The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1874-02-03 00:00:00

WEYMOUTH ELECTION.
ADDEESSES OF THE CANDIDATES AND
THEIR SUPPORTERS.
INCIDENTS OF TDB CONTEST,

For many Jelin few towns In the kingdom have
manifested each warmth of feeling in their eleolloa
rented' am Weymouth and Ilieloombe Regis, and the
present struggle is one which has placed in hostile
array tbe two great parties on • most important issue,
for by its result will be decided either the domination
of the Conservatives and the extioetion of the present
Liberal representation, or the maintenance of one
member by .sot party as In the last Per!lamest. The
hope of MONS& has nerved the strong phalanx of Con-
bervathres to pat forth all their energier, while the
possibility of anelhilatlon hes given a stimulus eepially
strong to the adherents of the Liberal cause. It was
arrsog d some months ego eta Coneervetive meeting
that Sir Frederic Johostone, Bart, should be the
sollesgue of Mr. 11a5abf0 it the nest general eleetioo,
and no doubt preparat•ons for the light have beec In
programs ; but the sodden disso:ution found parties
everywhere some .bat norrepared, so that the " rash "
throughout the present week has been unpreoedented.
Committees have been mastered, constant meetings
held, and tienenneing hoe been vigorously carried on by
both parties. The public meetings of the two parties
were crowded with elector; and the enthusiasm
played most demonstrative. Amongst all classes, end
In all companies, the prospecte of tbo election are
earnestly canvaded, the belief of the epeakers catehiog
their tows from the desire of their hearts, and support-
It with amusing " proofr." It is gratifying, however,
to note the general good humour that prevails.. May
It continue to the end, and when filo election Is
deoded may we be all good friends again

MR, EDWARDH BEFORE lIIS CONSTITUENTS.
A meeting of the friends and upporters of Mr. H.
Edwards, was held at the Concert Hall, ISt.
Nish°les atm et, Melambs Regis, on Monday evening
lest. The large 11.11 we. filled in the body, and the
galleries had • very respectable oomrany. Mr. R. N.
Howard was plsoed in the chair. and on the platform
were Mr. Gerken, Dr. .1. Drew, Mr. G. Reynolds, Mr.
J. K. itobens, Mr. H. T. Georr, Mr. Mum, Rev. IT.
Smith, Dr. Thud, Mr. W. Ferris, Mr. Haroott. Mr. K.
L. Newbolt, &a., The company In the Hall was so
huge as to prevent • list of names being taken ; bat
smeseget them we noticed— hiessre. C. Lovell, E. Mae",
0. Carter, John Russell, Stone, W. T. Hallett, & .1.
Brown, Oberman, W. A. Sperling, J. Leman, Jon.,
dgag g, T. Abbott, J. Parsons. B. Parsons, W.
Freeman R. 11.. Legg, W. Cook, W. J. Vinoent, J.
S. Wallis, Flieher, Baseornho, W. Rose,
Icarmouth, T. Grin', Mullen', J. Rolls, C. Burdeo,
Draw, White, lienvile, 11. Warren, W. T. Beale, Jeatt,
I. D.
bLb3o' C. Crocker, B. Probst. Led.,, W. Royal,
S. W
After the Cl:littgblAN, Mr. J. R Roams gave • stirring
L 3.00,
M. Phallus, Wilkinson, Fowler, ,
kc.
speech, and moved the first reeobition
niecting 4..14in-. et'r.- sore, 4 6,Tui_
Ititlu to Yr. Edwards, for the lioinet and nllieirr,t discharge . 4
hi+ dull. 00. the Liberal representative of One borough, am
II sa for lita Ulli•Valioil labours and general marine-to(
thing eonnetitel with the well-being of the town, and idethre
tbcir indivialueJ and unitoi cxcrtiona to anal bins back aupiL
tziumphautfy to the Mato of Couunona.

—busman applause.
kr. Naos esooaded.

Dr. Jonas Dam propos...l :
"That this meeting cordially in, i.e all the friends of Mr.
Edwinla to unite with them in earned, honest, and manly
effort in order the more effectually to secure the groat object
they have at heart,"
Dr. Tll4+D a -aoudad.

The ChisiRYAN than put the resolutions separately,
and they were both carried unaelmousle.
Mr. H. EDT/AIM M.P., was received with 'temente
cheering, loud and long repeated, and followed by
" One more for the Working Men." Mr. Edwards said :
Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, I certainly did not tele ot
viten I came down here this evening, to be reocly, d
with sash an ovation al you have been pleased to accord
me—(Voifte : Not half caoturh, air). I quite expected
that by the time I arrived, the resolutions or the pre-
liminary part of the meeting would have been over, and
I should have came in at the fag end. I am very gist
to have arrived now, becamee it has given ore very
great assurance and Tory great confidanoe for the
contest before me—(aypiaceo). You will expect ree to
say something about the &mole:tut. I was never more
surprised in my life, when I braid of it, and you will
be the more astonished at my surprise considering that
I was only the night before in the midst of • number of
official and influential gentlemen, and as late an one
o'clock on Saturday morning net one of those gentle-
men had the remotest idea of the Sense ion thet was to
arrest them when they awoke from their slumbets, and
got the Tima newspaper on their breakfmt tables. I
was not very early in rising on the Saturday morning,
and my newspaper wee placed on my bed-table; but I
thought of looking at It, till • friend rushed
upstairs, and said "Mr. Edwards, do you know of the
dissolution r A week ago to-day, I happened to meet
Lord Wolverton, our late whip in tho House of
Commons, and after sachnegleg our" How dye do's?'
we talked about politics gaol I said to him " It la my
believe that we shall have an earlier dissolution than
most people lararrine." Ho said " Why do you think
acs 7" and I replied "Because Otero is such an ameunt
of disunion amidst tt• Liberal party, that I thiek it Is
impossible we can work together ; ev.ry men is pulling
his own party to pieces, trying to have hie own way,
that I think it Is imposelete we can hold together long
after the meeting of Parliament." But Mr. Gladstone
never betrayed the motet ; never was a secret better
kept than this. Yesterday enorning—Sunday—oomiqg
out of church, I met Mr. Gledstone's son. " How d'ye
do O' " How dye do 7' " Well, I mid, or fetha.r
has given us • surprise." " Well," said he, " t e bra
given it really to me.' He hal just come from Deblie,
and he amtinueri "I was as ignorant of it
as you were"—(hear). But now we are Jebel
may be termed fairly afloat. tied I have to
stand not only face to face ia Weyureith wila my
friend., but with my apponeets, and I m44D, ike for as
I know, to be equal with them—(applause). It memo
to me that the great corcelsint oar oppoeents make is
that they were not timely informed of this little ar.
rangement—that they did uet have • better chance
than I had as a Lib. ral member of Parliament to lay
th,lr platis—(laughter). I dare say you are quite aware
that Mr. Disraeli and the Doke of Richmond Lad tuned
their invitations for dinner on the 4th of the month,
and if Mr. Disraeli had known what was going to
happen, they might have been spared the trouble—
(laughter). But you know they and Mr. Gladstone are
on opposite aids., •r d I Bopp:pone shall boon opposite
Wes in Weymouth ; but I hops we shell be all friends
and shake bands at the end of the a ght--(applaum).
You have done me the honour to return me as your
repreeentative to two Parliaments, and this is the tend
hare of asking—(laughter and applause). If any of you
imow any joat mute or impedimect why I should not
go to Parliament, Dow is your time to choler° it. I
hope by this little errangemeat to be wedded to Wcy•
mouth for the rest of may political life—(beer, hear).
Now Liberal pricolplee are thines which I dorms, non
mostly understand My idea of Liberal principles is just
this—to legielate 116 far.., possible for the beeceo of re.
great mass of my fellow coentrymen—(applause)—not
taking a narrow minded, and if I msy soy, Try view
of the case, to legislate in the main for the ripper ten
thousand ; I think thee are able to take care of them-
selves—(applause). When we legislate for the million
Ills gratifying to 426 as • member of Parliament, and
still more gratifying as a man who hes laboured all my
life to know what Liberal legislation has done to fumble
the working people of this °entity ho erjoy • very
mach larger share of the world's wealth than they ever
did before—(opplause) Tema cannot be • question,
when we are discussing the sub) -ot of Liberal polities
what they have done for tee freedom of commerce,
giving as it were, the orportuoity to every man for
advaterment, if he will only take advantage of it. That
is what I call true Liberalism, and you are called upon
to send um to support them principles which have
bronght us to that pinnacle of greatnem which we now
▪ (applause). I believe that the Liberal p.rty
hays had what is termed a policy; they here daring
tiro fire years of this Parliament carried a groat many
very useful mossures—(applause)—and the oti-ot of the
Liberal Gcrernment and the Liberal policy is to go on
programing, ooniolidating as we go, aid to prepare for
• future—(applause). I want to know whet our oepo-
cents propose, supp -sing they come let* paver. Are
they goirg to have what they cell a etsuid-still polio)?
Or are they going to have a retrogade policy They
certainly wake no promise that they are voing to move
onward ; but we in this country cannot afford to stand
still—(applause). They any ' You ere too fond of
legielieieg. But what should we have done if we hod
not taken advantage of the opportunite • to give us that
elevation and as I said before., give such an eleornous
amount Of prosperity art com'ort to the crest leek of
the people of this ceuetry—(.ppletse), Now, gentle-
men, this would be a very fortunate time fro the Con-
servative party t* walk into clic., because they would
hove tie firmering of a very large surples revenue--
(I+110Am). net surplus was brought about, according
to my view?, by the wise Imeeletion of the Lib ral
Government—(applaule) —and I above all otter people,
should be very sorry to see the Tories in power, to
manipulate that spleedial surplus— (herr). A promise
is made us by the Prime Waster of the abolition of the
Income tax—that touches ut all round ; that was fore-
shadowed by the Pientier in his ad tress to his con-
stituents which startled us S 3 DatiOla on Saturday
moreime But on Saturday afterecan Mr. Diar.eli
lewd • reautfesto, aid he was prepared see to remove
the Dorm. Tex—(leughter). I recollect that .t a pro-
Inoue general election when Our opponents were bidding
fer P•rlamentary power, it was said they adopted so
many of the Liberal party's ideas, that it meted as if
by ftecid.ct they found Gm Liberal party b,thiog, atd
while limy were padtline in the water the Tories ran
away with ti air clothes—(laughter). No sooner bee Mr.
(Pedaloes stated that he, will ninevo the Immo Tax
than Pr. Disraeli says "Put me in Isis puliOon, and I
will do the woe"- Taut:hies). I have DO doubt the
',lint of both paella wield be e'he same; but I should
be very sorry at this peril:sly moureet. to NO the
fineareal affairs cf the gauntry taken out of the Imed.of
moth a skilful administrator as Mr. Gledetooe—
(applause). There are m.ny Worm to he spoken of,
and ins which I have talked chart in We yrneutb nature
—that tilreard Lietosiog Qeestten. Al: the ides of the
Licousiog Act are throe. upon tier Liberal party; but
nothing in the world WU ever more uniesa There :nay
be many of you who think yourr elvers aggrieved Lamm '
drape or form by the Limiter/ Bill, anal I went to
itoperas upon you the honest truth—that it was no party
me aaaaa at all. It was • measure eteirely that of the ,
House of Commons. I will put exelale it to you in •
few moureeto When the fie t Liceesinie Hill was
brocebt in, that has calmed so much treoble, by Mr.
Bruce, it was called • measure of confiscation, it was
condemned by everybcdy, and it was kicked ant of the
House. • year elapsed, and every newspaper teemed
with leading article, on Ike craleation, there were letters
from all parts of the Elegdom, a Toributtog their quota
.in migration of what was thought good for a
Liftable' Bill. After tele had taken place for
• year, a very leading man OD the Opposition side
proposed a Licensing Bill. I want to disabuse people's
mieds of what is • gross injustice to the Liberal Govern-
ment ; it was Sir Selwyn Ibbettion' • man of great
: infleacce, and held in great esteem by that party, who
proposed the bill. That bill U it bad been carried on,
would have been afteptiable to the mind of the Halm
of Commons • but the Cloverrrent ware bound to deal
with the quikdon, arid they promised hon. .nembers
on the othbr site that the bill shoul,d be embodied in
theirs. It was in fact, more stringent that the Govern-
meet bill, but it was accepted by the House of Coin'
moos ; clause after clause, was embodied in the
Government measure, and now we have the bill.
Everybody bed • gricvsnce obout it, and reed it was
the bill of the Liberal party. If ever these was • bill
that did belong entirely to the House of Commons, It
, was that bill for the lloonsisg—(rear, hear.) I to not
' know that this is the 41430 to imalt, inc
very lenethened
spesCh ; but when I are so many earnest faces, I know
they mean business—(spplausea Ills II years slam you
did in. the heftier to sand me to Parliament, and I
have been no stranger to you sinoe—(applause.) was
told when I mime first to you is 18135—and it was •
I frequent observation made to me " We do not know
our usernbere—the then members—(bear.) I do net
.andybodappylaiLn mlt bee been my pride and honour
eyarouth can say that of me—(br,
toear
ht
be one of yoarseives—(applafte.) If there was any.
thieg I cored do to serve you, I have only been
delighted to do it. I have considered it not only a
pleasure but • duty to do so. If anything can be done
for any one belonging to Weymoutb, I now consider It
! but a duty to do it,—(applanee)—and I stn always
pleased to have the oppertnnity—(applacuma There Is
one mat:er I am gclug to allude to—cod a select of
very great pleasure to we—a matter of independence to
you, the question of the Ballot. I cannot tell you the
I pleasure it gives in. to know this—that nothing J can
say, nothing I can urge, oan mope' you to vote form,,
unless you like. My honourable mileages prides him-
self upon being dead opponent of the ballot. Now be
my., they have tested the ballot, they salt Its Conserve.
live measure because they had Conservative members
returned to Parliament under it. But it anything in
the world could make me a pare ballot men it is that
you con do as you like; Let it be a Conservative
measure ; if you are Co Lies men, go and vote for
tie Conservative candidete. What I wanted is for you
to be 44 free al I am to register your votes &readiest to
your principles ; you are all of you lam delighted to say,
free men. I came to Weymouth, soil all soy political
education was gained ho-re, and I he never gone
courting any other constituency, this I. my first love,
and what Is more I promise you it will be my last, for
I am., not so wedded to the charms of the life of • mem.
her of Parliament, as to go seeking any other Goma.
teener. If I have cot made my mark in Weymonth, in
carrying oat the principles I laid down when I entered
the place, if I have not fulehed all the promisees I
made, if I cannot claim Weymouth as my own, I
oertainly cannot claim any other pleoe—(applause.) I
do not think I must trespass any snore on
your time to-night. Ober° is the work, and
• very arduous work, maiked out for me ; I
have often raid I know every nook and corner in
Weymouth ; but I thrall have to make, myself si misaluted
with every nook and corner again. I shall bare to be
knocking at every door, and I have beou accustomed to
see nailing fears and now is the time I want them more
than ever. Now is the time when you can previa to
me the earnestness of your attachment, fulfilling for
me, as I have fu:filled to you. What I desire is this
more then anything else—l have come down to Wee.
mewl', I bay. met noisome on all sides, and ori every
amebae, and now comes the Seat of friendship, of your
appreciation of me, now cooO a this Wilke I have said
to you before on other occasion., the pride I rhould lord
in Ming returned under the ballot, airleh is bring
carried out pure and simple. All of you can go end
register you vote entirely In same doing it in what
, way yen Ike. I say it is • reed thing for any meuile r
of Parliament to be returned under such eireuruetanme,
and being returned under the Ballot, I shall feel
prouder than ever of being member of Weymouth,

because I shall feel that I am the member, and year
member. in reality—(applause, the whole aseembly
rising and cheering). I Oink you moat heartily for
the kind reception you have given me, I alien only be
to happy to repeat the meeting after we have got rid
of moon of the labours that are before us, and then to
go mor, oompletely intowhat a. may call the labours of
•the futare--(renewed applause).
The Cu•taxAN bllowed with some useful remarks,
and then Mr. GA‘KIILL explained tho system of voting
by Ballot.

Tho meeting then separated with cheers for Mr.
Edam&