The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1874-02-10 00:00:00

JOYFUL LIBERAL MEETING AT THE
BURDON HOTEL

The 41111101 member for Weymouth, Mr. Henry
Edwards, held his meeting of triumph at the Barden
Hotel on Wednesday night. It was so large that the
assembly room was crammed from end to end, long
before Mr. Rdwards and his special party of friends
arrived, and they found the greatest difficulty in melting
their way through the densely packed crowd. Those
on the platform included amongst others, for it was
crowded, so that all could not be seen—the centre of
attraction Mr. H. Edwards, M.P. Mr. C. Penny,
Messes. lesson, Hallett, 1111310., T.lrqbart, Dr. Third,
O. Tined, Howbeit, Rev. W. Lewis, Capt. Barium,
R. Bayly, J. E. Roberto, R. N. Howard, Abbott, kc.,
but as forth, body of the room, it would be best to say
that two third, of the town wee* represented, and the
following are only a few names mentioned in random:
Messrs. Walker, A. Rolls, Freeman, J. J. Rolle,
Lsroombe, Smith, Demob, Reedall, Grant, T. S.
Wallis, liandersoo, J. E. Russell, P. Dodson, Dyer,
Phillipps, Third, Gilbert, Chapman, Mullen', J.
Parsons, B. Parana, Fowler, Lowman Wallis eon.,
Gibbs, Chalker, Russell, Ayling, F. N. Whit*, Williams,
Mons. Leys, Harris, Lee, H. Dibben, Brethy, A.
Dennis, Harsh, Haploid., Croaker, Baker, R, Bowditob,
Capt. Beale, R. Mau, Z. Mara, jen...l. Lowman it,,.
J. Sally, Warren' Clandry, Hawke., Cook, H. impel],
but to sive anything like • auffi dent list would be lies
attempting to name the inhabitants of the town. A
large proportion of thou present were ladles.
When Mn, Edwards and party entered, the assembly
roes and cheered immensely.
On the motion of Mr. Mason, Mr. 0. PEISINT was
celled to the Chair. He said yesterday was one of the
proodest days ever sun for Weymouth ; he had
advnested the ballot for 50 years for at the elections 50
years ago, the intimidation practised by the patrons of
the borough was such that we could have no coneeption
of it in the present days. And when they talked about
lowering the franchise he told his friend Sir William
Pruritus, "It is no nee lowering the franchise unless
you give men the ballot,' therefore he could not tell
bow pleased he was that the ballot is the law of the
land—(applause).
Mr. Enwerum, M.P. was again enthusias-
Boally received. Among hi. remarks he said: Ladies
and gentlemen unfortunately our language is so
poor that from Its very poverty we are obliged to use
words to acknowledge our gratitude for the highest
favours conferred similar to those used for the smallest;
and thus you will easily understand when I tell you it
Is most difficult for me to find words to convey to ynu
the gratitude I feel for the honour you have done me in
placing me In the proud position you have—(applause,
" You ought to have had every vote, sir'). Therefore,
from the paucity of words, I can only say that from the
bottom of my heart I most sincerely thank you—
(applause). It is now ten years sines I first occupied
any public position, and that was in Weymouth, when I
same here to ask you to do me the honour of returning
me to Parliament. I then told you I had led an active
life in commesoe, that I was anxious to relieve myself
from it, but still to live a life of usefulness, and that
the unionises I aspired to was the honour of
representing you in the House of Commons. I
need not go over the short internel that next
passed, but after that short interval you took
the earliest opportunity of returning me without a
contest, and it Is most gratifying to find myself
after eight years of apprenticeship still your member. I
have been found worthy of being nein returned to
Parliament, in • new capacity, but oertaialy a opacity
I hops long to eejoy—(applause). I told you last week,
and many of you I dare say were present at the time,
that I alma before you for the third time of asking, and
if any of you know any just cense or impediment—
(No, there is none)—why I should not ho wedded to
Weymouth for the remainder of my political life, you
were thou to declare it—(hear). I am bound to codas
that you have given an uomistakeable reply to that—
(shouts of applause and • voice "We know just cause
why you should be). As my friend tells we. Ido feel
now re ,Ily wedded to Weymooth—(epplause). They
say he who is will lactated in the saddle, ought not to
speak • word of those who are out of it. It is far from
my intention to say anything but praise if my Ince
colleague—(ob loh I)—unfortnoately ho has d. firmed
hinaelf—(fluice : Quite right, too). When I came down
to Weymouth last week, I was not a little surprised on
reading his address to the electors of Weytncutb, that
he wanted to recommend to your notice another candi-
date, and be set him forth, tlll, g you and dictating to
you as to whom ycn should return as his colleague to
Parliament—(We know better than that). Ladies and
gentlemen, I have no doubt he intended, or wished, to
send me to Jericiho—(applause, and we wouldn't h 'vs
It). But where Le is going himself I don's know. Yes,
my friends, we know the saying—Man proposes and
God dispoess—(hear, hear). It is quite possible, for all
I know, that Mr. Hembro may been the way to Jericho
himself —(Voice : On his Norwegian pony "—laughter).
I must confess I cm very much indebted to my late
colleague, for he has pointed out to me the rook that
shipwrecked him, and one that I shall take particular
cafe to avoid—(bear, bear). You may rest assured,
as long as It Is my good fortune to represent you in
Parliament, I shall never carry on my back,or attempt to
pitchfork at you any man; I stall leave you entirely
free and independent as to whom you will return as
my colleague to Parllameut—(hear,) It Is quite enough
for me to ea you to you to return Henry Edward.—
(hear) Now, Wife and gentlemen, I cannot allow
an opportunity of this kind to pass over without allud-
ing to the extraordinary suocese which has attended
oor recent eoetest—(voice ; That is because you are a
good man.) Wall, my friends. when I came down on
this occasion to oonv•as, from the moment I entered
the town, from the first to the last person I asked, I
may almost say I could count on my fingers those who
said no to me. Such a kind expression and feeling I
little expected. I can only tell you that sines I have
been the representative of Weymouth, I have tried to
deserve your kindness; but I assure you I was over-
whelmed with the kindness I resolved, and I feel how
little I deserved the expression of feeling which you
have been pleased to show towards rm. (No, no.) I
attribute my great suocess to the ballot—(hear, hear.)
Well do I remember, as if only yesterday, ten years ago
standing as a candidate in Weymouth before not so
large • meeting as this, but still a large mooting, and
addressing you for the first time in my life, never hav-
ing taken the slightest Interest in any particular elec-
tion, never having unnamed for any one but myself,
and never at that time having canvassed even for my.
self. I made as Ido now, an address, and I was not
quite what ,tioall up to the mark, when somebody
@boated "Bow about the ballot r. I was bound to say
at that time I had pot considered the ballot, and I said
"Have the permeates ballot ; let those who like the
ballot have It, and thus who do not like it, do
without it," and I think I got out of the difiloul.y
pretty well. I commenoed my canvass in Weymouth,
walked round from house to house, and was told, "I
should like to support you, sin; but cannot; all my
sustomers go the other way ;" another said "If I voted
for you, this housemould not belong to me to-morrow."
House after house, as I went along, I was told the same;
It was the first time I ever canvassed, and the first time
I knew the state of thraldom people could be kept in
In • plasm like this, and I became practically acquainted
with the horror and dread people may feel in a smell
community like this, and I became a convert to the
ballot —(hear). I have not omitted supporting it In
every possible way, and now what do I Lel on an
occasion like this? The pride I feel now is caused by
the ballot. (Voice : Plumpers.) It is from a full belief
that I now feel for once in my life, standing as tho real
representative of the constituency. (Voice : Senior
mambo. for Weymouth.) Now, ladies and gentlemen,
you have heard my version of tho ballot—(applau e).
• meeting toek place in Weymouth the other day at the
Royal Hotel, and to-day for tho first time I was
enabled to take up a newspaper oonteluing • report
of it. I had not read the reports of my adversaries
meetings, because I had riot tiose—(Voloe: Bead it
sloe% sir). His Is the view that was taken by a
gallant admiral, at the meeting at the Royal Hotel, of
the Liberals and the ballot. The gallant admiral
asked if they had ever found • Liberal de a good act,
and remarked that "he would be hanged if ever be
did, except it was for the benefit of his own pocket,"
and there woe" applause to that. Ho said "he had
dealt with Libersla pretty ore 0, but in every Instance
he had been frightfully sold."—(Voies : Trying it on).
lie continued " Wheal they gave their votes, IA them
give them like men, let there bona division of property,
if they wanted to come tip to their principles, if they
wanted to cionoult their feelings, they would not give
one vote to Mr. Jones and the other to Mn. Smith. If
they did it was not worth going into that wreteled sort
of sting-pot place." Ladies and gentlemen, I •m
shocked at the language; this is scarcely, I ocoutider,
dignified amid aristocratic for gentlemen of
,e,h,iodmoaintidtemonsorrieet.
them,
tßhue tanow,
.y
eu are ma
sail rk
not. twii out 0
ndoi
tdivide
h w your recommendationiotv:ut,
nish
a measure to allow the working man to ba independent
01 his master? it was to prevent coercion' to let himgive his vote as he pleased"—(hear, hear). Up to that
Fatal w, do Dot Osiris; Ms (4401 adialsal was