The Express.
London, England, 1860-09-21 00:00:00

LONDON. FRIDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 21, 1860

IiZPRZIMNPAPION OP EXETER.

When Mr. Diyett—now Home months ago—
intimated his intention shortly to vacate the seat which, XS
M.P. for Eact...r, he has occupied fur many year pasta
beyond 1111110.1 were quoted as probable candidates for the
vacancy. Sir John T. B. Duckworth, Bart. (who at one
tune sat for Biscay), Mr. notches Dyke Arland, and &r
John Bovrring, Knight, were atuongat those the most fre-
quently mentioned at first ; but none of these gentlemen
made any sign indicative of an intention on their parts to
seek the honour. After a tune, however, Mr. Alfred Sey-
mour, the younger brother of Mr. Denby Seymour, M.P.
for Poole, was introduced to the city by Mr. Thome Lati-
mer as a candidate on the liberal interest.

Shortly after this ifSieirMTWltitwortl; Porter, of Win.
WO, we. named by some of the consertmives ea a candidate
cm that interest. Major Porter also put forth an address,
ad meetly he net a body of the conservative electors at
the New Lambe lan, seal us receiving a requisition signed
by some SOU and odd electors, gave them • vies trice mpg,
@Aloe of his political sentiments, and in his speech he made
'miry criticisms on Mr. Seymour, and the fact of his be-
coming a candidate. In consequence of this, and doubtless
with the natural desire to keep himself and his claims be-
fore the conatitueucy, Mr. Seymour on Wedneaday night
met • number of the electors at the Athenmum. The hall
of the Athenaeum MAY well filled, and the chair was taken
by Mr. W. Brock. ._ _

The CHAIRMAN said he bad very greatplessure in nieutini
them of the present occasion. He had • second time to in-
traduce to them Mr. Alfred Seymour, who be believed tor
an earnest reformer, and a uses on whom they could rely.
It bad been said that Mr. Seymour was a stranger, not •
Devonshire man. He did not wieldy, that doctrine, and
did not know where it Lame from. lin opinion was that
they should ge the best man they ronid to be their repre-
sentative, independent of any consideratiow as le Ids brag
• native or • stranger. (Dr. Rooktn—Yee, as long as he
is orthodox.) He believed Mr. Seymour's views on politied
questions generally were such as the great body uf the
liberal electors of the city approved, especially as to reform,
and as to the reduction of public expenditure. (Cheers.)
He would at once call upon Mr. Seymour to address the
meeting.
Mr. SILIMOCH on rising was received with much applause.
He said—When I presented myself to you for the int time
some eight or nine months since I was then a stranger
nearly to all of you. I then placed myself and my political
opinions before you, that you might consider the same, and
see if they were such as you could approve. Sire then
you have had time to consider me opinions, and to de-
cide whether or not they are such as you approve. Sire
then Major Porter has met some of the electors, and made
a speech in which he has alluded to my name in • tearer
cannot but think discourteous, and put forward what he
considers claims why he should be preferred to me. I there-
fore thought I ferule, like to meet you to see whether or not
yea approved of me and my opinions, and also to see what ix
the difference between Major Porter and me. I believe
the opinions I hold to be those of the great body of the
liberal electors of this city. l mime before you as a man
perfectly independent of party, and who by his position sad
cocuoistoner in life is Third altogether above staking
influence or power for the sake of the emoluments, and as
ose who is desirous of being of some use to his fellow-men,
to mike himself useful, aid leave some track on the sands of
time. Major Porter has spoken of in. ambition, as if in
presenting myself to the electors of this city, and desiring
to reps eaeut them in parliament, I had been
improperly ambition,. I do not think you agree
with him. (No, nu.) I am not ashamed to confess
that 1 am ambitious— that I am ambitions to serve you and
my country. That I consider a proper ambition. (Cheers.)
But in referring to Major Porter's inquiries ea to who I am and
what I am, it is with the last that you are most concerned.
I am • sincere and honest reformer, and have been so all my
life. I have been constantly in iutercourse with reformers,
ism who have already made themselves • distinguialied
name, mid from them 1 have pined information and ma-
tared those opinion which I rid ; so that I do not peered
myself to you empty-beaded or eguryhaudesi. Major Porter'
has objected that I sin not a native of the county, nut • De.
vaashire man. I certiunly have not that honour, but I have
yet to kerb that repremetation is a question of locality.
The inhabitants of Exeter—whatever Major Porter's opinion
—are far too eulightened in their views to hold such an un-
ealightesed and beguiled duettists. If I am not a Devon-
attire MD, 1 am an Englishman. lam not • mulatto or I
• aigger. (Hear, hear.) After all, through the advantages
of steam and by the railway recently opened here, I can I
come here in two hours from my house, and that is about
equal to 11 miles of driving, so that in point of fact I am •
Lao (Luther truth the city thsu I should be if tieing in ardor,
part of the county. (Confusion, and cries of "A Porterite,"
and "Tura him out.")
The CHAIRINAN—Don't tarn anybody out.
Summit —No, let him stay, I may convince him.
(Laughter.) I do not wish to speak of Major Porter in
any but terms of respect. He ist no doubt, a good officer
and • worthy gentleman ; but he is uot, I fear, • logician,
for he says he is a liberal, because he is a conservative, and,
that all conservatives are liberals. He might all well have
said that all conservatives are abdicate. I can my that!
am • eoeservative, se indeed ell good liberals are coeserr
tiveis el what is good in our constitution, and
oat, of what is corrupt and bad. AA to reform, I •
the conduct of the working men ia self.improvement. sad
in the admatioa of their children and families, is such r to
eolith, them to be admitted to the franchise. (Hear, hear.)
Oa the question of reform, Major Porter and all the conser-
vatives are inoonsistest. They say they approve of reform,
and yet they opposed Lord John /tursell's bill in the last
series. Theconaervatives were DOW led by Lord Derby,
• niost able man, and certainly the moat eloquent man in
the House of Peers, or in the country. He who was now
the leader if the try party bad held different views for-
merly, had taken au active part is the miming at the Reform
Bill, sod had contributed to many other measures of pro-
-rasa, but had afterwards opposed free trade. This tory
;arty, with Lord Derby at their head, while opposed to
reform, bad consented to introduce and support a reform
bill for the rake of place, and had opposed the bill of Lord
John Russell. Ido Out think any reform bill can be satis-
factory that dues not deal with the retten torougha. The
advances of trade and other circumstances have inetered
many places that were years ago mere villages to important
towns, and t think the members now returned for rot*n
or pocket boroughs should be appropriated to these places.
Whatever may be the mad taste ii otherwise of Major
Porter referring to Lord John Russell's bill se" an atom"
of • bill, i certainly think the application of the phrase
to a leading statesman like Lord John was a deportation
of language. (Cheers.) lewd John Rummell has been
• moat useful statesman, and derives to he de-
signated by tar other terms than that. He had beam in.
struniental in the repeal of the Test mad Corporatioa
Acta, which were • bribe to a man to sacrifice his religion
and pervert its most solemn and blessed affirms for selfish
and party purposes. He had taken an active part in the
=74cat the Municipal Reform Hill of Del It is not,
r, for re to defend Lord John Russell—he stands
far too high for that, and his Dame will be remembered
lung after Major Porter is forgotteu. (Hear, hear.) The
chairman wee quite right in *eying I would give attention to
the =bier of taxation and the income tax. I am against the
increase of taxation, but it is difficult to say how it can
be decreased. No doubt there is at present a lavish ex•
waiter* of public money requiring attention and In-
veitigation. Although I may not agree with every item
of Mr. Gladreeds 111001PRINNI, as Chancellor of the
I:chequer, we have certainly to thank him for carrying
into effect thine principles of free trade which bed been
already adopted. The full advantages of this course wens
not at first apparent, but they would meet certainly be
dowel as the system of free trade was more fully
carried into effect. Major Porter did not tell the meeting,
but what wee nevertheless the feet, that the roar tax
was put on by the barna, by Sir R. Peel, in 11142. I do
not dispute that it has been kept on by the whip, nor ma
I say I see how it can be taken off. The great thing to
do is to keep it down, and this I hope may, by
and lye, be time throogh the volunteer movement. I
r hope Ity the voluateen doing the police work, as I racy
I call it, of the kingdom, to see our random army dual-
' Bard. (A Voice : The major will be out of work thee.")
• Well, if he is out of work, be sure you don't take him in
here. (Much laughter.) In owsrsios with the volunteer
movement, a meet interesting eneumitanee him cane I.
my knowledge this evening. Thew wee • umgaillere
view of volunteer at Gloucester yesterday, and laleesed
Hutchinson, the reviewing officer, inspealing to the elleare
by whom he was s said that he had beats
to the extension of the suffrage, but from what he
seen is connexion with the volunteer movement, he row
thought the suffrage ought to be extended. Major Punier
' had spars et the wretched, low working dram (Sisanilk)
This was not right. Whoredom be obtain his rears from
(A Voice " Fran I)arelay sod Perkins.") Who are the
DM'S who bravely fought OW battles? Whence came
=Stephenson, cur first engineer? And who have
bred to Mee the reeky to iii present greatness
bat the dross el which Major Porter had spoken as the
wretched, low workiag clines ? (A Voice: "If we had him
here we would draw his cork.") It was people of this clam
' that had contributed to people our colueies, mid earned
with Shwa Ingthh custom and English freedom.
I (Cheers.) Church rates were alluded to by Major
Porter. As • churchman. I am so much • friend of the
church that I wish for that ranee to see church rates
repealed. I wish to re the church take its place in the
lierta of the people, and therefore desire the total repeal
of church rates. (Cheers.) The repeal had been affirmed
by the Hour of Ominous, and it would retiredly pm
in spite of Lay effete labors of Major Porter. (Chown)
I have now gar through the whirr alluded to by Major
Porter, and ear back again to myself, a most impotent
subject of course to me. I want you, now that you have
time to consider the matter, to my whether or net Toe
think me an intruder ? (No, ao.) Do you thick I hail •
perfect sight to rem he and offer myself as I have?
(" Right, right," awl applause.) That answer amoral on
and having it, limonites that I will not budge an inch from
this ground. tCheerL) He* I am, sod here I intend *
romans, and light the Wade, god win the day. (Cheers.)