The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-06-16 00:00:00

,NIIOIIEII.IAI ELF:CTION.

(From the Brighton Gazette of yesterday.]
The election few the Borough of Shoreham and the Rape of
Bromine commenced on Tuesday last ; and from the certainty of a
se' ere contest between Mr. Sugden and Mr. Howard. it caused very
great interest, and the town at an early hour was filled with electors
and friends of the several parties. It has always been usual for the
Candidates to meet at a place called the Stones, and proceed in
order to the church, which rule io ibis inotanee was departed from
by Mr. Howard and his friend., who imnsediatele on their arrival
in town went to the hustings; in tuna. quendeof which the whole of
the space within the belfry was completely tided with persons, and
Sir Charles M. Burrell und Mr. Sugden, with their friends, were
obliged to r ass through one of the thickest crowds we ever recollect
to have seen. tied so placed as to render their good wishes to make
way for them uselexa. Aa soon as a littlesilence could he obtained,
and the usual preliminaries had been observed, Sir C. Goring pro-
posed Sir C. M. Burrell, Bart. as • Candidate, seconded br—
Aldridge, Eati. ; Sir Timothy Shelley proposed H. Howard, Esq.,
anointed by the Rev. lle. Challen ; Writ Bearer, Esq. proposed
Edward Bortenahaw Segden, Esq., seconded by Thomas Wear,
Esq. The noise and clamour were an great that it wan impossible
to hear a Oriole wont below the hunting. ; but we understood Sir
Charles M. Burrell, who mine forward hest to address the electors,
to nay, that he had had the honour of being their Repre.entative for
the last twenty years, and his character was so far established, an to
render any onservatimia he might make on his principles unneces-
sary. It he had served them well, he hoped they would return
hint ; if he had not done so. he should not expect it. In one point
he would yield to no man, and that was his Independence. In his
public lite he might hare committed errors, but they bad been
errors of judgment. If he were returned again, he should act on
the same principles as hitherto had guided him.
Mr. llowann next came forward, and the noise was then still
greater. It aas a considerable time before he could obtain a tangle
into rval of silence, and am this gentleman is directly opposed to Mr.
Sugden, puny feelings were exhibited very strongly. The few
words we were voided to hear hint utter were, that lie is a young
man of tin avocations or employment, and that, if returned, lie
would do his best to promote die electors' prosperity. If they would
not hear him, lie trusted they would at least give him credit fur
making, what it hail been said lie could not make—a good speech.
Mr. Sun n etr then came in front of the hustings, and ailenne was
1 for the first time observed ; he commenced his address by stating,
that in appearing before them, desirous of the honour of repre-
senting the assembled electors in Parliament, he was influenced by
the wrong feeling which must he common to all--that of securing
1 their independence, and preventing the important district, forming
the Rape of Bramber, from being converted into a close borough,
under the control of the house of Norfolk. Little chance would
there be of their regaining their rights, if the common cause of
their independence should fail upon this occasion. The great ex-
pense of such a corned, the vast personal exertion required to its
successful issue, the great resources of their opponents, profusely
lavished to defeat their object, would always present gent obstacles
to the attempt. Ile had embarked in the cause, was determined to
carry on the contest to the last, and lie doubted not their efforts
would be crowned with success. It was necessary for him to
state what were the principles upon which he called upon the
electors for their support. He hail the greatest veneration for
the Constitution of our country, established in Church and State,
and would ever tine his humble but beat exertions to sustain it
vigorous and unimpaired. It was necessary that there should be a ,
parammint established religion to aurport the State, for no State
would long endure that was not religious, although religion would
ever he injured by becoming political. Though a sincere member
of the Church of England, he wished every titan to worship the
Great Creator according to his own conscience, and to every de.
seription of disaentere from that Church he would impart all the
benefits of the Constitution which could be granted to them, with-
out danger to the Establishment. It was right that he should
.late to them dint, conaidered in a political point of view, be had
formerly thought that further concession,' might be safely granted
to the Roman Catholics. No moan could ever have been more op-
posed than himself to the ex.enaion of their religion—a religion in.
consistent, an it seemed to !din, with the enjoyment of civil liberty.
But it had ever been his opinion that no further concessions 'Mount
be granted to the Catholics, unless the feelings of the great body
of the people of this country were whit then,. He was convinced
that the contrary was the case. He had ever thought that no
concession should be granted to them, unless they obeyed the
laws as good subjects. So long as the Catholic Association ex-
isted. inconsistent as it was with the government of the country—
an Association which took upon Retell* the functions of • Ponish
Parliament, anil ought to be put down by the strong arm
of the law—he had .ever thought that no further enneessien,
could be safely granted. When Parliament had dissolved the As-
sociation, the Catholics in Ireland, as soon as the Session had ex-
pired, evaded the law, renewed the Association, and continued
those acts which lie considered inconsistent with the supreme Go-
vernment of the land. They had hired a French Newspaper to
traduce and vilify this country. They had interfered with foreign
Governments. Their leader and organ had declared that lie de-
lighted in the ilia:nevem which had lately visited this country—
distresses which went to the heart of every man of right feeling
in the country—and no one Catholic hail stepped forward to ex-
press ha disapprobation of such declaration. On these grounds
he was prepared to oppou any further concessions to the Catholics;
but his opposition would never be influerced by any malignant
or unkind feeling. Should the time arrive when, in the view of
the great body of the people of this country, and in his own opi.
Mon, concessions might be granted to the Catholics, and his
constituents should still think as they now did, he would instant.
ly put them again in possession of the trust they had reposed
in hint, and would give them the opportunity of returning a Mem-
ber who might truly repiesent their opinions in Parliament. There
was a great question most important to the interests he was desirous
to represent—that of the Corn Laws ; they required the deepest at.
tendon, as they afforded an inadequate and uncertain protection to
the farmer. Steadiness of price was the great desideratum ; a price
which, whilst it afforded a remuneration to the sgriculnaist bur.
thened with tale's, to which personal property was not liable,
should still lie such as not to cripple our manufactures and coin-
mere n the great promoters of agricultural wealth—interests which,
if it were allowed to use the expfession, were dove-tailed together,
and could not be disunited without destruction to our prosperity.
lifitli regard to the slave population in the West Indies, he could
say that he had ever felt the greatest horror against slavery. It was
inconsistent with the spirit of our Constitution that it ahuu'd be
continued. It was inconsistent with the divine act of the Almighty,
who had breathed the same immortal spirit into the black and the
white man, that the colour of the skin iduald be the test of his condi-
tion. But, be it remembered. that the crime was that of the nation
at large, and the country therefore must pay the penalty. It
would be contrary to every apnrk of justice that the West India
proprietors, who had acted under the sanction of the law, should
alone bear the burden. Still he knew that it was practically im-
posaible at once to emancipate the slave population ; such a mea-
sure would not only be the destruction of the white population, but
would piece the blacks in a state of misery from which they never
would emerge. A law might beneficially be passed, declaring that
all children hereafter to be born should be free, but then you must
provide for the training of them up to habits of industry, and pre-
pare them for the enjoyment of their freedom. He next spoke
of his own pretensions to represent them. As was well known,
he had railed himself from the etas* of those whom he was then
addressing, to that in which he appeared before them—he had done •
so by his own honest unwearied industry and under the blowing%
of that Constitution, of which he was an example that it did aflOrd
to industry and integrity and honour, rewards which could no
where else be attained without the unction of high birth, or the
sacrificeof principle to power. He had achieved, without being
beholden to favour front any man, everything that his heart de.
sired, except the honour of representing them in Parliament. He
declared that in doing so lie was not influenced by the desire of
place or preferment, but only by the high ambition of being their
Representative. He pledg-ti himself not to receive a shilling of
the public money. either directly or indirectly. lie then mated
that a plot had been lot up against him, and that unfounded im.
putations had been cast upon Inns: which the unanimous voice of
the electors in the three principal towns of the Rape had de-
clared to be tinni %tided. The leiter from Mr. Butler to Mr. Blount
and he heal never seen it.
had been written without his authority,
He had known Mr. Butler for upwards of 2al years. Mr. B. had
ever professed Tot him the greatest kindness and regard. lie had
always consulted him on important circumstances 'tilde life, and it
was must natural that lie should communica'e to bim Isis intention
of becoming a Candidate. Ile was not to tsk •it foe granted that
the Norfolk family would as omolicr of course oppose hint, and he
certainly was desirous of avoiding opposition. Mr. Ilowatd, how-
ever, innueliately started on his canvass, and Mr. S. hail front that
montect, without ever requiring any answer from Mr. It., steadily
and asagounty.opps.ed arr. (toward. If then had been any regll6
t Waal, the matter have ended with merely a single convey.
ettiti; The letter which Mr. Boiler hail written, marked •• pry.
worn." had been mails ptddic in tinter to injure him, in breasb of
all • ee between them ; for he (Mr. 8.) utterly disclaimed
M Sias e 'et lan. Mr. Blounwas t an utter stranger to
MM. infamy of the breech of confidences Two can thaw who
big ' ' Sat what malt be thought or tits cause led& ro-
ldie

qUilred Seth means for its support ? The strong wound upon which
Its stood forward was to preserve the Rape of Bramber from becom-
ing another elnae borough in the bandit of the lieward fan,*
Weald they know how the. leetion would have been conducted had
the Howart; prevailed over them, they should have been present
at the last election for Horsham borough. There the head tit
the Howard fainil kindly provided two Members, their names
written on a slip of paper, which, for fear of miliake, was carried
by the independent elector*, who were to Perform a part in this
•• farce" of an election. Indeed upon this occasion the part of the
elevort wan (as the play-bills wouki have had it) kindly performed
by the patron hinutelf. The Honourable Representative for that
borough, who now stood next to Dowel:ad at the head of the
party with a nosegay in one hand. whilst with the other he draeged
along his unwilling victim. the representative of the peat man's
representaiva, for the other Honourable .leother fur the borough
has been take elected, but never yet seen by any of the electors,
except the patron : this gentleman's courage failed hint at such a
scene. As he was dragged along his nerveless anti tell powerless
by his aide. and he in vain endeavoured ut hide the unlucky posy
which was intended to range with the nosegay of his honourable
companion. 0, fur the love of laughter. that you had heard the
soul-inspiriag much of " See, the compering hem contest" whilst
dismayed and thapirited, the conquerors of the fr,..celoni of their
fellow-burgesses tied and dispersed themselves. Why was it that
their tunes of gladness 'tied upon the car, and imparted nn joy to
the hearts of those whom it was intended to inspire ? IVlty wu
their few negixtcti and deserted, when although there werc chains
and shackle., yet they were hid with roses cud garlands. and re-
' fCction might be drowned in wine? 1: was that the spirit of the
Constitution was abroad and lowered over theni.a real electim was
going on, the breast of every man panted for freedom, the mockery
tattle scene before them hint ill responded to their feelinks. and for
the first time, that which had been considered an impoiiing spec-
tacle, become a revolting exhibition. (Immense cheers.) Compare
such it scene with that which we now see before Wt. in which an in-
dependent loan stands forward and seeks your suffrages, upon inde-
pendent principle.' ; the animstlng scene must make every man's
been bound with joy. lie came not there to preaeh a cresade
against boroughs, but he did come, and he would always be at his
post to prevent the !tape of ltramber from dwindling into an in-
significant borough, adding to the weight and importance of the
, [lowan's.

Mr. UIrRST replied very wstinly to Mr. Sugden ; but we were
happy to ace them afterwards shake hands together.
.111.11Lact; stag nod .Major A i.t.xst addressed the Meeting.
The commencement of the former gentleman's speech was Amen.
tieely listen•tl tit; but the latter part, as well as the cite which
followed, was wholly lost. .
Colonel LLovn. the late Member. who has retired, addressed the
fterhulders, tut., from the noise and clamour which prevailed, it
was not possible to hear him. From witst we could collect, the
lion. Gentleman look Icave of the elettors as a public character.
The show of hands was declared to be in favour of Mr. Sugden
sod Mr. Howard ; upon which a poll was demanded by Sir C. 1.
Burrell.

The following is the sate of the poll at the close on Tuesday and
yesterday :
Ist day. thl day. Tegal.
Sir C. M. Burrell . - 11 1 2I 9 410
Iloward - - :di 'lOl 207
Swgtlen . 1:9 149 ;.:09
.
The contiact of tome of Mr. Howard's party yesterday cannot
he tint strongly condemned. Every facility was otrarded to Mr.
Howard's voters, anti every obstruction thrown in the way of Mr.
Sugdett's: so that for a apace or two hours not noire. we are as
thanti re Blues could get near the poll. In fact, during the
whole of the day it was only by sheer force they could obtain ac-
cess; and the consequence was, that last night upwards of 109
voters of 31r. Sugdeu s remained in the town unlit-died. This ac-
counts fur tie majority which Mr. Howard had last night: at one
period of the .lay it was upwards of 79: but when at length the
1 Pink party began to be exhausted, the dill'erence was reduced to
43 ; and had the poll remained open longer, there would hive b :en
a large majority for Sugden.