The Express.
London, England, 1855-07-28 00:00:00

REPRESENTATION OF SOUTHWARK.

RE-ELECTION OF SIR W. moLEswolita.
[The substance of the following, which concludes ear
report of yesterday's proceedings appeared in the late *di.
tion of last evening's Express] :
Sir C. /isms., who was loudly cheered on rising, began
his speech by obsorvirg that he did not think it fsir to is
large a constituency that the day of nomination should fol-
low so closely on the issue of file writ, for what time was
there between Mcndsy and Friday for any gentleman who
might wish to do so to make his canvass and place himself
fairly before' the constituency ? (Hear, bear) Still he
thought it not quite right for a cabinet minister to walk
over the course, although be had • great regard for Sir W.
Moleswortb, perhaps more so than for any other mem-
ber of the cabinet. (Hear, hear.) The gentleman
who prepoeied Sir W. Molesworth had said that
he (Sir Charles Napier) was a very ill-used man,
and so he was ; but the right hon. baronet was one of
those who bad used him ill. (" No, no," and sheers.)
The right hon. baronet was one of the administration who
had sacrificed him to that perfidious minister Sir James
Graham. Having made this remark, he would pr coed at
once to ',wines ; and the first business was the question
how the war had been carried on. They had before them
the labours of the Sebastopol Committee, so that it would
not be necessary for him to enter much into that
subject. The gallant admiral then proceeded to criticise
the manner in which the invasion of the Crimea had been

undertaken, the want of preparation generally, and the
inefficiency of the military officers, owing to their want of
experience, which they had had no opportunity of gaining.
He also condemned the battle of Alma, as having—although
a gallant fight—hien fought without judgment; the cavalry
charge of Balaklays ; the surprise at the battle of Inker-
mann ; and the share taken in the first bombardment of
Sebastopol by the British fleet, which, with the exception o
two or three vessels, could not get wear ennuah to do any
good, and was nearly destroyed : all of which arose from
the want of a commander in chief ; although, with re-
gard to Lord Raglan, he believed him the best
man who could hove been sent there. He then
proceeded to give the electors a " Baltic committee."
He believed be knew something about the Baltic. He went
there with as fine • fleet as ever left this country, with excel-
lent officers, excellent captains, and excellent men. The
guardsmen did their beet to teach their duty to the poor
devils who had been taken starving from the streets, but the
government did not even give them • jacket to put on their
acks when they went into the Baltic; and this was not
justice when they were giving a bounty to the army. (Hear,
bur.) He never saw men eanduot themselves more orderly
tit ta the men whom he had the honour to conduct to the
Baltic. In the month of March he was ordered by the Ad-
miralty to proceed with di, fleet to Wingo S .nod, but when
he got there he get orders from the Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs to proceed to the Baltic as fast es he could,
and he did so, thinking to please the Admiralty,
when, to his surprise, he received a letter from
the Admiralty, exptessing their surprise that he had
not remained in Wingo Sound. (Laughter.) However, they
discovered the nature of the orders he had received from
the Secretary of Stove, and apologised. (Laughter.) Sir
Charles then went on to state the course which he pursued
while in the Baltic, end the manner in which Sir J. Gra-
ham had recalled him, as has been already more than once
before the public, dwelling especially upon the iosprritas-
bility of Cronstedt, snit the impossibility of attacking
Sveaborg without the aid of gun and mortar boats ; adding
that he did not blame government for the want of such
vessels last year, as we had got into the habit of building
large vessels without reflecting that we might ever be at
war with Russia. As to Homeroom!, it would have been •
mere flra•bite to take it without the aid of troops, although
10,000 French troops had gone, and he never saw an army
in finer condition; but if he had attempted to carry out
, the orders of the Admiralty, contrary to his own
opinion, and that of all the commanders, be should
have left tits British fleet a wreck in the Baltic.

The Admiralty bad perverted his letters, shamefully, dis-
gracefully, and petfili-usly; and he had no hesitation in
saying that Sir J Graham was at the bottom of it.
(Shame.) The order to him to attack Sveaborg was Mimed
by Admiral Berkeley and Captain Richards; and they
could not have given the order, because they were sailor;
and knew that to keep in the Baltic at all risks he must
have left the British fleet among the rocks and shoals of
Sveaborg. Sir Charles read some of the letters which
had passed between himself and Sir J. Graham, and ad-
verted to the orders received by him, as well av by Admiral
Chide, to haul down his flag. If the Admiralty had
attended to what he acid Admiral Dundee art aid this year
have bad 160 gun and mortar boats, with which he could
have done much damage at Cronstadt, and certainly could
have destroyed Sveaborg. (Hear.) Bnt they had been
building five or six iron floating batteries, which would
certainly prove sinking batteries, and if they went to the
Baltic they would never come out again, though they had
cost half a million of money. (Hear, hear.) As to the war
itself, it ought to be carried on to the death ; and though it
would cost millions, the cost would be leavened if it were
earned on properly. (Hear, hear.) With regard to what
had passed lately between himself and the ministry, he
thought an insult had been put upon him, for he looked
upon the Creel of the Bath as only a sop from the ministry,
and he would sooner have lost his right arm than have dis-
graced himself by putting that ribbon round his neck.
(Cheep.) He had always been an independent man in
showing up abases--in fact, he bed been Damaging himself
in that way all his life; but be would still continue his
ermine. (Hear, bear.) Condon to the election, as he had
said at first, there was no time to canvass, and therefore it was
not his intention to take any further steps in the matter.
(Go to the poll.) He was a reformer to the backbone, but
wished tkem to begin by reforming themselves. He would
not go to the hastier to oppose a minister of state, which
would do him no good with the country or the government,
but if they thought prcper to return him for Southwark he
would be willing to serve them, but would not spend a six-
pence upon the election. (Cheers.) He had told hie story,
and left himself is the hands of the electors. (Cheers.)
Mr. HAMILTON then came forward amid load cries of
"Who are you ? " " Go home," and so on ; and with some
difficulty mad* it heard that he was there to meet Sir W.
Moleswortb, and not to oppose Sir C. Napier. He believed
the nation was come to a crisis of peril, and there-
fore stood forward to put some questions to Sir
W. Ifelesworth. (Hear, hear.) He they proceeded
to enumerate a long list of questions, to which be
wished to have plain answers; and particularly he wanted
to know upon what principles the war was now carried on
in the Crimea ? and also what concessions on the part of
Russia would be accepted by the British government as a
basis of negotiation ? He was here greeted by a universal
shout of laughter, which, however, changed instantanemmly
into a perfect tenopcet of reprobation when he went on to
express his own opinion that the object of the war was " to
keep no the tyrant, Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, on hie
throne." For about twenty minutes he laboured hard to
continue his speech, but the electors steadily refused to
listen to him.

An Bmicron, rising to order, submitted that Mr. Hamil-
ton should be allowed to proceed no further, at he had
(rosily insulted the meeting. (Cheers.)
Bir W. MOLEBWORTH, in attempting to calm the tumult,
said—l ask you to allow this gentleman to be beard,
although he has so justly excited- the indignation of the
mastic/ by the terms in which he has spoken of cur gallant
ally. Cheers.)
Sir C. Mazza al.o arpealed to the elector:, but without
effect, and his snorer and seconder having withdrawn their
Mr. lisiarrole, per force, withdrew himself, amid the
hisses and booting of the meeting.
The Bina BAILIFF then took the show of hands, which
he declared, to the best of his judgment, in favour of Sir W.
Moleaworth ; and no poll being demanded on the other
side, the right hon. baronet was forthwith declared duly
sleeted.
Bir W. Mouiriwoard, in a few word., thanked the
electors, assuring them that be should continue to serve
their interests and those of the gauntly generally to the
beat of his power.
Sir C. BANE& also thanked the electors, espre ins, his
willingness to come forward at some future opportunity.
A formal vote of thanks having been given t the High
Bailiff, three cheers were given for Sir C. Napier, StrX.
idolesworsh leading the way, and the most noisy el Lion
proceedings witnessed in Southwark for many yeirb came
to an end.

The Countess de Neuilly, the Duke de &Mt"
the Prince de Joinville, and the Duke d'Annuile. tistn
forwarded handsome donations to the Preach Benefoitaif
Society (" &Meta Francais, de Biestaisesas ") whieistAesi '
its lessdatios is 1842, ku bees sada their petal/s. .107: "5.4.• r.