The Sun.
London, England, 1841-04-24 00:00:00

No. 15,173,

TO THE INDEPENDENT ELECTORS OF NOT-

TINGIIAIII.

GENTLEMEN,
T THANK yowl for the kindness with which
1 you received me 'on my Canvass. The expectations
which I fortned when I first came among you have been fully
realised, anil I feel a confident expectation that I shall be ho-
noured by being your Representative.
The advantage to a trading community of being represented
by a Commercial man, has. been very generally acknowledged.
From thosenvho appreciate the inestimable benefits derivable
from Free Trade, I have received assurances of unqualified
support. The sentiments of Religious Freedom which I pro-
fess, have been responded to by the enlightened friends of the
Church, as well as by the Dissenters.
Upon the subject of the Poor-laws, on which alone my oppo-
nents rest their claim to your support, I should wish the
Electors to ask them what their views on this question are ;
they vituperate the New Law, and would get rid of it, but what
then ! would they have no Poor-laws, or would they return to
the old system ag-itin ? Would they once more adopt the plan
of making rip the deficiency of wages from the poor-rates?
Would they do away with the popular election of guardians.
and have them appointed as formerly by the Magistra' es? I
suspect they find it easier to abuse, than to amend.
Electors! I wish to be perfectly explicit on this important
subject. A Bill is now before the House of Commons fur the
alteration and amendment of the New Poor-law Act, and if I
have the honour to be returned as your Representative, I shall
lend my zealous and hearty assistance in modifying such parts
of it as seem to press hardly upon the poor.
With regard;to the important question of out-door relief, I
am strongly of dpinion that in large trading towns like yours the
workhouse cannot properly be used for a test of destitution, as
it may in an agricultural district. In a time of sudden and gene-
ral stagnation of trade, we should consider well before we
break up the working-man's home ; and in a case like this,
I think that a discretionary power of acting may very properly
be confided to the Guardians of the poor. But after all, and
above all, the primary object of legislation should be to secure
to the working man the full value for his labour, and this object
I am confident' can' only be effected by. a total repeal of the
Corn-laws, as you. know from experience that dear bread
.Inwera:va,ges. andziscap hreatli-raises them. I want justice to
the working man, not that heshouldbedependent upon charity.
Gentlemen,—l will not advert at any length to the strange
and unnatural coalition that has taken place against me.
I cannot but regret that any real Reforiners should be found
in the ranks of my opponents, but I rely upon the sound good
sense of my countrymen to dispel the delu3ion, and I still ex-
pect to find them on my side at the day of election.
Gentlemen,—My cause is in your hands. Will you have a
Tory, or a Reformer? and a Reformer as anxious as any man
to vindicate the rights of the poor.
I have the honour to be, Gentlemen,
With great respect,
Your.very obedient servant,
G. G. de H. LARPENT.
Nottingham; April 22, 1841.