The Sun.
London, England, 1859-06-30 00:00:00

ELECTION INTELLIGENCE.

THE'SECRETARY FOR WAR.
SALISBURY, WEDNESDAY.
The nomination of a knight of the shire for South
Wilts, in the room of Mr.; Sidney Herbert, who has
accepted the office of Secretary. of State for the War
Department, took place in the Market-house, Salis-
bury, this morning.
Mr. A. PoWELL proposed, and Mr. J. JACOB
seconded, the re-election of the Right Hon. Sidney
Herbert. :

'No other candidate.being proposed, the UNDER-
SHERIFF-.declared the right hon. gentleman duly
elected. ' •

Mr. SIDNEY HERBMIT, in thanking the electors,
said—The last words of the High Sheriff announc-
ing that a Candidate is duly elected is a great relief
to the mind of a candidate ; and certainly at no
time could they be a,greater relief to my mind than
at a moment 'when 'I have undertaken to discharge
duties so respousible and so onerous that the time
which would bbitaken up by a contested election
would greatly weaken my efforts to fulfil them. I
feel that owing to this constituency, as I do, every
step in a public career which has now become
rather a long one, it is an additional source of gra-
tude on my part towards them to find that on this
occasion none even of my opponents in this county '
have thought it their duty to attempt to disturb
the proceedings. (Hear, hear.) I wish that in
every other constituency so fair and honourable a
course had been pursued, because I think that it is
the duty of the constituency to look not only to
their private leanings and longings, but also to
the effect that the course they may pursue would
publicr
r ed p
have upon the public service. (Hear, and cheers.)
Now, gentlemen, I have said it is to you that I
oweoevr hasery bsteepe ni nc
conferred hon u
by great labour and great exertion, I must say that
u life,upon
and
me, if now a great
accompanied
as my share will be by the labour and the exertion
honourable to me—for exertion and labour in this
country are honours—you also have your share,
and have the gratification of seeing your selection
ratified by the appointment I now hold. (Cheers.)
Let me now say a few words as to the nature of
the duties that the new Government have under-
taken. I have met you here so recently, and I
have had the opportunity so lately of stating in the
House of Commons, in the debate upon the want
of confidence motion, the opinions that I hold upon
the state of public affairs, that I need hardly de-
tain you for any length of time now. But the
present moment is one of peculiar difficulty. As
you know, the peace of Europe has been broken,
and some of the most beautiful portions of Europe
are being devastated by war. It is the duty
of the Government not to deal out reproaches
to the combatants. We are the allies of
both parties—honest, I hope, but sincere allies,
and it is our duty, should an occasion arise in which
our interposition would be useful, to give such
counsel and advice as may tend to reconcile the
great Powers now engaged in hostilities. (Cheers.)
But we have a further duty, which to Englishmen
is still more imperative, and that is—if it be possi-
ble—to maintain peace at home. (Hear, hear, and
cheers.) I do not see upon what grounds we can
be called upon to take part in the struggle that is
now raging in Italy ; but at the same time while
we profess the most sincere and honest neutrality,
while we make every endeavour to preserve peace,
it is, in my opinion, our duty to see that this coun-
try is in such a state with respect to its defences
that we need be under no apprehension or fear of
invasion at home. (Cheers.) I have heard it said
that great armaments and great defences imply
upon the part of those who forward them some
covert intentions at some future time of making
war. I utterly deny that proposition. We are to
use what is commonly called a moral influence in
Europe, and no country exercises a greater influ-
ence than England; because from her free institu-
tions, from her freedom of thought and freedom of
speech, she is enabled to hold up to the world a
lesson which cannot be acquired from any other
source. (Cheers.) But when you speak of moral
influence depend upon it there must be something
behind which is more than moral. If you are to
give advice, and make it respected, it must be un-
derstood that you are strong ; and, in my opinion,
any Government would be guilty of a great dere-
liction of duty which did not press forward the ut-
most preparations for the national defence, (Cheers.)
On the sea, which is the chief defence of England,
the greatest exertions mustbe made. (Cheers.) That
is our first line, and it is a line which ought never to be
broken; but if it be broken then we must fall back
upon our second line—namely, the defences we can
make upon our own shores. Now, I hope thera will
be no mistakes upon this subject. I allude to it
because there have been rumours spread abroad,
founded upon the grossest, the most absurd mis-
takes, that the Government will be disposed, in
order to reduce the expenditure, to reduce the pre-
parations for national defence. The mistake arose,
I believe, from some order given (and not by any
means an improper order) upon some trifling sub-
ject by the late Board of Admiralty. But it is an
entire mistake, and I believe that at this moment
you will find that, so far from any preparations
being relaxed, every effort is being made for the
purpose of putting the country into a proper and
safe state of defence. (Cheers.) With respect to
domestic questions, there is just one observation
which I wish to make, and upon which I will not
detain you long. There is one question which has
been the subject of a great deal of controversy—
namely, the question of Reform. Now, I believe
that this country is not inclined to revolution—
(hear, hear)—and that if reform is to be carried out
it must be a reform which shall strengthen and not
undermine our institutions. But for that purpose,
in order to strengthen them—in order to have as
large a force as you can within the citadel to defend
the constitution, you must bring in those whose

intelligence and honesty and good conduct entitle
them to the suffrage. (Hear, hear.) I hope that
the Government will be able to deal with the
question of reform in a manner which will not on
the one hand be forgetful of the past, or on
the other be reckless as to the future—(hear,
hear)---and that their measures will be . of." a
character to strengthen our institutions by attaching
to them a larger number of persons in that
way which most attaches men to institutions—
namely, bygiving them a fair share in the working
of them. (Cheers.) It is true, that we may have
to encounter great difficulties upon this subject in
Parliament. We have not got any very large force
in Parliament though we were obliged to take up
the challenge thrown down by the late Govern-
ment. It is not in the nature of Englishmen when
a challenge is made openly in the face of- day to re-
fuse to take it up. We were challenged to test the
result of a general election as to how we stood in
numbers. Well, we opened the question at once,
and the answer has been given, but it has not been
given by any great majority; and the Government
which now stands before the - country will have
great difficulties to contend with from the large
number of gentlemen arrayed in hostility to them.
But if we are to succeed it must be by the impres-
sion which our conduct and our measures make upon
the great mass of the people of England. (Cheers.)
That will react _upon the Parliarnent, and you must
bear in mind that in the serried ranks opposed to
us there are many whose high character andliberal
feeling will never allow them to sacrifice the in-
terests of the country merely for the interests of
party. (Hear, hear.) I trust therefore that through
their aid, and, above all, through the confidence of
the people of England, we shall be able to carry
out the difficult and responsible task we have un-
dertaken in such a manner as to promote the •
strength and happiness of the country. T promise'd'
to be short, and therefore I have only again most
sincerely to thank you for the honour you have con-
ferred upon me. I have been to you, I confess, a
very troublesome member—(laughter)—for I thiiik
this is the fourth time, apart from the occasions
when a general election has compelled me to appear
bafore you—this is the fourth time that I have, upon
taking office; imposed upon you the additional
trouble of ad extra election. All I can say is
that I trust I shall be able to show, by the zeal
and assiduity with which I hope to perform my
duties, :that I am not unworthy of your choice.
As long as . I ' have health and strength,
and as king AS I possess your -confidence, un-
dertake to say that neither zeal, hard work; nor
determination shall be wanting in the -per-
formance of my duties. (Cheers.)
A vote of thanks to the Under-Sheriff terminated
the proceedings.

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER.
OXFORD, WEDNESDAY.
The polling to-day was sothewhat languid, the
entire number of voters who appeared being 346.
Of these 177 were supporters of Mr. Gladstone,
while 169 .voted for Lord Chandos. The poll at
'&e end of the day stood thus :
For Mr. Gladstone
For Lord Chandos...
Majority..

. 663
. 610
. -53

Among Mr:Glailstone's voters were Lord Rad-
stock, Sir Thomas Acland, T. D. Acland, Esq., G.
E. Vernon Harcourt, Esq., C. M. Lushington, Esq.,
Archdeacon Grant, Archdeacon Horry, Professors
Maskelyne and H. H. Wilson, Rev. J. Earle (late
Professor of Anglo-Saxon), Rev. W. Scott, Rev. W.
B. Pusey, Rev. R. C. Conybeare, Rev. H. Wood-
gate, Rev. A.' Pott, Dr:Chambers, Dr. Shipton, &c.
On the other side there voted Lord Villiers, the
Bishop of -St. Andrew's, the President of Corpus,
(4. S. Booth,-Esq., M.P., C. 0. Morgan, Esq..; 'M.P.,
C. S. B. Hanbury, Esq., M.P., Sir John Gibbon,
Archdeacon, Cotton, and Dr. Lempriere. •