The Sun.
London, England, 1844-03-29 00:00:00

HASTINGS ELECTION.

THURSDAY EVENING.—This being the day appointed for
the nomination, the parties proceeded to the hustings, which
were erected in the Priory Courts. Mr. Mcore, attended by
B. Smith, Esq., M.P., and H. Elphinstone, Esq., M.P., and
his friends ; Mr. Briscoe, attended by his friends, in a gay
equipage. There were no banners of any description to be
seen, and but very few colours of either party. Never was
seen such a revolution in election proceedings in Hastings;
yet we find it approved by all classes.
The Mayor (Dr. M'Cabe) having arrived, and the usual
preliminaries having been gone through,
Major JEFFRIES presented himself to propose Musgrave
Briscoe, of Coghurst-hall, Esq., as representative for this bo-
rough. He said Mr. Briscoe was a gentleman well known to
them, lived among them, had family connexions living in the
town, was a Conservative in politics, at the same time not
opposed to the reform of all proved abuses.
Mr. F. SMITH. seconded the nomination.

Mr. B. SMITH, M.P., said he had heard a great deal from
the proposer and seconder of Mr. Briscoe, with respect to cer •
taro mansions, but he did not understand distinctly what
they meant. He had not one word to say against Mr. Briscoe
as a private gentleman—he was honourable, kind, charitable,
and humane; but he did not understand that they were come
here to elect a gentleman for such qualities to represent them
in Parliament.—(Hear, hear.) They required a man who
would take a large and extensive view of the capabilities of
this great country, and apply his energies to develope them.
The broad acres of Mr. Briscoe could avail him but little with
all his benevolence in relieving the great distresses which
existed in this country, crippled as it was by bad legislation,
the result of the government of the landed aristocracy, to the
detriment of the labouring classes. The Hon. Gentleman
concluded by proposing R. R. R. Moore, Esq.
Mr. J. TIIWAITES seconded the nomination.
Mr. HARVEY, amid great uproar, proposed Mr. Sliegh, who
was seconded by Mr. 11. PENFOLD.
Mr. M. BRISCOE said he attended before them, in con-
sequence of a requisition numerously signed, most unex- .
pectedly brought to him, and, wishing to the towns of
Hastings and St. Leonard's every prosperity, he had not
hesitated to come forward to offer himself as a candidate.
His sentiments were well known to them. He was deter-
mined to support the present Government—(Disapprobation)
—which, he believed, would promote the prosperity of the
kingdom. He should support the corn-laws, for he felt that
protection must be given to the agriculturists. He was not
for high prices, further than to protect the farmer, so as to
enable him to give to his labourer proper and fair wages.
He thought that the labourer should be paid 2s. a day. Free
trade was only another name for free competition. His motto
was, " Live and let live," for the interests of the landlord,
tenant, and labourer. As a member of the Established
Church he should support that Establishment, feeling that, if
it was put down or dissevered from the State, the liberty of
all our institutions would be ridden over by the Roman Ca-
tholics of this country.—(Disapprobation.)
Mr. MOORE was received with great applause. He said he
had been accused of being a stranger. He was so. It was •
said he was an Irishman, and it was true, and he gloried in
it.—(Cheers.) But lie could not understand that either of
those facts had anything to do with the question of the prin-
ciple of free trode. His opinion was men should think for
themselves and act for themselves ; and no matter where a
man was born, or chanced to live. He was for free trade,
that we might obtain from other countries what we
wanted most, and they take from us what we could spare.
For 29 years we had had a corn-law, and during that time
we had brought in a thousand millions pounds' worth of
goods, which had been paid for by the labour of this country.
During the same period we had purchased fifty millions'
worth of foreign corn, and that corn had been paid for in
gold. It was not to be wondered at that a dread of a drain of
gold should exist, and it would, it must at times exist under
the present laws, because the demand was not regular ; and
when corn was required, the demand for goods did not arise
in an equal degree ; or, from the supply not being anticipated,
the goods were not at hand; but if the demand was regular,
that would not occur. In the year 1836 the effect was most
severely felt. The spring of that year was promising, but
after July the prospect changed, and speculation set to work
to purchase all the corn in other parts. It came in, and the
consequence was, to reduce the bullion in the coffers of the
Bank of England below two millions. The Learned Gen-
tleman next contrasted the state of our exports to that
country now as compared with what it was in proportion
when their population was only one-fifth of the
present. Had it gone on, or borne an equal proportion
we ought to have been sending thirty-six million pounds'
worth instead of three. He contended that that country was
not altogether to be blamed for the debts owing to this coun•
try, for it was well known that the people of Sheffield were
great creditors, and they had presented a petition to be al-
lowed to import wheat, which their customers in America
had, and were willing to give in payment of their debts.
Mr. SLIEGII next addressed, or rather attempted to address
the multitude, but was assailed by hisses, uproar, and groans
in every part, and at last, finding it impossible to obtain a
hearing, he addressed himself to the people on the hustings
for some time.

On the show of hands being taken, the Mayor declared it
to be in favour of Mr. Briscoe ; but our honest conviction is,
that Mr. Moore had it three to one:

A poll was then demanded on the part of Mr. Moore.
Mr Sliegh declined going to the poll, and the proceedings
closed with a vote of thanks to tlfe Mayor, at a quarter past
four o'clock.

The polling commences at eight o'clock to-morrow, and
closes at four.

CANADA COMPANY.

On 'Wednesday the Half-yearly Meeting of the Proprietors
of shares in this corporation was held at the Company's
House, St. Helen's-place, pursuant to the terms of the
charter. The Governor, Mr. Charles Franks, in the chair.
The minutes of the last Court were read by the Secretary,
Mr. Perry, and confirmed.
The first business of the day, the CHAIRMAN said, was the
election of a Governor for three years, and of three Directors,
and one Auditor.

It was resolved unanimously that Mr. Charles Franks
should be elected as Governer, and that Sir John Easthope,
Mr. A. llumphreys, and Mr. Stokes, should be re-appointed
as Directors.

Mr. Wilson was again appointed as Auditor.
The GOVERNOR then proceeded to state the operations for
the past year. The sales of land in the Crown reserves had
been 12,838 acres, at an average of 13s. 7d. per acre, and in
the Huron tract there had been disposed of 8,705 acres, at an
average of 12s. Id. per acre, making a total of 21,543 acres,
the produce of which had been 13,8041. currency. This was
independently of the town lots that had been purchased.
There had been leased of Crown reserves 88,805 acres, pro-
ducing an annual rental of 2,7697., or equal to 10s. sd. per
acre, and the leases granted in the Huron tract, for the
year ending on the 31st of December last, were 63,9071 acres.
£he leases were granted for twelve years, at a rental by
which, if regularly paid, the land would become the pro-
perty of the occupier, and consequently alienated from the
Company, The total quantity of land leased and sold was
194,255 acres. The Governor then read a statement of the
receipts and expenditure of the Corporation from its com-
mencement, which was considered satisfactory. The Com-
pany had 1,378,189 acres of land paid for, but still unsold.
The quantity purchased from the Government was 2,484,413
acres ; of this there had been 982,941 acres sold, and 123,313
acres had yet to be paid for, the Company having the option
of taking the latter. Since the commencement of the year
there had been sold in the Crown reserves 1,500 acres, and
in the Huron tract 800 acres. There had been leased in the
former 3,800 acres, and in the latter 7,290 acres, an increase
over the operations of the same period of 1842 of 3,753 acres.
In the receipts there had been an increase this year of
2,842/. The plan of leasing the land had been most bene-
ficial, and the rents hitherto had been punctually paid. The
passing of the Canadian Corn Bill, which had come into
operation in October last, had been productive already
of the most beneficial effects, and no doubt could be en-
tertained, that it would continue to be so. Through the
exertions of the Company's Commissioners, Mr. Jones and
Mr. Widder, the sales of the Company's lands had been
greatly increased, while those on the part of the Government
had been but few. The Governor read extracts from the
correspondence received from the Commissioners, in which
the rising prosperity of the settlers was spoken most highly
of. Markets for their produce were easily found, and for cash.
They believed that emigration this year would be consider-
ably increased, as many from Scotland, as well as Protestant
families from Ireland, were coming to join their relatives who
had already settled in Upper Canada. An extensive ship-
ment of flour was expected to take place from Montreal.
The colonists on the Company's lands were improving, as was
shown by the remittances made to their poorer relatives in
the United Kingdom, which, upon an average, had in the
last year been 9/. for each individual who had sent home
money to fathers, mothers, &c., through the Company's
agency, and which was done gratuitously. The total amount
so remitted from Canada to the Company last year was 2,990/. ;
and by the last letters 600/. in addition, similarly destined,
were advised. This showed that the settlers upon the Com-
pany's lands were prosperous, and that the position in which
the colony was placed was improving.
The accounts were ordered to be printed, thanks were re-
turned to the Directors, and the meeting adjourned.