The Sun.
London, England, 1857-09-02 00:00:00

REPRESENT.

MIDDLESEX.

Yesterday evening the Hon. G. Byng, the can-
didate for the representation of Middlesex, ad-
dressed a meeting of the electors in the large room
of the Belvidere Tavern, Pentonville.
Mr. COOKE EVANS was called to the chair. He
said Mr. Byng solicited their suffrages as a member
of the great Liberal party. He had sat five years in
Parliament, and by his votes had given proof of
his earnestness as a reformer. He voted against
the Government in support of Sir W. Clay's bill
for the abolition of church rates, and in favour of
Mr. L. King's motion for leave to bring in a bill to
abolish the property qualification of member 3 of
Parliament. These two votes showed that he was

inclined to be an independent member, which way

what Middlesex wanted.
Mr. BYNG then time forward to address the

meeting, and was received with cheers. He said
he wished to lay before them a statement of his
political views and sentiments, and he would begin
with that great subject which now so painfully en-
grossed the public attention—the state of India.
He was afraid that our government had been fore-
warned and not forearmed. Those who were best

acquainted with India had for years warned the
government of the volcano on which they..were sit-
ting. History told us that atall times the Eng!ish
people were ready to support the executive when
the executive did their best. The question now

was, had they done their best ? He thought they
had, when he found that from the let of July to the
present time 25,000 soldiers had been despatched
from these shores to India, and when he found that
that this ministry, instead of leaving London as the
cabinet of Lord Aberdeen did when the war with

Russia was waging, remained in town and were
holding cabinet councils weekly. He should say
with regard to India that.they should take the best
men they could find, irrespective of rank and
influence, and when they were out they
should support them to the best of their
power both in public and in private. He
thought that for government to send men out and
then to see them attacked in the press and other-
wise, and neither to defend them nor to reell them,
was cowardly and unjust. He did not mean to say
that he was sufficiently acquainted with Indian
affairs to bold that the government should be at
once transferred from the East India Company tD
the Imperial Government, but he thought that if
the government of that country was, in the hands
of men directly responsible to parliament, it would
be much better for the people. Then with regard
to our other f,reign relations, he was in favour of
a spirited polioy, not iu words but in deeds. The
hon. gentleman thenreferred to ques Lions of domestic
policy, avowing himself in favour of an extension
of the suffrage, desirous of destroying the anoma-
lies at present existing in the representation, so
that Tavistock should not return as many mem-
bers as Middlesex, or Thetford as many as
Birmingham. The First Minister of the Crown
had promised to bring in a comprehensive measure
of reform, andhethoughthe would do it. He should
vote, as he had heretofore done, in favour of the
ballot, for the abol tion of the property qualifica-
tion of members of Parliament, and for the aboli-

on of church rates. He did not think there was
a shred of an argument in favour of the exclusion of
the Jews from 'Parliament. Ho thought the Com-
mons should pass another bill for th-ir admission,
which the Lords would probably agree to ; but if
they throw it out again, the Commons should seat
Baron Rothschild by resolution. Iu conclusion, the
hon. gentleman announced his readiness to answer
any question which might be put to him on matters
on which he had omitted to express himself.
Mr. J. COVE said he was a foundling, and had
been brought up at the Foundling Hospital. It was
believed there were some abuses connected with
that establishment, and he wished to know if the
hon. gentleman would support a motion for a select
committee to inquire into them ? He also asked if
he would support the Crowded Dwellings Bill,
which was a sort of extension of the Common
Lodging-HoUses Act, which had been productive
of incalculable good to the lower classes ?
Mr. BYNG said he was sorry that the Crowded
Dwellings Bill wes withdrawn. He trusted it
would be re-introduced, and if it were he should
support it. With regard to the Foundling Hospital,
he was not aware that there were any abuses in the
managemeet•of it ; but if a motion were made for
inquiry, and good reasons adduced for it, he should
move for an inquiry ; but if he thought the reasons
ware not sufficient, he should vote against it.
Mr. D'IFFANGER said that there was an observa-
tion of Mr. Byng's that he did not agree with. He
did not think that the minister would bring in a
comprehensive measure of reform. It would only
be a half-and7half measure unless the people exerted
themselves. .He moved, "That this meeting having
heard the political explanations of the Hon. G. Byng,
are of opinion that he is a fit•and proper person to
represent the' county of MiddlesoX iu Parliament.'
Mr. PAltig seconded. •
Au ELECTOR—In the event of the troubles in
India continuing, and an attempt being made to
raise a foreign legion, will the hon. gentleman op-
pose such an attempt ?
Mr. BYNG said he certainly should. He thought
that no greater harm had been done to England in
the last war than in the raisingof the German legion.
Mr. W. TORRENS WCULLAGII, who was in the
room, being called for, then came forward. He said
it gave him great pleasure, as an elector, to express
his confidence iu Mr. Byng. He had had an oppor-
tunity of watching his acts and of co-operating with
him in the House of Commons, and he assured them
that Mr. Byng was a man of his word, and had much
understated what he would do as their member.
He hoped every man in that room who was an
elector expected their member to be a working man.
He would have a great deal of hard work to do, and
they owed it t) themselves to see that he did it.
And he would have a great deal more weight if it
was understood that he had a great constituency
who would. not be satisfied if he did not do their
work. He remembered a critic in a leading journal
making the observation that there were no young
whigs—but here was one before them. Mr. Byng
had put in his address all that they wanted, and his
being a member of the Whig aristocracy was all the
better. They would have all the more pleasure in
electing him, coming as he did distinguished by
name and by lineage, to assert their rights, without
which they would not be satisfied. He did not agree
with all that the hon. gentleman had said. He never
saw a minister yet whom he would trust on the ques-
tion of reform. - Unless the people of this country
bestirred hemselves andsho wed t heir determinatiou
they might whistle for reform. The minister had to
plty with the pipes they gave him, and he wanted
them to make him play to their own music. Lord
Palmerston might bring in a bill to suit the house,
bat no minister would be
,able to satisfy the house
with a bill that would satisfy the country. If his
hon. fiiend would vote f.~r the best bill that was
produced that was all they could expect of him.
He (Mr. M'Cullagh) had voted in two accidental
majorities for the ballot, but they seemed to be as
far off the ballot ag ever. The Chancellor of the
Exchequer said the ballot was a mole of voting
which the best and wisest of them would not have
recourse to ; but what the ballot was wanted for
was to prevent intimidation—to rescue voters from
the screw. The, members of the House of Commons
did not know what the screw was. (Laughter, and
a cry of " Don't they.") He was mistaken ; they
knew, but they had hold of the blunt end of the
screw. He was satisfied th if many would vote ler
his-hon. friend, thiuking'that. they were voting for
old George Byng, not as the.peasartts of Normandy
voted for the present Emperor of France, thinking
that Napoleon had returned to life, but because they
saw the spirit of old George Byng in a young and
vigorous fraihei, _ready to do biS work over again.
The resell]: ion was then .put and unanimously
agreed to, aed after a vote of thanks to the chair-
man, and three cheers for Mr. Byng, the meeting
separated. •
•

GROSVENOR CANAL RAILWAY.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

R,—The editor of th) Times h Lying declined
to publish the enclosed let er, which has reference
to the statement in that journal of the 27th inst.
relative to the proposal lora railway in place of the
present Grosvenor ()turd, I beg you will he pleased
to give the same a place in your paper. I feel
assured this plan will greatlyincrease the value of
property in Westminster and Pimlico, and provide
also aremely for the deficiency in railway accom-
modation, which the most competent judges con-
sidered heretofore hopeless.—l am, Sic
Aug. 29. WM. POTTING-ER.