The Sun.
London, England, 1852-05-19 00:00:00

ELECTION INTELLIGENCE.

CANTERBURY, TUESDAY.—Last night there was a
tneetieg at the Guildhall-rooms in this borough, con-
vened by the Hon. G. Smythe, M.P., for the purpose of
putting forward his claims for re-election. At eight
o'clock the proceedings began, and Mr. Smythe having
been introduced to the meeting, amid much applause,
spoke at considerable length, and somewhat to the fol-
lowing effeet:—l see around me the representatives of,
-many shades and distinctions of political belief; but
from this very diversity I might derive an augury of
triumph; because it has bceu my singular fortune, in
my relations with your borough, to have polled the
whole of your constituency—enc-half successfully upon
one aide, and the other haffestraessfully upon the other.-
-(Cheers.) And yet I am, without any affectation,
utterly unconscious of ever having changed an opinion.
Now, let me put this strikingly before you. What was
it at the last election which lost to me the confidence of
the the great majority of the Conservative party? My
pro-Jewish and pro-Papist votes, as they were termed;
but what I calledehern, my votes against a dead principle
of sham uniformity—my votes in favour of a livicg prin.
ciple of just toleration, which, thank God, moves
among us, and which will ere long, with the crowning
triumph of Jewishemancipation, have its being in the
COnstitution.—(Cheers.) Singular to say, a large sec-
tion of the Liberal party now withholds its support from
me for precisely the same reason as their opponents in
1847, and, more singularly still, out of precisely the same
reason that they then rallied and triumphed around me.
The cause of this is obvious. It is because the great
Whig party in the State has since entered on a crusade
for the persecution of Catholic consciences, which, if it
becomes their older, and sterner, and sectarian tradi-
tions, is of modern inconsistency, violent enough to
rouse back among us the spirits of Charles Fox and
Charles Lord Grey, if with no unfair imaginative license
I can suppose their spirits still guarding that sacred
principle of religious liberty to which, during their
lives, they sacrificed all things but their honour.—(Loud
cheers.) After some very severe animadversions on his
colleague for an alleged breach of faith, Mr. Smyte
went on to say—l have now to deal with the accuse.
lion of my constituents, that I have neglected my Par-
liamentary duties. I at once
s
plead guilthyton
the
ev
oharge; but I think in Canterbury you have
one s
been very particular -on this head,—(Alaugh.)
1 of your representatives a most able and distinguished _
the
repre-
MSC!, went to Madras for runny years with
sentation of your city in his pocket.—(Laughter.)
I tear, owing
Another, Lord A. Cenyngham, was even, is
to indisposition a worse attendant than y m self. I say I
at once plead guilty to the accusation. I say more, that
I greatly regret my neglect of what are called Parlia-
mentary duties, and if you will give me an opportunity,
I will promise for the future to amend.—(A laugh.) My
neglect has, I confess, chiefly been owing to my own t,z,..
dolence, but partly, also, to the untoward situation in
which the members-and followers of Sir Robert P. el's
Administration have recently been placed. We have
been, so to speak, interred in a sort of Mahorart's-
coffin position—(Laughter)—where life was all but im-
possible, half-way between the seventh heaven of
Whig exclusiveness and the repugnant
earthiness
of terrene Protection.—(Hear, hear,
I remember the present leader of the Hand cheers.)ouse of
which
Commons to have called " Hansard,"
all, the mere record of its debates, is, after
of polities."—(A. laugh.) And,' although o " The Danciad
rainy has heard much more of hat has been Colonel Re-
Hansard than myself, I do not think recorded in
there-
fore better fitted to promote the popular interest in "the
good time" inevitably
coming.—
(Cheers.) I do
think that because a man has been not
weed that he is therefore the batterchoked with chiall;
(Laughter.) The difference between able to swim.—
the story of Tom and Dick:—"What us reminds me of
doing, Tom?" " Nothina "
"And have you been
doing, Dick?" " Helping Tom"
Nwhat have you been
notwithstand-
ing Colonel Romilly's very creditable Now,
only been the part of Tom. lie hle attendance, his has
you; and I have simply foregone as done nothing for
of Dick, in helping Tom to do and declined the part
othin
I come to the accusation which hg for you. Now,
me by my colleague. las been urged against
into the fact that I have might resolve his:charge
i
John Russell's Government. It'
two votes against Lord
im-
mediate interest a charge to I desired in my own
would be precisely this—of be brought against me, i!
not having been a perso
adherent of Lord John R
ussell's Administration. Lord,
John is not so popular anywhere at this moment, that!
know of; that the char
Canterbury. Yet I cannot need signify—certainly not in
though I know it to be f accept the position—popular
though Lord John Russell'sorhemoment—of an u
simply °l)iereaUSe,
Government,
with the exception of its foreign thi charge is
untrue. I yield to no man policy, the
to the present
leader of the House of Co, not
.enve.nisßrest admira-
tion of that statesman. nomons,ithah,
at this conjunc
tare ho is sufferio under lt is true '
heineral odium and
much unreasonableg much ep
within him—
' obloquy, but he bears
46
..-...."."'". That strong divinity of soul
' Which and fate."
He ..M
conquers chance
"
'
tie realizes, G to those
who do not knew him,
Lord
Sydenh'un'e touching and dying testiosony—" Lord John
Russell is the noblest man I ever knew. He belongs
to the foremost category of this world's worthies.
"Happy are "said ancient classic, " who have
they, an
acted. Happy are
recorded things worthy to have been
they who have acted things worthy to be recorded.
IlePpiebt.of all are they who We dun° both. --(cheers.)