The Express.
London, England, 1853-01-11 00:00:00

REPRESENTATION OF YARMOUTH.

(Abridged from the Norwich Mercury of Saturday.)
On Tuesday evening a large meeting of liberal
electors was held at Great Yarmouth, to hear a statement
from Ur. W. T. bt'Cullagh, one of the candidates fur the
representation at the general election in July last, relative
to the rejeeioa on let hoical grounds of the petition which
he had presented against the return of tae sitting members
for the borough. G. D. PALMIR, Esq., J.P., was called to
the chair.

Mr. DITIILL•GIe after giving an account of the way in
which the election petition had gone off through a decision
of the Examiner of liecognisances, that there was an S too
little in that document (as already explained in the
parliamentary reports), went on to give a free criti-
cises of the proceedings of the past session of
parliament He said the experience of the last election
must satisfy them that there can be no effectual guarantee
against attacks on free trade and against any increase of
taxation, but • thorough and comprehensive reform of
the present' electoral system. (Cheers.) Now he should
be disguising the truth from them if he hesitated to say
that they were not all agreed as reformers about the mea-
sures of reform wanted. No such thing. Some of them
went faster and further than o.hers ; but, after the experi-
ence of the last election, he thought all were of this
opinion—that the present spurn is rotten to the core, and
that they could never be safe against imposition
in the shape of taxes till a larger shale of the
representatiun is made perfectly amenable to public
opinion. They had a largo number of boroughs for
which men are retuned who render no account, except
through their pens .1, to their constituents; and even in
this town, with 1,264) electors, it was possible, by unjust
means, to obtain a numerical majority for men who do not
express the real sent/iv:its of the people. (Hear, hear.)
The present government had notified its intention to bring
in "• " new henna Bill; but "a " is an indefinite
article. Twelve mouths ago a proposition was made to
change the present 101. franchise into a 61. franchise, tested
by the rates ; that is, that every man who is rated at 61
should have a vote. That looked at first sight as if it wou:d
double the suffrage ; but when they came to examine it,
they would find that • 6?. rating qualification would do
very much less than double the present electoral
body. The 51. rating might be taken as some-
thing equivalent to a 71. 10e. rent ; and one of
his friends thought that in that town the 51. rating
franchise would add between 300 and 400 only to the
constituency. Others think it would add more ; but he was
not prepared to lay before them any calculations at the pre-
sent moment, though probably they would only confirm
him in his opinion on the subjeet. No addition of mere
numbers to the constituency would, in his opinion, emanci-
pate the town completely, hnally, and for ever from undue
practices, unless they had the same determination which
they showed six months ago to resist that system of com-
pulsion and overbearing influences which would fall power-
Wes to the dust if they were only unanimous in setting their
loess against it. They would disheartcu their opponents
mere effectually by one unanimous stand—such as the 526
met who voted fur the liberal cause at the last election
made—and enable the legislature, by so doing, more
speedily to pass a reform bill, which would emancipate them
for the rest of their natural lives from the thraldom
which they now endured than by adopting any other course.
But their position now was this, that without any expres-
sion of feeling on the sentiments professed by their present
members, without their having ventured on a reply to the
charges made against them, without their having ventured
upon a public meeting, or tried their strength by any con-
ceivable means known by the law and by the constitution,
they have carried the election, and become their represen-
tatives—one cypher against another cypher. (Cheers.)
This is au old town, a town of historic recollections,
and a town whose namo is known in the annals of the
country. This is a town capable of great improve-
ment, and possessing among its inhabitants great
energy and great wealth. This is a town con-
taining more inhabitants than the great majority
of town* in the eastern counties, and possessing
men as capable and as willing to do great things. Then
why was it that while Providence had blessed them with
precious openings for their industry, the town was so
slow in recovering from the depression which change of
times had inflicted upon it? Why was it that their politi-
cal improvement seemed to be retarded ? Why was it that
they should forget that their neighbours were combining
together, and expending money in other and better ways
than in endeavouring to cajole their poorer brethren into
doing what their consciences did not approve, and in seek-
ing to trip up inquiries instituted in consequeace ; and then
when men are seeking an investigation, saying, " You
n meant anything by this inquiry ; if you did, why do
you not go on ?" The next election mightcome sooner than
any body here could predict. (Cheers) If they thought:this
parliament w. s going to last its natural term—if they
thought that their present members are whatYarmouth wants
to represent her properly, then, of course, let them do
nothing; but if, on the contrary, they thought they had
made some mistake, if they thought that their seats were
not so very secure after all, then let them bid their silent
members to go and vote, and agree to the exposure which
should be made good against them, and then they should
see who had the victory. He would not give six months'
purchase fur either of those expensive seats for Yarmouth.
Ile meant those expensive seats which the opponents
of the liberals bought for Mr. Rumbold and SW RA.
mund Lacers. The parliament elected under such mega
as the last was doomed. What did Sir James Graham sap
upon the hustings the other day at Carlisle ? A fellow
asked him its the crowd, "Are you in favour of triennial
parliaments ?" Sir James replied, "Yes, and oftener if
need be. You have elected me before in the course of the
present year, and before it is out, you will very likely
have to elect me again, so that will be three times in
twelve months." This was a pleasant way of putting it,
and it may come sooner than their leaders could calculate.
As far as he was coneerged, he should leave no stone un-
turned. From the last and ultimate decision against the
petition he should persevere, as long as he bad health, to
recover those forfeited rights out of which he had been
conned ; and if it should happen that he ultimately met
with success in that endeavour—if it should happen that he
succeeded in seeing their petition gained—then he told
them that if they were not tired of him he was not tired
of them. If they wanted him they knew where to find
him. But let them emancipate the town, and free R from
the stigma which had been cast upon it, and which had
made the name of Yarmouth a bye-word and a reproach.
Resolutions were adopted expressing the approval of the
meeting of the steps taken by Mr. IPCullagb, denouncing
any extension of the house tax to these classes who already
attribute more than their fair share to the public revenue,
taelaring the impolicy of postponing the reform of our re-
poseatative system, and in favour of the ballot.

RAILWAYS TO THE NORTH OF DEVON.

According to the bill deposited on the 31st of De-
cember fur the Plymouth, Tavistock, Okehampton, North
Devon, and Exeter Railway Company, of which Mr.
Thomas Gill is the chairman, and according to the subscrip-
tion contract with which it is accompanied, it appears that
after all the company are in the present session only going
for a line from Plymouth to Tavistock. The acme of the
more extended line is retained on the act, and therefore it
may be presumed to be intended to seek the extension to
the north of Devon at some future time. The capital, in-
stead of being as advertised 600,0001., is reduced to
260,0001., and the directors are Thomas Gill, Esq.,
S. C. Ramlyn, Esq., M. Lopes, Esq., A. B. Saville,
isq., J. Crotch, Esq., and E. Pearse. Five directors,
whose names were on the prospectus, gentlemen and met-
eianu of Plymouth, are omitted. The subscription con•
Diet is for 162,4401. This change, the reasons for which
mre at present only with the directors, is much regretted by
very many persons who gave the preference to the exten-
sion scheme over the one, merely for a line to Tavistock,
supported by the South Devon directors, because they de-
sired railway communication between Plymouth and the
north of Devon ; and still more, because they were satisfied
that it was of importance to have another line of rail-
way between Plymouth and Exeter, and thereby with the
north and the metropolis, than the South Devon, which they
regard, from the peculiar character of its construction, as
unequal to the traffic which ought to pass over it. This
view, the effects of the late plea upon the South Devon
Railway had very much strengthened. As it is, we have
now two companies with schemes for lines to Tavistock—
one, the South Devon and Tavistock Company, the interest
of whose promoters it will be to stop at Tavistock, or seek the
north of Devon in a westerly direction, so as to prevent com-
petition with the South Devon ; and the other an indepen-
dent local company, the Plymouth, Tavistock, Okehampton.
North Devon and Exeter Railway Company, three out of
the directors of which, S. Calmody Egg.,
Ableony Bouchier ,Saville, Esq., and James Crotch, Esq.,
are residents, and exclusively interested in seeing the line
extended to the north of Devon and Exeter by way of
Okehampton. There can, therefore, be no doubt as to
which company is likely in the long run to furnish the
great desideratum of railway communication between the
English and the Bristol Channels at Plymouth and Bide-
ford, and at the same time with the means of getting on from
Plymouth to London without being at the mercy of the
elements on the South Devon. It is to be hoped that mem
hers of parliament will make themselves fully acquainted
with the merits, present and prospective, of the respective
schemes before sanctioning either.

SrDDIN DEATH AT DERBT.—We regret to have
to record the sudden death of W. Eaton' Mousley, Esq. It
appears that gentleman bad been on business to Notting-
ham, and on bia return, about three o'clock, he walked
from the railway station home, Galling on Mr. Oisborne,
his medical attendant, who was out. On reaching hit own
residence, he complained to his butler of pain in his sheet,
and difficulty of breathing, and desiretk some hot tea to be
sent him. The servant noticing Mr. Mousley's indisposi-
tion, had sent for Mr. Oiemrne and Mr. Fearn, bat though
they arrived is leas than five minutes, life was extinct.—
' Derby Courier.
A WILD BOAR.—A person named Henry, deputy
mayor of Mittelwihr, was returning last week from Munt-
set.heim in a cabriolet, when he observed a wild boar break
cover, followed by a dog. Immediately unharnessing his
horse from the vehicle, and snatching up a pickole belong-
ing to a man employed in repairing the road, he set off on
his horse in pursuit of the animal. Coming up with it after
a time, he alighted and gave it a powerful blow nn the
head. The boar, however, continued its way, and Henry
was obliged to again get cn horseback and pursue it. Again
overtaking it, ho renewed his attack with the pickaxe, and
was this time aided by a sportsman 6ont Muntembeim,
who at last killed the animal by shooting it in the ear.—
Otelignacti.

1.1 E EXPRESS, TUES!)A Y EVENING. JANUARY 11, 1853