The Sun.
London, England, 1861-08-01 00:00:00

ELECTION INTELLIGENCE.

TAMWORTH.
The Right'.Hon. Sir Robert Peel was yesterday
re-elected a member for the borough of Tamwortb.

The proceedings took place in the Town-hall, under
the presidency of the Mayor, Mr. A. Carson, as
returning officer ; and there was a very numerous
attendance of the burgesses. A number of ladies
were also present.
Sir Robert was nominated by Mr. T. Bramall,
and seconded by Mr. W. Robinson.
Before he was declared duly elected, Mr. J.
MAYOU, of Fazeley, said he wished to exercise his
right as a burgess to ask Sir R. Peel a question.
The right hon. baronet, he said, voted against the
Government when they proposed the repeal of the
paper duty, and he wished to know whether the
right hon. baronet's opinions were the same on that
subject at the present moment, and whether he
could conscientiously accept office under a Govern-
ment against whom he had voted on a question, an
adverse decision on which would have led to their
resignation. _

Sir R. PEEL, in reply, said he was quite ready to
answer the question. Last year he disapproved
altogether of the remission of the paper duty and did
not vote. This year a question of general import-
_

ance arose as to whether it was desirable to remit a
certain amount of taxation at a moment when a
great European crisis appeared to be threatening,
and he certainly thought it was undesirable at that
moment to add a penny to the Bd. income-tax, and
for that purpose to remit a duty realising only some
£12,000 or £13,000 per annum. (Hear, hear.) He
was, and ever had been, and it would be disgrace-
ful after the great reputation of his father if he
were supposed not to be, an honourable and honest
Freetrader. (Hear.) He thought free trade had
conferred the greatest blessings on the country, but
he considered when he voted as he did that the
moment was inopportune to remit a tax of that

character.
Mr. MAYOU—I also asked you how, after that
vote, you could conscientiously continue to hold
under the Government.
Sir R. PEEL—I have only just accepted office.
(A laugh.) I was not in office when I voted against
the Government—(laughter)—but I accepted office
with the greatest gratification. (Cheers.)
The declaration that Sir Robert Peel, no other
candidate being proposed, was duly elected to serve
the borough in Parliament having been made by
the Mayor,
Sir R. PEEL rose, amid hearty congratulations,
and observed that he was most deeply sensible of
the honour they had again conferred upon him by
returning him as one of their representatives in
Parliament, and he took it as a compliment to him-
self personally that they believed he had honestly
and fairly discharged the duties they had entrusted
to his keeping. lie had always earnestly desired,
so far as lay in his humble power, to
continue the political illustration of that dis-
tinguished borough, and they had that morn-
ing afforded him an opportunity of advancing
one step more in the realisation of that desire.
For ten years they had honoured him with
the charge of representing the borough in Par-
liament, and during that time he had endea-
voured on every occasion, even on the one to
which his friend (Mr. Mayou) had just referred, to
do his duty honestly and independently to the con-
stituency, and he did not remember any occasion
when he had given a factious vote on a political
question solely for the sake of gratifying opposition
or personal motives. They might rest assured that
when he had differed from those with whom he had
habitually acted he had been actuated by the desire
to discharge his duty honestly and fairly. (Hear.)
During the ten years he had sat as their represen-
tative he had invariably sat on the same side of the
house as her Majesty's present advisers, and had, as
a general rule, given his support to the measures
Haying done
of Lord Palmerfitoleo Government.