The Express.
London, England, 1868-09-23 00:00:00

LAMBETH.

Laet evening Mr. Alderman Lawrence, one of
the Mimi csediduts for the reprebeniation of this
toreugh, met the electors at the Horns Tavern. The room
was ;It mely ct.mded, there being at loot :AU of the eon-
ttituencv pre.eut, and many more were unable to
ottain admittance. Mr. Alderman Lawrence, on making
his al temente on the plutform, was groeted with loud
(beep. In the aleence of Mr. If. Hunt, Mr. Robb Taylor
woe called to the chair.

The CHAIR/WAX, in opening the proceedings, commented
xi} on the crowded state of the room, which was the more
n ruarkable, because no tickets had been issued. Mr.
Lawrence was there to confer with the electors, and was
prepared to answer every question which the electors
might wish to put to him. That gentleman was a eon-
sign nt liberal, and no wolf in sheep's clothing. He
believed that the present gathering was only a sample of
the gatherings which his friend would hold in the various
parts of the borough.
Mr. Alderman J. C. LAWRI2CCE, who on rising was re-
ceived with cheers, then proceeded to addles* the con-
stituency at considerable length. After • few prelimi-
nary observations, he observed that he was a candidate,
not because he represented the borough for a short time
three years ago, but because he had declared that if he
found on the present occasion that his old friends, and
also many who had not then declared themselves in his
favour, were prepared to support him, he pledged himself
to go to the poll. That support had been promised, and
be was prepared to redeem his pledge. (Cheers.) Re-
ferring to public qdestiona, he expressed his great grati-
fication that the church-rate question had been settled.
(Heer.) Peace, retrenchment, and reform used to be
the great liberal cry, and although that cry had
not Lem put forward eo prominently as it ought to have
been of late, it was now more than ever necessary that
mcmters should direct their closest attention to the
wanner in which the public expenditure was managed.
The representation of the people question might be settled
for a time, but reform was progressive, aud the cry would
ver cca-e while there remained any inequality in the
laws as they affe(tcd rich and poor. He had always ex-
pu seed his opinion that a law was unjust which enabled
a megietrate to let off an employer who broke
his contract with his workman by a fine, while
the wt rkmen was subjected to impn'onment for a
similar offence. lie reminded the moeuug that ho
had always consistently supported the ballot, believing
that protection to voters was absolutely essential to the
proper working of the Reform Bill. He then proceeded
to touch seriatim upon the varietal topics mentioned in
his address, including the extension of the area of rating
and the improvement of artisan dwellings by means of
forming societies among the workmen themselves. On
the great question of the education of the people, he
admitted that the subject was a difficult one. The endow-
ments of the country were chiefly for the education of
the poor, and lie was of opinion that • searching exami-
nation into the different foundations of the various
grammar-schools would show that ample funds might be
obtained from such endowments to form the nucleus of a
fund for the education of the people. Wrest contusion arose
at this period, owing to the very crowded state of the
room, and after the chairman had in vain attempted to
quiet the meeting, Mr Lawrence said that he should be
happy to answer any questions, having already touched
upon the principal topics of the day.)
An Ehacroa—Will you vote for manhood suffrage
A Voice—The Irish church.

Mr. Moan's, an elector, came forward to ask a ques-
tion, which he asked, sotto voce, of the candidate, and,
amidst the laughter of the meeting, said he was perfectly
satisfied.

Questions were ailed of the hon. candidate upon
almost every imaginable topic. This operation oa•npied
more than half an hour. The nature of the questions will
be peen from the answers.

Hon. Candidate, in reply, said that the first ques-
tion was by Mr. Morris, who seemed to think that ho had
directed his attention more to the working than the middle
classes, but he repudiated all class legislation, and should
vote for equal justice to all. (Cheers.) He would sups
pint a bill for the protection of trade societies' funds from
fraud or robbery. (Cheers.) He had taken a deep
inlet est in the museum question. and was in favour of
having museums opened in the evening, but he was not in
favour of throe irg open the British Museum un Sundays.
With tea yeti to female suffrage, be was not psi pared to
vete for it.—A VOICE—" You won't ilo.” (Laughter.)
He aas not ashamed to confess that in rs'rard to the pro-
ViFil)1111 of the Sunday Trading Bill be could not pretend
to ay whether that bill would injure costertnongers,
but if that large class was injured he would be in favour
of giving them protection from wrong. He was in favour
of acme measure of relief for cabmen. The present taxa-
tion, and the manner in which it was levied, was alike
injurious to cabmen and the public. In regard to trade
re rSetise, he should be glad to as,ist in airrying. a bill, the
psovisions of which might be generally desired by the
ie tat botiy of the members. He considered that suf.
ticient cereprnsation was not awarded to workmen when
injured in the exerciae of their couples ment and he would
tavouisbly consider sty meanue whi,ls would put the
relations between masters and workmen on a better
fading. Ile was in favour of plating some
a *tilt tit n to the exersire of goverunieut pa-
tat terve. t'n the Sunday question he entertained
ten) strungstungnpiuinua. The closing public-Maters on •
mat uof tLe Sunday was wise end beneficial, but be
was not prepared to vote for cheiug Been h s greater
pot of tle tits moot,. There was a chew of pet=
I ountsy ols] who wo make the b:ti glish Wee the
uuday. it came to this,- if the Sunday were opened as
si me desired, the wJrking man would dud himself
working menu day.. for the ware of sin. (Cheers.) If
thee pushed this t‘uestion too far, they would NW by
muting the Surdey in this eserntey any other
Ile did not &env to lessen the religieus character of
the 81 nasty, nor to do anything which would
tend to inertoth the labour of the working chimes.
lit was not. therefore, in favour of opening museums
on Sunday. nor doing anything which might tend to
male or Stride)s like the' of the coutinert. (I 'beers,
uud emo c:prereion of dissent.) In regard to manhood
rodlisee. he Lad always declined to detlue bow tar he
would go, because in his opinion, as society bemired more
elitlel lid, claw utter clam should be Nought iu. He
bele ved the low voters would exercise the tranthiee
better even than the Id/. householders. As the people
wen' Kammd for the exercise of the suffrage, so they
should have it. rattly, in regard toe the Irish queetion,
he believed the time had come when eompronnere Gould no
huger be udoytt d, but disestublishutant must take place.
(loud chow s.)
1 he answei a to the questions were considered generally
satisfactory. sire a resolution, pledging the electors pro-
f eat to support the worthy 1)1dt:rm.:II, was enthusiastically
carried.

A vote of thauko to the .:hairtuan concluded the pro.
needing*.