The Sun.
London, England, 1868-10-08 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 8, 1868.

SHARE LIST.

ELECTION INTELLIGENCE.

MARYLEBONE.

Yesterday a meeting of the supporters of Mr.
Thomas Chambers, Q.C., M.P., was held at No.
63, Gloucester-place, Portman-square, for the pur-
pose of considering the means to be adopted for
securing the return of Mr. Chambers as one of
the members for the borough at the forthcoming
election.

Amongst the numerous attendance of gentlemen
were Mr. Alderman Salomons, M.P., Mr. J. N.
Shaw, Mr. Ross, Mr. Furness, Mr. Seaton, Mr.
Clement George, Mr. Silas Taylor, Mr. Newton,
Dr. Smith, Mr. Buckenham, Mr. Moors, Mr.
Mayho, Mr. Robinson, Mr. Shields, Mr. Jonathan
Salter, Mr. Watson, &c.
Mr. A. N. SHAW, who was voted to the chair, said
they were not met to discuss the personal qualities
of Mr. Chambers, whose character and prin-
ciples they were well acquainted with, but to devise
the best means for returning that gentleman to
Parliament on the most honourable footing to himself.
He (the speaker) deprecated those professed Libe-
rals who thought the affections of the electors were
to be purchased either by gold or silver, or by reck-
less promises, such as the opening of all places of
amusement on Sundays, or supporting anybody
who happened to be popular in everything, and
came forward to divide the Liberal interests with-
out the ghost of a chance of success. (Hear, hear.)
He believed the working classes were entirely with
Mr. Chambers from the personal knowledge he had
obtained by mixing with them. He had no fear for
the result of the election, but he trusted every mem-
ber of the committee would be a little subcommittee
with the object of returning Mr. Chambers without
putting him to a great expense. He hoped they
would not let their representative be able to say
that he was returned after an enormous expense,
but rather let the electors boast that they had se-
lected their own man, and to their honour would
not allow him to expend a fortune in placarding the
walls with his own merits which they were too ob-
tuse otherwise to discover.
Mr. FURNESS moved the first resolution :---" That
in view of the threatened contest at the ensuing
election, the members of the committee severally
pledge themselves to use their utmost exertions to
promote the return ;of Mr. Thomas Chambers."
He knew that the opinion of all those whose opinion
was worth having was unanimous in favour of Mr.
Chambers, but he advised them not to underrate
the strength of their opponents, but to go to work
in earnest.

Mr. CLEMENT GEORGE, who seconded the motion,
said his reason for supporting Mr. Chambers was
the same for which he opposed him last time, viz.,
that he thought when gentlemen had been tried as
members and had done their duty they should be
supported.
The motion having been carried,

Mr. SHIELDS moved—" That it will be creditable
to this great constituency and honourable to the
candidate returned that the election should be con-
ducted on principles of purity and economy."
Mr. Alderman SALOMONS, M.P., seconded the
motion, which was carried.
Mr. Ross regretted that Parliament had not
made such arrangements as should do away with
the necessity of putting their members to an enor-
mous expense as well as great labour. He did not
wish to see their member bound hand and foot to
any party, but there was a large party in the coun-
try trying to get the public places of amusement
open on Sundays. This, if not a desecration of the
Sabbatb, would be the destruction of the universal
day of rest—(cheers)—and the very men who made
so much noise on this question, crying out about
liberty, were the men who did the most to deprive
others of their liberty. (Hear, hear.) He moved
that the Cavendish Rooms be at once taken as
committee rooms.

Mr. Moons seconded the motion, and said that
the disaffected portion of the electors did not un-
derstand that both their members voted with Mr.
Gladstone throughout on his Reform Bill, and only
voted with the Conservative Government when it
was necessary to do so to pass the Reform Bill.

Mr. J. R. COLLINS stated that overtures had
been made to him and to others to coalesce with
Dr. Sandwith and throw Mr. Chambers overboard,
but he had told those who made the overtures that
they must go elsewhere.

A Speaker asserted that to his knowledge a num-
ber of men had been paid to come from places not
in the borough at all for the purpose of disturbing
the meetings of Mr. IL Lewis and Mr. Chambers.

The "notion having
of a central committee-room,
been carried for the selection

Mr. CHAMBERS said he stood before them in a
very different manner to that in which stood before
them in 1865, when his name and character were
almost unknown. Upon the question of Reform
he repeatedly and solemnly stated that he would
supporGovernmentt
themost
wliobuelrdalbrming in. When he madeeasure of Reform that
that pledge it never occurred to him to qualify
it by
saying " that any Liberal Government
would introduce," and he could not anticipate
that he would be called upon to redeem his pledge
under such circumstances as those of last session.
(Hear, hear.) Having made the promise it was a
question of personal integrity for him to keep it,
and he could not have stood before a meeting of
gentlemen without blushing if he were obliged to
confess that, as the circumstances were different to
those he had anticipated, he had not fulfilled his
promise. He had no alternative but to redeem his
promise, even though a Conservative Government
introduced the bill. Upon every division on Mr.
Gladstone's Reform Bill both Mr. Lewis and him-
self voted for it, but when Mr. Gladstone resigned,
and the Conservative Government introduced a bill
he voted so as to secure a Reform Bill. (Hear
hear.) Having referred to other matters in his Par-
liamentary career, he said he relied for his return
not upon machinery, but enthusiasm. lie should
stand entirely and absolutely alone in the contest,
and should not coalesce with any one.

Mr. HOBBS pledged the support of a powerful
organization of working men, who were so deter-
mined to maintain their day of rest intact, that, if
necessary, they would plump for Mr. Chambers.
The meeting then separated.

Last evening Mr. Thomas Chambers, Q.C.,
M.P., held his first public meeting of the electors
of the borough of Maryiebone at the St. Pancras
Vestry-hall, for the purpose of explaining his
views as a candidate for re-election as one of its
members.

Mr. Churchwarden F urniss was called to the
chair, and the vast hall was densely crowded. The
Chairman having briefly opened the meeting,
Mr. CHAMBERS presented himself to address the
meeting, and was cordially received. It would be
ridiculous to suppose that he was in perfect con-
formity with everybody in that meeting, but be-
fore they separated it would not be his fault if they
did not understand upon what points they differed.
He would ask them to recollect what he stated
when he first came before them. lie was called
upon to express his opinion on Parliamentary Re-
form, and although he never prepared a speech in
his life, there was one sentence which he did pre-
pare and repeat to every meeting which he addressed
verbatim. Ile told them he would not pledge him-
self to support any individual, because only a Go-
vernment could carry a Reform Bill ; but he would
give them a pledge by which they could bind him
as tightly as it was possible to bind him, and that
pledge was this—l will support the most liberal
measures of Reform which any Government will
bring in. (Cheers.) He said it honestly, he said it
earnestly, he said it repeatedly, and he had kept
his promise. (Cheers, and cries of " No, no.")
There was not an elector of Marylebone who could
come and tell him that he had not kept his pro-
mise. It was not a question of opinion, it was a
question of feet. The first opportunity that was
given him of redeeming his pledge was by the
Liberal Government. Lord Russell's Government
brought in a bill, and in every division both the
members for Marylebone voted with Mr. Glad-
stone. He found that many had made a mistake,
and imagined that on some division the members for
Marylebone voted against Gladstone's bill. That
was au utter mistako, and they owed it to mum'

honesty to acknowledge the mistake. Then came
the unfortunate affair of the Cave of Adullam. (A
Voice —" Wasn't you in it ?") No, he was not in
it. (Cheers.) (A Voice—" Wasn't your colleague
in it ?") No, he was not. The Government after
failing to carry the bill resigned, and a Conservative
Government came in. When he gave the pledge
he had referred to, it never occurred to him nor to
anybody else to qualify it by saying he would sup-
port the most liberal measure of reform which any
" Liberal" Government would bring in. Was he
bound by his pledge? He was, and he had no
alternative but to fulfil the promise he had given,
and he voted for the Government Reform
Bill, which was the most liberal that was
ever proposed. He voted for the bill with
all its objectionable clauses, because he knew that
those who could kill the bill could also improve it.
(Cheers.) Then there was th;; Tea-room party, and
although he was not in the Tea-room he believed
those Liberals who voted with that party carried
the Reform Bill in which they were all rejoicing.
(Oh, oh.) Did any one doubt that? (A. Voice—
" Yes, all of us ;" and cries of " No, no.") Did
any one say if they had not voted for the 'bill that
it would have hem carried ? It was his duty to
keep the bill alive. (A. Voice—" And the Govern-
ment too.") NeVer mind the Government, he would
rather have the bill out of the teeth of their oppo-
nents than otherwise. (Cheers and uproar.) If
they bad considered party instead of principle, they
would have had to wait another seven years for a
.Reform Bill. On public and private grounds it was
necessary that the bill should be carried. If any one
doubted this, he would ask if the bill was worth
having. (No, no.) Mr. Chambers, in response to this
cry, read a letter, signed by Mr. lla.rtwell, inviting
him to a banquet and demonstration at the Crystal
Palace in honour of the passing of the Reform Bill,
and then said if the working men did not think
the bill worth having, every mouthful they ate at
the banquet ought to have choked them. (Cheers )
With respect to the Irish Church he voted with Mr.
Gladstone on his resolutions. He was a most pro-
nounced Protestant, and although he was sorry to
cause pain to those who felt strongly in favour of
the Irish Church, yet he felt that Church had not
fulfilled its mission and was a mistake. He re-
gretted the great üblic expenditure, but it could
not be reduced without the reduction of their arma-
ment. Only a Government could reduce that, and
he must say that Mr. Gladstone was a most econo-
mical Minister. (Hear, hear.) As a friend of
peace he rejoiced with them all in the success of
the Spanish revolution—(cheers)—for the Bourbons
had caused more bloodshed than any dynasty that
ever existed. (Applause.) The hon. gentleman,
having expressed his willingness to answer any
questions which might be put to him, resumed his
seat amidst general applause and some slight in-
terruption.
In reply to questions, the hon. member said he
had supported the ballot, and was prepared to do so
again. As to the vote he gave in favour of the con-
tinuance of the ratepaying clauses in the present
Reform Bill, he did so because it was a principle
which, if not carried, would have endangered the
Reform Bill, and he had voted for the Government
because he desired to keep the bill alive for the
benefit of the people. As to household suffrage in
the counties, it was a difficult question, but he
would follow his party. (Cheers, and oh, oh.)
He would vote for the protection of the funds of
trade/6' unions for legitimate purposes. As to the
game laws, he did not know what they meant
(ob, oh) —but if it meant that armed men were to
be permitted to poach about at night with impu-
nity he was not in favour of that. With respect to
the licensing system, it would doubtless come be-
fore the next Parliament with a Liberal Govern-
ment disposed to give the people the greatest con-
trol in the matter, and his support would be given
to such a measure as would give a better arrange-
ment than that which existed. He was in favour
of the reduction of the public expenditure,
but only a Government could effect that. He would
support any proposal with respect to the Prince of
Wales's allowance which the Government con-
sidered necessary for the position and dignity of the
country. He would not support manhood suffrage.
If any inequality were pointel out in the rates,
and a remedy proposed, he would support it. lie
was in favour of religious duality. As a lawyer,
he was of opinion that women:had no right to vote ;
anl as a member of society, he was of opinion that
it was for the interests of them all that they should
not. Ile not in favour of the opening of museums,
&c., on Sunday, and he was not prepared to move
for legislation for shutting up Kew Gardens and
stopping cabs and trains:on Sunday. He was in
favour of the preservation of commons and open
spaces in the metropolitan district.

Mr. JONATHAN SALTER (churchwarden) moved a
vote of confidence in Mr. Chambers, pledging the
meeting to support his return.
During Mr. Salter's speech a few boys in the gal-
lery indulged iy catcalls and exposed a placard of
Dr. Sandwith',. They were the same boys who
have disturb/d previous meetings.
Mr. BuryoN seconded the motion.

An amendment in favour of Dr. Sandwith was
lost by an overwhelming majority, the bulk voting
in favour of it being boys.

The original motion was put and carried amidst
great enthusiasm.