The Express.
London, England, 1855-03-05 00:00:00

ELECTION INTELLIGENCE.

CITY OF LONDON ELECTION.

UNOPPOSED RETURN OF LORD JOHN RUSSELL.
On Saturday, at noon, the citizens assembled, in
considerable numbers, at the Gui Mall, to fill the vacancy
in the representation caused by the recent acceptance by
Lord John Russell of the office of Secretary of State for the
Coloairs. Up to the close of the previous day there were
no
symptoms of aoythiog resembling opposition to the
noble lord's re-election ; but on the morning of the nomi-
nation the wells in tree vicinity of the Guildhall were
covered with placards with the following words Rlec-
tors, shall London become an open borough? Show
your independence, and elect George Anton, Req." Who
this gentleman was hardly any one appeared to be
aware, and as he did not appear either in person or by proxy
on the hustings, his position and antecedents are not, in an
electoral point of view, of much importance.
Mr. H. J. PIESCOTT proposed, and Mr. J. DILLON se-
conded the reolectiou of Lord J. Russell.—Mr. STORY then
prepaid, in a speech which caused great laughter, the
election of Sir Charles Napier. No person appearing to
second this Dominique,
The Sesame asked whether there was any other candi-
date; and, atter a pause, requested those to hold up their
hands who were it favour of Lord John Russell. About
three-fourths of the meeting complied, but it being sug-
gem d that a show of hands was not necessary, the Sheriff
went on to ay, There being no other candidate presented
to you, it is the duty of the Sheriffs to declare the Right
Hon. Lord John Russell duly elected to for the City
of London in parliament. (Great cheering)*
Mr. S. bleau.zz thee came forward, with the permission
of the Sheriffs, to propose • resolution for the adoption of
the meeting. He said, nothing but an imperative sense of
duty would hays led him to bring beton them a subject
which he felt to be, at this crisis, of the most vital import-
ance. The resolution which be should submit was the
following—" That, at a period when, by gross mismanage-
ment on the part of the executive government, the higb
position of this country in the scale of nations has
been in danger of being compromised, the citizens of
London, assembled in common hell bavieg re-
elected as one of their representatives in parliament the noble
lord who lose accepted office es oce of her Majesty's prin-
cipal secretaries of state, desire to place on record the fact
that they Dave discharged this duty in the earnest hope and
trust that the government, of which the noble lord is so
important a member, will immediately and firmly grapple
nub, and effectually remove the causes of that disastrous
mismanagement which has been displayed in the conduct of
the pretest war ; and which, whether it has arisen from
edbereuce to routine in the departments, from the toes-
putty of the men presiding over and employed in them, or
trona the overwhelming 'Almon of oolitteal patronage,
must, if left uteremedied, involve the honour, the safety,
and the free inshtutions of this country in extreme peril."
(Cheers.) That resolution be submitted as a calm and die
tenet ezpression of opinion, which ought to have their
unanimous acceptance. His own belief was, that the
extreme selfishness of the governing party in this country
did expose the peace and happiness of this country
to erect peril. He knew it se a' fact that men of
high standing and commercial position had offered advice to
•he government, in reference to various t tions con-
nected with the present war—advice which would hut
sued millions of the public money, end would in all human
probability have saved thousands of invaluable lives—ano
that advice bed been recklessly and ruthlessly neglected.
(Cheers.) His belief was, that unless the people spoke out,
they would get no redress or justice io this matter. He
believed that in appointments to public offi es the question
was not 'eked by our government, what is the man fit for ?
but, whet are his connexions; and it was not by merit, bet
by influence, that such matters were regulated. (Cheers.)
It was bemuse he d ' d now to give direction and
contralto that public indigeation which was rising through
out Hooked, so that it should not rise beyond all peest-
bility of control, that he ventured with great seriousness to
ff. r this resolution. (Chun.)
Mr. J. lhoura Meerut seconded the resolution, with
his most teeny (uncurious*. He said the events of the last
law months had caused it to be necessary that the people of
England should demand a thorough re-organisation of both
the military end the civil services, sad that necessity wu
greeter even than the public yet believed ; it was ackeew-
lodged, too, by every thinking men in every breach of go-
vernment. There was no man in the class to which he (Mr.
Craven) belonged who wield not lend his willing aid to
promote, and it necessary to enforce this reform. (Cheers.)
We had no more armies to lose, no more to be sacrificed to
the inefficiency of our administration. (Cheers.) TIN City
of London would now have set the key note of a general ex
pression of public feelicg, so loud, end strong, and deep,
that it must put to silence the murmurs of bureaucratic in-
terest. He must not omit to recognise the gallant and fear-
less manner in which this subject bad been desk with by the
leadier journals of the metropolis ; the country owed a debt
of gratitude to the press for its ,bold exposure of the evils of
the official system.
Mr. FBA/tele BENNO= add he bad expected that, long
before ibis, a large number of the citizens of London would
have been called together to express their opinion on the
subject of this resolution. This was probably the most ini•
portant crisis in the history of Englead, and yet the citizens
of Londee were quiescent. He was astounded at the pusil-
lanimity wbieh had prevailed among those who usually led
the way. He was surprised that the citizens of Lon-
don bed not long ago assembled in that hall, in
order that their voices might be heard in every
part of the land. There could be no doubt that
the most gallant army that ever left the shores
of England had been allowed to perisb in a manner meet
disgraceful to the country. After having fought against
eight to one, and overcome every difficulty which they met
with, they had been permitted to die in the trenches, arid
the citizens bad hardly raised their voices in sympathy with
them. The resolution which bed been proposed wee one of
vat intoormuce. They had, be believed, done themselves
high honeur by re-electing Lord John Russell a member
for the City of London. (Cheers and hisses.) If they
believed that the war had been mismanaged, Lord
John Russell was the very impersotation of that
view. For several months be endeavoured in con-
nexion with the late administration to aim; about a
new system of things in reference to the conduct of the
war. (o Hear, hear,• and cheers.) Failing in that, and ,
believing that there was hope of amendment, he gave up
the resolution which he had made to retire from the ad-
ministration. Had he valued his own reputation more, and
that of his colleagues less, he would perhaps at this moment
be prime minister; but being persuaded that his secession
would imperil the existence of the administration, and,what
was more, endanger the success of our arms ins the Rut, he
continued for some time longer in the government. When,
however, be fouled that the mad of England was roused,
and that inquiry could sot any longer be suppressed,
be manfully declared that the ministry were wrong, and
that as one of its members he could not defend it. (Cheers.)
He then seceded. He (Mr. Bennochl thought be should
have done so before. (Hear, hear.) But, better late than
- He was an angel of purity, in comparison with
thou who, with a vote of hanging over them, ae•
Doted office, hoping to stifle inquiry by an underhand plot,
and who when they found the unanimous voice of the
pimple of England in favour of a fall and open inquiry, left
their poste and showed themselves traitors to their Queen.
Is this emergency came the question, what government
could they have sufficiently potent to any on the war; end.
with reference to that subject, he would remark that Lord
John Respell, with a noble disinterestedness, had accepted
a subordinate office, in order to prevent a recurrence of past
disaster,. (Cheers.) The resolution which had been
pupae.* would be read all over the world, and no one
would be more ready than Lord John Russell to take a
lesson from the opinions which were so mentally and ad-
mirably expensed. (Cheers.) It would be unbecoming in
the citizens of London to permit an opportunity like that to
pass without deelariog that the pest management of the wee
was disgraceful, and that they regarded the re-election of
Lord Jain Russell as member for that city, end the lathe
Ow which he must possess in the new government, as
deeding hope of a better state of things, which would lead
to a triumphant issue.
The revolution was then put and carried enaaimmuly.
Mr. P. A. TAYLOR, who rose amidst some interruption,
said it seemed to be the opinion of some that the citizens
had discharged their functions in electing a lord. For his
own part, he should not have been much dissatisfied it
Lord John Russell had lost his election, if the re-
sult had been the overthrow of the present
ministry. Such an event would have been another
sign of the upheaving of the British heart at the
bad management of the war. England had bees dragged
through the mire during the last few months. Her military
prestige was not what it was when the present agnate)
came into office. The prestige of Waterloo was goes.
(Loud wise of " Shame.") Despots never having loved
this country, had mow cowed to fear her. When Russia
aimed at the possession of Constantinople, what should have
been the muse of our own government ? In accordance
with the opinion of that veteran diplomatist, Lord Pon-
eouby, their object should have been to deprive Russia
of all the territories which she had wrested
from Europe during the last 70 years. Instead of this, whet
were the terms of the treaty if pesos which Lord John Rus-
sell was gone to Vienna to negotiate ? They were disgrace-
ful. " How do you know them ?") It was no-
torious what the four points were. Lord John Ransil had
declared that be would net take from Ramie one inch of
territory. (Hear, hear.) There was to be no material
guarantee; they were to rely upon a parchment treaty
with a power which had shown that it had dip/o-
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