The Express.
London, England, 1868-10-13 00:00:00

TIM EXPRESS, TUESDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 13, 1868.

ELECTION INTELLIGENCE.

A meeting, to which admittance could only be
obtained by tickets, was held yesterday evening at the
British Schools, Old Kent-road, with the object of fur-
thering the election of Mr. Howard as one of the repre-
sentatives for the borough of Lambeth. The room was
tolerably well tilled, and would no doubt have been
crowded, but that numbers were turned away from the
doors in consequence of their having no tickets. The
chair was taken by Mr. C. &weirs? who introduced the
candidate with a few highly eulogistic observations.
Mr. llowsan, who was received with loud cheers, told
the electors that they were then. if ever. called on to come
forward in support of their own rights and privileges,
which were identical with the ancient institutions of the
country. He was glad to see some disposition to hilarity
in his audience. (A laugh.) He should be glad to afford
them some plight amusement, but he hoped he should also
convieco their judgment. (Hear, bear.)• He had not a
word to say against hie political opponents. and he hoped
his political opponents would have nothing to any
against him. (Hear, bear.) He was not there
to ask them to support a specimen of the old
tory school. The old tory country gentleman
in top boots was an extinct fossil. He (Mr. Howard) was
tot that individual, but a man who, if the best institu-
tions of the country were in danger, was anxious to give
them his humble advocacy and support. (Hear, hear.)
He was not one to cling to old institutions which, like
fortresses, might have Timed the days of their usefulness,
but neither was he willing to make an institution a circuit
of frail mortarless walls, ready to fall at the first attack,
and let in the old enemy. (Cheers.) That old enemy hail
been scotched, not killed, 300 years ago: it was now
tailing its head again ; and therefore it behoved all free-
born Englishmen to see that the old papal cloak was not
again cod over the liberties of England. (Loud cheers.)
He wondered that men in high places should, for more
political cud', coquette and traffic with that old enemy.
(Hear.) With respect to local questions, he should. if elected,
be ready to give them the closest attention, and to attend
most respectfully to the suggestions of his constituents.
Mr. Howard proceeded to denounce Mr. J. A. Smith's
permissive hilt which he said was supported by Messrs.
Graves and Horsfall, the liberal (!) members for Liver-
pool, and which he contended would smash up the most
respectable public-houses, and deprive the honest artisans
of the various boroughs of reasonable opportunities for re-
freshment. (Loud cheers.) Such legislation would be
class tyranny, would be gross injustioo, and the bill should
therefore have his determined hostility. If be did consent
to the introduction of the permissive bill, he shouldsuggest
an addition to the preamble. At present it ran—
" Whereas it is necessary to introduce better regulations
for public-houses ;" he 'should add, " and to provide faci-
lities for gentlemen of peculiarly abstemious proclivities to
enjoy their libations of toast-and-water at their own
private residences." (Loud laughter.) He should advo-
cate the reduction of local taxation, and the equa-
lisation of the poor-rates, and all other measures
which he deemed calculated to relieve the wretched
and pitiable eindition of the extreme poor. For
them he would. first, provide decent garments
and wholesome feud, and when he had by these meatii
produced some strength of head, some healthy sense of
manly independence, he would then give them education,
and, above all other education, instruction in the truths of
the Bible. (Loud cheers.) Would it not be much better
to turn their attention to the miserable condition of such
large masses of their populati, ii, the young Bedouins of
the streets—the litttle castaways of the high roads, before
they tampered with their groat national institutions
A Voice—Take the funds of the state church and the
corporations, and apply them to the relief of this destitu-
tion.

Somebody here called oat, "Three cheers for Disraeli,"
and somebisly else, "Three cheers for Gladstone," and
the • iiosing cheers and hisses stopped the proceeilinp
fora minute or two.

Howann, in resuming. said that the electors of
Lambeth would have an important duty to perform in a
month's time. (" Yes, to turn you out"—luughter.) Thu
voice of that one elector would not turn him out. IL&d
that elector a wife and children Y (" What's that to
you laughter.)
Mr. Howaen—lf it's nothing to me it's a great deal to
you. (Hear, hear.) Had they children who required
education i It they had, Mr. Morgan Howard, who would
come in at the head of the poll, would waist in obtaining
it for them. (" We want no lawyers.") He could tell
that elector that the head of what was called the great
liberal party, Mr. Gladstone, had been a practiaing bar-
rister before he (Mr. Howard) first saw the light. (Hear,
hear, and cries of " Lawrence.) He hoped that when
the election was over they would be able to my that there
had been no bribery in Lambeth. He did not think
they would. Had not Mr. Thomas Hughes, the working
man's friend, been obliged to retire from the contest in
consequence of the hideous legalised corruption
by which he found himself confronted I. But; ho
could tell them that no amount of legalised
corruption should deter him from the hustings.
The battle of conservatism was to bo fought to the
death, and no amount of liberal gold-dust should frighten
him. (Cheers.) He called on them to compare the two
manifestoes of Mr. Disraeli and Mr. Gladstone, and to
form their own judgment. (" We have done so.") Mr.
Gladstone was about to take the revenues of the church
in Ireland, but be refused to tell what ho would do with
them until he was the established prime minister of the
country. In the meantime, they saw in the newspapers
accounts of Mr. Gladstone's visits to Borne, and of Mr.
Gladstone's son escorting Archbishop Manning about the
House of Commons. Mr. Gladstone meant to call on them
during the next session of parliament to support several
daring innovations. In the first place lie would propose
the disestablishment of the Irish church. (A loud and
almost unanimous cry of "flown with it" burst from all
parts of the meeting.) After one or two further observa-
tions Mr. Howard resumed his seat amid loud and general
cheering.
Some questinns were put to Mr. Howard, and thew having
been answered, the proceedings terminated with a resolu-
tion pledging the meeting to support that gentleman's
candidature.