The Sun.
London, England, 1832-12-06 00:00:00

ELECTION for MIDDLESEX—(THIS DAY.

A meeting of the electors of Middlesex was held this day
at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, in the Strand, for the
purpose of giving the candidates for the representation of
that county the opportunity of declaring their sentiments.
Shortly after one o'clock, ROBERT LITTLE, Esq., took
the Chair.
The CHAIRMAN regretted that so humble an in.
dividual as himself had been called to fill so important
an office, hut though humble, he would yield to no one
in a desire to forward the cause in which they
were all engaged.—(Hear, hear.) flaying read the re-
quisition, which was agreeable to a resolution passed at
the meeting at the Riding School, Finsbury square, on the
31st Oct., inviting the several candidates to attend such
meetings as might be appointed to be held, be observed,that
the electors were now required to call upon those candidates
who had already been in Parliament, to state what they
had already clone for the country, and what they intended
to do. Some Members, when they were asked what they
had done, might answer, " Oh ! I have been in Parlia-
ment thirty or forty years ; I have assisted in tax.
ing the people to the tune of 800,000,000/., and
I have put in my own pocket as much as I
could."—(Laughter.) As to Mr. Hume, who had been
as a giant in the cause of the people, he (the Chairman)
would merely observe that he should like to find another
mail similar to him,—( Cheers.) He (the Chairman) was
brought up a farmer, and he should have been laughed at
if he had yoked two horses to a team to pull different
ways. He would rather be like the Yorkshireman, who
I said to his horses, " Good luck to you, pull one way, and
we shall soon get along."—(Laughter, and consider-
able cheering.) They had now to inquire for two good
men who would pull one way. The county had one
eood Member already in the person of Mr. flume, who,
it was to be hoped, would he returned—(Cheers)—and
another one was present—a Gallant Officer from the siver
kingdom, who had promised to yoke himself by the side of
Mr. Hume--he alluded to Sir John Scott Lillie. In his opi-
nion those two men were the hest in the field, and he
should vote for them.—(Cheers.) The Worthy Chairman
then read a letter from Mr. Byng, who apologises] for his
absence, and also one from the Chairman of Lord Henley's
Committee; the latter stated that Lord Henley had re-
ceived the letter, inviting him to attend, but the Com-
mittee did not feel themselves at liberty to reccommend his
Lordship to attend, because the names affixed to the re-
quisition were those of persons who had already taken a
decided part in opposing his Lordship.—(Hisses.) As to
Mr. Hume and Sir John Scott Lillie, they were both pre-
sent.—(Cheers.)
Mr. HUME on being called for, presented himself,
amidst loud cheers. He said, be attended the meeting in
obedience to a requisition, signed by a great number of
the electors of Middlesex. It had been his misfortune to
have but little intercourse with the electors of Middlesex,
because when he was called upon, in 1830, to become a
candidate, he had no opportunity of personally canvassing
them, and he had acted upon the principle that it was nut
only for the good of the electors, but also for the
elected, that no votes should be personally solicited.
On the present occasion, also, he bad felt it his duty
not personally to canvass any one for a vote, but he
had left it to the electors to consider the past, and
what they had a right to expect for the future, and he
had no doubt they would do their duty honestly by re-
turning the most fit men to represent them. It had
been, however, his determination to pay his respects
to the electors long before he heard of any opposi-
tion in the county, by meeting them in different
places, and asking if in any part of his conduct he had
differed with their opinions and wishes, in order, that if
be could not altogether satisfy any one with whom he might
possibly have happened to differ, he could at all events
have as opportunity of stating the reasons and the motives
by which he was actu ited—(Cheers)—for he considered,
that next to the good principles of a candidate, accounta-
bility to the electors was most essential, and that it
was a right which the constituents bad, to question
a candidate, and to hear his opinion on any sub-
ject which they might think required explanation.
He had not called together his immediate friends, but all
classes—enemies, he hoped, he had none.—(Cheers and
cries of " No, no.'') He held it to be the best and
fairest mode of ascertaining the opinions of his consti-
tuents, and even of the non-represented,--(Cheers)—their
interest being equally dear and sacred as those who had
been fortunate enough to obtain that valuable privilege.
He was happy to say that much of the misrepresentation
which had gone abroad, accusing him of insincerity, was
likely to have the effect with the electors which it de-
served, every one of the prejudices and charges that had
been raised by them, having been removed.—(Cheers.)
He courted public investigation into his conduct, consi•
dering that if a man's public conduct would not
bear investigation, be was unworthy of being a representa-
tive of a county like Aliddlesex.—(Cheers.) He came
there that day ready to explain to every individual, by
which he meant elector or non-elector, any part of his
public conduct, or his opinion upon any subject
likely to engtge the attention of Parliament.—(Cheers.)
He had at the unanimous request of 1,800 electors, in
1830, stood forward as a representative of Middlesex ;
to that honour he had been raised, not for bis own, but,
he trusted he might say, the public good. He had
been so elected in consequence of his public conduct, from
the line of which he had never swerved. He had always
supported every question in which civil and religious
liberty was advocated—(Cheers)—and every measure cal-
culated to extend the rights and privileges of Englishmen,
and had always been a sincere advocate for the re-
duction of all the unnecessary expenses of the State.
He had always been anxious to remove all monopolies in
commerce, and do everything that lay in his power to raise
the lower classes from that state of indigence and want
in which so many were plunged.—(Continued cheers.,
He had opposed at home and abroad all means of con

ruption, and he defied any man to say that he had lat-
terly, notwithstanding the reports circulated against him,
at all departed from that course.—(Cries of " No,
you have not.") The Reform Bill would be pro-
ductive of much good, if the people did their duty,
though it had not gone so far as was necessary. To
make it perfect, and to protect the elector from party
influence, the vote must be by ballot. In conse-
quence of the course he had thought it right to pur-
sue, his conduct had been decried as revolutionary
and as cal ulated to pull down and destroy the institutions
of the country. The feeling in favour of Reform, as all
must be well aware, was extremely strong throuehout the
country—it was that feeling which hail brought Brougham
and Morpeth into Parliament for Yorkshire, and Ebrington
and Russell for Devonsbire.—(Cheers.) He trusted the
time had now arrived when the people were not to he in-
timidated with the cry of the dangers of the Church ;
the people were no longer to be taken up with
words ; they thought for themselves, and that
ienorance which surrounded them some years ago, and
under which their rights had been invaded, was fast
disappearing. He hoped, on the day of election, to
find many friends who had stood aloof from
him lately, come forward in his cause, and rejoice
in his success ; for he could assure all, that the principles
he had started with, would always guide him in his
future conduct in Parliament.—(Hear, hear.) He would
make the Bill as efficient as it was possible. it

was an honour to the electors of Westminster that

they were the first and only persons who peti-
tioned the House of Commons against the clause
which rendered the payment of taxes necessary, in order to
qualify for voting, and he was sorry that on that question
he was one of only twenty-one who supported it. Ha
trusted that it would soon be removed, and would do all

in his power to help. Every man had personal rights to
support, and he ought not to be deprived of them because
he could not at a moment command a sum of 101. or 121.
He would still continue to do, as he had formerly done all
in
.his power to abolish all taxes upon knowledge, so that
the people might know what measures were going on,
that they might support only those which deserved it,
and not, as heretofore, regret their support of
particular measures when it was too late. He

was not one of those who were afraid of an enlightened
peopie, for he had seen the sad ravages committed by an
unenlightened one. He would do every thing in his power
to lessen the sanguinary character of our criminal code,
and to render justico cheap, so that a poor man
might be able to defend his rights as well as a rich
one. The law bad hitherto been a monopoly for
the rich and, like every other monopoly, it must be
abolished• He would also do his best to relieve
the millions from the great weight of taxation which
pressed so heavily on them. It might be easily done by
reducing the expenditurr, sad yet keep the public faith in-
violate. One more measure he must touch upon ; be
meant the Church Establishment in Irelaad.—(Cheers.)
Wheo he saw that fine country in civil war,
on account of the Tithes, he said he should not
believe that it was to uphold religion that it was done.