The Sun.
London, England, 1859-05-18 00:00:00

MR. TFL

'AD ON

[Our contemporary, the West Somerset County
6:4•zette of last Saturday, furnishes full particulars
rospectin,g the Ballot candidate for Taunton ; it
se ems he had occupied a somewhat more public
p( )sition in the district than our inquiries had led
us to suppose. His highest position, in our eyes,
is his readiness to fight the battle, irrespective of
party, for what we both deem the most substantial
, of reforms.)—ED. " SuN.'
Some years- ago we gave our readers sketches of
certain notabilities connected with Taunton, which
were discontinued in consequence of some adventi-
tious circumstances.ggOur London contemporary,
The Sun, having published the above laudatory
article on Mr. W. Beadou and the Liberal party
with which he is identified, seems to confound Mr.
William Beadon with some other individual; and
we are therefore induced to make some comments
upon the subject.
The late candidate, who has always evinced

a deep interest in great political questions,
a country gentleman, residing on his estate, in
one of the most striking and handsome places
to be seen in this neighbourhood ; and he is
a Justice of the Peace for two counties, namely,
Somerset and Devon. His father, who was a
near relative of the late Dr. Beadon, Bishop
of Bath and Wells, was • also a country gen-
tleman, one of the oldest magistrates for Somer-
set, and, according to Burke, sprang from
a very ancient Devon family. On his mother's side
Mr. W. Beadon has a long and strong connection
with the town and neighbourhood of Taunton,
being descended from the ancient family of Mus-
grave and from the Hammets, the latter of whom
represented the borough in Parliament during a
long series of years in the person of Sir Benjamin.
Hammet (a great benefactor to the town), and his
two sons, James and John. Mr. Beadon adopted,
and for awhile followed, the honourable profession '
of medicine, of which he has always expressed him-
self an ardent admirer, and which, by enabling him
to have the privilege of free and kindly intercourse
with the humbler classes, he has publicly stated, led
him to become acquainted with the wants of the
working classes, and the wrongs inflicted upon them
‘-v ,-lass legislation and oppressive laws. Although
deeply in the prosperity of the soil, he
early recognised the ...slistice of the corn laws, and
was one of the first to loin the Anti-Corn-law
League, to which
essential aid
that he received a vote of thanks from 41,e Council
of that Association. It is net forgotten
old a aeries or
landed aristocracy determined to la
county meetings for the avowed purpo,. of "put-
ting down the League." The first of these vsnq at
Bridgewater, having been convened through ah
influential requisition to the High Sheriff. Mr.
Beadon thereupon boldly published a handbill in
the county, calling on the people to support a coun-
ter resolution at the meeting, which he declared it
to be his determination to move though he stood
alone. He kept his word, and moved a vote of
thanks to the League:for their patriotic efforts; and
RUC rebtlil, MUM Ghat the High Sheriff was obliged to
declare the amendment carried, to the dismay of
the landed aristocracy, whose frowns, of course, he
has had to endure in no measured degree. Mr. W.
Beadon's speech on that occasion received a com-
plimentary notice in the Times newspaper. The
people assembled at night before his house and
cheered him most lustily, and a demonstration was
made in his favour by the neighbouring town of
Wellington. The effect was, as might be antici-
pated, to put a stop to the projected county meet-
ings, which at first threatened ti) be so formidable
as to throw some damp on the League.
It will be gratifying to Mr. W. Beadon to know
that these facts are not forgotten, as well as many
others - affecting the general and local welfare, in
which he has taken an active and consistent part.
Having injured his health by his exertions against
the bread tax, he has retired far many years past
to his estate on the Hills, whence he has always
shown a readiness to come to the support of the
cause of rational liberty, and where, we have reason
to know, he is respected by his neighbours, however
they may differ from him in political opinions. Our
contemporary, The Sun, will see that Mr. Beadon
is something more than a private gentleman, and
that he has strong claims upon the public.