The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1885-02-24 00:00:00

DORSET LIBERAL ASSOCIATION.

ANNOUNNIXENT HT THZ HON. W. 11. U. PORTMAN.
M. P.
_ .

The delegates of this Doreet Liberal Astrwiatins
mo.t red in tool Circe at Mothers' on Toes lay (the
17th, to confirm the rules of t'ot *Nod ition. Lord
Witle.rton was yeteil to the chair, and the lion.
W. H. B Portmao, Sir Bich 4,1 Glyn, the Rev. Carr :
Glyn. and Ur. Ss:inborn* Hach .nt were am n th 4.1
prieent. A very intelligent hut somewhat extended 1
discussion moss, and b It with on., si,,gle verbal altera•
lion the c oifirmation of the rule, wa. eff,ded. •
prop.wal that no meeting; P' 11 I he held at a publi -
It oval wa• nettatite I, it phown that in tonne
Mime. ri °Tn. in li ti. o toe only pleCee in whieh
large mettinga t oil el lic lid I. A lon.tcr dicruutiou
I .Ilowol on rules aPeady egreirt to by two , I the
dirt.' in. before, It may, be remarked, the fliVieloin
are ch.nirly 1, fined. It IN o oti se, very &a, able
(hit at fer;s• lc ...tittle all the di•isti• al rules ahoold
goy, an lb ditionselos. thence inoperative,
certainly cleared the w awl otf.r el an oppos.
loudly for the 'lamb imps of sentiment aod
opird is, When the formal business was ..v,r,
The How. W. H. R. Poarsag, M.P., rows and said
he thought the moment had come when be should may
some•hing. If. had won In one newesper • pars.
grapii ansoustin" that he was nut g iota so .1..4 at
the neat general el, ci in, an I in at other tat I 5 W. I.
Well, he had been 33 years in l'arliamebt, and by
their favour, and the for.ote-(tie Liberal p.rty of
Dorset (he had been 28 yenta m mbar fo- the coutity.
Wear, hear.) he c mfeseed s• Iv he Pli..Ul I 14
rather glad to be relived, hot Iv, lotted oleo hi.
present po•itlon In thi. way. WI,. ii he find MD..
forward for the county .1 r et there was thei, t
such iirganiratlon in existence as he raw th-r. rept.,
✓ent if. Then, the raird.da.a had to do pretty much
all the work I r himself :ii .w, m, Men w.re Vely
Ili(' ,rent ; a tai dilate was •Ittu illy checcn by the
o'er tor, and not the elector, by vat candidate.
(I, olgt,ter.) 11. did not complain of this; he th nicht
It iptite right. (('heer. ) lie was vl .4 1.. s-e an
increased interest taken In the Liberal cam., i • the
c ontv, but he thought nh re were two or Ore*
natter. the electaira about," take into .....aid, ration.
They had no coceriun to c one to any de ision upon
llda at once, but in the Act suppocitig a • ace, cr
shout occur daring the pre,' ot Parliament, an Co".
wends. eclat sh•,uld ',neon:a r •cant. what wet the
Le.ral party pre; sect to do? Tole Parliamm t could
not last more than 12 month., and had they mat, up
their mind, to go to a colt Supponing, again, hie
(Mr. Portman'.) seat should become suddenly vacant.
Hari the Liberal party made up their minds to fight
it under the present registration or to let It elide until
the new electorate came Into existenc• ? Tb, y most
know that from one very obit We cau.e hie seat might
at any moment become vacant. Another matter that
occurred to him was that in the future the c
atom:mu would be of • f.r diff .rent character to
what it wee now. The present c .....itu.ncy had been
very cool to him for 28 years, and therefore it was
his right to assume tha• bin political opinions had been
pretty much in inc.'. Janos with theirs, but if they looked
to 'B6 they must know there would be • large number of
new electors imported and the question was were hie
opinions loch an would suit them? NA only night
Petite new electors not agree w;th those °aim tits, but
be ini..ht And there was a very etc .ait owne.ition reis.d
ti them. That was • matter for the bib ,r•I potty t
C .neidor. them henritflitht if he did
ae he liked 110•60IIIII not Wine 'new(' azatu when the
Se Dios enure to a close. Ha till not knot"' it w •
necessary to come toe decision at -nue. but he thonailt
his view, wore worthy of their attention. Whatev,r
hi. decision might to he would take the opp,:tunity
of thanking them for the very kind support and favour
shown him for so many years, and with pledging
himself lie would ask them to carefully consider the
opinions he had expreecod (Appl th•e.)
lit RICHARD ULT. nail ths meeting wandl agree
with him be felt certain when he sal i that it w-s with
great sorrow he had heard the word. Mr. Portman
had got up and spoken. But the dislueliaation he hat
expressed to continue hi. concoction with Parliament
he (the speaker) would admit bad not occasion. I him'',
very much surprise. When a man hod been 28 years
✓epriventlng • county and had eat 33 y are in Pull
meet, he may well be said to have earosi repose from
those severe and Increasingly eevere anti.% which
attached to • m °fritter of Parliament. Mr. P.,rtman
had very good reason for urging that excuse, but he
(Sir Richert) could not help still entertaining the
hope that he might yet be induced to stand by the
county for which he had already done so much, and
which was so deeply Indebted to him. (Much cheer-
ing.) It might be, perhaps, called • come down "
to eak him to stand f-r a divi.lon after representing
the county, but 61 hoped If an influentially supported
request were made to him from either of them be
'Mild be Induoed to acoept it. Ile believed any
division in the county would be glad ii. h'm aid would
Prunti•e, "We will catty you at the bead of the poll
without any anxiety or tronble on your part."
trusted the meeting wood excuse him for asking
11r. Portman to gay whether or not they tr tot
give up all hopes of his standing for any part of tho
crunty.

Lord WoLurros remarkA he Cr •.t my one • r two
woida,and ohuAr wab the ot,J•ot of •. king his Head
Mr, Portman whether or not, if ha w re really re.
9useted by I arge out•hee of oleciwa f a.iy divi.lon
" "0.4. t it. he re, u'd not one, more help
them. H. erre • Whig, but the Whig.. he inuec
alma, had done good work, end no doold would do ito
Ii the fut,re If they would only make up their minds
to work with " ue," who we. called Ita tat..
(I.outhcer.) it. oould net ask Ur. Portman to make
soy positive statement, hut he would aalc I int t any
whether, If he were salrod by fair numbers of hie
friends to stand again. he would ray no to It. He
co. Newd his speech had rather giro° him the
that he bad no Intention to stand under any oiroum•
. .

--Mr. WitsOe hoped they would not press their views
rp II the bon, member 'officio:, t'y to elicit from
him a decided negative. Vicar, bear.) It they did
h would hare the effect of inspiring their
(Tyree:lts, who he thought were rather anxious
thold not ',tend. Hs wouldn't like it t,
No forthrr that t,tey had an idea f selec'ing a
eneeeror two in that in'. retitle' mt. nor Th ty a'l
kre• his (Mr. Wlleon'e) putclivities —(t•ughter)—
hut he sat I the Liberal party °nett a debt
gratitude ttl the hon. mewl or, b ,th ttr the te '7
'w which he had fought their battles when the
*meteor need re re opt roll s keen as now, and
the services which he had rep ler, d since. Be
tteoll4cted the time •b to a g mtlPman who put hi'
bet into the King's II al and t old a Conserve-
"v' (7-mmittee that Mr. P .rtm bad been return. I
at the t to_ of the poll bad to ran for hie life nit the
11" t. (Mach lausbter.) With regard to the Whig'
they had etst In lb.-1r lot with the freedom of the
P.V.. Perham; they did w.t go ae far aa tome of
them there, but for all thst the Liberal and the
Radice' party were Indebted to them. He hoped Mr.
Portman would _ snot les a reply to the qusitlon. H.
Memel, hoped Lord-Po/toad might be spend, oe.o

het there wruld be no vacancy in ths Liberal repre-
sentation of the ceunty, and th it when the time cams
for the new electiirs rl hie,e their a'''. that then Mr.
P rtmn would give the question fultheroonsiderstior.
(Hear, hear.)
Mr. PORTXIIX, f.P., thanked the previous spaaksre
for their very kin I expreseions. Even if he gave no
positive answer to the quivetimpet, the Liberal party
won' I not be lii any worse position than at preesat.
Again referring t cireuerpitanom which ought to Iridium
thaw to be prepared fir all contingencle.—an I II Mr.
MIS in wild that there would be an advantage in keep-
ing him dangling a scarecrow there would hi so harm Ii lesiding matter, a • they were.
Again premised by Mr. L ,ele, the him, gentleman said : I certainly will Pay this, if I o tat forwerd at
all It will he fir the Nortiii ro Division (much Miser-
ies from the Northern Divisioo).
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