The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-24 00:00:00

flounce.

"In the event 'of the meeting upon. Tuesday being
swayed by the Radical Reforniers into any resolution hos-
tile to myself, it will not be difficult tOobviate it in can-
vassing a borough which is still alive to Justice and Truth;
and as no election is anticipated by men of official informa-
tion before the end of June, the conclusions at which the
meetin., may arrive (however respeotable and numerous),
cannot .be accepted as the final will of the constituency.
The Chairman was interrupted several times during the
reading by derisive laughter, and cries of " Oh ! oh !
Mr. ADAIR first addressed the meeting, and avowed
his principles 'to be the same as these which he had so
repeatedly made knowp to the electors. Since the last
general election; I have observed that a difference 'has
arisen in our own great party here, which, however
easily reconcileable and capable of explanation,between
ourselves,' has given to our opponentS anticipation of
success, has originated,-and perpetuated a long struggle.
I say that the best way now is to speak openly ; the day
is gone by for small election tactics, and the era is come
when the. opinions of an election committee- should be

known to the public of the party. -The day has'now
arrived when council shmild be taken openly and fairly.
I maintain that the indecision with regard to the se-
lection of candidates has proved a fertile source of delay
in our arrangemeuts, and the fight has been as between
the terms Liberal and Radical, one being called the

one and another the other. My advice to the Liberal
electors is to adopt such a course as will do away with
a chance of such divisions for the future ; let them say,
"We select A. and B.—we have confidence in them,

and let each of them take his responsibilities upon his
own shoulders, and we will carry Ahem in against all
opposition." ' I have occasion now to congratulate the
Liberal party in this borough upon the achievement of a
great triumph—upon baying stood befOre the bar of their
country, and after an, inquiry—unexampled in severity
—returning therefrom without a blot upon their shield.
Mr. MowATT, said he was already pretty well known
to the audience now before him ; and, in fact, after the
scenes which they had passed through together, and the
many opportunites he had bad of expressing his opinions
to them on almost all the subjects in which they took a
common interest on former occasions, he did not think
that anything he could then say of himself would add
to that knowledge. The hon. gentleman then diS-
cussed some of the important questions of the day with
reference to which he gave a general adhesion to the

policy of the Government.
Mr. EDWIN JAMES, Q.C., who was met by loud ac-
clamations, said, I feel that rappear here at considerable
disadvantage, and I should think it extremely ominous
if I. were t. appear to take any person's place.
I come not here to divide the liberal interest, but to
,trengthen and support it. I come by the same
invitation as my hon. friends Mr. MowOlt and Mr.

Adair to state for the first time my views with regard to
thoSe grand topics which should occupy' the attention of
the electors of this borough--the free citizens of this
great country—views which I trust will become him who
shall attempt to represent the uncorrupt and.uncorrup•
tible constituency of the borough. It} may be said that
I came here for the purpose of creating a division in the
Liberal camp :.it is no such thing. If I - should find
that your choice has fallen on either two of the hon.
candidates who are now More you, I shall adopt the
same honourable and manly course as has been pro-

pounded by the two late speakers, Mr. Adair and. Mr.
Mowatt, and retire. (Cheers.) But, gentlemen when
I found that an address has been issued to the electors,
an address I read three times, and which to this moment
I cannot understand—(laughter)--a compound of tran-
scendentalism and nonsense, signed with the name of
Campbell, by a scion of the family whom I must confess
I think a little unworthy of the name. (Cheers and
laughter.) I could not 'believe that he would secure the
votes or have the good word of the Liberal electors of
Cambridge. (Cheers.) ,I, believed when Lacceded to
the invitation to allow my name to be placed before the
Liberal constituency of this borough as a candidate for
their suffrages that there was no other candidate ; the
address of Mr. Adair was, issued it is true, but his
appearanee as a candidate depended• upon the adop-
tion of a certain course by the ejectors, and therefore
my appearance here can be productive of 'no injury
to the Liberal party, or the Liberal cause. It is
now for you to select your candidates from the gentle-
men before you. If I should Obtain your. suffrages I
shall have pleasure in becoming a cangdate, and if not. I
shall retire. I appear here romewhat at a disadvantage,
as I have no previous professions or conduct in Parlia-
ment to refer to, and I trust therefore you will not think
that I am playing the part of the trumpeter of my own
professions in stating to you, as briefly as I can, my
opinions upon subjects which should interest alike you,
as the parties to be represented, and the candidate who
aspires to such representation. Your borough has been
of late, and at this moment stands in what is indeed a
strange position, a borough which I see has, since the
third year of Edward 111., returned, without interrup-
tion, two members to serve in the *Commons House of
Parliament, is practically disfranchised by the deeds of
those who are about to reap their reward, but mhose
actions have rendered your borough a byeword and a
disgrace. I am unknown to many of you
except
sa
me
exertions ilsannliee
but I trust I am justified in assuming that
exertions which unseated 26 members of the last Parlia-
ment against whom or whose agents corrupt practices
were alleged, may have been of some slight use in stay.
ing the onward march of corruption iu this borough.
There is at the present moment a question of paramount
importance, which may be said to occupy the attention of
the House of Commons, though .it will not come
on for discussion during the present session, I
mean the New Reform Bill ; and, with all deference
to Mr. Mowatt, I think that that gentleman did
Lord John Russell no more than common justice when he
said that it was circumstances which had compelled him
to defer the consideration of that important measure. I
was in the house on the 'occasion of the postponement,
and was a witness to the struggle which agitated the
.breast of that nobleman, whom I believe to be as sin-
cere and zealous a Reformer as ever entered the Com-
mons House of Parliament—one whose name should
ever be mentioned with the most sincere veneration as
connected with the cause of civil and religious liberty
so long as Englishmen attached any importance to the
'words. (Loud cheers.) . Lord John Russell always
lent his powerful aid to the support of that cause, and,
thoughthere might probably be some discussion as to
the details of the new bill, I believe that, as a whole,
it is founded on a sincere wish and desire to place power
in the hands of the people ; power in the hands, I say,
of those in whose hands it ought ,to'be placed, parties
who have proved that they can use without abusing it
—parties who have proved that they are the safe tle-
pesit .ries of that power. (Cheers.) When Lord John
Russell proposes to extend the franchise—when he pro-
poses 'to give savings a status—and when be says that
the people deserve to be trusted, and embodies his
thought in such a measure, I say that the measure he
propounds deserves and should have the considora-
tion,of every sincere Reformer. • (Cheers,)- There is a
question which has not as yet been alluded to, but .one
upOn which I cannot help-thinking that Cambrige Lust
feel a vital interest, as I believe that no real power is
given to a constituency ankle the voter is protected ; if