The Sun.
London, England, 1865-05-24 00:00:00

NOTTINGHAM.

On Monday evening a crowded meeting of the Conser-
vative electors of Nottingham was held at the Assembly
Rooms for the purpose of hearing an exposition of the
political opinions of Mr. G. A. Martin, barrister-at-law, the
Conservative candidate for the borough. Mr. W. Parsons
(the ex-Mayor) was in the chair.
Mr. MARTIN', on coining forward, was loudly cheered. He
said, the Conservative measure of Reform which he would
support was based upon the principle of the franchise being
a privilege of selection; not giving it indiscriminately to
all, but by a selection, so as to have all classes duly repre-
sented. It was also based on property, the modern forms
of property, an accumulation of money distinct from land.
It proposed to give the franchise to persons who were
lodgers—(cheers)—persons who had a certain sum of money
in the funds, persons who had money in the savings banks,
and persons who had money in other ways, according to
certain tests. There was another subject cognate with the
question of Reform—the ballot. He looked upon the fran-
chise as a matter of public trust, and it should be exercised
just inthe same way as they expected the votes of a member
of Parliament to be given, in public. (Loud cheers.) The
next question was Church-rates. That was a question of
local government. Why should you interfere with other
people ? There were two bodies of people who objected to
Church-rates : one party differed from the Church of Eng-
land merely upon religious grounds, and thought it hard
they should be compelled to pay for what they did not agree
with and did not support by their attendance ; then there
was the other party, the more modern, which had prevented
the settlement of the question on a propor basis. They differed
from the Church upon political grounds, and said it ought
to be separated from the State, and upon that ground they
objected to Church-rates. The Conservatives when in power
brought forward a measure to relieve the objections of the
first party, which he would support. But when an attack
was made upon Church-rates, which involved the union of
Church and State, it was a different matter altogether. If
they wanted to go in for the separation of Church and
State, let them have it fair and out and out, and then the
Conservatives would know how to meet those opponents of
Church-rates. The learned gentleman then alluded to the
public expenditure. Millions were voted away when very
few members were present, but if they elected him as their
member, he pledged himself not to be absent when the
country's money was voted away.

A rosolution was carried unanimously pledging the meet-
ing to support Mr. Martin.
Sir Robert Clifton has not yet issued an address.

PONTEFRACT.

Mr. Waterhouse, the Conservative member for this
borough, is to be opposed by a second Liberal candidate at
the next election. There appears little or no doubt that
the present Liberal representative, Mr. Childers, will be re-
elected ; so that the contest will rest between Mr. Water-
house and the second Liberal candidate—Mr. Macarthur,
an extensive London shipping merchant. Mr. Macarthur is
now on a visit to Pontefract, and is " feeling his way " in
the best manner he can. On Monday ho met the Liberal
commitee of the borough, who unanimously passed a reso-
lution asking him to allow himself to be put in nomina-
tion. He acceded to the request, and in the evening he
addressed a tolerably numerous meeting of the electors
and non-electors. He declared himself to be a supporter
of the Government of Lord Palmerston, because he be-
lieved that his home and foreign policy had contributed
to the advancement of the interests and the prosperity of
the country. On the subject of the Parliamentary fran-
chise he (Mr. Macarthur) considered that no man, looking
at the state of the country, but must be convinced that some
alteration must be made. He trusted that the time was not
far distant when a large portion of the respectable non-
electors would have the privilege of recording their votes
in favour of the candidate they would desire to represent
them in Parliament. Not only would he vote for a reduc-
tion of the franchise, but ho would also desire to include a
large number of intelligent and thoughtful men in the privi-
leges of the Constitution who were now excluded, such as
those who had paid income tax, or had graduated at Oxford
or Cambridge. He had no fear of the working men, and
he would vote for the £6 franchise. He would vote for the
abolition of church rates, and if he had been in Parliament
he would have voted for the Union Chargeability Bill. He
concluded by announcing that he would commence a per-
sonal canvass of the electors on the following (Tuesday)
morning.