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

PORT OF GOOLE

was called on, and the preamble declared proved.
Their Lordships then proceeded to hear the following:
cases on the

STANDING ORDERS.
GLASGOW, DUMFRIES, AND CARLISLE;
standing orders complied with.
BLACKBURN, DARIVE.N, AND BOLTON;
standing orders complied with.
AIRDRIE AND BATIIGATE JUNCTION,
adjourned (having been part heard) tin to-morivW.
BLACKBURN AND PRESTON,
also part heard, and adjourned till to-morrow.
ENFIELD AND EDMONTON.
This case, too, was adjourned, the proofs being nearly C. 1111.
pleted.
The remaining Bills on the list were adjourned, and thf
Committee rose at half-past six.

CITY OF LONDON ELECTION.

MEETING TO PROMOTE THE RETURN OF LORD

JOHN RUSSELL.

A meeting of the electors of the City of London was held
at the Hall of Commerce, Threadneedle street, yesterday, at
one o'clock, to take measures for promoting the re-election of
Lord John Russell. The meeting was attended by the lead-
ing bankers, merchants, traders, and gentlemen of influence
in the City, and was exceedingly numerous, the large hall
being completely crowded by the hour for commencing the
proceedings. Among the gentlemen present we recognised
the following well-known friends and supporters of the Li-
beral cause :—Abel Smith, Esq.; A. W. Roberts, Esq. ;
Henry L. Keeling, Esq. ; John Dillon, Esq. ; W. Wilkieson,
Esq. ; Wm. Williams, Esq., M.P.; H. Aglionby, Esq, M.P.;
Sir William Molesworth, Bart., M.P. ; R. Ricardo, Esq.f
; Sir James Duke, M.P. ; M. Foster, Esq., M.P. ;
Hawes, M.P, ; David Salomons Esq. ; Baron Rothschild ;
Sir Isaac Lynn Goldsmid ; Sir Edward Fowell Buxton;
Thomas Mulkey, Esq. ; J. A. Hankey, Esq. ; Ingram
Travis, Esq. ' • Sir George Larpent ; G. F Young, Esq. ;
Cotton, Esq. (Chairman of the Bank of England); Samuel
Jones Loyd, Esq. ; Mr. Rintoul, Mr. Sergeant Gazelee,
W. Wansey, Mr. Tritt, Mr. Bayliss, &c., &c.
Mr. S. J. LOYD rose, amidst loud cheers, to propose that
A. W. Roberts, Esq., do occupy the chair on this
occasion. lie proposed this, in the first place, on ac-
count of that gentleman's personal character, and the
high respect and esteem in which he was held by the citizens
of London ; in the second place, on the ground of his strong
consistency to the great principles of free trade, which was
now acknowledged to be the principles of the country;
and, in the third place on account of the long, consistent, Enid
cordial friendship which had existed between Mr. Robarte
and the great and distinguished individual in respect to
whom they had been called together on the present
occasion. While proposing the appointment of the Honour-
able Gentleman he had named to the chair, he (Mr.
Jones Loyd) could not allow the opportunity to pass
without declaring his cordial concurrence with the great
principles which had just obtained so extraordinary and
glorious a triumph ; and expressing the earnest hope that
they would by acclamation secure the return of Lord John
Russell, who had hitherto so faithfully discharged the trust
reposed in him to his constituents, and in a manner bene.-
ficial to their common country.—(Cheers.) He trusted they
would send back the Noble Lord to Parliament, to carry out-
to the fullest extent the principles of commercial freedom,
which had been recognised in that great measure which had
so recently received the sanction of the Legislature.—(Loud
cheers.)
The motion being seconded, was put and carried by accla-
mation.

The CHAIRMAN then rose amidst loud cheers to address
the meeting. He said-Gentlemen, I feel greatly
flattered by the honour you have done me,
and the confidence you have shown in solicit-
ing me to take the chair on this important occasion,
and to preside over so numerous and respectable a meeting.
I cannot but feel myself inadequate to give satisfaction as
Chairman on such an important occasion, and would rather
that some more influential person had been selected; still r
will, to the best of my ability, discharge the duty you have
reposed in me. You are all, Gentlemen, familiar with the
circumstances that have called us together. This meeting
has arisen on account of a vacancy in the representation
of this City, your late Noble Member having been called on
by our Gracious Sovereign to take the office of her first
Minister-(Cheers)-an appointment which, I feel confident,
has given general satisfaction.-(Hear, hear.) I do not
think there will be any opposition attempted to the re-
election of the Noble Lord; and from a grateful recollectinS
of his past consistency, his able advocacy of civil and re:i-
gious liberty, and his support of the principles of free,
trade, he has the strongest claims upon the votes 0
the constituency of this great metropolis.-(Loud cheers.)
I hope, therefore, that on the present, as well as on any
future occasion, the great consistency of the Noble Lord,
and the manner in which he has proved himself an honest,
faithful, excellent, and indefatigable representative, will in-
duce you to return him as your Member to the Commons
House of Parliament.-(Loud cheers.) I will now call ore
Sir George Larpent to move the first resolution.
Sir GEORGE LA/WE.NT said he felt great satisfaction that
so humble an individual as himsef had been thought worthy to
move the first resolution on that auspicious occasion. They ,
might have got one more able to perform the duty, but, he
could assure them they could not get one more strongly, im-
pressed with a sense of duty, or who felt more strong and warm
in regard to the great question they had met to consider..
The resolution he had to propose was-" That the recent
reforms in the commercial code of the country has given
great satisfaction to the electors of the City of London."
From the signs of the times he was persuaded that
this resolution would be unanimously adopted. He
felt it was a great sign of the times that the two great::
political parties of the state had united to carry those prin-
ciples which they had advocated for so long a time.
They would remember that in 1820, the citizens of
London petitioned Parliament in favour of the principles of
free trade, and now they found them supported by the party
that then opposed them.--(llear, hear.) He had taken &
few words of that petition. They were, that Parliament
should do away with every restriction on trade-
(Hear, hear)-and that no duties on imports
should be retained except for the purposes of revenue. The
petition prayed that all protective duties should be abolished,
and it was ou this principle, he was happy to say, the
question had now been settled.-(Loud cheers) Re-
ferring to the address of the Noble Lord, now that
the conflict in regard to corn was past and over, they should
see that the principle so admitted was carried out to other
commercial questions in a faithful and impartial manner to
sugar and other articles of commerce. Though he was glad
that the principle of commercial freedom had been recognised
by the Legislature, and he felt thankful to those who had
honestly changed their opinions, and in assisting to carry
the measure freely and boldly, stood forward in support of
the truth- still, it must be admitted, that without the timely
pnblication of the letter of the Noble Lord, the great question
would not yet have been carried. Though he was not one
attached to party, it was but right that they should look
back and see who those were, who, year by year, stood
onward in support of those principles which
had now received their final consummation. A great debt
was no doubt due to those that did not profess to belong
to party who had supported commercial freedom. He
still held the opinion that it was by the means
of that honourable party they had principally succeeded-
so that they were mainly indebted for their triumph. Had
the letter of the Noble Lord not appeared at the time it d.WI
to encourage the timid, and steady the faltering and waver-
ing, and beget firmness and confidence in all,
the great measure which had so recently been
carried might have fallen through.-(Hear, hear.) It was to
the consistent advocates of civil and religious liberty they
were mainly indebted for all the great improvements and re-
forms that, had taken place. For the Reform Bill, the repeal of
the Test and Corporation Acts, Catholic Emancipation, the
opening of the trade to India, China, Negro Emancipation,
and all the other great political, religious, commercial, and
social changes of the last twenty years. To that party,
therefore, they were under the deepest obli-
gations for what had
already been achieved.
It was
oL
joinord m
John Russell declaredthe cahtihs
oWliic Ilingness,
in
Canningßuli who
carryto
Emancipa-
tion, and he would assure them that if Mr. Canning had
been allowed to carry that measure, a great number of the
evils which now render Ireland& difficulty to statesmen would
never have existed.-(Hear.) He would ask them, who wag
it that in 1828 proposed a moderate reform ? Lord John
Hussell.-(Hear, hear.) He was opposed-he Was
thwarted, but he still persevered; and when *
change in the Administration took place it was to
him, in 1831, was intrusted the carrying into effect
that great measure, and nobly did the Ministry in office Ad-
here to those principles which they had expressed in Oppo-
sition.-(Hear, hear.) Lord John Russell was the
father of the Reform Bill, and when he took all
these circumstances into consideration, he could.
have no hesitation or doubt as to the re-election of the
Noble Lord. He had constructed an Administration on as
broad a basis as it was possible under existing circum-
stances, and he had appointed to the subordinate effaces of
the Administration men whose high characters, love of the
people, and known principles, gave a sufficient guarantee
that the hopes of the people would be fully realised. Ire
referred to the Secretary of the Colonies, to the Secretary
for the Admiralty, and to the Secretary for the Treasury.
To these offices appertained the real and effectual working of
the Government. He felt that he had already occupied too
much of their attention.-(Hear, hear.) He had no fear of
the result. Lord John Russell stood before them
with the characteristics of the three great parties
to whom were entrusted the destinies of the State. Trusted.
by her Majesty, connected with the aristocracy, and attached
to the people by a name grateful to the ears of English-
men, and one which always carried with it honour-
able distinction, he would be placed in the
situation of representative for the largest commercial con-
stituency in the world.-(Hear, hear.) He had, therefore,
great pleasure in moving the resolution.
Mr. FOSTER, M.P., rose to second the resolution which
had been moved by his Honourable Friend, and he did so
with the greater pleasure, as he most heartily coin-
cided with the sentiments he expressed, and what-
ever slight difference in opinion there might as set remain
in the minds of some as to the ultimate success of these re-
orms, he for one felt convinced that they would soon expe-
rience their beneficial effect. if the City of London
had seen reasons to elect the Noble Lord in 1841,
those reasons had surely increased at the present moment
The Noble Lord and his colleagues would have to carry out
what had been already so happily begun, and they would
have the glorious opportunity of founding a basis for a
claim of eternal gratitude from-the country, by adopting the
same liberal tone with regard to the Colonies which they
had already shown in their policy at home.-- (Hear, hear.)
It was not necessary for him to dilate on the importance of
the colonies. They had been, unfortunately, much neglected,
principally by reason of their remote situation, and
the difficulty which was experienced in getting
up any agitation respecting them. But he would ask were
they never to have any reform without agitation? He
trusted that the new Ministry would undertake reform
without being coerced into it-(Cheers)-by agitation.
He had reason to know that were it not for
the change which had taken place it was the inten-
tion of many influential parties to form a Colonial League.-
(Hear, hear.) But ho bad the greatest confidence in the
appointments which had been made respecting the
colonies. He might allude to his Honpurable Friend
Mir AliCATfeol the appointment of which geattlematt to the