The Express.
London, England, 1867-02-15 00:00:00

[STAKPID, Id. ADDITIOILLL]

COLCHESTER ELECTION.,

The nomination for this borough took place
yesterday afternoon, on hustings erected in front of the
Town-hall. The Mame (Mr. P. 0. Papillon) presided as
returning-officer. There was a crowd of about • thousand
persons ; much noise prevailed at intervals, but upon the
whole the proceedings were of a good-humoured des-
cription.
Dr. Bus proposed, and Major Brsifor seconded, the
nomination of Mr. E. K. K.inilake, Q.C.
Mr. J. B. HARVEV proposed, and Mr. H. S. GOODY
seconded, the nomination of Dr. Brewer.
Mr. ICARsLAKE, in addressing the electors, said he
trusted that many of the men who were beneath him, and
who had not the franchise, would have it when he next
had the houuur of addressing them. There were also
many young gentlemen, inhabitants of the borough, pre-
fent who had not at present the franchise, and as he
hoped to represent the borough for many years—
(laughter)--he trusted that he should have their support
also in due time. He might sum up hie principles by
stating that he wax an advocate of reform and program,
but he was an enemy to revolution. (Cheers and
He was en enemy of those measures which wourd=
to undermine the foundations of our time-honoured
constitution. Mr. Harvey, who was probably. much en-
gaged in business, appeared to have forgotten what hap-
pened in 1850. Mr. Harvey had said that dame present
ought to be eft-prised at kebeine for the tree time osemer-
ester's *denote sedeloOls'issit, .be led. feeyetten the
measure brought forward try her Majesty's present
nesters in ISfea, and he had forgotten, or be had chosen
to forget, that that measure fell through because of that
spirit of party faction which was he hoped going to cease
this session, and which was based t n the desire to obtain
office at the expense of the country at large. He had not
heard from the proposer and seconder of his hoe. opponent
one word as to the extent to which they or those whose
principles they advocated were prepared to go as regards a
lowering of the franchise. He would state what his own
views were ; but as he should go to parliament for the
purpose of supporting in its integrity a great party, he
must go there in a epirit of compromise, for not even the
noble Lord at the head of her Majesty's government could
have all he wished for. What must be done was to lay
down such a line as would effect a compromise be-
tween both parties, and would secure for many years
to come—perhaps for the whole of the present peers-
tiou - a settlement of one of the most difficult questions
with wife% the legislature ever had to deal. No one could
deny tat we had arrived at • great crisis in our parlia-
mentary history ; nu one could deny that we had a great
problem to solve ; and it behoved all of us, for a time at
least, and for the sake of the nation at large, to exert our
best endeavours to solve it. Five or nix years ago, during
the " rest-and-be-thankful" reign, we had a conservative
statesman at the be.id of affairs, who by a singular com-
bination of circumstances was thrown into the same
truckle bed with otle r persons entertaining totally diffe-
rent opinions. Now, we bad three parties to deal with,
and by the speeches which the chief, of each bad lately
issued we had • deer and distinct exposition of their sen-
timents, and of the limits to which they were prepared to
go. It would be remembered that Mr. Gladstone a bill of
last session proposed a 14/. suffrage in counties, but he
fixed the borough franchise at 71. instead of 61. By the
statistics which Mr. Gladstone produced it appeared that
a 61. franchise in boroughs would have added 242,000
electors to the constituencies, while • 71. franchise in
boroughs would only create 144,000 new electors ;
and Mr. Gladstone deliberately preferred a
71. franchise to • 6/. franchise ; thus enunciating
• .principle which be enunciatd over and over
that it was not well to make sudden and sweeping
changes in the depositories of political power. There were
now thus three parties in the state : her Majesty's minis-
ters; a y headed by Mr. Gladstone, who hail positively
pl himself to support a fair measure for the repre-
sentation of the people ; and a third party headed by Mr.
Bright—(cheers)—who advocated sometimes manhood suf-
frage, or at least household suffrage, such as would swerve.
the present constituencies. He (Mr. Kanlake) might sum
up his own creed in words partly his own and partly those
of one of our moat able men and best writers and states-
men—he meant the present Chancellor of the Exchequer.
(Cheers and gromia.) He reverenced the past, be did not
revile the present, and he was prepared and desirous
to bring about a good, and, as far as might be,
a final and comprehensive settlement of the re-
form question in the future. The reform question
was nut intrinsically of paramount importance, but
it had become so by the force of circumstances. But the
questions which he regarded as of the greatest importance
were—first, the protection of the established church—
(laughter) ; and next, the maintenance of our army and
navy on such a footing that no foreign country should be
able to interfere with us so long as we did not interfere
with them, and so that no body of rioters in any part of
Great Britain should be enabled to overawe the executive
government. (Hear, hear.) Alluding to the project for
the federation of the North American provinces, the
hon. gentleman said he was for the maintenance of the
colonies, which he regarded as the brightest and proudest
glories of Old Britannia. (Cheers.)
Dr. Biontsit, who spoke at peat length, also complained
that the hon. candidate on the other aide bad not enlight-
ened the constituency as to the true nature of his political
sentiments. As to the question of reform, he would ask
which party Lad shown in the greatest degree either their
attachment to the people or thehooesty of their intentions?
That party which had staked the existence of their govern-
ment itself upon the proposition which they were prepared
to ley before the country, or the other party which came
forward with this proposition—" If you will give us place
and power, if you will give us the patronage of our posi-
tion, we will allow you to do what you like upon the sub-
ject of reforni r (Cries of No, no," and cheers.) He
would ask any man who wished to he returned to support
the party new holding power, " What are your special
views with regard to reform? Are you • member of the
Salisbury faction,of the section which acted under General
Peel, or of that which Mr. Disraeli led himself?"
because Mr. Disraeli was as much opposed to Ge-
neral Peel and his section, and to Lord Salisbury
and his section, as it was possible for the most Advanced
eadjeal to be to Mr. Disraeli himself. Mr. Disraeli was
the bleak beast of his purl. (Letighter.) Erery_body knew
Out it was with the utmost difficulty that Mr. Disraeli
could obtained permission to proceed, as he had now done,
by resolution, and even now there was no reform measure
before parliament, but simply some resolutions which were
a repetition of the principle of the last Reform Bill. Ho
objected entirely to any system of bolstering up the
church of England by church rates. It was not a shocking
sal filthy system of churchmen putting their bends into
nonconfornirste pockets which could keep up the church.
The security of the church depended upon the truth which
it taught, and the way in which that truth worked in the
hearts of the people. With regard to education,
he considered that we wanted good sound teaching
among the people, so as to maintain public mora-
lity, public virtue, and public independence. The stabi-
lity of the country rested upon public opinion, and that
public opinion must be enlightened. Mr. Kerslake said he
considered a good army and navy of paramount importnned;
he (Dr. Brewer) supposed it was wanted to keep down any
expression of the wish of the pimple contrary to the will
of the government. He would tell Mr. Karslake, how-
ever, that the people were not to be intimidated, and that
refonu was a matter of paramount importance, as it was
of the utmost necessity that the House of Commons
should be a fair representation of the people. With regard
to the government resolutions, he must strongly condemn
any attempt at legislation by class as impolitic and un-
constitutional.
Dr. Buss asked Dr. Brewer whether he would vote for
household or universal suffrage.
Dr. BIIEWSII, amid great confusion, stated that any one
going into the House of Commons must vote with his
party, and not attempt to carry out any crotchets of his
own. He was prepared to stand or fall by what was done
by the responsible leaders of the liberal party.
Dr. Bees, and several other leading conservatives, em-
phatically declared upon thin that Dr. Brewer appeared
under false colours.

Mr. KARSLAKZ, in answer to questions, said he aria in
favour of some Plosions for the pndection of voters, but be
was decidedly opposed to tae ballot.
A show of hoods was taken, and was declared by the
Mayor to be in favour of Dr. Brower. A poll was de-
manded on behalf of Mr. lioralake, and was fixed for
to-day (Friday).
A vote of thank' to the Mayor closed the proceedings,
which lasted dues hours.

REFORM MEETING IN LEICESTER.- OR Wednes-
day a reform meeting, held under the auspices of the local
branch of the Reform Lesgue, took place in the Town-
hall, Leicester, to consider the government promos's in
reference to the reform question. Mr. ex-Councillor
Charlesworth occupied the chair, and amongst the speakers
were the Revs. W. Wood and Jowett (dissenting minis-
ters), Mr. Thompson, a local editor, and Mr. Councillor
Wilford. The following resolutions were adopted. 1.
' "That in the opinion of this meeting the statement made
by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on Monday last on
the subject of reform in the representation of the
people in parliament are eminently unsatisfactory,
and complete the proof of the I recent parliament
being unworthy of the confidence of the country." I
2. " That this meeting desires most earnestly to press
upon the liberal members of the House of Commons
the absolute necessity, as they regard the pence and
welfare of the country, of not consenting to any measure
of reform designed to evade the full and just rights of the ,
people to be directly represented iu their own branch of
the legislature." :3. "That the foregoing resolutions be
forwarded to the borough members. Mr. P. A. Taylor
and Mr. J. D. Harris. by the chairman of the meeting."
The speakers were strong :111.1 forcible in their dcnuncia•
tiou of tree conduct of the government.