The Sun.
London, England, 1839-06-07 00:00:00

EDINBURGH CITY ELECTION.

(From the Scotsman of Wednesday.)
Yesterday being the day appointed for the nom'na-
tien of candidates to represent the City of Edirfourgh
is Parliament, in room of Mr. Abercromby. now Lord
Dunfermline, an immense concourse of people assembled
around the hustings at the Cross. By eleven nearly the
whole enclosed area immediately in front of the hustings
was taken possession of by boys and men in working
dress. From 7,000 to 8,000 persons, we calculated,
were present.
Shortly before twelve o'clock, Mr. Macaulay, accom-
panied by the gentlemen of his Committee and nume-
rous friends, appeared on the hustings, and was re-
ceived with rningled cheers and hisses. Mr. Fraser,
the Chartist leader, then presented himself, accompa-
nied by Mr. John Grant, undertaker ; Mr. Douglas,
journeyman pianoforte-maker ; and Mr. Gregor, Jour-
neyman house-painter. They were loudly cheered by
their friends. Among those present with Mr. Mac-
aulay, we observed the Lord Provost, Sir John H. Dal-
rymple, Sir Thomas Dick Lauder, Sir William Hamil-
ton, and Sir A. C. M. Gibson, Barts. &c.
At twelve o'clock the Sheriff appeared, and after
reading the writ of election, &c., the Lord Provost
proposed Mr. Macaulay, and paid a high and deserved
compliment to Lord Dunfermline.
Mr. JOHN WIGHANI seconded the motion.
Mr. Aytoun having declined to nominate Mr. Shar-
man Crawford, Mr, Fraser did so.
Mr. MAcauealt then proceeded to address the meet-
ing amid mingled shouts of applause and disapprobation.
Gentlemen, he said, addressing the vociferous crowd be-
fore him, if you want votes listen to reason--(Cheers)
—for no man can ever be worthy of that privilege who
refuses. If you do not wish to establish against your-
selves, and at once, without any argument on my part,
or any reasoning, conclusive to the judgment of every
sensible man, that you are unworthy of the franchise,
listen to reason.—(Cheers and yells.) I see you have
been informed that I described the working classes of
this country as Hottentots.—(" So you did.") It is
false.—(Cheers.) I said, and I say again, and I will give
you my reasons for saying so,that if this country were to be
governed on the principles on which a portion of the la-
bowing classes are calling for universal suffrage, the at-
tempt would inevitably reduce this country to the condi-
tion of the Hottentdes.—(" Oh! 'cheers, yells, and hisses.)
My good friends, if' you wish for the franchise, these
hisses and yells will not establish your right to it.—
(Hear, hear.) The meaning of my expression is this
I believe that the condition of the labouring classes of
this island, and particularly those in the north, are far,
very far indeed, from what I could wish to see it ; but
still I do:conscientiously believe, that the difference be-
tween the condition of these labouring classes, and the
condition of the people who live in countries utterly
uncivilized, is very great indeed.—(" It's a lie.") I
can establish the fact.—(Cheers.) The cottages of the
labouring classes are not what I could wish to see them ;
but still they are very superior to the kraals of the
Hottentot or the wigwam of the Indian.—(Hear, hear.)
Your clothing is not exactly what I could wish to
see it, but it is better than the nakedness of the barba-
rians existing in many parts of the world.—(" We're as
good as you.") lam not disputing your goodness, my
good friends ; I am telling you how much superior you
are to barbarians.—(Laughter.) Observe, there are
countries where, from want of civilization and all social
order, it is not unusual to see the whole population suf-
fering from famine, whole families swept away in a day,
whole races I may say swept away in a season.—
(Hear.) When, therefore, we see the great difference
between those societies where the people live in titter
barbarism, and those societies where, though the
people are not quite so well off as I could wish to
see them, yet where they hold a comparatively
high rank among the nations for civilization and
comfort, and which is mainly occasioned by their
deference to law and the security of property, I say to
every one amongst you, if any accident should befal you
—if any sickness should ovsrlake you, you could
at this moment secure far her surgical skill and
medical attendance than the very Princes of half the
barbarian nations in the world.—(Cheers.) Now, to
what is this owing ? Wily, to nothing else than to
the existence and preservation of law, order, and pro-
perty.—(Cheers and disorder.) Now, what think you
would be the consequence of carrying into effect those
principles which some of the leaders of the party who
are now calling for Universal Suffrage have publicly
avowed ? They have said, that if Universal Suffrage
is refused, a war against property will be corn-
menced.—(Cries of " No, no," " Yes, yes.") Ido not
impute these sentiments to you, my good friends ; but
I say that it has been said by some of the leaders of
that party, that all the manufacturing houses, all the
machinery, all the railroads, all the great works which
human industry and wealth have in the course of ages
collected together, ought to be destroyed by the labour-
ing classes.—(Mr. Fraser, " That is false ;" great confu-
sion.) Ido not affirm that that has been said here,
but I tell you that I have read it.—(Cheers.) I re-
peat that I have read it in a Chartist newspaper, and I
have also read in the same quarter, that if the landhol-
ders oppose the People's Charter, the landholders ought
to be put to death.—(Mr. Fraser, " That's false," up-
roar.) I have read it.—(Cheers, and cries of
Where ?") I have read it in one of the penny papers
published in London. I say, that if you once touch
the sanction of property, property will fly from this
country.—(Cheers.) Men will carry their capital to
another country. I say, that out of this great, thin
vast population of twenty-four millions, cooped up to-
gether in a space which was never before so thickly
peopled in the history of the world—with thousands
unable to emigrate to any other country—if once you
destroy the security of property, the consequence will
be that you, the working men, will be the great sufferers.
—(Hear, hear.) The capital, the property, the edu-
cated classes, will depart—(" The sooner the better")
—the labourers will be left to perish.—(Hear.) That
is what I meant when I said that, in my opinion, if the
measures advocated by some of the leaders of Universal
Suffrage were carried into effect, they would reduce
Scotland and England to the state of the Hottentots.—
{Cheers and yells.) I never was, nor ever could be so
absurd as to utter so wanton an insult—that I never
would betray my own ignorance so far as to designate
the working classes of this country—known for their
intelligence over Europe—as so many Hottentots.
Gentlemen, I had no wish to address you at any great
length to-day ; but having been informed that the work,
ing men of Edinbugh had been induced to believe that
I applied to them a disrespectful epithet, I thought it
right to do away with that impression. Having done
so, I will not detain you farther. My explanations are
before you. I now leave my pretensions, such as they
are, with you—to your choice I submit myself.—(Cheers.)
The SHERIFF then called for a show of hands.
Some confusion having been created in consequence of
a board with the words " Vote for Mr. Sharman Craw-
ford" inscribed on it, having been elevated at the im-
proper time, the Sheriff said the show appeared to him
so doubtful that he must request them to try it over
again. The show of hands having accordingly been re-
peated, the Sheriff declared the majority to be in favour
of Mr. Macaulay.
The SHERIFF then asked Mr. Fraser if he demanded
a poll on behalf of Mr. Crawford, and on his being
answered in the negative, he declared Mr. Macaulay
duly elected.
Mr. MACAULAY then attempted to address the
crowd, but it was impossible to hear him. He accord-
ittgly retired with his friends, after moving a vote of
thanks to the Sheriff.

Mr. Macaulay left town yesternight for London. He
breakfasted in the Royal Hotel with 50 or 00 gentlemen,
consisting of the Conveners of Committees and others ;
the Lord Provost presided. Mr. Macaulay, we under-
stand, will transmit an address to the electors from
London.

MR. WILLIAM SHARMAN CRAWFORD AND THE
CHARTISTS.-Mr. Aytoun has received a letter from
Mr. Sharman Crawford, declining the invitation of the
Chartists to become a Candidate for the City of Edin-
burgh :—" I fear (he says) that my principles woula
not be acceptable to the' largest portion of those electors
on whom the franchise is at present conferred in your
City ; and I feel that I should be departing from that
honest course which has received the sanction of your
approval, were I to promote a contest for my return,
which I did not think likely, by a successful result, to
forward the great cause of your political rights."

VAN AMBURGII'S LIONS.—This extraordinary
exhibition still astonishes the Dublin audience. Saturday
night the lioness and tiger attacked each other, and had a
regular "set-to" fight. The audience, particularly the
fair sex, were very apprehensive that the noblest animal of
the collection—Amburgh—would furnish a repast for the
infuriated belligerents, and that their " bone of conten-
tion" would be "dropped" for something more congenial
to their tastes and teeth in his flesh. This, however, was
not the case ; Amburgh tore the brutes asunder, and they
crouched before him.

THE EXTENSION OF THE POWERS OP TIIE
COURT CIIF BANKRUPTCY.—On Tuesday a public meeting
of the bankers, merchants, and traders of the city of Lon-
don was held at the Guildhall Coffeehouse to take into
consideration the formation of a deputation to convey to
the Lord Chancellor a memorial, praying the extension
of the practice of the Court of Bankruptcy in London and
the powers of the Commissioners acting therein. Mr.
..Horsley Palmer was unanimously called to the chair. Mr.
Wright stated that the meeting had assembled for the for-
mation of the deputation, and he held in his hand a list of
names to ,form it, which he thought would be unanimously
adopted. Alderman Thomas Wood begged to suggest
that a committee should be formed previous to the carrying
up of the memorial to inquire into the main defects in the
administration of the present system of the Bankruptcy
Law. It was known there were many defects—defects
which greatly impeded the ends of justice and injured com-
mercial credit generally. If they went up to the Chan-
cellor he would naturally say, you show me the defects
which you wish remedied, but what do you propose ? He,
therefore, suggested this, that they might be fully prepared
to meet his Lordship on the subject.—( Hear, boar.)
Several gentlemen having addressed the meeting, a corn-
mikee was formed for the purpose of getting information
on the subject to report to another general meeting.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, JUNE 6

The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat oti the Wool-
sack at Five o'clock.

A message from the House of Commons brought
up several Bills.
_ .

Mr. CAMPBELL, from the East India House, at-
tended, and presented papers.
The Marquis of DO WNSHIRE presented peti-
tions from several Presbyterian congregations in Ireland,
praying that means might be adopted for the proper re-
igious services of Presbyterian soldiers.
Lord CANDOR presented petitions from a place in
Sutherland, in favour of Church extension in Scotland.
Lord Cawdor, Lord Stradbroke, Lord Colville, Lord
Radnor, Lord Barham, and several other Noble Lords
presented petitions from a great number of places in
England, Wales, and Scotland, praying for the adoption
of a uniform rate of penny postage.