The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-27 00:00:00

ELECTION INTELLIGENCE.

MANCHESTER.
Sir John Potter, one of the members for Man-
chester, died on Monday, and the contest for the
vacancy may be said to have commenced immedi-
ately afterwards: The local papers yesterday morn-
ing published a circular, dated the previous day,
calling a meeting to be held yesterday afternoon at
the Royal Exchange-rooms, ‘!for the purpose of con-
sidering the propriety of submitting to the electors
the name of Mr. Bazley as a fit and proper person
to represent them." The following names were ap-
pended :—W. B. Watkins, Thomas Ashton, E. R.
Langworthy, Elkanah Armitage, John A. Nicholls,
Henry Ashworth, Edmund Potter, B. Nicholls, R.
N. Philips, Robert Rumney, Robert Stuart, James
Kershaw, jun., John Slagg, and Henry Rawson.
At the time appointed several hundred persons
were assembled, including adherents of both parties
who contested the city at the last election. Among
those present were—Sir E. Armitage, Messrs. M.
Ross, V. B. -Watkins, George Wilson (late Chair-
man of the Anti-Corn-Law League), R. Lang,
worthy, B. Nicholls, J. A. Nicholls, R. A. Barlow,
J. Slagg, T. Ashton, R. N. Philips, M.P., and T.
Wrigley.
On the motion of Mr. R. STUART, Mr. Alderman
Watkins took the chair.

The CHAIRMAN proceeded at once to move a reso-
lution expressing the gratitude of the constituency
for the services rendered to the borough by the
deceased member.

This was seconded by Mr. R. STUART, and at
once agreed to unanimously.
Mr. T. ASHTON (in the absence of Mr. Philips,
M.P., who entered subsequently) was then called
upon by the chairman, and moved a resolution re-
commending Mr. Thomas Bazley as the most fit and
proper person to fill the vacancy, on account of his
well known and tried political opinions, varied
business knowledge, and long-continued assistance
in the cause of popular education. Mr. Ashton
remarked that Mr. Bailey was a very stanch friend
of Liberal politics, and therefore commanded, or
ought to command, the support of the Radical
party in Manchester. (Cheers.)
Mr. LANGWORTHY (late M.P. for Salford) seconded
the motion, believing that it was impossible to
select any gentleman who could better serve the
interests of the town than would Mr. Bailey.
Mr. GEORGE WILSON then rose amidloud cheers
from a section of the meeting, and a few hisses.
He said nothing could afford him greater pleasure
than to see Mr. Watkins in the chair on this occa-
sion—nothing could afford him, as a rule, greater
pleasure than to follow his friends Mr. Ashton and
Mr. Langworthy in their nomination of a candi-
date. (ear, hear.) He had acted with them for
ninny years, always with pleasure, and had never
3-et taken a step as to the representation of Man-
chester, or of the county, or of anything connected
with that great free trade party which ha governed
the country, and would vet govern the country—
(hear, hear)—without consulting with those two
gentlemen. And should he be asked whether he
supported Mr. Bozley ? Why, there was not a
single thing which he had done during the whole
of his political career—even as to the abstract ques-
tion of the peace—in which Mr. Batley had not
united with him in the most cordial sympathy.
(Loud cheers.) And yet they would permit him
to say that at this time he thought they were put-
ting the cart a little before the, horse. (Hear.)
There was no denying that Manchester lost caste
—lost ground at the last election. (Cheers, hisses,
itud tumult.) He was not going to condemn the
votes of any gentleman at the last election ; he
would not introduce at this meeting his private
sympathies, to disturb the harmony which was
sought for in the return of a representative for
Manchester, but it was patent to the whole world,
judging from the published opinions of the press of
England, and the opinions expressed by the leading
statesmen in Parliament, that Manchester at pre-
sent did not stand so high in the opinion of the
world as it had done at a former period.
(Cheers and" Question.") There were many gentle-
men present who had uniformly opposed the nomi-
na'cion of Messrs. Gibson and Bright, and to them
he would not say a word. He came, there, if pos-
sible, to promote union among the Liberal party—
(cheers)—but he would distinguish for himself, and
would stand or fall with those whom he for himself
should denominate the Liberal party of Manchester.
(Hear, hear.) There was no doubt Manchester lost
a considerable amount of reputation when it cast
out two of the most distinguished men in the House
of Commons. (Loud cheers.) And for what ?
Simply because they exercised the proper functions
of Englishmen in the House of Commons, and with
an eloquence which no one could say was excelled
by any man on the face of the earth. (Cheers.)
The electors voted at the, last election contrary to
his (Mr. Wilson's) opinions, but they were not to
infer that he had wavered in his opinions or prin-
ciples since then. (Hear, hear.) He might com-
plain, but he would not, of the mode of collecting
this meeting •, but he meant to say this, that
in an assembly of reformers, if those present
were so, the name which he should men-
tion before he sat down, and for reasons which he

would assign, ought to be held in respect if they
had any gratitude for past services, and ought to be
received in the way in which the name of a great
Englishman had always been received in an Eng-
lish assembly. There was a man out of Parliament
at the present time who in intellect, in the quali-
ties which made a statesman, and in the powers
which enabled a man to grapple with enemies in
the House of Common', had no superior,—who for
_ _

past services rendered on behalf of the people at
the present moment had no equal ; and the electors
of Manchester could do no greater honour to them-
selves, and could not hoist themselves in the eyes
of- the world to a greater elevation_ in the process
than by electing Richard Cobden. (Cheers, groans.
and cries of " lie won't come.) He knew Mr. Cobden
had complained that. Manchester had " stoned the
prophets," and he (Mr. Wilson) would not say he
would come, ; hat' he submitted that in exer-
cising. a sense of duty, and to raise themselves
again to the f;.ont. rank of the constituencies of
England, they should return a man who would ex-
press their opinions as they wished them to be
expressed in the House of Commons. He would
not deny that private letters had been written to
Mr. Cobden, but his (Mr. Wilson's) case was this,
that if the electors of Manchester desired to clear

themselves from the stain of base ingratitude—
(loud cheers)—their first duty was to send a depu-
tation to Richard Cobden. He therefore moved an
amendment, appointing the chairman, with Sir R.
Armitage, Mr. Langworthy, and Mr. Ashton, as a
deputation to invite Mr. Cobden to become a
candidate.

TILE ARMY STORE AND CONTRACT

COMMISSION.

Yesterday the Royal Commissioners (Mr. A•
Turner, M.P., Colonel French, and Mr. Selfe) re-
sumed their inquiries at Woolwich Arsenal. Before
proceeding to take evidence they made t a tour of
inspection over the immense establishment. The
total number of batteries in the garrison, it may be
remarked, is now 18, of which eight are always
kept ready for service. The attention of the commis-
sioners was chiefly directed to the tailoring depart-
ment. The number of soldiers who are employed in
making up clothing is 142 ; in addition to whom
there are, including apprentices and assistants,
about 250 civilians. The commissioners were re-
quested to examine a tunic made on the establish-
ment and one supplied by the contractors. The
cloth used by the latter is stated to be inferior to
that used by the Government, and yet the price
charged for the garment is ss. md. more than the
cost incurred in the public workshop. It is esti-
mated that a saving of £15,000 has already accrued
from the formation of this department during the
nine months in which it has been in existence ;
against which, however, must be set an expendi-
ture of £12,000 for new buildings, and a charge of
£6OO for interest; but as these items will not occur
next year, it is anticipated that there will be a net
gain of £20,000 by the arrangement. It is calcu-
lated that the present staff can supply clothing for
30,000 in. the course of the year. The non-military
tailors earn a guinea per week, and those in the
service receive 7s. or Bs. per week in addition to
their pay.
At 2 o'clock the commissioners adjourned to one
of the offices, and proceeded to examine the follow-
ing witness—Mr. Selfe presiding.
Mr. Thomas Howell—l am director of contracts,
an office which was constituted in 1855. I adhere,
with some trifling exceptions, to all I stated at
Weedon. Our rule is to accept the lowest tender for
contracts, unless I see reason to adopt another
course, in which case I submit my reasons in writ-
ing to the Secretary of State. The exceptions to the
rulgiof open competition have chiefly reference to
cloth. I have sometimes thought it right to recom-
mend the acceptance of tenders made by persons of
high manufacturing character in preference to lower
tenders offered by persons whose names did not
stand so high. Entrenchment tools, saltpetre, iron,
copper, and timber have been bought through the
intervention of brokers, and that for the reasons I
gave at Weedon. I have also recommended the pur-
chase of cotton goods through Messrs. Henry and
Co., who charge us one per cent. for their trouble.
We depended entirely upon the character of the
house; and we have had every reason to be satisfied
with the result. The understanding we have with
all our brokers is, that they shall make no profit
out of the transactions in which they are employed
beyond their commission. If any of them were
found to have made any profit beyond that we
should consider that they had been guilty of a
breach of faith ; and they would never be employed
by the government again. The brokers go into the
market and see what stocks are available ; they
then consult the heads of the departments, and the
orders are finally given on the reports that are made
concerning them.
Mr. Selfe—But what security have you against
possible dishonesty on the part of your brokers ?
Witness—Our security must be in the character,
reputation, and standing of our brokers. Of course,
if you employ inferior people you will be liable to
unpleasant consequences. At least four-fifths of
the imports of the country are sold through the
intervention of brokers ; and we take care to select
men of the highest standing. The commission we
pay varies with the article. That on timber is
1 per cent.
By Mr. Turner—We do not generally buy piles
of timber as they stand. We have of course to pay-
a higher price for the privilege of rejecting the in-
ferior deals. I consider that it would be desirable
to buy the whole pile, and use the inferior portions
for such purposes as they are fitted for ; or, indeed,
to dispose of them. We have pain as much as £BO
or £9O for what would only have cost in the market
£4O. That was before we adopted the practice of
purchasing through brokers. We have adopted
that practice with respect to those articles
only which are disposed of through brokers in
the current mercantile transactions of the country.
By Mr. Turner The cotton manufacturers
would not submit for one moment to the regula-
tions of the Government with regard to inspection.
I consider that we purchase timber cheaper under
the new system than we did before. The amount
purchased last year was only £46,000 worth. The
letter put into my hands by the chairman is sub-
stantially genuine. It can only have been made
public by a breach of confidence on the part of
some person employed in the War Department, for
it was a private communication from Colonel
Tulloch to the heads of that department. I should
observe, too, that when Colonel Tulloch heard of
its publication in a handbill he was highly indig-
nant. The letter was sent to the department in.
December, 1856. The letter was sent to the de-
partment in December, 1856. The War-office was
not convinced by the gallant colonel's argument.
Mr. Selfe—Though we hate the traitor we may
love the treason ; and I am afraid that, as this
document has come into our hands, we must examine
you upon it.
The document was then read :

" Colonel Tulloch stated that he had had under
his consideration the supply of foreign timber to
the department during the present year, and it
having occurred to him that it was not working
satisfactorily he had given particular attention to
the matter, and had directed Captain Farmer, an
officer in his department, to enter fully into the
question. The report of Captain Farmer he en-
closed, from which it appeared that their former
system of competition exercised a control over the
markets, and was less expensive to the country,
and at the same time free from 'any system likely
to involve patronage among the trade.. There
were two points, he added, of great importance in
procuring timber for the department—the first was
quality and stability for manufacturing ; and, the
second, price. As to the first, they were offered
goods at sales effected by the broker, and took the
whole of any particular timber on inspection
as it stood in the pile at the docks. It was
evident that only the outside of the pile could
be seen, which always presented a good face,
because the best of the timber was arranged for
vision. Under the former system the timber
was delivered at the department, and only the best
selected. That perhaps increased the price of the tim-
ber, but it also gave such a superior choice as to more
than compensate for the increase of price. With
regard to price, Colonel Tulloch asked how the
prices were ascertained by the broker. Were they
such as had been offered to the broker by certain
importers, or were they the prices of all in the
market ? If only the former, then, he said, it was
clear higher prices might be paid than ought to be,
as the goods, instead of being forced on the market,
which would bring down the price, had, as it were,
a market arranged for them. Under their former
system of competition there was a natural tendency
to bring down the prices. Their contracts were
submitted to the most respectable firms, and who-
ever held goods of the description required would
tender at the lowest price, the lowest tender, if the
party were known, being generally, as a rule, ac-
cepted, and no benefit could arise to any particular
firm or trader by this course, and the goods at the
same time took their proper position in the market.
Captain Farmer's report showed that competition
among the importers and merchants could always
insure fair and reasonable prices, and would like-
wise be a course more satisfactory, both to the pub-
lic and to them, than the system of the broker. If,
however, it should be considered necessary to con-
tinue to employ a broker, he would suggest that
their supplies be thrown open to all respectable im-
porters and merchants, and the broker also and
then take the lowest tender, taking into considera-
tion the commission to be paid to the broker."
Witness—My opinion was invited on the subject.
The matter was gone very fully into; and a special
report was made by the brokers, Messrs. Churchill
and Sims. Mr. Leary was not then employed as a
broker; but he has been since. The advantage of
buying through a broker is, that by that means you
can get a wider range of competition than you could
by inviting tenders ; because many of the first hiouses
do not care about government contracts. 'Brokers
have, no doubt, often goods to sell as well as buy.
The Chairman—ls it not an awkward thing to
place a man in the position of being broker for the
buyer and the seller ?
Witness—lt does not follow that the broker has the
article to sell which you may want him to buy for you.
The commissioners had perhaps better, however,
examine Mr. Sims on the point.
By Mr. Turner—lf the broker could not find a
better article in the market than one he might him-
self have to dispose of, he would probably mention
the circumstance. In point of fact Mr. Sims has
occasionally done so to. me.

By the Chairman—We have lately beod. Theenbifying
African teak at 10 guineas and £lO per 1a
money is always paid to the broker, but we always
call upon him to state the name of the seller. By
the current commercial law of the country we are
discharged by the receipt of the broker, unless the
seller gives us notice to pay the money to him.
Mr. Turner—That is a very vexed question
amongst us in Liverpool. Several accounts have
been claimed after they had been paid to the agents,
and I believe there have been some legal decisions
on the point.
Witness—l dare say we have paid as high as £l5
for African teak or oak. I have frequently had
offers to supply timber at a higher pries than we
were paying hr when srchmeg through A