The Sun.
London, England, 1841-01-09 00:00:00

WALSALL ELECTION.

(FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)
The contest, being now finally settled to be between
Mr. G. N. Gladstone and Mr. J. B. Smith, Chairman
of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce,—.he former
a staunch Conservative and supporter of the connection
between Church and State, and the latter a Liberal and
a thorough Corn-law Repealer,—is now proceeding ac-
tively, and both parties seem sanguinary of success.
Mr. G. having been first in the arena has now completed
his canvass, and from a placard issued by him yes-
tertlay, we perceive he states he has obtained
the pledges of a majority of the electors, and has
the utmost confidence of being returned as the re-
presentative of Walsall. While, on the other hand,
the friends of Mr. Smith seem equally certain of sue•
cess. They state that so far from Mr. Gladstone
having got the pledges of more than one-half of the
electors, he has not got one-third ; and that Mr. S., so
far as he has yet proceeded, having not yet concluded
his canvass, has been promised a large and decided
majority of his calls ; and more, that the able ad-
dresses delivered by Messrs. Smith, Acland, and R'tw-
son, on the nature and effects of the iniquitous Corn-
laws, and the beneficial influence free trade would have
upon British industry, enterprise, and happiness, have
caused many individuals who were supposed to
have pledged to Mr. Gladstone to withdraw their sup-
port in favour of the anti-bread-taxer. Betwixt these
conflicting statements, there is one thing certain, that
it will be a hard fought struggle, enhanced in keenness,
no doubt, on account of the very small majority Mini-
sters have in the House of Commons, which makes
every vacancy in the representation at present an object
of much importance and anxiety to their friends, as well
as to their opponents.
Mr. Acland, the appointed lecturer for the League,
accompanied by Mr. Rawson, a retired manufacturer of
Nottingham, deliver highly interesting speeches, or
rather lectures on Political Economy, to the inhabitants
every evening, in the large room attached to the Dragon
Inn ; and what is most gratifying, are well attended.
Indeed, whatever be the result of the contests, there
is no doubt the people of Walsall will have received a
vast amount of valuable knowledge and an elevation of
moral character, which will in due season, richly reward
the labour bestowed.

At the meeting last night, Mr. Smith appeared along
with Messrs. Ashworth and Beesley, extensive manu-
facturers from Bolton. Each of these gentlemen ad-
dressed the meeting in eloquent terms. They parti-
cularly pointed out the serious duty the electors had
to perform in the approaching struggle, and that Wal-
sall being the first arena in which the great and im-
portant battle of free trade was to be fought, they did
earnestly hope they would not fail faithfully to redeem
the trust confided to them. They triumphantly re-
futed several objections which had been urged by Mr.
Gladstone's party through hand-bills, against the repeal
of the Corn-laws, namely, " that the price of corn re-
gulates the price of wages ;" that the repeal of
the Corn-laws would be the cause of universal distress
throughout the country, &c. They called upon non-
electors to do their duty, to form themselves into
Committees, and exert their influence in every possible
way, to obtain the return of a man whose principles,
if practically carried into operation, will be their sal-
vation. He. also hoped that ere long they would be in
possession of their rights, of which they were so un-
justly deprived. They called upon Mr. Gladstone to
come forward and discuss the question fairly and openly,
and thereby enable the electors to decide whom was
the better man. They promised them to have a great
many visitors before the contest was over, and that never
in Walsall will there have been a tougher, harder
fought battlt, a more determined stand-up fight, than
the one about to take place.
Addresses, we understand, have been received from
seven or eight Anti-Corn-law Associations, calling upon
the electors and inhabitants to return an anti-bread-
taxer. To-day, I understand is to be issued the
first number of a weekly periodical, to continue
until the election is over, called the " Walsall Letter-
bag ;" and until that awful time arrives, verily our
good old town will be shaken to the very foundation
by the thunders of the Corn-law Repealer!, the advo-
cates of liberty, and the friends of humanity, truth, and
justice, who, praised he God, have been sent amongst
us to raise our latent spirit of love, freedom, virtue, and
intelligence—the Divine portion of our nature—into
becoming activity.
Walsall, Friday morning.