The Sun.
London, England, 1837-07-13 00:00:00

EAST SURREY ELECTION.

On Tuesday (being market day), the Honourable Locke
King met the electors of East Surrey at Reigate. The
meeting was to have taken place in the large room of the
Swan Inn, but in consequence of the numbers who at-
tended, it was found necessary to adjourn to the market-
place. THOS. GLADWIN, Esq. was called to the Chair.
The CHAIRMAN briefly introduced the business of the
day. After adverting to the position in which the Eastern
division of the county was placed by the retirement of
Major Beauclerk, he stated that the electors had signed a
requisition to the Honourable Locke King, the consequence
of which was, that that gentleman, casting aside his predi-
lections for a private life, had ventured to come forward and
solicit their support. To the late Lord King, the father of
the honourable candidate, they, in common with the British
public, owed a deep debt of gratitude ; and, from all that
he had heard and seen of his son, he sincerely believed that
if they returned him as their Representative to the House
of Commons that debt would be greatly increased.
EDWARD RUSSELL, Esq., moved the first resolution, to
the effect that the meeting, sincerely regretting the retire-
ment of Major Beauclerk from the representation of East
Surrey, deemed it most important to secure an able and
efficient representative i❑ his place. After adverting in
terms of high eulogium to the services of Major Beauclerk,
he expressed his satisfaction that the electors of East Sur-
rey has been fortunate enough to secure in his stead a
gentleman, whose family, education, high descent, and ex-
tensive property rendered him in every way qualified to
represent them in Parliament.
The motion having_heen eloquently seconded by lIOBERT
RUSSELL, Esq., was put to the meeting, and carried una-
nimously.
The Hon. LOCKE KING then came forward, and was
warmly cheered. No man had the interest of the land
and of its cultivators more at heart than he had ; so much
was he attached to agricultural pursuits, and to a life of
retirement, that though urgently solicited at the last elec-
tion to offer himself for the representation of the other
division of the county, in which this property was more im-
mediately situated, he had declined the flattering offer, under

th firm belief that nothing could ever induce him to engags
in the harassing turmoil of political life. The electors o'
East Surrey had, however, chosen otherwise for him. They
sent him a requisition, so numerously and so respectably
signed, that he could not but regard it as a command to
Mai to devote to the public interest, as far as it was in hi.
humble power to promote it, those services which no man,
whatever his private feeling, had a right to feel himsels
exempt from rendering when demanded by the public voice
—( Loud cheers.) If, therefore, the electors of East Surrel
claimed his services, lie would freely, frankly, and faithfully
give them.—(Hear, hear.) He did not come to them t;
court a seat in Parliament—he came to keep the enure
out—he came to keep the Tory out.—(Loud cheers.) He
)eg.ged to congratulate them on the prospect they now has
of a final settlement of the tithe question. Contention be.
t.veen the clergyman and his parishioners never coul.
have ceased so long as the former had the right to earn
off one-tenth of the produce of the soil, whereas a fixe6
and certain income was not only less obnoxious to the
Farmer—not only tended more to the improvement of thi
'and, but added to the respectability of the pastor's po-
sition, and promoted that spirit of harmony and good.
.vill between him and his flock, which was essential tc
the best interests of morality and religion.—(Hear, bear,
hear.) He hoped that in this, as in all other respects
equal justice would be done to Ireland as to England.—
;Cheers.) They had now a bright prospect before them
To the late Monarch they owed much ; from the present
they had every just reason to expect more ; and the regret
for the loss of William IV. was by no means inconsistently
blended with the hopes which a loyal and affectionate
eeople.cherished of the future proceedings of their youthfu'
Queen.—(Great cheering.) He rejoiced to find that the
Queen had placed a generous and implicit confidence in
those Ministers who had so strenuously exerted themselves
to carry the Reform Bill, and nho had since so earnestly
and so faithfully laboured to secure to the people the fruits
which they had a just right to expect from that measure.—
(Hear, bear, hear.) Human events were uncertain ; the
great Disposer of all alone could foresee them. And were
in event, which he earnestly hoped might be delayed for
many long, peaceful, and happy years, to occur—were such
a calamity to befal this nation, how would the electors
then reproach themselves if they failed to seize the pre-
sent opportunity for erecting those barriers of liberty
which the well-known political opinions of the heir
presumptive, and of his noble, learned, and confi-
dential adviser—(Groans)—gave but too much cause to
fear would, under such auspices, not be raised.—(Hear,
hear.) Let them picture to themselves, instead of Queen
Victoria his most despotic Majesty of Hanover on the
throne, with Lord Lyndhurst as his premier—that man
who dared to say that lie would treat their fellow-citizens
in Ireland as aliens in blood, aliens in language, and aliens
in religion.—(Shame, shame.) Well, then, if they did not
wish the possibility of such principles ever becoming the
dominant principles of a British Administration, let them
now by one bold and vigorous effort return to Parliament
such a House of Commons as would place it out of the
power or any future Sovereign to overturn that fabric of
freedom, the completion of which every honest and intelli-
gent man so ardently desired to behold.—(Loud cheers.)
In his address he had alluded to the question of the Ballot.
It was with great pain that he had come to the conclusion
that the Ballot was necessary to preserve that independent
exercise of the franchise, without which the franchise would
be worse than a nullity. With regard to the revenues of the
Church, the only alteration which he desired to see in their
administration was a more equal division—a division that
should remunerate the most valuable portion of the com-
munity, the working clergy—a division by means of which
the large revenues of the Church of England should be
made subservient to the spiritual comfort of the many, ra-
ther than the temporal aggrandisement of the few.—( Hear.)
BURT, Esq., then moved that the statement made
by the Hon. Locke King, and his political opinions, and
his replies to the questions that bad been put to him, were
highly satisfactory ; and that the meeting pledged itself to
supnort his return at the ensuing election by every means
in their power.
'l'. CHAPMAN, Esq., seconded the resolution, which was
carried unanimously.
A vote of thanks was passed to the Chairman, and one
of the largest meetings ever known in Reigate broke up
with three cheers for the Queen, and three cheers for the
Hon. L. King.