The Express.
London, England, 1852-06-29 00:00:00

TO CORREBPON ORNTS.

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LONDON, T('ESDAF. JUNE 29.

PUBLIC interest in the City of London Election has
been suddenly revived ; not by the appearance of a
Derbyite candidate, for the Protectionists know the
City too well to have much hope there ;—nor by the
transitory apparition of Mr. DoNALD Nicou.'s name
on the walls, for, like an honest, quiet, well-doing
tradesman, the ex-Sheriff means to stick to his busi-
ness ;—but bye requisition to Mr. R. W. CRAW FORD,
a member of an East India house still of considerable
eminence even in these days when the renown of
such firms has sadly faded.
Mr. Ca.tweoan is the son of the gentleman of
that name who for two or three parliaments rupee
seated the City in the Whig interest. lie himself
was formerly a merchant in Bombay. Returning
thence he became a partner in the establishment to
which his father had belonged; and is now, in ad-
dition, a Director of the Bank of England, and con-
nected with several other public companies of charm-
terand importance. In commercial position M r.Caaw-
FORD fully meets the requirements needful in a City
candidate ; and in public and political qualifications,
all that is yet known of him is also favour-
able. When at Bombay he assisted as a member
of its Chamber of Commerce in the preparation of
a valuable report on the question of Indian cotton,
and why we do not get thence larger supplies of an
article we want so much of. During the re-
cent investigation of the management of the Cu..
toms revenue, Mr. Cava roan was selected to preside
over the City committee appointed to promote and
assist in that investigation ; and, we believe, gave
evidence before the Commons' committer. In politi-
cal opinions, he is a Freetrader and a Liberal ;
and as such Mr. CRAWFORD has twice contested
t'.e venal borough of Harwich, without, it is
understood, having there soiled his hands with
those vile practices by which Harwich has been
rendered so notorious. In public as in private quali-
fications, there is very much to be said in Mr. CRAW-
roRD's favour.

But a contest for the City of London is a
serious affair—and not a thing to be lightly or
rashly rushed into, merely because a qualified
candidate has been found ;—or at the instiga-
tion of discordantly and incongruously signed re-
quisitions ;—or without duly and deliberately
considering tho effect which a fourth Liberal
candidature maw have on the re-election of the
three other Liberal candidates, whose claims
have received the unanimous sanction of a
meeting of the Liberal party specially con-
vened for the purpose of deciding whom the
Liberal party should adopt and support. For, the
City of Laudon, like another ancient metropolitan
aeighboarbood, is, we are sorry to say, a costly
plane at sa election. Across the water at South-
wark, it is the expense of a contest that forms the
skid' reason for Alderman 111311Plit WV'S retirement.
A somidssalis sum had, the report gees, been placed
le flea brads of hie sommittee ; but ere a few days
bad elapsed time was required; whereupon the
Alderman, deeming discretion the better part of
raker, retreated Irma further expenditure at that
rate. To get up a soetest for the City without a
moral certainty of returning four Liberal members is,
therefore, only to impose on the Liberal party in
London a very large sad useless, and even mischiev-
ous outlay without any political advantage ;—a course
that a sincere and earnest Liberal, like Mr. Claw-
FORD, may well hesitate before entering upon.
Is then a contest likely to end in turning out Mr.
MASTLRMAN ? It is to ge feared not. Had
ments been made, in the first instance, to be=
ward four Liberals; or did the requisilonisbi sow
in the field really and truly represent the pith
of the Liberal party, hopes of that sort
might be indulged. But by confining their 1
choice some weeks ago to the then sitting
Liberal members, a sort of sanction was given
to Mr. MASTERMAN'S personal—not political—claims
to the fourth seat, which would—to say the least of
it—now embarrass the Liberal party, were they, as a
body, disposed to carry the present pretensions fur-
ther. Bat, so far from this being the case, there is
too much reason to apprehend that the movement in
favour of Mr. Catwroan it made up of much too
inconsistent and doubtful materials to justify any
one in describing it as of a really Liberal character.
The signatures to the requisition have not been
published, but enough is known of them to throw
about the document a suspicious air. liar_i whikt
it is not signed either by the lesion id
the Liberal party in the City, who take a
prominent interest in supporting the present
Liberal members, or by any commercial nota-
bilities who abstain from taking an active part in
politics generally, it is signed, we are told, by many
persons hitherto only known in the City as Tories.
Mr. CRAWFORD is, we have said, a Bank Director;
and he is in that Direction as he is elsewhere, per-
sonally a popular man. But though there are
amongst his brother Directors several excellent
Liberals, not a single Bank Liberal or Tory has
signed the requisition ;—all have refused to do
so: a fact strongly significant of the unpopularity of
the movement in the higher commercial circles.
Under these circumstances the movement in Mr.
Caswroeo's favour cannot be regarded solely as an
attack on Mr. MAS ERMAN'S seat. In fact, it looks
very like a secret assault on the Liberal P
by the more crafty section of the Tories.lt originated.airta
no doubt, with some Liberals dissatisfied with the
London Tavern arrangements; but the Tories are, it
is clear, taking advantage of it to damage the
Liberal party by ousting one of the sitting members.
The inducements held forth to acquire signatures
have been of a Protean description. To those who
object to Mr. MASTERMAN the objecti is said to be hie
rejection; to those who think Sir AME 4 Duke scarcely
the sort of man who ought to represent the City
the superior qualifications of Mr. Casweorin are en.
forced ; to those who object to a Jewish member, the
requisition is offered as a means of releasing the
City from that difficulty; whilst to dose who die-
approve of Lord JOHN Itt7MARLL'S recent policy, the
design is avowed of turning out the ex-Premier.
And thus the requisition is made all things to all
men," that one of the present sitting members m.iy
be damaged.
This policy and conduct are clearly injurious to
the three Liberals, whose claims for re-election were