The Sun.
London, England, 1837-12-07 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1 837

CITY OF LONDON ELECTION.

refute them. The money subscribed to unseat their present Mem- 1
bers did not come out of the pocket of Mr. Palmer ; it had been
subscribed by the wealthy Tory merchants of the city ; and the 1
means of defending their seats could not be subscribed by the sit-
ting Members—they must be provided by the independent and
Liberal electors of the City of London. Their cause was not a
private or a personal one—it was a struggle for a great public prin-
ciple, and he had no doubt that the exertions of their friends
would be successful.—(Loud and long continued cheers.)
Their conduct personally at the late election must be well known to
many present. Their duty indeed had been confined to the atten-
dance of many public meetings of the constituency, not quite so
numerous as the one now present. All the proceedings at the late
election had been under the superintendance of Mr. Travers, a
gentleman devoted to the cause of the people and of Reform.—
(Cheering.) As their opponents had provoked a full disclosure
of all the circumstances that took place at the late election,
he only hoped Mr. Alderman Brown, on behalf of the Tory can-
didate, would be enabled to give as good an account as Mr. Travers
would on the part of the Liberals. The present was not a time to
enter upon any political matters—his conduct was before his con-
stituents, and it was for them to judge whether what he had done
deserved a continuance of their favours.—( Cheers.) He felt deeply
sensible of the hardships under which the electors of England had
been called upon to perform their solemn duties, and that the situa-
tion in which they, as the Representatives of the City of London
had been placed, should render it necessary for them to call upon
the Liberals of the City of London to open their purse-strings.
The Hon. Gentleman concluded by saying that he would ever be
found in the energetic and faithful discharge of his duty as a sincere
Reformer, whether in or out of Parliament.—(Loud cheers.)
Mr. CRAWFORD then presented himself to the meeting, and was
loudly cheered. He participated deeply in the sentiments of gra-
titude, expressed by his colleagues who had preceded him, towards
the meeting.—(Hear.) He would be glad to ask them what was
their real position with respect to the opposition that had been
arrayed against them ? They had not been able to ascertain whom
the scrutiny Committee that had been appointed was composed of,
for there seemed to be a species of political cowardice about
the whole of them, except the respected gentleman who presided
—he meant Mr. Ward.—( Hear.) The Committee was the organ
of the Tory party in the City at present ; but he had good reason
to believe that they would not receive the support they had so san-
guinely calculated upon.—(Cheers.) There was one other fact to
which he would refer. He was in possession of a laborious ana-
lysis of the poll at the late election, and it appeared that the four
Reform candidates had at least 800 votes more than those given
to Mr. Palmer, who owed his position to the divided and crooked
votes which circumstances had conferred upon him.—(Hear, and
cheers.) After again thanking the meeting for the kindness with
which it had come forward to support the men of their choice, Mr.
Crawford concluded amidst loud cheering.
Mr. PATTISON then presented himself and was most warmly
received. The excellent speeches of his Colleagues had left little
for him to add ; but he could not omit expressing his acknowledge-
ments for the kind manner in which he had been received by them
on that as well as on all other occasions. He felt quite confident as to
the result of the petition, and he was convinced that it would
slim that the constituency they had the honour to represent
was as free from any imputation of corruption as any other in
the kingdom.—(Loud cheers.) So long as he was their re-
presentative he would do his best to promote their interests,
and to assert the rights and liberties of the people.—( Applause. )
Mr. W. PRESCOTT then proposed a vote of thanks to the Chair-
man, which was seconded by Mr. HErrELL, and carried with ac
clamat ion.
The CHAIRMAN returned thanks for the compliment paid him,
and the mee'ing, which was extremely crowded throughout the
yoceedings, separated.

( Continued from our First Edition of Yesterday.)
J. lIANKEY, Esq., then rose to propose the second resolution,
and had he not done so with pleasure, when he was asked to do so
by the Committee, he would have considered that he would have
deserved to be branded as a deserter from those principles which
he had avowed in July last.—(Loud cheering.) In July he
had thought it desirable that four Liberal Members should be re-
turned to represent the City of London in Parliament ; he therefore
considered that he was now bound to do all that lay in his power,
in order to support that return when it was questioned by their
opponents.—(Cheers.) It was impossible for the citizens of
London to allow such imputations as were now made against
' them to remain. For his part he had had the honour of pro-
' posing one of the Members on the Hustings at Guildhall ;
he cordially joined in the return of the four Members ; he
fully believed that the return of the four was properly and fairly
made, and therefore he would do all in his power to support it.—
(Cheers.) Bribery was the charge made—not against the four
Members, but against their Committees—and he saw a great num-
ber of them present ; therefore he called upon them to cast off the
foul imputation—to do their duty to themselves, by proving that
those charges were false.—(Cheers.) The four Members had
been fairly and honestly returned, and it was the duty of the con-
stituency notsnow to desert them, but manfully come forward and
prove that these four Members had not been returned to Parlia-
ment by the bribery of their fellow-citizens. He believed that the
petition against those gentleman was part of a system to put down
all liberal feeling in the country—( Cheers)—and therefore he most
cordially moved the second resolution, which !lad been put into his
hands.
Mr. W. PILITCHARD felt much pleasure in seconding the reso-
lution. Their Chairman had told them the power of their adver-
saries, and their strenuous efforts to recover the power which they
had for half century wielded with so little advantage to the peo-
ple. They had been deprived of that power by the efforts of inde-
pendent bodies of electors like those before him, who had arisen in the
majesty of their rights, and declared they would not submit to such
intolerant domination. The Reform Bill was the result of the
successful efforts of the electors of England seven years ago, and
they could not expect that those from whom it had been wrung
would sit down contented with their defeat. They had rallied their
scattered forces, and brought them again to the battle, as was
visible in the late contest. Their leader (Sir R. Peel) had told
them that it was useless to continue the contest on the old principles
of Tory opposition to the popular party. They now did it. by concilia-
tion and the battle wasrenewedbefore the Revising Barristers, where
they had put forth the elements of wealth and influence unhappily
with too much success.—(Hear, hear.) They were now again
resorting to the same sinister influence, and by means of
their wealth they were endeavouring to deprive the people of
the legitimate advantages of the Reform Bill.—( Hear, hear.)
Such was the character of the proceedings in the late con-
test, when intimidation, bribery, and undue influence were
set in motion, and they had unblushingly avowed through their
organs of the press that the public had been applied to to get up
petitions to Parliament against the return of all those men who
had endeavoured by their support of Liberal principles to prove
that they were the true advocates of the people's rights. He
should have thought that in the prosecution of such a conspiracy
they would not have dared to make such an application to the con-
stituency of London; but a petition had been presented which
teemed with the most unblushing allegations; and with the spirit
and feeling of enlightened Englishmen he trusted that this
meeting would resist it by every legitimate means.--( Hear, hear.)
He considered that obligation to-day attached to the present
meeting, as well-wishers to their country, but particularly as the
guardians of their own rights and elective franchises against the
unholy attempts that had been made to assail them.—( Cheers.) The
present petition was an attack upon the franchise of the people at
large.—(Cheers.) He thought there could be little doubt that
the resolution would be received by the meeting with unanimity.
—(Cheers.) The Chairman then put the resolution to the meet-
ing. which he declared to be carried unanimously.
WILLIAM GREGG, Esq., then rose to propose tke third resolution.
During the twenty years that he had witnessed the contested elec-
tions in the City of London, he considered the present contest to
involve more important results than any he had ever witnessed.
Such being the case, lie thought it demanded the most strenuous,
active, and energetic exertions that could be made with respect to
it.—(Cheers.) The contest in which they were engaged was good
government against bad—net mere Whigs against Tories.—
bat reform against no reform, or only such reforms as might be
wrung from an unwilling government, if the Tories get into
power. It was a contest in which they had a suit against
four of the best Members the City of London ever had.
The present petition was got up without a shadow of reason, for if
he could speak front what he witnessed from the commencement of
the contest to its close, not the slightest bribery, coercion, or inti-
midation was exercised by the Committee, who conducted it on
the part of the Reform Members. Who, he would ask, was op-
posed to the Reform Men.bers ? Mr. H. Palmer, a gentleman no
doubt who was in every ray respectable, bat were not their pre-
sent Members equally so? —( Cheers. ) If Mr. Paltrier was a Di-
rector in the Bank of England, had they not also a Director in the
person of Mr. Pattison? If he was a merchant, had they not a
merchant equally respectable in the person of Mr. Crawford ?
And if they wanted a le:railed in every respect, had they not that
parallel in the person of the worthy Bart. Sir Matthew Wood, who
had at last received the honours to which he was so justly entitled,
but which had been so long kept from him by Tory Governments.
—( Cheers.) As to Mr. Grote, his name was synonimous
with truth, determination, and the most sterling patriotism.
lie could not help denouncing this petition as the first evidence of
the working of the Spottiswoode conspiracy. With regard to the
importance of the latter part of the motion, it was needless to im-
press on them, that as they were opposed by monied interest, it
would be necessary that they should enter into a subscription com-
mensurate with the formidable power opposed to them. Mr. G.
concluded amidst loud cheering by moving the resolution.
The lion. Tnosias DENMA N, on rising to second the resolu-
tion, was received with loud cheers. He said he could only at-
tribute his favourable reception to the name which he bore. The
meeting might be surprised at a person so young in politics
presuming to address such a respectable and important assem-
bly, but he had thought that if he did not come here
to-day it might have been imagined that he had become lukewarm
in the cause.—(Hear, hear.) Referring to the prospects of the
Liberal party in the House of Commons, he said that he thought
they were as favourable as ever they were. It was supposed that
her Majesty's Ministers were hostile to the cause of Reform.
from some little differences among the Reformers manifested
the other night ; but he was not discouraged, and he hoped that no
person in this meeting would be discouraged.—( Hear, hear. )
With res,iect to the Ballot, differences of opinion might arise among
Reformers, and Lord John Russell was not willing to purchase the
support of any section of the Reformers—( Loud hisses, mingled
by some cries of " Hear")—by any uncompromising premise.—
Hear, hear.) As to Household Suffrage, he himself roost firmly
believed it was more safe than the close system of the old boroughs.
—(Hear.) But these were things which required great considera-
tion.—( Hear, hear.) Lord John Russell was not hostile to
Reform—(Cheers)—and his mind was open to' conviction.
If they lost their tried and faithful representative they would have a
Tory in his place. Would they have the false measures of the
Tories, or the honest and humane measures of the Whigs?
—( A cry of " The Poor-laws," and laughter.) The measures
of the Whigs were good coin, but that coin was clipped by the Tories ;
but if they had the Tories in power they would have counterfeit
coin altogether.—(Cheers.) The question was, whether a Com-
mittee should be appointed? It had been said that the Reformers
did not manage these matters so well as the Tories. He hoped the
City of London would afford a contradiction to that. He trusted that
an immense subscription would be collected ; and he considered it
of more importance that every one present should subscribe, even
if it were but a farthing each, than that large sums should be sub-
scribed by a few individuals, who might be supposed to have inte-
rested motives. By subscribing in a mass, they would convince
their opponents of the moral sense they entertained of the necessity
of being well represented.—( Cheers.) The mite he had to offer
was small, but it was made smaller from the prevalence of a
cheap administration of the law, which rather curtailed his means.
—( Cheers and laughter. )
BLACKBURN, the Chancery Barrister, supported the resolu-
tion. In that meeting, in which he saw some of the leading refor-
mers of this great and noble nation, perhaps no two were agreed
upon minor matters, and at the same time he was sure that no two
of them differed as the main business of the day.—(Cheering. )
Their representatives were charged with bribery, and they were
assembled there to subscribe for their defence against that charge.
He had no doubt of their triumphant success, but he did
doubt of the success of others, who had entered into a subscription,
or rather a conspiracy, to disfranchise the Irish boroughs.--s
(Loud and continued cheering.) He had risen chiefly to suggest
that in constructing the Committee, they should make it so open as
to admit Reformers of every opinion. He knew that, however
divided they were, the present danger of Reform—a danger which
was increasing—would unite them and make the most timid come
forward.—( Hear, hear.) The Resolution was then put and carried.
The CliAlliMAl4 then expressed his belief that the meeting must
almost be tired both of hearing his voice and of seeing Imsn, and he
was happy to say that his duty was now nearly at a close. He had,
however, to call on his Hon. and Venerable Friend Sir M. Wood,
to address a few observations to the meeting ; he appeared for the first
time before a public meeting since the acquisition of his new title.
Sir Mareofxw Woon came forward amidst great cheering. It
would ill become him to take up any part of the time of the
meeting. The only duty he had to perform was one which
he had the greatest pleasure in performing, namely, to return
sincere thanks to the meeting for their exertions, not only
at the late election, but for their renewed exertions to carry into
effect the principles which they had professed, and to endeavour to
retain him in their service. With regard to himself, he almost
smiled when he found the petition was presented against him for
bribery and corruption.—(Hear, hear.) Upon observing the pe-
tition to be rather bulky, he resolved to ascertain the length of it,
and he with an Hon. Colleague, calculated it to be just eight
yards in length—(Hear, hear)—which was just two yards for each
of the City Members.—(Laughter.) He was anxious, also, to
know how they could have spun it out to such an extent; and he
came to the conclusion that there must have been some solicitor
at work at it.—(Hear.) Every one knew that to extend a busi-
ness of that sort was advantageous and lucrative to a solicitor. But
moreover, he really expected when he found himself charged with
bribery, corruption, intimidation, and a great many other offences,
to find that he was also charged with murder !—( Hear, and laugh-
) He was never more surprised in his life. His Hon.
Friends who had now gone through so many elections with him
were perfectly aware that he never would coerce any one.
—( Cries of " Hear, hear.") Even if a man with whom he had
laid out thousands voted at the election, he never was the man
to inquire which way he had gone. Farther, they well knew that
if a single shilling was given to influence a vote in his favour,
he had always declared that the moment it came to his knowledge
he would give up the contest. A friend had asked him in the
outer room whether he was not alarmed upon the occasion ? But
he assured the meeting that be it good luck or ill luck, it was
all the same to him.—( Hear, hear.) He was certain that if
they got a Committee of honourable men, he cared not from
what side of the House, he was just as sure of being
their representative after the labours of the Committee
were over as he was now. In fact, he believed that the petition
was presented merely for the ehominable purpose of preventing
any, of their four Members from sitting upon an Election m
Com-
mittee, which they might think an advantage. He again thanked
them most heartily for their kind support, and hoped that it would
be continued.— (Cheers.)
Mr. GROTE then came forward and was withreceivedei.Nh
ei
oe
laudijutehtdfttrobe;
oio
andos,mk
vehement cheering, followed by one cheer more. He assured them
that he entertained a strong sense of the hearty welcome they had
that day given him. He rejoices! to see so numerous a meeting,
but
were he
assembled would nofrom a
t do them
moemttes o
hiveinl privateusti cetosuppose that
partiality, b
a strong sense of public electoral duty. —( Cheers.) n
to find that the men they had selected in July last were still
a
con-
sidered worthy of their choice. He would ask, were his threecol-
leagues and himself to be still looked upon in the light of their Re-
presentatives ?—(Cries of Yes, yes.) Then that was the best an-
swer they could give to the calumnies of the Meeting v
place over the way, at which Mr. W. Ward presided, and where it had
been asserted, that they were not the Representatives of the City of
London. In the petition which had been presented against their re-
turn, every charge that could possibly be put together was alleged
against them; but he trusted the., electors of London would

We understand that the legal preparations for the defence
of the sitting Members for the City against the petition-mon-
gerers are nearly completed. 'rho Reform Association in the
City early engaged Mr. Joseph Parkes as the agent and soli-
citor for the defence. Mr. Charles Aus!in is the leading
barrister ; Mr. Thessiger conducting, as counsel, the case of
the petitioners.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-DEC. 6.

The SPEAKER took the Chair at the usual hour.
Four Members who had not been sworn came to the table
arid took the oaths. Amongst where were Mr. John O'Con-
nell, Mr. Kirk, Member for Carrickfergus, and Mr. Kerr—
we did not recognise the fourth.
ELECTION PETITIONS.

The SPEAKER informed the House that the petition
against the return for the county of Sligo was discharge],
according to the order of the House, the petitioners not having
entered into the required recognizances. The Right Hun.
Gentleman subsequently informed the House that he had re-
c.,ived, through the Hanaper Office, Dublin, a petition against
the return for Sligo. (This petition is a renewal of that just
d'scharged.)
The SPEAKER also stated that the petition against the
return for Belfast was discharged, for the same reasons as
,hat front Sligo. The Right Hon. Gentleman then informed
the House that he had received, through the Hanaper Office,
another petition against the return for BAfast (similar to that
discharged) ; and also petitions against the returns for Water-
ford and Westmeath.—All those petitions were ordered to be
taken into consideration on the 12th of December.