The Express.
London, England, 1849-02-14 00:00:00

SOUTH DEVON ELECTION.

Yesterday, n special CoUnty Court wee held by
the High Sheriff of Devon, in the Castles-yard, Exeter, to
elect a succemar in the representation of the southern &Ti-
lden of the county to Lad Courtemay. Soon after ten
o'clock, a procession of hit supporters conducted the only
candidate, Sir Ralph Lopes, Bart., of Maristowe, to the hus-
tings, and alter the formal proceedings had been observed,
Sir T. T. F. R. DRAKE, Bart., come forward to propose
a candidate, who had had nearly thirty In
experience in
parliament, who held a certain rank society, and was
ens among the largest larded proprietors in that county; he
dna powered a deep interest in the protection of native in-
dustry; and whilst he was a great advocate for religious
liberty, not wishing to put the slightest restraint between
men aed his Creator, he would never consent to the endow.
moat of the most intolerant set of Christians in the habitable
cheers)—that man was Sir R. Lopes ; who, from
experience, consistency of conduct, eoundness of judge
most, and the great eta* he held as a landed proprietor,
was a gentleman every way fit to represent that important
eatinty in the Commons Haase of Parliament.
0. STROODE, RA., seconded the nomination.
The Bonaire asked if any other gentleman had •candidalo
C.Pir. TUCHIITT, merchant, commenced speak; se hum
amongst the crowd below. They had been toll that his friend,
Sir B. Lopes, was a Stand proper person to represent then
in parliament in these difficult times, when the world wan in
confusion. That confusion they had brought upon them-
selves—they bad got just what they deseryed—they had eat
the tree and it had fallen upon them. But he (Mr. Tonkin)
was not going to flay anything about other nations; they had
fought enough about that and had got debt enough in conse-
quence. At this pint Mr Tuckett was invited to cease up
to the raised plattorm, and having reached the front ha
commenced his remarks anew. We have met today to per-
form a great public duty. We hive been j..st toll so • and
I agree it is a great public duty—a very momentous ;Ifni!,
because we Hod the country now requires men who can steel
it. We have seen the folly of the past and what the future
will be if the system which has been adopted for the la-t 50
years be continued : it must end in • national bankruptcy.
We have now 450 manes more debt than any country in
the world. (A Vuice " Wipe it out") No! we won't wipe
it out. We will be just before we are generous. (Cheep )
We will set about pruning the trees of that unnatural wood
which have grown up out of that system of extravagant ex-
penditure which has been carried on since '93. England la
now jut about in the same condition as Francs was in 1788 ;
three years afterwards they had a revolution. Whatcaumed it ?
taxation. (Tumultuous applause.) They had gene on
testing and taxing until taxation had eat its own head of.
(Cheers and laughter.) The wise men see it it time to look
about—to put their house in order; for when toe taxes cease
to be productive then the thing has cured itself. The year
1849 will be in England similar, as far as financial matters
are concerned, to what the revolutions in 1648 were on the
continent. (Loud cheers) Having congratulated the oleo.
tors on their choice, not of a boy, just out of hie nurse's
arms, but of a man whose mind was expanded he, asked
Sir It. Lopes whether he would vote for the abolition of
Jewish disabilities, so that Rothschild might take his seat in
parliament ?
Sir R. LOPES—I will answer most distinctly. I consider
Christianity—protestant Christianity—to be an anion' part
of the constitution. If lamto go into parliament to break
in upon that principle 'I retire from these hustings thi
' moment. I will not break in upon that principle.
Mr. TUCKETT-1 am glad I put the question, bums,
I shall not now be deceived ; but I think every honest
no matter what L his religious creed, ought to be admitted
into parliament. I am one, ton, who feels the injury et
great taxation.
Sir R. LOPES—I was a member of parliament in 1816,
when I helped to vote out the 10 per cent. property tax.
Mr. TUCKETT—I should like to hear our candidate tell
us how he means to give his vote—whether he will cat
down the civil list—whether he means to cut off the state
pensioners ? We want a regular sweeping reform, and we
most have it. (Cheers.) I have been here these last 30
years, when the tonics were all In power; there is only a
remnant left of them now; there is no other difference ?
but in name—(ffiteen)--except this, the terns never pro
teemed any honesty. (Laughter.) Thy whige
.professed
hones '-ut never practised it. There's the misfortune.
Lord John Russell is a very clever man out of office, but
when he gets in—non ries recordi—he forgets everything.
(Cheers aad laughter.) The present is a very serious time,
and we had better send up well tried men. I won't ask Sir
Ralph to go with Cobden and his ten millions, but we must
have retrenchment. Mr. Tuckett retired amidst the most
enthusiastic cheering, three especial v.illeys being given for

Mr. C. BIRD addressed the assembly as non-electors and
electors of the county of Devon. and then went on to say
that he Pitted the non-electors first because they were the
prineipas in the question, awl he wished to impre:e
upon their own hearts and upon these of their chil-
dren, that the electors, of whom he was one, were
but as trustees to see that the means of the country
were properly dminlstered, ti procure sustenance fur every
man by honest labour, the security of his lite ; in abort, the
prosperity and happieess of the whole polite. With regard
to the Jews, he (air. Bird) felt assured the time was not far
distant when, such was the rapid progress of the human
mind, that no religious opinion would be a ground of exclu-
don from any civil duties. Their honAtrable candidate said
in his address that he would moist inordinate taxation ; that
he would be an edemas fur retrenchment. By putting in
that paragraph he hod converted them all—they were an
conservative,. He addressed those who had much money In
their pockets; did not they wish to keep it there ? Ile ad-
dressed those who had only a little money in their pockets ;
did they ant wish so keep that little ? (Cheers.) Some-
thing bad been said about free trade. He wished
to explain why he had been as advocate for
free trade. He considered that (sentry in a very
unhappy state indeed where the tiller of the soil, be
he labourer, farmer or proprietor, could not raise sue-
Went to provide fur hie offspring, not yet reachiag Itio.mr,
and for the old who had gone beyond it. What Ragland
wanted was a unity of interests, that the traded, the manu•
factoring, and the commercial interests should go hand in
band together. (Cheers.) The landed interest ought to
cultivate every inch of their ground—they ought to bring
their spare capital to improve it, not lend their money to
foreigners to carry on wars, and who cheated them uiti-
ninny out of it. (Cheers.) He had in his pocket • meet
remarkable paragraph which he had cut cut of the Daily
Neure, which stated that the towu council of Rome had
pissed a decree, fixing treble land tax upon every acre of
ground that the owner would not cultivate. Although he
would not recommend them to go to Rome to learn religion,
they had better go to Rome and learn political economy.
(Hear, hear, and cheers.)
The SHERIFF then put the question, and declared Sir
R. Lopes duly elected.
Sir R. LOPES, in returning thanks, said, I am a lover of
peace, end Mere is nothing I would not do, short of the ea-
cadets of the dignity and station of this country, to endea-
vour to maintain the moat friendly relations with all foreign 1
pewee. The principle of non-intervention I should wish to
see carried out to the utmost. (Cheers.) With respect to
the endowment of the Roman catholic priestheod, I my my
objections to that measure are uochaneed and insuperable,
and I do not miscalculate the feeling of my constituency
when I say that the majority of the electors in
this county agree with me in those objections
It is presumed that it is good policy to conciliate the Roman
catholic prisstboo i in Ireland—l do not wish to use a harsh
term—by giving them a bonus, first to become good subjects
themselves, and then to induce the people to desist from dis-
affection and rebellion, and become quite orderly and quiet
subjects. I would ask will past experience of conciliations of
this sort hold cut any hope that any such result will ensue ?
Are not all bribes—catholic emancipation, hlayacoth grant,
or what you will—measures not tending to the benefit or re-
generation of Ireland? Neither will it benefit the people
themselves. What is supposed to be relief is, in
fan, none; for I read that in Prussia, a coun-
try where the Roman catholic priesthood is endowed,
the some contributions are Levied sad exacted—that is a pan
of the system by which the priests hold their spell over the
people. Therefore, I say, it tends is no way to the "dean
-
age of the people, and, as regards ourselves, I pat it to you
—would it be fair or right that the orderly sad iadustriess
Mould be taxed to pay the turbulent and the indolent ?
(Heat.) Again, the priests say they require no such grant,
but mediate and say they would refuse it. Would you
Mrs mem them that which they do not esquire, and which
weasel weld be no Dosage ? As to retrenchmeat In the
expenses of pensantent, there is no doubt taxation must be
:±auttosidb lowered as bt es le, consistent with the safety and
sMaleneyeflhe awake. The prunes' theirs most be ap-
PIM , and nay superfluous and useless branch
must bend as name say, by rash, ruthless, amps-
r_ing, g hands, bat in every way It mast be
&say mining wet, and I shall o paaiament interned
with the bey to do all in my power to further a wise re-
trombonist. (Ohnes.) Now we cameo free trade. When
these wry sadden and very extraordinary changes in our
esmementelpatioy were proposed three years age, I was one
of Mem who did net lend myself to them. I voted against
them. I was not disposed to give up the substance for the
shadow; and I have not regretted the course I took. What
' has beet the result ? Have any of those visions of prospe-
rity bee. realised. (Load cries of " Yee, yes! cheap bread!"
mad egenr.)
The Shalt was compelled to interpose, and Sir Ralph
Lawn emend. He spoke against free trade and against
the Timm,
of the navigation laws.—(A voice : " The game
laws. lam not vary fond of them. (Cheers.)
Mc LOPES then proposed a vote of thanks to
he
Illmill, old the proceedings terminated with the signing
e Mem

IRELAND.
Duarmr Pon. 13.
The twigs here see full of the idea that Sir R.
Peel will ere lose be Prise Misdate again.
There bee hues me lismararliag re As Macre-
pang betimes the etateatiala of Lord I. Biwa and
Sir W. licemeMe with to the mode is which
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