The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-16 00:00:00

ELECTsION MOVEMENTS.
RETURN OF MEDINBURGHR. W. GIBSON CRAIG.
MoNna.v.—The nomination of a candidate to fill up the
vacancy created by the appointment of Mr. William Gibson
Craittow a Lord of the 1 reasury), took place here to-day.
Mr. p was solicited by the complete suffragists and a
ll
sma section of the Dissenters to come forward in opposition,
but laving refused to be put in nomination at this time, Mr.
Cra* was allowed to walk the course. Rumours existed,
ha'sever, that Mr. Ayton, advocate, would take the place of
PA.. Dunlop, even up to the hour of nomination. From 2,000
to 3,000 persons were present.
Dr. MACLAGAN proposed Mr. Gibson Craig, and eulogised
bis excellent business talents, his unswerving integrity and
independence, the purity of his public and private life, the
readiness of access he afforded to men of all parties and per-
suasions, and his earnest endeavours to promote the public
good on all occasions. In office he felt assured they would
find both in him and Mr. Macaulay the same devotion of
their duty to their constituents, and the same earnest endea-
vour to promote the general welfare of the country, which
they had always so well shown as their representatives.—
(The worthy doctor was repeatedly cheered in the course of
his address.)
Mr. M. TMAN seconded the nomination.
The SIit:RIFF (no other candidate having been put in Do-
mination) declared Mr. William Gibson Craig duly elected.
Mr. GIBSON CRAIG returned thanks at some length, and
after stating that he regarded his re-election as a vote of
confidence in the present Government, referred to his vote on
the Mayneoth grant. This subject, lie was aware, created
much interest amongst the electors at the present moment.
This question (said the lion. Gentleman) is the only one on
which, during the eight or nine years I have been in Par-
liament, I have had a difference with my constituents. Though
I did regret that difference, I do not regret the vote which
I gave, and I have nothing to retract.—(Applause). When
you had elected me, I had always voted for that grant to
lilaynooth ; and I stated to you that I should be guided in
every case by the principles of civil and religious toleration,
and with equal justice to all classes of her Majesty's subjects.
That grant looked upon then, and I regard still, simply as
a grant for education; and I do solemnly declare, that I
never have seen, and am not vet able to see, that there is one
atom, that there is one iota of principle involved in it. I see
around me, on this hustings, men of all religious persuasions
—men who are leaders of the different sects of religion to
which they belong. I find many of the most distinguished
members of the Free Church of Scotland—l find many
leading members of the Established Church—l find the
Lord Provost and other leading Dissenters—all coming
here to declare that they hold there is no principle in this
vote, several of whom have said that if they had had a vote
to give, they would have given it for this grant themselves.
—(Cheers.) When you have such a unanimous opinion from
men of all classes, men of the highest moral and religious cha-
racter, men of the most acuteness of mind, and some of them
the ablest lawyers in this city—l ask you whether this point
of principle does not resolve itself into a mere point of casu-
istry?—(Cheers.) I use that expression, f trust, without
()fiance' seeing it is impossible for me to look upon it other-
wise. Sic C. E. Smith has declared that he will not rescind
the vote to 3lavnooth, because he holds Maynooth to be one
of the establishments of the country.—( Hear, and a laugh.)
My Right Hon. Colleague and myself are not prepared to
rescind that vote either; but we ate also prepared not to go
farther. We are prepared to say that we will never vote for
the endowment of the Catholic priests, either out of the
funds of the State, or out of any appropriation from the eccle-
aiastical revenues of the Irish establishment. The Hon. Gen-
tleman then referred to the importance of promoting sana-
tory measures for the city of Edinburgh, and especially of
securing an abundant supply of water. To the annuity tax
be objected, but could not promise to sweep it away, unless
some feasible substitution were proposed. The Hon. Gentle-
man concluded by an earr est appeal to the electors to return
Mr. Macaulay as his colleague.
Mr. MACAULAY having been loudly called for, addressed
the electors. After dwelling on the merits of the Hon. Gen-
tleman whom they had just returned, he said, I have never
as you well know, been in the habit of resorting to claptrap
or vote traps.--(Laughter.) But this I do say, that if any
mitigation, any salutary change of the system under which
the clergy of Edinburgh are now paid, can be effected, I am
confident that it is by the advice of such men as those I now
see around me that there is the best chance of obtaining it.
Perhaps you will permit me, having discharged the duty of
congratulating you, to say a few words respecting myself. If
the opposition to me bad been raised on any other grounds
than that on which it has been raised, I should not, on this
occasion, have come forward ; for if a large party had chosen
to oppose me, and yet if they supported my Hon. Friend on
the ground that his qualifications for his business, and his
local knowledse, were so greatly superior to mine--on the
ground that he, as your townsman, and as the son of one of
your most eminent townsmen, bad peculiar claims upon your
favour, I would not have contested the correctness of such an
opinion. Most readily shall I admit that on every ground
but one my Hen. Friend's claims are superior to mine;
but on the particular ground en which I am opposed, I affirm
that we stand exactly on the same footing.—(Cheers.) I
would not have said this till my Hon. Friend was elected.
I would not have said so, while by pointing to this argu-
ment I would seem to be endangering his return ; but as
that is past all danger, I will ask you to observe what is the
relation betweea him whom you have unanimously re-
turned, and him for whom a poll is to be taken to-morrow.
Both of us voted for the Maynooth grant. Both of us voted
for it through every stage.—( Hear, hear.) That paper of
which so much has been said—that resolution, in which cer-
tain of the electors of Edinburgh said that they would never
again return a man who voted for the grant to Maynooth,
was sent to my Hon. Friend as well as myself. That reso-
lution was answered in the same manner. Both of us de-
clared that we could not change our opinions—that we
thought we were right, and that we thought the memo-
rialista were wrong, and that we would continue to vote as
we had done ; and we continued to vote as we had done
before. And now, I ask, is it principle that my Honourable
Friend should be returned unanimously, and that any of the
persons who acquiesced in returning him can consistently
oppose me ?—( Hear.) And observe particularly how absurd
Una is, front the very nature of the opposition, because if it
were put on the ground of mere expediency everybody could
understand the principle of saying that we will drive the
nail as far as it would go, that we will keep out the weaker
candidate. That is all fair on the ground of expediency;
but it is different when put on the ground of Christian
duty. Now, I put the point of Christian duty. Both candi-
dates have voted for the Maynooth grant. If it be upon
Christian duty that you are rejecting nee, would not
Christian duty call upon you to oppose my Hon. Friend
whom you have allowed to be unanimously returned ? This
is mere paltering with Christian duty.—(Cheers.) We stand
before you on the same footing in reference to the question.
We stand before you in respect to the Catholic priesthood
exactly on the same footing. Every word that I spoke in
the Drusic-hall my Honourable Friend afterwards adopted.
Every word that he has spoken to-day I now adopt.—
(Cheera.) The poll, which comes on to-morrow, I regard as
one of no common importance. It will be, I believe, the
single poll which will be taken on the occasion of the forma-
tion of the new Administration. If this great city, the
capital of Scotland, shall pronounce that she has confidence
in her Majesty's Government—if she shall pronounce that
she approves of a conciliatory spirit being followed towards
Ireland--if she shall pronounce that she is determined not to
insult and to oppress one-third part of the population of the
United Kingdom, she will render a great service to the cause
of good government and of civil and religious freedom.—
(Cheers.) The contrary result I will not permit myself to
anticipate. I believe that our victory iscertain ; but it must
be your care to snake it decisive. Let me entreat you to
remember that every vote is of consequence, nut so much
because the event is doubtful, as because the majority will
produce an effect which will be felt all of over England and
Ireland.—( Cheers.) I have two requests to make—first,
that you will be early at the poll; and, secondly, that if you
should see, as I hope you will see, that early in the day the
contest is not matter of doubt, you will not, on that account,
think you are dispensed from doing your duty. On Wed-
nesday, victorious or vanquished, I wil( meet you here again ;
for, be the result what it may, I will look you in the face
without shame.—(Cheers.) I trust, however. that I shall
come here to congratulate you on another triumph, and to
return you thanks similar to those which have been with se
much propriety, manliness, and eloquence, addressed to you
by my Hon. Friend.—:(Cheers.)
Mr. Fox Metices in obedience to the loud calls of the
assemblage, addressed the electors. Had I the honour to
possess the franchise of the city of Edinburgh, there is no
man who would go to the poll to-morrow with a more
thorough conviction that he was doing that which was for
the benefit of this city, and of the country at large, than I
would have in voting for my Right Hon. Friend Mr. Macau-
lay.—(Cheers.) I cannot understand the nature of the oppo-
sition which has been given to my Right Hon. Friend. Had
it been on the subject of Maynooth, I might have been sup-
posed to have some sympathy with it; but it is not upon the
subject of Maynooth, otherwise that opposition would have ex-
tended to the Hon. Gentleman whom you have just returned
as your representative. And I cannot but believe and avow
that Maynoeth on this occasion has been made the stalking
horse of some paltry, miserable, mean feeling of a personal
nature towards my Right Hon. Friend.—(Great cheering.)
Why, if it had really been the case that Maynooth was the
subject of their
spo position,
ewould his opponents have brought
forward Sir C. E. Smith, who p nly declares that, though
the endowment of Maynoothin
the grant involved a vicious
principle, still he would continue to maintain it on the sta-
tute-book.---(Cheers.) I t t shat
the feoings
,txtirrrow the citizens
of Edinburgh will show
regard
such conduct by putting my Right lionourwathPey
bead of the poll. The honour of your city is iivvolvatdtit
this question— the honour of Scotland is involved in this
question, and I stand here speaking in the character of one
belonging to the Free Church, and declare that the gratitude
and the honour of the Free Church is also involved in this
question. I tell those belonging to that Church that in all
matters concerning that body in which I have been engaged,
and with no little prominence, in Parliament, upon every
occasion my Right Hon. Friend has voted with me, given me
cordial support, and, in that last question which I had the
honour to bring forward in which their interest was concerned
had the debate on that occasion resulted in a rote, my Right
Hon. Friend would have been found standing
by my side.
I will not believe it till I see it
.recorded, that any Free
Churchman will be guilty of such ingratitude, as for private
consideration and personal views l ne to desert him in
this moment of trial.—(Hear hear.)e °Gentleman, my Right
Hon. Friend has stated that this is the single solitary
instance of a contested election upon the return of Members
who have taken office under the present Government. I
regret that it should have occurred in this great and
intel-
lectual city, but the only way to wipe out
that stain
is
place Mr. Macaulay in an enormous
inajority--(Cheers)_ttoe
proclaim in his favour the general opinion of a vast number
of this constituency, in order to prevent in future the recur-
rence of a similar event._( Loud cheers.)
Mr. RUTIIERFORD, M.P., was next called for. He said, I
have never witnessed in the course of any election,agardeaetoerf
abuse than the use which on this occasion has been
the rinciples and feelings of the Free Church.—(g r,
hear., Members of that Church have come forward,
and
in respect, as they say, of the Maynooth grant, have
excited your feelings in the strongest degree to oppose
the re-election of both my Honourable Friends. Thou
g they have relinquished that opposition as to
one,
they still
_persevere in it as regards my other Honourable
Friend. Though I do not belong to the Free Church,
it enables me to reflect with great satisfaction upon
all I have been able to do in its service to find my Right
Hon. Friend cslr. Maule) come forward in his own person
and disclaim, in the name of that body—of which I venture
to say he is one of its greatest ornaments--the scandalous
proceedings which have in their name been brought forward.
—(Cheers.) The principles and feelings of that Church,
Which is based upon religious freedom, have been made the
ground of one of the most intolerant and oppressive proceed-
ings which I ever witnessed.—(Cheers.) My Right Flom
Fnend (Mr. Mauls) voted differently from me on the May_
nooth grant, bat our difference of opinion and difference of
vote on that question did not, and I am sure never will, for
a moment interrupt not otily that private friendship, nor
that feeling with which, in matters of public interest, we
have ever regarded each other.—(Loud cheers.) Ile has
told you that if he had been one of the constituency of
Edinburgh be would have voted for Mr. Macaulay. I
thank him for having said so, and I 3.'iould like to see

any layman or any reverend man wl,o shall dare to
come forward and say that they represent better
Una be dOOO 011 (fusion of ttit Ito ClAiwa, of