The Sun.
London, England, 1865-07-04 00:00:00

WESTMINSTER.

Last evening an aggregate meeting of the com-
mittees pledged to use their best endeavours for the
return A Mr. John Stuart Mill for this ancient con-
stituemy was held at St. James's-hall. The place
was very crowded, and in so large a meeting there
were, as might be expected, many who formed no
part of the body invited to meet Mr. Mill; but the
proceedings throughout were undisturbed, and the
candidate was received generally in a most enthusi-
astic manner, and this by a meeting mainly com-
posed of the representative men of the city. Dr.
Brewer was called to the chair.

Mr. MILL was then introduced and was most loudly
and warmly cheered. He said that he had come there
only expecting to meet a small body of those gen-
tlemen who were desirous of seeing him represent
them in Parliament, and he was not in the least
aware of the public character of the meeting he was
expected to address. It would be an honour, indeed,
to represent the great constituency of Westminster
in the House of Commons, and the crown of glory
would rest with the constituency if they were victo-
rious, for they had not only to maintain purity of
election in their own persons, but they had under-
taken to provide for those legitimate expenses of
election ordinarily borne by the candidate, and to
abstain from the illegitimate expenses; and this,
too, in the face of a candidate supported by the
most lavish expenditure. The chairman had alluded
to his (Mr. Mill's) father. He lived in times
when there were fewer to do the work and when
the most moderate views were stamped as "Radi-
cal," and stood in the way of a man's advancing in
the world. His father had to gain his bread by his
pen in times when men of advanced opinions had to
bear much ; but he never wrote a word he did not
believe, though he often wrote words which were at
that time thought to be opposed to the vital interests
of the powerful classes in this country. Nothing
could be given him to do that would have the
thousandth part of the merit of what his father did.
If a man might speak of himself, he might say he
had stood by the cradle of all the political reformers
of this and the last generation, and had not only
stood by their cradle, but before his teens were out
he was up and writing for them. When the sup-
porters of accepted reforms and principles only
counted thousands, he might say their hundreds, and
in some cases their units, he was among them. For
instance, the subject of the responsible government
of the colonies had at one time only two supporters
—Mr. Roebuck and himself. (Cheers.) Another
instance in the Wakfield principle in regard to the
colonies—namely, to put a price on uncultivated
land, to employ the proceeds in paying the expenses
of immigration, the price at the same time being an
obstacle to the too great dispersion of the inhabit-
ants, and the application of this prevented the
' people from settling on the land like Irish cotters.
Only three persons held that principle at one time,
and he was one of the three ; but the colonies in
Australia adopted the principle before the gold dis-
covery, and had become one of the most splendid
offshoots. He stated these things to show that he
causes
become
them,
edown
for
was not one of those who left difficult questions
when it was uphill work with them, and accepted
them whene
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h they
had
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left re
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saying
the time-servers
n
hill.
, sSuch
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h
woill )
Whentta k
not need me now. I can turn to something
else ;" and so he left a matter at such a stage to turn
to something which was still a theory, still an ab-
straction, something that no practical person would
meddle with. He had been accustomed all his life to
see that the crotchet of one generation became the
truth of the next, and the truism of the one after ; and
he had lived long enough to see that process take
place in several of his opinions. After a few obser-
vations he said he supposed that those at that meet-
ing were aware of his general political opinions, and
it was therefore unnecessary for him to address them
at any greater length, but he would answer any
I questions.
In reply to questions,

Mr. MILL said, relative to non-intervention, that
he considered no nation should interfere in the inter-
nal affairs of another nation ; but that when a des-
potic government interfered with a nation which de-
sired to be free, then a free country would be in duty
bound to interfere on the side of right. (Cheers.)
Professor MASSON then made an eloquent address
in favour of Mr. Mill, and said that if Mr. Mill dif-
fered from him in 49 out of 50 questions, he would
still give him his vote.

Mr. MILL, in answer to a question with respect
to Maynooth, said he was of opinion that Church
and State should be perfectly distinct, but he did
not see how this was practical, and, moreover, he
thought the influence of the State over the Church
was exercisedfor its good; and so long as one Church
was supported by the State he should be sorry to
take from the Irish people the small pittance given
in the Maynooth Grant.
The proceedings then terminated.