The Sun.
London, England, 1862-09-16 00:00:00

THE REPRESENTATION OF STOKE.

UPON-7.RENT.

UPROARIOUS MEETING AT HANLEY.
Mr. Sergeant Shee held meetings at Penkhull and
Hanley on Saturday evening. On the first occasion
he was quietly listened to by some 700 or 800 per-
sons, while he delivered an address similar, as re-
gards the subjects alluded to, to his subse-
quent address to Hartley. The meeting at the
latter place was the most uproarious that the
present election has yet produced. At the outset
between 2,000 and 3,000 people were assembled in
front of the Saracen's Head Hotel, and in less than
an hour after the number had swelled to more than
4,000. All that the human voice seemed capable
of in the way of noise was brought into full opera-
tion, and when to this is added the fact of its rain-
ing all the time of the meeting, it may be conceived
that the meeting was one of an extraordinary but
not gratifying character.
Among Mr. Sergeant Shee's auditors were Mr.
Grenfell and several of his committee-men, who
stood on the balcony a short distance from the
sergeant.
Mr. Sergeant Shee, on presenting himself, was
received with some applause, but directly he be-
gan to speak there was a vigorous effort made by
several persons to create a disturbance. After two
or three interruptions of this nature the sergeant
said he could well understand why an attempt was
made to disturb the meeting. It was not conve-
nient to those who sent people there to make a dis-
turbance that he should say what he had to say.
(Confusion.) Among the tactics of "the Liberal
candidate" and his committee, one of the most
noticeabk had been to declare from time to time
that he Was sure of success. Accordingly he had
thought proper to publish, with his own name to
it, a positive assurance, in large characters, that his
canvass gave him certain assurance of success.
(Confusion.) When he recollected that a fortnight
ago, after the commencement of a partial canvass,
that gentleman said the same thing, they might
judge what sort of credit he (Mr. Sergeant Shee)
attached to his last assertion of confidence in his
success. He did not believe one word of that
statement. (Cheers, groans, cries, and confusion.)
It might snit his (Mr. Grenfell's) committee to
put that forward, but the truth was, that the
Liberal electors of the borough were still un-
pledged. (,‘ No ; they aro not pledged to you ;
Grenfell for ever !" no, no, and uproar, which lasted
some time.) It was perfectly plain that a delibe-
rate arrangement had been made to disturb that
meeting. (No, no, and renewed uproar.) He
was informed of it in writing before he began
to speak. He was informed that a deliberate
attempt would be made (no, no) —by per-
sons in the interest of Mr. Grenfell to disturb that
meeting (Mr. Grenfell and others.—lt is untrue).
If persons had been sent there to do that, he would
show them that he had a right to speak as well as
anybody else. (Cheers.) He could not (disturb-
ance, and cries of " Grenfell for ever ?") be beaten
by the trick of bringing a lot of colliers there to
disturb that meeting. (Renewed uproar.) He would
say nothing relating to Mr. Grenfell which he did
not fully deserve, but he would discuss and bring
before their notice his misconduct during the last
week in order to satisfy them that it would be a
disgrace to them if they returned him to parliament.
(Cheers, groans, and confusion.) Mr. Shee went
en to say that Mr. Grenfeil's explanation of the
charge brought against him of being concerned in
the employment of slaves in Cu ba was very lame.
It was very like the explanation he gave to Mr.
Hope, when he brought forward a charge which he
must have known was untrue, and which he had no
means of justifying whatever.
Amid frequent in-
terruptions the sergeant criticised Mr. Grenfell's
speech at Stoke, on Tuesday evening, when he (Mr.
Grenfell)
was a placeman, and (continued the ser-
geant) he had come to get into Parliament in order
to get a place. (Cheers, groans, and confusion.)
Having said all he had to say about Mr. Grenfell,
as that gentleman was on the baleony—(groane,
hisses, cheers, and cries)—he would ask him in their
presence, who told him—(a voice, " Nobody" )_or
what authority had he for saying that he (Sergeant
Shee) was bribed by Mr. Trope—(cheers and dis-
turbance)—to come there as a sham Liberal canal-

date? (Hear, and cries of " Answer,', but no an-
swer came.) Turning to the end of the balcony,
where Mr. Grenfell had been standing, Mr. Shee
repeated the question. (There was a pause, but
again no answer, and it was then discovered that
Mr. Grenfell had gone. This intimation only in-
creased the uproar which had been in progress for
SOUle time, and which was still further increased
when several opinions were hazarded as to his
whereabouts, and the sergeant emphatically re-
quested his re-appearance.) Mr. Sergeant Shee
continued—He will not come out. (Cheers and
renewed uproar.) I charge him with having 'made
that statement, on no grounds whatever. (Cheers,)
14;,t him come out if he dares to refute it. (Renewed
and continued cheering). [An intimation cam
Aie
o
t
Mr. Shee that Mr. Grenfell had left the hotel. r.
Shee repeated the information, which was received
with laughter, cheers, and hisses.] Well, stop,
stop, continued the sergeant, he must have given
some information to his committee before he left,
and I see Mr. Taylor there. (Renewed uproar, and
At this moment Mr. Taylor and W. Grenfell came