The Sun.
London, England, 1846-10-05 00:00:00

ELECTION OF LORD MAYOR.

CLOSE OF TIIE FIFTH DAY'S POLL.
What we stated on Saturday we can only repeat again
to-day--the cause of Alderman Wood and the cause of
the Livery is still in the ascendant, and no doubt can be
entertained that it will continue so until the end of the
poll. The public interest of the election appeared to be
greatly increased. Upon the hustings assembled at an
early hour the friends of Alderman Wood and Sir George
Carroll in greater numbers than had appeared upon any
former day, with the exception of the first, and the
evidences of a contest were more strongly marked, par-
ticularly towards the conclusion of the day's poll. The
usual language or approval and disapprobation was dealt
out in a less restrained manner by the crowd immediately
in front of the hustings, and the shouts in favour of
Alderman Wood were much more vehement, if possible,
than any with which the Hall has resounded since the
commencement of the election.

The poll of the fifth day closed at three o'clock, and
shortly after that hour it was announced to be as
folio% s

Mr. Alderman Wood
Sir G. Carroll B5B
Mr. Alderman Hooper
Mr. Alderman Farncomb
Mr. Alderman Moon 3
The announcement was received with the most vehe-
ment cheering from a crowded hall, and the statement
that Alderman Moon had advanced two on the poll created
no inconsiderable merriment.
Mr. Alderman WOOD then came forward to address
the Livery. It was a high gratification to him to appear
on the fifth day's poll in the proud and triumphant posi
lion in which he then stood.—(Cheers.) For that
position he begged to tender to the Livery his most
sincere gratitude. _(Cheers.) It had been his intention
to have said but little on that occasion, as it was his wish
to reserve himself to the last day of the election ; but
having read in one of the most valuable journals of the
country a statement reflecting upon his conduct in a
transaction to which he had many times alluded, he
trusted that the Livery would allow him to say a few
words, particularly as he found that that journal had
riot been fairly dealt with.—(Cheers.) That statement
had been put in doubtless at the request of parties that
he would not name, and that journal with its usual
caution, and animated by that sense of justice which had
always distinguished it—(Cheers)—published it, but at
the same time stating that it would not vouch for its
correctness.—(Cheers.) Every public man was a legiti-
mate object of public animadversion ; and public con-
duct was fairly the text for the observations and stric-
tures of the press. The service rendered to the com-
munity by the practice was unquestionable; but when,
through the public vehicles of intelligence, misrepre-
sentations were made by interested parties, although the
prints themselves might be blameless, those who
authorised the publication were the more strongly re-
prehensible.—(Cheers.) Two gentlemen had fen Thurs-
day appeared on the hustings, and made several state-
ments with the view of prejudicing his character with
the public. Those statements were brought forward in
an off hand manner; and, although he stepped forward
to answer them at the instant, one of the gentlemen left
the hustings and his work of mischief, without waiting
for the antidote to the poison with which he had
been charged.—(Loud cries of " Shame," and cheering.)
It was well known that in 1832 he had been called upon
to take the guidance of a suit on behalf of the Irish
Society—(Cheers)—in which that society was engaged
with the Skinners' Company.—(Cheers.) That suit con-
tinued in progress until 1845, and had occupied twelve
days in one court, fourteen days in a second, and six-
teen days in a third. The most unwearied attention to
the legal proceedings was indispensable, and he had
come to an understanding with the Irish Society that
his bills should be annually paid, for the expenses neces-
sarily incurred were considerable, in a case in which
such valuable interests w ere involved. He found it,
however, a matter of difficulty at all times to obtain the
payment of the expenses he was out of pocket, and the
payments, which were promised to be annual, degene-
rated into payments of two and three years' procrastina-
tion. Here Alderman Wood referred particularly to the
statement made in the Times of Saturday, headed
" Alderman Wood and the Irish Society," and denied in
the most positive manner the truth of the accusation
made against him by the writer of the statement, whom
he believed to be Mr. Anderton, the deputy-governor of
the Irish Society. (The statement contained a repetition
of the charges made against Alderman Wood by Mr.
Ainderton and Mr. Taylor, but in a more detailed form,
and asserted, amongst other things, that he had not paid a
large amount of fees to counsel and their clerks, although
he had long since drawn the money from the society for
such purpose.) He again solemnly declared to the
meeting that in the whole of his conduct in the affair to
which the statement re'erred, he had shown the highest
degree of integrity and zeal, and that his exertions had
been crowned with the most unquestionable success.
But calumny was a detestable agent, that never slept,
and Mr. Anderton, the man who had in 1845 be-
smeared him with praises, which he knew to be much
greater than he deserved, now started up on a sudden
and turned round as his traducer.—(Cries of " Shame,
shame," and loud cheers.) The base attacks upon him
invaded the whole intercourse of his private life, and
his character was invaded in proportion to the good he
was endeavouring to accomplish for his fellow citizens.
He trusted that the Livery would not relax in their ex-
ertions-to enable him to overcome the efforts of the
slanderers who had been so indefatigable in their en-
deavours to deprive him of the good opinion of the
public ; but that they would come in numbers to the
poll until four o'clock on Tuesday, when the contest
would be at an end.---(Loud cheers.) The gratitude
that he felt for the position in which the Livery had
placed him, was almost overpowering, and he hoped be •
tore he met them on Monday that the questions which
had been raised against him would be completely
settled and disposed of.—(Cheers.) He begged of
them again, if they found uncalled for attacks made
upon him, to suspend their judgment.—(Cheers.) They
had witnessed the attacks that had already been
made upon him.—(Cries of " We don't believe them.")
Those attacks had been published all over the world ;
he told them again and again that they were without
foundation.—(Cries of "We know they are.") He had
stated the whole truth that day, and he challenged
contradiction of it.—(Greet cheering.)
Mr. BENNOCK, a member of the Common Council,
then came forward to address the Livery. He would
not apolegise for presenting himself to the meeting, for
in that hall he was aware that every Englishman was
heard with patience. He could not, therefore, resist
the temptation to give his opinion upon a contest which
had occasioned such excitement through circumstances
most discreditable to the city of London. In speaking
of the discreditable character of the circumstances at-
tending the election, he alluded to the conduct of the
irresponsible body who had exercised the veto with
which they were armed in rejecting a gentleman who
had been twice returned to them by the Livery, as qua-
lified for the office of chief magistrate.—(Cheers.) And
why had they rejected him ? What reason had they
given for their refusal to select the choice of the Livery
for the office in which they wished to see him acting?—
(Hear, hear.) One alderman said that Alderman Wood
was ineligible because of his connexion with joint-stock
companies.—(Laughter.) Now, if a connexion with
joint-stock companies constituted ineligibility, he should
be glad to be informed which of the aldermen were qua-
lified?—(Cheers and laughter.) He was merely calling
the attention of the Livery to certain facts which ap-
peared to him to be in the case before them most ma-