The Sun.
London, England, 1839-02-27 00:00:00

RE-ELECTION of D. W. HARVEY, ESQ.
The election of a Member to serve in Parliament, for
the borough of Southwark, in the room of Mr. D. W.
Harvey, who had been declared by a Select Committee of
the House of Commons to have vacated his seat in conse-
quence of having accepted the office of Registrar of Metro-
politan Carriages, took place this day. It was originally
understood that Mr. Richards, the lite unsuccessful candi-
date, would have come forward to contest the representa-
tion, but it subsequently turned out that that gentleman
had prudently declined the somewhat hazardous experiment
of a contest. There being no opposition to the re-
election of Mr. Harvey, the proceedings took place
in the Town-Hall instead of in the open air as was
the case on previous similar occasions. At half-past
ten o'clock the doors were thrown open, and the Hall was
speedily filled in every part. Immediately afterwards
Jelin Holmes, Esq., the High Bailiff, accompanied by his
assessor, Mr. Payne, Mr. D. W. Harvey, and the gentle.
men composing his Committee, entered the Hall, and were
loudly cheered.
The High Bailiff (Joins HOLMES, Esq.) then said that,
having received a precept commanding him to proceed
with the election of a burgess to serve in Parliament in
the 'room of D. W. Harvey, Esq., who had vacated his
seat by accepting the office of Registrar of Hackney
Coaches, he had immediately caused proclamation
to be made throughout the borough, and they had
now met for the purpose of filling up the va-
cancy. He had had such frequent experience of
the love of order which characterized the inhabitants
of Southwark that he felt it to be unnecessary to impress
upon them the fairness of hearing all parties that might
wish to address them. He felt qui'e certain that they
would so conduct themselves as to do honour to the inha-
bitants of the first borough in the empire. —(Cheers.)
The precept would be read by the proper officer, and then
it would be his duty to call upon them to propose their
candidates.
The Precept and the Act against Bribery having been
read, the usual oaths were then administered to the High
Bailiff by Sir Peter Laurie.
Mr. B. Wools then came forward, amidst much
cheering, to propose Mr. Harvey as the representative of
the borough. \lr. Harvey had been known in public
life for about thirty years ; he had stood seven elec-
tions at Colchester, and had been returned sit times
for that town. The electors of the borough of Southwark
had returned him as their Representative twice, and had
on various occasions expressed their high opinion of his
public conduct.—( Cheers.) Mr. Harvey had, since his
lest election, accepted an office, which he did not then
know would have incapacitated him from serving in Par-
liament till he had stood another election. He had em-
ployed himself through the recess to carry into effect the
duties of a. most important office, requiring great industry
and talent--( Hear, hear)—he had discharged those diffi-
cult duties with satisfaction to all parties, and had suc-
ceeded in satisfying the parties wish whom he had more
particular connection, and the public also, that the newly-
established office would be most beneficial in its ten-
dency.—( Hear, hear, hear.) But when he found
that the holding that office would be inconsistent with the
retaining hi; seat in Parliament, he relinquished the situa.
tion. The House of Commons having decided that the
situation (even though Mr. Harvey had resigned the
emoluments of the office) was one which required a re-
election.—(Cheers.) That Mr. Harvey was well able to
discharge the duties of his seat in Parliament the electors
of Southwark well knew.—(Cheers.) This was a time
when the presence of such men as Mr. Harvey in Parlia-
ment was most desirable—when, not only the Ballot, the
Extension of the Suffrage, the shortening the duration of
Parliament—measures which all present wished for—
pressed for consideration. But there was the
great question of the Corn-laws—of vital inte-
rest to merchants, to manufacturers, and indeed to the
agriculturists—would be under the attention of Parliament
--(Hear, hear)—and Mr. Harvey would, when be was re-
turned again—as he would shortly he—(Cheers)—devote
his talents and experience to this most vital question.—
(Cheers.) There was also another question—that of our
colonial policy.—( Hear.) Was there not also Canada?
and when he mentioned that colony he would tall, them
plainly and honestly that it and many other of the colonies
of the British Empire were in a state that required serious
investigation and the closest scrutiny. For years past
for a considerable period, a system of misgovern.
ment had been carried on which had rendered
these colonies a mass of bribery and corruption.
As little in fact was known of the details of the Govern.
ment and the system carried on in these places, as if they
belonged to the barbarians of Africa.—(Hear, hear.) All
they knew of these places was, that if there were sinecures
or jobs required, places were found in the colonies for
these gentry. If they wanted to provide for spins r in-
formers, such as Oliver and Edwards, to excite cin
that country—if they wanted men to perform i e same
disgraceful services as was required of them in o days of
Lord Sidmouth, whom they were afterwards air i Ito pro-
duce in open Court, they sent them to the Cao r of Good
Hope, and there gave them public situations. fie believed
that in that colony some of these men i lled at the
present moment important public situations under feigned
names, for even in that remote colony they would not be
tolerated if their real names and characters were known.
—( Hear, hear.) What had been the system pursued by
that country at the Cape of Good Hope and New South
Wales? Had they not laboured to destroy the aboriginies
of these countries under the pretence of civilizing them ?
These matters must soon present themselves to the con-
sideration of Parliament and the country, and he
trusted their late representative, who would soon again
again be returned to Parliament—( Cheers)—would devote
himself to the investigation of these subjects, and would
render himself of ten times greater value than he ever
had been before, long as his public life had been. He
called upon that gentleman to devote himself to the con-
sideration of these important matters in Parliament, for
that he would be very shortly their representative, he en-
tertained not the slightest doubt.—( Cheers. ) He would
conclude by nominating Mr. D. W. Harvey, as a fit person
to represent them in Parliament.—(Loud cheers.)
Mr. PYLLATT said he was happy to see so many around
him crowding into a small room, for die purpose of exer-
cising the important privilege of the franchise; and he
would also appeal to him whom he was sure would be their
Representative, and who was fully aware of the important
responsibility which necessarily accrued to one who sought
to be a Representative of the people. His worth was duly
prized, and be would be duly returned. Daniel
Whittle Harvey had been tried for years, and never had
he been found wanting.—(Cheers.) For years he had
proved himself to be the most able advocate of the
cause of the people. They had experience of his
past conduct ; and in addition he would this day
give pledges as to the line of conduct which he would
pursue in his public life, and with a breach of which it
would never be in the power of any one to taunt him. His
presence was needed in Parliament, on account of those
causes to which his Hon. Friend (Mr. Wood) had al-
luded. But there were other abuses to be corrected, as well
as those to which that Gentleman had alluded. Were
there not abuses existing in the administration of the law ?
Were there not gross corruptions in the laws of England ?
Did they not all want cheap law ? And who was so
fitted by his talents, his professional attainments, and
his energy of character—who so fitted for cleansing
the Augean stable of the law, as Daniel Whittle Harvey ?
—(Cheers.) They were all aware of the very unexpected
decision in consequence of which Mr. Harvey had had to
appear before them that day. He would state to them the
circumstances which had led to this. After having devoted
years to the cause of the country, he thought that if still
continuing to serve the cause of the country, he could
repair his broken fortunes, he would be perfectly justified
in so doing.—(Cheers.) Many parsons having repro-
sented the people, had, after having done so for years,
accepted the prize of office and retired from all connection
with their constitutencies; such would not be the case with
Mr. Daniel Whittle Harvey. His virtue was of a lasting
nature. He had always been guided by principle, not by
expediency, and so he would continue to be guided. It
was importaut to strengthen the friends of liberty in the
House of Commons. We were still subject to coercion in
various forms of law. The documents they had heard read
that day savoured strongly of Judge Jeffries, packed
Juries, ex-officio informations, and oaths administered by
the Bishops in the neighbourhood of the place where they
now stood. In Mr. Harvey they found a man who would
never succumb to any one upon a question of principle
—and on all occasions he was most anxious to support the
private interests of the borough, as was proved by the
great good he had already done to the inhabitants of the
borough in opening the school.—( Cheers.) He would
now come to the question more immediately under their
consideration, and that was the question of how Mr. Har-
vey would treat his friends after they had again sent him
back to his duties in Parliament 2—how would they be
pleased at seeing him entering that House and confounding
his enemies ? How would that gentleman look who had
found the flaw in Mr. Harvey's seat, when he saw him sent
back in triumph ? How afraid they would be to see him
coming back to clear the House of Commons from the
whole nest of placeholders. They all knew that he was
no great friend to Church-rates—(Cheers and cries of
" No Church-rates")—he was one who believed that the
cause of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ would be
better supported by voluntary aid than by compulsion.—
(Cheers.) The forcing a man to contribute to the sup.
port of an entirely different faith from that in which he be-
lieved, was an anomaly which ought not to be allowed to
exist in this free country.--(Cheers.) He spoke warmly
upon this subject, because he felt warmly, and in conse-
quence of that he had to appear in another place to answer
for it, and he hoped for their sympathy.—(Cheers.) Well
then, upon this question of the Church, who could they
send to Parliament so well qualified as Mr. Harvey ? He
was one not belonging to any particular denomination,
though he believed in the great and saving doctrines of
Christianity, and be was so undaunted that the whole
House could not put him down.—(Cheers.) He was a
man of splendid talents—( Loud cheers)—one who
would do honour to, and be useful on, any
When they found him then ranged upon the side of
Liberalism, how delighted he was to give him 'all the suc-
cour in his power.—(Cheers.) When he looked at the
past conduct of Mr. Harvey, on any occasion when the
liberties of the people were Concerned, they must have
perfect faith in him.—(Cliters.) Looking at that con-
duct he, with perfect confidence, asked them for their suf-
frages for Mr. Harvey. They must return Mr. Harvey
in order to show that that borough was not a corrupt one.
—(Cheers.) The Tories—(A laugh, and " Ah, Laurie,
where are you ?") boasted that Pitt who for years had
wielded the whale power of the State, died in debt. By a
parity of reasoning they must respect their honoured
candidate, who had refused to take a place of emolument
which would render it necessary for him to withdraw from
his constituents, the electors of the Borough of South-
wark. With very great pleasure he seconded the nomi-
nation of D. W. Harvey, Esq., as a fit and proper repre-
sentative in the House of Commons.—( Cheers. )
The poll was then then taken, and the High-Bailiff de-
clared that it was in favour of Mr. Harvey, who was duly
returned Member for the borough.—(Cheers.)
Mr. HARVEY then rose, and was received with enthusi-
astic cheering, He said, " Gentlemen,--Your worthy