The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-18 00:00:00

SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE
ELECTION.
(FROX OUR CORRESPONDENT.)
LICHFIELD, FRIDAY.

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The nomination and re-election of the lion. Colonel
Anson, on his appointment as Clerk of the Ordnance,
took place to-day. R. W. fiends, Esq , under-sheriff cf the
county, officiated as returning officer. No opposition to
the re-election of the Hon. and Gallant Colonel was
offered. The nomination of the Hon. Member was pro-
posed by the Hon. Edward Littleten, who, after compli-
menting the Gallant Officer for his past services as a re-
presentative, proceeded to say, that though the all-
exciting and absorbing question of the corn-laws
had now been, as was hoped, set at rest for
ever, there was much that yet remained to
be done, not only in regard to the sugar duties, but also
in reference to the policy to be pursued by the Govern-
ment towards Ireland. The state of that country was
described by the Hun. Gentleman as being a disgrace
to the people of any country, more especially those of
England, who looked upon it as a part of their own
civilised nation. As to the people as a mass, they were
ignorant, and sunk in poverty, while the external ap-
oearance of the abodes of the peasantry showed the,
squalor and wretchedness which prevailed within them.
The crime of murder, too, be was sorry to say, in some
parts of the country was not considered such a heinous
Afence, as it sh.ruld be, but what otherwise could be ex-
pected when the people were but little betterthatt brutes
After expressing his contilence that the present
Government weu!d bring forward measures which
would benefit the people of Ireland, nod wou'd also
look with attention to the state of educadon, and the
ianatory condition of the towns and villages of this
country, the Hon. Gentleman concluded by proposing
the lion. Celonel Georges Ansou us a fit and proper
person, &c., and retired amid ;cud applause,
The Rev. T. 0. B. FLOYER seconded the nomination
a speech of some length, and remarkable ler the
latitudinarianism displayed by the speaker in reference
to the question of national education.
I. There being no oiler candidate nominated, the lion.
Colonel Anson was declared duly elected.
The llon, Member was then about to address the
el,ctors, when C. J. Foster, Esq., late High Sheriff of
the county, came forward and said it was not his inten•
tion to offo. any opposition on the present occasion ; on
the contrary as a Censervative—a Conservative more
in the literal than the pirty sense of- the term—he
legged to say that he re joiced at the unanimity which
had marked the proceedings of the day. lie felt that
my opposition to the Government at the present
,noment would be unfair to the ministry and injurious
to the country.—(Loud cheers.) He rejoiced to see the
unoeposed elections throughout the kingdom, and he
lid hope, tint now the opportunity was afforded them,
,hey would think fit to bring forward measures that
voultl tend to improve the social and moral condition of
':he people, and at the same time avoid any dangerous
Ind anarchical measures.—(Loud cheers.)
The lion. Col. ANSON then adiressed the electors at
great length, and having thanked the electors for the
eonour they had again conferred on him, observed that
by doing that they had not only sanctioned his indivi-
ourd conduct, but 'also the coarse pursued by
Lord John Russell during the last five years;
Ind as well they had thus sanctity- ed the line
of future plicy so recently laid down.—(Hear,
hear.) When they looked at the unopposed elections
throughout the longdom, it did appear that there was a
general feeling that good principles end good measures
were the basis upon which the present Government
would act. After alluding to the course pursued by the
Whigs while out of office, and the triumporint acknow-
ledgement of the soundness of their policy by Sir. IL
Peel, the Hon. Gentleman proceeded to observe that
no danger need be apprehended from the course that
would be pursued by the Noble Lord at the head of her
Majesty's Government, as his past efforts had
ever been to repair and amend existing insti-

z.utions, not to destroy them.—(llear and cheers.)
After thanking Sir Robert Peel for the great boon he
had conferred upon this country by the measures of
commercial policy, the Hon. Member proceeded to justify
his course of conduct in voting against the Irish Coercion
Bill—a measure which he denounced as unconstitutional,
and for which no necessity had been shown, inasmuch
as it had not been pretended that the present laws had
been carried to their full extent. After stating
his opinion that no coercive measures, however
stringent, would reconcile a people to bad govern-
ment, the Hon. Member maintained that the more
effectual mode of destroying agitation, of quel-
ling bloodshed, and elevating the people of Ire-
land, would be to grant them the same political and
municipal rights as were exercised by the people of Eng-
land, and by improving their social condition. The
Hon. Member then briefly alluded to his intention of
supporting a more liberal system of national education,
as well as a due provision for the better regulation of the
sanatory condition of towns and villages. On con-
Autting, the Hon. Member was asked whether, in the
event of a Bill being proposed, qualifying parties to vote
in borough elections where they paid a rental of 10/., he
would support it, and having answered in the affirmative,
the Hon. Gentleman retired amid loud cheers. A vote
ef thanks to the Under- Sherlf was subsa quently carried,
and the proceedings terminated.