The Express.
London, England, 1851-07-24 00:00:00

THE TOWER HAMLETS AND MR. GEORGE

TILOMPSON.

Yesterday evening, a meeting of the Shore<litch
district electors of the Tower Hamlets borough, was held
in the large room in Cowper-street, City-road, to hear from
their representative. Mr. George T ' hompson an explanation
Of the coons which had led to his Ounce from the House
of Commons for a considerable portion of the present ses-
sion. The chair was taken by Mr. Churchwarden Pick-
ford. The room was crowded, and the majority of persons
present appeared to belong to the trading and operative
classes.
Mr. 0. THOMPSON, who addressed the meeting at

inane kook said be lid been to the United iliac%
where he hni nail dapped fur pleasure, or profit, or
reward, but to miter labour, to encounter opposition
and even tois life. Up to the present session
be had been of any wrong to the electors of
the Tower Hamlets. Ile had arrived at the United States
at the time of all others when he was likely to be worst re-
ceived by the people of op:alone country. Unexpectedly
to himself he arrived at a conjuncture of circumstantial
which made millions of people suppose that his mission bed
NOW spkCi.ii object rehiting to the vexed question of slavery
On that great continent, although ho had then no intention
of interferina with that question. But it was soon bruited
abroad by 404 papers through the Union that he was a hired
emissary of Lord Palmerston, that his pockets were lined
with !latish gold, and that he had come there to set
man against man, and interest against interest, and eless
against class, with all kinds of representations contrary as
fact. His friends, however, knew very well that he went
to the United States as the agent of no one, and that when
Lord Palmerston wanted to scud a spy abroad: the member
for the Tower Hamlets, was not the man he would be most
Mely to select. (Cheers.) Having stated the course he
Lad pursued in America, and the places at which Le had
declaimed against slavery (minced from time to time in the
columns of the Express) the honourable gentleman said
that from Canada he received letters by the hundred
exhorting him to support the moral power in America
against slavery. Still he resolved to return to England
on the Pit of February. They might now condemn him
if they thought fit; but he confessed he did feel proud
fn vindicating from day to thy the first great principles
upon which human government should be founded, and he
did believe it to be probable that he might obtain absolution
from his constituents fur saying awhile to proclaim those
principles. Even if he were now condemned by those he
saw before him, they would nut brie Bono principles less,
and he would proclaim thew still. (Cheers.) But they
must now let him confess his faults. (Hear.) His first
duty was to them, his constituents. (Hear, hear.) The
engagements he bail entered into with them were
solemn. His duty was clear and obvious. Ile had been
appointed to the House of Commons, and he admitted that
the re was the pith he ought to tread. (hear, hear.) Before
be left England, he was nut the mom to contemplate a stay
in America of more than one month during the sitting of
parliament. He had nut sinned against them w the pur-
pose lie at first resolved, but it might be he had shined
against them iu yielding to the force of circumstances and
taking too much for granted, and supposing that they would
enter into and sympathise with him us the sublime features
of that struggle in which he was to bear a part. (neer,
hear.) However, be took at last the first steamer that was
to start in June, and hastened again to his native land, and
now, before them, he called God to witness that he
bad not during his absence devoted a single hour
to personal objects or to profit. (Hear, hear.) lie
candidly admitted that, lover as he was of liberty, he
was nut merely a geographical lover, but his hope and aspi-
ration was to see her spreading her beneficent influence
over the whole world. (Cheers.) Mr. Thompson concluded a
speeeh of coneillenible length, by saying that hebad in every
ease Mated himself with the people of this great couutry.
To them he belonged, among them he was burn, iu station
he was with them. With their hopes and interest, he was
bound up ; while theyswere enslaved he was in bonds, while
they were unenfranclused lie bad no vote but for them.
(Cheern.) But whether be went forth as their representa•
five or as a private man, still he would pour out his
life as water in the holy cause of liberty. (Cheers.)
They might find a member wore arietocratie, with more
money in his pocket, or with more talent to serve them,
but this much be would venture to say, that they would not
find one more honest than himself, ono more incapable of
corruption, one lees likely to sell them, or one less likely to
be guilty of flattering them to their own hurt. The hon.
gentleman sat down amidst prolonged cheering.
Mr.:tit/01lb rose in the body of the meeting to propose
a resolution expressing the confidence of the electors in the
Unites of Mr. Thompson.
Mr. I'OI'OCK seconded the resolution.
Mr. DAVIES, of Old-street-road, complained that Mr.
Thompson had been absent lecturing in the eauntry when
Loud Duuciires annual motion came on in the House of
Commons, and he there fore proposed an amendment, that
Mr. George Thompson was nut a fit person to represent the
borough.
Mr. U. THOMPSON explained that he had certainly
been absent last year, when Lord Duncan's annual motion
for the repeal of the window tax was brought on. But he
was not exactly lecturing, but engaged with his hon. friend
fir Joshua %Volatile}, in attending meetings in York, Man-
chester, shrtheld, and Leeds. 'I hese meetings bed beta
arranged lung before, and they bad ecen with regret that
Lord Duncan's motion had been fixed for the same day ou
which one of them was to take place.
Mr. ROBINSON seconded the amendment, complaining
that the absence of Mr. Thompson and other liberal mem-
bers had enabled the government to impose an oppressive
house tan upon poor people and a pour class of houses that
had never been so taxed before. Ile thought that the hon.
ISClllbtr bad better look to the iuterests of people at home
than abroad.
Mr. SAVAGE defended the conduct of Mr. Thompson
as a true friend of the people, and reminded the meeting of
his former services. Mr. Savage also vindicated the app.).
eitemeee of his cognomen by the ferocity of his strictures
upon the iniquity of the newspapers in suppressing the re-
ports of Mr. fhonspeon's speeches.
Mr. P. EDWARDS rose to vindicate Mr. Thompson
from an insinuation that had been thrown out that he had
been lecturing in the country when Lord Duncan's motion
was before the house, and had been paid for it. Now, as
one of the council of the National Reform Association, he
asserted that while Mr. George Thompson had consecrated
his time and labour to that association, he had not received
a single sixpence for his SWAMI. At this point a voice front
the back of the platform called out "That is false," and
great confusion ensued, in the midst of which
Mr. G. THOMPSON rove, and said that Mr. Edwards
bad stated the truth in saying that he had never received a
Single eixtence for his services; andhe challenged that
permit, Mr. Jennison, of Huston, to come forward and
prove hie assertion a falsehood.
1 he uproar continued, and several persons on the platform
endeavoured, by a practical kind of persuasion, to induce
Mr. Jennison to emerge from his obscurity to the part of
the platform in view of the meeting; but for some time he
very strenuously resisted their efforts. Mr. George Thomp-
son again challenged the unseen speaker to come forward,
if he bail a drop of manly blood in his veins, and avow
whether he had used the word false or not in relation to hip
not having been paid for his services. Mr. Jainism was at
last convinced that the best way was to show himself to the
meeting, and say something m explanation. His words
were nut very intelligible, fur lie spoke in sonic trepidation ;
but we understood him to say that he eared nothing about
the matter himself, but that a conversation had been going
On all about the town which he had heard, that if a man did
his duty he ought to be paid, and he had no objection to
Mr. Thompson tieing paid, or any other individual, for doing
his duty in parliament. But improper conversation had
been going on, and he had been induced to state what other
people boil said.
The explanation was received with a terrific volley of up-
roar, and cries of "Oh, oh ;" and Mr. Jennison retire-el
rather hastily, afterwards apologising to the meeting for the
interruption. Order being restored,
The amendment and resolution were then put from the
chair. No hands were held up for the former, and the row,
lution was carried by exclamation.
Mr. THOMPSON having thanked those present,
The meeting dissolved about ten o'clock, giving three
hearty 'cheers for their representative.
REPRESENTATION OF FLINTIIIIIRE.—In anticipa-
tion of a speedy dissolution of parliament, the protectionist
gentlemen of this county are orguni.ing a formidable oppo-
sition to the present members for the county and boroughs.
&vend candidates are spoken of al likely to come forward,
among whom are the Hon. It. T. Rowley, of Roydorddwy ;
P. D. Cooke, E ~ of Gwsauey ; and E. Peels, Esq., of
Bryn y Pye.— s' Journal.
THE SUSPECTED MURDER AT NORWICII.—The
eitement caused by the recent discoveries of human remains
in Norwich and its neighbourhood, and which had in KIM
degree become lulled, has been renewed by a diseovary
which was insole on Saturday last. On the afternoon of
that day, as a man named Henry Layton, was employed In
mowing the grass in the churchyard of St. Peter of South-
gate,'he found a human foot (the idiom), which had been
Concealed in the long grass. It had evidently, from the
appearance of the grass around and other circumstances,
lain there for some time. It had been ant off at the ankle
joint, and the toes were contracted in the same manner as
Wee of the foot previously 'hemmed at Laksaham. The
feet, in size and general appearance, correspond exactly,
and they are evidently those of the female whom fate is in-
volved in melt mystery.—Nortek?, Mercury.
Two CHILDREN FOI'SID NICRDERED.—At ancorly
hour, yesterday morning, the mutilated body of a newly born
child was discovered by two boys in the ruins of some old
bosses in Lambeth-stroet, Whitechapel. The deceased was
tied up in an apron, but tbe head and ether parts were bat-
tered lb from ezternal violence. The boys gave the body
to pclice-constable 27 /I, who carried it to the Leman-street
station, where Mr. Memo, the surgeon, made an exami-
nation of the same. He was of opinion that the child
bed been born alive, and its death was the result of great
brutal siolence. Since the discovery a female living in the
neighbourhood has been taken into custody by the police on
suspicion of causing the death of the infant. Another body
of a child was found by the police the same morning on the
step of a door in Loudon-wall, City. The child had been
recently born, and marks of violence were visible on the
head and neck.