The Sun.
London, England, 1857-03-28 00:00:00

HUDDERSFIELD.

The nomination for this borough took place yesterday.
The candidates proposed were Mr. W. Akroyd and Mr.
R. Cobden.

Mr. T. B. CRosraND proposed Mr. W. Akroyd ; and
Mr. J. HAIGH seconded the nomination.

Mr. W. WILLIAMS proposed Mr. Cobden, and Mr. W.
MELLOR seconded the nomination.

Mr. ASROYD having addeessed the meeting,
Mr. COBDEN rose and was very warmly applauded.
He spoke for upwards of an hour. He commenced by
saying that, although his friends had unduly alarmed
themselves about his state of health, be was not in the
beat possible condition for addressing such a large audi-
ence as he saw before him, having overworked himself
and been obliged to lay up for three days. Mr. Cros-
land, in his manifold objections to him (Mr. Cobden) as
the representative of Huddersfie'd, seemed to have lost
sight of the question of principle altogether. (Hear.) He
was not going into the question of the Russian war;
but he begged to remind his hearers that he had never
offered any opposition to the Government in carrying
on that war, or to the House of Commons in voting
the money which was required. The money had been
raised without any opposition from him ; the taxes had
been laid on, and he had never divided the house upon
the subject. (A laugh.) It was well known that the
Government spent all the money as fast as they could,
and they did not make a very good use of it. The result
of that war he honestly believed had not been to make
any human being on the face of the earth either happier,
or wiser, or better. (A. Voice—" Some a deal wiser than
they were.") He was attending a meeting at Paddock
the other day, and upon somebody raising a cry of " the
Russian war," a working man, whom he now saw before
him, got up and said, " We are not going to war again,
I hope ; we want something doing in the time of peace."
(Applause and laughter.) There was another question
which had been thrown in his face ; the question of the
Chinese war. At all events this country did not expect
to get either honour or glory out of that war. There
•was something to be got, if the Government had known
how to go about it, in fair stand-up fight with such an
enemy as Russia, but they managed so to conduct that
war that precious little share of either honour or glory
_fell to out share in it. But in this Chinese war, if this
country did its utmost, they would get no more honour
or glory in the eyes of the world than if they wore to
go into a sheep-market and fire all their cannon and
musketry against so many sheep. But he was told he
was in favour of dishonouring the English flag. He had
faith in the power and might of Englishmen to defend
their flag against all corners in a just cause. (Applause.)
All the world in arms could not disgrace the British flag
if it had right and justice on its side. (Cheers.) The
only men who could dishonour the flag of this country
were those who were entrusted with power abroad, and
who committed the country to an inglorious and unjust
aggression upon a defenceless people. (Applause and
disapprobation.) It had been said by his opponent
that, with regard to the Chinese war, the wisest
heads in England differed as to the legality of
our proceedings. Mr. Akroyd had said truly that
Lord Lyndhunit, the highest legal authoritS, in Eng-
land, was on one side, and the Attorney (not the &Mei.-
tor) General was on the other. Yes, but one man was a
man of 80 years of age, crowned with laurels, and who
had nothing t hope for from the patronage of the Go-
vernment ; the other was a man in the Government, and
the crowning hope of his ambition was some day to be
made Lord Chancellor. But, if the wisest lawyers in
England bad differed as to the right and justice of this
country on the China question, was it consistent with
right and justice that our representative abroad should
have taken the law into his own hands—(applause)—and,
without giving opportunity to either the Queen or Par-
liament to have a voice in the matter, commenced at
once, upon such doubtful grounds as these, acts of hosti-
lity and outrage against a commercial city, covering the
site of that city with ruins, inflicting untold mi chief
upon innocent men, women, and children ? Why, a man
was not allowed to be convicted in England, even upon
a charge of petty larceny, without the judge first toiling
the jury, " If you have any doubt upon the question,
give the doubt in favour of the accused." (A Voice,
" We have none," and applause.) Mr. Cobden next re-
marked that he believed the vote given upon the motion
which he had brought forward was one of the most
honourable acts which the British Parliament ever ac-
complisLed. (Hear, and cries of " No, no !") It was
a motion made without concert, without previous com-
munication ; and, whatever might be alleged against
others who had voted on that question, it was aevery
curious fact that no one had ever accused the mover with
having any sinister or dishonest object. (Cries of " 'see,
no !" and "Yes, yes 4") He challenged those gentlemen
who said "No" to produce any responsible person, or
writer ef any authority, who had publicly stated that he
was a party to the " conspiracy." Mr. Cobden then
reiterated the assertion which he had made in a previous
address—that if Lord Palmerston had announced the
intention of the Government to send out an ambassador
to China the division in the House of Commons
would never have taken place, and that Lord
Palmerston had intentionally avoided doing so, in
order that he might have a pretence of dissolving Par-
liament upon some cry about China, well knowing that
he had no domestic policy with which to go to the coun-
try, and knowing that he had no credit with Reformers.
(" Hear," " No !" and applause.) The hon. gentleman
next reminded the assembly that the electors of Rudders.
field were about to select a candidate to represent them
in Parliament for seven years, and he hoped that the
China question would be all settled and pretty nearly
forgotten in less than two years. He believed that the
electors of Huddersfield would think about something
else in choosing their representative. His friend Mr.
Akroydj had told them in rather a misty and hazy man
ner what his politics were, but unfortunately he (Mr.
Cobden) could not put himself behind a veil like that.
His politics were known by his votes, and he did not
come there to make a new profession of faith, or to tell
them that ho was going to alter his opinion in any re-
spect. He then glanced at several of the most important
measures which he had advocated since the repeal of the
corn laws, enumerating the imposition of a tax upon the
succession to real property, the abolition of the adver-
tisement duty and the stamp upon newspapers ; and
several measures which he had supported by his vote,
and sometimes by his voice, some of which had been
successful, and the remainder he would still continue to
fight for. He expressed his well known opinions in
favour of household suffrage and the ballot, taking the
opportunity to contradict the erroneous statement tha;
the ballot in Melbourne was permissive, and not com-
pulsory. On this letter subject he said that he spoke

from the authority of the gentleman who was instrumen-
tal in establishing the bellot in that country. From the
success wnich had there attended the experiment he
spoke very strongly in its favour. After dwelling
upon the energy, determination, and perseverance
which were reqeired to accomplish any reform, Mr
Cobden pledged his word that in the event of his being
returned for Huddersfield he would never remain quies-
cent or allow his principles to go to sleep. He concluded
by calling upon the electors to give him their aid and
assistance, and by. stating that if they did their duty he
should have the honour of next addressing them as their
representative. (Loud cheers and uproar.)
The show of hands was then taken, and the returning
officer declared it to be in favour of Mr. Cobden.
Great cheering followed the announcement.
Mr. CROSLAND demanded a poll for Mr. Akroyd.
The poll takes place to-day.,