The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1865-07-18 00:00:00

Fol "IP

••=1..,......

THE COUNTY ELECTION.
~
rem-

- -
The election of three Knights of the Shire, to
sent Dorset in the House of Commune, took place at
Dorchester last Friday. The event was anticipated with
c, considerable interest in conseqneree of loud rumoers
• that in the event of Mr. J. S. W. S. P.. Dram being sin-
, tuceoful in his candidature for the borough of
War•hon, he would contest the county. The lion.
•e gentlemeo, I erwever, dni not put in an apt earonco, and
...•• the county representatives in the late Parliament
were re•elsotd without opposition. The usual
',- formalities were observed at the County Hal/ from
wi ence elionininent we mode to the hustings erected
14 to frecipdf the County Osol. There was • large attend-
'', *nos eft county gentlemen and agriculturists, while
✓ weendearnmes filled with ladies graced the scene. The
I hon. wandidates had to endure some banter, but, on the
agnate, they were well received, and beard patiently.
i• The filen Slitelre (J. Brymer, Esq.) having briefly
Mated the purpose for which they were assembled, and
venerated tie company to give all who addressed them a
flair heating, asked, "Whom hare yon now to propose
•istas medidess to represent the county of Dorset in the
o . teenier Parliament te
, J. Clunest, Esq , said that he had once more been
. :asked to fill the Important and onerous duty of pro-
Se-posing the Hon. W. H. B. Portman as a knight
L• ef the shire for the large and important county of
a Dorset. Before he proceeded to the actual business of
• the day, there was one topic which he thought would be ,
e a reflection upon him and upon them all (knowing the
0. kindly feelings andnoble instinctsof Dorset men), if hedid
o 11ot allude to via., the melancholy events that had taken
ail ploys in the comity since they last met oe such an ocoa-
e .sins, The hand of death had been very busy amongst
them; sevenal of those most honours cl and most be-
I loved had been struck down by that destroyer, and they
all felt the less and the vacuum that had been occasioned
In the county by their removal. There was the noble,
lord, whose family had long been connected with, and,
honourably distinguished amongst them by kindness et:
''.'dreitsancsur and general beneficence of conduct, and
• which noble lord, on the first occasion when Mr. Pstrt-
einem came forward as • candidate for the *musty. Mid
-'eo property and adequately the post he was humbly,
. attempting to occupy-be meant the Earl of Ilchester
then the daughter of a peer, the wife of a peer, and this:
mother of a peer to be (Lady Portman) had also,
been rensomd-the than whom a better Christian
or a kinder friend never Was taken from this
world • and last, though not least, an hon. gentlemn•
had been taken from them by death who was a credit
• and honour to the county-Mr. H. Ear Beymer-whe,
bad representtd Dorset for many yeam with credit Ist
himself and the greatest satidmtion to his constituently.
They would probably remember the last time Mr. Sey met
protested himself before them on a similar occasion to
the present; how be stood with beaming face as they
were waiting to hear his scintillating eloquence and
fervid imaginatioe ; and how, after the comparatively
Mime egad spiritless speeches that preceded his, good
mtneems sieve and natural eloquence sprang from
his lips. fipplanse.l He could not allow the present
,eeeeeion h pass without bearing testimony to the great
Itsethe empty hadstudidned. It would be unnecessary
the him to say much in proposing his hon. friend as one
s'of their representatives in Parliament, because they had
omperienthd his conduct. Tina Parliament just termina-
ted set so long that it might almost be said to have died
eineturat death. It might not be inappropriate, know-
ing that they.jadged of the future by the experience of
the pest, and that hie hon. friend's course might almost
be traced by that of the nobleman who had so graoefully,
11 rely, and ably held the reins of power in the ministry,to
Snake a very brief retrospect of the history of the late Par-
Bement. When they last met for the purpose for which
they had now assembled, they might recollect the
calssuseee were that the new House of Commons would
have but • very transient existence, and that he antici-
pated troublesome times were looming in the distance,
especially as to foreign affairs in connection with this
eountry. At that time the position of affairs was such
ma to demand the wisdom of a strong mind to steer the
barque of State. His anticipation was not fulfilled.
Difficulties did arise on the Continent, but he was
happy to say that this country steered through them in
meety. Italy bed now taken her place amongst the
.tioestitntional monarchies of the world. He then
referred to the war in America, and the probabilities
It one period of England being involved in it, and
mid it was *matter for great congratulation that We bad
not interfered, to Owe dreadful quarrel. Not many
iisperteittipelighirsoliadbeen passed during the session,
although -fibers' **ft- some which would have •
Material %filmes on the people of the country.
Amongst them was the Union Chargeability Bill,
sold be believed that be was speaking the feelings of
sI agriculturista of the county when be said it was one
the most important measures ever passed for benefit-
ing litre poor, and lessening the expenses of the charge-
of the poor upon the county gentlemen.
ewpressions of dissent) That Bill was
=liby the nearly unanimous oonsent of Par-
st. He believed that it would work well for
tie benefit of this and other agricultural °mantle&
Another measure was introduced last session,which was
very important to the country-he meant the Malt
Tax. It was a question himself and others had felt great
difficulty uper, and now he did not think that
the partial or total repeal of the tax would
1/6 productive of such great good to them as
they and be might hope it would. Bat he said they
had a right IX-Ifinti it was part of the
cgoving est 91 that prinsiple of free trade-
• prinMplo they, the • egriadterista, in the
first instance made a stalking-horse. He said
-lend be was quite mare that they woad agree
with him in wayiag-ehat it scold not he wise for
my Government at inc. to posh, a total repeal
of the tax; the interests &Bested hy such a course were
_ . -
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town members—the latter could speak, but the former
did not say inuoh. (Laughter.) lie supposed that
those gentlemen who had been proposed had got their
proposers and seconders to speak for them, but he was
going to let Mr. Floyer speak for himself, and he was
sure that be would do it much better than he could.
(Applause.) Ile was far more able to express the senti-
ciente of a pure and honest member of Parliament than
he was. (lienewei applause.) But, "The proof of the
Pudding was in the eating." They had all known Mr.
Floyer some considerable time, they had watched him,
knew his tots, and had analysed these; and he was sure
that they had found that they had been given with
horn st and conscientious motives, and not with
party motives. ( A ppl a use. ) Therefore, he con.
metered that Mr. Floyer was - a very proper man
to stand in the high position of representative
of this county. (Hear, hear.) He perfectly coincided
in all that had been said as to the affliction and great
deprivation sustained in Dorset by the cloth of those
who had been referred to, and he hoped that nobody
there would think he did not. With regard to the new
poor law be thought it was a measure that ought not
to have been so hastily carried. His own conviction
was that it was a measure that would very much
benefit the towns, by extracting more mousy from the
ratepayers of the country places. He knew and
could safely say that it would be injurious to the poor
peole themselves. (Hear, hear and cries of " No,
no." "We don't want the poor house.") They had
then,lie was sure,been kept there long enough,and st was
getting near dinner-time ; but they were about to have
some 'fine long speeches from the members themselves.
He should not detain them any longer. He begged
leave to propose that John Floyer, Bag., was • fit and
proper person to represent the county of Dorset in the
Commons House of Parliament. (Loud cheers.)
Major Feastrron, in seconding the nomination,
remarked that they all knew Mr. Floyer and his merits;
therefore, he had very little to say beyond this—that
they all owed him a deep debt of gratitude for coming
forward as their representative. His father proposed
Mr. Moyer on the fret occasion, and it gave him
pleasure to be able to say that he (Mr. Floyer) had
fulfilled every anticipation that hit father held out
respecting him. He believed the great majority of the
electors were ready to support Mr. Floyer because he
held true Conservative principles, and that there were
.leetors. not holding such high Conservatism opinion.,
who regretted that at the last contest Mr. Floyer was
not returned, and would now support him if there was
a contest. He believed Mr. Floycr to be the best man
to promote their interests, and he trusted that they
would return him to Parliament to represent them for
many years to come. (Applause.)
The MOM Snaurer having duly inquired if any
person had another candidate to propose, and resolved
no reply, declared the three gentlemen nominated
duly elected.
The lion. W. H. B. PoirrtfAN, who was received
with much applause, said he could assure them that be
felt most grateful to them for the honour they had done
him by returning him for the third time to Parliament
as one of their representatives. The circumstances
trader which that election had taken place were most
agreeable to his feelings, and a great deal more agree-
able than he at one time expected they might have been.
(Hear, hear.) -The past week had been a somewhat
stormy one throughout England, but fortunately the
siectors of Dorset had been able to look calmly on the
wars and rumours of wars which bad generally pre-
vailed. They had not been without their rumours of
wars, they all knew what he meaner (Voice: "Mr.
Dias.") But he was happy to say they had some to
nothing. He had just been sold that the county mem-
bers did not often speak, and that the members for the
borough represented the intelligence and eloquence of
the county. (Laughter.) Now his friends (the reporters)
immediately below him would readily contradict that
statement meet fully. He felt sure that the county
members during the past twelve months had girtn them
much more work for their penulh than the botongh
members had dons.- (War.) He assured them that it
was very pleasing to hie feeling, to come before such an
assemblage of smiling heel se ne then saw around him,
and to meet with the hearty reception they had given
him. (.A.pplatme.) He was quite content with those
marks of approbation. He did not wish to receive
more solid marks of their approbation, in the shape of
rotten eggs or bags of floor, which had been so freely
bestowed on some candidates at other elections.
(Laughter.) It was now six years since he had ad-
dressed them from these hustings. During that time
many important changes had taken place, and many
events had occurred which were a great importance to
them all. (Applause.) He felt, standing there as the
Liberal member for Dorset, that it would be highly
unbecoming in him to leave the hustings without
alluding to a name which would always be held dear by
all those who really professed Liberal opinions. It was
the name of a gentleman who had lately been taken
away horn them, but whose name would ever live in
the political history of these times, and would always be
thought of and gratefully remembered by the working
and commercial classes of this country as oae who
although, he (the speaker) differed from hint in some
opinions and could not agree to support his crotchets for
peace at any price, and others that he thought were
not for the good of the country at large, yet taking his
name in connection with the repeal of the corn laws and
the great commercial treaty—the name of Mr. Cobden
would ever be hailed with applause by the great masses
of the people of this country. (Lend cheers.) Now he
would refer to the different paragraphs in his address
in order. First he would tonob upon a grievance which
was felt by many persons in this country. It was a
question which had undergone some °unmet variations
and ups and downs during the last thirty or forty years.
He referred to the question of the abolition of Ohara..
rates. (Hear.) He was one of those that did not
behave that the abolition of Church-rates would destroy
the church of thia country. (Hear, hear.) He recol-
lected a speech made by one of the cleverest and most
eloquent men in the House of Commons, although he
(the 'meeker) differed from him in many of his opinions,
he referred to Mr. Bright, who said, "I challenge any
gentleman iii the House to stand up and tell me that
were Otturch-ratde abolished the fabric of the Churches
in this country would be allowed to perish." (Cries of
"Bravo" and " I don't agree with him.') He saw around
him many well-known faces whom he had met at
TifiCRIS places daring the winter, and it had often fallen
to his let to address them. When he met them at
agricultural dinners, thoegh politics were, strictly
'masking, excluded, they generally expected &gentle dose
of tiasim—but thee polities were greatly diluted,
and given to suit as fir is possible the taste and feelings
of the which he (the speaker) might have to
address. ( tighter and bear.) He stood before them
there me the Liberal member for Dorsetshire, and was
ready to defend the passing of any measnre of that
governmeet which had been in eflioe for the last six
years, and by whose wise guidance this country had ex-
tended its wealth and prosperity, in a manner which, if
ever eqiudleall, bad never been surpassed. (Cheem, and a
voice: "-It never was equalled.") He was quite ere-
pared to bear some exmessions of dissatisfaction from
many el these he now saw around him on that occasion.
There tine 'mother question which he had much oppoeed,
lid that was with regard to any proem'sl which would
ye undue power to aty elan of the community at
passe of the rest (Hear, bear.) Be was also
opposed to any measures 'which tirotdd tend to
- ill feeling or ineresae any feeling, which
between persons of different religions
There a measure to which he
-4. and to which he had given his
unation and that was the
that neimenre, far front
eakealabeel to create one.
peewee ef any religions
ia the elturohyards of the
that Bill it was pro.
It. felt certain could
to many ageratum of the
what he meant by
Amer wish& would tend
enneemleary restrictions
deneadiations. (Ap-
whisk had been
ad in Ile leek session
relieve *ilk Boman
Aral whet hneiwakbrild to
an Wrifilawy.endirnefeetereadr
*own thenandwir Ile hi-
Vh
them, and he
tinting to impose. on
annermasery oath; WO
tithe ill.dispieed; .it
how working what'
&atm (Heir,' Mail:
tet taxation taw
immediately girl'
tad in this coenfff
Malt Tax. (Henri,
never get it.") He
wee cu that
to souse of
the light of
at the hurt division
vets of Parliament
repeal of the tax,
anymembent He
murk affected some
el those districts
onset. Bo much had
of the Exchequer in
taxes that be (Mr.
had anon when the
bushel from a burden
Sem. (Hear, haw.)
those who thought
or that any great
deli. They msst
ei Omenainieels there
ambled.
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THE RSET COUN

instance the passing of the Post-offlee Sayings' Bank
Bill, the Government Annuities Bill, and the Union
Chargeability Bill. With respeot to the hider
measure there could be no denying that it would press
heavily on some parishes, but what great change was
ever made without there being some sufferers by it?
(Hear, hear.) He believed, however, that the passing
of the Union Charge.blity Bill weuld be to the benefit
of the great mass of the working dames of this country.
He bed mentioned this question to many of his con-
niituents, and he had been very much surprised to find
that men from whose political opinions he should have
expeoted they would have found fault with such
measure, were among the foreman to uphold it
( Applause.) He thought it was a question that would
meet with appreciation or opposition according to the
peculiar circumstances of those penises whom it affected,
or, to use a vulgar phrase, according as it touched the
"breeches pocket." (Laughter.) He had detained them
already s longtime, but he should like to allude to some
of the benefits which the Liberal party bad conferred
on them. They had reduced the Income-tax and the
rates on fire insurance, and they had modified the tea
and sugar duties. He (Mr. Portman) bdieved that had
it been his duty to canvass the eleotors of Dorset on this
occasion for their votes they would have supported him,
notwithstanding that the Liberal Governenent had not
taken off the Malt Tax, or offered the working classes
the boon of cheaper beer. (A voice—" We don't want
it off.") He, however, claimed for the Government that
they had given to the working classes what was of
greater importance to them, necessaries which allowed
them to support their wives and families—cheaper tea
and sugar. (it voice—" Hurrah for Gladstone.") Tbe
Government bail also taken off five or six million pounds
from the Income-tax and reduced the lame amount of
and taxation; income-tax,
during the last few years the
total amount of taxation which had been remitted was
about A:14,000,000. 'The expenditure had also beets
reduced £4,000,000 sterling, and to show the success
of Mr. Gladstone's financial policy he had, during the
last three years, a surplus, which proved that the
elasticity of our commerce had been justly estimated by
the Chaneellor of the Exchequer. He did not mean to
say that when Mr. Gladstone began his career as financial
minister of this country, he was so much trusted by the
people as at the present time. He was then a little
inclined to fancy taxation, but he had seen the error '
of his ways, and was now inclined to deal with
the funds more safely for the good of the coantry.—
(Cheers.) Them had been one point touched on by Mr. '
Radelyffe which VMS rather in favour, he (Mr. Portman)
I thought, of the Liberal Government. He meant the
succession duty. Though many on those hustings would
I be sufferers by it, be thought it was right and just
that it should be so, because in imposing this tax the
Chancellor of the Exchequer was enabled to take off
, other taxes which premed heavily on the middle and
lower classes of the country, and transfer them to
persons of affluence and prosperity who were more
able to bear them. (Cheers) There was one question
' upon which all parties seemed to agree, be they Conser-
vatives, Whigs, or Radicals, and that was that some
measure of Reform wse requisite. ( A pplause. ) There cer-
tainly never was a time when members of all parties in ,
: the Houle of Commons seemed to be so entirely agreed
,1 that 801110 sort of reform was wanted. Unfortunately,
I however, there were not half-a-dosen persons in the I
House of Commons who could agree its to the shape and
nature of that reform—(ohisers)—the ministry didnot ask
for it, and he questioned much whether the next Par- I
liarnent would see any great change In the electoral
franchise. (Voice: "We must have it.") With regard
to the £6 franchise he would tell them what effect he
believed it would have: its first effect would be most
felt by the candidates of all the boroughs throughout the
country. He believed it would give • wonderful impulse
to the "sugar" trade—(loud laughter)—and he thonght
most of them lived near enough to the seaside to know
pretty well what the "sugar" trade meant (Renewed
laughter.) All parties seemed to agree that Liberal
principles must be advocated and carried on—(laughter
and sheers)—for in reading the addresses of the Con.
tervatives throughout the country they had all got a
mild seasoning of Liberalism in them. (Cheers.) The
Liberal party might look back with much satisfaction
upon the proceedings of the last six years. (Applause.)
The-proceedings of the Conservatives had been some-
what obscure. The leader of the Liberal party who had
gained the confidence of every rasa in the country, had
unfortunately reached that time of life when they
could not expect to have him many years more at
their head. What would happen then it was Ma.
possible for him {Mr. Portman) or any other member
of the Liberal party to forealiadow. He believed
that for some time to come the Liberal party would
provide the government of this country. (Applause.)
They had heard a good deal lately about • great
Conservative reaction. At every agricultural dinner
his friend Mr. Sturt shook that rod in his face,
and said there had been a great reaction and the Con-
servatives were going in now. (A Voice: " Don't they
wish they may get it.") Threatened men lived long,
and as far as they could see from the result of the
present general election there was no immediate
prospect of the great Conservative reaction coming into
play. (Laughter.) It reminded him of the chorus of
the old song

" There is a good time coming, boys ;"

but
"You mast wait a little longer."
(Laughter.) He saw that the Conservative reaction
had not set in very strongly in the county of Dorset,
considering that in the lest Parliament the county wae
represented by seven Conservatives and seven Liberals;
but it now returned nine Liberals and five Conger.,
vatives. He would not detain them longer, but thanked,
them for the patient hearing they bad given him, and,
said he wished to give them one piece of advise
before he left off. He was there they knew to,
fight the battle of the Liberal cause siegle-handed,,l
but he had two wary and watchful colleagueni
who would be down upon him for everything he said,
and if one omitted a point the other was reedy to take
it up; be asked them to give him credit for having
done the beet he could singiehanded, and warned them
not to place implicit oonfidenoe in what his Conservative,
friends were about to tell them. (Laughter and cries of
"Oh, oh.") They would very probably tell them that
the liberals had done this, that, and the other, but who
helped them to ,l,tl_,The great Conservative party.
(Cheers.) They Would recollect that there was a sort
of inspeeksion a aort time ago that the opposition °mild,
have turned out the Government when they liked
and it was only oat of a feeling of deference to, seri
persenal regard for Lord Palmereton that they kept them
in power. linfortunately however, last year there
was • trial of strength in the House of Commons,
which was looked forward to with great interest by tbp
country, but -Lewd Palmerston's Government wee
discovered to be meek stronger by some votes than
when be that took °Moe in 1859. (Applause.) He felt
convinced that the result of the general election would '
be to plum the noble lord at the head of a larger
majority than he bad during the last Parlisment, and
he appealed to them if they wished for peace and
plenty, civil and religious liberty, the necessities
, and comforts of all alleges carefully provided for, and'
general prosperity in the country, to continue to return
one member at least, (a voice : "We'll have another
next. time,"/ who would support the Goicernment of
, Lord Palmerston. Whatevev the Conservative party
might say they
,would have done had they had the
chance, as Mr. Farquharson had said the proof of the
pudding was in the eating, the Liberal party had the
chance and had done all the good things be had
mentioned, therefore, he called upon them to continue
rapport a supporter of the Liberal Government.
,(Cheers.)
HENRY GERARD STORY, req., who was' received
with meoh cheering, said, although it was not
generally supposed that he held opinions identic4
with thorn entertained by his hon. colleague, Mr.
Portman, who had just addreseed them, nevertheless
he mast confess that there was one part of that
gentleman's speech in which he heartily concurred,
and whose opinion expressed thereon he Most'
sincerely endorsed—when Mr. Portman told them
that he preferred • "walk over" to a contested
eleotion, (Laughter and cheers.) He would not
then enter Mtn all the many disagreeable circum-
stances which that exciting and somewhat expensive
ordeal entailed (laughter), but the question that
naturally proposed itself to his mind was—who had
he to thank for having been allowed to stand anop-•
posed as one of the representatives in Parliament
for theoonaty of Dorset t Most assuredly it was
the "free andindependent •electors of the ommty ;"
therefore it was to. them he tendered a double amount
'Of thanks for paying him that compliment, vrtnib,
lempted him PS flitter himself that, daring the, six
years be had redresented the interest of the countj
in Parliament, he had not forfeited their confidence,
or lad any of their good.wilL (ikpplanee.) He bad
listened with great attention to the remainder of the
speech just made by his bon, colleague, to a part of
which he 'Mould presently refer. He (Mr. Portman)
preferred Lord Palmerston and hie Government to that
of Lord Derby bat there was not much in the hon.
'gentleman's' ep4;ech be had to complain of. /n fact,,
they were all pretty well agreed. (Laug)rter.l.
Whether they nailed themselves good old Whigs,
like his friend J. Portman; ind dein)
Conservatives, bk.., Mr. Player;
I CoParrstOtle. lihgothaonel Start; COneereggi.s.
/Anima like his,,:liherldan, or .whielpevar-
,wag-the:eat-jamps 'isolitinitm„ like Sir Henry
Drinamend Wolff, ("410i0 and langhter,) or plain,
dmpiet Cwirervatiablldlinine article, like him-
. ailf, (lr iter) therthie aa:all Mid whild anxious
to r, abuses where '1 r. proved to exist,
' faTouT of Aram* demo.
• they veva_ ...as to preserve in
Undid so muds to

. nisety.
perfectl7

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feered
period •
at leis
4omion
theek

we are

GAZETT

-" T '7\ Raff(l7:l
AND AGRICULTURAC

(ore,
Was
ative,
feudal

of Lord Derby. (Laughter.) And why not? (Hi
hear.) Now what be was going to tell them s
between themselves. What was more Conservatit
what was more Tory—nay, what was more feuds,
than a really good old Whig! (Laughter.) All he
could say wee, that if amongst the good old Whig
families, who would enlist under the banner of Lord
Derby, was brought the fine old house of the Port-
man family, he should look upon them as valuable
recruits. (Laughter.) And now It was quite
refreshing to . come to a point upon which he
lUld his friend did not quite agree—(laughter)--
and he would briefly refer to the Union
Chargeability Bill. Nobody, be thought, could
Way but that it carried oat what he had just stated,
that for the future they must look more to measures
than to men. (Hear, hear.) Nobody coed say It
was a party question. All the Conservatives voted,- .
members of the House of Commons voted, in a
" higgledy piggledy" manner—be could use no other
phrase ; and the way in which certain Conservatiee ;
borough members, on the eve of the dissolution Of
Parliament, and with a contested eleetion sseeidg
them in the face, felt bound—conscientious/7 ef
ware (laughter) to support Her Majeety el
Government, and the energy they showed in goiig!
into the same lobby was to ;bins an affecting ape,- ,
tacle. (Laughter.) He (Mr. Start) opposed the '
Union Chargeability Bill for, three reasons—first or
all, because he felt by its coming into operation ' i
would entail severe hardships upon many of h i
constituents. (Hear, hear. t Secondly, be oppese i
it because of the great unfairness which teemed ••te
. obtain between two great classes of the community.
No man who had read thet Bill could deny that, -
thought it might benefit one clam of the people, yet it
mild only be done at the expense of another. (Hear, .
bear.) No doubt several towns would be relieved
Of certain annual payments by the passing of the
Will, but the money must be got, and it would be
got from neighbouring parishes. (Hear, hear.) He '
did not see any reaen why the manufacturer and the
, inadholder should not pay his share of the pnblie
burden (hear, hear), but he had no hesitation in
saying that, by the peeving of that Bill, several of his
constituents would have their rates doubled. (Hear,
hear.) And thirdly, he coniidered that the passing
of the Bill would be a death blow to the parochial
system. Hear, bear.) If a man was out of work he
went to the farmer and asked for employment, and
the farmer gave the man work whether he wanted
him or not. (Laughter, and "No, no.") Yee, and
why! Because if the labourer PPM half sharp be
would say, "If you don't give me employment I shall
go to the workhouse." The farmer well knew he
would have to pay 10s. a week for his maintenance
there, and very naturally thought to himself if he
had to pay that amount he might as well have is
work. But the measure had -beeome law, and he
trusted that the good would accrue to it which his
friend anticipated, but he (the speaker) 'very much
feared would not. (Applause.) And now let him
say a word or two upon a subject that had not
been settled, and he ventured to say would not
be settled for many a long day to come. He
believed it would be the battle cry on the
hustings for 10 or 15 years to come—he alluded to the
question of Reform. (Hear, hear.) It would be in
the recollection of his hearers that Lord Derby's
Government endeavoured to settle that question but
failed. The present Government came in pledged to
a more democratic measure, but their pledge yet re-
mained unfulfilled, either from the apathy of the
people or the Conservatism of Lord Palmerston.
Still he thought they must each and all congratulate
themselves that they had not been committed to any
hasty measures which, by swamping the intelligence
and property of the country, would have endangered
the stability of the constitution. (Applause.) If we
were to have a reform in the representation of the
people, he thought that reform should not point
merely in the direction of numerical superiority or
be based solely on the population of the country.
(Cheers.) He oonsidered, as he always had done,
that property and the agricultural interest should,
have its fair share in the representation. (Cheers.).
Intelligence and education also should be fairly re-
presented. (Hear, bear.) If they took population
as their guide, they would find that the number of
county members returned to Parliament stood in no
proportion to the borough members. After all was
said and done, he thought the country generally was
pretty well satisfied to leave the matter as Atom. He
thought it might be fairly said, that notwithstanding
anomalies to defects in the representative system,
that during the last twenty years Parliament
had pretty fairly representented the public voice.
(Hear, hear, and dissent.) He should be pre-
pared to consider any measure of Reform which might
be brought forward by the Government of the day.
He had shown to them in what way that Reform
should be directed: His hon. colleague proceeded
to touch upon foreign affairs, and he admired his
courage, because it seemed to him to be the weak point
of the present administration. At this moment
certainly there was a lull in foreign matters, and
although it was sometimes said a lull forboded a
storm, still he thought the preeeut aspect of affairs
might be regarded as satisfactory. .(Cheers.)
Whether or not we stood as formerly as regarded
other nations was quite another question. He end
not think the conduct of England towards Denmark
redounded to the honour of this country, for he
thought he might say we commenced with menace
and ended with. humiliation. (Applause.) No man
I would say but that timely and well-judged counsels
were very good things, but he thought they ought to
be able to back their policy with their bayonets.
1
I (Hear' hear, and cheers.) Peace was a very good
1 thing but it might be bought at too dear a price, at
, the lois of national honour, and having the name so
r dear to Eegliahmeir
,tienistied. (Cheers.) He
'thought he . most say, • word or two upon
a subject which hart'• :excited great attention
, and interest among :IP-certain portion of his
constituents, and that wit the Malt-tax question.
(Hear, hear.) He had 'ever been a 'consistent sup-
' p.rter of the repeal of the Malt-tax not merely when
' he became a county member, but when he WOA there.
presentative for this borough. (Cheers.) He considered
if they were to have free trade they ought to go
'sight through with it. (Hear, hear.) With that
view he attended amongst the deputation to the
Chancellor of the Exchequer on the subject, and he
' was perfectly certain he read his right hon. friend at
a glance and knew what he was saying to himself to
a•- - `y. Be *re thinking to himeelf, they Were
~ctly right, and he of all men sliOnla most like
Al come forward and shake; off tiseemanacles render
their industry free, and give 41.1 effect to those two
magic Words—free trade ()auglater end, applause),
words which were to the,agnoultural, interest only
a delusion and a snare. (Hear, hear.) He came to
the last vote which he ' gave in the House. pf
' Commcns. He thought it was a good old
English saying; "Never kick a man when he
is down" (laughter), and the number of kieka
the poor Lord Chancellor would receive on every
hustings throughout the conatry was something.
fearful to contemplate. (Laughter.) The Lord
Chancellor was a personal friend of hie (Mr. Sttirt's),
but when he saw the honour Of the country was at
stake, he could never allow personal friendehip to
interfere with public duty. (Hear, hear.) He had
always considered that one of the greatest glories
of the Constitution was the trustful reliance which
Englishmen placed in those fien who conduct the
affairs of the nation, and espeeially ought it to be in
that man who was the chief administratcir of oir
law. He bad detained then longer than he had in-
•tended ;he had referred' measures past and to
come, and to men • past an 1,0 come, and it only
remained for him to thank them for the homier
they had done him that day in returnin,g hies nit.
to Parliament. He sleonld go there forUded by"
etpreasion of their good-will, and endeavour to of
,Ida
duty to them and to, his country. (Leads
litiltnise.) ,
' Ort FLov ea, Esq., after theapplaase with which
hi* Coming forward was hailed had subsided, mid
that he had now to return them his heartiesttiaankse
for having the fifth time elected kith as tietrreptC#
wintative in the Carnivals Herm of Parlitinse,nt. ,
He assured them that he stiiiiild go hint to tiiiP,'
House of Commons with a sincere desite to do hia ,
duty, and to support those Wiesaeres which should ,
be best for every class and every party *
I this county, and to pro's:Sete the good mad benefit,
of the whole community. (Beset, ,heisr.). , Hie,
oolleagues had both addressed them at some length;
they had had to explain stAto4lve an account of
their stewardship, which had bend - ' ;Peieldit'
of six years. It would not be 'lll4l.l''
detain them an long, far the •
stewardship had now
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