The Sun.
London, England, 1834-12-17 00:00:00

LAMBETH ELECTION.

A most respectable numerous Meeting of the Committee
for conducting the Election of W. Hawcs, jun., Esq. to
represent the borough of Lambeth in the next Parliament,
was held on Monday evening, at the Horns Tavern, Ken-
nington. About two hundred gentlemen attended.
LAURENCE REDHEAD, Esq. was unanimously called to the
Chair, and in opening the business of the meeting stated, how
little he expected two years ago to be so soon called upon to
take the chair at an election committee. The late Ministry,
h9werer, had been dissolved, and that authority which none
would dispute had called to his Councils a Ministry vi hieh, in
all probability, would render an election immediately necessary.
It was not the object of the meeting to discuss the propriety
of the change. It was to promote and secure the election of
Mr. Hawes they were called together this evening.
Mr. Deputy WOOD proposed the first resolution.
Mr CORY seconded the resolution.

Mr. HAWES came forward and said, that having voted upon
so many public questions, he should leave his votes to speak
his opinions generally. On one great and important question,
the question of a Church Establishment. he wished to say a
few words explicitly. He was intimately connected with many
Dissenters, and of the great body of Dissenters no one could
think or speak with more deference and respect than himself.
He was acquainted with their opinions, and understood their
objections to a Church connected with the state. Without
entering into speculative opinions he begged to make one ob-
servation, which to him appeared of importance. Dissenters,
as private individuals or constituents, ought zealously to advo-
cate their opinions ; but he, as a Member of the Legislature,
was bound to consider the subject in a practical point of view ;
to regard the state of public opinion, more particularly on reli-
gious subjects, and to consider the Church as at present ex-
tending its beneficial influence over districts without any other
religious prevision than that Church afforded, and where there
was too great poverty to rely on any other. He begged ex-
plicitly to add that though he opposed the separation of the
Church from the State, he should strenuously oppose its abuses,
its pluralities and sinecures, its unjust and ill-proportioned
distribution of its wealth both in England and more particu-
larly in Ireland : and he thought that unless a decided and
vigorous reform was immediately commenced it would fall by
its corruption and consequent weakness. A reformed and
truly national church had yet to be tried, and he wished to see
it tried.

An Elector asked his opinions on the extension of the suf-
frage, the repeal of the stamp duty on newspapers, and whether
he would op' ose the Duke of Wellington?
Mr. HAWES said that he conceived that the Reform Bill
based the suffrage on property, which ought to be its basis,
unless universal suffrage was contended for, to which he was
opposed ; that the only motion which had been made for re-
moving some of the restrictions a the Reform Bill he had sup-
ported, as well as the repeal of the stamp duty on newspapers;
and that as regarded opposition to the new Government, he
never bad been, never would be, the tool of a party, and con-
sequently, would never pledge himself to refuse a good measure
because it might be brought forward by men to whom be was
politically opposed.
It was then moved by Mr. PYGSTOCK, and seconded by Mr.
STEVENS, the Common Councilman, " That District Can-
vassing► Committees be formed."
Thanks were then voted, amid loud cheers, to the Chair-
man ; who reiterated his devotion to the good cause of Reform.
The meeting then broke up, giving three hearty cheers for
Mr. Hawes.