The Sun.
London, England, 1848-11-22 00:00:00

d

WEST RIDIN --EtECTION.
LEEDS, TUESDAY EYE G./The Hon. C. W. Went-
worth Fitswilliam made is ;Abe debut, as a candidate
for the representation e West Riding of Yorkshire,
in the area of the Coloured Cloth Hall, this afternoon.
An immense number of electors end others assembled to
see and hear the Honourable Gentleman, against whom
a pretty strong prejudice had been raised by the pro-
ceedings of the Normanton and Wakefield delegates in
their recent meetings. The numbers present must have
amounted to nearly 15,000, and the meeting was one of
the most exciting election scenes that have for many
years been witnessed in this locality. During the whole
of the proceedings great turmoil prevailed, and on some
occasions it amounted to a degree of rudeness against the
Honourable candidate.

Mr. JAMES BROWN introduced Mr. Fitzwilliam, mak-
ing no apology for so doing, as ho conceived the name
of Fitzwilliam was in itself a sufficient apology.--(Dis-
approbation.)
Mr. BARON—I wish to ask if Mr. Fitzwilliam will
stand here to answer any questions which may be put
to him?

Mr. CHARLES WENTWORTH FITZWILLUM here pre-
sented himself, and was received with cheers frem his
friends, and by groans, laughter, and hisses, and cries of
" take him home" from his opponents. After some
delay, caused by the interruption, he said : —I have been
asked to give a pledge to stand here to ask any ques-
tions—(Cries of "No, no, to answer them.") Well, to
answer them. I give you that pledge—(Hear, hear)—
and I trust to have a patient hearing. Gentlemen, I
have been introduced to you in the kindest manner by
my friends. I think it necessary to ask of you that kind
indulgence which every new candidate receives from
your hands, and which I, from my youth and inexperi-
ence—(Laughter and cries of " Hear, hear," and "Go
back, lad ")—I—I—I find my—myself placed in an ex-
ceedingly difficult position—(Renewed cries of " Hear,
hear.") Your late Representative was a man of such
extraordinary talents, and a man so justly popular
amongst all his constituents, that it will be difficult for
me to tread in his steps, though I hope I may have
that power.—(A pause). Ido not intend to give
you a set speech—(Great laughter)—but rwill endea-
vour, to the best of my ability, to touch on the lead-
ing topics of interest at the present day. With regard
, to free trade, I give it my most cordial support; and
although the results from it have not been so beneficial
as at first thought, that has been owing to many and
great disadvantages. The present unsettled state of the
continent prevents some of our best customers from
trading with us to that extent they otherwise would do.
Famine in Ireland, too, has been another cause of this
—(Laughter, and "Put your hat on.") The failure of
the cotton trade is .another cause.—(More laughter.) As
to the endowment of the Church by the State, I wish to
go to Parliament totally unpledged—because it has ever
been considered in Parliament, and it would not be fit
for me to give any opinion on a question which has never
been fully considered.—(Cry of " Don't you know your
own mind upon it? Newman does; he can tell you.")
If I did make up my mind I would not give a pledge.—
(Cries of " Nobody asked you.") What I have said I
meant to apply more exclusively to Ireland, which calls
for some extraordinary remedy. When we find two de-
nominations of religion receiving support from the State
—(lnterruption)---would it—(A pause and laughter.)
Two, I believe—the Presbyterian and Protestant Church
(Cries of " Take it from them both.") Some means
might be devised of rendering the state of Ireland better
by paying the Roman Catholic clergy. Ido not wish to
tax England with it; but some means might be devised
to put that unhappy country in a more prosperous state.
—(Renewed interruption, and cries of "Break up the
Protestant establishment.") With regard to organic
changes, I am not, I confess, prepared to give them my
support. When we turn our attention to the Continent,
and sec how distracted those countries have been—
(Pause—" The suffrage")—l de not think it advisable
to make any great and extensive changes.—(More inter-
ruption.) Some years ago great reforms were brought
about, and I certainly think.—(A pause and laughter.)
1 should not wish to prevent those who are able to use
the privilege of the suffrage from receiving it. Ido not
think it needful at present to bring about any violent or
organic change.—(Cries of " Speak up.") Here the
Hon. Gentleman made another long pause. He then
proceeded :—There is also the question of economic
reform, to which I should like to make some allusion. I
think in the present state of the country great and ex-
tensive retrenchments is necessary in the public expen-
diture.—(Hear.) In what way this is to be done it is
impossible for me to say—(Laughter)—but certainly, if
due consideration is given to it. I think it will ke found
that great retrenchments may be made.—(Cries of" The
Army and Navy.") It would not perhaps be expedient
to reduce the army and navy in the present state of the
continent of Europe.—(Laughter and confusion, and cries
of " Such as you want to be officers in them.") I have
never tried yet.—(Applause.) I think it appears exceed-
ingly probable that on the election of the President of
the French Republic there will be a great outbreak in
the whole of Europe; therefore it would not be expedient
to reduce those great safeguards of the empire, the army
and navy.—(Laughter,) We must have our trade pro-
tected, and we cannot have that without ships of war.
I think it would be heartrending to the traders of Leeds
to find all their goods taken by pirates, and they not ar-
rive at the place of. their destination.—(Laughter and
a 'Pause.) I must again ask you to give me your indul-
gence, as my youth and inexperience are greatly in need
of it—(Hear, hear and shouts of laughter)—and when
I address such an intelligent constituency as that of the
West Riding, I do not ask that favour in vain.—(A
pause.) Gentlemen, Ido not wish to detain you any
longer, but am prepared to answer any question.—
(Laughter.)

Csa3urr (ex-mayor of Leeds) then came for-
ward. He did not wish to wound the feelings of Mr.
Fitzwilliam, but the truth required to be told, and he was
determined to tell the truth now.—(Hear, hear.) He
then went into the circumstances under whioh Mr. Fits-
william now appeared before them. He admitted the
right of the agricultural party to have the nomination of
one representative and the manufacturing interest that of
another; but in addition to that the Normanton meeting
also recognised the right of pledging whatever candidate
might appear to the four principles, of retrenchment in
the public expenditure, a gradual and safe extension of
the suffrage, free trade, and opposition to all further
endowment of religion by the State. Even Mr.
Fitzwilliam's own brother, Lord Milton, admitted
the right to urge these pledges. But what had been the
result? Why, Mr. Fitzwilliam, instead of alluding in
any way whatever to the Normanton meeting, had set
both the delegates and the principles upon which he was
called forward as a candidate at defiance.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. Fitzwilliam's conduct might be considered what in
Yorkshire was called " pluck," but in this case it was
not pluck, but defiance. In conclusion, Mr. Carbutt
put several questions to Mr. Fitzwilliam. The first was
as to the differential duties in favour of the colonies.
Was he prepared to abolish them?
Mr. FITZWILLIAM-I am not prepared to abolish all
the differential duties.

Mr. CARBUTT—Are you inclined to maintain the
differential duties in favour of colonial sugar?
Mr. FITZWILLIAM—I am not prepared to do away
with them altogether.
_ _

Mr. CARBITT-T—Milat will you do as to the navigation-
laws?

Mr. FITZWILLIAM—I will do away with them except
so far as allowing foreign vessels to carry on the coasting
trade.

Mr. Cannurr—Will you now favour us with your
opinion on the extension of the suffrage?
Mr. FITZWILLIAM—I am not for making an early and
considerable extension of the suffrage. lam not averse
to an extension, as circumstances may point out to be
expudient.—(Disapprobation.)
Mr. BARKER (the Chartist) now addressed the meet-
ing, and asked Mr. Fitzwilliam if he was prepared to vote
for the abolition of the law of entail and primogeniture,
and for a land tax of five shillings per acre, cultivated or
uncultivated?

Mr. FITZWILLIAN—No.—(Loud disapprobation.)
Mr. RICIARDSON wished to know whether he was pre-
pared to divide the Church property of Ireland between
the Protestants and Catholics of Ireland, according to
numbers? .

Mr. FITZWILLIAM replied, that the question had never
been discussed, and urged therefore that it was impossi-
ble for him to give a definite answer.—(Disapprobation.)
Mr. RICHARDSON submitted that the honourable can-
didate was not the man to represent the Riding.—(Loud
applause.) As a test of the opinion of the meeting, he
called upon those who thought him fit to represent' the
Riding to hold up their hands.
Only one hand appeared in his favour.
Mr. IlicuannsoN then called fora show of hands
against Mr. Fitzwillliam, when nearly every hand was
heldm Sir.
pitiacnalli4dxstr.gsoreNatthaepnpplaullt
se
it the honourable candi-
date whether he would persevere in his canvas with such
a decided opinion against him.
Mr. FITZWILLIAM —I shall keep my gronnd.—(Disap-
probation.)
Mr. EDWARD BAINES then addressed the meeting.
He spoke in high terms of the Fitzwilliam family, but,
deeply painful as it was, he felt bound by an allegiance
far above personal respect—his allegiance to principle—
to say that he must on this occasion most decidedly op-
pose the return of Mr. Fitzwilliam.—(Loud applause.)
Mr. PURDON here came forward, to announce that Mr.
Roebuck, the late Member for Bath, was in the meeting,
but the announcement was but imperfectly heard.
Mr. BnooK, however, made the announcement of Mr.
Roebuck's presence at the meeting, and stated it was the
intention of the Normanton meeting to-morrow to bring
him out. (The statement elicited great applause, and
a general call was made for Mr. Roebuck to present
himself).
Mr. FAIRR/ORN then introdsced Mr. Roebuck.
Mr. ROEBUCK was then very warmly received. He
said be obeyed their call, but not having been formally
invited to become a candidate, he must be considered as
addressing them merely as a private individual. He
then went on to express some of his opinions, giving not
only the electors but the honourable candidate (Mr.
Fitzwilliam) some advice. If there was one thing more
than another they ought to preserve themselves from, it
was the charge of such a constituency being controlled
by an individual will. What they wanted was experience,
political virtue, and character in a candidate, which
should command
success. He did not say that he (Mr.
Roebuck) possessed these qualities. The truth might
give pain to an ingenious mind, which, he believed, Mr.
Fitzwilliam possessed; but he must say that Lord Fitz-
williarn's son, out of Parliament—(Hear, hear)—did not
possess them.—(Loud applause.) So large a constitu
ency as the West Riding, he contended, ought byttl
means in their power to resist the spirit of intimidation
attempted now to be practised upon them.—(Renewed
cheers.) He then analysed the way in which Mr. Fitz-
william answered the questions put to hue, and en-
deavoured to show that the answers were characterised
by neither candour nor knowledge; and he was con-
vinced that had the Hon. Gentleman been named Brown,
Smith. or Jenkins, he would never have been thought
for ,the West Riding.—(Laughter.) In conclugiou