The Press. — London, England, 1857-04-04 00:00:00

334 We feel at the present time that there is no desire throughout the country for what we term large and com prehensive measures of reform. Mn. LOCKE KING, on hi 4 re election for East Surrey, said : One of the great questions to be discussed in Parlia- ment web, were they to have Reform or not? He bad repeatedly brought forward the subject, but it was only considered to be so mach political capital, and did very little good ; but at length he was determined to try who were real Reformers and who were not. The fact was glaring that at Reigate a person having a 101. house had a vote, but at Croydon he could not vote unless he had a bOl. house. At Montrose, ➢ir. BAXTER, who was returned without opposition, observed : It was said that Lord Palmerston was no reformer. Well, that remained to be seen. If he did not prove him self a reformer he should not have his support. It was said, also, that the country did not want Reform. That, he thought, was a mistake ; they wanted political, social, and ecclesiastical reform, and when these were demanded On a sure and practical basis he did not think that Lord Palmerston or any other Minister could refuse the country's demands. Mn. DENISON, in the West Riding, expressed him self in favour of a wise economy, and said he should not object to parliamentary reform "in accordance with the principles of the Constitution," but would not pledge himself to support any measure until he knew what it way. He was opposed to the ballot, and expressed himself in favour of an extension of the present system of educational grants. Lord GODERICH, on the other hand, declared him self in favour of the ballot, and generally in support of Lord I'almerston's foreign pclicy. Sin FITZROY KELLY, at East Suffolk, male the fo:lowing remarks upon the extension of the fran chise:— He was one who hail always thought there should be no " finality " in what was called the reform in Parliament. There were now some millions of adult persons in this country who did not possess the elective franchise, and mong them were hundreds of thousands of persons of independent incomes—persons possessed of competence, of intellect, and education, which would do honour to any society. He would at once confer the franchise on persons of property, of intellect, and education. He would support any statesman in the House of Commons who would in troduce a measure that would give the franchise to Finch persons as he had spoken of. He would, sooner or later, br ng forward such a measure in the House of Commons under which every man in the three kingdoms should be put in possession of the elective franchise who possessed either property enough, or intellect or education enough, to exercise that elective franchise with independence and intelligence. Then would be the time to extend the franchise downwards. But let them not suppose that he would oppose the ex•ension of the franchise still further among the householders in this county. He said he would not first begin with the householders, as he considered that a most fallacious test. He much ques tioned whether his hon. friend Lord Henniker would possess the franchise had he not large property in the county, bec.iuse his lordship, when in London, might live in lodgings, or in a furnished house, or in chambers. They might have a Newton, or a Shakespeare, unpossessed of the elective franchise because he might not happen to live in a 101. house within any borough. He would there• fore confer the franchise first upon those persona he had mentioned ; then he would at once secure the franchise to those persons who uuqueetionsbly were fit to exercise it. Mr. Sidney Herbert., Mr. Wyndham, and Lord Henry Thynne, addressed the electors of South Wilts on Wednesday. Mr. SIDNEY HERSERT expressed himself in favour of law reforms, of the settlement of the church-rate question ; and upon the question of the franchise expressed himself strongly against Mr. Locke King's motion. It was a partial measure : I want to see other ingredients mixed with it. If you make the county and borough franchise the same you will disturb the balance between town and country. Such an arrangement would be unsatisfactory, because you might have 300 men in a borough wielding equal political power with :10,00 in a county. You must, therefore, have dif ferent franchises. I wish to see an industrial franchise and a prudential franchise. I think a man who has 501. in the savings -bank out i l:t to have a vote. The man who pays 408. of direct taxes ought also to be invested with tile franchise, and all graduates of the Universities sliculd have the same right conferred upon them. lam against extreme measures—universal suffrage for example, which I believe no man of sense in the country now demands; but with a large miss of our population increasing in in telligence and prosperity--thanks to those wise measures of 1846 which our friends on the other side of the hustings so much regret--(cheersl-1 think we ought to enlarge the basis of representation. But it should be done care• fully and deliberately. With a great crowd to manage, I would much sootier have them inside the citadel to defend it than outside to attack it: but I must pick my men. I must choose the more intelligent, the more industrious, the more prudent, and exclude the ignorant, the lazy, and the improvident. In conclusion, Mr. Sidney Herbert expressed him self in favcur of a judicious reduction of public ex- THE PRESS. penditure, and against a foreign policy of perpetual interference with other nations. _ _ Mr. Wysoxam justified his vote against Mr. C ob deti's motion. _ _ Lord HENRY THYNNE declared himself a firm supporter of the Established Church, for the aboli tion of Maynooth, a peaceablo foreign policy, and a reduction of taxation. ♦ poll was demanded for the noble lord, and the election takes place this day. THE KIDDERMINSTER ELECTION terminated on Saturday in a disgraceful riot. Hr. Lowe, upon leaving the polling-booth at Blakebrook, was pelted with stones and brickbats. Mr. Lowe wa; struck several times, and much cut about the head and face. The party were fortunately rescued by a Mr. Shep pard, of Woodfield-house, who was watching the scene from his garden wall. He writes the time the party reached the wall where I stood several gentlemen were prostrated, and several bleeding profusely. Those who remained upright were evidently suffering severely. Having seen something of popular commotions, both in this country and on the Continent, I felt no doubt in my own mind, from the bearing of the mob and the nature of the weapons employed, that the lives of the persons beneath me were in imminent peril. I there. fore hastened with all possible speed to render what aid I could. I was fortunately successful in directing the attention of the party assailed to a gate in my own grounds, and hav►ng removed the interior fastenings, with the assistance of another person, I drugged in Mr. Lowe, literally streaming with blood, and he was immediately followed by several gentlemen wounded like himself. We had a hard struggle at the gate, during the course of which I was once down and several times struck with missiles. Finally we closed the gates. An attempt was made to scale them, which was defeated by the prompt resistance of one of the persons present. One of the electors who had to run the gauntlet gives a vivid description of the affair. Stone-throwing began bafore the poll-books were made up. Mr. Lowe, attended by his supporters, attempted to escape:— On each side of us the mob, fifteen or twenty deep, were throwing stones with all their might. They were well armed. The women had stones in their aprons, the men bed their pockets filled ; every stone found a target in the body of some of our number. The stones rattled off the hats and shoulders of Mr. Lowe and Mr. Pardoe like hail stones on a roof; in this way we lan the gauntlet for 230 yards, losing one of our number at every stride. Those who fell were savagely kicked by the brutes around, and several policemen were disabled in rescuing them from their brutal assailants. We made for a gentleman's house which lies back from the road, but the great gate was locked or fastened so that it could not be opened. Mr. Lowe and his two friends were nearest the gate. Mr. Best and Inspector Forty having left us the mob came up, and, though Mr. Lowe was bleeding, his white hair dabbled in blood had no effect on them—they kept pelting him with cowardly ferocity and the most horrid impreca tions. With great difficulty we got him through a little door about a dozen yards further on which led to the back door of the Rev. ➢lr. Sheppard's house. Out of the nine of us who got in there seven were bleeding badly, and those of our friends who were in the road were maltreated, followed into the houses were they took refuge, and kicked, and the windows smashed where they were thought to be. The riot extending to the town, a body of hussars were telegraphed for and soon arrived from Birming ham. The troops have remained at Kidderminster. THE IRISH ELECTIONS. (From our own Ccrrespondent.) Deimpr, Thursday, April 2, 1557. I WAS not misleading you when, in the face of the prognostications of the Ministerial prints, I stated last week that Messrs. Grogan and Vance's seats were secure. The contest was a severe one, and the majority small, but the result was never in doubt from the commencement. The triumph has been achieved under circumstances which largely enhance it. At no previous election for the city was Govern ment influence so powerfully or unscrupulously exerted. A stringent decree went forth from tha Castle, that hotbed of intrigue and corruption, that every support was to be given to the Ministerial candidates. This mandate included, of course, all the tradesmen employed in the Lord Lieutenant's establishment, as well as a vast variety of persons aspirants to places and honours of different descrip tions, who were told that on this occasion they stood on their promotion. A viltory consummated amid such difficulties, and in defiance of such opposition, is most important as well as most honourable— and it cannot fail to assert a very beneficial effect upon the general elections in Ireland. The struggle for the county will be a sharp one, but the ci.nduct of Sir E. Domville, in command ing his tenants to support Reynolds and Brady, has materially damaged his prospects of success, and considerably assisted the Conservative candidates. Money, however, is beingprofusely expended, and the Castle agents are busy and energetic. The Lord SATURDAY, Chancellor, who owes his elevation to the woolsack entirely to the fact of the present Chief Baron being a Riman Catholic, and therefore ineligible for that post., is burning to be avenged for his loss, in more than one sense, in the city. In spite of all he can do, or any of his confederates, it is believed that Mr. Hamilton and Col. Taylor will retain their seats by a satisfactory majority. The contest fur the University has created great excitement. Mr. Lawson was put forward on the Castle interest, in conjunction with a Mr. Wilson, known only to fame as being favoured with the sup port of that eminent divine and disinterested Chris tian Dr. Blackwood, of whom a word or two presently. Mr. Lawson is to some extent a formidable an. tagonist. Distinguished as a member of the Uni versity, his professional career has been honourable, if not brilliant. His claims were, moreover, to be respected as the exponent of the principle that the University should be represented by its alumni, and not by graduates of other Universities. The conflict commenced on Monday, and it must have been evident to the meanest comprehension that Messrs. Hamilton and Napier were the popular candidates. Their reception was triumphant. Their admirers rallied in such numbers that none of the rival party were permitted to remain in the Court house. As soon as a Lawsonite was discovered, a rush was made at him simultaneously, and he was propelled out of the chamber with violent velocity. Among the other personages who seem to stand high in the favour of the students, is Mr. White side. His speech in reply to Professor Foley was greeted with tremendous cheering. He administered a castigation to the Professor, which he will not easily forget. In this respect, how ever, his duty was a very easy one. Mr. Foley has so completely ruined his own character for political probity and consistency, to say nothing of his con• duct in a social point of view, that it needs no orator to confirm his exposures, or ratify his humiliation. Hamilton and Napier both spoke with admirable effect. Clear, bold, faithful, and uncompromising, they vindicated themselves from the malignant calumnies of their opponents. They enunciated their attachment to Conservative principles, and avowed their confidence in the Conservative leader. So that the issue raised was plainly brought out. It was the battle of Conservatism against Liberali-m which was to be fought. All other questions retired into the shade before the importance of that. Ire land has reason to be proud of the response it is giving to the appeal made to it. It the close of the poll last night, Mr. Napier's majority over Mt. Lawson was 388, and over Mr. Wilson, 539 ; while Mr. Hamilton had vanquished the former by 350, and the latter by 448. Boore the election terminates this advantage will be increased very largely, and a blow will be given to the Liberalisers of the college, of which they will not easily lose the disfigurement and disgrace. Blackwoodism is therefore pronounced to be an exploded delusion. The admirable and spirited letter of Judge Crampton upon the conduct of Dr. Blackwood, has annihilated the already prostrate worshiper of Lord Palmerston. Your readers must know that, among other proofs of the Premier's wisdom and goodness in ecclesiastical ap pointments, not the least convincing and satisfactory is his having conferred a living of 8001. a year upon Dr. Blackwood. This little episode remembered, the public will be able to understand the part taken by the meek, amiable, and veracious proposer of Mr. Wilson. The support the Ministry receive in this country, like that they secure in England and Scotland, has very little foundation other than their possession of large anl increasing patronage. It is astonishing what changes, what metamorphoses, are effected by these means— provosts that would like to be bishops, and arch deacons that desire to be deans; Queen's counsel who intend to be judges, and juniors who hope to be Queen's counsel —oh ! there's a plentiful and luxuriant crop of them to be found in the Castle forcing•beds ! I have got my eye on a few of them ; and 1 will not. fail to observe how, when, and where they have their exceeding great reward. Among other amusing incidents of the elections here may be mentioned Mr. M'Birney's voting for Grogan and Brady after having himself proposed Reynolds. The affair created a great deal of amuse ment. Mr. M'Birney vows it was a mistake, and applied to have it rectified ; but, of course, was refused. On Tuesday he was observed to go into the Court-house of the University; the students allowed him to push his way into a pleasant position for hearing Mr. Lawson's speech, and then at a given signal he was surrounded, and, amid boisterous cheering and laughter, summarily ejected. The contest at Athlone has resulted, I regret to state, in the return of Mr. Ennis. Captain H,,nd• cock's defeat, however, has been accomplished by such corrupt means that it is to be expected the triumph of the priests will be a brief and unprofit able one. Mr. Hassard is, as I predicted, returned for Waterford, Mr. Alexander for Carlow, Mr. Miller for Armagh, and Mr. Dobbs for Carrickfergus. These • ~