The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1868-11-17 00:00:00

TO THE INDEPENDENT ELECTORS OF THE
BOROUGH OF WEYMOUTH AND
MELOOMBE REGIS.

THE time is fast approaching when the
honourable grad you so kindly reposed in me, by
returning ute as your Representative to the House of
Common., will be again placed in your hands. 1 bops
that my eontlact while there has been such u to meet
your approval, and to obtain for mei a renewal of you
confidence, by permitting me to have the honour of
repruentitig you in the new Parliament.
. . . .

.„
From the time I entered the Hones of Commons I
have honestly and con.i•eently followed oat the
principles I professed when I trot sought your suffrage.,
and that will, I tract, be a guarantee f Pr my future
Wane. I was returned by you to support L:beral
principles in that assembly. I have always done SO.
Hy votes, given on all the great public questions which
have been before the Legislature, will bear witness to
soy 6delity to those principles.
The groat question of liefiirm has absorbed much cid
the time and attention of the House, and the Let
passed last session, moulded, as it was to . large extent,
by the Liberal party, boa secured • considerable access
of ;popular power, with • oorrerponding increase to the
str.ngth of the Constitution. Some of the objection,
able features of the Bill, however, still remain to be
Improved is the future Peiliassient, when I trust the
vexation end trouble tdc.ioned ti the COMPOIMI
Hottarholdrr, will be retnovel, and Electors protected
from intimidation by tie ewe by Ballo&
. . . . .

I have voted for the •hohtion. of Compulsory Church
Rate,. and rejoice that this fruitful source of discord no
longAr esistv ; and I Anticipate with confidence then
unity will be found where religious strife has before
sainted.

I have voted for the Abolition of the Lamb iii the
Army. a punishment which I believe degrades and
brutalizes without any reformatory influence : I trust
that this, together with the additional interest sbewn in
our soldiers, will raise the moral tone of our army and
place thet branch of our public defence in • yet higher
stale of efficiency.
The condition of Ireland is • subject of the gravest
consideration. The chronic discontent of the people
hen esused exeeptional measures ti be taken for the
public safety, and all thoughtful mind. have been cons
Warning how to meet the evil. One fruitful source of
discontent being a Promitant Church establishtuent,
with the population mostly Roman Catholic, the
present Government pr p cud to give them religious
equality by " levelling up the Roman CAtholie prieet.
hood, and establishing • University for that body
bet this has been abandooee, and an sppeal is now
made to dis-eatablish the existing Church, instead of
endowing all others. I feel the time has arrived when
this should be done, tint simply because • source of
irritation would he removed from the Roman Catholic
population, but because I feel thrt for the interests of
religion, the Protestant Church 01.0.114 appear before
that people without the strong tr.jntioe. foeterril in
their minds widest her truths, by the position of
antagouilin in which she is made to appear to them.

The Membrrr of the Protestant Church of Ireland
are numerically small in comparison with the Roman
Catholic population. yet they represent the bulk of Ms
property to hat country ; and I believe they bays too
much love for their Church to allow it to decoy for
want of support. especially when we we those who
have but little property, with credit to themaylves,
eustaibing th.ir religious institutions. To think other.
wire would he a libel on View and a vand.l to our
faith ; hod by her dis-estehliahinent. I believe, instead
of there being D. inereue in tbe number of her members
for yearn in provirtion to the populat.on' the would
receive an impetus for umfulneis which would soon
manifest

The eubject of Education must of necessity wiriously
occupy the attention of the new Parliament. It lions
of the most imperative of our runnel dotes, and thoufb
pave difficuttiee may iurround the method of its
extension, yet I hope the time in not far distant, when
every child born in thin kingdom shall possess, at Weak
the rudiments of education, without any violation of
its religions principles.
The finances of our country will challenge elms
scrutiny than they have yet received, and everything
which • true economy might suggest be carried into
pi-entice. Our army and navy must be kept in thorough
efficiency, but recent informatiou *hews that the public
money is wasted to an extent unimagined by those who
bays not given attention to the subject. l'he time I
believe is not remote, when under the auspices of
another Government, the affairs of our country will be
both breoutably and econow.eilly conducted.
I hoped to have seen you before dm, bet am nu-
fortunately detained in London by severe indinponition.
At the earliest moment my physician thinks I may
travel, I shall do myself the pleasure of coming amonpe
you. I remain,
Your most obedient and faithful Servant,
HENRY EDWA.EiI&
Dated August 3rd 1888.