The Sun.
London, England, 1832-12-10 00:00:00

WESTMINSTER.

Colonel EVANS—I entertain the highest personal respect
for both my opponents, and particularly for the Hon. Baronet
who has just addressed you, but I should be unworthy of appear-
ing before you in the character I now do if I could suffer
my private feelings to actuate my conduct as a public man.
The Hon. Bart. commenced with a remark, if I heard him
distinctly on that point, I did not on many
others, which was utterly unfounded. He designated me
his opponent; but, Gentlemen, you know that it is he who is
my opponent, and not I his. The Hon. Baronet then re-
ferred to what he had written respecting your being
fools, and possibly myself being a knave.—(Laughter.)
It is strange that this is the first time,
after an acquaintance of twenty-six years, that
he should have informed you what he thinks of
you. However that may be, the inference is too obvious that I,
in stating my opinions to you, am a knave. I must take leave to
say, however, notwithstandng the superiority the Hon. Bart.
no doubt has over me in every respect, that I know not one act
of my life which leaves me open to the charge of knavery, any
more than his own does to a similar charge.—(Loud and con-
tinued cheering ) But let it be granted that those who state
their opinions are knaves, is he not a much bigger knave than I
am ?—(Cheers and laughter.) When I came before you as a
candidate a short time ago, I told you that from the know-
ledge I had of the opinions of a large portion of the electors,
I considered myself as obeying a public duty in offering
myself as a candidate for this great city. I told the great meeting,
before which I first appeared, that I should not con-
sider myself irrevocably bound to the contest till
I found how far my opinions on the great questions likely to
come before Parliament were in unison with theirs, and how
far they would give me that degree of support likely to
lead to a triumphant issue. I have since attended many
meetings, and the result has been in the highest degree
satisfactory.— (Cheers.) A great part of what I intended
to say has been anticipated by my eloquent and
intelligent proposer and seconder ; but there are a few
points which I should like also to touch upon. We have been
designated " destructives" of late—(Laughter)—but before I
appeared in the field,the Hon. Baronet was content with calling
you " impatients." This is a mild term. Although borrowed
from great authority, it is not an authority as yet very
much respected in Westminster. Gentlemen, the first per-
son who made use of the word " impatient," was the late
Lord Castlereagh, who spoke of you as being ignorantly impa-
tient of taxation. Sir F. Burdett, after his glorious career,
has thought proper to use the language of Lord Castle-
reagh ; and, another candidate appearing in the field,
lie translates " impatient" into " destructive." But
I will say the same thing with respect to my destruc-
tive opinions that I said with respect to my knavery. If
I am a "destructive," the two other Hon. Candidates, judg_
ing by their former professions—(A laugh)—were a gnat deal
more destructive than I shall ever be.—(Loud cheers.) lam
willing, however, to take the title, and will state in what
I really wish to be a destructive. I wish to destroy
the Sinecure List and all pensions, wherever they have not
been merited. I will carry my destructiveness yet further;
for I am resolved, if I should have the honour of your
support, to endeavour to destroy the house and window tax;

he taxes on knowledge—those grand impediments to all real

national liberty—(Bravo, bravo, bravo)—those taxes which
are more operative to repress liberty than even the
bayonet or Russian " knout"—even those taxes will I exert
myself to the uttermost to destroy. I shall advocate, too, the
shortening of the duration of Parliaments; and since pled;es
have been referred to, have not my Hon. Opponents been
pledged chin-deep on that very subject, on these very hust-
ings ?—(Cries of" Yes, yes," and cheers.) With what assu-
rance, then, can they tell you that it would be wrong in them
to pledge themselves on those great organic measures which,
ever since they have been before you, have been their per-
petual themes.—(Hear, hear.) They are no less pledged
to the ballot ; and I am destructive enough to pledge myself
to that also. The very fact which has been alluded to to-day,
of the gentleman of Charing-cross having been sent for to the
Treasury, and threatened with the withdrawal of custom un-
less he voted against me—(Groans)—is sufficient to prove
the necessity of voting by ballot. Nay, Lord Althorp, the
Government leader in the House of Commons, is no less

pledged than the late Members for Westminster to the vote
by ballot. Further, Gentlemen ; I am destructive enough
to vote for the abolition of tithes, for the removal of the
Bishops from the House of Lords, and for a more equal
apportionutent of the revenues of the Church, so that the
working clergy may In properly remunerated from the
superfluities of the fat prebendaries.—(Loud cheers.) With
respect to Ireland, much has been said about a repeal of
the Union; but the true way of preventing the agitation
of that question, and of establishing a thorough union, is
by giving the two islands an identity of rights, feelings,
and interests, by doing justice to Ireland, by sweeping
away the corrupt system of Government prevailing there,
and by withdrawing a lirge part of the army there, which
might be easily done. With respect to the corn laws,
whatever may he the sentiments of my opponents, and I hope
you will question them on the subject, I am satisfied that they
are the most tyrannical and unjust laws which a selfish oligarchy

ever passed for its own benefit.—(Applause.) By means of
those laws, a tax of twelve millions sterling, per annum, was
annually levied upon the industrious and working part of the
community.—(Cries of" Shame," and groans.) I will not de-
scend into particulars; but, suffice it to say, that there is scarcely
a necessary of life, the produce of the land, upon which a
heavy duty is not imposed, which causes money to be taken from
your pockets which does not go into the exchequer, For the
abolition of the East India monopoly, and of slavery in the
colonies, 1 am an equally zealous advocate.—(What do you
think of flogging in the army ?) I have already voted for the
abolition of flogging in the army, and my opinion upon that
subject is probably known to most of you. I did my utmost,
after the Reform Bill was passed, to carry retrenchment into
the military department, put was unfortunately opposed by
the Honourable Baronet, who will presently address
you.—(Cries of " No Holohouse ; no flogging Jack.")
There are one or two other points which particularly con-
cern you, upon which I beg to say a few words. First,
there is the Vestry Bill. I do not wish to depreciate
the great service performed by the Right Hon. C indidate on
my left in promoting that Bill; but there are objec-
tions to it which he ought to have exerted him-
self more energetically to remove. I allude particu-
larly to the objections to the adoption clause,
which throws great difficulties Into the way ofany parish wish-
ing to adopt the Bill, and those to the qualification clause,
which are more important. The qualification is no less than
40/., being 400 per cent. more for an elector to regulate parochial
affairs, than is required in an elector for a Member of Parlia-
ment—a qualification so aristocratic as completely to have
disqualified the majority of the inhabitants of some parishes ;
as, for instance, that of St. John's, Westminster. By
another important oversight of the Right Hon. Baronet,
the Select Vestry of St. Martin's-in.the-Fields, which
has raised as much as 40,0001. per annum from the
parishioners, is still left with uncontrolled power over that
tp,yar i
peculiar yvewnohro nAowet,hebarutmeitarebpeaerrhsapwsitnhot
hardship upon the outer wsrd of St. George's parish,
and an instance of its operation occurred yesterday, which I
parish.
Grosvenor
cannot forbear narrating to you. Many persons refusing to pay
the unjust taxes levied under that rate, warrants were taken
out against them ; but it so happens that only two persons
have been seized and had their property distrained, and those
two were members of my committee.—(Cries of shame.) The
inhabitants of the outer ward of St. George have long complained
of the operation of this Act, and, as I am informed, they applied
some six or seven years back to the Right Hon. Bart. to procure
them relief from it; but he is represented as having turned a
deaf ear to their application, or at best to have asked for money
to enable him to pass a bill through the House. Since
my appearance as a candidate, however, the Right Ho-
nourable Baronet has become more polite, and I think I may
certainly take credit for improving his disposition
towards the electors in this respect. He has now entered into
a correspondence with the outer ward, and I find this very re.
markable passage in a letter written to one of the electors,
a friendly one probably, a day or two back :—" Although I
am decidedly averse to specific pledges, as to votes on great
questions, I of course hold that in all matters of local interest the
constituency ought to command the representative."—
(Cheers.) What is it meant we should infer from this?
The distinction between local matters, and great public ques-
tions is drawn with a very decided hand; and as the Honourable
Baronet, in the first instance, says that he thinks a representa-
tive is to be commanded by his constituency, does he mean to
say that in the second case the constituency is to be
commanded by the representative ? (Loud cheers.)
Gentlemen, there is another subject Olson which I am bound to
say something, and it concerns you in a great degee. I mean
the present state of the new police. I understand, Gentle.
men, that in the parish of St. George's the annual cost of the
former mode of watching that parish was 4,0001. or 6,000/. But
now, Gentlemen, it amounts to no less than 18,0001. Well,
Gentlemen, it may be said that St. George's parish,
being an aristocratical parish, ought to pay for the
watching of Whitechap-l; but at all events it should be

rememb red that a large part of St. George's differs not
at all from any--if they were all equal I should have no
objection. There is another ground of objection
which I have heard, and which I think has
been reasonably complained of. It is this, that
they are paid by the local authorities, but they are
not in the slightest degree under the inhabitants,
nor do they even treat with respect, in consideration, the inha-
bitants of this district, who are the persons who pay them.—
(Cries of " Bravo, bravo.") For my own part, I never view the
new police with a favourable eye. I consider that force as un-
constitutional. It reminds me of the gendarmes of France ;
besides which, it is under the immediate authority
(without even the intervention of a Magistrate) of
one of the executive Ministers of the Crown.—(Hear.)
In that respect, I conceive that description of force as
objectionable; but, at all events, I must say, that I shall
be disposed to support a due authority on the part of
the inhabitants who pay the new police, of whatever de-
scription it may be. In the employment of the new
police, there is no such thing as introducing that force to
maintain peace and good order, fur it b-comes rather a
nuisance than beneficial to the people. Gentlemen,
why have I touched on these subjects ? Because
I think it, was due to you to know this. But there is
another subject on which I wish to speak a little. When I
first came forward as a candidate on this occasion, entertain-
ing the feelings I did towards the two Hon. Members who
have sat for this great city before, I was desirous not to pass
any comment whatever on the conduct of the two Hon.
Baronets.—(Hear, hear.) I conceived it was a duty which much
more properly devolved on you to consider how far they had
fulfilled or omitted to fulfil their duty before.—(Hear,
hear.) But, Gentlemen, when I declined to pass an
"pinion, or to pass any censure on them fortimith, it was
answered by the Hon. Baronet and his friends, that I was
guilty of the grossest possible absurdity and impropriety
in coming forward to oppose him, while I had no fault to
find with his conduct; and in a speech which he addressed
to a meeting at the Crown and Anchor the other day, lie
dared me, if I ant to believe the reports in the public
print% to state any thing objectionable to any part of his
conduct—(Bravo)—therefore it is that I feel myself obliged,
in self defence, to state a few points. May be, Gentlemen, you
have a better knowledge of him than I can have; but there are
great public measures in which I know he has been wanting in
his duty, and upon these he has challenged me to find fault with
him Since he came into office he has, in several important in-
stances, failed in his promises and professions to you as his con-
stituents.— (Cheers.) Now it will be in the recollection of many
of you that the Right Honourable Baronet has dilated with
eloquence, on different occasions, against the barrack
system in this country.—(Hear, hear, hear.) It was a
favourite topic of his, and he frequently declared, that they
were a sort of internal fortress for over-awing the people, and
leading to despotism—(Cheers)—and when they applied to
have certain barracks not far from this (in the Mews) removed,
he charged the Government as being guilty of a design to esta-
blish despotism, by placing this sort of fortress in the centre
of Westminster. But, Gentlemen, how has he fulfilled those
professions since he went into office ? how has lie conducted
himself ?—(Much confusion, and waving of hats.) Has he
said a word against this fortress in the Mews at Charing_
cross ?—(Hear.) No ; but I will tell you what he has done, and
what he has allowed to be done. He has allowed another
barracks to be commenced, and with this new building under
his nose, on the other side of the park.—(Here the Gallant
Colonel was interrupted by violent confusion, waving of hats,
and throwing of mud, cabbage leaves, &c., at Sir John.) In an-
swer to his challenge upon another point, lie denounced elo-
quently, and much to his honour, on former occasions, the sys-
tem of corporal punishments.—(Hisses, uproar, and cries of
" Flog Sir John.") If lam not mistaken, he described that
system as a moral, as well as a physisal evil—a thing which
ought not to be endured by Britons—a thing which was cha-
racteristic of slavery, in the worst sense of the term.
—(Hear, hear.) He stated, also, if I am not mistaken,
that one lash was as much a degradation and moral evil
as a thousand. What has he done ? Has he acted in conformity
with those professions ?—(Cries of " No, no ; you need not tell
us any thing more of him.") Very well, Gentlemen, I shall
not proceed farther.—(Cries of " Hear, hear ; Yes, yes.") I
say lie has carried his opposition still farther for a motive; and
I think a most rational motion was brought before the House
of Commons, for one year, during this time of peace, to abolish
this horrid system. Did he yield to that? No! Even the
experiment for one year, which I, as a military man, consider
perfectly practicable—he rejected.—(Uproar.) But, Gentlemen,
he went farther. Did he content himself with merely opposing
these motions which had for their object humanity,
as I conceive ? No. He not only opposed these motions, but
he actually was the man himself—he who so denounced that
abominable punishment—was the man who brought in the
Mutiny Act for perpetuating that punishment.—(Cries of
" Drill him well, Colonel," and great uproar.) Gentlemen

some friends of the Right Hon. Baronet have made a noise just
as I was approaching these particular subjects. I should be
surprised if he had not some friends ; but I wish, I should be
delighted if, he would give any tolerable explanation of his con-
duct on this subject. There was another most important subject
in which he has committed himself, again and again, throughout
the whole course of his political life, and that is with respect to
the expenditure of the army. Now the expenditure of the
army to which the Rt. Hon. Baronet, before he was in office,
bad particularly directed himself, is the most important branch
of the expenditure of the country, because it is the largest. So
far would he carry his opinions beyond mine ; perhaps I am a
knave.—(Laughter.) Still he always voted for any motion that
had for its object the reduction of the standing army. He
went farther, and used to say on every occasion that if any
Hon. Member would propose to do away with the standing army
altogether, he would support him in doing so.—(Cheers and
uproar.) This was his language in former times; and I was not
prepared to go to the extent to which he did, but I made a
simple motion last session for the reduction merely of the force
that his colleagues had added to the army. But he would not
h ear of it. He said, " Oh, look to the state of Ireland—
(Laughter)—the state of foreign affairs.—(Laughter.) When
he brought in_ the Mutiny Act—which put an end, in my opi-
. _ _

_ . .
nion, to his political career—(Cheers)---and when he resisted
motions for reduction and retrenchment, he said once or twice,

" I am only Secretary at War."—(Hisses.) Suppose my
Lord Althorp, when we trouble him about the window tax, was
to say, " I am only Chancellor of the Exchequer," why that
would be a pretty state of things we should be in He was
personally responsible for his conduct even as a Member of Go-

vernment.—(Bravo, bravo.) Then, Gentlemen, having been
challenged to state objections to his political conduct since he
went into office, I must say I conceive there are no instances,
I wish to use no harsh expressions, on record of tergiversa.
sations and short turns with respect to political conduct, at all
equal to those which the Right Hon. Baronet has presented to
the country.—(Loud and long continued cheering.) It is true I
• '

could go on upon this subject for a very considerable time; but,
as my object was merely to answer the challenge made
to me, and not to speak improperly to a great length,
for one might use strong words, and turn the conduct of the
Right Hon. Baronet into something like ridicule, if we con-
trasted his former professions with his present metamorphoses,
I have done all I think necessary to answer the challenge
thrown out to me. I will conclude by stating that I shall be happy
to answer any questions you may put to me, and I presume the
Right Hon. Baronet may do the same.—(Cries of " No, he
won't.") One subject has been touched oft by the public prints,
and I think I may as well now attend to it. It has been said
that I have brought forward, as the sole ground of objec.

tion to his return, that he was in office under the Crown.

beg to say that was not the sole ground, although considering,
as I do, that the constituency of Westminster has some claim
to additional privileges beyond any other in the empire,
having proved its enlightenment and independence at
times when other constituences did not do so ; yet the
question is, whether he has not, in connecting himself with
Government, sacrificed his former principles and profes-
sions as representative of the people.—(Hear.) I conceive
if the representative of the people joins the Government
without obtaining conditions from them fur the mainte-
nance of his former professions and public character, he
places himself completely at the mercy of the Minister,

and vitiates his claim to the future confidence of his consti:

tuents. So completely is the Right Hon. Bart. in that
predicament, that I conceive he is now much more to be re-

larded as the Member for Lord Grey, than tie Member for
Westminster. However, gentlemen, he may show that all
my statements are false. At all the meetings of the consti-
tuency of the city of Westminster at which I have presented
myself, my opinions were received with unanimous approba-
tion. I believe there is every prospect, and you will be glad
to hear it—for it is your cause, and not mine—of a fa-

vourable result.—(Loud and long continued cheers.) None
will fail, I believe, to vote for me but those who are
willing for the future to wear the livery of the Honourable
Baronet, and to have all the insult and opprobrium of this
city thrown upon them.—(Cheers.) If returned to Par

ment, I will consider it my duty and pride to attend not
only to my public duty, but sedulously, and at all times,
be ready to render my best and utmost services to you.
The gallant Colonel then withdrew amidst loud cheering and
waving of hats, which continued for some time.
Sir JOHN CAM HOBHOUSE then came forward amidst
great uproar, and pelting with cabbages. After

various unsuccessful attempts to gain a hearing, the
Lion. Baronet said, I trust that the Gallant Colonel con-

gratulates himself on the consequences of his opposition.—
(Much confusion.) Gentlemen, von are det,rmined, it
seeps, to persevere ; end so shall I persevere in my duty.
I repeat I am not to be intimidated by any of the dis-
graceful conduct which the new friends, not of Reform,
but of confusion, think so creditable to themselves and to
the city of Westminster. Gentlemen, if this is to be
the last time that lam to appear before you—if the result
of the poll is to deprive me of my late seat • for Westmin-
ster, I shall look back on our late connection with gratitude
towards you for the confidence you have reposed in
_ _ .

me. I shall not think of the disturbance of this day, and you
may depend on it that I shall endeavour by my future conduct,
whether in or out of Parliament, to convince you that you are,

by your present course, committing a mistake.—(Continued
uproar.) Gentlemen, I appeal to your better feelings, whether

or not you prefer an old friend to a new ally—whether or not
you will refer to past conduct, or to professions for the future.—

,Cheers.) I appeal to you whether you will turn round upon

one of the old friends of Reform, and give to the country a

spectacle, I will not say of ingratitude, for it does not

become me to boast of any little service I may had
been to you, but of waywardness, caprice, and wreekl-
love of change—(Much confusion)—such as I do 0j
think, however, you will present.—(Cries of .‘ Off, oft')
Gentlemen, I can say this, if Colonel Evans should b
returned, if he shou'd do his duty by you, I, as an elect
of Westminster, will stand by him.__(Cheers.) AWL
Gentlemen, if it should be his fortune to toil, as I have'
for fourteen years, as your servant, he may depend upo
it I will not he the man to trip up his heels.—(Cheers)
Gentlemen, I should best consult, I believe, the wishes
those before me if, from this court I were to appeal to dig
polling on Monday and Tuesday ; and I have P.
doubt, whatever be the result, it will he favourable
to the good sense, the spirit and the consistency of conduct,
for which the city of Westminster has always been renowned
—(Cheers and much confusion.)
The H on BAILIFF then said, that a poll having be.'l,l„,
demanded by Sir J. Hobhouse, it was his duty to adjourn P'
Monday morning, when the polling would commence.
A vote of thanks to the High Bailiff having been prop
and carried, the meeting broke up at half-past three o'clock.