The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1865-06-27 00:00:00

MIMING OF CONBERVATIVI ELIOTORB.

On Thursday evening a meeting of the friends and
supporteis of the bovough memheis—R. Brooks, Esq.
and Lord Grey de Wilton, was held at the Royal Hotel.
There wan a v. ry full sttendanoe, atuongst whom was
• I.rge sprinkling of the upper crust." Amongst
tt.oi.re.ent were J A. Devenish, Esq., W. Symonds,
E-q.. F. C. Stegg.ll, E-q., F. C. A rden,7.-q ,G.
Arden, Esq., W. Thompson, Esq., R. v. J Philippe,
Messrs. Mace, Sly. Roberts, IL noinaa, T. Anderson,
Ac
On the propo.ition of W. Synionds, Esq., vecondei
by W. Thompson, Seq., J. A. Devenish, Esq., was
vet dto the ch.ir. _ . .

The CBAIRIIAN said they were met that evening for
the purport' of seeingtwo gentlemen who had repre-ented
them for the keit six years. They wire eelectei by
di. in at t. at time strictly on Cunitervative principles ;
their conduct had been before them, and it was for them
mow to decide whether they had recorded their vot. a
in Parliament cormistently ; if the meeting thnught they
had, it would be their d by to unite and return them
to Pmliament. (Cheers.) But if on the (deer hand
there we. any gentleman who wished to cail them to
aecoulit, he hid no doubt but that they wiuld be able
•to give a satisfactory answer. (Hear, hear.) There
was one thing witch they ought to remember,
that. wet that their members were not brought
before their constituency in a "hole and corner
manner." (Hear, beer.) Teey were fist introdumd,
having bad a number of Censervative meetings con-
vened, the result of which Ira, thet the present rnern•
bets were waited upon and asked to represent this
berough instead of it being repre-ented by two Liberal..
(Cheers.) When they lett London they met with their
approv..l, and it was found they were men in whom
implicit confidence could he placed. It was fir the
electo. s to say now whether they had dieerred tie sup-
port given them, and if ih. y thou,ht they could have
hail two better m n. ( Applause, and voioes—" No, no,"
and " y yes.') They must remember that do ing the
whole of the time they had been in Parliament they
had been on the oppo-ition si al of the Home ; but
that wan • long lane that had no turning, and be bad in.
doubt but thet when Parliament met next time their
Members would be found on the government side.
(Vociferous applause.) If the Weytnenth people sent
two Liberals to Parliameet they stroll be in the same
position as they had been in fir the last six years.
(Cicero, and Grim' of "No, no ;" 'Yes, yea.") He ex'
premed himself delighted to see such a large and in-
fluential meeting, remarking thot if they were united,
and put their shoulders to the wheel, notwithstanding
the opposition h, ought to bear against Or. m, they would
return their men triumphantly. (Great s.p, lease.) The
chairman concluded by stating that thio was • meeting
prelimeinery to the Nieves., and exoremed a hope thetas
many gentlemen as possible would assist in canvassing
the town. (Appleme.)
Lord GRIT DI WILTON then addressed the meeting.
Hie tieing was the signet for a general outburst of
applame. He said : Gentlemen our good friend, Mr.
Devenieh, bee niformed You that this is purely a pre-
liminary meeting, but it is sl-o, I deem it, • bu.imiess
meetine. (Hear, hear) I Owl not, on any account,
sit mpt t m--k.' a long ma cti ; I shall ',direst you
very briefly indeed. I need 'lordly assure you, gentle-
men, th t lam ex remely glad to find mynlf aside face
to lace with yon, alt ongh under summate of not quite
en pleasing • eater. eel cool I hive wi-bed ; Vet when
I regard the great contmt whi -h took plate in this
booongh nix year.; ago, and the equally gr. at victory
which, by your united bode.... my friend bin Brooks
and were etiahleel to achieve:l KM sure I have great
maw to oongrotulete inyeelf in aside warning face to
face with you. (Applause.) Gentlemen, it yea not
tie intention of either Mr. Brooke or myself to have
come rlowe aroongra you a' earls in the way of a can-
vass, purely. I ehould an, with the view of not disturb-
ing the pease and quiets... ef the bornagh. (Applause.)
How err, it. has horsed out, HOMO. hat unexpecieely it
is true, t at two geutlemnee, I believe from Lowlon,
h-ac mune down to disturb the le.ace of the borough. I
do not hi-me them for that Let them have their fair
rhimete. We came down last time as assailants to the
Liberal members However, they have CORM somewhat
nuexpeetedly, but the moeneet we received intelligence
down we Caine to show that we are not frightened at,
them. (Cheers.) Gentlemen, I know very little of
these opponents of ours; in feet I have no real know-
lecke whatever of them. I have, of coulee, looked
carefully at their addresees. They appear to martian II
much as Liberal addreases usually do. (Laughter.)
However, to ere •le only two salient poets
te which I will call your attention to night. The
first is that of the determination on the part of
these gentlimen, to strike at the ro it of the Eetablished
Church (Laid nephrite...) ; and secondly, to lower the
franchise to a sormwhet indefinite extent. Iu the firet
place I do not thiek you are the men to support any
gentlemeo, whoever they may be, wherover they may
come from, who ore determined to undermine, and I
repeat it, undermine the fabric of the Church ; I say
tide, whether you consider that the q uesti on if Church-
rot a has become quite a dead letter' and dying a natural
death in Parliament. (Cheers.) Secondly, I do not
think you are the men to respect and support those who
ere determined by their-votes virtually to diseefratichige
us, beneuse that M whet it means by lowering it to an
indefini e extent. (tlear, hear.) Ao I have mid before,
I do not want to talk politi. c to night; we have plenty
of time for that. I have come before you simply to
show that we are here in peopria persona, and deter-
mined to do our utmost to keep up the representation of
this borough, whiok ban been kept up for the last six
yews. To show you we intend to vote together as we
have done, shoulder to shoulder, snit sok yon personally
to support us in our canvas., and help us to achieve the
same vioicey which we did aix years ago. (Great
applanse.) We commerce the eanvaist in earnest to-
morrow moraine, di.tri t, by district, and shall be glad
to see our Mends rally aroun, us. I have no doubt
when the polling day aeriver it will enit in time triumph
of those Comervative principles which I am sure you
have all at heart. (Gre.t appteuse.)
Mr. R. BROOIB was most heartily received. He said:
Gentlemen, on time firet occasion when I had the honoer
nf addressing you sii pant ago, it wog in this room. I
then stated ti you, the first words I uttered were
that I was not. man given to telking, but was a man
of deeds. (Cheers ) It will be fee you ti say whether
I have acted up to that statement, as far as in me lay,
and whether the votei I hove given in Parhatneut '
during the last six year.; have been in accordance with
the addresses which I then issued to you. [Voters:
"Yes, yea"] I have never given upon any occasion a
vote wii hoat first considering the propriety of that vote,
or whether such a vote would bear reflection after it was
given, smid whether it would be for the good of the
country. I have endeavonred to uphold, upon all
occasions, the pure constitution of this country, and I
Ball continue to do CO as long as I represent you.
(Cheers.) I shall not go very far into the policy of thrM
Government which lisa governed this country for the
last six years. But there are one or two things will& ,
I cannot pass over in silence. (Cheers.) It will be in
the recollection of yon all, for it is not long ago, that
there was • little disturbance between Get many and
Denmark. What did our Government de? Why,
Government mega a promise to. support Denmark, and
also threatened Germany. They then applied to France
to support us, hut the Emperor declined. What did
our Foreign Minister do? Palinerston backed °et of
both, and the remit was thet the Government shirked
into their shell and there 'remained,' lowering the
&wader of time oonntry altogether in the ei er of
Earope. (Applause.) A greet deal has been said about
the ballot. You perhaps width te hear what my viows
are upon it. My opinion to that tee ballot iii perfectly
un English, and that it is underhended for voters to vote
secretly. (Renewed applause.) It is not tree, as all ged,
that it would ereveet corruption. On.,the contrary
it would inereese it two-fold. (Hear, bean) I thank
yeti for the reception you Mere green niti this evening.
We now cone before you again; we are not at all afraid
of our opponentv who have come &ern. I happen
to know something of them —(ironical laughter)—
bet it smart hot be prudent for mine to say what
I do know. it Weald not answer any good purpose
to lelasken anybody., and I shall not be inclined to
do so. (Cheers.) If any gentlemen in the rioter has
got anything to say against no let him get up and tell as
so. I can only task you to artwlort us in this contest
which is about to come off, arid I am eatisfie from whet
I have seen that it will be victorione, and crowned with
emcees such sawn met with on &former occasion. (Great
applause) The hon. gentleman concluded by making a '
few remark', about canvassing the town, and resumed
his mat amidst much applause.
Mr. AYLESBURY then addressed the electors at some
length, remarkingkhret. he could not resist the temptation
of saying a few words as they were on the eve of a
general election. In the oncirae of these remarks he
said he must eay a few things in reference to the pre-
sent members. Speaking of Lord Grey de Wilton, he
said he was a near relative of Sir Frederick Johnstone.
That gentleinan, they knew. poeseeveil a vast amount of
property in the town. He had the power, and he
believel was desiroue to do his utmost to
do all he could to benefit Weymouth, for they
knew that in benefltting Weymouth he wan beneatting
himself. Mr. Aylesbury then alluded to the sites which
Sir Frederick had given for St. John's Church and
School. and the Bethel,' *nut also the support which he
rendered to the local ehatitiers. Nov there was another
caculestenee which lbtre pleased to learn. He knew
that Sir Fred, riek TohWatone ba4 written a letter to
Mr. Anderson, Me *gent here, ntorting that he, (Sir
Frederick) desired that all the trepPort whir% was legiti-
meats ehoeld be given-to the progent rnembirs. (Loud
• e cheers, connter cheers, and. Melees ) Sir
entia not etke men to " put on an
must be' in ir -
their ' that

spelaus*,
Frederick
undue
that Sir
qil6.Pke"

of Weymouth become the commenters of his vensel..
Wheers ) He (Mr. ayleshury) con.rdere I the.
Mr. Brooks had th eas a govt port in the Home
of C mono for C:e town, and that he deserved
the support which it was in their power to give him,
and meant to do. (A pristine. Cries of "Sit down,"
" Turn hiux out.") The speaker concluded by urging
the electors to have a frrei,dly feeling towards one
another ; and if this election were to be fought out
not for them to be enemies towards one another, but to I
re, ord thoir votes honestly and be friends with all.
(Cheers.)
Three cheers were given for the members interspersed
with hisses, and the proceedings of the meeting were
brought to a close by • vote of thanks being accorded to 1
the Chairm.n, arrangements having been made for
entering on the canvass on the morrow.