The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-20 00:00:00

Representation of Finsbury.

Last night a meeiing of electors desirous of pro-
moting the return of Mr, M'Cullagh Torrens for
Finsbury, at the next election, convened by circular,
was held at the Belvidere Tavern, Pentonville.
Mr. Torrens attended, on the invitation of a large

and influential body of requisitionists, who, mindful
of his past career in Parliament and his fidelity to
the principles he avowed oa entering it, were de-
sirous that a metropolitan borough of such import-
ance should be adequately and properly represented.
The requisitionists seeking for the proper discharge
of the duties of such a
position, desired that they
should be represented by gentlemen whose mental
power, political knowledge, and established public
reputation qualified them for the discharge of the
onerous duties devolving upon the representatives of
such large and important constituencies. Reference
to the past conduct of Mr. Torrens in Parliament
had produced the conviction that in him these quali-
ties were combined, and that gentleman was thPre-
fore invited to lay before a meeting of electors his
political opinions, and also state his decision whether
the amount of popular support accorded to him
would induce him to become a candidate. To this

requisition, which was signed, on the whole, by
these who used to take a prominent part in the

election of the late Mr. T. Dancombe, without any

expense on his part, Mr. Torrens readily responded,
and last night was met by an assembly of gentlemen
who might fairly be said to be representative men

from every part of the borough.
Mr. MTONNELL, representative of Clerkenwell
at the Metropolitan Board of Works, was called to

the chair, and in a few brief but telling sentences
introduced Mr. Torrens to the meeting.
The learned gentleman, in the course of an ad-
dress which was listened to with the deepest atten.

ion, and with frequent and warm applause, explained
,he grounds on which he ventured to solicit the auf-

reges of such an important constituency. He had

an ambitkat—but it-was not a selfish one—it was

in his day and generation, to make his mark on the

age in which le lived as a man who had done

something useful and permanently beneficial to his

fellowmen, He had in tho earlier portion of his

public and political career at least given proofs of
the spirit by which he was animated, the objects he
aimed at, and the principles of which he was the
advocate; and to the past he thought he might
confidently refer as a guarantee for the future. tHe
did not wish to be a mere talker, a mummer, or a
dummy. In past Parliaments he had served his
time to the business of legislation. He hoped he
had learned by study and experience how the work
of the people ought to be done, and how to do it.
He made no vague promises, no elastic professions
of principle. He would not go into Parliament tied
and fettered by ironcast pledges, but he referred to
his votes on all great questions as the surest tests
of what his future course would be. "When in
Parliament he helped to carry the repeal of the na-

vigation laws, and the removal of the disabilities
of the Jews. He was ono of the small majority
that first enabled Mr Locke King to carry the prin-
ciple of a £lO county suffrage, and he had had the
pleasure of voting with the late Mr Joseph Hume
for a large extension of the suffrage in towns, on
the ground that the exclusion of the working classes
was the chief defect of the Reform Bill, 1532. For
the adoption of the ballot ho had voted with Mr
Berkeley, though by itself he did not think it would
produce political purity, but must be one of a com-
bination of measures for that purpose. With re-
spect to the administration of the country, Mr Tor-
rens expressed the epic ion that they were too exclu-
sively taken from one class, and at the same time
deprecated a rather wide-spread opinion that
lawyers, as a class, should be excluded from Parlia-
ment in favour of commercial and practical men in
other pursuits and callings of life, whose success in
a mere monetary way, though creditable to them as
individuals, 'was not necessaeily a proof of their
possessing the qualities requisite for a legislator.
On the subject of church rates he thought the time
had come when the Government should remove this
cause of religious discord. On general grounds he
to any sect 'whatever if those who received those
the public money being given
would vote against
grants would agree to stand upon that ground.
He should advocate retrenchment of public ex-
penditure not
only in general terms, but in detail,
intlin important question—the law
d—while he thought
public
relating to the relief of the poor and the mode in
Withwh i ch
te
sc
at dto
administered--while
opinion was not ripe for the adoption of a national and
equal rate, he thought the time bad come for the
abrogation of the law of settlement and the adop-
tion of a union rating. With respect to the metro-
polis itself, while he could not agree with Mr.
Avrton and other advocates of a federal metropo-
litan municipality, he thought it was an open and
a pressing question Low such boroughs as Finsbury
could be welded into a compact mass, and exercise
their legitimate influence on Parliament and upon
the Government for the time being. They would
never do BO in their present state, and for their own
sakes, apart from general questions, it was ex-
tremely important they should have the advantages
of local bell-government. The boo. and learned
gentleman, after adverting in very felicitous and
eloquent terms to other matters, concluded by
'stating that he asked no one to pledge himself to
support his candidature should a better man appear
in the field. In that case he would be the first to
withdraw from it. If not, he promised, should he
be elected to represent that important constituency,
that he would render an annual account of his atew•
ardship, and take every opportunity of ascertaining
the views of his constituents!, though he did not
promise he would always act upon them. When
he could not do so honestly he would return the
trust they had confided to him. (Cheers.)
Dr. EPPS, in a very able and telling speech,
That this meeting having listened to a
statement of the political principles of Mr. Torrens,
which he consistently and efficiently advocated for
many years in Parliament, expresses its opinion
that he is eminently qualified to become a repre-
sentative for Finsbury in the House of Commons,
and pledges itself to use its best exertions
,to secure
his return for this borough in the ensuing Parlia.
ment."

Mr. HOPWOOD seconded the resolution, and after
a short conversation, M
----
on the in which Mr. Collins, r.
Ew la t
8, andca r r
lother i
th gent t.
wl e 0 m
de ni s
st
eoo
tki
pe
pnot part,s the resolution
s ito Mr. ,
under-
standing that it did not bind those present who did
not actually vote for it. At the same time no gen-
tleman present offeredany n
o tion
Tor-
rens, but merely reserved their freedom of selection
for the future.
The following gentlemen were then elected a
committee to promote the election of Mr. Torrens,
with power to add to their number :—Messrs. J.
Tolme,
Richard Moore,
L. Hopwood, Dennis INl`Dohnell, Chas. D.
William Birkbeck,
JHouhgahLOl
oywde,ni, I
IJwoilei ns
rßobtit
teirston, Hall,
T. Bounce, James Scott, Samuel Smith, M. Samuel,
John Walker, William Walker, &c.
A vote of thanks to the chairman closed the
proceedings.

HAMPSTEAD-HEATS AND THE NEW SETTLED
ESTATES ACT.—Among the last acts passed was one, which
has just been issued, to amend the Settled Estates Act of
135 G. As introduced, it was expected that the act would
lead to the enclosure of a part of Hampstead-heath. It was
amended in the Commons, and as it now stands, it is enacted
that the Court of Chancery, in determining what are settled
estates, is to be governed by the trusts and limitations when
that settlement was made. Other alteratious \litre wade to
proem the lAvf 011 the subject,