The Sun.
London, England, 1867-07-26 00:00:00

ELECTION INTELLIGENCE. lle came before them as a supporter of the present
Government. (Cheers.) That Government had
WEST GLOITCESTERSIIIIIE passed through the House of Commons with great
The nomination for the vacancy in the western tact, great energy, and great ability a bill for the
division of the county of Floucester, occasioned by better representation of the people. That bill, he
the appointment of Sir J. Roll, as one of the Judges believed, would shortly become law, and it would
of Appeal, was held yesterday, at the quaint and confer on many of them the privilege of the franchise
picturesque little town of Dursley, in the Vale of which they did not now enjoy, but which they richly
Gloucester. The rarity of a contested election pro- deserved by their reputation and their habits of in-
duced extraordinary excitement, and the contrast dustry. He believed that bill was founded on sound
between the present and last election (when Sir J. and Constitutional principles. (Hear, hear, from
bolt was re-elected on his appointment as Attorney- Mr. Price, M.P.) That bill, in spite of all that
General) was very striking. The formal proceed- might be said by the Liberal party, had been most
ings took place at hustings, in the middle of the violently opposed by the Whigs in the House of
town, but the open space around was not nearly Commons, and it was entirely through the energy
s'ltlicient to accommodate the crowd of electors who and exertions of a Conservative Government that
had arrived by road and rail, and there was conse- these benefits would be conferred on them, and not
quently considerable confusion. The two parties had through the influence cr exertions of the Liberal
erected hustings for the accommodation of their party. For this, among other reasons, he thought
own friends, and these were occupied chiefly by he was justified in asking them to support a Govern-
ladies, the one gallery being filled with blue dresses ment that had proved itself so worthy of their con-
and ribands (Col. Somerset's colour) and the other fidence. Having explained the circumstances at-
with yellow and green, so that the effect was quite tending the election for Monmouthshire which had
picturesque, and would have been more so had the been referred to by the proposer of Mr. Berkeley,
Liberal gallery been better filled. The Hon. the gallant colonel said he had served that county
Grantley Berkeley was on the Sheriff's hustings. honestly and faithfully for 11 years, and could get a
The Sheriff, Mr. SAmpsoN,lin opening the pro- good character " from his last place." (Laughter.)
ceedings, referred to the elevation of Sir J. Rolt to The Government had recently increased consider-
the judicial bench as an instance of the results of ably the pay of the soldier; he believed that step
talent combined with industry and perseverance. was a wise one, as it would add to the efficiency of
Mr. PRICE, M.P. fog, Gloucester, nominated the the army and the comfort of the soldier, and would
Hon. C. P. F. Berkeley to fill the vacancy, and act advantageously on the general masses of the
took credit to the Liberal party for abstaining so people. He admitted that a deplorable state of
long from contesting the division. He believed the things existed in Ireland, and he hoped Lord Derby's
Liberal party were in so large a majority that they Government would devise some remedy for it. (A.
had a claim to the two seatsin the division—(cheers, Voice—" He'll do anything to keep office ; he'll
and " No, no").—and that was the question which even give universal suffrage 1") If, however, Mr.
they had to try. The Conservative party now re- Berkeley confined his observations on the state of
pudiated the doctrine that minorities should be re- Ireland to a committee-room of the House of Com-
presented, and, therefore, he claimed that the Libe- mons he could know little about the matter. His
ral majority in the Western Division should be filly (Col. Somerset's) residence in Ireland in high offi-
represented. He recommended Mr. Berkeley, first, cial positions for the last two years had given him
as a a faithful representative of their principles ; some knowledge of the people, with whom he had

secondly, as a well tried man of business and
possessing all the energies and aptitude which
befitted him to represent the county ; thirdly, he
recommended him as a scion of that house which
had been for so many centuries connected with the
county. The records of his brief Parliamentary
career were his credentials. (A. Voice—Member
for the rotten city of Gloucester.) As to the Re-
form Bill, he accepted it ; but as a party manoeuvre
it was disgraceful. He protested against the mode
in which it had been carried. In this country the
honour of political parties deeply concerned every
one. If principles were to be assumed and flung,
away to suit the purpose of the hour, then the pres-
tige of party was gone, and they were approaching
American principles. He was glad, however, to see
that some of the greatest men of the Conservative
party refused to be dragged with their leaders, and
to stoop to such meanness. In conclusion he pro-
posed the Hon. C. P. F. Berkeley as the successor
to Sir J. Bolt.
Major CASTLE seconded the nomination, and
denied that the Hon. C. P. F. Berkeley was the
nominee of the House of Berkeley. his candidature
was the result of a meeting held at Gloucester last
spring, when a requisition was got up calling upon
Mr. Berkeley to stand for the division at the next
vacancy, and the result was that the requisition had
been signed by nearly 3,000 electors.

deep sympathy ; but it was the greatest mis-
take in the world to suppose that the great
mass of the people of Ireland were not loyal and
warm-hearted. The people of Ireland were easily
led either for good or evil, and a small portion of
them had been excited to discontent by conspirators
from America, who had been endeavouring to ex-
tract every farthing of money from them for their
own purposes. (Hear.) He thanked them for their
attention, and anticipated that on Monday next
they would place him in a proud position at the
head of the poll. (Loud cheers.)
The show of hands was then taken, and declared
to be in favour of Mr. Berkeley, amid loud cheers
and waving of hats.
A poll was demanded for Colonel Somerset, and
fixed to be taken on Monday next at certain places
named. The declaration of the poll is to be made
on Wednesday.
Thanks were then voted to the High Sheriff, and
cheers given for the ladies, after which the electors
retired to luncheon at the different inns in the town.
The contest is expected to be a close one, and
both parties are equally sanguine.

MR. SAMUEL MORLEY AND THE NEW
BOROUGH OF HACKNEY.

Colonel BLATHWAYT proposed Colonel Edward
Arthur Somerset as a fit and proper person to re-
present the division. (Vehement cheering and
waving of hats.) lie was a gallant officer, had
served in the Crimea, and was an excellent man of
business. lie would support the present Govern-
ment, which had successfully grappled with the
question of Reform, under which every man would
have a fair share in the representation.
Mr. IL F. ONSLOW seconded the nomination. He
looked with confidence to the result of the poll on
Monday.
Mr. ROBINSON, Mayor of Bristol, here came for-
ward to support Mr. Berkeley, but the Sheriff in-
formed him that he was out of order, nevertheless
he persisted in spi!e of the Sheriff, but the crowd
would not listen to him.
No other candidates being nominated,

Last night a meeting was held in the old Town-
hall, Hackney, of requisitionists and other friends
desirous of securing the services of Mr. Samuel
Morley, as one of the members for the new borough
of Hackney, and to adopt such measures as might
be deemed expedient for that purpose.
G. GOWLAND, Esq., who was called to the chair,
said they were met to ascertain whether Mr. Morley
would stand for the borough of Hackney, and per-
haps the question might be asked why he had not
been the very first gentleman asked to take that posi-
The reason was he believed to be found in an
erroneous impression that Mr. Morley had declared he
would not become a candidate. That, however, had re-
ference 11
solely to a declaration of Mr. Morley's some
time since. that he would not stand for the borough of I
the Tower Hamlets. But he understood that it wasa
mistake to suppose Mr. Morley would not stand for
Hackney, and the only reason why he had not been
placed before them as a candidate was that he had
not been asked. (Hear.) 'I here could be no doubt
dial, of all tilea iu existence Mr. Morley was pre-
eminently entitled to be the representative of the
newly-created borough, and if he consented to be-
come a candidate, it would have a beneficial effect on
other candidates already in the field, or who might
contemplate taking that position. Ile understood that
one of the candidates (Mr. Reed) had stated that if
Mr. Morley came forward he would himself retire,
and be glad to take the position of chairman of his
election committee. It was known that Mr. Morley
had been asked to stand for the city of London, and
it might be supposed that the town of Nottingham
would be glad, for its own sake, to return him with-
out cost. (" They will not do it.") The more shame
to them, but all the better for the electors of the new
borough if they could secure a man so thoroughly
conversant with their local interests, so liberal to
their charities, so perfectly independent in position
and means, and so advanced a Liberal as Mr. Mor-
ley. (Cheers.) In fact, it would be well for other
intending candidates to think well before taking the
position of the responsibilities they would incur under
the new act if passed. They would have between
40,000 and 50,000 electors in that borough. The at-
tention, expenditure, and complete devotion of time
and energy which the position of the representative
of such a constituency involved were of such mag-
nitude that few men could be found adequately to
sustain it. He believed that Mr. Morley, by his great
wealth, his perfect freedom from business engage-
ments, and his high feeling of honour in political mat-
ters, was especially qualified for the position. (Hear.)
If they agreed with him, he thought the best course
they could take was to wait upon Mr. Morley at
once—strike the iron while it was hot—and ask him,
in a straightforward question, to which he would no
doubt give them a straightforward answer. (Hear.)
J. J. TANNER, Esq., J.P., briefly stated that he
had placed his name on the requisition, to which
many hundreds had since been appended, because
he understood that Mr. Morley had only refrained
from stating his views and wishes on the subject in
consequence of no formal application having been
made to him. He quite concurred with the chair-
man in thinking that a deputation should forthwith
wait upon Mr. Morley.
After some remarks from a former elector of Not-
tingham, now resident in Bethnal-green, in favour
of the candidature of Mr. Morley, who he believed
would be returned by a majority of at least 20,000
over any other gentleman who might present
himself,
F. CLARKE, Esq., said he would like to know
what number of names had been appended to the
requisition, because they knew that 1,200 names had
been signed to that presented to another gentleman.
It would be wrong, he thought, to act upon the
suggestion of the chairman, and wait upon Mr.
Morley at once. They ought to be able to present
to him a requisition signed by such a number of
names as would induce him to come forward.

ion.

The Hon. C. P. F. BERKELEY came forward amid
loud cheers, and was very patiently listened to. Ile
said he had not been proposed on any ambitious or
personal grounds, but as they bad been told by the
gentletnali who seconded his nomination, he came
forward in compliance with a requisition that had
been presented to him some months ago by a body
of nearly 3,000 electors of the division, men of all
classes, some representing the landed, some the agri-
cultural, others the mining and commercial interests
of the country ; and under these circumstances he
felt it to be his bounden duty to accept that requi-
sition. (Cheers.) But whoever they elected they
would have to return their trust into the hands of
the electors very shortly, for a general election must
follow the passing the Reform Bill. That bill, or
rather a bill, was put forward by the present Go-
vernment, as they had been told, at ten minutes'
notice, and it had been kicked out of the House of
Commons at two minutes' notic.). (Laughter.)
Then the Government introduced another bill and
a set of resolutions, a great many of which had fol-
lowed the original bill. But the House of Com-
mons hail now so reformed that Reform Bill that he
believed it now gave general satisfaction. (" No,"
and cheers.) There was one part of it he knew
would soon have to be discussed again—that was
the part relating to the redistribution of seats.
(Cheers.) That arrangement as it at present stood
was not considered satisfactory by either party„'and
no doubt in the new House of Commons it would
have to be redressed. Among the questions which
would have to be discussed in the new Parliament
was what their opponents called the question of
Church and State. It had been often said that his
party were for the destruction of the Church, but
he (Mr. Berkeley) thought that was a mistaken
notion. They were. as desirous of upholding the
Church as any of them, but they thought that it
was neither just nor expedient that church rates
should be extracted from the pockets of
those who supported their own places of worship.
(Loud cheers.) There was one other question of vast
importance which would have to be discussed in the
new Parliamant—that was the discontent in Ire-
land. (Hear, hear.) Living- as they did in a
peaceful country they could hardly realize the viru-
lence of party spirit on the other side of the
Channel. He had seen an instance of it being
brought into a committee-room in the House of
Commons, when an Irish Attorney-General who
had been talking for a fortnight had to be removed
by five policemen. (Laughter.) He referred to
his conduct in Parliament during the short time
that he sat for the neighbouring city of Gloucester,
as proving that he had not been idle, and said that
if they returned him to Parliament again, as he
believed they would do next Monday, he would
assiduously attend to their local interests, and up-
hold and support the Liberal party. (Cheers.) A
dissolution of Parliament would take place proba-
bly in a year, when he trusted he should be stand-
ing side by side (as he was at that moment) with
his gallant friend Colonel Kiugscote (cheers),
asking for a renewal of their confidence ; but if
their choice should fall on his gallant opponent, he
must leave it to him to explain who would be
standing in his shoes. (A laugh.) Ile thanked
them for listening so patiently, and hoped tie! elec-
tion would be conducted in that orderly manner that
he :And his friend Colonel Somerset wished it should
be. (Loud cheers.)
Au Elector in the crowd—Will you support the
ballot

The CHAIR3IAN said they were prepared to have
presented a requisition signed by 12,000 instead of
1,200 names, but Mr. Morley himself had said that
it was altogether unnecessary to put themselves to
that expense or trouble. What was simply required
was a proof that he was wanted as a candidate.
It. ADDIOTT, Esq., concurred with Mr. Clarke
in thinking that it would be better not to invite
Mr. Morley forward until they could, after a
week's quiet labour, present such a requisition
as would be honourable to themselves, and
justify Mr. Morley in assuming the position to
which, of all men in England, he was pre-eminently
entitled.
Mr. KNIGHT said the only difficulty in the way
of getting the requisition numerously signed was the
fact that there was a general impression that Mr.
Morley would not stand.

Mr. BEIZICELEY—I don't turn my coat ; I have
supported the ballot.
Colonel SOME%SET said he stood before them,
believing that he represented the feelings of a vast
number of the electors of West Gloucestershire,
and before he proceeded further he would remark
that he had one advantage over his hon. opponent
l_n,having the ladies in his favour. (The gallant
rinuel alluded to a gallery of " ladies in blue "
Immediately
facing him.) He should not in his
"la person have
asked to do Bo beorne forward had he not been
resident in y. a large and influential party
the
division, and he considered that
it would not be fair or
of the Conservative right that the opinions
party should not be represented.

Mr. TANNER corroborated that view, and refer-
red to the fact that Mr. Morley had himself signed
the requisition to Mr. Reed. If they adopted the
suggestion of the chairman, and waited at once upon
Mr. Morley to ascertain whether he would stand, it
would very much facilitate future procedure.
After some discussion, in which Mr. Serle, Dr.
Tripe, Mr. Ellis, Dr. Pyc Smith, and other gentle-