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

MARYLEBONE.

Sir BENJAMIN HALL, in returning thanks for his
re-election yesterday, said—Twenty years have
elapsed since I first had the honour of appearing on
these hustings to ask your suffrages in electing me
a member to serve you in Parliament ; during that
1 ng period six elections have taken place, and this
is the seventh time I appear before you to thank
you for the compliment you have paid me, and to
assure you that my services shall be always at 'your
disposal. My. friend Mr.. Bell said, that a man
who represents a constituency,' and especially a
large one like that I have the honour to represent,
must fail in pleasing everybody in his course of con-
duct.. Now, I am quite sure that if I endeavoured
to please everybody I should please nobody, and
lose my seat in Parliament; aud, therefore, the
only course I have pursued is to consult my own
judgment, having before me always the interests of
the country and the public at large, to guide and
direct my conduct. In giving my 'votes in the
House of Commoni, I have no doubt there may be
some givin which, at the first blush of the moment,
may appe r unpopular, but I am quite aware that
a tune and opportunity will always ho afforded me
to give an explanation, 'and I have never shrank
from doing so, either at public meetings or on these
hustings. (Hear, hear.)
A VOICE—What about Roebuck's motion
Sir B. HALL continued—You ask me that clues:

tion, and I shall not fail to answer it. I voted
against Mr. Roebuck's motion, and I would do so
to-morrow again, if brought forward, and I'll toll
you why, and show you good reasons why I did so.
At that very moment it was generally believed that,
on the very day the motion came on, Lord Palmer-
stone was about to resume the reins of office as War
Minister, and. I believe that if the noble lord had
had the management of the various matters which
then required a 'bold and skilful hand, he would
have placed them in a better condition than
the long deliberstions of a committee. (Cries
of " No, no.") You may say, " No, no," but
I'll give you an answer. Lord Palmerston was not
at that time appointed Secretary at War, but First
Minister of the Crown. The committee was ap-
pointed to sit and deliberate on the subject ; but
while it sat and deliberated for months and months,
and made a report from which no tangible result
ensued, Lord Palmerston set the whole army in
motion ; and from the first moment he directed the
affairs of that army in the Crimea, there was not a
man would dare to say—because it would be a false-
hood if be did so—that the affairs of that army were
not improved. (Cheers.)
A VOICE. —Et was all done for him.

Sir B HALL—WeII, then, that is an answer to
the question. I will now touch on a subject to
which I am very much attached, and which I en-
deavoured to carry out to the best of my ability,
and that is, a further reform in the representation
of the people. (Hear, heir.)
A VOICE.—What about Locke King's motion ?
Sir B. HALL. —lt was said by my noble friend at
the head of ihe Government that, in the then state
of the session, with the almost absolute certain' y
of a dissolution, which has since taken place and
showed that he was no false prophet, that it was
impossible to pass any mowers on such a subject.
But I did not vote against it, nor do I believe any
administration can stand unless they introduce a
measure on the subject. (Cheers.) . I believe it
will be necessary to bring forward such a measure,
and I think you have a guarantee given you that it
will be done. (Cries of " No, no.")
A VOlCE.—Whera is it ?
Sir B. HALL.—Have you read 'ho. address of
Lord Palmerston to the electors of Tiverton—have
you read the concluding paragraph of that address ?
A VOICE.—I cannot read. (Laughter, in which
the right hon. baronet heartily joined.)
Sir B. HALL coatinued. —I am sorry your learning

does noi extend so far as that—(a lau-gl)—but lam
happy to find that in this extensive assembly there
is only one person placed in such a predicament.
(Laughter.) If ever there was anything plain or
intelligible to a man's understanding it is that last
paragraph of my noble friend's address and I am sorry
that gentleman has not the capacity to understand it.
(Laughter.) Well, is there anything else you wish
to know ? (Cheers and laughter.) I take all these
things in good humour—(he tr, hear)—for I am
used to that sort of thing. (Hear, hear.) I have
been here seven times, and three times in other
places, and the interruptions I receive only put me
into good humour. We have all met here in the
best and most friendly spirit, and as my worthy
friend, who could not understand the passage in
my noble friend's address, looks offended, I am
sorry for it, and can only say I did not intend it.
(Laughter.) I shall go back to Parliament deeply
grateful for the honour you have again conferred
on me. I was here in 1854, when, at the desire of
my noble friend, I took office, and became Presi-
dent of the Board of Health, and I ask you, who
watched my career during the awful time of cholera
which then existed in the metropolis, if I have not
done my duty, and if I shrunk for a moment from
a fear of contamination, or of being struck down
by that dreadful disease ? (Cheers.) I declare to
you that during that period I witnessed scenes
which no man will, I hope, ever see again, and few
could contemplate without a shudder. (Cheers.)W ell, in consequence of having performed my
duties to the satisfaction of the public, I was placed
in a higher office, and I again say that while I have
done so I have carried out the principles of admi-
nistrative reform not in theory, but in practice.
(Hear, hear.) No man can find fault with the
manner in which I exercised my duty. (Cheers.)
1. thank you sincerely on my own individual ac-
count, and as a member of Lord Palmerston's
an Go-
vernment, for I represent 100,000 people
22,000 electors, and that very fact, as a men
of
this borough, will give strength to my noble friend,
who desires to bring forward those measures which
are necessary for the benefit of the public, and
which will conduce to the welfare
;4 Of the country. (Loud cheers. of
prospe