The Express.
London, England, 1851-03-05 00:00:00

HARWICH ELECTION.-THE NOMINATION.

The elevation to the peerage of Sir J. C. Hob-
house has given this borough the unusual opportunity of
making a third selection of one of its representatives within
the period of a single session. On this occasion, the an-
nouncement of candidates for the vacant seat almost anti-
cipated the issuing of the writ ; and for the last week Mr.
Robert Wigram Crawford, a director of the Bank of Eng-
land, and Mr. Henry Thohy Prineep, ant East India director
(the former a supporter of free trade, anal the hitter a eon-
serrative and protectionist), have been on the ground, ad-
meetings and tansa—ing the electors.
The nomination took place at noon yesterday. The
Mayor, F. F. HART, E-q., presided.
Mr. THOMAS Daimon proposed, and Mr. Marrnuw
Joiirso:c seconded, Mr. Craw ford's nomination, and Mr.
Fearer') Hates, seconded by Mr. IlassuriNs, jun.,
nominated Mr. Prineep.
Mr. CRAY FORD then came forward amidst loud
cheers from his supporters. He came before them to solicit
their 'urines upon the principle., he bed laid before them
in his published addresses. Ile denied that he was the
nominee of Mr. Bagshaw (the sitting member), or of any
individual whatever. The grand question at the present
time, and one to which all others must succumb, was
whether this country should return to the bondage of mo-
! nnpuly, or whether they should enjoy as they ought to do
the benefits of that free trade which had been introduced
among them. (Cheers.) Instead of assisting them to what
they wanted in the shape of foreign commerce, his
honourable opponent, if they returned him, would
support the protectionist party in levying a duty
upon those goods which must form the staple of
She trade of Harwich. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. PRINCF.P nest addressed the electors. Ile mid he
had comedown there at the request of two resident votersof
the borough who happened to he in London when the fact
of a vacancy became known, and he denied that he was the
nominee of Mr. Attwood. He would receive dictation from
no one, and he hoped they would find him as well able to
maintain his own principles as any representative they
could select.
On taking a show of hands, the Mayor declared it to be
in favour of Mr. Prineep.
On behalf of Mr. Crawford a poll was demanded, and
fixed to take place the next day.
It is admitted on all hands -that the contest will be a
close one.

PARLIAMENTARY AND FINANCIAL
REFORM ASSOCIATION.

MEETING IN TILE TOWER 11A3ILETS.
Last evening, a crowded public meeting was held
in the Temperance Hall, Prince'ci-square, Ratcliff High-
way, for the purpose of promoting the principles of the
National Parliamentary and Financial Reform Association.
011 the motion of Mr. PMEISCE, Sir FILANCIS KNOWLES,
Bart., was called to the chair.
The CliAlltlAN said he appeared there as one of the
representatives of the Parliamentary and Financial Reform
Association. They had already had opportunities of con-
sidering how far that society would promote their political
views. The two sections of the oligarchy—he called them
the oligarchy, for the tens aristocracy was nut a proper
one, many member* of it being favourable to the people's
cause—the two factious of the oligarchy had now
come to a stand still, and for eleven days they had been in
the position of being unable to find proper men to carry on
the government. How was it? Like the two Kilkenny
cats which eat one another up except their tails, there was
nothing left of the factions of the oligarchy but their tails.
The great difficulty iu forming a government was, because
that the representation was not on a sufficiently broad basis.
Up to the time that this crisis occurred, they heard nothing
from Lord John Russell of the necessity of parliamentary
retOrm.
Mr. L. SUTTON, in moving the first resolution, said
that an union having been formed between the St. George's,
the Shadwell, and the Reda Associations, it was deemed
advisable to calla public meeting, to get the public further
to sanction their principles, and to obtain public support.
Ile looked upon this association as a great political educa-
tional establishment, the object of which was to teach them
their rights and how to obtain them. The resolution he had to
move affirmed the axiom, that knowledge is power, and that it
behoves all to understand their political position, in order to
remedy their wrongs and obtain their rights. When their
respected President, Sir Joshua Walmsley, asked Lord
John Russell whether he intended to bring forward any
measure for the extension of the political franchise, Lord
John answered with great hauteur that it was not his in-
tention to bring forward any measure for the extension of
the franchise, and that as to the defects of the Reform Bill
he would bring forward a measure to amend them when
the proper time arrived. The question which arose upon
this was, when was the proper time ? The proper time was
the time public opinion pointed out. The only way to obtain
their rights am, to obtain an equality of representation, and
to have it placed un a broad basis. Asa proof of the present
inequality, he stated that there were 64 boroughs with
1t4,41:41 electors, who returned 79 members to parliament,
while their awn borough of Tower Hamlets, with 19,360
member*, had only two members. (hoar, hear.)
Mr. B. CLARK. seconded the resolution. He said he
believed the aristocracy, who took the government on them-
selves, really. knew very little of the wants of the people.
There was, indeed, one man in the cabinet, the Earl of
Carlisle, who was a honour to his order, and who thought
it no condescension to give a lecture some time ago to the
members of the Leeds Mechanics Institute, on the poetry
of Pope. If Lord John Russell came among the people to
hear their cheers, aye, and occasionally their groans, he
would be much better acquainted with the feeling of the
people than he now appeared to be.
Mr. ROBERT LB BLOND, who spoke in support of
the resolution, said the best way to obtain their rights was
Ito place themselves in a position to attain them without Ix,
Mg at all obliged to Lord John Russell for his assistance.
The resolution was then unanimously agreed to.
Mr. ALLAH, chairman of the Shadwell branch of the
association, moved the second resolution, which was to the
effect that the association was worthy the support of the
people, and that no ministry was worthy the confidence of
the people that would not extend the franchise.
Mr. SIIELLETT seconded the resolution. Reference
bad been made to the speech of Lord John Russell. It was
supposed that the three estates coexisted of Queen, lords,
and commons, but Lord John left out the commons and put
in their place the church. This was all owing to the apathy
of the people, who had not evinced sufficient interest in the
question of the franchise.
Mr. H. J. SLACK, in seconding the resolution, said the
present ministerial interregnum gave them a useful lesson.
\Vhen the Pope took the measure which was considered
by many to be an aggression on his part, Lord John Russell
was on the look out for a breeze to watt him into popular
favour. When he brought in his Ecclesiastical Titles Bill
some said it did not go far enough, while others
said it went too far. The fact was Lord John
was like a little testy dog that made an excel-
lent snarl, but was unable to bite. Then Lord John
had a colleague called Sir Charles Wood, and they were all
much amused a few days ago by its being stated that the
duties were to be taken off Wood. (Laughter.) Well, this
respectable piece of timber brought a budget into the
Howe of Commons, and out of it he produced some carious
articles. One of these was a kind of thimble-rig, by which,
while taking off one tax—the window tax—he put on a
greater one in the shape of a house tax. Well, the Irish
members went off upon the popish question, and the liberal
members seeing Lord John would not go on, determined
that he should go off. Under these circumstances,
Lord John, without consulting his colleagues, saki
" We'll resign ;" and, one fine morning, the mi-
nisters were informed that they were no longer ministers.
Lord Stanley, who was a very straightforward man,
was then called in, and he called to his counsels the Mar-
quis of Granby ; but he found that the noble marquis had
no more wisdom in him than might be found in a public-
house sign. (Laughter.) Then his lordship found that it
was not convenient to haves dissolution, and altogether his
difficulties were too great to be overcome, and he gave up.
Then the Duke of Wellington, a very respectable old
gentleman, was called in to give his advice, and he gave a
kind of military command—" as you were." So Lord John
Russell came down to the House of Commons and mid they
were to remain as they were. He also said that when he
brought in a bill to extend the franchise he must preserve
the conservative clement. In short, it was all "as
they were." As it was in the beginning it is now,
and it depended on the people to say whether
it ever shall he. (Cheers.) The government was
all "as they were." They might ask why some sensible
roan, such ON Mr. Ilume or Mr. Cobden, was not called in.
But in the present state of things these kind of men were
not sent for. No men were admitted into the cabinet but
these who belonged to certain families. Now, this was a
great country and it required a great deal of intelligence to
govern it well. If they found a man, whether he were
descended from the lowest ranks of the people or not, who
had displayed talents which fitted him for the government
of the nation, the people should insist on having him at the
head of affairs. (Cheers.) Until, however, the people
evinced a determination to have the right men in the right
places they would never have them, hut things would re-
main " as they were," and they would never have their
rights.
A vote of thanks to the chairman was then unanimously
agreed to; and after three cheers for parliamentary reform,
and three groans for Lord John Russell, the meeting
sepasated.

SUSPECTED STARVATION OF A WOMAN BY HER
HVIINAND.—A few days since we gave the particulars of
the death of a young woman, named Harriet Sparing, at
Bath, from exhaustion produced by the want of the neces-
saries of life. It was also alleged that the husband's brutal
conduct was the cause of the woman's deplorable condition,
and the coroner, at the adjourned inquest, issued his
warrant for the apprehension of Sparing, who ab-
sconded soon after his wife's death. The inquest
was resumed on Monday evening; but the police have
not yet succeeded in apprehending the husband, whose
conduct, as deposed to in evidence, has excited
feelings of the deepest indignation. Several witnesses have
been examined whose testimony has proved that the
deceased previous to her confinement in November last,
earned her own living by needlework, but no sooner was
she rendered incapable of this than her sad privations began.
Her husband, who was in a constant situation as groom to
a gentleman, from that time to her death seems to have
been guilty of the grossest neglect, and the deceased, who
was frequently without food or fire, according to the united
testimony of the witnesses, was too meek a woman to utter
a complaint, but she continued gradually to waste away,
and at last died of exhaustion. The inquest was again
adjourned to give the police time to apprehend the husband
it possible.