The Sun.
London, England, 1831-05-12 00:00:00

-a .-

A~i

LONDON, THURSDAY

GENERAL ELECTION.

RENT.

The election of two knights of the shire for this
county came on yesterday at Pcnenden-heath, near
Maidstone, and produced one of the most exciting
and interesting scenes which has been witnessed in
that county within the memory of the oldest of its
inhabitants. As it was known for many days that
Sir Edward Knatchbul! had resigned, and that the
Reform candidates would walk over the course, no
very great concourse of persons was expected ; but
the Reformers of Kent seemed to think that, though
it was not necessary to use their strength, it was
but a just compliment to the cause in which they
were engaged to show it. They therefore had
made arrangements to assemble in large numbers
from all parts of the county on the election day ; and
to do justice to the " Cereral Committee," who
took upon itself the direction of those movements,
we never saw such large masses of men (not being
under military command) observe greater order and
regularity. It was arranged that the several pro-
cessions from the various parts of the county, instead
of assembling at Maidstone, should, in the first in-
stance, proceed to Penenden-heath, and take up the
station allotted to each. The positions thus marked
out formed a semicircle of considerable extent round
the Shire-house (as it is called), a small building on
the heath, in the front of which temporary hustings
were erec-ed. Waggons and various other vehicles,
on which boards were placed, were drawn round,
sad on boards in front were written the names
of the parties, such as " The Rochester party,"
" The Canterbury party," &c. by which
these stations were to be occupied during the
election. At an early hour in the morning,
crowds were seen moving in all directions to-
wards the heath, some on foot some on horseback.
and a larger number in vehicles of every description.
It seemed as if by common cons int a general county
testival was to La held, for we believe there were
few, if any, parrs of the county of any note which
did not send its quota of visiters to take part in the
important scene. As the several Reform parties (as
they may be called) to distinguish them from the
mass of individuals who came without any regular
procession) came on the heath, their bands struck
up " God save the King." The procession then
moved along in very regular orde=r to the places
allotted to them, amidst the cheers of the crowds
already assembled. Ihe freeholders who came in
procession from Canterbury, Rochester, Ashford.
&e., the Weald of Kent,Tunbridge, Tenterden, and
Hyrhe, c tme some in barouches and four, with a
splendid display of flags and banners, chiefly of sky
blue (the Reform colour in K,nt), preceded by
bands of music. The rear of each procession was
brought up by a considerable body of freeholders on
horseback, wearing large cockades of tine favourite
colour. Many in addition had in front of their hats
square pieces of light blue paper, with d tasteful
silver border, w thin which were the words in silver
letters, "The King—Hodges and Rider—Reform."
Before the time fixed for opening the business of the
d,ty (half-past ten), the heath was covered with an
immense multitude. At eleven the High Sheriff, Baden
Powell, Esq., came on the hustings. He was pre-
ceded a short time by Mr. Hodges and Mr. Rider,
who were each loudly cheered as they made their ap-
pearance on the hustings. The scene at this time on
the heath was oneofieere most picturesque which could-
be well imagined. The barrier formed by the waggons
and other vehicles already noticed, presented, from the
manner in which the spectators were placed, the ap-
pearance of a regular amphitheatre, the seats of
which, as well as the arena, were as closely thronged
as it was possible for human beings to be collected
together. The extreme fineness of the day also con-
tributed much to heighten the brilliancy of the spec-
tacle, and gave to the knots of blue ribands which
everywhere glittered, an unusually gay appearance.
Whichever way one turned, the eye was met with
blue,—blue, and nothing but blie,—to such an ex-
tent, that it seemed, and was well expressed by one
of the speakers, us if every person in the immense
assemblage reflected a portion of the bright blue
expanse under which he stood. Without exaggera-
tion, we should state our belief that at the com-
mencement of the election there were, at least, forty
thousand persons on the heath.
The business of the day was opened by the read-
ing of the writ, after which, the usual formalities
having been gone through,
The Hon. R. WATSON (Member for Canterbury)
came forward and addressed the meeting. Our
patriotic Monarch had called upon his people to de-
cide between his Ministers and their opponents, or
rather between the Reformers and Anti-Reformers ;
or, to speak more strictly, between those who would
hare a good, sound, and practical Reform, such as
was contained in the Bill, and those who said hey
would have some Reform without even defining
what it was. Anti-Reformers, in name at least, did
not exist. A few weeks ago, indeed, many such
existed ; but now few or none could be found who
denied that some Reform was necessary. But the
freeholders ought to be on their guard against all
such kind of Reformers ; for he believed that in
that class were to be found the most determined
enemies of all Reform.—(Cheers.) Fully convinced
that the interests of the county could not be intrusted
to better hands, he felt great pleasure in proposing
Thomas Law Hodges, Esq., as a fit arid proper
person to represent it in Parliament.-0 ;beers.)
Mr. CoLuNtawooo (of Holkhurst) seconded the
nomination : and proceeded to refute the assertions
that Reform would produce revolution, that it would
unsettle property, or that it would create anarchy;
and pointed to the men who had come forward as
its advocates—men who had the largest stake in the
country, whose past lives had proved them the
friends of order, the firm supporters of the Constitu-
tion. He could, he said, easily understand the
straightforward and manly objection of the Duke
of Wellington, who denied that any Reform was
necessary, and who maintained that the rotten b -
roughs were the soundest parts of our Constitution,
—no great compliment to the other parts by the
way,—but he could not understand those who ad-
mitted the rottenness of those boroughs, and Would
yet uphold them, or would only reform them bit by
hit. Suppose, to use a very plain illustration, any
one present was troubled with a decayed and aching
tooth, the pain of which did not allow him to eat by
day, or sleep by night, and that he should apply to
a dentist, what would he think of hire, if he said,
" That tooth decayed ! I never saw a more sound
tooth in my life. It is impossible you can feel any
pain from that : what you feel is only an agreeable
sensation, which contributes greatly to your ease
and comfort."—(Cheers and laughter.) Would the
person affected be satisfied, and say, " I thought I
was in pain, but as you say lam not, I will keep a
tooth which does me so much good ?" But suppose
you went to another dentist, and that he were to
is
Nt,i_laoeyun,:ewTiall another
betht oeroreti btileid certainly a very bad one, but do
not have it out at once, that would ruin you :
I will take a bit of it out now, and in sonic time
ean.Lt(hcusheinerst had
encoluarusgehotefr.tri—e
• Would you not discharge such a person as an im-
pudent quack,
? whßoutwiainyteodu tlovetnutrntoyoaumr
adniseoafssektool
his own profit
oatri,dce,hoarniedstyp,uthtingewould tell you to get rid of it at
his forceps in he would, after a
few wry faces on your part, restore you to your
former ease and comfort.—(Cheers and laughter.)
The Hon. Gentleman, after other illustrations of

Ot,l

:VENING, MAY 12, 1831.

the benefits of efficient Reform, concluded by again
expressing his pleasure in seconding the motion.
J. WARD, Esq. (of Squerries) had little expected
to come forward at such a meeting as this; but in
any thing that was a service to the county he
hope he should be found at his post ; and he did
not think that he coal do it a greater service than
by prorsine- his friend, Thomas Rider, of Bolton-
.,
lilac., as its representative ire Parliament.
Sir 1. Tvi.DEN (of Milstead), in seconding the
nomination adverted to the qualifications of Mr.
Rider for the support of the freeholders as an active
Magistrate—a hater of corruption, whether it ex-
isted in the upas tree of a century old, or in the
mushroom of yesterday's growth; and, above all,
a staunch Reformer.—(Cheers.) Not one of your
" bit-by-bit," or " wait-a-little-yet" Reformers ; but
one who would, as Mr. Crillingwood said, pull out
the decayed tooth at once. He then ridiculed the
argument that the rotten boroughs were so many
russerieslor young men of talent, and obi,erved that
the Tories did not seem to place sufficient reliance
on the opening for talent which these boroughs gave,
for ihey were obliged to impart through Cambridge
so large an accesi,ioe of it in the persons of Messr-.
Goulburn and Peel.—(Laughter.) After adverting
to some malignant attacks which he said had been
made in a detestable county paper, on his friend Mr.
Rider, and which, he added, reflected disgrace only
on the writer—(A voice in the crowd, " It was
parson mote them," lawehter)—the H in. Baronet
adverted to one of the hand-bulls issued, with the
name of Sir E. Kinard:bull attached. He wished
the Hon. Baronet was present, that he might see
what was the opinion of the county.
The HIGH SHERIFF now asked whether any free-
holder had any other candidate to propose, and was
answered by loud cries of " No, no."
Mr. HODGES then presented himself, and was re-
ceived with loud and continued cheering. He ob-
served that the spectacle which then presented itsel
before them, had no parallel in the memory of any
man living in the county. The Hon. Baronet (Sir
E. Knatchbull) had said that he acceded to the opi-
nion of his committee, as he wished to save the
comity from art excitement already carried too far.
Now if there was any excitement, he (Mr.
Hodges) was not answerable for it. He
was justified, as having sat for the county, in
coming again forward ; and in his progress along
with his Hon. Friend of nine days through the
county, he found the people organized—by them-
selves—in support of Reform. The organization
was not his; it arose from that feeling which now
prevailed not merely through the county of Kent,
but through England, Scotland, and Ireland, on this
important question.—(Cheers.)—But if there had
been excitement, where were its effects ? There
had not, except in two or three instances not worth
mentioning, been any violence caused by it. The
Hon. Gentleman went on to say, that the next Par-
liament, would in all probability, be a very short
one, as it would do !little more than pass the Bill,
and some necess,ay measures to carry on the govern-
ment of the country, the great remedial measures
intended being reserved for the reformed Parlia-
ment ; he therefore would advise the freeholders,
and those who might ht re tfter have votes, to be cau-
tious before they promised theta. " I must say,"
continued the Hon. Gentleman, " that if you elect
me as your representative, I consider my duty pre-
scribed a+ to the Bill ; and that I have no discretion
vAthrespect to it. I look upon it that you delegate
me to carry the intentions of his Majesty's Minis-
ten; as to the Bill, into effect; and I will do so,—
so help me God."—(lmmense cheering.)
Mr. RIDER next presented himself; and was re-
ceived with loud cheers. To those who objected to
the Bill he would put this question—have you any
plan of Reform which you can offer as a substitute
for it ? And if they had not—and he haul never yet
heard of anv that was offered—he must doubt the
sincerity of those who said they were Reformers,
bat whose only claim to the name was the assertion
they were so, opposed to their votes against any
and every plan of Reform that had ever been brought
forward.--(Cheers.) He would not say that the
Bill was perfect—what human measure ever was ?
but he gladly took it as the first answer the people
had ever received to their numerous and almost for-
gotten priyers for redress of grievances.—(Cheers.)
Mr. LARKIN next addressed the freeholders, and
at considerable length argued against the absurd ob-
jections to Reform. He said it would cause a more
equal and better appropriation of church property,
and the abolition of tithes.—(Cheers.)

.... „..__ .
11r. KNIGHT (brother-iv-law, as %sciteurnrill:eptsetdoobtl,
of sir E. Knatchhull) came forward and addressed
the meeting, but was very fiequently interrupted
cries off "Off, off i" mixed with cries of c, Fair
Play !" " Dear all sides." lie observed that he
was a Reformer, and differed widely on the sulij,et
from their late Member ; but he thought many per-
sons would find themselves greatly mistaken in look-
ing to Reform, as the last speaker had done, as a
panacea for all the ills of the country.
Lieutenant FRA:scaLLON, at the opposite side of
the hustings, spoke in favour of Reform. We un-
derstood him to deprecate the conduct of a Rev.
Gentleman (a Dr. Lamb), who, he said, had inter-
meddled in a manlier not becoming a Clergyman, in
the election ar Rye.
The HIGH SHERIFF (the usual proclamations
having been made) declared that the choice of the
freeholders had fallen on Thomas Law Uudges.
and Thomas It der, Esq., and that they weie duly
elected Members to serve for the county in the en-
suing Parliament.—(lmmense cheering.)
Three cheers were then proposed for the Kim'',
and three for the Ministers, and for Reform, which
were most heartily given. Thanks were then given
to the Sheriff, after which the meeting was dissolved.

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