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

THE CONSERVATIVE MEETING.

A publie meeting of the friends and supporters of Mr.
lisrobro sod Sir F. W. Johnstone, wail hold at the
&yr.! Hotel, on Tutirday night. Among those prompt
were—Mr. Singel!, Mr. M. peronista, Admiral Tryon,
Colonel Browne, Mr. G. Crickmay, Mr. Symonds, Mr.
J. Dove/Ash, Mr. Ireland, Mr. W. Talbot, Dr. J. Fox,
Mr. Arden, Mr. Harr, Mr. Aylesbury, Mr. W. Thomp-
son, Mr. Robertson, jun., Mr. Hare, Mr. Turner, Mr.
Hoop r, Mr. H. Foots, Mr. Andrews, Mr. Laois, Mr.
Wel,ford, Mr. Templemon, Mr. S. HiHedge, /to. /so.,
the room b..ing very full indeed. The chair was taken
by Mr. T. L. Coulson, who gave a spirited address.

Mr. H•ono0, M.P., was received with immense
applause. He said :.Gentlemen, electors of Weymouth
—that I should hay* the pleaaure, and I should toll
you one thine it has b en • eery great pleasure to me
to meet you to-night—was as little expected by me as
I !martin° it wss a:forted by you or anybody else In
this country. I myself from experimer I had gained
in Parlinuort thought it was Tory probable we should
taro • dboulut ion some time about next March. After
Mr. G'adstone had weed his principal cc irostes, it
was very prub.ble thot be would appeal to the country.
But that a ambler of the Crown, • Prime minister,
after having used Her Majesty's name to inform the
summon • Porliament for the bth of February, should,
country, and to announce to the nation that he should
without • moment's notice, have dissolved that Paths-
history of Uhl nation, going beck as it doom for many
meat, is a thing which I believe. unpicoodented in the
bemireds sod hundreds of year.. I have read Mr.
Gladstone's speech, and I due say you have also; in
tint "too oh ho gives us his reasons for at esoirlug Puha-
meet, and we must take his reasons as the truth. All
I ono eay Is—if them are Mr. Gledstono's reasons for
dissolving Parliament, I can hardly believe him. I
believe that thinking himself a Very clever LIMO, he has
tried to serve us a trick, and steal • march upon us.
In my opinion of Ibis ease, I am much strengthtned by
a letter in the Tulles of to-day, which stated that Mr.
Glodatme was for contain reasons, afraid to meet Par-
lionent. You koow he accepted the (nice cf Chancellor
of rho Exclaquer, in con jemmies' with that of Prime
Minister, and I believe that in accepting the two edited,
under the laws of England, he did an illegal thirg—
(bear). In the Tones of to-day I mad this 'lngenuity
has exhausted itself in attempting to account for Mr.
Gladatone's sudden appeal to the country. A grain
of foot is worth a pound of theory. Sunill three days
before the dissolution, Mr. Gladstone was served with
a writ of Foam and penalties in the Court of Quen's
Bench, returnable within • few days, for retaliator; the
seat be had forfeited by aeceptanoe of °Moo In con.
aberration he sought legal advice, the tenor of which
so alarmed him that he determined at onoe to out the
Gordian Knot, sod dissolvo." I am not reopoosible for
this; but the Tames is • newspaper which is gonerally
"cry careful as to what is pat in, and the editor does
not allow any letter to go In, although this is F.G.,
twins" he knows who writes the letters, and that there
is some reason for it. Whatever the roason may be,
Mr. Gladstone, without any preparation at all, for
as! think, he did not dare to meet Parliament, mode
up hi. 'Mod to sacrifice no matter what interests. With
the Asbantee war on his banes, with the co-re and
intero.to of those soldiers, who am o out now fighting,
azol with the care of 25 millions of our fellow *Oporto
in India, who are looking to the Government to provide
means to prevent them from starving—wlthout any
oonsideration what might happen, he simply threw the
whole thing op, and said "I will not most this Parlia-
ment," • Parliament in which be had • majority of 70,
and said "1 will in ver meet the Parltament c f 1868
again." Thus Parliament Is dissolved ; I am not •
member of Parliament, Mr. Biwa:di is not • member
of Parliameut, and there will be no Pullet:mot in this
country for six weeks to govern this °cooky, no one
to look after the welfare of our fePow-tubjeete in India.
What do you think of that?—(shame). There must
be source reason for this. I ask you ejectors of Wcy•
mouth, whether you think • man who has done such
• thing is to be trusted with the Oestioirs of this
country I I would ask you wilco her you will return to
Parliament men who support Mr. Gladstone's policy /
I hope every man will do hls utmost to return men to
Parliament who will oppose Mr. Gladstone's policy. I
will oak you one question—How it is you will support
my late colleague I He has hotted an address to the
electors of this town • but he knows much better than
to ray • single word In his address about poOtioa. Now
moat of us know what his politics ore, and I believe be
Is not so much • follower of Gladstone as of Mr. Bright.
I would ask any of you who spe ;resent Lore' whether
you are in favour of • godless oduoation for your
oblation. -- (no, no)—whttber you think that children
should be brought up in entire ignorant* of Gcd and
of His leer 1-00, n 4). If you are la favour of godless
etu otiou for your children, bear in mind arliat he did,
and he canoot deny it, he voted for the repeal of the
25*.h clausal of the Educcation Act. No one voted for the
roma of that etauso, but Cl.. Birrnieghorn ['moue and
the very ultra Dissenters. I bane a great respect tor
Dissenters, many of them aro most excellent men, and
although they do not agree with the Churoh of Eng-
lund, they are slid in favour of religious a alucation—uo
dissenter can deny thtt. Mr. Edwards vokd for the
repeal of the 251 °lame of the Education Act. There
is another thing I will ask you about—whether
Mr. Bruoe's Licensing Bill is • just Act
Stony of you rooy sity "It him worked well ;"
but I ask is it a joint Am? (No, no.) II it fsir
to take away from a man the right to buy aid eel
Lica:used Victuallers have Invested large cipit lieu their
businesses, and thoy have as mush right to carry on
their trade as any one ohe. I am not au odor:orate for
drunkenness, I an in favour of low to put down vice;
but to say that no honest men shout' be allowed
auytting they like to eat or drink at any boor of the
day or night, so long as they behave retpectably and
Ike ou:4l.men, I don't see why they simuld not be
&10w..d to bay. it. I say it again, and I speak without
fear of dent .1- because I have soon him I very night, I
hoots been in the House of Comunos, for the hit five
lests—l my that Mr. Edwards has voted in favour of
the Lioeusiog Bill. All I wont you to think of is
prloolp:e—yoo must not look to men; In SUSS like this
every private feeling must gin way to the public good.
It is a very important moment—you must not think of
your own footings, or what you would like best. There
are many men I know, whom I will not vote for,
although thy are among my beat friends, and one of
them is the best M. o.! I hove. bocause I cannot support
their priociplos—you must support those I rinciples
which you belie vo are for the benefit of year country.
I only hope you will exert your power to return two
Comoirvative Members for this borough. I do not say
who tho two are; but they are pretty well known
wysclf and Sir Frederic Johnstone. I assure you you
have • capital Coot_rvotive Member in myself
(itu:hter)—and you will have anothar in bir nodal"
Johnstoce. I snore you from what I kr ow of
Parliament, there must be • Ministerial party and an
Oppositir n party (Voice: Let the others look on). The
country has got more or Imo tired of Mr. Gladstone
and a feeling estate in this country of strong Cooler,
votive reaction which has largely increased of lobe, it
has always been going on, but it has devoloped R&M
lately most wonderfuly. There we" • time, some four
years ago, when Mr. Gladstone had a majority of 120,
and that is an extraordinary thing, become the seats
have been gained one by one. Members of Parliament
do not die every day, althoogh they are mortal; hut
these vaconties have taken place at difforent times
within the last four years, and I think we ham not lost ,
ore of the 20 seats we have tried for. Dots not that
show what the Conservative feeling is in the country I
Gentlemen, it is now five years ego since you did me
the honour to return me ad one of your memh,os. Five
years.. • long time, men have &winged • roost deal in
that time, but I do not think, and I
thank yoo for it
that your feelings hive changed towards me. I believe
gentlemen, I still retain your confidence, I will tell you
,
one thing, I have changed myself. to • certain extant;
cud I will tell you what it Is—l have broom" more
Con Goa and lees of a Itulical than I was—
(applause) I believe a great number of you gentlemen
have become more Con km thou you were five
years ago. (Voloe: They have got more Mlle now)—
• groat many people who were Liberals five years ago
were afraid of tbe pace at whicali Mr. Gladstone was
taming at; they did not coact', hoop where it woold
end. It is not good coming down hill too fail'. I an
in favour of progress; but there are some going at •
tremendous mow It is extraordinary how some morale
forget things—l do not want you to forget the
disestabliahment of the Irish Church, I do not want
you to forget the spoliation, and I think the iojiistios
that was done by the Irish Land Rill. The eff.,et of
that is worn every day, it is not over yet. I do not
want you to forget the irjostioe done to our Army ant
Navy, .to the Army by the Abolition of Purchase
Bill, and to the Navy by the manner in which it has
been reduced. If the abolition uf purchase was s good
thing, it was not done in the right way. I hove an
extensive scquaintacoe In the army, end of many men
who were in favour of the abolition of purchase if
properly carried out, but it has not been done in the
right way. It WU • great expense to the country, and
might have boon better oonduoted than it was.
Anothor thing I do not want you to forget is tho state
our army and navy were rodueed to. • few years ago.
It is better now, but when this Government Gime into
power, in order to nave four millions of money, they
sold everything off in our dookyotils, and so made a
lot of money. And then in • few years hOOOO, they had
to buy it back again. If you road Mr. Joenstono's
speech " We were rids to roske a great redaction in
the first two years; but I am sorry to ray we have not
been able to continue that reduction, the expenditure
In the army and navy is as largo as ever." They say
that it Is in consequence of having remodelled the army ;
but I believe I am perfectly correct in what I have
mid. Another thing I do not want you to forgot_
the Alahamo treaty mot us three millions of money,
half of which we made a present to Anterior'. It may
have been a fine thing to prevent • war, but I believe
that if we had wont out • couple of our ships over there,
and aal.l "Take cure what you are about,' they would
not have gone to war with us, and we should cot have
gone to war with them, and saved one and a half
million of money. Tie, think of Vancouver's Island.
We had a tine Si ,urlahiug island there, Nod • precious
big islan,l too, and is hit of linglishmen who had Fettled
there ; they believed that they were Euglisi.;
but without sokiog them • stogie question we
made them Americans, they themselves Choir wires
mid familia', were hooded over to Anterlos—(ohame).
Another thing I want you not to forget, and that Is
the tearing tip of the Black Bea treaty. I was not In
the army payroll then, although I was in the Crimea,
and we know whet a xoonditure we ineunod in fiobting.
We mate a treaty with Russia that she should trot have
• iLet In the B'ack Sea; Int the whole thirg had now
been to= up—tho only thing we mimed at tiro end of
tho wor. What our bravo men and f (E'er, fought and
bled for at Alma, lokermann, and Sobsstopol, toot now
beet' done away with. I want you Co Monk of another
thing—what has caused this miserable war on the coast
of Africa. Many of cur eoldlrlll and sailors will be dead
eitoply nni cons, clienee of that war. One of the finest
young fol:mts we lad was Lord Motto's son, who volun-
teered to go out like every Reillslunati would, to do

his duty, and that poor fellow is dead. Thaw, ulltelf
numbers of friends out there, and I think that the
whole of this wax might have been prevented if we had
gone to the expegss of keeling up the three regiments
of Mask soldiers- Who used to guard that country. Three
regiments used to keep quiet there ; but they were
taken away, and then the Ashantees said "England
has no power, and we will go down and take Cape
Coast thistle." I ask are these things to be forgotten.
They
con to turn out the Government that are responsible for
are not to be, and I hope you will do the best you
these Acts. Ido not want to detain you much longer,
I will eay two words about what Mr. Gladstone has pro-
mised you. The principal thing he has promire,d is to
do away with the femme Tax. Ho takes credit to Mai-
-1 self for having five millions of mosey. It moms ridicu-
lon, for a minister to say be has Ave millions—that
money has been made by the prosperity of the country.
This Ilve millions would have been in the °offers
of toe Exchequer if Mr, Gladstone had not been
alive, or if any one else had been Chanoellot of the
Exchequer. It has been hard times with no; but on
the whole England has berm prosperous • things have
been getting dearer; but taxes have trZen paid, and
mare and more money haa been mining In. The income
Tax was nr•ver intendtd to remain, if Mr. Disraeli had
been in offi..re, he would bare taken it off, so that,
after all, it was not • very great thing to say. Ido not
think it was much credit to Mr. Gladstone, to remit •
tax which he does not want. There is another thing;
be has talked of local taxation. Com•rvativea and
Liberals have tried to get the Utivortimont to tar, up
the question of Wool taxation; but it Well rot until
lately that they got Mr, liladateno to take it up. For
two year. be has refused but now he says ' I will take
it up' Then as to the redistribution of seam lam
In favour of giving to Leery man • share lii the raprcrou-
tattoo of the country; but I do w.t think that Leery
man in the county ought to have the fruochiso given
hum. My experience is that the intelligence of zur.n to
the boroughs is deoidedly superior to thu close to whom
it is proposed to glee the franchise. One result would
be that the borough. in England wculd be swamped in
a wcek—(bear). Well, gentlemen, I must toll you, la
conclusion, bow sorry Imo not to be able to add:Eel yen
better than I bar/educe. (Voice: You have done very
well.) Everything has been done in • hurry, laud no
one con make a speesh at • moment's notice. I have
Lot had a minatte's time to myself. Every hour of the
day stone I have been hire, my thoughts have been
away from thia place; my thoughts have been turned
day and night to • sick bed at home where& dear father
lies in a state that only my duty to my country and my
ounstatueucy would bring me away—(hear). I thank
you Mon macre!? Lr the attentive liatetting you have
given ma. and I hope I shall captious to rut rig that
support sod esteem I have always reoiived from you—
(M.memie applause aml "Three cheers for Mr. Hambro.")

Sir FEIDER:CJOBISseoIIi then addressed the assegai,.
H•said :—Mr. Chairman and Gentlemec,—lt Is with
much pleasure I rise to addle se y. u ; but before I woos ed
to make Any observations, I beg to Grave your kind
indulgec cc ; for it is the first time I have ever aldressed
• public meeting, or a public assembly of gentlemen ;
bet I trust it will not be the last—(bmar, hoar). I
have long looked forward to the timo when I hoped to
have the opportunity of asking you to return we 14
your representative to Parlianienr. My father, and my
grandfather before him, had that lienuer, and law corns
before you with the same somid Conservative principles
or. which they sought sni °butted your support.
Gentlemen— you We aware tbat • large melon of your
party did me tho hcnour list summer on the cocesion
of • meeting held, when It seemed • d•solution of
Parliameut was likely to take placer, to Invite too to
come forward with my (need, Mr. Umbra, In tbe
Co live interest. This request was couveyed to
me by your Chairman, Mr. Sywonee, to eLom I
replied that I should be most happy to j-in Mr.
lllllllbeo an • candidate ter your se:Magee In the Coe-
n:4 vative interest. At the time it was very deebtful
whether • dissolution would, or would not, take piece,
and I was anxious to avoid disturbing the town with any
polities' agitation ; I therefore did no more than reply
to Mr. Symoode, stating the honour I felt you hal dome
me and that when the proper Urns arrived the pleasure
I should have in coming forward in cotjuoction with
Mr. Iliduhro. That time gentlemee, ha, now arrived,
and my friend, Mr. Ilambru, has told y u that we have
jetntly determined to contest the borough, believing
that you are strong enough, and determined to return
two Conservativise—(sppleuet). Gentlemen—the extra-
ordinary 'lotion of the Government in so suddenly
bringing 'beet • resolution, has given you an earlier
opportuni!y then you weals& otherwise hare bed of '
'bowleg your disapprobation of the bluudering and
storteigeted policy of the present Goverment, and
what your true political opinions are. The situation is
• grave One, and I hope every COnliefTattiVO will work
with • will, and as if the result of the eleotien depended
ou his sole exertion—(hew). Looking to the recent
elections there Is no doubt there has been a strrirg Con-
servative reaction throughout the country and I believe
that if all the Conservatives of Wey month coma to the
poll, you will be able to return two Coriservstirev, and
Sir t with an overwtelmieg mijority—(hear, hear). I
believe that front the time Mr. Dierae.l pa,sed
Reform Bill, Begland has been thoro.uhly Ctoliternlt.
hive. Mr. Disraeli has always expressed his ocinion,
and I believe he is right. that the worleieg clereel of
this country are thorougely Censervative. Tee renet
of the recent elections Lae. I thick, proved this heyotel
ail doubt. Tbe ballot Act which wart pareei by the
Liberal Government luster.' if blare • meesure to
forward their interests, bee I beieve, on the coutrtry,
tended to promote Consee•stisue I micsider tbat
under the Ballot perfect freedom is given to all elay.ov,
and I do not regret tbat such a In astute baa teen
passed ; but believe that it will oonducta to the ;rood
order of election., and to tha freedom of the el•-clors—
(hoar). I think lam riebt in easing that as carry as
2t.'i seats have bees won by the Cooservative party, this
is a great victory, and I trust that by the present el-c.
tiou the Conservative, cill *me into plover with ii .LI•
i•larsb:e majority —(apreausi ). Goatlemon— W het lisa
this reaction Why the Nun :Ors and feilures
ant pelioye of the present Government. The while
country has lost ooefidence in them. No ore, felt irate
not knowing what they weld do next, itoreernnee
Mr. Gladstone esti "he should think twi,e or these
befora he abolishel the House of Lords," aid a
short time ego be remarked that the time must camas
woes the (Meech of &mined usual be disestablished.
It is remarks such as these th it make us feel how
ni-
sa'. the Instituttons of our country WO, w when e rusted
to Statesmen of these opiebans—(hear,bi are I:shirring
to the Alabama reshot, what did the Geverument •er
They paid three mill one of money for allotted limes,
sustained by different p Ales, ween the feat is, I
believe, that damage to the extent oily of about a
'edition lied • had was custained. The other millma
and • half toned its wey luta the Beate-quer of the
United States. I call this "penny wise and pound
foolish" pollep. It is all very well to sey we Ilsei
seemed peace with America; but in the nest embroil.
merit with her we may find teat iestrad of smoothing
the path to peep.), we bare only m•de it MOTO
It is no doubt • ;rest thing to be at ',eve with el the
world: but we may !my pesos too dearly, especially
when it la ',engirt, as I think it was in this tn.% with
loss of honour to the oeniutre—(applause). (Le word
upon the Ashantee war. What leis the Government
done? Why It has brought about a coutest with a
barbarous nation in • pestilential country with. ut con.
suiting Part:a:neat reed where is it to end and chit is
It 10 cost, I ehould like to know The Government
has been ready enough to refer claims to areitratioo,
when we are embroiled with • civilised nation, but too
ready, I fear to go to war when barbarians ere our
I opponeeta. don't call Ibis keeping up the preetig•
of Ktigist d; but, en the oontrary, tending to Wing the
cation into ridicule, and lower cur ILINeOO.:.. I bars
no doubt, however, of the ultimate result of the war,
arid that our ivory wet prove the army it always has
beim, curd be alike victorious evilest ravages as It has
been agaioat c,viliaed loes—(great applause). I ooesider
that the measure that Mr. Cardwell brought forward
arid passed—l mean the abolition of purchase in the
arty—was • piece of gratuitous legislation which was
nut oalled for, and 1 question much whether it will
have inch an effect as the great seat it haa put lb*
country to, will jestify. The doubtful wisdom of the
measure is, I think, shown by the comeuissiou directed
to enquire what 'climber* had been icfi.oted on our
officer& Tbe country vas put to great expense ketone
It eras ascertained that the measure would be • bens.
ficiel one; sad the ewers., would have been, as it
items to me, to have bait a returuirsion of er Iniry
first ard then, if found desirable, to have passed a mere
sure, meeting the requiremeuts of the ease—(applawtr).
Like the last fecker of • fondle Mr. Gladstone in ditsolv-
lug the Parliament tells us he has a surplus of five
millions and that with this surplus in band, it is quite
practicable, but you will observe Gootlemen he does not
pledge himself te do It—to take into consideratien the
abolition of the Income Tax ; but this is sooompanied
with the information that the surplus in order to maks
it adequate must be enlarged by additional taxation.
q mtlemen—if Mr. tiladatOne and a liberal °overtime ot
can do We, • Conservative Government coo do it.
Moreover the Conservetive perty has always (secured
the abolition of the Income Tax and • diminution of
Lore' Taxation, which is one of the measures Mr.
Gladstone now proposes ; but has always hitherto
opposed; we have had enough of Mr. Olseetoeete
promises—who Inner*, but that—supposing tie wire to
continue in dike and power ; he would be able to keep
his word. Nobody would be more plows(' than I should
be to see the blooms Tax abolished. I consider the'
Ibis tax presses, if not urjustly, very hardly on the
middle clao.oa (aprlative.) With regard to the
Licensing( Act, I think the License' Vietuallers are •
Glass that should be considered and that they have •
right to deka a fair brariug, and have their grievarees
fully ociuddered—(heer, hear.) It is to be remembered
that their capital is invested in their property, and I
debit think say legielative enactment should be pesied
without oonsilerlue their claim. I hear on all sides
that the oarly hone at which the houses are eorupelled
to besieged under the New Act preers hardly upon the
clans thin I have menteured aud to found to be hicouven-
lent—(applause.) IPm happy to ay that at Weymouth
eou have not any need fore School board and I trust
that you will be able for yeses to come—as you have
done—to do without the assietacoe of the Keluestiom
Act in the Education of your children and that the
educatios given to the poor will continue to be an
eduoition which shall molds the principles of nekton.
I am in favour of gdueation being spread an widely an
possible; but I don t think the voluntary efforts of those
wen have built schools bed maintained them should b•
interfered with. Gentheatu—kly opinions are strictly
Coeur eve, they ore founded on the principles which
have rinsed the constitution of this country to be the
admiration and envy of other nations ; and so long as
these principles are maintained, I have no fear for the
honour, or the laws, or welfare of the nation. A
Dation growing as we aro in intelligence and triable
must from time chime have her old Lowe muditiod, sea
new laws must b 3 massed to control end ditto: the
increasing and changing elrcutostauces of the people,
Gentlemen—lt you do me tho honour to eh ct me, any
messure brought forwerd fir tbe good of the pe( p'e
16.11 have my earnest support, and it will 61$0 be toy
pleasure, inespective of my duty to you as your
representative to forward ti the beet of my ability y ur
loorl interests which are so linked with mitre -(great
applause.)

The meetiog rose, col pre three hearty choirs I,r
Sir Yrciletio Johisktone.

Admiral TRYON nikais i telling speech.
k motion adopting the Oonsirvative candidates was
passed ou the notion of Mr. MU. Dsvirmieu, Deoonletd
Ly Mr. W. ti N )De.
A Tao of shooks to the throramts, 000 eluded the
proceedir gs.
The meeting then broke up.