The Sun.
London, England, 1859-03-10 00:00:00

ELECTION INTELLIGENCE.

WEST SUSSEX.
CHICHESTER, MARCH 9.

The election of a knight of the shire to supply a
vaeancy in the western division of the county of
Sussex, occasioned by the Earl of March accepting
the office of President of the Poor.law Board, took
place this day in the Guildhall. The usual preli-
minaries, having been gone through, W. T. Mit-
ford, Esq., nominated Lord March for re-cleetion
for the fifth time ; and Colonel Carr Lloyd
seconded. No other candidate being nominated,
the Sheriff declared the noble lord duly elected/
amidst loud applause.
Lord MAncit then addressed the electors, and,
after some preliminary observations, said it was
not without much anxious consideration that he
accepted the post offered to him by the Govern-
ment. Sympathising as he did with the Govern-
ment, and approving of all they had done since their
accession to power, he did not feel himself at liberty
to refuse. (Applause.) After reviewing the state
of affairs at the time when Lord Derby accepted
office, his lordship came to the main point, and ex-
pressed his satisfaction at the absence of any great
excitement, which he said would enable the house to
approach the consideration of reform in the repre-
sentation of the people with that calmness and de-
liberation so essentially necessary to the discussion
of so momentous a question. There were two
schemes before the public—one, the scheme pro-
pounded during his autumnal migrations by the
hon. member for Birmingham, on the principle that
numbers should have the right of electoral power ;
and the Government scheme, which, while it ex-
tended the franchise, avoided monopolies, and
wished to adapt the constitution to the present
and future wants of the country.. (Cheers.)
Mr. Bright's scheme was neither more nor less
than a swamping of the constituencies of the
counties ; and he (Lord March) would ask the
farmers of Sussex, the shopkeepers of Chichester,
and the £lO householders in that ancient city—he
would also ask a class, powerful as intelligent, and
numerous as free, he meant the middle classes,
throughout this great and important country—if
they would sanction a measure which would effec-
tually wipe them off from the face of the electoral
earth. (Cheers, and "No, no.") Only once since
the passing of the Reform Act, in 1832, had there
been a Conservative majority returned to the House
of Commons, and while there was no reason why
the country interest should have such a penal enact-
ment passed against them as Mr. Bright proposed,
there was every reason why the plan of the Govern-
ment should be carried to give them (the country
party) 'a judicious addition to the constituency.
(Applause.) The Government scheme for reducing
the county franchise, as it now stands, to £lO,
would have the advantage of putting an end to
invidious distinction existing between town and
country. (Applause.) . The noble lord then
pointed out various classes who have hitherto
been ignored, but would obtain votes by the
Government Bill, and quoted several extracts
from the Chancellor of the Exchequer's speech
made on introducing the bill, arguing that if
the extension of the franchise was to be based upon
the principle of population—the principle of the
new school—then the boroughs must be disfran-
chised and more members given to the counties.
(Cheers and laughter.)
The noble lord resumed his seat amid loud cheers,
and a vote of thanks was given to the sheriff, who
expressed a wish that should he be called upon to
act in a similar capacity before the end of the year,
an event he thought probable—(laughter)—there
would be the same good feeling that pervaded the
present occasion.