The Sun.
London, England, 1860-11-20 00:00:00

READING.

READING, Nov. 19.
The nomination of candidates for the seat vacant
by the resignation of Mr. Francis Pigott, who now
holds the office of Governor of the Isle of Man,
took place to-day in the Town-hall. There was a
numerous attendance of booth electors and non-
electors, but the proceedings were conducted in the
most orderly manner, and the: various speakers had
net to contend with the usual unseemly interrup-
tions. Every word they utitered was heard in the
furthermost corner of the hall, and beyond a few
hisses, cock-crows, and shouts of laughter, there
was nothing to distinguish.the assemblage from an
ordinary meeting of respectable burghers. Shortly
after eleven o'clock Mr. lioorne, the Mayor, and
returning officer, entered the hall, and took his
seat in the chair. He seas followed by the tem
candidates, Mr. Sergeant. Pigott and Capt. Walter,
each of whom was accompanied by a select body of
his friends and supporters. The cheers which
greeted the entrance of Mr. sergeant Pigott were
mingled with some hisses, but the reception of
Capt. Walter was all he could have desired.
After the usual preliminfueies,
Mr. Alderman PALMER proposed Mr. Sergeant
Pigott as a fit and proper iserson to represent the
borough in Parliament, sand the nomination was
seconded by Mr. Alderman EXALL.
Capt. Walter was proposed by Mr. SIMs, and
seconded by Mr. Tomrxibts.
Mr. Sergeant PIGOTT, on. coming forward to ad-
dress the electors, was recei.,red with mingled cheers
and hisses. He reminded them of the important
duty they were met to discharge, and trusted they
would give him a patient and attentive hearing.
The seconder of his hon. and gallant opponent, he
said, had alluded to the re cpacity of lawyers. But
it was a fact that for eve ry farthing the lawyers
had taken out of the pock eats of the nation the sol-
diers had drawn millions. :During the last 60 years
£3,000,000,000 had been ~expended in war and on
the arm One of his obj acts in wishing to get into
Parliament was to assist in putting an end to such
reckless and wasteful ex penditure. He proclaimed
himself to be a Liberal, in politics, and expressed
his belief that if the Toryism of Lord Eldon, instead
of the Liberalism of Grey and Russell, bad been in
vogue in 1848, when every despotic throne in Eu-
rope was shaken to its base, England would proba-
bly have been the scene of revolution, rebellion,
and bloodshed, all ending, perlaaps, in the establish-
ment of a Republic, which was sometimes worse
than an absolute monarchy. If the King of Naples
had listened to the advice of Liberal statesmen he
wield not new be struggling for his Crown in a
corner of his dominions) but would be supported on
his throne by the acclamations and love of his peo-
ple, instead of flying a disgraced monarch from his
kingdom. The learned sergeant next proceeded
to defend the ballot as the best practical remedy for
an acknowledged evil. It would prevent intimi-
dation and undue influence of every kind, and go'
far to secure freedom and purity of election. He
denied that it was un-English in its character, and
was persuaded that a system which' was pursued
with advantage by all the aristocratic clubs in Lon-
don could never lead to deceit and falsehood. Turn-
ing to the question of Parliamentary reform, he
said he was in favour of an extension of the fran-
chise, believing the time had gone by when pro-
perty could be taken as a test of either respecta-
bility or intelligence. The schoolmaster had been
abroad, education had been widely diffused, the
freedom of the press had been firmly established,
and the better portion of the working classes had
been prepared for an enlightened enjoyment and
exercise of political rights. He was not prepared
to go as far as universal suffrage or anything like
it, nor did he agree with Mr. Bright that the fran-
chise was the best cure for every evil. Some gua-
rantee of independence and intelligence must be
secured, but that was a question of degree, to be
determined in Parliament, and not in that hall.
The learned gentleman then expressed his opinion
that the theory of direct .:taxation was a sound
one, though it might in practice be carried too far,
as, perhaps, in the case of the income tax. Direct
taxation made those pay who could afford to pay,
which was a great and manifest advantage, while
by indirect taxation the country was apt to raise
and to spend more money than it was aware of. He
believed that in the matter of expenditure the people
had been as much to blame as Parliament or the
Government. They had been too prone at every
little offence put upon them to call upon the Go-
vernment to draw the sword and vindicate the
honour of the country in open war. Fnr his own
part, he strongly objected to the proposed expendi-
ture for fortifications. It was worse than nonsense.
With a good militia, a good yeomanry corps, a
good volunteer force, and an efficient navy, he saw
no necessity for fortifications composed of stone,
brick, and mortar. Our real defences were our own
stalwart forms, our stout hearts, and our well-filled
purses. It was awful to think that our yearly ex-
penditure now amounted to upwards of Z 10,000,000.
The time for economy had arrived, and he for one
would never cease to cry for judicious retrench-
ment. The learned sergeant concluded a very long
speech, which, towards the close, elicited some un-
mistakeable marks of impatience, by expressing his
conviction that he would be returned by a large
majority.
Capt. WALTER was received with loud and pro-
longed cheering. He said—Gentlemen, after the
eloquent harangue which has been addressed to you
by my hon. and learned opponent I think it will
be unnecessary to detain you any length of time. I
shall confine myself as much as possible to the
points of difference between us. The present is not
a fitting time for entering into the question of the
manner in which my hon. and learned opponent
nas been brought forward. We have discussed that
point quite enough already. Suffice it to say,
therefore, that the conduct which has been pursued
by a portion of the Liberal party on the present
occasion is not that which is generally followed in
other boroughs. For example, in Southwark,
which contains something' like 20,000 electors, there
is no association to bring candidates forward with-
out note or warning. No—gentlemen present
themselves, as they should in a free country, to the
general body of the constituency. The same coarse
ought to havebeen followed here. It is deeply to be
regretted that a different line of conduct has been
pursued, and in thatopinion, I may state, Mr. Shaw
Lefevre, whose family is well known and highly
respected among you, fully concurs. (Hear.) My
hon. and learned opponent says he is an enemy of
nomination boroughs. So am I. Nobody could have
a greater dislike to nomination boroughs than I
have, bat let us recollect that the evil may exist
where the nomination placed in the ands of
h ttreeehaonranfourf men as well as where it is lodged in
one
only. There is little difference
between the two cases. I think, indeed, that the
latter has theita
rage, for where the nomination
is the hands
lity in
which yen cann Oonte man you have a responsibi-
expect where the power is
(Hear, hear.) My hon.
shared by several
Persons
and learned opponent sa •
tension of the franchise ye he is in favour of an ex-
but he declines to go into
details. He thinks that the ban
the only re-
medy for the acknowledged eeii°otfla
upon the humbler
P
influence
and interference brought to bear
words of his ad-
classes of voters." Such are the
dress ; bat when I turn to his speech e
before the
Liberal Association, at its first meetingat th
George, I find he said that " although the banal
would not be a perfect remedy, it would prove
a small one in palliation of the evil." My own
opinion is that the ballot would be no palliation

of the evil at all. Every voter must give

an answer of some sort to any candidate

who solicits his support. He must either say
"Yes' or "No ;" or else he must reply, " I would

rather not tell you." If the answer is " Yes" or
" No," there can, of course, be no secret about the

matter; while, if the elector refuses to speak, the
candidate must conclude at once that he intends to
vote against him. There is a third case. A man

may say he will support you, and then go and Tote
against you. Such persons, however, cannot be
numerous in any constituency ; they are the hypo-
crites of the community, and certainly do not de-
serve protection. (Cheers.) I do not believe the
ballot is wanted in Reading. I have been canvass- 1

ing the borough for the last six weeks, and during'
the whole of that time I have met only two men
who wanted the ballot for themselves. (Hear, hear. )
Some people say in effect, "We are thoroughly in-
dependent ourselves, but our poorer neighbours are
not so." For my part I do not think that the poorer
classes are the least independent ; in all probability
indeed they are the most independent. (Cheers.)
I am certain, at all events, that the working classes
do not want the ballot, but, on the contrary, would
be ashamed to have it. I believe it would be no
remedy at all. Depend upon it that publicity is the
best remedy for every evil, and that everything like
secrecy must have a pernicious tendency. The ballot
is established in France, and yet that country is the
seat of an iron despotism. It likewise prevails in
America, where political excitement never ceases,
and where the Government, according to my hon.
and learned opponent, is even worse than those on
the Continent of Europe, because it is republican.
England—the only really free and independent
country on the face of the globe—has not got the
ballot. Where the ballot exists we find either ab-
solute monarchy or unbridled democracy—the
tyranny of the few or the tyranny of the many.
Surely, then, we have every reason to adhere to our
own old independent habits. (Cheers.) My hon. and
learned opponent has dwelt upon the expenditure of
the country, and has instituted a comparison be-
' tween what has been spent by lawyers and what by
soldiers. Our military expenditure has indeed
been large, but the money hes not been spent by
the soldiers at all. It has been voted by the
Government and Parliament' for the good of the
country, or what they deemed to be such. (Hear.)
Not much, certainly, has gone in the way of pay to
the soldiers. Ido not believe there is a General
officer who is as well paid as even a County Court
judge. My hon. and learned opponent has asked
what the army has done P It has done a great deal.
To the army you owe the preservation of the greatest
empire the world ever saw—the empire of India.
Our colonies were gained and are held by the army.
The object of the present war in China is to force
the people of that country into a treaty of commerce
with us. Let it not be said, therefore, that the army
is of no use. (Hear, hear.) My hon. and learned
opponent has referred to the case of Italy, speaking
as if he wished you to believe that I am a Tory,
friendly to the despotic Governments which lately
existed in most of the Italian States. I have seen a
good deal of Italy, and it is somewhat remarkable
that Mr. Gladstone, who once belonged to the Con-
servative party, was the first man to expose the
atrocities of the Neapolitan Government. (A Voice,
" Mr. Gladstone is a Liberal.") I admit that Mr.
Gladstone is a liberal man, but, like every true
Liberal, he does not belong to any party. (Cheers
and laughter.) Why should not a man be perfectly
independent ? (Cheers.) Why should a man go into
Parliament merely to oppose or support a particu-
lar party ? Our real want is a want of good mea-
sures, no matter by which party they may be pro-
posed. For years back we have been at the mercy
of parties. What is the result ? Parliamentary
reform has been promised over and over again but
the question still remains unsettled, simply because
one party deemed it to be its duty to oppose the
measures brought in by the other. My hon. and
learned opponent has declined to say how far he
would extend the suffrage. For my own part I
should say let representation go with taxation—let
those who pay the taxes have a voice in sending
members to Parliament. In the bill introduced
into the House of Commons by Mr. Disraeli there
was one good feature—the lodger franchise. He
would have admitted a large number of
the working classes, and had I been in
Parliament at the time I would have given it my
hearty support. (Cheers.) My hon. and learned
opponent has called the present an anomalous con-
test. The subject must, indeed, be a sore one for
him. How annoyed he must have been at finding,
after having in vain appealed to two or three con-
stituencies before coming to Reading, and after
having, as he supposed, made everything snug
here, that an independent man had come forward
and claimed your suffrages' I have no doubt my
hon. and learned opponent'would make a very good
member, but if so, why was there such a great hurry
in bringing him forward. (Cheers.) I have been
charged with disturbing the unanimity of the Libe-
ral party. My reply is that in this free country
every gentleman has a perfect right to solicit the
suffrages of any constituency. (Cheers.) It has
been said that my hon. and learned opponent has
received 700 promises. The accuracy of that as-
sertion w ill be proved to-morrow when we come to
the poll. It has also been said that some of my
Liberal supporters will not appear to-morrow. I
have no. fear on that head. I have perfect confi-
dence is all my supporters, but I am willing to
enter into a bargain with the other side. I am
ready to:release my supporters from any promises
they have made to me if my hon. and learned oppo-
nent wilt do the same. (Cheers and laughter.)
Some of you laugh; but if Mr. Sergeant Pigott is
so much the better man why should he not close
with my offer ? My own opinion is that our friends
on the other side are not so confident as to the
result of the election as they pretend to be. Let
them not forget the fable of the tortoise and the
hare ; the y may find it strikingly illustrated to-
morrow.. (Hear, hear.) An attempt has been
made to. intimidate me, It has been said that my
brother,r;who has represented the county for the
last two years, ought to have put the screw upon
me to provent me from coming forward. My hon.
and learn ,ed opponent, after accusing me of being in
alliance w ith the Berkshire Chronicle, told a meeting
of his supporters that he knew " many gentlemen
who coral( I not approve Capt. Walter's course in this
borough, and who felt he was injuring his brother's
chance another day in the county. He did not
desire tbat that effect should be produced, but if
the math 3r went on he believed the two brothers
would las .turally be associated together." Is that,
I ask, ft or treatment ? (Cries of " No, no," and
cheers.) I believe lam as good a Liberal as Mr.
Sergeame t Pigott. (Cheers.) My family has sup-
ported I 'iberal principles for the last 30 years. The
first La eral who ever represented this county—it
is now 3 0 years ago—was my father. An attempt
has now been made to asperse his character by re-
presenth ng him as a man who belonged to no party.
Why, gt 3ntlemen, I am proud to be able to say that
my fittl ter was no partisan. I wish to follow his^
examptle , and if you do me the honour to return me
as you r member I shall give my best support to
good a aeasures by whomsoever they may be brought
forwai ":1. (A cry of "Bravo, Captain," and cheers.)
The g allant gentleman, after stating that he would
not tr ouble them with any further observations, but
would I be glad to answer any questions which might
be pu t to him, resumed his seat amid enthusiastic
and p ro tracted cheering.

A s hi )w of hands was then taken for each of the
candi, is .tes. The numbers seemed to be pretty equal,
but tl le Mayor formally declared the raajraity to be
in fa• mur of Mr. Sergeant Pigott. Mr,. Sims then
dema Hided a poll on behalf of Captair.i Walter, and
the v oting was ordered to take plp,ce to-morrow.
01 i the motion of Sergeant rigott, seconded by
Capl ;ain Walter, a rote of thrAuks was awarded to
the Mayor for his services on the occasion, after
whi eh the assemblage pAaietly dispersed.

SOUTHWARK.
'FI le state of raiTairs in this borough has become
more complicated through the retirement of Mr.
ApsL ey Pellatt, who, after an active canvass during
the 11 Ist ten days, has decided not to press his claims
in op position to Mr. Scovell. Although this resolu •
tion 1 as not unexpected, yet, its consummation has
cause d increased excitement among various parties
in 4t,b.,, 0 borough. Mr. Pellatt's thane was from the
first deemed by those who are bell a cquainted with
local circumstances to be much inferior to those of
Mr .Scovell, -who in
rive ~a. pos:sesses UD
tile districts bordering upon the
ing ly popular v
pith disputed influence, and is exceed-
a lar
large porton ( 4 th consti-
tuency. In liis notice of retirei emen t Mr. Pellatt
speaks of o:tat act as the and 1 fulfilment c ‘f a promise,
from oppo sing a local
" cheerfully withdraw
ger ttleman whose political sentiments harmonise
'FP h his own and with those of the majk n.ity of the
cor Istitueney of Southwark." The coma iittee who
we ire engaged in conducting Mr. Pell,
citt's elec-
tif in, however, appear to take a somewl
let diffe-
the
ront -view of his withdrawal, as Mr. &IN', man,