The Sun.
London, England, 1860-01-02 00:00:00

CONSERVATIVE MEETING.

A meeting of the Conservatives took place at the
Town-hall on Wednesday evening last. The hall
was well filled, and there appeared to be the
greatest unanimity of feeling among all present.
The chair was occupied by Mr. H. J. Simonds, and
on the platform were the principal leaders of the
Conservative party.
Mr. BENSON, on rising, was greeted with enthu-
siastic cheering. He said he had hoped, when the
announcement was issued that they were to meet
that night, that he would have had before him
many men who had not pledged themselves before
they had heard him, but members of all shades and
denominations of politics, and he did not anticipate
that their opponents would have called another
meeting for the purpose of drawing a number of the
electors to the New Hall. He would have been glad if
Sir F. Goldsmid had dared to meet him in public ;
and if that gentleman would have the courtesy to
invite the electors of all denominations to attend
him, he (Mr. Benson) would have implored in the
most abject terms to be allowed to be present at
the meeting. He assured them he was not afraid
of Sir Francis Goldsmid. (Cheers.) A
.partisan of
Sir F. Goldsmid's had taken strange views of the
subject, and argued from the Word of God itself
that they were bound not to return a Christian to
the Senate of this country. He wished it to be
understood that he entered into this contest upon
religious grounds. He staked all upon that issue,
and considered that the contest was entirely between
the Christian and the Jew. (Hear.) Sir Francis
Goldsmid's partisans declared that it was upon the
I ground of that gentleman being a Jew, as opposed
to a Christian, that he, was thought worthy of repre-
senting this borough. True he might be better
acquainted with the Talmud, and might be read
deeper in the histories of Josephus: (Laughter.)
lie (Mr. Benson) had, under peculiar circumstances,
entered into this contest, believing that his sup-
porters had the cause of Christianity at heart, and
having done so he would fight the battle to the end.
(Cheers.) It had been asserted that the Parliament of
England had determined upon admitting the Jew
to its councils ; but he ventured to state that the
Parliament had not yet excluded from ;the oath
which each member had to take, "on the true faith
of a Christian." It had been tried over and over
again ; that pet Whig baby, Lord John Russell,
had tried it more than once without success. But
when it was found that the subject was raised and
discussions caused by it, year after year, it was
granted not by an act of legislation, but by a side
wind —by a resolution—that the Jews should be
admitted. And how was it managed ? The
electors of London had chosen for their representa-
tive Baron Rothschild, and they were told—Here is
a man who holds a share in the destinies of Europe
and who can, if disposed, buy up not only the city
of London, but hundreds of boroughs ; if you give
him a seat he will be quiet, and there will be no
fear of other constituencies electing a Jew in pre-
ference to a Christian. (Hear.) It was not sur-
prising, however, to find that since then two Jews
had been elected. (Hear.) Mr. Benson then re-
peated his dermination to contest the election with
all his ability, and concluded by intimating his
readiness to reply to any questions that might be
put to him.
Dr. COWAN was loudly called for, and spoke for
some time, expressing his opinion that the Legisla-
ture of this country should be essentially Christian,
and that no Christian could conscientiously advocate
the admission of a Jew into that Assembly.
Mr. G. RussELL, of Swallowfield, made a very
humourous speech, after which the proceedings
terminated.