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

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position and rank could, consistently
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opinions, attend there to support the Ra. _1
her for Southampton. He could a tale unfold, for
when the late Government were applied to for sym-
pathy and redress for the shipping interest, they
gave them nothing but indignity and contempt,
whereas they received from the present Government
nothing but civility and attention. He asked them
for a welcome for a gentleman who came there, as
the accredited representative of the British shipping
interest, to say God speed to the member of their
choice. Mr. Seymour then advocated a uniformity
of franchise in the boroughs and counties, with uo
fancy franchises or artificial means of testing a
man's fitness for a vote ; but he believed the new
Reform Bill would only go to the extent of a .£lO
franchise for counties, and a Lo or A.:6 franchise for
boroughs. He lived some step wcu'd be taken to
give to- voters the protection of the ballot, as a
preventive of bribery and. intimidation, for there
would then be no such inquiries as that going
on at Gloucester, which he characterised as
moonshine. Though a member of the Church.
of England, he advocated perfect liberty of opi-
nion, and. said he should be ashamed of his church
did it not rest for its basis on the affections of
the people. After what had taken place in the Chi-
nese waters, he confessed that, if he was a Quaker,
he would turn down his collar and prepare to pitch
into them. A greater act of treachery and bad faith
never disgraced even a barbarous nation. He hoped
there was no trnth in the assertion that the Chinese
guns were loaded with Russian bullets, and that
they were fired by Russian artillery. If that be
true, base as was the Chinaman, and barbarous as
was the falsely called Celestial Empire, a country
which could take such a course had gone back to
the primitive barbarity from which it sprung, and
had disgraced even the name of Christianity. He
hoped the time would come when the truth would
be revealed ; and, at all events, if Southampton's
vote had to be given by him, it should be on the
side of that course which should best vindicate the
outraged honour of our country. The proceedings
of the Emperor of the French had excited some in-
terest in this country, and without being lavish in
our expenditure, it was the duty of England to be
ready for war, and heshould be prepared to support
any movement for encouraging the formation of
volunteer corps, and taking steps to bring out the
indomitability and courage now slumbering in the
right arms of our countrymen. Ile expressed his
sympathy with. Italy, and his cordial concurrence
in the spirit of nationality which had been mani-
fested there ; and, with regard to the duchies, he
hoped they would be joined to the banner and united
to the sway of Piedmont. He never could be a party
to the Emperor Napoleon setting up a Dictatorship
on the fair plains of Italy, and he hoped that this
country would not enter into any congress with its
hands tied or lips sealed. He hoped, as he said be-
fore, that he and they would have many opportu-
nities of meeting together. It was at least some
comfort to him to look round in that beautiful hall,
and find that on that occasion he had around him
something like 800 strong arms, 800 generous hearts•,
800 of the true, the generous, and the good, who
would think it a Christian duty,and even an honour-
able political anxiety, to take care of their member's
honour. All he cnild say was that they had taken
him upon credit, and reposed a generous faith in him.
when they knew him not ; and they paid him by
anticipation, in a manly, fair, and liberal manner,
the first tribute of their confidence and esteem.
Whether his connection with them was short or
long, and whatever his shortcomings may be, he
could tell them that, if they were to him as true as
he should prove to them, they would be a party so
strong that, in place of dictation coming from the
east or from the west, the dictators would have to
come to them. (Cheers.) Ile heard something
about union, something about shaking hands. Ile
would say by all means let there be union, by all
means let there be peace. Ile was ready to forgive.
Tie had been wounded, but the smile of human
benevolence would cover the wound up, and heal it
for ever. Ile had been assailed, but he was willing,
if only he was met in a proper spirit, to unite that
night in political braherhood, even with the man
who had struck him. Well, then, that was his dis-
position ; but their course was not to listen to the
voice of the charmer, charm he never so wisely.
Let them not be deceived by those who cried peace,
fraternity, and concord, but let them show it by
their acts, and discover it by their fruits. If they
wished to be at peace with them, let them give
them specimens of the spirit that was in them.
Those before him could, if they liked, be masters of
their position ; they had identified themselves with
a ncble cause, andthey had received the sentiments
he had uttered that night with a determination to
be in the vanguard of the Liberals of Southampton.
Then let them stand by one another in a spirit of
brotherly love, concord, and unity; with a spirit
of honest self-reliance and self-dependence ; and so
long as he was true to them, let them stand by him.
Let them remember the history of Leonidas, and
forget not the pass of Thermopylre. When the
patriotic chieftain stood in the fatal pass, the Eas-
tern despot sent to him to say—" Our arrows, if
you remain, shall darken the sky above you."
" Then," said Leonidas, in reply, " Go, tell your
haughty master, that if your arrows darken the
sky, we will fight in the shade." (Cheers.)
Mr. F. PERKINS proposed the next toast, " Our
Visiting Friends," coupling with the toast the name
of Mr G. F. Young, chairman of the Central Com-
mittee of the Shipping Association.
Mr. YOUNG, in response, complimented Mr.
Seymour for his speech, conceiving that they were
fortunate in having him as their representative, for
he had the rare quality of possessing a plain., honest,
straightforward determination to speak the truth,
whether it pleased or displeased. He combatted
Mr. Seymour's views on the ballot, but compli-
mented him for the part he took in defending the
shipping interests. Mr. Young avowed himself a
Protectionist, but, as the country was determined to
have free trade, he claimed. to have free trade in
full, which they had not now, for the laws were now
destroying the very root of British shipping, and
would, in the course of a few years place foreign
shipping in a position superior to it. Mr. Young
declared that he had fought four contested elections,
and won all of them ; and he then proceeded to
reply to a speech of Mr. Lindsay at Sunderland ;
but some impatience being manifested, he concluded
by returning thanks for his reception.
Mr. SEYMOUR proposed " The Trade and Com-
merce of Southampton," to which Mr. Arthur
Andrews responded ; and two or three more toasts
brought the proceedings to a conclusion.