The Sun.
London, England, 1837-07-19 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX ELECTION.

Yesterday a meeting of electors resident in the neigh-
bourhood of Brentford assembled at the Three Cups Inn,
in that town, for the purpose of enabling Mr. Hume to
state his views in reference to the coming election for the
county.
Colonel LESTER was called to the chair.

Mr. HUME proceeded to address the electors. He took
a review of the circumstances connected with his iutroduc-

tion to public life, and the line of policy which he had pur-
sued for years as a public man. He then glanced at the
origin of his connection with the county of Middlesex, and
said that if he were again returned to serve in Parliament,
he would feel it his duty to vote for an extension of the
suffrage to all householders—that he would again give his
vote in favour of the Ballot—and that he also would en-
deavour to shorten the duration of Parliament, by limit-
ing the time to three years instead of seven. He would
also vote for the abolition of Church-rates, as he con-
ceived that if the property of the Church were pro-
perly managed, it would not only be sufficient to re-
pair the Aurches, but a considerable surplus would
remain to be applied to useful purposes connected with
the Church. [The Honourable Gentleman was occa-
sionally interrupted by one or two persons in the crowd,
who, by the way, were cheered on by three or four females
who were said to have been paid for doing so, by the
exclamation, " What do you say about the Poor-law ?"]
He would now come to the question relative to the Poor-

law Amendment Act. He voted for that measure because
the principle upon which it was based was this—that the
poor, hard-working, industrious labourer, should not be
robbed of his earnings in the payment of heavy rates, in
order that the idle and dissolute might be fed. From the
evidence that had been taken in reference to the operation
of the Act, it was clearly established that it had worked
well, for those who really deserved relief got it ; and many
who heretofore looked to the overseer for subsistence, now
sought employment, and by becoming industrious became
better members of society.—(Hear.) But if the Poor-law
Amendment Act were a bad law, the Tories were as much

liable to censure for the passing of it as the Liberals, for it
was brought into Parliament with the sanction of the Duke
of Wellington and Sir Robert Peel, and was supported in
all its stages by the Tories. The Hon. Gentleman then
alluded to the colour of a placard belonging to Messrs.
Wood and Pownall—it was yellow. Such was the colour
of the flag which a vessel that had disease and pestilence on
board hung out.—( Laughter.) This was to give notice that
she was to be avoided.—(A laugh.)
A gentleman named HAMMOND, one of the Guardians
of the poor of the parish of Brentford, stated a variety of
facts to show the great benefit which had been conferred,
not only upon society generally, but upon the poor in particu.
la r, from the passing of the Poor-law Amendment Act.
Resolutions declaratory of the confidence of the meeting
in Messrs. Hume and Byng, and of the determination of
the electors to support these gentlemen at the ensuing elec-
tion, were then agreed to ; and thanks having been given
to the Chairman, the meeting separated.