The Express.
London, England, 1855-03-01 00:00:00

MR. LAYARD AND HIS

Yesterday, pursuant to invitation, the County Hall
at Aylesbury was densely Wed with the electors of the
borough and hundred, to hear from Mr. Layard an amount
of his parliamentary condaot alaee his election, and his
opinion on the state of affairs in the Rest. On the platform
were several of the more influential liberals of the borough,
sad the c►air was taken by Mr. ACTON TINDALL, the Clerk
of the Poses. Mr. Layard and his friends entered the hall
at half-past three o'clock, immediately after which
The CNAINNAN briefly opened the proceedings, and called
ca Mr. Layard to address the electors.

Mr. LATAID then Came forward, and war received with
loud cheers. He aid : Gentlemen, electors, and non-
electors of the borough and hundred of A.ylesbary, I trust
I may call you all my (Heade, although I may recognise
among these present some who have been ray political oppo-
nents. It was • goo.' old castor', before we bad a news-
paper press to scatter over the whole kingdom the news of
the metropolis, and of the world at large,—it was then the
good old custom for members of parliament to writs daily
to their constituents, telling them the parliamentary news,
communicating their opinion on public affairs, and stating
their views on those subjects. But now that we may
read as we go, and that every man's opinions and conduct
are open to public investigation, that habit is ao longer ne-
cessary. Still, I think it is good for a man to now and
then meet his constituents, and endeavour to give an
•ecount of his stewardship. (Hear, hear.) Ido not ap-
prove of a public man, when he has obtained his election,
thinking no more of his eonstituents, especially at a moment
like the present, when events of such importance are
taking place. (Hear, hear.) I know of no padtion mnre
agreeable or more disagreeable than that of a member
of parliament appearing before his constituents.
Agreeable, if be has acted up to their expectations
and fulfilled their promise; disagreeable if be ha only a
coafessiun to make of trusts betrayed and pledges uore•
deemed. (Hear, hear.) It will be for you at the close of
to-day's meeting to say whether my position is to be agree-
able or disagreeable; for myself I may say that although I
may take • line different from that of other people,
1 have always acted up to the beet of my judgment,
have endeavoured to do my ditty in the redemption of all
the pledges I have given, and teenier* I can ease before
you today with a clear and honest conscience. (Cheers.)
Having now passed these eacomiums on myself, let me now
do justice to the constituency by adding that no man bar
a bet:er right to be satisfied than myself. (Hear, hear.)
Up to this day I have received at your hands every cossiele-
ration and kindness, and nothing has occurred rendering a
meeting like the preseat necessary. You left me unfettered,
and I trust that I have a abused or violated your confi-
, dente. (Hear, bear) Now,however, political events of
the highest importance call gether members of parliament
and their constituents ; but before 1 go into these
I shall take the, liberty of giving you • little
chapter of autobiography. I war lately placed in
a rather invidious positioo, about which I should not
have troubled the House of Commons, which has nothing to
do with private or personal matters; but I do think that
when a member of parliament has been the victim of con-
siderable misrepresentation, his constituents have a right to
know whether he has been doing right or wrong in the
matter coneermed. There is one subject which has excited
consideratile gossip in political circles, and which has eves
been made the subject of some comment in Aylesbury—l
mean the unfortunate affair between Admiral Dundee and
myself. On the face of the aff.ir you may perhaps think me
to blame ; but I think I eau show that, although perhaps I
may have been guilty of • little indiscretion, still, on the
whole, I have acted in a way which ought to entitle me to
your approval. I happened toga to the Eat with a gut's-
man whose friendship I bad formed, and with whom I
have been since on terms of the greatest possible intimacy,—
a gentleman of great influence, ability, and high cha-
racter,—a man well known in London,—and when
he quitted me in the Crimea two or three dais
before the battle of Alma, he asked me to writs
freely my opinions on the war in the East. I did so,
addressing him as a friend, and not as • perste con-
nected with the public papers. As to his being con-
nected with the Tunas, perhaps you will recollect that on
my entrance into public life I had a little fight with that
newspaper, and ever since I have not been their reporter,
neither have I had any political connexion with that
journal. I wrote to this gentleman as a private friend, and
by an unfortunate mistake—for which he is not responsible
—the letter was published in the paper. All the facts con-
tained in it were quite fit for publication, but there wen
certain reflections on Admiral Dundee which I did not wish
to appear. When that letter war published, I did what any
gentleman and man of hosenr would do; I expressed my
regret that reflections on the private character of any man
should have escaped me, and I at once expressed my willing-
ness to explain away the offensive passage. I stated that I
had no objection to make against Admiral Dundgs's private
character, and as 1 had never seen hiss, nor ever
been on board his ship, no breach of confidence had been
committed in my writing to a private friend shot I thought of
• man who commanded a large breach of the public service.
I was willing to state this, but my offer was not accepted.
Various threats were used, to which I did not give way, but
still offered to explain that I bad nothing to say against
Admiral Dundee's private character. At last they accepted
my terms, and you UM the correspondence in the news.
papers. I still retain the same opinion as to Admiral
Dundee's prints character, and it is a very strong one. I
must now say • few words as to my actual position at the
present moment. You have no doubt seen that I have been I
offered office, and have declined it. I will now explain my
actual position. Some time before I had the honour of
representing Aylesbury, I returned from the East, being
then in • diplomatic position. Lord Granville named me as
Under. Secretary for Foreign Affairs, and I served for •
short time in the Foreign-office ; but, as you remember, I
Lord J. Russell's ministry went out •bout three weeks 1
after. Of course it was my duty to go out with the govern.
mut, bat Lord Derby, who anteceded, behaved to me in
the mat handsome manner. I war not then in parliament,
but Lord Derby told me I might remain is the office until
his eon returned from India, as he intended him for the
post ; but then, if he continued at the head of affairs, be
would give me en equivalent appointment, or a diplomatic
mission on the Continent. That wee a handsome offer,
and one whir& I could have accepted without any
compromise of principle. I had not as yet en-
tered life as a public man, and could have eerily accepted
the libelee abound. All my political friends were of opinion
that should MINS the offer, except Lord J. Russell, who
expressed himself to the contrary, and his; opinion I did
not hesitate to follow. The consequence was that I defini-
tively refused Lord Derby's offer. Lord Derby remained
but a very short time in office,and Lord Aberdeen:suoceeded
him. Lord J. Russell considered that I, haying given up
this borough and given up office for his sake, was fairly en-
titled to a position in the new government, and accordingly
put me down as Under Secretary for the Board of Control
Shortly after the same noble lord seat for me and imfermed
me that a gentleman remained unprovided for whose
ability and long public services added him to • po-
sition, and his lordship threw himself upon me to resign
my office in favour of this gentleman. I felt that it was
my duty to place public before private considerations, ea
ceded to Lord John's Russell's request, and Sir Thome,
Redington was appointed to the Board of Control. Shortly
afterwards Lord John Russell offered me a consulship in
Egypt ; but that I declined on various grounds, the first
being that, having pat my constiteenta to considarable
trouble in electing me, I could not go abroad and leave them
to fight another battle. (Cheers.) Shortly afterwards the
peat gustiest which is sow agitating the whole world
began to show itself in the East, and Lord Stratford was
seat to Constantinople. He was anxious that I should se-
company him, and I did so at great personal
incesvesgeoce, appealing to your kind indulgence to
permit me to absent myself from parliament. I de-
glutted *See, and west on my own account and alsecellat my
own expense, so anxious was I to be of some use to the
public. After I wen; those questions arose about which I
differed eras Lord Stratford ; and, after remaining until I
found I maid be of no farther use, I retuned to this
cesuatm and took the line of which you are all aware re-
-7e =g the war. (Rear.) Well, having takes that line,
Nog eapect any farther office from goveramest,
olden. I mast tell yes that on refusing the consialablp I
was peened the first appointment that should
be apes. It been said that my line was adopted in eon-
sequoia of gomenal disappointment, bat I now want
to show my eoostituents that if my object had been
my surest course would have been to hold
my ioogae. I took that line, however, and continued
it he two years, when government having sue-
talent a pout defeat, went oat of office, and Lord
Paliesullan enseeeded. Yon are aware that, althosgh his
was antiaally • new goveremest, it contalsed • large ma-
jority et the members of the eld oil. Lord Palmerston
Wanda seflaiat me perk of the Ordnance, but I felt that,
having veted only twelays before, that no confidence ought
to be gineedia the late government, I could not consistently
to In another composed chiefly of the same materials.
(" Beer," and cheers) flseosdly, I recollected that I had
mama it to be the duty of government to put the right saes
in the right plasm, and I was in so way soaneeted with the
Ordnance. I hit, hankie, that I should betray my own
prineiple if I amp ed mediae In will* I smell ass serve the
rabbis. The was that I reseed slim sad mad*
a speak of whim "Pa me aware. In the menatime
the new goverameat disagreed, three of he most
important menden Mired. ma Lord Palate/5m effiwided
to form a new geemmast. Oa Friday_ last ids hedship
mat tor me and eillmei me the ohm of Under-lemeemy at
War. Remy aiMsmgh met anxious for offle2syjde having
exposes* en* dem opines, I felt that I east be
deft my duty to the peals did I shrink hen eieepting
seek Ghee when ellined. It would het es ff I hired to
lam the eritiaissa of whist I my bed hies m
Thieshee, when Lord P•lmeaia aimed see tbe
slowly nimle sew ceeditkos se la aimed certain
%lawn and moped it. Bat se the lebwitg day Lead
Palmmelas ant the me seals, aid 151 that for aortas im-
putes* Nam= he was geol to withdraw hi offer, but
that at Lied I. ineners legimit I OW have the
office of Umlw-isiniesy he the (Medea. I sew
hit AM I wee ks the ease ruffles as I kad
=kw 1a1414. I was net ampliated with the
awl is Ilse 5 pies, I might have bad
tinetime he Inepre I Sok is a memo et great asthma
essiseery, vim mhos WM thatM would
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tilM Wanks roldelkaassara, that
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rabbi audidesee, sad of ay madames, bAmid lave
sty isdepeadeat moppet. Mai, WO Be mob fa ray