The Sun.
London, England, 1855-03-05 00:00:00

ELECTION INTELLIGENCE.

HALIFAX.
The vacancy created in the representation of the bo-
rough of Halifax, in consequence of Sir Charles Wood's
acceptance of the post of First Lord of the Admiralty in
the reconstructed Government, Wa3 duly filled up on

Saturday by the re-election of the right hon. baronet
without opposition. Thera had indeed been some talk,
when the intelligence first arrived that the vacancy had
arisen, of Major Edwards, who figured as a candidate at
previous elections for the borough, being again started
to contest the scat with Sir Charles, but subsequently
the friends of the gallant major met and resolved that it
was inexpedient for him, in the present critical aspect of
affairs, to press his claims on the suffrages of the consti-
tuency ; and all idea of offering any opposition to the
right hon. baronet's return was therefore abandoned. ,
The nomination took place in the Manufacturers
Piece-hall—a large quadrangular building situated in the
centre of the town, and enclosing a spacious open square.
At 11 o'clock Sir Charles Wood, accompanied by Mr.
Joshua Appleyard (the mayor and returning officer), the
town clerk, and several of his principal supporters, ar-
rived on the scene, and took up their position on a kind
of balcony, which served as hustings—the spectators,
who did not exceed 1,000, being congregated in the open
space below. The wealier had been showery all the
morning, and the rain fell at intervals during the speak-
ing, lending to the proceedings—never very lively or
exciting at an uncontested election—an unwonted degree
oft imeness and insipidity.
The writ having been read and the other usual for-
malities completed,
The MAYOR explained the object of the assemblage, and
bespoke an impartial hearing for every elector who might
wish to address them. That was, he said, the earliest oppor-
tunity at which the election could be held, and, although it
was their market-day, yet, in the present state of public
affairs, he did not think he would have been justified in
deferring the nomination any longer. They were all
aware of the startlingnews that had reached them within
the last few hours of the death of the Czar ; and doubt-
less there were gentlemen present who would express
their opinions on the probable bearing of that event upon
the prosecution of the war. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. J. CROSSLEY then stood forward to nominate the
Right Hon. Sir Charles Wood as a fit and proper person
to represent Halifax in Parliament. The right hon. gen-
tleman had represented that borongh for the last 22
years, during which he had repeatedly held high office
under the Crown. He had lately been entrusted with
the administration of our vast Indian empire, and now
he had been called by his Sovereign to a post scarcely
second in importance to any other in the State, but to
the efficient discharge of the duties of which he believed
the right hon. baronet was fully equal. The long expe-
rience they had had of the services of Sir Charles Wood
rendered any eulogy of his character or conduct quite
unnecessary, and he therefore merely begged to propose
that they should give him a renewal cf their confidence
as their representative. (Cheers.)
Mr. J. BALDWIN seconded the nomination, observing
that the absence of a contest on the right lion. baronet's
acceding to so important an office as that of the head of
the Admiralty in a time of war was ample evidence that
the electors of Halifax were satisfied with his conduct,
both as their representative and as a Minister. The
right hon. gentleman's object had always been to serve
his country, in doing which he had best served his con-
stituency ; and no doubt he would still continue to fol-
low the same meritorious course. (Hear.)
No elector presenting himself to propose another can-
didate, the Mayor declared Sir Charles Wood to have

been duly elected.
Sir C. WOOD then stepped forward to address the elec
tors, and was received with faint marks of applause. He
said—Gentlemen, it is now my pleasing duty to return
you my warmest thanks for the honour which you have
done me, and I assure you, from the bottom of my heart,
that in my opinion a higher distinction cannot be con-
ferred on a British subject. I well remember the pride
with which 22 years ago, as Mr. Crossley has told you,
I was first returned one of the members for an important
town in my native county ; but you will readily believe
how much that pride has increased when, during the
whole course of those years, I have received such re-
peated proofs of your continued canfidence, and when
now, for the ninth time, I am returned a member for
Halifax. (Hoar.) Gentlemen, lam the more gratified
ou the present occasion because I was more than usually
anxious for this last testimony of your approbatern.
need but shortly advert to the circumstances which have
led to my now appearing before you.. You are aware
that Lord Aberdeen's Government resigned in conse-
quence of a vote of the House of Commons. You are
also aware that Lord Derby, to whom her Majesty ap-
plied to form a Government, failed in the task. Lord
Derby addressed himself to Lord Palmerston, the head
of the present Government, to Mr. Gladstone, and to Mr.
Sidney Herbert, to ascertain whether they would join a
Ministry which he might form ; and, upon their refusal
to do so, he did not feel sufficient confidence in the mem-
bers of his own party alone to warrant him in proposing
them as an efficient Government to the country. Lord
John Russell was likewise commissioned to construct a
Government ; but he too failed ; and her Majesty then
empowered Lord Palmerston to form a Government, as
almost the last resource, lest we should be left without a
Government at all. (Laughter.) Lord Palmerston's
Government was constituted ; but, alas within some 10
days of its formation, three of its most important mem-
bers retired. (A. laugh.) I cannot but acknowledge that
Mr. Gladstone, in the office of Chancellor of the Exche-
quer, and Sir . Graham, in the post to which I have been
since called, discharged the functions of their respective
departments most efficiently, and I regard it as a great
misfortune that they should have considered it to be
their duty to leave those posts, (Hear.l But, under
these circumstances, hoWever arduous the task assigned
him, Lord Palmerston did not shrink from the perform-
ance of what he believed to he his duty to the Queen
and to the country, namely, to form a Government—
the best that he could constitute—in order to carry on
the business of the country in the present difficult state
of public affairs and to promote and guard its best hate-
rests. In that Government the noble lord called upon
me to undertake the post which had been vacated by
Sir James Graham. Gentlemen, if I had only con-
sulted my own wishes and inclinations I should have
declined that offer. I bad filled for the last two years
no unimportant office in the Government, and had been
charged with the administration of an immense empire,
comprising nearly 150,000,000 of people. I had car-
ried through a great measure for the reform of the go-
vernment of that empire. I had advanced many pro-
jects for the improvement of its internal administration,
for the education of its people, for the development of
its trade, for the extension of its public works, and the
construction of its railroads ; and you may easily sup-
pose that I was naturally anxious to watch over the
operation ef those measures which, though framed at
horse, must, nevertheless, depend in a great degree for
their success upon the mode in which they are exc.-
cuted in the coutry to which they are applied.
I had a natural desire, therefore, to protect, as I may
say, the welfare of my own children. At the same time,
however, I felt bound to sacrifice my own personal pre-
dilections if they stood is the way of the discharge of a
public duty. Lord Palmerston and my colleagues
thought it was desirable that I should take charge of
another department—one most important at all times,
but, above all, in time of war, more important than any
other—namely, that which is intrusted with the admi-
nistration of the naval affairs and the direction of the
naval resources of this country. With the business and
duties of that department I was not wholly unacquainted
for I had for some four or five years occupied the post of
Secretary to the Admiralty ; and I felt, under such cir-
cumstances, that I should not be justified in consulting
my own wishes, my own ease, or my own inclinations,
by remaining in the office which I held, and refusing to
accept one in which my colleagues thought my services
might be more useful. I never from any personal con-
sideration have declined to do that which I believed to
be my duty. I felt that I was a public servant. As
such you have trusted me—as such you have sent me to
Parliament, and I am convinced you would consider
that I had done wrong if I had declined that which I
was called upon by my Sovereign to undertake. Gen-
tleman, I fairly say that I was unwilling to put you to
the trouble of another election, but I felt confident that
if you believed I was doing my duty you would approve
and sanction my course by your suffrages. (hear.) I
confess that I was anxious about the result of this elec-
tion, and I am more than usually proud of the honour
of being returned by you to Parliament from the gratify-
ing circumstances which have attended that return. I
am most grateful to you for this renewed proof of
your confidence. I thank those of my friends upon
whose support I felt I might reasonably rely ; and I also
owe my best acknowledgments to those who have on
former occasions been my opponents, but who in the
present juncture of affairs resolved to waive their party
differences, and for the sake of the public interests to
acquiesce in my return. (Hear, hear.) I have there-
fore to promise to the entire body of electors of Halifax,
and not to the electors alone, but to its inhabitants ge-
nerally, that I will not swerve from that course of con-
duct which has hitherto procured for me your con-
fidence ; and that while I devote my best efforts
to promote the interests of the country at large, I
will net neglect those of this borough and its neigh-
bourhood. (Hear, hear.) Gentlemen, I have so often on
former occasions stated to you my opinions upon almost
every subject of public importance that I will net de-
tain you, upon what I am reminded is your market-day,
by adverting to those topics at present, and I need the
less do so considering the length at which I had to tres-
pass on your attention at the meeting on Thursday even-
ing. I will oily say that lam glad to believe, from all
the most recent accounts that have reached us, that the
state of our gallant army in the Crimea is rapidly im-
proving. The army have received that assistance and
those comforts and means of protecting themselves from
the inclemency of the weather, and against disease,
which, through the bounty of this country and the sym-
pathies of their fellow-citizens at home, have been sent
out to them ; and I repeat that all the latest reports agree
i.7.aossuring us that the worst is now over, and that the
that, sad aairi,dd
tin
gapia4il:Tteryitathp4olviairvige
ninevtehreflcieodn_di(teiohne.er_ri
aspriidrilt andsly
and a lier,iisrn (I;trwili7:4
grievous as their sufferings have Leen, the
heroism
they have displayed—a prowess
mile, been equallai byp unier those calamities the
have never doubted—have
e patient endurance with which
they have berate
which are
harder to Lear than the dange • - actual conflict, be-
(ifilineder the same excite-
MS@ they are not eneountered(
Your worthy
udtelliige;lice
meat or the same enthusiasm.
Mayor has alluded to a eircumstancee,rt4ii)e
It is difficult
which was only received here last ni:leatlic
of
not, I think, fail to exercise a considerable iniefluZuce
fuopronusthetoaffsapirescuolfaturaospet.o (wHiematr,may
happen
in
conse-
quence of the death of the Emperor of Russia, and God
forbid that we should rejoice at any man's being seddealy
called away from this world ; but if ever calamities were
justly to be attributed to the will of one man, I think the
present war, with all its fatal consequences, is to be AS.