Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-09-29 00:00:00

MR. MULL TO THE DUKE OF BEDF RD.

I have the sincerest gratilication in acknowledging your
grace's letter of the 7th inst , in which you do me the
honour to express your thanks for what I said concerning
your grace at Tavistock. I feel that I am, scarcely en itled
to any su'h kindly rec-gnition. I spoke only what I
thought and felt; but it is pleasant to have your grace's
assurance that I did not misinterpret your spirit. Allow
me to add, that I fancy your griefs misapprehends the
disposition of my stipperters. Of course, I can tay btu;
little, having entered Tavistock for the first time, on the day
before the nomination, and not having the advanta,o of
a previous acquaintance,hi'p with a single individual in the
place. Frost what .I gatherel during my brief stay in the
town, however, my iravession was that al suepici ►ns is
entertained that your grave wishes to make any el inn on
the political conscier,cas of your tenantry; but, at the
same tine, a strong belief that were your grace fully ac-
quainted with all the facts, you would find that some
persons in your grace's employ have not acted in the spirit
of you: intention), bat have, contrary to your eip:essed
desire, brought the weight of your grace's name and
influence to bear upon several of your tenants, for the
purpose of swaying Lheir votes at the election.

ME. SIMIAN TO TUE DUKE OF BEDFORD.
The retirement of the Hon. G. Byug, the, appearance of
Mr. Arlene Russell as candidate, sad the receipt of the
writ, were known together o t Saturday morning, August
29, before the publication of Mr. Byng's farewell- ediress
to the electors It being:an impo'tant fact that there was
'no post to London oa that day. In the' evening a mall
-meeting of electors' took place, the.new candidate. with
listings Russell, Eget , M P:, being present ; also Messrs.
Pryse Michell, and ierrell, by whom the Hon. GC urge
Bing was introduce 1 to the electors at his first election
On the majority of those who attended an impression was
made that Mr. Arthur Ru,sell was not the right man in
the right pl ice. Acting under this feeling, some of the
electors held another meeting and drew up a requisition
to Sir William Clay, requesting him to came forward as
a candidate In a few hours this reqnisiti. n was so signed
as to justify sending a deputation to Sir W. Clay, weiceie
answer to a letter for carded reached Tavistock at er the
election. Communica ions also took place with Mr.
Layard, who went to consult Lord Jahn Russell. The
Right Honourable 'Milner Gibson Could net be found.
At length the services of Edward Miall, Req., late M. P.
fco Rochdale, were secured, it having been a main
object to procure a gentleman of experience and ability,
and who had been a member of the House of Commons.
While this occurred out of Tavietock, on Menday morning
Aug 31, the electors met in the b all room to hear a c :m-
-munication from Mr. Pryse Michell. At this meeting,
according to the repot published by a requisitionist to
Sir Wm. Clay, though not a supporter of Mr. Miall,
Pryse Michell said—He was au:;horised in stating to the
meeting that it was the wish of the Duke of Bedford that
every elector should be left to his own free choice, to vote
for any candidate that he might thhok proper ; at the same
time he believed that the Duke of Bedford would be much
gratified if the choice of the electors should fall upon his
nephew. lie James Nicholls inquired if the communica
tion of the Deice of Bedford was hot intended for the
public ? Mr. Peyse Michell did not at first acknowledge
that he had received any direct communication 'from the
duke, stating that if he had received a letter addressed to
the constituents, he certainly should have read it to them ;
but, on being pressed by Mr. James Nicholls as to
whether he had received any, letter from the Dake
of Bedford, he acknowledged that he had received a
private letter, but, as a matter of etiquette, he could
not read it to them without the sanction of the writer.
After this, the following resolution was passed :—" That a
deputation from the meeting should wait upon Mr. Arthur
Russell, and ask him to meet the electors, and take the
opinion of the meeting as to whether or not they should
wish him to withdraw." In the evening a large meeting
was held. The deputation reported that Mr. Arthur
Russell declined to attend the meeting, or be 'guided by
its opinions. Before he ventured to do so he would wait
the arrival of another candidate. As there was at present
no other gentleman in the field, he did not see that
_he was
called upon to resign. If some other candidate should
make his appearance he would then piece the matter in
the hands of his committee, and act according to their
decision. He was in the hands of his committee, and
would be guided by their opinions These sentiments
were expressed by Hastings Russell, Esq., M P., on be-
half of Mr. Arthur Russell. The meeting, on this bein4
communicated, passed the following resolution :—" That
this meeting is of epinion that Mr. Arthur Russell is not
a fit person to represent this borougn in parliament."
This was carried by acclamation, although opposed
by Mr. C. V Bridgman, atttorney, who moved an
amendment, bat found .no seconder. An active
canvass was prosecuted by the clerks in your grace's
office, and by others in your grtuee's employ. This
was done openly. We admitted their zeal; and that they
did all in their pow, r, the number of yeomen, three of
your grace's tenants unpolled, one being at proves thie,
and it it requires confirmation, this is afforded by the fact
that the lest pe son polled for Mr. Arthur Russell had
been one of 'Mr, Mialt's committee. Sims voters in good
health were brought to tSe poll in hired. conveyances on
condition that they voted for Russell. We express no
opinion' on the legality of this, this being out of the scope
of this letter, which is intended to give a short statement
of some of the leading facts. We also forbear to express
sentiments uttered by some of the tsnants, and .enlarge
upon one being induced to vote for Russell because Mtall
had no fiel is to lot. We simp'y ask what was your grace's
intention ? ..We admit it to be a natural feeling, that your
grace would be pleased, if in the judgment of the electors;
Mr. Arthur Russell should have been conside, ed the
most fitting candidate The question is simply, "Is
this a neminatien boreugh, or a-e the eleetors to
exercise a free and independent choice, a trust ren-
dered more solemn by the revolt in India ? Dees
your grace delegate your influence to your' sge its, to be
used in any way they think proper on behalf of any
candidate who comes here under the sanction of your
grace ? We imagine that your grace's feelings may be'
like those addressed by Lord John Russel! to the electors
of Tavistock in 1.834 :—" I hope there may be always
found one of our fainily deserving of the confidence of the
electors, and, unless he deserves it, he will not ask kir it."

THE DUKE OF BEDFORD TO X& SLENA.N.

Mr. Byng's intention to offer himself for Middlesex was
made public just before his return to England, by au
address to the electors f:onu his brother, C qouel Bing.
My nephew had then, on being made acquain'ed with it:
a strong desire to succeed Mr. Bjng Tavistock. I,
could see no valid reason spiest it, and I should not have
felt justified in opposing his wish. He waited; however
till the writ had beer. moved and Parliament prorNued,
when,-having made up his mind to stand, it followed that
no time should'he lost in declarieg hiinself a candidate.
He left London on the evening of tit day. All this
appears to me the natural course for him to hwe taken,
and to have been perfectly, right ou his part. We know
that if young men are not.to be elected td Perliament, the
choice •of candidates would soon become vary limited.
That a preference should be given to tried experienced
men, such as you have named, is perfectly intelligible.
It is, fit,, however, that electors should have an option.
These are my. own sentiments, but I fled fault with no
man who entertains or acts upon a different opinion. Mr.
Benton, I know, was .absent during the whole time of the
election. I was not aware till I received Mr: Miall's
letter, and read his printed address cf thitas, that any
-agents of mine had taken part in the election, but I could
not have prevented it, if I had known of their intention,