The Express.
London, England, 1847-12-20 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, MONDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 20, 1847.

TAMWORTH ELECTION..

On Saturday the Reetion of a member in the stead
of Mr. Yates Peel took pace in this borough : it ended as
none who have ever been acquainted with the political com-
pletion of the place and witnessed the hot contests within
it could have anticipated—the unopposed return of Cept.
Townshend, the liberal, by whom and by whose family the
Peels have for a long course of years been so vigorously op-
posed. Such, are, however, the altered circumstances of the
times and the position of parties, that on this occasion many
of Sir Robert Peel's personal friends have promoted Captain
Townebend's election. The old town-hall was well filled,
but Mr. Pye and his proP ctionist friends "did not show."
Mr. Insley said he came forward in the "spirit of peace" to
put his gallant friend Captain Townshend in nomination,
and he expressed his anxious desire that all the unpleasant
feeling which had been engendered at previous elections
would be forgotten now and for ever. Ho glanced next at
the well-remembered fact, that when in 1841 he had proposed
to the notise of the constituency is free trader, he was hissed
from the hustings, whilst in the short space of six years the
principles he then advocated had been admitted to be just by
the greatest of his opponents, and had been triumphant.—
Mr. Knight, in seconding the nomination, said that Captain
Townshend had received promises of support from not less
than three-fourths of the constituency. The speaker paid a
compliment to the virtues and benevolence of the retiring
member and his family, and adverting to the influence which
Sir Robert Peel might be supposed to wield in the borough,
Mr. Knight said that it watt his firm conviction the right
hon. baronet had not in any way whatever sought to influ-
ence the votes of the constituency in this election. He felt
bound, he said, to make this amends to Sir Robert, because
of expressions he bad used with reference to him on other
occasions, when he had conecientiously diflbred with him re-
lative to the course he had pursued. He concluded by eulo-
gising the character of his nominee for his undeviating at-
tachment to liberal principle', and to that course of govern-
ment which was most conducive to the interests and happi-
ness of the people.—No other candidate having been pro-
posed, the Mayor, amidst vociferous cheering, declared Capt.
Townshend duly elected.
Captain TOWNS)} lIND, in thanking the electors, said that
ten years had passed away since he had the honour of being
Brat introduced to the electors of Tatnworth; his political
principhe were the came now as at that time; a strong
attachment to liberal principles was the great charac-
teristic of his family; kis father was the intimate friend of
Charles James Fox for upwards of thirty years, and so
close and so valued was that intimacy that that great states-
man in his will expressed a wish that the remembrance of
that friendship should be perpetuated by its being recorded
on hie tablet ; and so long as the name of Fox was remem-
bered so long would that of his father's be associated with
it. His political principles he inherited from his father, and
that government which showed itself most anxious to
carry into practice those principles would receive the
warmest sepport from him. He looked upon Lord
John Russell as one of the greatest and moot con-
sistent statesmen this country had ever produced; and he
believed him to be a faithful and consistent exponent of the
principles advocated and espoused by the greatest of English
statesmen— Fox ; at the same time, he dad not wish it to be
understood that he was disposed to pin his faith upon the
opinions of any particular individual. The hon. gentleman
remarked next on the fact that, in 1837, his attempt to gain
a seat for the borough had been declined to be hopeless in
the face of the overwhelming influence of Sir Robert Peel.
His election that day, however, proved that there was little
foundation for the prediction, end he bore testimony to the
straightforward conduct of the hon. baronet with reference
to the present election. pie concluded by thanking the con-

stituency for the confident* they had reposed in him, and
enuring them of his undeviating devotion to their interests.
The newirelected member of parliament was afterwards
chaired in the accustomed fashion through the principal
streets of the town.