The Sun.
London, England, 1832-11-20 00:00:00

" WESTMINSTER ELECTION.

" At a Meeting of the Committee of the Electors of West-
minster, held at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, Strand,
on Saturday, November 10, 1832,
" Resolved,—That this Meeting has assembled in the
belief that his Majesty is about shortly to exercise his
Constitutional prerogative of dissolving the present, and
convoking a new Parliament.
" That this Meeting has witnessed with perfect appro-
bation the conduct of the Representatives of Westminster,
more especially in the support given by them to his Ma-
jesty's Ministers in the struggle to obtain a Reform in the
Commons' House of Parliament.

" That this Meeting, feeling it incumbent to return
men whose past conduct gives the surest pledge for the
future, request permision of Sir Francis Burdett and of
Sir John liobhouse again to propose them as Representa-
tives for the city of Westminster.
" That copies of the foregoing Resolutions be immedi-
ately forwarded to Sir Francis Burdett and Sir John
flobhouse."

The Committee sit daily at No. 43, King-street, Co-
vent-garden.

The following letters, addressed to the Electors of
Westminster, have been received in reply :
" St. James's-place, Nov. 15, 1832.
. _ _

" Gentlemen,—The Resolutions agreed to by a meeting
of Westminster Electors, at the Crown and Anchor, the
other evening, were duly transmitted me by Mr. De Year.
" Gentlemen,—l have no hesitation in stating that I
willingly accede to your request; that it is highly gratify-
ing to me ; for, besides the strong claim you have upon
me for exertion whenever you deem it useful, I am proud,
and I think justly, of the connexion which has so long
subsisted between us, the origin of which I can never
forget. lam particularly so on the present occasion, on
which, as on so many others, your conduct appears to me
well worthy the consideration of the country at large.
I do not now mean to enter upon any of those great topics
which engross public attention, as the doing so would far
exceed the limits of this Address; I will, therefore, con-
fine myself to one of immediate interest, and with relation
to which there seems to me to exist, and very generally,
great error, and in allusion to which I commence this
Address.
" Gentlemen,—lt is the subject of pledges, with re-
spect to which a mental epidemic seems to prevail, highly
injurious to the public cause ; a system of self-deception,
by which knaves are taught to catch fools ; a diseased
appetite in the people to be promise-crammed accompa-
nied with a fatal belief that promises may be relied on when
honesty cannot. You, Gentlemen, with your accus-
tomed judgment and feeling, have altogether avoided this
folly, for what else but folly can it be called to place reli-
ance on sham security?
" Gentlemen,—This pledging system appears to me to
have in it a quality directly the reverse of that which is
attributed to mercy. Instead of being twice blessed, it is
twice cursed ; it injures both him who gives and him who
takes; in fact, it is playing a game at which knaves are
sure to win; for who are the persons who will be the
most ready to pledge themselves? Will it be the prudent,
the conscientious, the candid, the well-informed—in a
word, the trust-worthy? Or, will it he the rash, the ig-
norant, the knavish, the reckl..ss the unprincipled ? Is it
possible that at this g one of pledge-making and pledge-
taking honest men should not lose, discountenanced ? Can
it produce evidence of any thing except rashness on the
one side, and suspicion on the other ? But, although it
can affard no security, it is far from being indifferent ;
though it can do no good, it may and must do great harm.
It is a false coin that ought not to be allowed to pass cur-
rent with the public; its tendency is not to expose or to
hind knavery, hut to render honesty inefficient. Who
can doubt that a person being pledged detracts greatly
from his weight and authority ? Wbo can doubt that if
he is so sent to a deliberating assembly, he will be natu-
rally and rationally listened to with distrust, and eyed
with suspicion ? Thus your champion is sent forth with
a stain in his escutcheon—a knight without his spurs—
marked recreant before he enters the lists.

"There is a story told of the late Lord Mansfield when
Chief Justice of the King's Bench, that he thus retorted
upon a Counsel, who, in a very marked and angry tone,
told him that he entirely differed with hint in law and
opinion : his Lordship replied, To be sure you do—l
know that very well; you are paid to do so.' And this,
or to this effect, will the pledged Members sent to the
next Parliament have probably the mortification frequently
to hear, and the disadvantage to feel, and the difficulty of
giving a satisfactory reply to.
"At the same time, Gentlemen, although I feel so
strongly the objections to this pledging system, let me not
be misunderstood. lam far from thinking that Canfli-
dates and their supporters, Representatives and their con-
stituents, should not come to a clear understanding one
with another. No mystery ought to hang over their in-
tercourse ; every one should be ready to give a reason for
his faith, and to answer any question that may be thought
necessary for the satisfaction of his constituents. With-
out this free communication and candid exposition of sen-
timents and opinions, much misapprehension and disagree-
ment may take place, instead of that confidence and
union so necessary to give effect to mutual efforts for pub-
lic advantage. Our connection, Gentlemen, has been
ever conducted on these principles : that it may so con-
tinue, and continue us united, is my anxious desire ; and
it is this which makes me set so high a value on your good
opinion, and which so much enhances this last testimony
of your liberal feeling and unabated confidence.
" I remain, Gentlemen,
" Your most devoted and very humble servant,
" FRANCIS BURDETT."

" Berkeley-square, Nov. 150532.

" Gentlemen,—.l have again been honoured by a pro-
posal to nominate me for the representation of your City ;
and, in acceding to that request, I trust I shall do that
which will be acceptable to the Electors of Westminster.
" The olTer thus made to me has been founded, princi-
pally, upon my ' support of his Majesty's Ministers in the
struggle to obtain a Reform in the Com►nons' House of
Parliament ;' and I can assure you, with perfect truth,
that it was in order to render that support more effectual
that I connected myself with those Ministers. Fully
aware of my own personal unimportance, I thought,
nevertheless, that it might be of some public service to
show, that the powerful and enlightened constituency of
Westminister considered the acceptance of office, under
such circumstances, no cause for suspicion, but a claim for
increased confidence; and it will be to me a source of
unmingled satisfaction to the and of my days, that whilst
the conflict was at its height, and the event doubtful, I
did not hesitate to give, r ml, what was of infinitely
greater consequence, I enabled you to give, the best and
most decisive proof of perfect reliance on the good faith
and the firm resolves of the Ministerial Reformers.

" Gentlemen,--As your confidence in the men has been
fully justified, so, I am convinced, will your hopes from
the measure prove to have been well founded. That a
great revolution has been effected, there is no doubt ; but
the experiment is not so novel, nor the change so sudden,
as some have bem eager to contend. The Bill has lega-
lized, and given not only just effect but proper limits to
that control over the Government which the People of
England have long claimed as their right, and have endea-
voured to obtain, with various success, and by various
means, at different periods of their history. Reform,
resulted from the
though the work, as it were, of a day, has, in this
country,experience of ages. It has
furnished us with new means to develop old maxims. It
has enabled us to show the value of our ancient principles
by applying them to our modern practice.
" Gentlemen,—The same law which has held the

foundation of good Government entitles, indeed, calls on
you, to watch over and direct the superstructure. My
thorough conviction is, that the great work will not be
trusted to unworthy hands, and that the inestimable pri-
vilege of choosing a free Parliament will be duly appre-
ciated and judiciously exercised by a free people.
" Those who propose to nominate me for your accept-
ance have been pleased to say, that my ' past conduct
giv,s the surest pledge for the future.' Certainly, after
our long-continued iutercourse, any other pledge would he
unsatisfactory to you and degrading to me; I have. there-
fore, only to say, that if you think that security sufficient,
I will continue to serve you—as I have hitherto endea-
voured to do—zealously, faithfully, and to the best of my
capacity. " I remain, Gentlemen,
" Your very obedient Servant,
" JOHN HOBHOUSE."
After the reading of the resolutions and the letters,
which was ordered to be published,
The CHAIRMAN said, that at their last meeting it was
understood that they were to adjourn till Thursday next,
but in consequence of Colonel Evans being in the field,
be had thought it right to call them tcgether immediately.
A deputation from the electors had waited on Sir John
Hobbouse yesterday. Sir John, however, had been pre-
viously apprised of their proceedings. He received them
with the greatest politeness ; but said to them, " Now,
Gentlemen, I can save you a great deal of trouble—l
know yonr business, hut I do not mean to pledge myself
to any thing." " Then (replied tile deputation), Sir
John, you'll lose your seat." " I can't help it (said Sir
John), I would rather lose my seat than lose my charac-
ter ; and as for pledges, I refer you to my previous con-
duct."—(Hear, hear.) The Chairman then called the
attention of the meeting to a letter which Colonel Evans
wrote to Sir Francis Burdett, and his reply. The cor-
respondence is as folliws :
" Sunday, 6, Waterloo-place.
" MY DEAR SIR FRANCIS,-For some time past various
communications have been made to me by Electors of
Westminster, expressive of a desire to bring me forward
as a Candidate fur its Representation in the next Parlia-
ment. Last night a Meeting was held on the subject,
when, it having been determined to put me in nomination,
measures were taken to carry that determination into
effect, and I, having acceded to the wishes of the Electors,
am now a Candidate, without, as I fully understood, being
in any way opposed to you. I hasten to communicate
this to you, " And remain most truly yours,
_ _

" D. L. EVANS.
" To Sir Francis Burdett, Bart., 111. P."

" DEAR DE VE.ta.,—l herewith Emu: you a letter I have
received from Colonel Evans, which grieves me much, but
at all events the Westminster Electors ought to be aware
of it. I therefore enclose it to you, with my answer to

it. This I owe both to Hobhouse and the Electors of
Westminster ; so, after reading it, have the goodness to
forward my answer to him.
" I remain yours sincerely,
" F. BURDETT.

" Nov. 19, 1832."

" DEAR EvAxs,—l was astonished at the receipt of
your letter last night, announcing to me your acquiescence
in a plan for turning Hobhouse out of Westminster. You
may imagine my surprise, when I tell you that when the
subject was mentioned to me a day or two back, I at once
said I was confident there could be no truth in it ; that 1
was certain you would be no party to it ; I cannot there-
fore, without difficulty, express to you the regret I expe-
rience on hearing the report confirmed by yourself.
Nor can I conceive how anybody can have persuaded
you to allow yourself to be put forward on such an
occasion ; I am at a loss to guess what public grounds
can be advanced in favour of such a proposition, or
what public advantage can be derived from it; though
it is easy to see that much and various disadvan•
tapes to the public may. Excuse my speaking freely, for
as you have written to me to make known to me the pro-
ject, with an appearance that there is no intention of
offering me any opposition, it is necessary I should. I
therefore say, without any hesitation, that if you were to
succeed in turtling out Hollouse, after 14 years' honest,
able, arduous, and effective service, it would tend mnch
to bring public estimation into contempt; and that as we
stand entirely on the same ground, and profess the same
principles, and have ever acted so cordially and disinte-
restedly together, I should much prefer—pardon my sin-
cerity—to be turned out with him, than returned with
any body else. I omit a word which might by possibility
be considered offensive.-1 remain your's sincerely.
" Nov. 19, 1832." " FRANCIS BURDETT.

The CHAIRMAN said that he, as well as Sir Francis
Burdett, was much surprised at the conduct of the Co-
lonel, and was sorry to see him acting a part for some one
whom they all knew,a nd who lived not far from Charing-
cross. There were so many men looked up to him, that
be actually treated them as his serv,,nts. He went with
Mr. Pouncey to Colonel Evans, and gave him Sir Francis
Burdett's letter. He quivered a great deal, and said
lie was driven up into a corner; and that if he had not
done it somebody else would. Colonel Evans also said
that be did not understand the last part of Sir Francis
l3urdett's letter ; and he said to him, " Why, in plain
terms, it means that Sir Francis would rather be turned
out with Hobhouse than serve with you." .

Mr. POUNCET corroborated the substance of the con-
versation with Colonel Evans, except that Colonel Evans
did not say he was driven up into a corner ; but that he
was in a predicament, and did not know how to act. lie
believed that if Sir John Hobhouse had submitted to dic-
tation, and would have remained a mere tool in the hands
of Mr. Place, of Charing-cross, they would never have
heard of this opposition. He deprecated Colonel Evans
coming forward as likely to endanger the liberties of West-
minster, and to give an opportunity to a Tory to slip in.
Mr. Tiinaszoli said that Sir John Hobhouse had re-
ferred the deputation to his speeches on some of those
subjects to which they wished to pledge him ; but he put
it to them—" Suppose I were to pledge myself against
the house and window-tax, and Lord Grey should say,
We can't go on without it'—what am Ito do? Is the
Government to be broken up because the house-tax cannot
be taken off?" The gentleman opposing Sir John had
been challenged to find any fault with his conduct, and
could not ; and on the affair of Somerville, where they
pretended to blame him, he deserved mast praise ; for the
inquiry would never have been instituted had he not
threatened to resign if refused.—(Hear.)
The CHAIRMAN said, that when Mr. Hume applied to
Sir John Hobhouse about the case of Somerville, they
agreed that the best plan would be to get his discharge.
Sir John wrote to Lord Hill and the Duke of Wellington,
and they consented. Wien Mr. Hume called again, he
said that he muse bring it before the House of Commons,
which was scarcely in accordance with the understanding
between them. That delayed Somerville's discharge some
time,for if they had given him an immediate discharge under
those circumstances, they would have had him up i❑ Lon-
don, and at public meetings, and a great deal of agitation
would have been caused. But he knew that Sir John
Hobhouse communicated to Lord Aithorp his determina-
tion to resign if the inquiry were not granted, and in
consequence of that determination it was conceded.
Mr. JACKSON said that nothing could be imputed to
Sir John Hobhouse by his opponents. All that Colonel
Evans could say was, that he did not think Westminster
could be fairly represented by a man who was in office.
Why, Colonel Evans was himself, in some measure, a place-
man and a pensioner, as a half-pay officer, though, he be
keyed, most deservedly.—(Several observations were made
respecting Mr. Place, which, at the reque►t of the Chair-
man, who pronounced them disorderly, we omit.)
In answer to a question, the CHAIRMAN said that Sir
Francis did not object to pledges being required from
untried men.

Birowx urged on the meeting the propriety of ap-
pointing a Deputation from that meeting to prevail, if pos-
sible, on Colonel Evans to withdraw.—(Hear, hear.)
After a desultory conversation, in which Mr. Spicer
thought that a little explanation was only necessary to
secure Sir John Hobhouse, and stated that he himself
would bring up four hundred electors, and in which the
Political Union was referred to as supporting Col. Evans.
Col. JONES and Mr. WALKER entered the room, and
the latter gentleman proceeded to inform the meeting, that
he had just left a very numerous and respectable body of
electors at the Salopian, whose enthusiasm in favour of
Colonel Evans was at the height. The electors of West-
minster had felt great disappointment at the conduct of
Sir John Hobbouse. They bad propounded to him certain
pledges, which he had refused to give. He then referred
to the repeal of the Assessed Taxes, and of Stamp Duties
on Newspapers, and to Triennial Parliaments. He thought,
that in the situation of Sir John Hobhouse, the elector,
had no right to cal on him to originate any of dose mess

that Mr. Place was the foundation of the opposition, and
said that Lord Althorp had declared to him, that there was
not the slightest hostility on the part of Government to
the return of Mr. Hume for Middlekez. He thought
Colonel Evans had a mistaken object in view, and he
(Col. Jones) should at the same time support Mr. Hume
and Sir John Hohhause. He knew there was a party who
thought all the world wrong but themselves. Some of
these were perhaps conscientious, but the rest were most
inis:hievous. There was, indeed, a set of insects in tL is
town who were offensive only by the stench they them-
sel►es made.

The motion for the appointment of a deputation was
then put and carried.
Mr. Crouch, Mr. Brown, and Mr. Thurston, were
appointed.
A Sub-Committee was then named, and the riveting
broke up.