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

NORTH DEVON.

In consequence of the acceptance of the office
of President of the Board of . Trade by the
Right Honourable Sir Stafford Northcote, Bart.,
a vacancy occurred in the representation of the
northern division of the county of Devon. The
election took place at South iVfolton on Saturday'
The high sheriff (Sir J. Kennaway) was absent from
indisposition, and the proceedings of the election
were therefore directed by the under sheriff. After
the preliminaries had been gone through,
Sir G. STUCM, Bart., M.P., proposed Sir Staf-
ford Northcote for re-election, and Mr. Kennaway
seconded the nomination. No other candidate ap-
peared, and the right hon. hart. was declared duly
elected.

Sir S. NORTHCOTE—I am anxious to take this op-
portunity of expressing my earnest, hearty, and
affectionate thanks to those who compose the con-
stituency of this great division of my own county,
Itfiniroinestotgrowenleaelhycottelfdhdo.ro,ant(nhifnieeweriras kindness on the.present occasion,
but also for the unparalleled kindness I received and
s
seme i
npno
swini
thiyee nnf
whichnwd
sa
t
lenistdmu
r;ecenani
nt.b:oadte sonihloipt otuthoau
nsws
taehgdao utnpo on
ntnah
by their voluntary efforts, provided every shilling
lfgo iefeaenmn t etlyhenmete xewe Pno
ae:usnt compliment
licistoui incsmuavlpa
ile
yoteysodspilbiotelonse
mf
tooyhrnse
afe.bs
tnulorvtteawltrloe_,
divisiontheiono ps pinortheca huc
eanni
tnpyor te
os complain onmct
hpol
oa
si
mn.
Parliament,gof
at h
re e ipfnorferrselevqneut
aehntai cvvyee
oihadnf ethl
etif
three times within the space of a few months, so
that that is something more frequent even than we
bss hauyot
that
late experience pke riti
hopeesn cfaeo
ai
very
ut h e agi ne
enor
Ind
oa
nl ph
ea
thing
ge
tymh
tae
htlints.r e e I cannot
nioaths
representa-
tivesronfmcionuadnfedyrroernlienegttioluaruts shouldhave frequent opportunities
dw thaekni nig
lastcounsel
stood
h e together.fore you
ut mw
we
Bill,
on
dthe t midstpoaf a r
ti
eul a greatr
ssttargueg struggle on
of it
itt
the
he Reform
eGoveru-
ment had obtained a
Grosvenor's motion. nosutgiErtaritl
TshmaatliGmovaejityronrmenatgtaih
right, however, to accepttheprinciple of the amend-
ment, and they brought forward the second portion
of their measure of reform. I then expressed to you
my opinion that the measure as thus propounded
would not do. I think the result has justified my
expectations. The question which involved the divi-
sion upon which the late Government resigned was
a very minute question, so minute as to be rendered
difficult of explanation to those not well acquainted
with the principle on which local assessments are
conducted, and the point raised was not one on
which, generally
speaking, a Government would
have abandoned office. Still, I am bound to say the
Government were quite right in not regarding the
division as one merely on a point of detail, because,
taken in conjunction with the language which had
been used in the House of Commons, and having
regard to the meaning intended to be expressed, the
House of Commons had with a sufficient degree of
clearness expressed their dislike of the bill as it stood.
That vote must not be taken as an expression of aver-
sion to a reform bill, but as showing that the measure
before the House of Commons was not satisfactory.
It was not merely the members of the Conservative
party who gave their votes against it ; a consider-
ableof the Government then existing did the same,
and
tnhuen number of
Government
nr n heonste
mw
ihgoh
tw
thus have known that
after the divisions that had been taken place it was
useless and hopeless to proceed with the bill.
Whether or not it was the duty of the Government
to resign is another question. Perhaps the neces-
sity was brought on them by the tone they had
taken and the language they had used. On this
point they were bound to consider their own honour,
and it is not for me to say whether they were right or
wrong in the conclusion to which they came. The
result has showed that they felt bound to resign
office, and consequently the conduct of affairs was
offered, i n the
party
a rordinarytt
course of things, to the
leader
in of
that
defeating
which had taken the principal
p
measure on which the Govern-
ment had thought fit to stake their existence. It
oer e
the
has been said that the Conservative Government
seeks for an indulgence and a consideration to
which it is not entitled, and that, especially as office
has been thrust upon them, they are entitled to
these. For my part, I disclaim any such in-
tention or idea. I say that we are entitled
to fair play, but I do not ask for favour or indul-
gence, or anything more than fair play. (Hear.) It
is the duty of every party which opposes a measure
,on which the existence of a Government has been
staked to consider what may be the consequences,
and it is their duty, if need be, to take the places of
those whom they overthrow. Otherwise you turn
Government by party into Government by faction,
and you destroy the legitimate functions of an op-
position. (Hear.) 'Therefore I say it was the duty
of Lord Derby to take the place'of the Government
which was overthrown mainly by the Conservative