The Sun.
London, England, 1841-07-02 00:00:00

MORNING SUN

THE ELECTIONS.

WESTMINSTER ELECTION.

OFFICIAL DECLARATION OF THE POLL.
Yesterday, at two o'clock, being appointed by the High Bailiff for
the official declaration of the poll, long before that hour hundreds
bad assembled in Covent-garden, anxious to hear the concluding
proceedings of an election which had terminated so unexpectedly
against the Liberal cause. Shortly before two o'clock Captain
Rous arrived at the hustings, acompanied by a body of gentlemen
wearing his colours in the front of their dresses. Among them we
noticed the Earl of Charleville, Lord Ernest Bruce, Sir H. Sey-
mour, Mr. Mereweather, the son of Sergeant Mereweather, and
several others. In a few moments afterwards General Evans ap-
peared on the hustings, and was greatly cheered. Captain Rous
was most loudly cheered by his party, but on Mr. Leader coming
forward, the shouts were deafening.
About ten minutes past 2 o'clock, Mr. Smedley, the High Bailiff,
appeared on the hustings, and addressed the electors as follows :
Gentlemen, I am afraid that my being so late has exhausted your
patience—(Cries of " No, no")—but the reason that I am so late
is from my extreme anxiety to have the numbers without a single
error in them.—(Cheers.) I have been attended by parties on
each side, and they have given me every assistance in their power
in checking the books, for e bleb I am much obliged to them. It
now becomes my duty to declare the state of the poll, which is as
follows :

General Evans.... ... 3,2sB—(Cheers).
Mr. Leader 3,9.Bl—(lncreased cheering)
Captain Rous 3,338
At the announcement of the. latter numbers, the shouts were
tremendous.
The Hien BAILIFF then said—Gentlemen, it now only remains
for me to declare John Temple Leader, Esq., and the Hon. Capt.
Rous, duly elected Members for the City and Liberty of Westmin-
ster—(Cheers)--and I hope, Gentlemen, they will serve you as
their Rzwesentatives, zealously and faithfully, in the Parliament
to whicPyou have returned them. —(Cheers and uproar.)
Captain Roes then stood forward to address the electors, and was
met with great cheering and hisses. The Gallant Captain, however,
gave way for Mr. Leader, as we understood, at the suggestion of
the High Bailiff.
Mr. Leader in coming forward, was received with the most
deafening shouts of applause, which lasted for some minutes.
When silence had been in some measure obtained,
Mr. LEADER said that this was not the first time that he had
met the electors of Westminster on these hustings after a de:eat.
They would remember that about four years ago he was defeated
by Sir Francis Burdett. He told them then not to be down-
hearted.—(Great cheering and cries of " We have not been.")
They were defeated then, and again he said to them don't be down-
hearted— (Cries of "We will not")—but they must redouble
their efforts to regain their rights against the domination
of the Tory aristocracy.—(Great cheering.) He would tell them,
in few words, why they had been defeated now, and he would tell
them why he felt confident that Westminster would regain that
place among the Liberal constituencies of the country which it
had hitherto.—(A person here cried out "It never will.") On the
very next occasion when an appeal was made to the electors of
Westminster, he would venture to predict, with the greatest con-
fidence, that the Liberal electors of Westminster would regain the
name which they had hitherto borne as a Liberal constituency.
He would now say a few words to explain the reasons why he
believed they were beaten. In the first place their friends were
too sure of success from their previous large majorities, and,
therefore, they neglected the means of ensuring it: in the next
place, he must say emphatically, from where he then stood, tha
he firmly believed the Whig Government had dissatisfied the ex-
pectations of the people—(Lond cheering)—and that even now,
when the Whigs wereproposing measures calculated really to ad..
vance the interests of the people, by the people they were sus-
pected. He believed that if the Whigs had always acted as they
did on the last emergency they would have been triumphant again,
for he believed that they did not become unpopular because of their
liberality, but because they too much resembled their opponents.—
(Cheers.) These were the reasons why the Liberals were, in part,
efeated in Westminster, and against which they would have to
guard in future. There was, as they well knew, a large and in-
fluential body of electors, the licensed victuallers, opposed to the
Government, and who therefore furnished Westminster with a
Tory candidate, but they would find their mistake after the Tories
were in power for a short time.—(Hear, hear.) He would now
call their attention to another cause of the enemy's triumph.
The electors generally could not give their votes according to the
dictates of their conscience—( Hear, hear, and loud cheers)—they
required the protection of the ballot, and also the extension of the
suffrage, for a proper representation.—(?lsar, hear.) They all
knew that at this particular season of the year the aristocracy
and great landed gentry were in town, spending that money
which they extorted from the life's-blood of the people—(Cheers)
—and he asserted that intimidation towards the electors had been
practiced to a disgraceful extent—(lmmense cheering.) He
could not in his conscience blame the poor elector for the course he
was compelled to take to save his wife and family from starvation.
He pitied them. But those whose conduct should be execrated
were the Tory Lords and aristocrats who intimidated them.—
He had now stated the reasons why he thought they were defeated
on the present occasion, and he trusted the electors would be on
their guard in future. Let them not imagine that he despaired of the
people's cause; far from it; he believed they were only now com-
mencing the fight.—(Loud cheering.) Gentlemen might smile at
their present triumph, but there was not a man in the meeting
who would not say that they will soon rue and curse the triumph.
—(Tremendous cheering.) The fight between the people and the
aristocracy and the class interests, was now commencing.
Let them be united and energetic, and they would sacri-
fice all those to the common good of the people.
Some of their enemies on the hustings were calling out "Now
Poor-law.'' Why, they all knew his (Mr. L.'s) opinions respect-
ing that taw, because his votes were recorded against the harsh and
oppressive clauses of it.—(Cheers.) He would advise them to look
well to the votes of their new Member.—(Hear, hear.) They had
complained of a Whig Government—if he was not mistaken they
would soon have to complain much more of a Tory Government.
—(Cheers.) Did they think the Tories would repeal any of the
taxes? (Cries of " No, no.") Did they think the
Tories would give up patronage ?—(Cries of " No, no.")
Did they think the Tories would advocate the rights of the work-
ing'classes 2—(Cries of " No, no.") Did they think the Tories
would repeal the Corn-laws f--(Cries of "No, no I") Did they think
the Tories would do any one good thing for the people ? If they
thought so ROW he should besglad to hear their opinion of those
same Tories the next time he met them at those hustings. They
would then know what they were. They would find them (the
Tories) unchanged. The Tories had learned nothing from thee
or experience.—(Hear, hear.) They were the same old
Tories who taxed the people to make war on the
liberties of France. They were the old Tories who taxed
the people to keep up their own rents; and now, he would ask
them, what did they think the Tories would do for Ireland ?
(Cries cog " Nothing," and " Every thing bad ") Were they to
have the tender mercies of the Orange domination in Ireland ?
(Cries of " No, no.") Should he tell them what the Orange
domination in that country meant ? It meant oppression of the
many for the benefit of the few. It meant the support
of a Church frequented by a small minority—and that
support by the large majority of the people who
never went to that Chureh. It meant misery to the people, and
disturbance and bloodshed. He did not believe that the intelligent
and independent people of England would support a Tory Govern-
ment, and the measures which its friends would compel it to adopt
against the liberties of Ireland. Did they think that the Tories
would protect the electors ? Did they think that the Tories
would extend the suffrage ? Did they think that the Tories
would shorten the duration of Parliament ? Did they think the
Tories would admit the people to a greater share of the Government
of the country ?—(Cries of " No, no.") Then he had only one
thing to add. They had known him as their representative for
four years. During that time he had pursued an independent
course.— (Hear, hear.) He had voted and spoken as he thought
best for the interests of the people, without reference to party or
class interests. That would be his course as their representative for
the future.—(theers.) He was not'bound either to the Whig party
or to the Tory party. lle would support any measure that seemed
to him for the good of the people, and he would oppose any measure
that was adverse to their good. He had now only to thank them
for having re. elected him; though he deeply regretted that they
had given him a Tory colleague. He was grateful to them for
their attention to him that day. He called on them not to he
down-hearted—to redouble their efforts for their rights and
liberties, and to give three cheers for the Liberal cause.
The call of the Honourable Gentleman was loudly and heartily
responded to.
Captain Roes then came forward to address the meeting, amidst
cheers, groans, and hisses. The violent uproar which prevailed
throughout the entire of his address rendered it impossible for us,
though placed immediately by him, to catch even the purport
of his observations except at intervals. We understood
the Honourable Gentleman to commence by denying the assertion
that his return had been obtained through intimidation or any
other unjust means. No expense had been incnrred by him or his
party during the election, except such as was inseparable from a
contest. They would never be properly represented unless they had
two Conservative Members to advocate their interests in Parlia-
ment. For his own part he had always consulted for the
advantage of all parties, and he should continue to do so, because
he well knew that the country could not be well governed unless
all classes pulled together. They had all one common interest
—the landlord, the merchant, and the labourer.—(Continued
uproar.) But if agitators poisoned the minds of the work-
ing classes, then, indeed, the country was in danger. He
trusted that he should prove himself deserving of the
con.
fidence which the Electors of Westminster had placed in
him; and that lie should be like the man who bad said to leis
wife—" Now I have married you, and it is your fault if we do not
live well together."—(Cheers, laughter, andproar.) The next
time he should solicit their suffrages, he would bring wills him a
colleague deserving of their support in the person
ten days
Mr. Charles
Wood.—(Cheers and uproar.) Who had dreamt
, ar
forter
wes agoin that
they should have had a Conservative candidate
—(Cheers and confusion.) Upon another occasion, however, he
pledged himself they should have two. With respect to the course
he should pursue in Parliament he begged to say that he should
adopt no ultra views, but that he should, upon all occasions, steera
slide te course. His Hon. Colleague had told them that he was himself
disappointed with the Whigs, and that they were tonotfitand he
govern
the country. In those sentiments he fully coincided;
should not, therefore, support such a party. Their late con.
duct 'was an additional ground for his opposition ; he felt that
they had ignominiously clung to power, and that after the vote of
a want of confidence on the part of the House of Commons, they
should not have continued one hour in office. He was persuaded,
too, that the measures they had lately brought forward, under pre.
tence of benefitting the community, had been adopted by them in
reality with a view to deter, at the expence of the public interests,the
moment of their own inevitable dissolution. Captain Rous con-
cluded amidst a scene of renewed uproar, by thanking the electors
of Westminster for the high honour they had done him, and by
assuring them that his first desire should be to promote their in-
terests.
Sir De Lacy Evssas then came forward, and was received with
great cheering, mingled with interruption. He said it became his
duty now, to return his most sincere thanks for the support which
had been afforded to him on that occasion. It was very true that
he had been defeated. but he had before suffered a defeat as a can-
didate for the representation of the city, when, unexpectedly, in
about three months afterwards, the electors redeemed their
character, and returned him to Parliament, and he felt confi-
dent that that result would again be witnessed—(Loud cheers.)
He had not the advantage of hearing one word from his successful
antagonist in the speech which he had delivered, but ho had been
told that he had had the kindness to point out the Tory who he ,
said was to occupy the other seat after another contested election.
Having a majority of 40 or 50, he exulted in his triumph, and
told them he was about to turn Westminster into a Tory bo-
rough. He knew nothing derogatory to the successful can-
didate, but he observed in one of his statements
he had said that his late colleague and himself had not the support
of the wealth and respectability of Westminster. He (Sir De
Lacy Evans) had never considered that the terms wealth and
respectability were synonymous. The Duke of Bedford had
Complained that the Committee of the Honourable Candidate
bad grosfly misrepresented his opinions and feelings. That was a
specimen of respectability which he did not envy. He had repre-
sented that city for eight or nine years, and had throughout
pursued one consistent, faithful and sincere course.—
(Hear, and cheers.) The result of that election was personally
a matter of small importance, compared with the vast questions
now before the country. He called upon them to support the
present Government, whether in or out of office.—(Hear,
ham') Some of the electors in this part of the kingdom
w -ere unfavourable to the popular cause, but he looked to another
Place to remedy this misfortunes He looked to Ireland in this
teat Strwilltle.tthhoseerepresentatives of which country, in conjunc-
with
to enable
Scotland, had carried the Reform
meet th
With
the conduct of the
B:eat utility had, however, been pro-
tein within the last ten yf
posed measures infinitely snore neTZtia7vthernanalaenn
any former,
had now pro..
former, and he
believed that the people would "Bain rally round thorn
and enable theta to wring from as OPPIEIIiTe Aug gurabiefning