The Sun.
London, England, 1866-07-16 00:00:00

SHOREHAM.

The election for the borough of Shoreham and
Rape of Bramber took place on Saturday morning
at Shoreham. The usual formal declarations having
been made by the high constable of the district, who
acted as returning officer, the Rev. John Goring
nominated the Right Hon. Stephen Cave to repre-
sent the constituency. The nomination was se-
conded by Mr. Henty. Mr. William Hall, secre-
tary of the West Kent Registration Society, next
spoke at some length in support of Liberal prin-
ciples in opposition to the nomination of Mr. Cave,
but as no one else was nominated, Mr. Cave was de-
clared by the high constable to be duly elected.
Mr. CAVE, who was received with cheers mingled
with some hisses, in addressing the electors, said—l
hesitated long before I accepted the appointment,
and had I a • family depending upon me it would
have been impossible for me to have done it. I
have been appointed Vice-President of the Board of
Trade, not because I made a poor speech, which per-
haps Lord Derby never read, but simply because my
former habits of life and experience fitted me to work
in the department which presides over the trade, agri-
culture, and commerce of this great country. I think
the trade, agriculture, and commerce of the country
should be left the greatest possible freedom of action
not that sortof freedom which some like—protection
for themselves and free trade for everybody else—
but that free trade which takes away the burden
from every class of industry, and thus reduces the
price to the consumer without ruining the producer.
We all know that that artificial cheapness which
ruins the producer recoils with increased dearness
upon those who made the laws producing the effect.
It has been often thrown in my teeth that I voted
against the French Treaty. As it happens, I never
did so, but I no doubt voted against a part of the
scheme that gave up a large portion of our revenue,
which, in my opinion, might have been better given
up by reducing the taxation upon some of the neces-
saries of life. (Hear.) But at the same time I
confess I don't like treaties of commerce. They
violate the principles of free trade. Instead of leav-
ing free action to everything they tie up certain
branches of industry, and sometimes they uninten-

tionally have a very Prejudieial effect upon such in-
dustry. If we take oysters, with which you are
somewhat interested, we all know that trade in them
is affected by the French Treaty. As regards some
oyster-beds which have been discovered in the Chan-
nel since the treaty was made, we have to wait the
pleasure of France, and thus the trade of this town
has been greatly injured. In this instance we see
that the treaty has failed to carry out the intention
of its framers. Other treaties of commerce have been
made with Austria and with the Zollverein. In some
respects they have been very good, but they bind us
to put duty upon coal, which Mr. Gladstone now
tells us is quickly being exhausted, and that an ample
supply is essential to the prosperity of the country.
If this be true, these treaties tie our hands in respect
to one of the most important points of our prospe-
rity as a nation. (Cheers.) I have been often
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