The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-06 00:00:00

LATEST

TAUNTON ELECTION.

TAUNTON, Tuesday.—The election of a member to
represent this borough in Parliament, rendered neces-
sary by the Eight Hon. 11. Labouchere's acceptance of
office, took place to-day, at a hustings erected in front
of themarket-place.

Shortly after ten o'clock the right hon. gentleman
arrived at the hustinge, accompanied by his mover, se-
conder, and other influential supporters ; and almost
immediately afterwards the high bailiffs, H. Alford
May and F. May, Esqrs., arrived, attended by their
proper offic:lrs, and the usual preliminaries having been
disposed of, called upon the burgesses to proceed to the
business of the election.

Richard Mede King, Esq., of Pyrland Hall, then
moved, and H. Lyddon, Esq., seconded, the nomina-
tion of the Right Hon. H. Labouchere, one of her Ma-
jesty's Principal Secretaries of State, as a fit and pro-
per person to represent the borough ; and there being
no other candidate, the returning officer declared Mr.
Labouchere duly elected. .
Mr. LABOUCHEBE then came forward to return thanks,
and was warmly cheered. He said that was the twelfth
time he had had the honour of receiving their suffrages ;
and as he considered it unnecessary to detain them at
any length, he should not enter upon many of those
topics which they had discussed at former elections,
and most of which had now become matters of history.
There was, however, one topic which at present en-
grossed the public mind, and upon which he felt it to
be his duty to address a few words to the electors.
He referred to the all-important question of peace. (Hear,
hear). At the time when war was declared by this
country he believed that snever was there a community
more earnestly desirous of preserving the blessings of
peace than were the British people. They desired it
because they were perfectly satisfied with the station
which their country occupied amongst the nations of
the world—(hear, bear)—they desired it because they had
no wish for aggrandisement, no lust for oonquest ; and
they desired it, moreover, because they felt and believed
that it was the duty of a Christian people to maintain
peace unless when the gravest causes compelled them
to draw the .sword. They.felt that it was no light thing
to shed the blood of man or to involve great nations
in all the misery and insecurity of war ; and he (Mr
Labouchere) believed that any government which was
ready to throw this country into a war, excepting that
they could justify that war in the face of England
and the world, would have received, not only no sup-
port, but the most condign censure from the people of
England. (Hear.) He therefore felt satisfied that why
the nation had supported the Government with a steadi-
ness and unanimity of which scarcely any former period
could show an example, was because they were satisfied
that before they resorted to the extremity of war they
had tried every means to preserve peace, if peace could
be preserved on honourable and secure terms. The
cause of qbarrel with Russia was one in which the jus-
tice was altogether on the side of England. As Christian
men, therefore, they were justified in engaging in the
war, and in hoping that Providence would prosper the
object with which it was undertaken. (Cheers.) The
truth was, it was not undertaken because Russia had
meditated certain attacks on Turkey, but because it was
believed that Russia was engaged in a systematic attack
against all Europe, which, if not met by a firm and de-
termined resistance, would have produced a state of things
utterly inconsistent with' the freedom of the habitable
world. (Cheers.) It was that feeling which induced the
people of this country to believe that England would be
wanting in its duty to the position which she held
amongst the nations of the earth if she did not stand re-
solutely forward and join with her gallant allies the
people of France, whom he was glad to see so firmly
united with us in a cause so honourable. It was the
feeling he had referred to which had induced us to come
forward, and take a part worthy of our ancient renown
and of the high station we had so long and held. They
ware now, however, engaged in negotiations for peace,
and he heartily prayed that those negotiations might be
successful. To protract any war unnecessarily, he would
not say for a year, but even for an hour, would not only
be a national error, but a national crime, and, therefore,
he should rejoice if the negotiations led to peace—that
was to such a peace—the only one which the British
nation would expect the Government to agree to—as
would afford, by its being honourable, the prospect of its
being durable.' The right bon: gentleman then referred
to the question of civil and religious liberty, and having
again acknowledged the honour which had been done
him in his election, expresied his belief that so long as
he remained faithful to the principles which had always
guided his public life he need never fear to show him-
self to the burgesses of Taunton. (Cheers.)
Cheers were then given for the high bailiff and the
Queen, and the proceedings terminated.

THE WILL FORGERY AND POMONING

AT MANCHESTER.

At the conclusion of the evidence in this case, re-
ported yesterday, Mr. Bradlaugh applied to the magis-
trates to be allowed to put in the paper marked "A,"
as the original will, with pencil interlineations and al-
terations. These pencil marks were proved to have been
written by Edward Dunn, ono of the prisoners, and
which copy so altered formed an exact draft of the
will which had been forged.
Mr. Fernley, for the prisoners, contended that there
had not been sufficient proof of the handwriting to
make the paper evldence.

Mr. 111autie was of a different opinion, and deoided to
admit the paper._

T. 13 following is a copy of the paper, or original will,
the worts printed in italics being words written in ink in
the body of the paper, bu 6 subsequently erased in pencil;
and those wir.hin brackets [l, being pencil interlineations
or substitutions for words in the original struck out in
pencil :

" August 3, 1855.
" John Monaghan, do hereby bequeath to tliza,
my daughter, now the wife of Francis King, number
[James Monaghan, my son] eleven, Hope-street, Chorl-
tin upon (on) MedOcri, the sum of tea pounds sixteen
.hillings sterling, the sum due on a policy of the Wel-
lington Reversionary Annuity and Life Assurance Society
[Diadem Life Assurance Company, 156, to pay my
debts and all claims after my decease]. Given ur der
my hand this third day of August, one thousand eight
hundred and fifty-five, inTresence of the undernamed
witnesses. Ido hereby certify that this is my will.

JOHN MONAGHAN, his mark.
" Witness : JAMES MONOGHAN,
JAS. KEEFE,
THOS. CONNOR."

On the fly-sheet was written
" I certify this to be my act and deed.
"JOHN AIONAGHAN, his mark.
" James Monaghan, heir to the estate."

Mr. Bradlaugh now applied for the committal of all
,he prisoners except Barry, against whom he admitted
,here was not sufficient evidence.
Mr. Fernley addressed the court in defence.

When the prisoners were asked by the bench if they
wished to make any statement, Keefe replied that be
would state all he knew, but by the advice of his solicitor
he was induced to withhold his statement.
Dunn said—All he could say was that the pencil
marks were not his, and he never saw the will before he
saw it in the hands of the secretary of the company
in the presence of Mr. Orr, the surgeon, at No. 28,
Cooper-street.
_ _

Keefe said he wished to say that Mr. Bradlaugh,
who called himself a gentleman, had told him that he
would transport him.
James Monahan, Dunn, M'Loughiin, and Keefe
were then committed for trial on the charge of forgery,
at the next assizes.