The Express.
London, England, 1861-07-22 00:00:00

REPRESENTATION OP SOUTH LANCASHIRE.

On Friday morning a deputation from South
Lancashire waited, by appointment, upon the Right Hon.
the Chancellor of the Exchequer, at his private residence in
Carlton gardens, and presented the following requisition :

" To the Right Hon. William Ewert Gladstone, lf.P.,
Chanwilor of the Exchequer, &c.
" Sir,—We, the undo igpe electors of the southern
division of the county of Lancaater, respectfully request
that you will allow yourself to be nominated as a caodidate
for the seat proposed to be allotted to South Lancashire in
the bill disposing of the disfranchised seats of Sudbury
and St. Albans. The position which you occupy
as one of the first statesmen and orators in
Europe—the extensive knowledge you possess of
the commercial wants of the country—the important
part you have taken in its fiscal legislation—and the
popular opinions you have expressed on its foreign policy,
sufficiently recommend you as a fit and proper represents.
tire of our views and iuteresta in the House of Commons:
bat we claim your services, as our representative in parka.
ment, on local and personal pounds—es a Lancashire man,
the sou of a Liverpool merchant, we invite you to represent
in parliament the constituency with which, by birth, parent.
age, and interest, you are meet Dearly allied. We believe
that while we could select no candidate who would so effi-
ciently satisfy the varied and important requirements of
South Lancashire, there are few constituencies which would
make less demand upon your time and attention, and which
would leave you more free, in every respect, to carry out
the policy which you believe to be for the welfare of the
nation at large. If you consent to allow yourself to be
nominated for this division of the county, we pledge our.
selves by every lagsl means to ensure your triumphal
We remain, sir, your obedient servants."
[Here follow 7,788 signatures.]

Mr. Gladstone then banded the following repl► to the
deputation :
" 11, Carlton-street-terrace, July 19, 1861.

"Gentlemen,—l have had the honour to receive from
you a requisition, signed by no less than 7,788 electors of
South Lancashire, and among them by many names of great
weight, which requests my consent to be nominated as a
candidate for the third seat likely to be allotted by act of
parliament to that powerful and populace division. I take
a requisition thus signed to be rare in the history of elec-
tions, and to afford • certain expectation of success. To me
it is peculiarly gratifying, inasmuch as it proceeds from the
county of my birth, and likewise from • sonem which
during the last twenty years has contributed beyond any
other, ID guidance and influence, to the course of wise com-
mercial legislation that has made the period memorable, and
has alike conduced to the wealth and material power of the
country, to the stability of its institutions, and to its
friendly relations with other states and nations. Nor could
on any grounds become • candidate for a seat ID parlia-
ment more willingly, than when it is to be sought, as you
propose, for the express reason that I have, to the best of
my ability, sustained and promoted this course of action,
cud along with it the enlightened policy with respect to
foreign and especially to Italian affairs, which has placed
the name of England in its due association with the cause of
pesos, of justice, and of freedom, and has made the adminis-
tration of Lord Palmerston, in this capital point, • true
representative not merely of • powerful party, but of the
grad nation of whose affairs it is entrusted with the charge.
I mast, however, before accepting new duties consider, and
especially w,th reference to this peculiar juncture, whether
I can undertake them without prejudice to those whose
public interests are now placed in my hands. The divided
state of opinion in the University of Oxford with
respect to myself as one of its representatives, and the
long series of contrite so unusual in academias! history
of which I have been the 0001111‘011, might well suggest,
and has suggested, the belief that I could consistently
with my obligations to my present coustituentr, and even
with a view to tl-ei advantage of the University, seek to
withdraw from the arena of so many struggles. Yet were
I to entertain any such design, I could not quit those
who, with so much generous indulgence, have returned me
on six occasions during fourteen critical yearn, sieePt In a
manner which would suable me to feel that I had exposed
them to no prejudice by the act. It may he enough to my
that were I now to surrende• the trust I hold, I should
i surrender it under circumstances unfavourable to the coo-
-1 stiteency, and likewise peculiar to the zeement among
which I may mention these, that the parliament is still
young, and that at this time such • change could scarcely
be expected by • widely scattered, and at the sumo time a
closely occupied body. After maturely weighing the ques-
tion with • view topublic interests, I have arrived at the
conclusion that I should not by such a step serve the cause
of which you have in so conspicuous • manner selected my
name as the symboL I must, therefore, with the warmest
expression of gratitude for the manifeetatiem now bs:ore
me, beg leave to decline the honour you propose to confer.
•' I have the honour to remain, GOD
" Your most obliged and obedient servant,
" W. E. Gteosnms.
" To the Chairmen of the Liberal Registration
Associations of South Lancashire."

The Liatrpool Albion of to-day says :—" We understand
that at ► meeting of the liberal party of the West Derby
Hundred, held on Saturday afternoon, the deputation just
returned from London made a report of their interview with
the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and submitted the answer
which Mr. Glidden" bad returned to the requisition, awl
which will be found in another column. The meeting was
attended by a deputation from Manchester, and it was at once
unanimously resolved to request Mr. Cheatham to stand in
the liberal interest, the sinews of war being provided on
the spot. A deputation immediately left the meeting to
communicate its decision to Mr. Cheetham,who, we believe,
is perfectly prepared to contest the county. He will do so
with every chance of success, coming (onward, as on this
occasion he does, at the unanimous request of the large and
hitiuential committee which had Wendy been organised to
promote the election of the itight lion. the Chancellor of
the Exchequer. Liberals of every shade of politics are, on
this occasion, united to put forward their claims to at laid
one-third of the representation of this division of the county.
In spite of themaertiocia so freely made by our conservative
friends, as to the adual condition of the register, we have
reason to know that it was perhaps
favenrablecondition for the liberal party, and we confidently
anticipate that even in this, which may be deemed the more
coesersutive portion of the county, Mr. Cheatham will be
returned by a majority. Many causes, since removed, con.
tributed on the last occasion to the liberal defeat ; and it
mum be remembered that, by the decision of the Queen's
Bench, a nett gain of 1,700 votes was realised at the last
registration. Mr. Turner will be roused from hie dream of
an unopposed return by the appearance to-day of Mr.
Cbeetham's address, and if it be true that undue confidence
of tee precedes a fall, the tory boasting of the last eleventh'
may be about to receive a triumphant answer."

VOTE BY BALLOT AND TED CITY ELECTION.-
The committee of the Ballot Society bare put out an ad-
dress &only racommaodiog Mr. Western Wood to the
electors. Mr. Wood Imo prumiaed to aupportJtho ballot is
parharoost.