back tho Governinout of Lord Derby . Mr . lloupoll , tho third candidate , was enthusiastically received , and spoke in favour of reform and a bettor mid

    more popular administration of public departments . 1 Ho was anxious to see tho working cIushuh cared for ; tohavo their hours of toil leasuneel , without ut the Bttino time lessening their wages : to abolish , the horrible truck

    system ; to provide for their proper recreation ; and to see them , properly represented . " The show of hands was argely £ u favour of Mr , lloupell and Mr . Williams . A poll was demanded on behalf of Mr . Wilkinson . The poll terminated thus : —Koupell , 9318 ; Williams , 7618 ; Wilkinson , 8234 . Mr . Wilkinson , the defeated candidate , brought forward accusations against Mr . Roupell of having resorted to bribery—a charge which Mr . lioupell warmly denied , and retorted them upon the

    accuser . TINSBUEY . The close of the poll was officially announced on Monday ., -when the numbers were declared to be—Duneombe , " 0922 ; Cox , 4110 ; Parry , 3954 ; Reed , 2378 . Mr . Duiicombe , in returning thanks , said : —" Suppose Lord Palmerston's Government had acquiesced in the decision of the Yehite Parliament , in what a humiliating position we should have been . What a degradation it would have been to find that England approved those proceedings of Commissioner Yeh which his own Emperor disapproved ! B ut , ladies and gentlemen , we have avoided that disgrace , and the noble , magnanimous , and high-spirited , people of England have scattered the

    lehites to the wind . { Laud cheers . ' ) Where are they now to be found ? Will they appear again in the next Parliament ? ( Cries of'No , no / ' ) I hope that some of them may , and that they will bring the- question forward , and we shall then hear what they have to say in their defence . All that I can say is , that whenever they do bring it forward I shall repeat the vote which has " vith your approbation—{ cheers )— and , I believe , with that of the vast majority of the people of this country . ( Hear , hear . ) But there was a sect springing up in the House « f Commons ( whether it was the work . ' of Russia I know not ) Avhich was constantly saying that whatever England and Englishmen do is wrong , and whatever any foreigner does is right . ' ( ' No , no' ) It is time that that feeling should be put down . I shall now go back to my place in the House of Commons , and resume my duties as an advocate of civil and religious liberty . ( Cheers . )

    I shall go back the same Reformer as 1 have ever been . 1 am tied to no Minister whatever . Lord Palmers ton ( we have it on the authority of Sir James Graham ) is a Tory of the deepest dye . (' Hear , hear , ' and laughter . ) I do not dispute that Sir James Graham is a very good judge of Toryism . ( Laughter . ) He has served in Cabinets with the rankest Tories—Q That he has / 1 )—and it must be recollected that he did not hesitate to form one of Lord Palmerston ' s Government . But I believe that Sir James Graham and Lord John Russell are now' bidding for popularity , and calling themselves Reformers . ( Laughter . ) Nevertheless , till within the last few hours they opposed every motion which I brought forward for extension of the franchise and Parliamentary reform . They have changed . And why should not Lord Palmerstoai change too ? He is too good a tactician to be beaten by them in foreign or domestic policy . "

    Mr . Cox next presented himself , but was received with loud shouts of " Paid canvassers ! " and " Bribery !" He admitted that he had paid his canvassers , and that , in the opinion of a legal gentleman consulted by his opponents , that fact constituted bribery ; " but what of that ? It was merely tho opinion cf one barrister , and he could obtain twenty opinions on the other side , lie would meet his opponents , if necessary , before a committee of the House of Commons . " Mr . Serjeant Parry experienced a worse reception than

    even llr . Cox . He complained that Mr . Cox had expended several thousand pounds in corruptly influencing the electors , and threatened to present a petition to the House of Commons against him for bribery . The constituency , he said , had disgraced itself by returning Mr . " Cox to the House of Commons . The slanders which had been uttered against him ( Mr . Serjeant Parry ) had been investigated by his committee , by whom they were found to be utterly false . He had not employed a single paid canvasser , nor attempted to unduly influence the electors in any shape .

    Major Reed was well received , and joined with Serjeant Tarry in complaining of tho return of Mr . Cox , which lie attributed to bribery .

    THE TOWER HAMLETS . From the official declaration of the poll on M <* mlny we learn that the numbers at tho close Htood—Ayrton , 7813 j Butler , 72 ' . ) 7 ; Sir William Clay , G ( if > 4 . Tho last named , thorofore , was defeated . Mr . Ayrton then , in malting his acknowledgments , withdrew , with many expressions of regret , some derogatory remarks he had . made on tho previous Friday , ( luring the nomination , with yespect to the absence of Sir William Clay from tho division on the question of reducing the retiring Bishops' pensions from six thousand to four UiouhuihI five hundred a year . Mr . Hutler then thanked the electors , and expressed his regret at parting from his old friend and colleague , Sir William Clay . That gentleman having taken leave of his former couatituents in a fa \ v gTaceful and cordially expressed words of farewell , the proceedings terminated .

    GREENWICH . Tho official declaration given the numberH thus : Codriiigton , 2980 ; Townaeu . l , 2784 ; Chambers , 206 G . The lant-namad gentleman , therefore , has lost hia electiou . lu aUdreasing tho electors , aftor tho successful

    candidates had returned thanks , he said that he tbanked his opponents " for having relieved him from a great weight of responsibility , from anxiety , from vexation , from misapprehension , and from misrepresentation . " At this , there were ironical cheers , laughter , and cries of " " Why did you come ?" Mr . Chambers ' s defeat is attributed by his . friends principally to his having supported the Sunday Trading Bill introduced by Lord Robert Grovesnor ; and partly , also , to hia too frequent absence from divisions .

    TIVERTON . After the nomination proceedings on Friday ' week , Lord Palmerston attended a banquet to celebrate the reopening of the Athena ; um . In reply to the toast of " Her Majesty ' s ministers , " the Premier made a long speech , in which he reviewed and explained his foreign , policy , and vindicated the course Government had thought it necessary to take in connexion with tlie disagreement in China . He referred to the great assistance which he and his colleagues had derived from the almost unanimous approval of the nation in carrying « n the Russian war , and in obtaining just and honourable terms of peace ; and he then passed oh to the immediate question * of the day . " I have had the honour of re

    ceiving addresses in great numbers froin many of the largest cities and commercial communities —addresses which I have not the ' vanity to take to myself , but which were the expression of the national feeling upon subjects in'which it was felt that the national interest and . the national honour -were concerned ; but the other day , gentlemen , I had the honour to receive a . deputation from Bristol , a similar one from Liverpool , and from Manchester , all expressing regret and surprise at what had happened in the House of Commons to the Government , and of their determination to support Ministers . One of these gentlemen said , ' I am a Liberal , but my friend wlio comes with me is a * Conservative ; and this address from Bristol has received 2000

    signatures , and includes every class of society and every shade of political opinion . ' ( Cheers . ) The same happened in Liverpool ; and those who were kind enough to bring me an address said it was exhibited only for two or three hours , but it contained 940 signatures , including all those largely concerned in the commercial and trading interests of the town , and -who have the greatest interest iii avoiding what is calculated to interrupt the peaceful relations of the country . " He then went on to say , with reference to his 'foreign policy in general , that he had been called " a firebrand , " & source of disturbance to Europe , an exciter to revolution a "turbulent and aggressive" Minister , and , in the words of a Continental statesman , . " a European calamity . "

    Such epithets were not applicable to him . " What I did , an / lwhat the Government of which I was the organ did , was to encourage and support , as far as we could with propriety , those nations who endeavoured to improve their institutions ( cheers ) , and to obtain for themselves the blessings of th . at Parliamentary Government Which we in England have so long enjoyed . I did not incite the people , or encourage the nations to seek for internal changes which could not be reasonably accomplished ; but , when they were possible of accomplishment , then we said—¦ ' Here is our hand ; we will lead , you on , . nnd wo trust you may reach the goal wliich you . ¦ were honourably striving to attain . " As instances of the truth of these statements , he referred to his espousal

    of the popular cause in Belgium , Spain , and Portugal , in all which countries some form of . constitutional and Parliamentary Government , more or less perfect , had been established . With respect to China , he thought we could not at present form any conjecture as to what the Emperor of that country would do ; Tor he reminded his auditors that the quarrel is purely local , and that wo cannot properly be said to bo at war witli China at all . The Emperor is in a critical 'position , the rebellion , having gained tlie heart of his doininiom . s , ami reached even to Nankin , the ancient cupitul of China ; and this " will probably add to hit * doubt us to what ' course ho will take . His Lordnhip was therefore inclined to think that , when Lord Elgin roaches Hong-Kong , matters will not

    be materially changed . Tho mission of the Plenipotentiary is not intended as tiny disparagement to Sir John Itowring ; it is Himiily founded on the established practice of the country in difficult cases . Lord Elgin is a man of high runic , conciliatory disposition , nnd groat experience , who lias already distinguished himself in Canada and tlie United States ; and he will be backed by a large military force and a naval force which is double that wliiuh Sir William Parker 'had in tho lato China war . It ia necessary , continued tho Premier , to Htop beginnings with vigour . " We arc often told to look to our cousins in the United States as models or

    conduct , though there are Home things in wliich they might jiiHt an well look to us ( a laugh ) - , but what dil the United States commander do in this very difficulty in China in comparison -with our officers oivil and naval ? A boat belonging to ono of their ships of war wan fired at . Well , that wan a great insult ; but an cxcuho might have beon made for it ; it might liavo been miid that this American boat was taken for an English boat . It i . strno tho offic e ™ in that boat waved the American flug ; but tho Chinese might have Hiiifl , ' That in a wall-known strategy of war ; you wave the American flag to ( lecoivo ua ; we boliuved it was nn Engliah boat , « nd thorofo r *

    ^Rii/4, 1857.] The ¦L Ea-Deb. 319

    ^ rii / 4 , 1857 . ] THE ¦ L EA-DEB . 319

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), April 4, 1857, page 7, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_04041857/page/7/