The Express.
London, England, 1857-12-24 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 24, Mt

cemervative opinion, but It is to say distinctly,
should never have dared to lane an ddrem to I
the comer
ratio, electors of the musty If I were not, as I glory in
being, a supporter of the institutions of the country in church
and state. (Cheers and disapprobation.) But there la no
gentleman present, not even Mr. Gibbs himself, who can say
more emphatically than I do—not in the way of brawling,
but in troth end reality—what I said when I came forws4
and what I my now, that I am a friend to civil and re-
ligious liberty. (Hear, beer.) May I not say this and still
profess myself a conservative ? I speak in defence of the
coneervadve electors. Who will dam to say they are so
narrow-minded an not to know that conservatism
does not mean withstanding just and rational progremi,
bat supporting the institution. of the country P (Choers.)
I ma Is the right then to declare myself a friend
to all rational progress, and there is no gentleman—not
WWII Mr. Gibbs himself—who wotdd be more delighted than
I, to find the church-rate question settled for ever.
(Hem t) I can't tell you in what way. (Groans, and cries
of " Come out honestly.") If you say to me, Will you vote
" inlepithet chore/prates without any substitute I.—l answer,
et church'rales without any substitute 'c
—I anuwer,
° No and groans)—end you yourselves, when you
go home and discus the matter,will say," Captain Hsmilton
right.' I have given you my answer. Nothing would
pleme me better than to see this question settled. Ido not
wish any injury to the dissenters, any more than I do to
the church establishment, but I can honestly promise not
only that I will "give my attention"—which la a very con-
venient phrase—bat that I will do my utmost to settle that
question on ouch a basis ono class of hu Majesty's mullein
can find fault with. (Chem.) If I sin sent to parliament,
and there is a very simple way of doing that, /or
every gentleman to give me one vote, sail if the qui&
tioa Is ht before pediment in any way dist I ma vole
upon it, I . Well, next, it is said I have given no dis-
tinct pledge on the subject of the Jews. Considering that
the gentleman who makes the complaint is connected with a
newspaper, I should have thought he would have known
that I have already voted for the admission of the Jews to
parliament. (Cheers.) I am glad some of you have forgotten
it, for you hauled me over the coal, for it pretty well at
Aylesbury at the time. The Jewish question not being
then as papuly as it is now, I ran a great risk of
losing my seat through that vote. I believe the father
of my honourable opponent was one of thou who left the
house and did not vote. I do not mean to blame him—
Sir Robert Peel and many others did the same; but I was
one of a minority who did support the Jews on the
occasion of • petition from Mr. Salomons, end I was
pretty roughly handled In COLINVIaarti. (Hear, hear.)
You must not—l address myself particularly to the 'onus-
vatires—you mast not expect me now to oppose the Jews,
seeing that I voted for them when I was in parliament be-
fore. If I thought that the admission of the Jews to parlia-
ment could in any way endanger the institutions of the
country, in church and state, I would be the first to oppose
it. (Hear, hear.) I sgree with the hon. baronet (Sir H.
Verney) that there is no such danger. I never heard of •
Jew endeavouring to make proselytes—they do not interfere
much in politics and from the eta:imams we have in the
neighbourhood, good they do ea pisctical fermis sad
neighbours is se unbounded as it Is undoubted. (Chasm.) I
do not my this for the purpose of catching • stray vote—
it may loss me entne—l say it because it is my
honest conviction. Well, having disposed of that, I come to
the next question. Is Captain Hamilton in favour of the
ballot P No. (Cheers.) Is Captain Hamilton for universal
suffrage? We are not come to that yet, but I know that If
we had =Primal suffrage and the ballot, Captain Hamilton
would on Saturday neat be knight of this shire. (Cheers and
loud laughter.) But if you ask me whether I will vote for
the ballot and universe! suffrage, I my, No. lam not one
of those who deny that reforms must advance with the In-
telligente sad the prosperity of the people—and any man
who entertains any doubt about that is not the man to send
to parliament as • member for this county. What my
opinions on reform are it is difficult to my—(laughter) ;
but I believe I go quite as far as my hon. opponent, for be le
far too conservative in his opinions to agree to any dan-
gerous measure of change. If intelligence advances as ft is
now doing, and if you now give a vote to every U. house-
holder, what right have you to stop abort of universal
suffrage? I see not advocating universal suffrage, I know It
to be perfectly absurd, but I want to show how difficult it is
to reply to that argument. If you look only at
the neutral right of man, you cannot stop short
of saying—has not every man • right to vole
But U you are to take property se a limitation, then it is Mi-
ra.: for me to mylion fah I will go in reform when no
BM in be me. (Hear, hear.) Gentlemen,
you have hued what I lam to say, I offer myself at •
cheap rate. If you will e.nly give memo vote eeoh on &Mr-
day, I promise to repay you by many honest and independent
votes—as Musa and independent se those of any man who '
salts trimnif a aural. Of this be armed, that I will never
sell either my votes or your hawed. (land cheers.)
Mr. DICK VIS wished to ask the gallant captain whether he
would support the continuance of the Maynooth grant, who-
thee he would rue against all grants of the public money for
religious endowments—whether he would vote for the &boll-
Son of the power of the East India Company, and the placing
the government of India under the direct control of the Bri-
tish parliament; and reminding the hon. candidate that
when in parliament before, he voted for the opening of the
British Museum and other public places of amassment on
Sundays, inquired whether, if returned, he would repeat that
vote P

Captain HAMILTON, u 0118 who had always been a gnat
Irian, of order, suggested that the question should first he
put to his opponent. (" Hear," and laughter.)
Mr. Dickem then put the question's seriatim to Mr. Cavan-
dish—Will you vote for the discontinuance of the Mar
nootk endowment I.—Answer Yee, I will.
Captain HAMILTON—CID you vote for the abolition el
that endowment rTAnalser Yes.

To Mr. Cavendish—Will yon rote against all grants of the
public. money for religions endowments P—Awn The
answer to that qtastion is lam:dyed la the ?Mar.

Captain Hsu! TON wished to correct his answer. He
thought .a the Maynooth greet had been continued for so
many years it would be ungracious! to withdraw it, and there-
fore he would not vote fort. abolition, but for many reasons
he thought it would have been better had it never been given.
011 the eubjeet of the East India Company, both candi-
dates stated that they were prepased to vote to favour of the
removal of the governing pow, from the company, and
placing it tinder the oontrol of parliament.
Mr. CAVENDINII Bald he would not vote for owning the
Museum sad places of ',abbe amunement on Sundays, and
Captain HAMILTON mid that he would not eupport any
measure tending to the deweeration of the Sabbath.
The Stir's' tc then took a show of halide, which he de-
clared to be in !avowal Captain Hamilton.
Sir H. VERNEE, on the part of Mr. Cavendish, dernandid
• poll, which is appointed to take place on Saturday next.