The Sun.
London, England, 1831-05-02 00:00:00

BRiSTOL, MAY 1.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SIR,-Mr. Manchee's Letter a little anticipated the intelligence
I am about giving you, but the victory was not complete until
yesterday, the Tory party adopting everymeans in their power to
induce some other individual to start instead of Mr. Davis, flattering
themselves the opposition was personal to that gentleman for his
preclusion of Bristol in Mr. Hobhouse's Ve.try Bill, and not
against his political principles. Our Guildhall never was remem-
bered to be so crowded on any occasion, and when the Members
were duly elected the immense multitude, consisting of some
thousands, sang God save the King," the whole three verses,
concluding by the moat tremendous cheers ever heard within the
walls of this ancient building, separated in the most perfect
order to their respective homes.
To commemorate the event, and in compliance to our beloved
Sovereign, a splendid illumination takes place on Tuesday even-
ing. The Members will be chaired on Wednesday, which, if the
weather prove fine, will be a most splendid scexe indeed; those
who never witnessed it in this city can form no idea. On Thurs-
day a dinner will be given to the Members, and so numerous are
the applications I fear no room here will contain half.
1 remain, Sir, respectfully,
Your very obedientservant,
G. R.
Mr. Protheroe's father was yesterday waited upon by a deputa-
tion from Wells to stand for that city!

WORCESTER, MAY 1.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sta,—Feeling persuaded that the public spirit, upon the all-
important subject of Reform, manifested in the ancient and
loyal city of Worcester, will be highly gratifying to your readers,
I subjoin the following :
Our city has for many years bOen represented by CoL Davies
and Mr. Robinson, whose general Parliamentary conduct gave
much satisfaction to most of the citizens, except some of the
more corrupt part of the corporation, to whom the present state
of the representation " works well," their return without oppo-
sition was therefore considered certain ; but, about mid-day on
Friday last, a third man, in the person of Mr. Fitzroy, was an-
nounced, and about six in the evening he arrived in the city, ac-
companied by the brother of a neighbouring Earl, lately called to
the Upper-House by the death of his father. He immediately
proceeded to the Hop-pole Inn, from the balcony of which he
addressed the assembled populace. But no sooner did he an-
nounce himself opposed to the Reform measure of Ministers than
he was prevented proceeding farther by the hisses and groans of
those whose feelings and understandings were thus insulted, by
a man professing such sentiments being brought here by a cor-
rupt few, for the purpose of breaking the peace of the city, and
picking the pockets of the two late worthy and independent
Members. However, not satisfied with this expression of the
opinions and feelings of the citizens he issued a printed address,
vauntingly proclaiming himself, like the leader of his faction (Sir
R. Peel), " a friend to moderate and sound Reform." On the
following morning (Saturday) his appearance in the streets was
hailed with continued marks of disapprobation, and in the
course of a few hours, he issued another address, very honour-
ably declining all further claims to their notice as a candidate
for the representation of the city. Thus, by a prompt and timely
display of their feeliugs,have the inhabitants preserved the peace
of the city, and prevented their late Members being put to
expense.
I would likewise notice to you the opinion entertained of the
county candidates. Colonel Lygon and the Hon. Mr. Foley were
the late Members for the couety. The Colonel, viewing the
measure of Reform as calculated " to undermine our glorious
Constitution," and to interfere with " vested rights," his con-
science revolted at it, and he therefore,conscientious soul, voted
against it Since the dissolution he has been canvassing the
county, and everywhere found his constituents much wanting in
those " conscientious views" of the Bill which he took, and the
consequence has been an almost universal refusal to support him
again, except where party influence is used ; but the freeholders
are enthusiastic in the cause of Mr. Foley, who approved of the
Bill, and who voted for it, and of Captain Spencer, brother of
Lord Altho p, who is brought to oppose the return of Colonel
Lygon. On Friday evening the effigy of the Colonel, after
having been carried through part of the city, was burnt opposite
his inn, where, but a few minutes before, they had disapproved
of the third man for the city ; and yesterday (Saturday), as he
was proceeding, with some of his friends, towards the Corn_
market in this city, he was followed by the populace, who again
showed their resentment against the " conscientious" vote the
Colonel gave on that eventful question by hisses and groans, nor
did they refrain from stronger tokens of displeasure. From
hisses and groans they proceeded to pelting him with mud, and
when he arrived in the Corn market the people laid foul of some
besoms that were exposed for sale there, and to work they went
again, di-charging them in all directions at the conscientious
Colonel, who for his personal safety was obliged to take refuge in
a small inn, and from whence it was not safe for him to proceed,
till a number of constables armed with staves came to his rescue,
who guarded him in safety to his inn.
Thus things remain at present. Our two city candidates will
be elected to-morrow without opposition, and for Friday the
contest for the county is fixed, which will be carried on with
much spirit on both sides ; and I hope, though with some mis-
givings, without any personal violence being offered to any one.
I remain yours, &c.
A CITIZEN OF WORCESTER.

PRESTON, APRIL 30.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sia,—Before you receive this you will, in all probability, have
heard of the disgraceful return which this borough has made to
the most gracious writ of our thrice Gracious Sovereign. You
will have heard, with indignation, that Henry Hunt is again the
Member for Preston. lam wishtld that the circumstances con-
nected with this return should be properly known to the country,
so that no prejudicial inference may be drawn with respect to
the popular feeling as to the Reform Bill; and none with regard
to the feeling generally entertained with respect to the mis-
creancy of Hunt.
To obtain a place in your columns, I must endeavour to be
brief. Yet the variety of circumstances, on which I would gladly
dilate, is such, that it will be no little effort, so to condense the
facts which I have to state, as to come within the compass which
you may conceive to be sufficient for a purpose of this sort.
Now, Sir, I have no hesitation in saying that the Parliamen-
tary Reform measure is universally popular, nit only in Preston,
but in the whole of its environs. All the intelligent portion of
every class is unanimous and enthusiastic in its support. There
are certainly numbers among the humbler classes of the com-
munity who undoubtedly declare that it does not go far enough,
but even these all declare that it is pro largo a great good. Some
there are who neither know nor pare about politiealquestions,
whose only cry is " cheap bread, that's what we want., "c Fhey
are all alike when they get there," (meaning the House of Com.
mons), and so on. 'These you will be well aware are of the mere
canaille, of whose ways of thinking I only speak, in consequence
of the peculiarity of the suffrage in this place. Such, Sir, is the
fact with respect to the political feeling here.
You will then naturally enquire how it is that the traitor Hunt,
the Judas Iscariot of Parliamentary Reform, as the Leeds Ner.
cury calls him, is returned without opposition, The fasts are
these. Colonel' Evans had, as was ascertained on the canvass, a
preponderating majority of the promises of the electors. From
being actively engaged in the canvass, on his behalf, I can speak
positively on this head, Coming, the avowed opponent of Mr.
Hunt, as he did, this was nevertheless the fact. And this too,
notwithstanding his leaving ns to gg to Rye, after lie himself had
been here only a few hours. His able representative, Mr. James
Whittle, of the 3fanchester Adyertiser, that talented ornament
of the Provincial Press, constantly proposed the Colonel as the
unqualified supporter of the Reform Bill. Mr. Hunt seeing this,
resorted to one of those infamous acts, for which that wily de.
magogue is so remarkable, and, rais_pd a him and cry against John
monstrous perversion of the truth, and the baseness of his appeal
Wood, on account of what is called the 0 Dissection Rill." His
to the popular feeling are, truly, without a parallel. Oh ! Sir, he
is a very base man indeed. The consequence was, he gave the
go-by to the Reform Bill, and succeeded in detaching many of
Mr. Wood's humbler supporters from that gentleman. , Against
his opponent, the Colonel, he knew he ha,ti not a shadow of a
chance; and, in the Most monstrons of ways, he attacked Mr.
Wood. Whati yeti will ask, are the people of Preston so igno-
rant as to he deluded by that political serpent aunt. Psay, no, cer-
tainly not Sir, only a few hundred of the canaille, of the state of
whose political feeling I have spoken Wive. New, Sir, you must
be aware that, by the late law regulating the taking of the poll
in cities and boroughs, we are placed in such a situation in
Preston as to render a fair election utterly impracticable. Prim
cipally, in consequence of the construction which Nicholas
Grimshaw, the Mayor, thinks proper to put upon the act. It was
suggested to him, at the commencement of the previous election,
at which we lost Mr. Stanley, that the votes should be taken,
according to the district in which the voters resided. This he
positively declined to do (notwithstanding it had beep the prat.
lice of the general election lait summer, Under his predecessor),
and the consequence Was that, ten polling booths being erected,
an elector might present himself at any of them, and tender his
i
votes; and that too, Sir, in a place where there was universal
suffrage, and, no registration of the voters, you will easily see
the result to which this led. Countrymen, minors, and paupers
often as ten times. Such a
system, at that time, prevailed ; and, such a system, the Mayor
declared he should again adopt. I speak. not of popular violence
which the gayer, 00 the Termer Recoqp, took ng efficient mea-
sure to repress. 1 speak not of the motives whicb were supposed
voltiedas. sinceManybe very
eryas many individuals
vid
so uals polled repeatedly. Some,
it
to actuate a:perverse old man of seventy.four. Suffice it to say
that he po,itively refused to alter the system. How, Sir, in this
state of things, where would have been the chance of a fair elec-
tion ? Of any thing approaching to it ? This being the case,
some of 'Mr. Wood's friends stated to the friends of Col. Evans
that, in consequence of the cry which Hunt had raised against
his election, under the circumstances which I have stated with
respect to the manner of taking the poll, was in great jeopardy.
The Colonel's election was dead sure. The only fear was for
w,,,d„ In this stage of the proceeding, on the very eve of the
Colonel
Mr.. Whittle vas tinon tti redeem a pledge which
Colonel Evans had given, not to endanger Mr. 'Wood's election.
And the consequence was, the election was given up. The noto-
rious Mitchell blustered largely about proposing O'Gorman
Mahon. That was just what we wanted. We went to the hust-
ings ready to nominate Colonel Evans ; as, had Mr. Mahon been
proposed, such nomination could not have injured Mr. Wood.
But they knew be.ter, , they were glad to get otr so well, and the
election finished,
When Hunt gets to London lie may perhaps boast of the show
of hands which he called for. This required some explanation.
rhe question lie put to the crowd (including women, • children,
and country people) after a most wily and lying speechof an hour
was—. Are you satisfied with my Parliamentary
,condtict ?" A
large shew of hands followed, as a matter of course, and, from
the promiscuousness of the shewers up, there was au appearance
if unanimity. He then asked for the negative shew of hands.
,Tied it be asked, that, after constithtional" advice about
the" squeeze," there was no shew of hands This, Sir, is 0 the
ease stated."
Of one thing, be sure that, the Reform Bill passed, he never
goes again. Registration and district voting will send him to I
know not whither. As this will necessarily be a short Parlia-
ment, the inhabitants here are not much chagrined at his re-
election, except for the impression it may possibly make upon the
, nation at large. AN ELEcTOR OF PRESTON.