The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-08 00:00:00

MR. WILLIAMS, M.P.

Last night Mr. W. Williams, in accordance with his
usual practioe during the recess of Parliament, met his con-
stituents, in order to render an account of his stewardship
during the past Session. The meeting was held at the
Horns Tavern, Kennington. At 8 o'clock, when the hon.
member entered the room with his friends, the large room
was about half filled.
Mr. Scretton having been voted into the chair,

Mr. WILLIAMS proceeded to address the meeting, but
spoke with so much feebleness and difficulty that in a few
minutes he became inaudible, except to those upon and
around the platform, The hon. member, who was warmly
received, said that the past session had been a very laborious
one, owing to the bad hours kept by the House of Commons.
He would leave them to judge what a man must be fit for
at 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning, when he ought to be abed
and asleep. He had for many years endeavoured, in con-
junction with his friend the late Mr. Brotherton, to bring
the sittings to an end at midnight. They had not succeeded,
however, the Government stating that they would otherwise
never be able to get through their business. What was the
consequence ? Instead of 658 gentlemen on the benches
there were seldom more than from 20 to 50 members in the
House when bills of the greatest importance were carried,
Those measures could not, of ci,urse, receive sufficient con-
sideration or investigation, and hence, to a great extent,
the laws of the country were in a state of confusion, and a
good deal of the time of one Session was spent in remedy-
ing the mistakes of the previOus year. If the House of
Commons would do its business earlier in the evening, and
adjourn at midnight, the country would get its Legislative
business properly trauma ted, but not otherwise. (Hear, hear.)
Although the session had been laborious, very few measures
of great importance had been carried. The public Acts of
Parliament had been 125 in number, and the private Acts
238. The most important legislative proceeding of the year
was the reduction of taxation to the amount of £3,250,000,
which had been effected by the Government. The largest
item of relief was in the reduction of the income tax from 9d
to 7d in the pound, and the next was the reduction of the
tax on tea from is 5d to is per pound. He had been Very
anxious that a further reduction should be made on another
necessary of life—sugar ; but the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer stated that he could not then spare the money. Next
session, however, he should remind him of the sugar duty,
and he had little doubt that the Government would propose
a large reduction. (Hear, hear,) Another important mea-
sure was that which consolidated various Acts of Parlia-
ment, The statute law of the country now filled upwards
of 40 volumes ; yet eminent lawyers had stated that these
acts might be consolidated and included in four or five
volumes without the least detriment. Many existing acts
had become obsolete and inapplicable to the present state of
society. Others had been passed for a limited time, and had
now expired. An enormous quantity had been repealed. So
great, indeed, was the confusion that the judges themselves
were often at a loss to know the law. If, however, the laws
of the country could be contained in four or five volumes the
people could read and understand the law as well as the
lawyers. At present even the lawyers themselves did not
know which Acts of Parliament had been repealed and
which were in force. Only one Act of Consolidation had
been passed last session, but others were promised. For
this most important improvement the public were in-
debted to the present Lord Chancellor, who would, he
hoped, remain long enough in office to purge the statute
law from the confusion into which it had fallen. (Hear,
hear.) He congratulated theist on having got rid of one
incubus—the lonian Islands, which we had presented to
the King of the Greeks. The islandets were
very
glad to
get rid of
be handed over to Greece ; we were very glad t
them ; and he trusted we should never be
splao.,
guaedmiwlliiothn
them again. This country had spent, some a
of money in fortifying those islands, and now their fortifica-
tions were to be destroyed. That was great folly. If the
fortifications were of use to us they oiuldbeofustehetmo
uth pe,
Greeks, and he did not see any utilityw
n blowing
The Government made
!,_apiraocpeo. Every one said that thissal to the House of Commons
to buy the Exhibition 1'
building was, in an
architectural point of view, most die-

creditable to this country. It transpired, however, that the'
late Prince Consort had had a great deal to do with the ar-
rangement and concoction of the edifice, and it was proposed
to retain the uglitet building in Europe as a monument of
respect to his memory. The House of Commons had, how-
ever, rejected the vote, so that the pockets of the tatpayers
had been saved the purchase of these useless buildings.
(Hear.) He regretted that the usual measure for the aboli-
tion of Church rates had been rejected by a majority of 10.
As a Churchman he declared that it was most discreditable
to allow the question to remain in its present state. (Ap-
plause.) Church-going persons ought at least to maintain
their own places of worship, for dissenters maintained not
only their chapels, but also their ministers, while the clergy
of the Church had endowments for their support. There
had been another discussion on a very old question—that
members of Parliament should be elected by ballot. The
motion was unfortunately lost ; but from his Parliamentary
experience, which now extended over nearly 30 years, he
was convinced that no reform bill wculd be of essential
value unless the ballot formed a portion of it. (Applause.)
They did not want the ballot, he would admit, in the
borough of Lambeth, because that borough contained
large employers who did not attempt to coerce their work-
men. But elsewhere electors were often unable to vote
as they wished. When the vote by ballot prevailed the
House of Commons would be the reflex of the opinions
of the people of this country, and not before. A vast ex-
penditure was incurred in maintaining our colonies. We
had about 45 of these colonies, which were of no use to this
country, but which cost us £1,250,000 a year. There was
a time when the colonies might have been of service.. Be-
fore the passing of free-trade measures the colonies pur-
chased their supplies and manufactures from us, Now they
could go over the whole world, and buy where they chose.
He did not object to that; but the Government ought to
insist on the colonists forming thmselves into rifle corps for
their own defence, instead of calling on this country to send
them troops. Canada, for example, was an enormous ex-
pense to the mother country. The States of America were
certain to go to war with us about that colony. If they
were to take it from us it would be a great saving to the
people of this country. At all events, if the Canadians did
not establish a militia, and form themselves into rifle corps
for their own defence, he would propose that the connexion
between Great Britain and Canada should be in a friendly
way withdrawn. The Government had the agreeable
duty of providing Governors and other officers for these
colonies at high salaries. The House of Commons was
even called upon to pay the bishops and clergy of some
colonies. When he entered the house 25 years ago the
first thing he did was to complain of the payment of bishops
in Canada. They afterwards proposed a vote for the salary
of a bishop in New Zealand. He divided the house against
it, and the vote was withdrawn. There was a horrible out-
cry from the friends of the Church, but what was the result ?
The people of New Zealand provided a salary for the bishop,
and he was paid by those for whose benefit he laboured
He regretted that so much indifference existed in the House
of Commons in regard to the expenditure. We had a body.
of 170,000 rifle soldiers, most of whom were stated on high
military authority to be fully equal to regiments of the line.
Instead, however, of diminishing the standing army the
Government went on increasing it. There seemed to be in
high quarters, indeed, a disposition to make ours a military
Government, like the great despotisms on the Continent.
But the country did not require a large standing army for
its defence. Our natural defence was our navy, and that
was in a most efficient state. In point of strength and
fighting materiel it was nearly double that of France. At
present our army and navy cost twice as much as during
the Ministry of Wellington and Peel. He did not see why
Lord Palmerston should want double the expenditure that
those distinguished men thought necessary, when he had
175,000 Volunteers, in addition to the regular army. (Hear,
hear.) He had proposed a reduction of 10,000 men of the
standing army, but he got very little support, and unless
the country made a stir there would be no change. He gave
the Government great credit for maintaining peace in the
present state of the world. The rebellion in the United States
of America was a most disastrous event, but to go to war
with America would be an act of insanity. The time would
come when that war would cease, and then we should again
receive our usual cotton supply. He wished it might be
soon, but the prospect was not very bright at present. There
was a disastrous state of things in Poland in consequence cf
the atrocity and brutal conduct of the Russians. Our Go-
vernment and that of France had made a vain attempt to
obtain justice for Poland, but the Russian Government was
behaving in a more oppressive and tyrannical manner than
ever. The English Government were at peace with great
countries, but we always had some little wars on hand.
We had a little war, for example, in New Zealand.
A Gentleman who sat on the front bench, close to the
platform, here exclaimed, "We cannot hear one single sen-
tence of what you are saying."
Mr. WILLIAMS said he was doing his best, but as his
voice wa3 so weak he would bring his remarks to a close.
It appears that our ships of was had attacked one of
the towns in Japan and set it on fire. It bad 103,000 in-
habitants, and many men, women, and children were de-
stroyed. He did not see how it was possible to obtain the
friendship of that people after such destruction of life
and property, He regretted that he had not been able
to make himself better heard, but he must express his grate-
ful thanks to the electors of Lambeth for the patience with
which they had listened to him and the confidence which
they had placed in him. The hon. member having expressed
his willingness to answer any questions that might be put
to him, resumed his seat amid loud applause.
The following resolution, moved by Mr. J. A. LYON, se-
conded by Mr. WEBBER, and supported by Captain D.
ROGERS, was carried unanimously :—" That this meeting,
having heard the statement of Mr. W. Williams, respecting
his political conduct during the last session of Parliament,
are of opinion that his faithful and indefatigable services in
the Commons House of Parliament eminently merit the
grateful thanks of this meeting, which are hereby most
cordially tendered to him; and this meeting also express
their most anxious hope that he may be blessed by Divine
providence with health and strength to continue to repre-
sent this borough for many years yet to come."
Mr. WILLIAMS, in acknowledging the resolution, said he
could assure them that he joined most cordially in the hope
that he might long continue to represent the borough of
Lambeth. (Applause.) Years were rolling over him, and he
found that he could not stand 2 o'clock in the morning so
well as he could 30 years ago. He had been a member of
Parliament for 29 years within a month, and he would take
upon himself to say that no one had given more votes or
attended in his place more regularly than he had. (Ap-
plause.) At the last election a very important borough of-
fered to return him without coat or trouble. He declined
the offer with thanks, being determined never to represent
any constituency but the men of Lambeth. (Applause.)
Mr. PILEUP, then moved, "That this meeting deplores
the continuance of extravagant Government expenditure,
such as that of the army and navy, useless fortifications,
Sm,, in times of peaee, but sees no hope of a reduction
of taxation without more combined action on the part of
the professing Liberal members of the Rouse of Commons;
this meeting therefore trusts that other constituencies will
request their representatives to combine with their esteemed
member. Mr. W. Williams, in endeavouring to achieve so
desirable an object. And this meeting, having heard that
church rates have been made in two of the parishes in the
borough of Lambeth, hereby express their surprise and in-
dignation at a revival of the obnoxious impost, and urgently
entreat their representative Mr. Williams to use his influence
in the House of Commons to abolish church rates for ever."
Mr. PAURER seconded and Mr. CULVERWELL supported
the resolution.
An elector in the body of the room suggested that it was
ill-timed to add to the resolution just proposed a declaration
against church rates.
The resolution was, however, put and carried without a
dissentient, and the proceedings terminated with the usual
acknowledgment to the chair.

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