Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-07-29 00:00:00

CITY OF LONDON ELECTION.

Yesterday the nomination of a candidate to supply the
vacancy in the representation of the City of London,
occasioned by the retirement of Baron Rothschild, took
place in the Guildhall. The proceedings appeared to
excite much interest, and the attendance of electors was
numerous. Mr. Sheriff Mechi, attended by Mr. Frank
Crosley, the trader-Sheriff, officiated as president and re-
turning officer. Baron Rothschild was accompanied by his
son, a youth, Mr. W. J. Crawford, one of the sitting
members for the City, Mr. Aldermen Salomon?, and his
mover and seconder.

The writ, and other documents connected with the election
having been read by Me. Harker, the crier, Mr. Sheriff
Mechi briefly appealed to the electors to give every one &
fair hearing.

Mr. M. T. Smith, M.P., proposed Baron Rothschild,
and said he had delayed going abroad, in order to have
the honour of doing so. He felt that no man ought to be
shut out of parliament on account of his religious feelings ;
the legislature decided in favour of that principle when
they passed the Roman Catholic Emancipation Act, and it
was the height of impertinence now to question a member
returned to the House of Commons upon his religious
convictions. That rested between himself and his Creator,
and the House of Lords had no right to exclude Baron
Rothschild from his seat. (Cheers.)
Mr. Alderman Wire seconded the nomination of the
baron, and insisted that it was the undoubted right of the
citizens to return whomsoever they pleased. The law upon
which the House of Lords took its stand was never
intended to exclude the Jew, and Baron Rothschild
was in every way a fit and discreet man to be one of the
representatives of the City of London. The Lords had
asserted that this dispute resolved itself into a constitu-
tional question. Well, be it so; bat even here the people,
and not the Lords, had justice and reason on their side
Four times the citizens of London had returned Baron
Rothschild as one of the representa'ives, and now they pro-
posed to return him for the fifth time. If, then, the
Lords refused to pass Lord John Russell's bill, it would be
for the House of Commons to adopt Mr. Dillwyn'e propo-
sal, and seat the baron by resolution. He scouted the
idea cf such a proceeding as bringing the House of Commons
into collision with the courts of law, because he did not
believe that, after such a resolution of the House, any
judge would be found hardy enough to charge a jury
against it. (Cheers.) Up to a late hour last night the
opponents of Jewish emancipation were scouring the West
End for a candidate, but they could find no unfledged poli-
tician willing to present himself, and had therefore been
compelled to give up the contest. (Cheers.) He could
have wished that it had been otherwise, because then the
country would have seen how determined the citizens were
in this matter. (Cheers )

No other candidate being proposed, Baron Rothschild
was declared to be duly elected.
Baron Rorusciiten then presented himself to the electors,
and was received with loud cheers. He said : Ido not
know how to express my feelings of gratitude on this
occasidh. I cannot find words to thank you adequately
for the confidence you have again placed in me. It
was, gentlemen, on this very day ten years ago
that I first had the honour of addressing you ; it
was on the 28th of July, ten years ago, that
I first made my appearance in public life. Since then,
gentlemen, my position, I may almost say our position
has wonderfully changed. At my first election I met with
great and powerful opposition and ray victory then was
considered a great triumph ; but, gentlemen, how much
more triumphant is the victory I have achieved to-day in
being unanimously elected. (A. Voice—No, not unani
mously l) Well, there may be one or two gentlemen in
the crowd who do not agree with me, but I can say I am
unanimously elected when no candidate has been found
to oppose me. (Cheers) Now, gentlemen, what has
been the great argument of the leader of the opposition
in the House of Lords against us ? Why, that the country
nas nal,
whether there is any town or any place where a member o f
the Jewish persuasion lives, that has not responded in the
same enlightened manner as the citizens of London ?
But, certainly, in a great many places, in villages, and on
the larger estates of the nobility, there are no Jews to
be found ; and were none live, this question cannot
be raised or dismissal (Hear, hear, and cheers.) It
is not a question, like the repeal of the corn laws or
free trade, that interests every one ; but it is a question
that only interests those places where the Jews live, and
it is there only that we can expect an answer to be needs
in the same way that the citizens of London have res-
ponded to the question. (Hear.) Can I, therefore, not
say, gentlemen, that since I first had the hononr of
appearing before you, the question has made great
progress? (C hears ) When I first came forward,
we had a strong and violent opposition to contend
with. Now I may say we have none. (Cheers.
But although I congratulate myself upon the gain we have
thus made, I may also congratulate myself upon the fact
that now this question not only regards us, the citizens of
London, bat also the Members of Parliament themselves.
(Hear, hear.) The question has now been taken up
as their own. (Cheers.) And yet what does the
noble lord (Lord Derby) recommend me to do
why to agitate ; he says, "We have seen no riots or
disturbances in the streets like what we saw on
other occasions ;" but, gentlemen, good sense in this
country always prevails, and I hope and believe that
without the necessity for agitation out of doors the good
sense of the House of Lords will prevail in this instance.
(Cheers.) If, however, it does not, and if the noble
lord remains obstinate, we shall hays many oppor-
tunities of satisfying him even on this point. (Hear,
hear) If he is determined the question shall not
be settled without agitation. lam quite prepared to meet'
him. (Cheers) I am quite prepared on a question
supported by the constituency of the City of London and
backed by a majority of 140. in the House of Commons, to•
agitate with him ; and lam convinced the question will
prevail, in spite of the resistance of the 32 majority
in the House of Lords. (Cheers.) There will, during:
the recess, be many occasions for Ipinging up the question.
There will be, for instance, the great question of theßeforna
Bill for the country to consider, and if the noble lord and
his feeble majority remain obstinate, we shall have- plenty
of opportunity f meeting him on his own grounds
(Hear, hear.) Now, gentlemen, what is the pre-
sent position of the question in the House of Commons ?
We have a bill on the table to be read a second, time to-
morrow ; it is introduced by Lord John Russell, one of
your representatives. Last night in the House- of Lozds,
the day was fixed, after which no bill is to be received
there this session, and we must therefore give, every en-
couragement to the noble lord, and assist him in every
possible way in carrying his bill. (Hear, hear.) But if
the bill should be defeated in the other house, have
we not every reason to hope and expect, from what
the noble lord stated the other night in the House of
Commons, that he will make use of every means in his
power to obtain the object ws have in view? (Cheers.)
We
all know that no man in the House of Commons is
better acquainted with the constitutional means of carrying
out any measure than the noble lord, and we also know
that anything connected with the constitution proposed by
him wou'd be sure of success in the lower house, at least-
(Hear, hoar.) But he did not lead us to expect then, and
and may we not hope that if his bill should be thrown out
in the House of Lords, he will endeavour by some other
means to secure our object ? I, for one, fully believe
he will. (Cheers.) Gentlemen, almost every argument
in favour or this measure must be familiar to you, and
will nst take up your tune by referring to Mr. Dillwyd6t
motion, or to the assertions against the government
that they did not make use of all the means in their
power to carry the Oaths Bill ; an assertion which I can-
not bring myself for a moment to believe. (Hear, hear)
It i 3 useless for me to go over all these grounds again,
you must be so well acquainted with them, and there-
fore, gentlemen, I will only say in conclusion, dist
so long as I have your support, so long as I have your
confidence, I shall be happy indeed, and proud to see wig
name associated with the great constituency of the City
London. (Cheers.) Once more I thank you heartily and
sincerely for the confidence you have reposed in me ;
should the bill now before parliament pass, my votes an
conduct will be dictated by a desire to again obtain your
confidence, (Cheers.)
On the motion of Mr. Bennoch, seconded by Mr. W:
Hall, thanks were voted to the representatives of the city,
to the liberal majority of the House of Commons, and the
lay and spiritual peers who supported the Oaths Bill.
A vote of thanki to the sheriff closed the prooeedings,

THE OVERLAND MAIL.

IBy British and Irish Magnetic Telegraph.

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