The Express.
London, England, 1847-08-05 00:00:00

JlZibiamk ; remember what were the principles span
J Hume was supplanted; remember that it was
Cel. Wood who did Me deed under the banners of
land let not his political Spoetsey, howeverearnest
sad eMda. mitigate year just reeeetatent. Avenge Joseph
lisseld aid achieve a treat victory in the muse of progress
and eowskiMery, by returning At. Osborne as your member
tort t inC=i Iligiftl. the nomination, and in so doing
Wilk* be bell lies seeeebed to find in a recent tour he
[bad mass Illatpulit fhb teisty, the general unpopularity of
ea. Wood. He. Ostweas had been an able coadjutor of Mr.
Cobden, and tberelbse se an advocate of free trade he (Mr.
Hull) had great pima» in giving him his support.—No
other candidate baths appeared,
Col. T. Woos eagle forward, and was greeted with min-
gled cheers and biter. He said he should premed to or,.
plain to the electors the mode in which he had disbarged
the duties confided to him in the last parliament. The Dam.
baronet who had proposed Mr. Oaborno bad used emir*
terms with respect to his political conduct, and had accused
him of political apontacy. (Cheers.) He could not expect
to convince him who called upon the electors of Middlesex ,
to revenge the defeat of Mr. Hume that he was not guilty
of that crime, but he hoped to convince the electors
of Middlesex that he was guiltless. (Cheers and biases.)
He had given no pledges, and the only eaves.
sion which could ever be construed into a pledge,
upon a former occasion, was the announcement made by
him that he was determined to maintain the integrity of
church property. (Hisses.) He recollected none other;
but he had the address which he Issued on a former occasion
in his pocket, and could refer to it, if they would allow him,
in order to show that he was not guilty of the crime which
had been alleged against him. With respect to the corn-
laws, he stated on the hustings in July, 1841, and he would
read it from the Times newspaper report of the proceedings
there, that " it had long been his opinion Gear, when &proper
opportunity came, a very considerable reduction ought to be
made iu the scale of duties which regulated the introduction
of foreign corn, and he thought so because when those duties
were first imposed' corn was considerably lower in price. They
were afterwards altered to conciliate the landed interest, but
it must be remembered that since that period there had
been a great increase in the prosperity of the country."
At that time he issued an address, from which be would read,
if they would allow him, an extract with respect to the ques-
tion of the corn-laws. (Hear, hear.) Ile stated in that ad-
drew, that " The measures relating to our commercial sys-
tem, which have been so lately introduced by the government,
require the most deliberate and calm consideration. The
main principle of the corn law of 1828, as announced by its
original promoters, is that of compromise between extreme
opinions; and I conceive that an adherence to this principle
ought to guide our future legislation on this subject. If the
present law be not an equitable arrangement for all inte-
rests, or if circumstances require a re-adjustment of its de-
tails, I shall endeavour to approach the consideration of
them with a mind unbiassed with partial views." He main-
tained, then, that he had not gone to parliament pledged to
protection. When they were suited with that dire calamity
in Ireland, did they mean to say that it was not then neces-
sary to bring an unbiassed mind to the full consideration
of the whole subject ? Was it not then necessary to re-
lieve the industry of the country. and to laird the means of
supplying the wants of the country by the only resource left.
viz., by the repeel of the corn law, ? Ile should not have
alluded to this subject, had it not been that he was charged
with having violated his pledges on this subject. (Cheers
and hisses.) He would then ask them whether he had not
also been true to his pledges with reassert to the established
church ? He highly approved of the principles of Sir R.
Peel, and of his measures in relation to the church of Eng-
land. Ile thought that his plan of apprrpriating the surpnis
of collegiate contributions, and which were not nee:.isary for
their maintenance, in order to the inmate of small livings.
and to supplying spiritual want, in destitute places, which he
carried out by a measure passed in 1843, for the creation of
218 new livings in places where before the people were
destitute of religious instructors, was of the greatest advan-
tage to the beet interests of the church of this country.
(Cheers.) Then, with respect to the interests of the work-
ing classes, he had the pleasure of voting with Sir Robert
Peel for the reduction of the ditties on coffee, sugar, timber,
cheese, butter, lord, spirit', and for the abolition of all minor
duties of customs, which, instead of affording any revenue,
ondy impeded the commerce of the country, to the amount
of 400 or 800 articles, the duties upon which had now been
all swept away. (Cheers.) He was induced, therefore, to
ask whether this opposition really arose from the ingrati•
tude of the free-traders? He never expected to receive
from them any confirmation of the course which ha had
adopted; but he did expect from the enlightened, the intel:i-
gent, the educated, and the working classes of Middlesex a
warm approval of the course which he had adopted, and a full
acquittal of the charge of political apostacy. (Cheers and hisses.)
He would not now pester them with questions of finance.
Ile hid no new principles to profess ; he came not there at-
tired in the garb of liberalism. He came there to maintain
inviolable the attachment to a limited monarchy, to the esta-
blished church—(A voice, " And to the cat")—to the here-
ditary peerage. (Cheers and hisses.) A great deal had
been mid about reform, and some of his opponents called
themselves reformers ; hut he thought that the question of
reform bad been settled long since. Such was the opinion
of Earl Grey, the great author of that bill. Such was the
opinion of Lord Althorp ; aed such, he rather apprehended,
was the opinion of the present prime minister of the crown.
Having read an extract from a former address of Lord John
Russell to the electors of Stroud, in support of his
assertion, Colonel Wood proceeded to observe that there
were many important social questions which would
call for the attention of the next parliament. With
respect to the ineome-tax, he thought it that measure
were to be preserved it ought to be extended to Ireland.
He approved generally of the course taken by the nevem-
meet with respect to education ; and he was deeply grieved
to find that the religious opinions of soma of his fellow,
countrymen hod been offended by that measure. He
thought that everything ought to be done to elevate the
moral and religious feelings of the people. He did not
believe that secular education alone would be beneficial or
acceptable to the people of this country. With respect to
Ireland, the new poor law that had recently been
passed for that country would require the utmost care in
being carried out successfully. He was opposed to his
hon. opponent's principles. He would oppose the extension
of the suffrage and the vote by ballot. (Great confusion.)
If they once entered on this sea of change there would be no
resting place to be found except in the dull level of a fanciful
republic. (Cheers and hissea) Utley thought that he had
been true to the principles of the British constitution, that he
had endeavoured to maintain the established church in the
enjoyment of its property, he asked them to return the trust
which had been the dream of his early life, and the realised
ambition of his now passing manhood, to him who, however
weak his eloquence, had endeavoured faithfully to discharge his
duty, believing that an honest purpose would make up, in
their indulgent feeling, f 4 the absence of other qualities. He
asked them to return to him that sacred boon, and not to
bestow it upon a stranger. (Cheers mingled with him!)
Lord R. OBSOBVINOII said he had been advised by some
of his friends, who were getting a little impatient, to con-
tent himself with saying " Hare I am ; nobody has attacked
me for anything I may Dave done ; I stand now precisely as
I did before." (Cheers.) But such a course would hardly
have been respectful to the constituency. (Hear, hear.)
He stood in the position of the here of the Beggars' Opera,
for although neither of his competitors liked the other,
neither he believed had any objection to him. As he had
mule some professions the last time he had the honour of
meeting his constituents, he would now call their attention
to the manner in which he had fulfilled them. He bad
stated that he was a free-trader. (Loud cheers.) He had
since supported all the reductions in customs, with which
the present government were so ably following in the steps
of their predecessors. lie had had the pleasure of voting
for the committee to inquire into the operation of the navi-
gation-laws ; and although he would not take any step ini n-
nous to our commercial marine, there were many anomalies
in the laws affecting. it which he should wish to see re-
moved. lie was anxious for a reduction in the duty on to-
bacco, the luxury of the poor. but he did not hope for a repeal
of the malt-tax. He hoped that a long time would not
elapse before the window tax was repealed, as such repeal
would be one of the most efficient" Health of Towns Bills"
that could be proposed. (Hear, and cheers.) He would now
come to the working man, and would tell them what he had
done for that most valuable member of the community. He
had voted for the limitation of the hours of labour in fac-
tories—(heir, hear)—and also for a limitation in the term all
the soldier's enlistment. (Cheer.) lie had don* es betwast '
he wished that the son of the working man might ester es
honourable profession without the certainty of perpetual
mile from his home and family. He had voted through-1
eat all its etagefjor the Irish Poor-law, and, in conjunc-
tion with his hon. friend the late member for Birmingham, I
hid eapsorted the Suppression of Prostitution Bill. He W
meted de the Health of Towns Bill-ale ntartuis nil nisi
illiklit...roso to its ashes ~ but he hoped !text session to see
it replaced by a measure securing efficient local control.
(Hear, hear.) He was now going to touch on dangerous
groand—bat he had also voted for giving 100,0001. to aid in
the ideation of the people. The minutes on which that
Ira Ina Leaded had been much objected to, but this
taste llee would sad stick to—that they were framed
with mew desire impartial. (Hoar, hem.) He would
itmint
now resin Ogee le
1401611•671 baring reca-
pitulated Ws Mb, be not kept them
to the letter ? (. Yea, yes.") Hew grateful to that ver-
dict, and he hoped it would influence *sir votes on the pre-,
sent occasion. (Cheers.) Having ridiculed the idea of giving
pledges on abstract subjects which mlg'st never come under
discussion, the noble lord proceeded to say that, although he
would not alienate from the church one farthing's worth of
her property so long as she efficiently discharged her mil-
lion, yet he was prepared to advocate a better provision for
the working clergy. He regretted that he had prepared no
peroration ; but he had a good example for that in Mr.
Cobden, who never indulged in a peroration, but sat down
the moment he had finished his argument. As the first
Grosvenor who had eat for Middlesex, he hoped that as
combination of circumstance would " throw " him, hut that
he might continue to enjoy the confidence of the electors.
(Loud cheer's.)
Mr. R. Oeaogter, the next and last candidate, then came
forward. and was reetived with lively demonstrations of wel-
come. He said—" Fellow-citisens, electors, and non-elettoM
of the great county of Middlesex, you have listened to the
animated and eloquent address of my noble friend Lord
Robert Grosvenor, and you will have remarked that he coat
menced that address by likening himself to a highwayman
persecuted by two ladies, lolly and Lacy. (A laugh.) I
hope that on this occasion I may be the political Polly, be-
cause you who have read the play will recollect, that in this
end she was uaited to ilfackeesa. (Cheers and laughter.) In
any event, if I cannot claim attention on this ground, I Meal
yon will give it to me as being, according to my noble Mead, I
one of the softer sex—(laughter)—and when I assure you
that during the whole contest I shall nee no acerbity, no
reproach, that no private aspersions shall be cast by me, that
I mean to conduct my election aslely on public grounds. 1
trust that I shall disarm even my opponents, and. that

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