The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-13 00:00:00

TOWER HAMLETS ELECTION.

RETURN OF THE HON. COLONEL FOX.
The election of a Member to represent this metro-
politan borough in Parliament, consequent on the
resignation of Colonel Fox, who has accepted the
office, under Lord John Russell's Government, of
Surveyor-General of the Board of Ordnance, took
place on Saturday at Stepney- green, afternoon at
one o'clock. There being no opposition to the Gallant
Colonel, who offered himself for re-election, the affair was
as dull as anything of the kind could well be. At the hour
of the proceedings commencing there were not more than
three hundred persons present, and at any time there
were not more than five hundred. The only circum-
stance that denoted the ordinary character of an election
was the promise of a contest at the forthcoming general
election, as apparent by the following hand-bill which

was plentifully distributed about:—
" The requisitions to L. Heyworth and G. Thompson,
Esqs., to become candidates to represent this borough in
Parliament have already received the signatures of several
hundreds of electors, but as the existence of the
present Parliament must of necessity be of very
short duration, it is not considered advisable to con-
test the borough on this occasion. The prospect of a general
election must therefore be borne in mind, and if the electors
desire to have for their representatives men who are
advocates of liberal principles, they must unite in a cordial
invitation to such men as Messrs. Heywortb. and Thomp-
son, whose free-trade principles are not paralysed by the
repeal of the corn-laws ; whose love of religious liberty will
not permit them to support any State endowments of reli-
gion ; and whose sense of political justice is not limited by
the Reform Bill, but includes the enfranchisement of all."
The hustings and other arrangements for conducting
the business of the nomination were of the most meagre
and incomplete character—the former being made up of
three old waggons, placed lengthwise, and covered with
a piece of tarpaulin, which, when crowded with the
members of the Gallant Colonel's committee, groaned
and creaked in no ordinary manner. As far as it re-

garded the press, accommosation there was none—
the whole of the gentlemen representing the
metropolitan journals being crowded together and forced
to stand in a narrow space in front of the platform.
With some difficulty, and after a remonstrance on the
part of the reporters, a small rickety table, sufficient
for two to write on, with a couple of chairs, were pro-
cured from a neighbouring public-house, and duly
placed in front of the platform, for the accommodation
of about twenty-four gentlemen of the " fourth estate."
Amongst those present, connected with the Liberal
interest of the borough, we recognised the following
gentlemen:—G. Offor, Esq., Martineau, Esq., Sir
E. N. Buxton, Mr. Salomons, Mr. Hammack, Mr. Oven-
den, Mr. Bewley, Mr. Atkins, Dr. Snow, Mr. Wire,
Messrs.W. and J. Wright, Mr. J. Tanner, Mr. J. Stokes,
Dr. Jenkins, &c., &c.
The Returning Officer (Henry Child, Esq.) read the
precept for the election, and the usual oaths being ad-
ministered, and the Act against bribery and corruption
read, said that it was his duty, as returning officer, to
remind them of the importance of the work they were
now called upon to perform, not only with regard
to themselves, but to the whole constituency of that im-
portant borough, as well as to the nation at large.—
(Hear.) He trusted that they would treat any person
who should present himself before them as a candidate
that day respectfully, and with attention. He would
just mention one circumstance, before concluding, to ahoy
the necessity for discharging carefully the important trust
reposed in them as electors.—(Hear.) The consti-
tuency of that borough consisted of 18,000 individuals,
and he found by the returns, that at the time of
the passing of the Reform Act there were but
9,800 electors in their borough, showing an in
crease of nearly double since that period.—(Cheers.)
It was now his duty to request that they would at once
proceed to the business of the meeting—that was the
election of a Member for the seat vacated by their late
Member, Colonel Fox, in consequence of his having
accepted the office of Surveyor-General of her Majesty's
Ordnance.
G. OFFOR, Esq., then came forward to propose Colonel
Fox as a fit and proper person for the representation
of the borough, and in so doing said he was perfectly
satisfied that they were all agreed as to the excellence
of the observations that had been made by the return-
ing officer as to the vast importance of the subject that
had brought them together. It was of the highest inte-
rest to every man who lived in the Tower Haralets,whether
he had a right to vote or not—whether it might be
denied to him or not to vote in the election—it was a
matter which he was sure they might congratulate them-
selves upon, that if a man was returned to Parlia-
ment, and then accepted a place under Govern-
ment, that he was at once returned to his
constituents for them to say whether they were satisfied
with his conduct, and whether they would trust them-
selves in his hands as their representative. —(Hear,
hear.) If a man who was a Member of the House of
Commons wished to get a situation of responsibility
under Government, he was obliged to give up his place,
and it was left to his constituents to say to such a one,
"We have done with you—(Hear, hear)—you have
disgraced yourself; you have injured us, and we will
have nothing more to do with a man who, for
the sake of profit or of honour, would give up his
sentiments to have a situation under any Government
whatever."—(Hear, hear.) But their case was totally
different. In the case of the election of the Tower Ham-
lets they elected a gentleman to represent them in Par-
liament, one, who because he would not truckle—who,
because he would not change his sentiments—who, be-
cause he stood firm to that party and to those senti-
ments with which he bad introduced himself to the
electors of the Tower Hamlets, lost his situation,
and had to retire into private life ; and it was
only upon the return of his friends and
his associates, and the men bearing his principles into
power, that he consented again to serve his country by
serving under the Government.—(Hear, hear.) He
(Mr. Offer) was sure they never wished to see offices
filled by men that were unworthy their trust ; they
would not wish to see offices under Government filled by
men who would truckle to any Administration. Their
desire was to see them filled by honest and virtuous men,
men who would do their duty to their country at large
sad to their constituents. They wished to see such men
placed in offices of trust, and however people might talk
--and generally speaking those who did so talk had but
very little information upon the subject—(llear, hear)—
however they might talk of not having placeinen to re-
present them, he should be glad indeed to lied every
placeman to be equal in honour, integrity, and worth,
and who possessed the esteem of all who knew him, as
did the Hon. Colonel who had represented them, and
who, he hoped, would be again returned in triumph.—
(Cheers.) He (Mr. Offer) had much pleasure in again
introducing that Hon. Gentleman to their notice, and
especially so when he knew that the Hon. Colonel
was a man who was above all change, unless it were
such a change as was required for the interests of the
nation at large, and then he came forward to tell them
in an honest and straightforward way, and left them to
draw their own conclusions.—(Cheers.) Since he had
the pleasure of meeting them upon a similar occasion
wonderful changes had taken place Frith regard
to the aspect of affairs in this country.
The Whig Administration, torn as they were
and rent by internal divisions, and continually harassed
by their political opponents, were obliged to give up
their situation, and then those who took their offices
also took their measures, and the credit of having intro-
duced and passed them.—(Cheers.) They had originally
introduced that most important of all measures, viz., that
they should have cheap bread—(Cheers)—and he
hoped that they would all now have a plen-
tiful supply of it, and that they would
now return Colonel Fox, who had supported
the late Government in their efforts to bring food to the
people.—(Cheers.) Let them by doing so reward him
for the manly manner in which he had supported the
liberal party in the House of Commons, for having voted
for Mr. Villiers's motions, to have an immediate and
total abolition of those laws that impeded the operation
of Providence, if he (Mr. Offer) might so speak—
(Cheers.)—and which prevented the proper supply of
food, and created scarcity throughout these realms.
—(Cheers.) But there had also been some other most
important alterations.—[Some confusion was here
created by a person in the crowd attempting to speak,
when Mr. Offer said, I hope every man will have an
opportunity of speaking fairly and freely.]—(Cheers.)
There had then (said Mr. Offer in resuming) been some
most important alterations. The
Whig
Govern-
ment, from dire necessity, left the treasury empty,
and the Government almost bankrupt. The
Tory Government had now a great taxation,
from which they had relieved the poor
at last, and righteously placed the public bnrdens upon
the shoulders of the rich.—(Cheers.) By these means,
• --eaaaced, they bad filled the national treasury aKainr
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