The Sun.
London, England, 1859-11-23 00:00:00

Regiment are removed from the citadel to
Mount Wise, and the Fife Militiahave taken charge
of the batteries of Picklecombe and Staddon.

THE REPRESENTATION OF TVIIITBY.

The death of Mr. R. Stephenson having caused a
vacancy in the representation of the borough of
Whitby, the nomination of candidates took place on
Monday last. The candidates were Mr. H. S.
Thompson, chairman of the North-Eastern Railway
Company, and Mr. T. Chapman, London, chairman
of Lloyd's; Mr. G. Hudson having previously re-
tired. One of the occupants of the hustings, which
were erected not far from the railway station, was
his Highness Maharajah Dhuleep Singh, and he
seemed to take much interest in the proceedings.
• Mr. BtJCIIANNAN, the returning officer, after
alluding to the fame and lamented death of Mr.
Stephenson, desired for the several speakers a fair
and impartial hearing.
Dr. TAYLERSON said he had the pleasure of pro-
posing Mr. H. S. Thompson, of Kirby-hall, as a fit
and proper person to represent them in Parliament.
Mr. T. TURNBULL seconded the nomination,
stating that Mr. Thompson was a gentleman of
wealth, education, talent, influence, and a friend of
progress.
Mr. C. RICHARDSON then proposed Mr. Chap-
man as a fit and proper person to represent the
borough, which he said was the place of the hon.
candidate's birth, and he was sure, if elected, he
would use his anxious endeavours, to promote the
prosperity and interests of Whitby. Mr. Chap-
man, he observed, was a Conservative in politics,
though not opposed to any well-considered measure
that might tend to the improvement of our institu-
tions. (Applause.)
The nomination was seconded by Mr. SMALES,
who said that the shipping interest of this country
was exposed to a most ruinous and unfair competi-
tion, and that without some redress it must fall, in-
stead of rise, in the scale of nations, as it has always
hitherto done. (Applause.)
Mr. H. S. THOMPSON said, before entering upon
any more important matters they would allow him
to give them a cordial and hearty welcome to the
railway station. Though only a trifle, it would, he
hoped, serve to remind them that whenever they
required any accommodation which was a little
more than ordinary, they might immediately turn
to the railway company for it. (Cheers.) He would
ask them, at the same time, a personal favour—viz.,
that they would give to his worthy opponent a fair
and impartial hearing. (Cheers.) Mr. Chapman
and himself had been on their trial before them,
which had been going on for several weeks. They
had had a great array of legal talent on each side,
saying everything they could on behalf of one and the
other prisoner. (Laughter.) Their friends on each
side had been using the best arguments that they
possibly could, and now they were assembled there
that day to give their verdict. His antagonist had
a great advantage over him, as he was surrounded
by his relations and friends. They had used, natu-
rally, arguments which could not be used by those
-who were comparatively strangers, and ho confessed
he was very much- alarmed as to their verdict, lest
it should be that they acquitted Mr. Chapman of
all concern in this matter, and allow him to return
to his high and honorable occupations in the city of
London, but condemned him to serve them to the
end of the present Parliament in the House of Com-
mons. (Cheers.) But there was one chance more.
The prisoners had each to be heard in their own de-
fence, and he was now going to tell them what kind
of service they would have from him. One of the
most important questions upon which he should
have to address them—aquestion deeply interesting
to all the men of Whitby, and one upon which he
had been, he was going to say, misrepresented, but
he would only say misunderstood—was the great
shipping question. In the first instance, what is
there, at stake in this question? Is it a question
really of great importance or not ? Looking at the
amount of British shipping in active employment
in the last two years, he found on an average that
it amounted to above 13,000,000 tons, and on a rea-
sonable estimate of the value of that shipping, they
could not put it at less than £100,000,000 sterling.
That is the magnitude of it. It is stated by the
shipowners that one thing they have to complain of
is the want of a remunerative price, and that that is
caused by the great increase of foreign shipping ;
that itis caused by a want of reciprocity on the part
of many foreign Governments; and caused also by a
great number of unnecessary restrictions adopted
here at home. He would give his opinions as to these
several points. Though not a shipowner, he had been
very deeply interested in this question as a large
owner in the North-Eastern Railway. Being
deeply interested in the question, he had read with
greatinterest and care the memorial which was pre-
sented last December by the deputation of ship-
owners from various parts of the country then in
London. He had read with equal interest the an-
swer made by the Board of Trade, and the rejoinder
by the Shipowners' Association. Having read these
carefully through, he would say that not one
of them had stated the progress of foreign shipping
as compared with British shipping, to the full ex-
tent he should do if he had to make the statement.
(Applause.) He said so, because, in making that
statement, they compared the first year of free trade
in shipping in 1850, with the last year, 1858;
whereas, if he had a retaining fee to argue the case,
he should 'have compared the last year of the old
system with the last year of the new, and that
would have made a difference. By the returns of
the Board of Trade the progress of shipping was
made nearly equal to the progress of foreign ship-
ping; but if they compared the old with the last
year of the new, they would have found that the
tonnage of British shipping had increased 2,961,000
and the foreign 4,907,000. What answer was given
to the appeal of the shipowners assembled in Lon-
don by a Government, the members of which were
represented to be the great friends of the shipping
interest? At the end of three months there came
an elaborate document from them, which proved
;hat there was nothing to be done, but it proposed
that the differential duties on timber should be con-
sidered. (A laugh.) What did the Whig Govern-
ments do ? • As they had nothing substantial to pro-
pose, they were wise enough to hold their tongue.
With reference to the question of the increase of
foreign shipping, he could not give them any help-
if they sent him to Parliament. There
was no Government that ever wiA, because
it implies a reversal of the principles of
free-trade, which has been deliberately adopted by
this country, and until the sea retired and left
Whitby an inland town they would never find the
country going back on the question of free trade.
(Cheers.) On the question of reciprocity, any mea-
sure that was proposed to accomplish that end short
of going to war with a foreign nation to get it, he
would support with all his might. A certain mea-
sure of relief might be obtainechby the shipping in-
terest in other ways, such as building harbours of
refuge, and he admitted that there are duties raised
on shipping which require alteration to adapt them
to present circumstances. He could go with them
heartily for abolishing improper restrictions, and in
trying to obtain reciprocity, in order to place them
on a fair footing with the foreigner; but he could
not go with them to put an end to the foreign trade
—that was, foreign shipping ; for could they be-
lieve that if the British shipowner only had fair
play and there was the absence of all unnecessary
restriction, that he would be afraid of the world,
and that he would not have his fair share of the
enormous and rapidly increasing trade of the coun-
try ? (Cheers.) Mr. Thompson stated that if they
returned him to the House of Commons he should
take his seat on the Liberal side of the house, thoug ti
he would be pledged to no party or measure, for if
a good measure was proposed from any side or by
any person he would cordially support it..(Cheers.)
He glanced at the failure of the measures of the
Conservative Government, remarking that the
Conservative policy had been of late years too much
to oppose measures session after session, and ulti-
mately, when they could no longer be withheld, to
adopt them. He felt that the working classes were
entitled to a fair share of the franchise, and after a
few other observations, he thanked the electors for
their promises of support.
Mr. CHAPMAN next addressed the electors, and
observed in thecourse of his speech that, experienced
as he had long been in taking a prominent part in
those large metropolitan associations immediately
connected with shipping, it had been thought by
many that experience qualified him for a scat in
Parliament. (Hear, hear.) It was with a little de-
gree of pride that he offered himself to be the re-

presentative of his native town, and his occupation
and constant residence in London would enable

him, he believed, to be of essential service not only
to the shipping, but every interest connected with
the borough. Though a Conservative, he held him-
self to be second to none in 2n earnest desire to
prove to his fellow-countrymen the glories of civil
and religious liberty, and he would give to every
man who had Intelligence enough the privilege of
a vote; but he would pledge himself to the support
of no particular measure with regard to Reform.
Considering the ballot as nn-English, he would op-
pose it to the utmost. 'There seemed to be a feeling
that we are menaced with an invasion. He did net
believe such a thing was probable, but we must be
prepared, especially as all the European nations
are armed to the teeth. Ire believed the best security
for the independence of Europe is the freedom of
England. (Applause.)
On a show of hands being taken, there was an
overwhelming majority in favour of Mr. Thomp•
son. A poll was demandod for Mr. Chapman, and
it was appointed to take piece on the following day.

CLOSE OF THE POLL

Thompson .
Chapman

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