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

KING'S LYNN..

The nomination took place yesterday at the Guildhall;
the Mayor (Mr. R. Cook) presiding as returning officer.
The fine old ball was well filled, and the late members,
Lord Stanley and Mr. J. H. Gurney, were loudly cheered
on making their appearance on the platform.
Mr. R. BAGGE nominated Lord Stanley, and Mr. W.
MOYSE seconded the nomination.

Mr. P. WILSON proposed Mr. J. H. Gurney, and Mr.
W. Lan'lNGs (Deputy-Mayor) seconded the nomination.
No other gentleman being proposed,
The MAYOR declared Lord Stanley and Mr. Gurney
duly elected.
Lord STANLEY; who was received with loud cheers,
said he had heard the tiresent dissolution described by
some speakers as a " penal" one, but he bad not found it
so. He did not venture to speak for others, but so far as
he was concerned it was no penalty, but a pleasure to
him to meet his constituents. The first subject to which
he would refer was that which was freshest in the minds
of all present, and the immediate occasion of the disso-
lution—he meant that vote on the Chinese policy of the
Government which resulted in Ministers being left in a
minority. On the subject 'of that vote the most extra-
ordinary and the most reckless assertions had been made
that ever were uttered even by politicians going to the
country without a cry. A charge had been made of fac-
tious combination against the Government, but the only
combination was that men of all politics and all shades
of opinion agreed independently in following the dictates
of their own judgments, and expressing disapproval of
the pokey pursued at Canton. Who were the conspira-
tors ! Of Mr. Disraeli, Mr. Walpole, and Sir J. Pak-
ington he would say nothing, because it was one of the
duties of the leaders of an organised Parliamentary Oppo-
' sition to avail themselves of any fair occasion to criticise
the policy of the Government. But when on that me-
morable Tuesday evening he walked into the lobby with
the majority, it seemed to him, after his eight years'
Parliamentary experience, that he had never witnessed
a division in which so great a moral and intellectual
preponderance was exhibited on one side. There was
Lord John Russell, the man of the first Reform Bill,
the historical representative of Liberalism, a man whose
name would be linked with •the history of 39 event-
ful years, and who would be remembered when those
who now vilified him were forgotten. There was
Sir Francis Baring, a Liberal also, a man whom party
spirit had never accused of a single deviation from the
strictest principles of political honour. There was Mr.
Gladstone, whose marvellous abilities had been rather
hindered, so far as success in party conflict was concerned
by a scrupulous sense of right acid a passionate love of
justice. There was Mr. Cobden, a man from whom
many might differ in regard to some of his opinions, but
who hesitated not to cast to thewinds a popularity earned
by his own exertions, and to stand forth alone, against
the will of an entire people, when his conscientious con-
victions (call them right or wrong, as they would) led
bins to oppose the Russian war. There was with the ma-
jority also, if he might refer for a moment to the other
branch of the Legislature, Lord Lyndhurst, who spoke
only with that- weight which a perfect mastery of law
conferred, not only with that power of argumentative
eloquence which for 50 years had commanded the atten-
tion of every audience which he had addressed, but who
spoke also with that freedom which belonged to one
whose age left him nothing to hope or to fear, and one
who, being detached trom the politics of the present day,
could criticise those politics with tho impartiality of one
living in another century and another country. (Cheers.)
He should not enter into the details of the legal dispute
which took place with reference to the proceedings at
Canton, because the question of the alleged British ves-
sel had really little or nothing to do with the quarrel
which had ensued. The war with China was an unjust
one, because we had picked a quarrel to enforce a claim
in itself of very small value, and which, if it were en-
forced at all, we might probably have secured by nego-
tiations in common with other countries. It was a cow-
ardly war, because it was a war in which the strength,
military-knowledge, and skill of the two parties were so
unequally matched that a battle was not that man like
trial of strength between equal forces which took place
when European nations met one another, but a mera but-
chery and a mere seambles. Ths war with China was
also an impolitic one, even admitting that that which
was unjust could be expedient in the long run, which he
did not believe, because part of the cost must necessarily
be paid in the increased price to the consumer of
one of the few luxuries of the poor man. It was irnpol:-
tic, because, our object being to secure more general and
free interc ,arse with China, the Chinese people must
differ very much from the rest of the world if attacking
their forts and bombarding their towns was the way to
bring.about that communication. The war was an impo-
litic one, because the objt at cf an enlarged intercourse with
China must necessarily and certainly have been attained
in the peaceful progress of trade. In his belief the Chi-
nese war was commercially, politically, and diplomati-
cally a blunder and mistake. (An Elector—" It is no-
thing of the kind.") Se said nothing but what he be-
lieved to be the truth, and as he had not Token upon
the subject in Parliament, he would before leaving the
question do what he considered an act of justice. He
thought the public had been rather hard upon Sir John
Bowring. Ho did not believe that Sir John Bowring
would have taken the course he pursued and introduced
the demand of right of entry into Canton, and been pre-
pared to enforce it, unlesssome intimation bad been con-
veyed to •him that the Government would support him
in what he was doing ; and it was fair to the Govern-
ment to say that they had tranaferrel to themselves the
responsibility of Sir John Bo wring's acts. With regard
to foreign policy he wished to see England always strong
and united for defence, but he had no wish to see her
armei and ready for aggression. With regard to Parlia-
mentary Reform, he considered that some extension of
the suffrage and some equalisation of the representation
were neceesary, but he had voted against Mr. Locke
King's recent motion because he thought that the ques-
tion of Parliamentary reform ought to be considered in
its entirety, and not in a fragmentary manner. With
regard to the finances of the country he did not entertain
apprehension. There was a hopeful elasticity in British
commerce, andthe demand was increasing from India and
the Australian celonies, which took half of our exports.
As to the question what taxes should be abolished, the
noble lord observed that it was impossible to give pledges
long in advance, but he expressed himself opposed to the
paper doty and the tax. on insurances, and in favour of a
revision of the tariff. With respect to the income tax,
he said he thought the country should have an opportu-
nity of expressing an opinion upon it iu 1860, and if it
was then to cease, and some other tax must be found for
it, the substitute, he thought, might be an extended
hnriact tar fairly Wel, nnt on ralenlatinna of what houses
let for, but on an estimate of their value. On the subject
of economy in the public expenditure, all were for eco-
nomy in the abstract, but few in fact. A large standing
army in time of peace would be a gigantic job—a godsend
to the Secretary of the Treasury, and a dead loss to the
na.,iou. He did not wish to liar() the country defenceless,
but he thought, on the whole, the standard maintained
before the late war would be a tolerably faieone in future,
and that militia forces might be establiihed in some of the
colonies. Tne noble 1 ird then expressed himself in favour
of reforni in the laws relating So the transfer, of land ; a
system of criminal and judicial statistics, as in France;
the consolidation of the statute law, a change in the ec-
clesiastical courts, an improved system of testamentary
jurisdiction, a reform in the laws on marriage and di-
vorce, competitive t sosminations for the civil servic., and
the abolition of Church rates. He also called attention
to the necessity of some measure on national education ;
and, in conclusion, he declared that, reviewing his poli-
tical career, he could say that he had sought to do jus-
tice and feared to do wrong ; he had no other end, and
he bad known no other fear. (His Lordship resumed
his seat amid loud cheering.)
Mr. J. H. GURNEY, who was also received with cheers,
next addressed the electors.
Thanks to the Mayor then closed the proceedings.