The Sun.
London, England, 1865-07-13 00:00:00

ELECTION INTELTaIGENCE

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TIVERTON.
The nomination of members to serve in the new
Parliament for this borough took place at 11 o'clock
yesterday, in the presence of a large concourse of
electors and non-electors. There was a consider-
able attendance of ladies, who occupied all the win-
dows and balconies commanding a view of the
hustings.
The candidates were escorted to the hustings by
their principal supporters, and on taking up their
positions on the platform were greeted with vehe-
ment cheers, mingled, in the case of Mr. Denman
and Mr. Walrond, with a few marks of disapproba-
tion from their opponents. Lord Palmerston was
received, as usual, with general enthusiasm.
.Th e
writ having been read, and the other formalities
duly observed,
Mr. F. HOLE proposed, and Mr. PAINE seconded
the nomination of Lord Palmerston.
Mr. AMORY proposed and Mr. FORD seconded the
nomination of the Hon. George Denman (Liberal.)
Mr. F. 0. PATCH proposed and Mr. CARPENTER
seconded the nomination of Mr. J. W. Walrond
(Liberal Conservative.)
No other candidate having been proposed,
Lord PAL3IERSTON then stepped forward to ad-
dress the assemblage, and was received with vehe-
ment cheering, accompanied by the waving of hats
and handkerchiefs. Silence having been restored
his Lordship (who looked remarkably well, and
spoke with all his wonted vigour and animation),
said,—Laiiies and gentlemen, gentlemen electors of
Tiverton,—l cannot omit the ladies, because, even
as things are, we know the influence which they
exert over the electors--(laughter and cheers)—not
an unconstitutional influence—(renewed laughter)
—not by intimidation, but by winning ways—(a
laugh)—and, moreover, I am much disposed to
agree with the American lady who a few days ago
addressed, I think, the electors of Westminster,
and contended for what she called " the
woman's question"—that is to say, that
whenever universal suffrage is established the
ladies will have as good a right to vote as
the men. (Laughter and cheers.) Well, ladies
and gentlemen, I appear before you now not for the
first time. I am not, therefore, about to give myself
a character, because I know that you, who watch
with attention and anxiety the conduct of public
men, are just as able to form an estimate of my
character as I should be myself ; and no doubt you
'would form it with more partiality than the man
whom it concerns. I have so long had the honour of
being one of the representatives for Tiverton that I
confess I feel no anxiety as to the result of the poll
to-morrow. (Cheers.) You men of Devonshire are
not reproachable with the attribute of fickleness.
You are steady friends and warm friends, and when
once you have taken up and supported a man, as you
have done me the honour of taking up and support-
ing me, it is not your habit to turn your back upon
him capriciously and without reason. (Cheers.) For
the last six years I have had the honour of being a
principal member of her Majesty's Government.
When first the charge of the affairs of the country
devolved upon us, we were told by many—and by
men whose opinion is entitled to weight—by men of
political experience and sound judgment, " Get rid
of that Parliament as soon as you can. (Laughter.)
It was called and elected under the auspices of your
opponents. Do not trust it ; it is sure to serve you
some scurvy trick. (Laughter.) Have a Parliament
of your own, and then you will be able to carry on
the business of the country." Well, we said "No ;
we will take things as they are; we will trust men
of honour, until we find that we are deceived, and
we will not get rid of this Parliament until it has
shown by some adverse vote that we have no chance
of obtaining its confidence." (Hear, hear.) Well,
that Parliament, I must say, to its honour, treated
our Government in the fairest and most handsome
manner. I don't mean to say that we had not some
party struggles. Sucg struggles form part of the
working of the British Constitution. There must
be always, and ought to be, an Opposition as
well as a Government, and it is the business and
the duty of the Opposition from time to time
to try to displace the Government, and they arc only
performing a public duty, and not liable to reproach,
when they take advantage of what they may think a
fair opportunity for doing so. (Hear.) Those oppor-
tunities were taken advantage of, but the attempts
failed. We continued to hold a majority in the
I louse of Commons ; and that majority, so far from
diminishing as years rolled on, was larger on the last
great battle than it had been when Nye were first
seated in office. (Cheers.) Well, gentlemen, I say
that you are part of the British nation, repre-
sented fairly in the House of Commons ; and can I
persuade myself that you will feel less confidence in
us than the House of Commons did—a House of
Commons, too, which *as elected under adverse in-
fluences? (Hear.) You, gentlemen, acting as consis-
tent Liberals, have invariably for many years honored
me with your confidence and support, and therefore
I am convinced that I shall leave this town again as
one of the representatives of Tiverton. (Cheers.) I
can assure you that I desire no more honourable po-
sition, as a member of the House of Commons, than
that of representing this Liberal borough. (Hear.)
I will not deny or conceal from you that I have had
overtures made me to stand for other places—(hear)
—places to which men in general attach great value,
and for which they entertain great respect. But I
said " No; I have, as I believe, succeeded in secur-
ing for myself the friendship of the electors of Tiver-
ton." I am proud of that friendship, and I will not
be the man to leave old friends who are not dis-
• posed to desert me. (Cheers.) Gentlemen, the course
pursued by the Government of which I have had the
honour of being a member during the last six years is
written in the statute books of theland, is written in the
history of Europe, is written in the transactions of
the world. (Loud cheers.) We have, I flatter myself,
without the fear of contradiction, honourably and
faithfully performed the duties which our Sovereign
and the Parliament confided to our hands. (Hear,
hear.) There cannot, lam sure, be found in the an-
nals of the United Kingdom a period of six years
daring which the nation has enjoyed more advan-
tages at home, morerespcct andhonour abroad, than
during the existence of the late Parliament. (Hear,
hear.) Industry has been relieved from many of
those shackles which previously cramped its exer-
tions. Wealth has been accumulated, and, with re-
gard to some individuals who have been more suc-
cessful than others in the pursuits of commerce and
manufactures, has been accumulated in a degree
which is almost fabulous. Indeed, to one who did not
know it to be true that degree might appear to be a
great exaggeration. We are told of individual men
who have amassed a million, even a million and a
half—nay, more, men hardly known to the bulk of
their countrymen, except as honest, industrious,
painstaking men, have acquired an amount of wealth
which in former times would not have been deemed
possible. (Hear, hear.) Well, the public wealth has
increased with the aggregation of individual riches;
every man who has made these large accumulations
of wealth has been a benefactor to his country, not
only by the employment which he has given to thou-
sands under his care, but also by the contributions
which he makes to the revenue, and consequently to
the prosperity of the nation. In fact, the wealth of
the country has increased so rapidly that my right
hon. friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has
been unable to stop that increase by a great remis-
sion of taxation. (Laughter and cheers.) He has
done his best (renewed laughter) ; he has taken off
tax after tax, income-tax, sugar duties, tea duties,
fire insurance duty—indeed, lie has gone through all
the catalogue of taxes, nibbling here, cutting down
there (a laugh) ; but, in spiteof all his exertions, the
country has been determined to produce a large re-
venue (laughter and cheers), and by that large re-
venue, accompanied by great alleviation of burdens
to each individual, we have succeeded in making for
the first time some noteworthy. impression upon the
public debt—(hear, hear) _..while we have also main-
tained all our establishments, Army, Navy, Militia,
and Volunteers in a state of perfect efficiency. And,
gentlemen, let me say, that is no small matter— (hear,
hear)—because, depend upon it, the money which is
spent upon national defences in time of peace, pro-
vided always it is not carried to excess, is the best
security against the recurrence of war. (Cheers.) A
country which accumulates wealth and does not