The Sun.
London, England, 1847-08-05 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX ELECTION.

(Continued from our Atternoon Edition of yesterday.)
Lord R. GROSVENOR then came forward to address the
elector; and was received with -loud 'cheers. He said—
Brother electors, and gentlemen here assembled, I nave
been advised, by some of my friends who are here
around me, and who are getting a little impatient, to say
to you—gentlemen, here I am ; nobody has attacked me
for anything I have done '• I held the same opinions
that I did before—(Cheers)—an I, then, gentlemen, to
make my bow and retire, leaving my place to the next
speaker. But, gentlemen,. I hardly think that
such a course would be respectful to you—(Cheers)
—and, gentlemen, not being gifted with the power of tl.e
lungs possessed by my Hon. and Gallant Friend who has
just addressed you--(Laughter)—pr my Hon. and late
Gallant Friend—for he is now no longer in the army—
who is also about to address you, and whose speeches I
have often heard with great admiration:--:(Cheers)—l
must ask your silent attentionfor the few minutes that I
shall have to trespass upon you. Now, gentlemen, lam
somewhat in the situation of the celebrated hero ot
the Beggars' Opera, Captain Macheath—(Laughter)—
because, alter the speeches of, my.. Honourable
Opponent, and the other gentleman you have
heard, I suppose neither desire to have the other as a
colleague, whereas, as I am informed, neither of my
Hon. Friends have any objection to me.—(Cbeers and
laughter.) Therefore, gentlemen, lam in that enviable
position that I can reconcile both Polly and Lucy—(Re-
newed laughter)— who stand on each side of me. Gen-
tlemen, it seems but the other day since I had the
honour of appearing before you. I quite admit that I
appear on the present.occasion under very different cir-
cumstances. At that time the snow was falling in very
cooling showers. I wish we had some cooling showers
at the present moment.—(Laughter.) The assemblage
was very • select," and • everybody around was
quite peaceful and unanimous. Now we are
assembled under a burning, under a meri-
dian sun, and, as a man of peace, I have
the happiness of saying, that in neither party have
I an enemy of any sort ; yet, nevertheless, I find myself
involved in all the horrors ot war.—,..Laughter.) Now.
gentlemen, I certainly have not been much attacked, but
when shots and sheds fly about in all directions it is nut
easy to know when one's head .may be taken off—
(Laughter)—and I am aware that I owe the peculiar
immunities of my position, not at all.froin any tre sits ot
my own, but from the circurnst•inces which attend the
present contest.. Now I' have made my professions
well al, the others, and when I was here last year I math-
some professions to-which I wish now to refer. I beg trays
at this moment to cull' your attention to them, and I wili
very shi'rtly ask your opinion whether, since-we met, I
have endeavoured to act up to those professions.—(Cries
of " Yes," and cheers.) I stated to you, gentlemen, at
that time, what I need not tell you; that I was a free-
trader.—(Loud cheers.) Now, the painful calamity that
tell tin this empire prevented the country from following
up so rapidly,as it wished to do that reduction of the
custom duties so ably begun by the predecessors of the
present Government; but I had great pleasure in voting
tor a committee to inqifire into the operation of the na-
vigation-laws.—(Cheers.) I ant most, anxious that the
whole nature of those laws, and their influence upon
commerce, should belaid before the people, and that the)
should be accurately understood. Don's imagine that
I for a moment wish to underialue 'the importance of a
commercial marine, becausei belieire that our maritime
greatness depends upon the efficiency of our commercial
marine ; but there are anomalies in 'these laws, which,
it is admitted on all hands, prevent the free circulation
of our shipping, and which ought to be repealed.—
(Cheers.) Nuw, gentlemen,. I must say that no con-
siderations of revenue ought, in my opinion, to prevent
the immediate reduction of the duties upon tobacco.—
(Laud cheers.) I think it impossible that the malt-tax
can be repealed now, but all these subjects must
come under consideration ; but,. tobacco is
exception to the rule, because I. am certain
a considerable reduction of duty upon that
which may bo truly termed the luxury of the poor—
(lmmense cheering)—l am certain a considerable re-
duction of the duty will, instead 'of diminishing the
revenue, benefit it.—(Cheers.) Gentlemen, I also think
that but a short time must elapse before the window-tax
must be repealed. It is unnecessary fur me to declart
to you the exceedingly injurious nature of the operation
of that tax upon the whole community. In support of
this tax many people said that the tax was paid only by
a certain number of houses, sod that the houses of the
poor are exempt, but the poor, instead of being
exempt, were the greatest sufferers from its operation,
because the reasons they will not make themselves
'liable to the impost which they could not afford to pay
is this—that they will have less of light, less of air, less
of ventilation, but which, if this tax did not exist, they
would be the. first •to avail themselves of.—(Lou'
cheers). Many people are talking about improving the
sanitary condition of towns—(Cheers)—bat, surely. In
the arrangements making for this parpose.the fall of the
window-tax should be amongst those 'things which as
Improved system or supervision would put an end to. 1.
confess I think the Chancellor of the Exch,a
Right Hon. Friend. Sir Charles •
"raoy,odt instead
should be
uc
taxing the community. in
compelled to tax his ingenuitythi s o
Perhaps, w find out some-better subject of taxation.—(Laughter.)
how-
ever, it is. more easy for me
I to lay before you what I
would do myself than fur chat Reifphotnstliboinll.ty of carrying Gentleman to
do so, because I bays net the
at the same
me,
should but,
put the true
on the affairs of the country uponne
time. I think it necessary that
principles of legislation before the-country, and that we
also keep before it the rules and the principles of fiscal
and financial etornnwhich the presenteelightetied systete
~f reform and the wants ot the country dernatid,--(.. put
that's the wayon to do it.) 'l here now
is an otn er Cheecellor of the Excnequer, who has his view
of what should be dune.—(Laughter.) I have
given 8
my views and he has given you his. I should be "'"
happy to sing a financial duet with the Ron Gent tnan
!etlloBt
were it in my power to do so, but my hit; would be
too much exhausted by the performanee,—(Laughter.)
I have already called your attention6all tom y sentiments
on free trade, and I will now' attention to my sen-
timents with regard to the working
happy day when we are all bidding man.
It is a very
din; for the working
man. My Gallant Friend who has just addressed you
bid for the working man, I bid for the working man,
and my Honourahle. Friend behind me bids for the
working man.-Cheers and laughter.) I have in
my pocket an
but as reading extreaexttrsact from my own vetch,
little out of fashion from one's speeches seems 8
shall not. trouble you with It—
(Laughter and chee'rs)—but I will tell you this that I
promised at that time to do all in my power to aid the
working man. Now I will tell you how I have re-
deemed my promise. I voted, gentlemen, fora B:ll for
the limitation of the hours of labour of young person'
employed in mills and factories.—(Obeers.) Gentle,
wen, that was no sudden vote. I certainly did not vote
tor it in order to give a e`Roland" to the manufacturers
fur the part they..took in the repeal of the corn-laws, be-
cause I was convinced of the propriety of such a measure
121940 before it wasposecl, andinted the &rat grata