The Express.
London, England, 1861-08-15 00:00:00

7'(f3tamped, id. Additional.) [TWOPENCE

SOUTH LANCASHIRE ELECTION.

We yesterday gave a short telegraphic despatch of
the nomination of the candidates. We now furnish a de-
tailed account of the proceedings. About 4,000 persons
were assembled. The high sheriff, Sir HUMPHREY Di
TRAFFORD. Bart., presided.
Mr. FRANCIS SHAND and Mr. R. H. NORRIVI
seconded, Mr. Charles Turner the conservative candidate.
Mr. T. BROCIELERANI proposed, and Mr. MARI PHILIPS
seconded Mr. John Cheetham, the liberal candidate.

Mr. Tiraere was received with great cheering from his
supporters, and hooting from the liberals. He said the con.
stituency wee not called upon to decide a mere personal
question begereen Mr. Cheatham and himself, but whether
it would support the maintenance of church and state and
the cone/restive progress which distinguished the con-
servative party; or whether it prof erred separation of church
and vote uproar.) and triennial partiaments. (" No,
no " cheers, and He could hardly believe that the
liberal' petty, which had lately invited Mr. °Mame,
was now really united in support of Mr. Cheetham;
the moderate section of the liberals being warm
advocates of the union between church and state, and dis-
with the ballot. It was said, however, that Mr.
tuhleaUtdham was proposed as a supporter of Lord Palmerston's
government. But was that government in favour of sepa-
ties of church and state? (" No," and cheers.) On these
vital principles Mr. Cheetham could hardly command the
votes of the liberals ; but, however that might be, he (Mr.
Turner), if returned, would support that union between
church and mate which he believed to be one of the greatest
bluesngd this countr
_enjoyed. (Cheers and uproar.) And
wou oppose the ving it would fail iu ob-
jest, amides dearoying the electoral chareener feetwiewsterendr
straightforwardness. (Three cheers for Mr. Turner.) In Eng-
land, under existing arrangeients, we enjoyed a freedom of
speech and action which, lie would venture to say, was not
enjoyed in any other part of the world. In France the
ballot had produced a barely. concealed despotism of the
strongest character. (Noisy interruption.) In America, it
seemed, the ballot was not favourable to free trade, for the
last tariff there was more protective than any which pre-
ceded it. Nor had the ballot protected the United States
from the present deplorable crisis in that country. (Cheers.)
Reflecting on what was passing in those states, we had
nothing to fear from a comparison of our institutions with
theirs. Mr. Cheatham wee understood to acquiesce in Lord
Palmerston 's measures teethe defence of this country, but how
far was his support likely to be earnest and effective, iden-
tified as be was with the party of Mr. Bright? (Cheese,
and great interruption). He (Mr. Turner) highly approved
of those measures of defence brought forward try Lord
Palmerston, and particularly el his encourgement to our
volunteer force. (Three cheers for the volunteers). Mr.
Cheetham seemed to have avoided allusion to the volun-
teers in his recent addresses- Mr. Cheetham and his
friends accused the conservative party of everything that
had gone wrong in our administration for twenty years
past ; and took credit to themselves for every good
measure that had passed. But there were people,
and strong liberals among them, who thought the
extreme opinions enunciated by the League party in
parliament bad done the greatest mischief to England.
The conservative party were charged with mieconducting
our foreign affairs • but almost the last thing said by Lord
J. Russell, the loreign minister of Lord Palmerstou's
government, before his elevation to the House of Peers, was
to this effect :—" 1 have always said in this house, and I am
ready to repeat it now, that I thought Lord Maluesbury •
very efficient Minister of Foreign Afars, and that the gene-
ral course of his policy was the right policy to pursue."
(Great cheering, and " Three cheers for Lord Malmesbury.")
He would rather take the opinion of, Lord J. Russell on the
matter than the opinion of Mr. Cheetham. And if it bad
not been for the support of the conservatives the Palmerston
government itself would long ago have fallen under the
attacks of the League party. (Cheers.) On the question of
parliamentary reform, he (Mr. Turner) was in favour of a
representation in conformity with the wealth, intelligence, '
and general population of the country ; but it was idle for a
gentleman to pledge himself to any particular figure that
might be proposed as the limit of the franchise ' • and a
matter of so much importunes ought not to be brought'
before the legislature unless the people generally had a
strong opinion about it, or unless the government had a fair
chance of carrying their proposals through parliament.
That was the opinion of Lord Derby, echoed by Lord
Granville. (Three cheers for Lord Darby.) He was ac-
cused of being only a °avert to free trade, but
surely the liberals should not object to a couvert—
(cheen)—and he had always been a man of progress,
ready to make such modifications and improvements as
seemed to become desirable. He was for amendment, while
his opponents were for destruction. (Cheers.) As to foreign
policy, he thought that while sympathising with liberty
everywhere, we ought not to intervene in the again of
other states. (Loud cheers.)
Mr. Cements'', who was received with mingled cheering
and di approbation, said the first question was, by what
standard or test were the electors going to decide. There
ware great principles at issue in this contest,
and there were parties, as iu days gone by.
The party of his opponents, however, appeared
under false colours, professing themselves to be reformers,
and attached to our institutions, after having formerly de-
nouooed the efforts made to bring about the improved state
of things they now accepted. What confidence was now to
be placed in the opiurou of men whose perceptions had
been so egregiously mistaken ? (Cheers.) It was said on
the other side that further reforms were " under considera-
tion." But ',unity when a man came to ask his countrymen
to give him power in the legislature to protect and advance
their interests, he should have done considering
and be ready. for action, avowing his principles
and prepared manfully to defend them. (Cheers.)
It seemed they were all free touters. But what was the
value of general acknowledgments on paper, which were
contradicted in practice! Those gentlemen now opposed to
him, and accepting free trade, had denounced Mr. Glad-
"tone's
budget, and tried to undermine the great work of
Mr. Cobden in Paris. His honourable opponent was guarded
In his language, for instead of saying, " We approve of the
free-trade principle," he " We concur iu it." (Laughter
and cheers.) Of what value was his concurrence now the battle
was won—no thanks to him? (Cheers.) Mr. Cheetham pro-
ceeded to criticise Mr. Turner's pretensions as a promoter of
browsed cotton supply to this country, and represented that
whether that gentleman and his party were judged by past
deeds, by political or commercial reform, or by Feat Indian
reform, they were on every ground fighting under false
solaces, not daring to avow their principles. Mr. Turner
tried to make political capital out of the circumstance that
Mr. Bright had supported him (Mr. Cheatham). It was
=that bemuse he was supported by a particular iedi.
he was supposed to advocate all the opinions of that
individual. (Laughter, and three cheers for Mr. Bright.)
He was accused by Mr. Turner of decrying oar institutions. li
Why, his whole political career in connexion with the liberal
party had been to reform, amend, establish, and perpetuate
the institutions of the country. (Cheers.) If those in-
stitutions bad been left to the guardianship of his hon.
opponent and the conservatives they would have been far
more dilapidated than that old white Louse over the way.
He was told to look at America, and he would ask them to
look there at the present state of things, and draw the lemon
it conveyed. The evil in the South was the existence of
that state of slavery which under the good old tory ad-
ministrations of past days was established in that country.
(Cheers.) Ono great cause of the existing quarrel be-
tween the South sod the North was on the good old
tory notion of • high tariff, It was toryism,
or the principles of toryistn, both in the South and the
North, that caused the present troubles in America. He
had been misrepresented on the question of church and
state. What he had said was, that it was a question that
would not be discussed in our time, but whenever the
change took place it would be effected by the members of
the church of England itself, when they saw, anriclatle
diversity of opinion and practice, the benefits of separation
between the church and the state (Cheering and uproar.)
After declaring his opinions of the necessity of vote by
ballot at elections, Mr. Cheetham said he bad on the pre-
sent occasion oo professions or apologies to make ;he could
refer to the past as to the doings of his party and himself,
and be invited the electors to compare these with the opi.
Dior and practice of those opposed to him. (Loud cheers.)
On the show of bands being taken, the High Sheriff
declared it to be in favour of Mr. Turner. The number of
haulm held up for that gentleman showed a majority, but a
portion of the crowd gave no sign for either andidate. The
result was hailed with loud cheering.
A poll was demanded fur Mr. Chatham, which will take
*bee on Saturday, and the proceedings closed with a vote
of thanks to the High Sheriff.

THE New REPORM ACT.—The new act for the ap-
propriation of the seats vacateclby thedidranchieeinent of the
boroughs of Sudbury and et. Albans has just been printed.
It provides that, after the dissolution of the present parlia-
ment, the West Riding of the county of York is to be di-
vided into two divisions, to be called the northern and
southern dirisioai; and in all future parliaments there are
to be two knights of theshire for each division. There are
to be new polling places • but, in the event of a dissolu-
tion before they are constructed, the existing places are to
be used. An additional member, "after the pealing of
the act,* is glum to the southern division of Lancashire,
making three knights of the shire ; and the Speaker of the
House of Commons is, as soon as may be, without any
motion, or in the recess, without any notice, to issue his
warrant for the election. Birkeoheed is to form • borough
to return one member after the Ist December next. The
election laws in force are to be applicable to the new places
Greeted by this additional Reform Act.
Paararvat, PENSION& —The " Fluent* Accounts"
show that we paid last year 16,0001. for perpetual pensions.
The last pension of tins maw* was one of 2,0001. a year
granted in 1814 to the heirs male on whom the title of
Viscount Exmouth shall descend. Since that date no pen-
sion has been for • longer term than the life of the person
whose services were to be acknowledged and the Erse of his
two next heirs-