The Sun.
London, England, 1832-12-24 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX ELECTION

(THIS DAY.)

BRENTFORD, QUAErEit ro Timm P.M.
This being the day appointed to announce the final state of
the poll, the Sheriffs arrived at Brentford shortly after ten
ten o'clock, and i nmediately proceeded to the hustings,
where the poll-books were unsealed. In about half an hour
afterwards the work of casting up the different poll-books was
completed, but in consequence of a previous arrangement, it
was understood that the final state of the poll would not be
announced !till one o'clock. About half past twelve o'clock,
Sir JOHN Scorr LILLIE arrived, and on coming forward
on the hustings was received with several distinct rounds of
applause. Mr. BYN(: arrived shortly afterwards in a carriage
and four with out-riders, and was received with some cheers
and disapprobation. SIR CHARLES FORBES reached the hust-
ings without being perceived. Mr. HuNE did not arrive till
' half-past one o'clock. The Honourable Gentleman ap-
proached the hustings accompanied by a tremendous caval-
cade. The procession was preceded by four trumpeters in
their State dresses; there then followed persons bearing flags
and banners, decorated with laurels, and bearing the inscription
- " The Triumph of Principle," " The Three Estates of the
Realm," The People and their Rights," and several other in. scriptions. Mr. Hume then followed in a carriage and four,
decorated with laurels. After the Hon. Gentleman's carriage
a whole host of carriages followed, decorated in a similar man-
es'
70 net*. The Hon. Gentleman was received with tre-
mendous shouts of applause, and the fineness of the
day, accompanied by the waiving c the banners and
handkerchiefs of the ladies on the arrival of the Honour-
able Gentleman, presented an effect beyond description. Mr.
I Hume appeared with a laurel and white flower in the ribbon
of his hat. The cheering was increased to a tenfold degree as
the Hon. Members appeared on the hustings. As our re.
porters were going down to Brentford they overtook, in
Piccadilly, the spendid cavalcade of Mr. Hume and his sup-
porters on horseback, and in carriages. The sun, which,
about that time (12 o'clock) had been obscured by threatening
clouds, began to shine forth, and threw around the scene an
'7O enlivening and animating appearance. Most of the horsemen
had silk bands across their shoulders, with the colour of the
Hon. Candidate, and each with another band of wreathed laurel.
Laurel also in profusion adorned all the carriages. We
should think the procession extended a quarter of a mile.
Mr. Sheriff HI:WPM:BY, as soon as Mr. Hume and Mr.
—0 Byng had arrived on the hustings, came forward, and begged
2
the favour of a patient and a fair hearing for every person.—
;Hear.) In doing this they would not only do the candidates,
• but also the Sheriffs, a great favour. The electors had been
called on to elect two fit and discreet Members to serve in Parlia.
ment. A poll had been demanded, and the numbers polled for
each were, for
Joseph Hume, Esq.•••3B.—(Loud cheers.)
George Byng, Esq....3o:l3.—(Groans, and cries of "Bravo.")
Sir Charles Forbes ...1494.—(Hisses and groans.)
Sir John Scott Lillie 1004. (Cheers.)
They (the Sheriffs) therefore declared and made proclama.
" lion that Joseph Hume, Esq., and George Byng, Esq. were
50
duly elected to serve as Knights of the Shire for the County
of Middlesex in the ensuing Parliament—(Cheers.)
Mr. HUME came forward amidst loud cheers, and spoke to
the following effect :—Gentlemen, the numbers, as exhibited
by the Sheriffs, I understand, entitled me;first to address you.
I assure you I congratulate you on the result of the poll, in as
far as it shows yonr determination that those who are ready and
willing, and I hope able also to forward the great object of the
Reform Bill, you wjll have placed at the head of the poll.--
;Cheers.) I never had the slightest doubt as to the result of
the poll, unless it had so happened that the electors of Mid-
dlesex, which I did not expect, had in a very few months
changed their minds.—(Cheers.)—The triumph is yours ; I am
only the humble individual whom you have selected to go to
the first Reformed Parliament to advocate your wants, to ex-
press your wishes, 34 ;oextend, if possible, your rights and
privileges.—(Cheers.) It is your triumph, and I hope it will
be useful to the whole country, and it is an important lesson
that those who have hitherto ruled the State, and had the com-
mand of everything in the shape of taxation—l mean the
Tories, who have always been anti-Reformers—you have had
to wage war with, aided as they have been by the Magistrates
and the Clergy, and yet you, the middling classes, have placed
me at the top of the poll.—(Cheers.) If I understand any.
thing of the working of this contest, it is a triumph of the
independence of the county, unconnected with Court influ-
i ence, or the upper ranks. It is to the 101. householders that
attribute the triumph ; sad I wish that it had been extended
to the ten shilling ones—.(Loud and continued cheering.)
It is that body that has achieved the victory against all the
corruption that has existed, and which exists in the State.
I therefore congratulate you on the first issue that has been
made, that you have been triumphant; and I can only say, as
the humble individual whom you have selected, if I have done
any thing hitherto to merit your approbation, or thegood feeling
of the country, the approbation you have bestowed on me—
must prove an additional stimulus to advocate those
measures which I have hitherto adopted, until complete
success shall crown our labours. We have now begun a new era.
Parliament is about to assemble,—not of nominees, for few of
them there are, but of men chosen by the people, if they
exerted themselves as honest men, which I hope the majority
have done; and you now look forward to the exertions of a
House of Commons composed so differently to what it has
hitherto been, that certainly no man living cats calculate
the benefits or the advantages to be derived from the efforts
of its labours.—(Cheers.) I shall go to that House of Parlia-
ment—(Cries of "So you shall")—to advocate, I hope fear_
lessly, as I have hitherto done,—perseveringly as I have
hitherto done—and I trust ten times more successfully than 1
have hitherto done, in the late Parliament—your rights--
your wants and privileges--(Loud cheers)—what is it I am
to do ? That is the great question put to you. Igo to the
House of Commons as your agent—as your representative, to
endeavour to destroy all that is bad in the existing institu-
tions—to uphold all that is good—)Hear, hear, hear, and
loud eheers)—to bring about, in short, good Govern-
ment, which is what we seek and what we want, for
I have no hesistation in candidly stating to you, that
one of the first most important measures to be adopted is to
complete the Reform Bill, to render it efficacious for the ob-
jects for which it was intended.—(Loud cheers.) Gentle-
men, I am anxious to tell you what were the ob-
jects Earl Grey and the Ministers held out to the
country by the introduction of the Reform Bill.
Three great advantages were stated by Lord John Russell to
arise from the Reform Bill—First, to remove the nomination
of Members hitherto sent by individuals to the House of Com.
mons, by which, as he stated, a majority was too easily ob-
tained to support selsfih interests, consequently to uphold bad
government, and with that bad government all the evils whtch
necessarily arise from it. The Bill has put an end to nomi-
nation boroughs pretty generally—(Loud cheers)---perhaps
some few remain to be corrected—(A great many)—when
we see how the operation goes on, but generally it has been
successful in that respect, and the nominees of boroughs are
no longer seated in that House.—(Cheers and bravos.) The
next was to put an end to elections by close corporations. By
the effect of this Bill, every corporation has been opened ;
consequently, in that respect the Bill has beets completely
successful. The third was to reduce the expense of
attending elections, and I am happy to see, even in that respect,
a considerable reduction has taken place, though still I
regret to say, in many parts of the country there has been
such an overwhelming expense by individuals to carry
their purpose, that I cannot contemplate the completion of
the Bill, whilst any individual is compelled to expend from
1001. to 20,0001., which I understand will be the expense
of some of the elections even under the Reform Bill.
._(Cries of " Shame, shame.") I therefore con-
template the completing of the Reform Bill by a
measure which we shall lessen, if not altogether I
the expense attending any election, and I hope in that Way
that every man may be able to record his vote in the parish
where he lives, instead of having to traverse the county, as in
this case many have have had to do.—(Cheers.) I believe the
measure to be one of peace and conciliation. I believe it will
be, but hitherto I do not think it has been completely success.
ful to that effect; for until we can put an end to those anima,
sities that arise in political contests, it is utterly impassible but
that it should produce strife instead of conciliation. There.
fore, I conceive we must enable every man to perform the duty
that devolves upon him, without the influence which any one
can exerelse, to do that which may not be accordant with his wisb,
Therefore I declare to you again that without vote by
ballot—(Loud cheees and hravos)—l do not think we
can have the measure complete...,(Br.tvo, bravo, and
loud cheers.) Lord Grey, on the theory of the Con-
stitution, has admitted it to be a fair, a full, and a
free representation by the Bill. It is neither full
nor is it fair, and I ask many of you who have been
under the influence of individuals, whether you bavo been
free to exercise the suffrage yon hive ? Now, the ob-
ject, therefore, which this was intended to have has not
been successful, and it will be the duty of the Reformed
Parliament to see that it is made ; as it was the
intention of the Noble Lords who introduced it that it
should be, and my humble efforts will be used to produce
it. Gentlemen, lam sorry to hear it alleged, but I cannot
believe it, by msny high in office, that they are to put estop
to any further improvement in our Reform. 1, fbr one, never
have contemplated the measure as a final measure, nor do I con-
sider it consistent with that respect we ought to pay to every
succeding Parliament, to hold out to any man, or at any time,
of the people, I
that we are the wise men, and that those who are to succeed us
are Rot competent to judge for themselves. I, therefore, state
that it will he our duty so far to perfect the pins and 'as
Lord Grey, in 1786, stated he had supported Mr. Pitt
themin hi s
the motion
fullatnodfav vigorouso ur shortening
representation
ask. what reason exists now, if in 1786, that Noble Lord
supported the question, what reason can now he given why
he should
when he has it in his power
—achieve
11, I cannot believe that he
hould noti
tas zit thisho p i
e n o
bi: en
will,
should now, having advanced so nobly, and achieved
so gallant a victory,—that he should now stop
fast, and prevent qs reaping the benefits and the
fruits of that victory.,4llear, hear, bear, and cheers.) I
shall go to the House with the determination to advocate
the repeal of the Septennial Act, in order to render the
Bill that efficient measure which the Ministers declared it
their intention it should be, Gentlemen, from the Re-
form Bill 1 will tell you what I most sincerely anticipate—