The Sun.
London, England, 1850-08-03 00:00:00

LAMBETH ELECTION.

Last night a number of electors met Sir Charles
Napier, at the Horns Tavern, Kennington. Long before
the hour appointed (seven o'clock) the large assembly-
room was densely crowded. Captain M'Dougal, R.N.,
was called to the chair.

Sir CHARLES NAPIER said that many present no doubt
were surprised that he should presume to offer himself
to represent so large and important a borough. He was
perfectly unknown, and was an entire stranger in the
ordinary sense of the term; but he believed that a
British sailor was never regarded as a stranger in
England, or in any part of the globe which was washed
by the sea, or where the British thunder had ever been
heard. lie had sailed in all parts of the world in the
cause of his country, and often had he had to contend
with superior numbers, particularly in Portugal and
Syria, and he was told he should have to contend with
superior numbers in Lambeth, but with a good crew he
had not the smallest doubt he should follow them up
triumphantly. Many other persons thought that a
naval officer had no business to think of a seat in
Parliament, but he submitted that when ashore, and
at peace, a sailor was as much a citizen as
any other of her Majesty's subjects.—(Hear, hear.)
Besides, as oue-third of the public expenditure went
to that branch of the public service, there ought to be in
Parliament naval men who, independent of any Govern-
ment, could watch and control their wasteful extrava-
gance iu that service.—(Applause.) As to that waste,
his opinions had not only been expressed in Parliament,
when Member for Marylebone, but since in his published
letters.—(Elear.) He had foretold the Board of Admi-
ralty they were pursuing an erroneous course, and his
prognostications had proved to be correct, for of thirty
steam-ships they had built, the experiments made in the
last few days proved that they were perfectly and totally
unfit for war service. Hence it was important that naval
men should be present in Parliament. During the five
or six years he had represented Marylebone he had
voted according to the best of his judgment—no man
had paid snore attention or had been present at more
division.. It might be asked why he had not remained
at Marylebone—hie answer was, that at the close of
the list session he was appointed to command a squa-
dron, and was told he would be required to go to Lis-
bon for three years. He had previously informed
his then constituents that if required to be more
than four or five months from England he would place
his seat at their disposal, and, in obedience to his pro-
mise, he had kept it, though it since appeared he was
not wanted at Lisbon, and this was, perhaps, a conve-
nient mode by which the Government got him out of the
House. Sir C. Napier then recapitulated his votes in
Parliament in favour of the ballot and for an extension
of the suffrage, though on this point he did not go to the
extent of some of his friends. He defended the policy of
the Duke of Wellington, as to the necessity of maintain-
ing the defences of the country, and instanced the state-
ment of Lord Ellenborough in the Upper House to show
its essentiality, when Russia had now a fleet of 30 to 40
sail of the line in the Baltic, while the British force was
truly insignificant. A true saving to be effected was in
the dockyards, where the expenditure had been at once
lavish and useless. After some further general remarks,
the Hon. and Gallant Admiral expressed his readiness
to answer any questions that might be put to him in a
straightforward manner.
Mr. E. EDWARDS rose, and was proceeding to address
the meeting in a loug speech, but was met by loud crisp
of " Down, question." Eventually ho asked whether
the Gallant Admiral had not entered into the rebel ser-
vice of the Queen of Portugal without the permission of
his own Sovereign.—(ob, oh.)
Sir C. NAPIER replied that he went to restore a young
Queen to her throne, for which he was scratched out of
the British service. He looked on that as the proudest
period of his life.
In answer to Mr. Hayman, Sir C. NAPIER said he
would not pledge himself to vote for any measure to
put clown Sunday trading ; that would best be effected
by masters paying their men on Friday night.—(Hear,
hear.) No man could be made religious by Act of Par-
liament.
In answer to a series of other questions put by Mr. F.
Doulton, Mr. Dyson, Mr. Alder, and other members of
M. r. Williams's committee, Sir CHARLES NAPIER declared
himself, on the subject of flogging in the army and navy,
that at present he was not prepared to surrender the
power of inflicting the punishment. In reply to another
query, he pledged himself, if ordered to a naval com-
mand, to surrender at once the trust of a representa-
tive to his constituents ; and to a further inquiry he
distinctly refused to give his adhesion to the points
comprised in that which was designated the " People's
Charter." He would join in shortening the duration
of Parliaments, but was not prepared to support a
proposition fur a severance between the Church
and State, nor for any interference with the Established
Church in Ireland.—(llisses, groans, and cheers.)
On the question of the abolition of the taxes on
it know-
ledge he was not prepared to give a reply; and would
be no use sending him to Parliament if he was now called
upon to decide on matters with reference to which a re-