The Sun.
London, England, 1839-12-14 00:00:00

SOUTHWARK ELECTION.

Let night a numerous and respectable meeting of
the rectors of Southwark, resident in the district of
St.- George, took place at the sign of the Duke of
Clarence, near the Obelisk, in the London-road, for the
purpose of taking into consideration the best measuras
to be adopted for securing the election of Mr. Benja-
min Wood, one of the candidates for the honour of
representing the borough, in the room of Mr. D. W.
liar Vey.

Shortly after seven o'clock Mr. Wood arrived, and
was most enthusiastically cheered.
Mr. MARTIN, the Chairman of the Board of Guar-
dians of the parish, being called to the Chair,
Mr. GRAFTY moved, and Mr. ANDERSON seconded,
,the following resolution, which was carried unanimously :
Resolved, that the Borough of Southwark having
been conspicuous for a number of years past, for return.
ing such Members to Parliament only as have been
known to be true and faithful to the cause of Reform,
and steady defenders of the rights and privileges of the
great body of the people, it would in the opinion of this
meeting be highly impolitic, as well as disgraceful, to
elect ;my one to the vacant seat in Parliament who is
not well known to be thoroughly imbued with the same
.principles."
Mr. LONGMORE moved the following resolution :
" That being deeply sensibly of the importance of the
present contest, not only in reference to the honor and
interest of Southwark, but as affecting the welfare of
the nation at large, the triectisg pledged itself to adopt
the most strenuous efforts to return a Member to Par-
liament, who shall be a sound, steady, and consistent
Reformer."
Dr. BEDFORD Satonded the resolution; vhleh was de-
dared to be carried amid some confusion caused by the
opposition of Mr. Day, who proposed an amendment in
favour of Mr. Walter, but which on a show of hands
was lost.

Mr. STEEL proposed the next resolution, which was
to the • effect that the unswerving attachment of Mr.
Wood, to Liberal principles rendered him eminently
qualified to represent the Borough in Parliament ; and
the meeting pledged itself to exert every means in its
power to secure his election.
Mr. EVANS having seconded the resolution, and it
having been declared carried by the Chairman,
_ .

Wood came forward amid much cheering to
address the electors. He congratulated the electors
on Tory principles .being so weak in the borough of
Southwark. He stood before them neither a Tory or
Wag:, but a thorough-going Reformer. He was
an advocate for the Ballot because he looked upon it
as a preventive of bribery and corruption, and he
eouldnot see why both Whig and Tory should not vote
for it if their principles were good. With respect to
the Pooi-laws, he considered that they . required revi"-
siom and should he have the honour of being returned
to Parliament, he should be most happy to assist
either Tories or Whigs to bring about so desirable a
result. With respect to the Cora-laws he was clearly
of opinion that the time had now ark ived when they ought
to be repealed, and he would advise the present, or any
other Minister; to well consider that subject, as he be-
lieved if that question was once settled, there would be no
want of employment among the manufacturing classes,
and the landed interest would not be injured to the extent
supposed. With respect to the. franchise, he was not
for Universal Suffrage,and nev4 r had been. He thought
no better Suffrage Could'be established than the House-
hold—(Cheers)—and he should wish to see Triennial
ParliaMents, but he thought annual ones unadvisable,
inasmuch as they did not afford a sufficient time for a
constituency to Lave a knoWledge of the worth or fail-
ings of their Member. He was a frienil to religious
liberty, and was anxious to emancipate all persons from
anything like secular control. No man had a right,
in his opinion, to interfere with another with re-
gard to his belief in God or the manner
of worshiping him.- He was also the friend of education,
but he could not tolerate the idea that the Church was
to be the sole managers of the Education of the people.
(Cheers.) With respect to Ireland he believed it was
totally out of the power of the Tories to govern it
again. That country was now, he was happy to say, in
such -a state of peace, as it had never before known.—
(Cheers.) The worthy Gentleman concluded amid
meat cheering, by thanking the meeting for the patience
With which they had heardhirm
'fee meeting then separated.

BIRMINGHAM. EL,LiC,'T lON.

(FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)

The friends :of Mr. Sturge are actively engaged in
making the preliminary arrangements for an immediate
canvass of the borough, and preparing for any opposi-
tion which may be offered to the return of that gent!e-
man. Such an opposition must, however, be as abSurd
as it is hopeless, for Mr. Sturge's principles are those of
a vast majority of the electors. The Whig party talk
of bringing forward Bolton Kin;, late Representative
for the borough of Warwick ; but that gentleman is
almost totally unknown to the electors, who, leaving
politics. out of the question, feel that any proposition of
the kind would be a reproach, if not an insult, to the
public spirit and intelligence of Birmingham, and ex-
press an unanimous and decided antipathy to strangers
intruding their, claims and pretensions upon them.
Such .a
_measure on the part of the Whigs would
also have a most injurious effect in increasing the
suspicions, and widening still further the breach which
now unhappily exists between the sections of the Re-
form interest, while it could serve no purpose sane that
of producing ill feeling and disunion amongst those who
should be united by a common bond of interest, and,
perhaps, securing the triumph of the common enemy.
Colonel Thompson is still in Birmingham, lying in wait
for any thing which the Chapter of Accidents may turn
up ; .and it appears to be his intention to come for-
ward, should a second Liberal Candidate be put in no,
mination. He has, however, distinctly pledged him-
self, without reservation, to support the interests of Mr.
Sturge, should no other Reformer enter into the lists,
as he considers him to be one of the most sound and
honest Reformers of the day. The Tories hav enot
yet stirred=-they are calculating the chances of the
lame, and unless the Liberal interest should be
ditided by the conduct of the Whigs; there
will be no opposition offered to the return
of a popular RePresentative. Circumstances, too,
render the probabilities of a general election
stronger every day, and they are marshalling their
forces and reserving their strength for the grand. effort
which will then be made. The names of several gen-
tlemen are spoken of, in connection with that of Mr.
Spooner, as likely to be brought forward by the Con-
servatives and recusant Whigs ; but there is no founda-
tion beyond mere rumour for these reports. Mr. Att-
wood has not yet condescended officially to announce
to his constituents his intention to withdraw from the
representation, although applied to by sonic of his friends
for that purpose. He is at present in Jersey,
where it is said he purposes to fix his residence per-
manently, or, at least for some time to come.
The electors feel that he has treated them most un-
generously, and in a manner which reflects little credit
either on his politeness or his judg,ment. It will,
however, have the good effect of making them cautious
in placing confidence in men whom they know nothing
of, when an individual, who has a thousand times pro.
less;:d to have nothing so much at heart as the wel-
bra and happiness of "the men of Birmingham," has
treated them with such, marked discourtesy and disre-
spect, and placed in peril the great cause of Political
Reform. Since his arrival in Birmingham Colonel
Thompson has attended several meetings of the
Radical party, and not only publicly expressed
his determination to support Mr. Sturge, but
called upon those present to use their influence in
promoting his return, Mr. Sturge has not yet returned
to Birmingham. He is at present, it is understood, on
a tour in the Southern districts connceted with the
British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society, upon which
he had set out beore any intimation had been received
of Mr. Attwood's intention to withdraw from the re-
presentation of the borough. All parties are anxiously
looking out for the Conservative candidate. Mr.
Spooner has taken time to consider whether ho will
risk the chances of another defeat,

EVENING EDITION.

BICIThL,II CLAIMS ON PORTUGAL.

" LORD HOWARD DE WALDEN TO BARON It. DE FABILOSA•
"Thc..undersignild, Envoy.Eitraordinary and Minister
Plenipotentiary of her Britannic Majesty, has received
orders from his Court to transmit to Baron da Ribeira
de Sabrosa, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs of
her most. Faithful Majesty, the subjoined account of the
claims of the British Government, and of various sub-
jects upon the Portuguese Government.
-" The Baron da Rdoeira de Sabrosa must be aware
that these claims have been repeatedly presented to the
Portuguese Government.
" The undersigned has consequently received orders
to declare to Baron da Ribeirade Sabrosa that her Majes-
ty's Governmen.t find it imposaibla env longer to defer
the adjustment of these claims ; and he has orders-to
exact their immediate payment from the Portuguese
Government. The undersigned has also orders to re-
quest a prompt reply to this note.
" The undersigned, &c.
(Signed) " HOWARD DE WALDEN.
" Lisbon, N v. 6; 1839."

" BARON SAMOSA TO LORD HOWARD DE WALDEN.
The undersigned, President of the Council of Mi-
nisters, and charged with the Ministry of Foreign Af-
fairs, has the honour to acknowledge the receipt of two
notes from Lord Howard de ‘Valden, Envoy Extraor-
dinary end Minister Plenipotentiary of her Britannic
Majesty, dated the 6th and 7th inst., in which her
Majesty's Government is required imiti4diately to pay,
not on!y the claim,of the British Government for the
expenses incurred by its Commissariat on account of
Portugal, with the troops that came to this kingdom in
]8•16, but also various claims of British subjects, some
of which his Lordship presents for the first time ; others
have not been admitted by lux Majesty's Government,
being destitute of all legitimate foundation ; and others
await the decision of the Cortes.

" By a letter of this day's date, the Undersigned has
asked the other Ministers for all the informattoh that the
departments in their charge can supply respecting the
legality of these different claims and their tatercst ; as
also their opinion as to the west speedy way of effecting
the payment of those claims, the validity of which was
recognized.

" As soon as the undersigned is provided with the
information and opinions of his colleagues, which he_
cannot do without, comiderinm the unity of the Minis-
try, he whl hasten to answer his Lordship with all the
brevity that so extraordinary a demand will allow.
It is right, however, that the undersigned should
also present a claim to his Lordship, in order that be
may bring it to the knowledge of his Government, from
whose integrity her id.-,j,!sty has every reason to hop
that it will be promptly satisfied, seeing that it is
founded upon the most solemn stipulation., to the ful-
filment of which the honour of the British Government
is bound.

" In the 14th article of the treaty celebrated between
Portugal and Great Britain on the 23d of June, 1661,
which was confirmed by the 3d article of the treaty of
Vienna, of the 22d OF Linua.ry, 1815, it is expressly and
solemnly agreed that, in the event of the island of Cey-
lon becoming at a ftitue period under the rule of Great
Britain, his Britannic. Maje:ty obliges him to restore to
his Most FaitiAl Majesty the city and port of Coiorn-
bo, the cinnamon trc.de t;Cooming common to the re-
spective uecis of both crowns.

" Dv' the-Lilt artic;c of toe definitive tr eat yof Peace
signed at Amiens on the 27:h of March, 1802, and by
the uhezier eot:que.st kingdnni of Candi by the
lititish Ariw, his Britanilic Mzijesty acquired the pro-
perty end sovereignty of all the isle of Ceylon ; and
consfqn, nt!y the ease arrived in which his Britannic
religiondy to full the con-
traetc.i he restitution raerred to.

" undersigre I therefore demands, in the name
and by the order cf her Most Faithful I'Llaje,ty, that
the British Government s',iculd restore to the crOWii
of Portugal the city and ivirt of Colombo, with its reve-
nues fi.orw the year 1802, in which the isle of Ceylon
was fermally ceded to it by the above-cited Treaty of
Amiens.-

" Tne undersigned, &c. (S4.zr.el.)
" BARON DA RIBEIRA DE SABROSA.
" Foreign-a:7.30, Na. 7. 25, 1839.

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