The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-13 00:00:00

CONSERVATIVE MEETING AT
NOR WICH. s •

An interesting meeting of the Conservative party
of this city took place last evening, the occasion
being the:anniversary meeting of., the "Eldon
Loyal and Constitutional Club." The proceedings
derived some importance from the presence of Sir
Samuel Bignold, late. M.P. for Norwich, and Sir
Henry -J. Stracey, formerly M.P. for East Norfolk,
and the unsuccessful Conservative candidate at the
recent election for that constituency.
The toast of " Her Majesty's Ministers" was, of
course, received with enthusiasm by the staunch
Conservatives present.
At a subsequent period of the evening the health
of Sir Samuel Bignold, the leader of the Conserva-
tive party in Norwich, was proposed, and received
with much applause.
Sir SAMUEL BIGNOLD, in returning thanks, said
he had been described as the leader of the Conser-
vative party in Norwich, but on the present occa-
sion he rather preferred rising as a private indivi-
dual. He thought the members of the club had
met this year under rather more auspicious circum-
stances than those under which they assembled 12
months since. They were now under the auspices
of the Earl of Derby, and he had no doubt that they
all felt that that Government was More in accord-
ance with. the welfare of the country than Lord Pal-
merston's Administration. Allusion had been made
to his (Sir S. Bignold's) having once been a successful
candidate for the representation of Norwich; but at
his period of life he would rather counsel his friends to
look out for younger blood as regards the future.
At the same time they might depend upon his being
true to their standard in season and out of season.

He had been set aside in the represcn of the
city;but he did not think that the Liberals had
gained much in 'consequence, for on the first great
occitsion on which a trial of party occurred Lord
Bury, who had taken his place, voted against the
.Government of Lord Palinerston, although he knew
that if- Ministers were placed in a minority they
must go out, as they could not dissolve again. Lord
Bury had voted precisely as he (Sir Samuel Bignold)
should have done if he had been in the house ; and,
therefore, the Liberals of Norwich had no great,
cause to chuckle over the loss of his seat. He con-
sidered the change of Government was very much
for the general welfare, as the commercial interests
of the country had frequently been trifled with by
men formerly in power. With regard to the
income-tax, which all felt to be a most odious and
oppressive impost, he had little doubt that if the
Whigs had remained in power it would have been
7d. in the pound at the present moment ; but Lord
Derby had held that the expectations which
the people were led to indulge that the income-
tax should be reduced to sd. in the pound in 1858
should be carried out at all hazards, and he had
little doubt that if Lord Derby continued in power
it would be found that the tax would be far-
ther dropped to 3d.• in the pound in 1859, and
that in 1860 it would be extinguished altogether.
(Cheers.) They had heard a great deal in the
public journals about the intention of the Govern-
ment to bring out a Reform Bill, but, as far as
he (Sir Samuel Bignold) could gather from' the
sentiments expressed by Lord Derby on the first
evening on which he took his seat on the Treasury
bench, he made no promise to that effect as the
principle .-of his Government. Lord Derby said
that the session of 1858 was not a proper time for
bringing in a Reform Bill, and as to the succeeding
year he would give the subject his most mature and
anxious consideration. He (Sir Samuel Bignold)
was not aware that Lord Derby stood pledged con-
sequently to bring in a Reform Bill in the present
session. However, if the Government should de-
cide that the time had arrived for changes in the
constitution, he should have more confidence in any
change enunciated by the Earl of Derby than by
Lord .Palmerston, because he believed that the
former would. introduce no changes which would at
all endanger the balance of power—King, Lords,
and Commons, which had so gloriously maintained
the interests of all classes and worked .so well for
the State.. With regard to the condition of the
Conservative party in Norwich he believed that
whoever they might put forward when the time of
trial came would be returned, unless .their oppo-
nents entered upon a lavish expenditure of money,
an example which he should not counsel his friends
to follow. As a private individual he should be
most anxious of i every Zoccasion to help the good
cause. (Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN proposed the health of Sir Henry
Stracey, " and his speedy re-election for the county
of Norfolk." (Loud cheers; and musical honours,)
Sir H. STRACEY responded. Soiree yearg had
elapsed since he had had the honour of dining with
the Eldon Club, but he remembered that the club
had pledged themselves to support him when he
came forward at a future election. The members

had since carried out their pledge like good Con-
servatives and so far as Norwich was concerned

had returned him by a large majority. He entered
upon the contest for East Norfolk that he might
have an opportunity of :supporting the great Con-
servative party of this country and Lord Derby in
Parliament; he was ambitious to serve the Conser-
vative party in the country. Having formerly
been returned most handsomely without opposition
on one occasion, he felt that he had a debt to pay
to the county if an opportunity offend of present-
ing himself as 4 candidate for its representation.
The opportunity did offer. As far as his own exer-
tions were concerned, he devoted all the mental and

physical power of which he was master to secure
his return ; and he hoped to have succeeded, had
not some unfortunate events, to which he would
not further allude, intervened. Still, he felt proud
at having been supported by upwards of 2,700 of
theronservative electors of Norfolk. He professed
no diplomacy, and he believed no man, of whatever
party, would say that he had ever stated that which
he did not mean. For the futnre he would recom-
mend them to stand fast by their friends, and not
to calculate upon those who upon critical occasions
had either shown lukewarmness, or had been placed
in the balance and found wanting. He believed
they might rely upon the Conservative party and
upon its great head, Lord Derby,' for what-
ever was promised to them. Lord Derby had held
out a kind of promise as to a Reform Bill ; he had
stated that he did not approve the practice of
keeping the subject dangling before the eyes of the
country. Those were the terms of Lord Derby, and
they were enough to tell that his lordship had a
Reform Bill in his mind, and that he intended to
session
produce it. His (Sir H. Stracey's) firm belief
was
that a Reform Bill would be produced next
He had no special information on the
_subject and.
no further reason for saying .so than his firin belief

that Lord Derby did more than he promised, Sir
G. C. Lewis, who had held the honotirable office of
Chancellor of the Exchequer, and. was a man of
great education, had lately stated that no Reform
Bill would be acceptable which did not savour
strongly of democracy. He (Sir 11. Stracey) did
not exactly understand this, as he did not see how
any limit to democracy was to be secured. As far
-as he-understood democracy it meant the govern-
ment of the people, and he looked upon this as
leading at any rate to the indulgence of the wilde:t
passions without any guard whatever ; he there-
fore looked upon democracy and revolution as sync-
nymous terms. He did not believe that
Derby would 'ever dream of introducing a bill
leading to democracy without limitation, but he
had not the slightest doubt that his lordship's bill
would have a liberal tendency—that it might even
tend to lower the franchise and give members in
proportion to the population of the country. It
might have liberal tendencies of this kind ; and
he (Sir Henry, Stracey) candidly told them, that
if he were in Parliament, and if the Reform
Bill introduced included the ballot, he should be
only too glad to support the measure. The ques-
tion of the ballot was one which Conservatives
had always looked on with horror, and he must
he
ought had
to o n
be the
known
nsouw subject. c
howt.
acknowledge that no one had a stron rr feelin 9; than
tHeha-tpr p
hadfeelrtt
property
that
wast
in-
fluence of property ought always to be felt, that it
repre-
sented—that is, how persons voted ; and he had
also considered that property would not have its
proper influence if vote by ballot were establishal.
But he had•now had a certain amount of experience
in social and political life ; he had been engaged in
two elections ; he had fought one contest singl2.-
handed, and as far as his expeßence went upon the
latter occasion, he had been4lecl to the conclusion
that the Conservetin. IfUrAt:c Matt bate bey
injured by the ballot. He was quite convince&
that the Conservative cause not only in Norfolk
but throughout the country could not be injured by
the ballot, if ,honesty Of principle were to prevail
without that abominable-thing ,called the "screw."
(Hear.) Of this he was. quite sure, that thepresent '
laws at any rate did-not prevent Corruption, which
had been general throughout - the, country ; and
could things be worse with the -ballot? He very
much doubted whether they would- not be a great
deal better,and he thought the experiment was Well
worth a trial. If an honest man had an opportunity
of exercising his judgment freely, he. believed the
Conservative cause, in consequence of the exercise
of that honestY, would-be in the end a:gainer. Pos-
sibly some-of-them might not agree with him .on
this subject; -but Lord Stanley, who, as had been
ably observed, was a government in himself, had -
voted for the measirrese that: at any rate he was
not forming a very erroneous judgment; and he
felt himself justified-from personal. experience in
aeclaring -himself in favour 'of" the ballot. Sir
Henry, -in
_conclusion; prOposed f‘ The Health of
the Chairman." -
The- CHAIRMAN reArned thanks.

Subsequently Mr. J: G. JOHNSON responded to
the toast of " The Magistracy," and entered a strong
protest against the ballot. • Referring to Lord
Derby's anticipated measure of reform, Mr. Johnson
expressed his conviction that it would give numbers
their proper influence, property a proper influence,
and station a proper influence ; while at the same
time it would not seek to over-ride the independent
will of the Sovereign, nor to swamp the House o f
Lords, which had often proved the safeguard iaf
England. (Cheers.)
Several otheetoasts were given in the course of
the evening.