The Sun.
London, England, 1839-08-24 00:00:00

SOUTHAMPTON REFORM PRO- 1

TECTION ASSOCIATION.

SOUTHAMPTON, Au°. :227—The second anniversary of
this excellent institution, which has for its object the pro-
tection of the honest voter in the fearless discharge of the
duty imposed upon him as the possessor of the elective
franchise—was celebrated yesterday in a way that must be
cheering to the independent electors of the borough. At
five o'clock nearly three hundred Reformers sat down to
an admirable dinner, which was served up in the long room
in this town. Lord Worsley, M.P. presided. Amongst
the company we noticed R. Etwall, Esq., M. P. for An-
dover ; C. Brett, Esq. ; Captain Bangor, R. N. ; H.
Marsh, Esq. ; R. Best, Esq. ; Captain Traces ; E.
Harrison, Esq. ; Mr. Andrews ; Mr. Jones, town coun
cillor, and several other individuals of consideration con-

netted with the town and neighbourhood. Amplo justice
having been done to the dinner, and the cloth having been
removed. the Noble CHAIRMAN gave " The Queen," with
all the honours. The toast was drunk with th,2 greatest
enthusiasm.

The CHAIRMAN next gave "The Duke of Sussex, and
the rest of the Royal Family, resident in England."—
( Loud cheering, and cries of " Bravo."
The CHAIRMAN said he had now to propose to them
" Prosperity to the Southampton Reform Protection Asso.
ciat:on"—( Loud cheers). He was proud to say that he was
a member of this Association—( Hear). In other places,
he had alluded to the efforts of the Association, and he bad

declared that until some measure had passed both Houses
of Parliament, and received the Royal assent, which would
protect the voter in the ex.:reise of his franchise, he knew
of no plan so well calculated to prevent voters from being
intimidated in the honest discharge of their duty, as that

which was carried out by an Association like the one in
honour of which they were that evening assembled.
Efforts were constantly made by the Tory faction to
coerce voters to support candidates who advocate Tory
principles. Every species of intimidation was prac-
tised to induce the honest voter to violate the trust re-

posed in him ; and in no place had such a course been
adopted with greater boldness than in that town.—.(Fear.)
But the electors had " fought the good fight" with energy
and perseverance, and when they found that oppression
was practised towards the more humble voter because he
dared to be honest, and voted according to the dictates of
his conscience, and not in obedience to the will of his

employer, then they—the labourers of St. Mary's—( Loud

cheer;)—established this Association, to give protection to
all who had courage and honesty to give his vote for the
candidate of his choice.—(Cheers.) It might be ob
jetted that this was a political Association. It was true it
was so; but it was not established with any offensive
object; its operation was purely defensive, to counteract
those Tory clubs—(Hear)—which everywhere abounded.
Mr. BUNGAY, the Secretary, returned thanks, and felt
proud of the success of this association. Little did he
think two years ago, when it was first established, and
when only seven persons met together, that it would have
arrived at its present height of prosperity. It had, how-
ever, succeeded beyond his most sanguine wishes, for
hundreds of voters were now enrol.ed amongst its mem.
bers, and its funds were in such a state as would enable
them not only to protect the honest voter in the discharge
of his duty, but also to fight the battle of Reform in the
registration courts where the opportunity presented itself.
The CHAIRMAN then gave " Civil and Religious
Liberty all over the world."
Mr. BEST returned thanks.

The Army and Navy, and the health of Lord Duncan
having been given from the Chair, and enthusiastically
responded to,
The CHAIRMAN had now to propose the toast of " The
Vote by Ballot."—(Loud cheering for some time). This
was a subject upon which he had thought much, and in
reference to which he felt deeply anxious. He had been
sent to Parliament by a constituency who looked up to him
as an advocate of Reform. He was not at that time a
friend of the Ballot. Since that time, however, he had
changed his mind on this important subject.-4 Hear.) In
towns they might form Associations to protect the honest
voter, as they had done in Southampton; but the farmers
could not do so. In the first place, they had not time to
get up such Associations, and, in the next place, they had
to fear the consequences that would result to them if they
attempted to stir in any matter of the kind.—( Hear.)
They knew that they would be marked men, and they
were therefore prevented from making any exertions on
the subject.—(Hear, hear.) Although he (the Chair-
man) was an advocate for the Vote by Ballot, he
would still be more pleased to see open voting.—( Cries
of " Hear, hear.") But from what he had lately seen
practised at elections, he must honestly declare that the
Ballot was necessary to give protection to the voter who
was placed in dependent circumstances.—( Hear, hear.)
Was he anxious for the Ballot, because he was desirous
That his political opinions only should only be dominant?
No, he asked for the Ballot in order that the Reform Act
might be really carried out, for without the Ballot the Re-
form Act was a nullity ; nay, it would be far better that
the humbler class of voters were without the franchise, than
that they should possess it to their ruin.—( Loud cheers.)
Many men had advocated the Ballot who now shrunk from
that measure. Amongst the former advocates of this
principle was the Hon. Baronet, the former Member for
Westminster, but now one of the representatives of an ad-
joining county. On the sth of March, 1830, Sir Francis
Burdett, on giving his support to a motion made by
Mr. O'Connell, " that it be an instruction to the
Committee on the East Retford Bill, that a clause be in-
serted in the Bill to take the election by Ballot," said,
" He (Mr. O'Connell) now calls upon the House to try
an exceileni principle in a single instance. Now, Sir, I
think meu ought not to be placed in a situation where they
are exposed to all the evils of corruption and intimida-
tion, unless they despise their own interests. It is noto-
rious that the exercise of patriotic feeling often leads to
the destruction of the individual who possesses it. Sir,
we do not want sentimentality, we want that the public
interest should be protected, and that the honest voter
should be guarded against the evils of corruption and
intimidation. The system of voting by Ballot must dis-
arm .the intimidator, and put it out of his power to
carry his corrupt intentions into effect. Many Hon. Gen-
tlemen are very apprehensive of that sweeping reform which
I trust I shall live to see."—(Loud cries of " Hear, hear.")
He (Lord Worsley) hoped that the Hon. Baronet would
live to see the vote by Ballot carried into effect—
( Hear, hear)—and then if the electors of Wiltshire
were desirous that the Hon. Baronet should continue to
represent them he would still he a Member of the House
of Commons, unless, indeed, that the Tories got into
power in the meantime, who would enable the Hon. Ba-
ronet to seek a safe retreat from his former opinions by
sending him to the House of Lords. —( Hear, hear, and
laughter.) The Noble Chairman concluded a very effec-
tive speech by proposing as a toast " The Vote by Ballot."
—(Loud cheers.)
Dr. COOPER having replied to the toast, concluded by
proposing in a bumper " The Health of the Noble Chair-
man."—( Great applause.)
The CHAIRMAN returned thanks, and concluded by
giving " The Liberty of the Press," which was drunk with
enthusiasm.
Mr. HiermAis then proposed " Ralph Etwall, Esq., and
the Liberal majority in the House of Commons."
Mr. Erwasa, was proud that it had fallen to his lot to
return thanks for the compliment paid to the Liberal ma-
jority in the House of Commons. No man was more
anxious than he was that that majority should be increased.
The power of increasing it would be in their own hands,
for ere long there would be a dissolution of Parliament,
and it would then depend upon the people of England
whether or not that majority should be increased.—( Hear,
hear.) They must have been gratified at the way in which
the Noble Lord in the aair had spoken of the question of
the Ballot. He and the Noble Lord had canvassed a
tradesman in a fashionable street in London on the occa-
sion of the last Middlesex Election. This person was a
tradesman of the Noble Lord's, and much indebted
to the Noble Lord's family. The tradesman declined
to vote with the Noble Lord, but he at the same
time said, " The Noble Lord has not pressed me
as I have been pressed by my Tory customers."—( Cheers. )
The Birmingham police and the addition to the army may
he necessary measures of precaution, but he must at the
same time express his disapprobation of the conduct pur.
sued by the Government in reference to the Magistrates of
Birmingham..-( Hear, hear.) If the Magistrates of Bir-
mingham were not fit to be entrusted with power then they
ought to be deposed.—( Hear, hear.) Still, however,
they had obtained much from this Government ; latterly a
measure had passed both Houses of Parliament which he
believed would work great benefit to the public. He
alluded to the penny postage—( Hear, hear)—a measure
which would not have been conceded had Sir Robert Peel
been in power.—( Hear, hear.) The Hon, Gentleman,
after some further observations, concluded by proposing
" The Health of Charles Brett, Esq."
Mr. BRETT returned thanks.
The CHAIRMAN proposed " The Health of Henry
March, Esq., and the visitors."—( Applause.)
Mr. MARCH was gratified at that meeting. It was
cheering in the extreme, for they were anxious to extend
to others the franchise which they themselves possessed.—
( Hear, bear.) They wanted the Ballot—not for them-
selves, for they could vote without any fear of the conse-
quence—but they required it to enable their more timid
neighbour to give his vote conscientiously. Let them be
careful that no disunion took place between Reformers.
Let those who were not far Annual Parliaments de-
termine to do all in their power to ameliorate the condition
of the working classes.—( Hear.) Mr. Hume had said
that owing to the present system of taxation the poor were
taxed to the extent of 70 per cent. If such were the
case, then surely these parties were entitled to 70 per cent.
of power.—( Hear, hear.) Or, if that was not to be con-
ceded to them, then the 70 per cent. of taxation ought to
be taken off. He was opposed to Universal Suffrage, be-
cause he believed it would not lead to good. He was not
an eulogist of the present Government ; but still he must
say that they had done much for this country, and their sins
were rather those of omission than of commission.—( Hear,
hear.) He was a convert to the Ballot—( Hear, hear)—
because he felt some system was necessary to protect the
honest voter in the just exercise of his franchise. He con-
cluded by proposing " Justice to Ireland,".which was drunk
with enthusiasm.
Several other toasts were drunk, and the company
departed, highly gratified with the proceedings of the
evening.
del

A WATERSPOUT.—.At about nine o'clock on
Monday morning, a waterspout was observed about ten
miles to the south-west of this town. The weather was
cloudy, and there was a light breeze from the north-west.
When first seen it had the appearance of a pillar sus-
pended from a black cloud to about one-third of the dis-
tance between the cloud and the sea. Five minutes after-
wards it began gradually to descend till it met the water,
when the sea was observed through
<',e telescope to be in
a great state of agitation;
i'lle.;pout was less dense at
the bottom than at the top, and in the middle it appeared
to 130 considerably more attenuated than at the outside.
In a few minutes the watery column was again gradually
drawn into the cloud and disappeared—the cloud having
in the meantime been driven by the wind towards the
sonth-east. A considerable number of persons were wit-
nesses from the cliffs of the waterspout. which is the only
one that has been seen in Brighton for a period of, we
understand, ten or twelve years.—Brighton Gazette.