The Sun.
London, England, 1865-05-08 00:00:00

The Lambeth Election.

A meeting of the electors of the borough of Lambeth,
resident in Walworth, was held on Saturday evening, in
Flint-street School-room, East-street, Walworth-road, for
the purpose of hearing from Mr. Alderman James Clarke
Lawrence, candidate in the room o f the late Mr. Williams
for the representation of the borough in Parliament, a
statement of his political principles. The spacious school-
room was crowded, and a large number of persons who
were unable to get in assembled outside the entrance to
the building.
Amongst those who occupied places on the platform and
who sat on the right and left of Mr. Alderman Lawrence,
were :—Messrs. Sugden, Thomas Webber, A. Cave, W.
Phelps, Fry, E. Lawrence, Foulger, J. Cairns, A. Law-
rence, Thornhill, G. Stanley, L. Freeman, and Captain D.
Rogers.

Mr. WRIGHT having been chosen to fill the chair, opened
the business of the meeting by introducing to their notice
,Ths. Clarke Lawrence, an alderman, and a gentleman
well known in the borough of Lambeth, as a large em-
ployer of labour, and who had received a requisition signed
by upwards of 2,000 of the electors, inviting him to offer
himself as a candidate to represent the borough in Parlia-
ment. Mr. Alderman Lawrence was ready to answer any
questions that might be put to him. (Hear.) They all la-
mented the death of their late worthy representative, Mr.
Williams, who was faithful to the trust reposed in him, had
always stood forward in his place in Parliament, and done
his duty to the people. (Hear.) He had been denounced as
a Chartist, one of his great objects having been to extend
the franchise and to give the unenfranchised the right of
voting. The chairman concluded by expressing confidence
in Mr. Alderman Lawrence, who, if elected, would, like Mr.
Williams, prove a faithful representative of the borough—
(hear, hear)—and who would now address the meeting.
Mr. Alderman LAWRENCE, who was received with cheers,
said—l join most heartily in the expressions of regret which
have fallen from your chairman in reference to the.worth and
political honesty of your late member, Mr. Williams.
(Hear.) Known intimately to him for many years, andpos-
sessing his friendship, I was aware of the duties he had to
perform, and of the sterling manner in which he performed
them to his constituents. (Hear, hear.) Perhaps there was
no man who could represent them more faithfully, or watch
more carefully over the public expenditure-than your late
representative. (Hear, hear.) It wasnot only in the House
of Commons that he exposed and checked the extravagant
expenditure of the Government, but in the Government
offices, where, when any extravagant scheme of expending
the public money was spoken of, some official opened his
mouth, and, with a wholesale apprehension of exposure
before him, .exclaimed, " The eyes of the hon. member for
Lambeth will be upon ye"—(laughter)--and thus, an use-
ful economy was enforced in the various departments de-
spite of themselves, and the people reaped benefits from
his exertions in their behalf which they would otherwise
have failed to obtain. (Hear, hear.) I am happy that by
Mr. Williams I havA always been received with confidenee,
and well acquainted as I am with the views of the consti-
tuency of the borough, I am aware that if they feel that
they can find a man who has lived among them, and who
is well acquainted with them, and capable of representing
them in Parliament, they will elect him in preference to
any candidate who is a stranger, and,not in any way con-
nected with their borough. I feel that the duties of a mem-
ber of such a borough as this are such that he should not
put himself forward to undertake them unless he be ready
to give up his time to the conscientious discharge of them,
and feeling sensible of the difficulties and responsibility of
such a situation I have determined to cast in my lot with
the electors of Lambeth, and to the utmost of my power
serve them. (Hear, and cheers.) I have since my earliest
years been an advocate of reform, and 1 therefore under-
stand what the 'people should do and what course they
should pursue to forward that object. They should seek
opportunities in every way to promote that object, and
with it the welfare of the country. (Hear.) I have in
my address, shown tho inhabitants of the borough what
my political views are. I have expressed to you my opinion
on church rates, and my feeling that that grievance should
be remedied, and I have endeavoured to express to you that
my own political views are in accordance with those of the
great body of the electors ; and I believe if elected—as I
think I will.be—(hear, hear)—l will go to the House of
Commons with a resolution to aid in extending the franchise
largely among the people. (Cheers.) I shall enter into and
advocate their feelings, views, and rights, and I trust also
that in undertaking a position there, I shall so conduct my-
self that my constituents will feel not disgraced by their
representative. (Hear, hear.) Having the improvement of
the working classes at heart, I am prepared to advocate
that the British Museum and similar institutions should be
open to the public three evenings in the week. (Hear)
One remark I beg to make, that as the representative of a
political constituency, I should like to go into Parliament
as your unfettered repr.esentative, and not as a mere dele-
gate. I ask you, then, if you desire that your representa-
tive should acquire in the House of Commons the position
that he should have, to send him there without exacting
pledges from him on every possible subject--(hear, hear)—
and if you place me in that position, I wish you to believe
that no timid utterances will ever be found to fall from my
lips in behalf of your rights, and whatever questions may
arise in the House of Commons affecting them and the true
interests of the country, I shall be ready to advocate them.
(Cheers.) I ask you, then, if you regard the privilege of in-
dependent action and straightforward conduct, to give it to
your representative. (Hear, hear.) Have you not seen in all
parts of the country, representatives promising all sorts of
things, and failing when the time came to perform them ?
(Hear, hear.) I will not weary you with any lengthened
speech, but I do assure you that when the time for discharg-
ing the duties of the position of your representative comes,
you will find, if you place me in that position, that I will
frankly and fairly represent you. (Hear, and cries of "We'll
elect you.") And whenever I may have to meet you, I shall
not be ashamed to tell my constituents that in which I may
believe they have been politically wrong, and I ;tall state