The Sun.
London, England, 1845-08-30 00:00:00

SOUTHWARK ELECTION.

MEETING OF SIR WILLIAM MOLESWORTITS
FRIENDS.

Thursday evening a highly influential meeting of the
friends of Sir William Molesworth was held in the large
room of the Duke of Prussia Tavern, Tooley-street,
Bermondsey.
The room, though calculated to hold some hundreds
of persons, was most uncomfortably crowded, but still a
degree of order was observed which reflected the highest
credit on those assembled.
Precisely at eight o'clock Sir William Molesworth,
attended by the Chairman and several members of his
Committee, entered the room.
Mr. Young was called on to preside.
The CHAIRMAN said that it was his intention, some
few hours back, not to take any part in this election,
but he could resist no longer the cause of liberty ; and
in supporting Sir William Molesworth he was sure that
he tried to extend that principle. That district de-
p •nderl entirely upon commerce, and therefore they and
he ••ught to ,upport lib ral candidate, who would
unfetter c.nem,rce.—(Cheers.) He would add no mute,
but at once jet:nine:a Sir William Molesworth.
Sir WILLIAM MoLESWoRTH theo ro-e amid claim-
sitstit• cheering, ant at •er tnaokii g the chairman f ir the
h'eh eulogium passed upon him, ,aaid that before explain-
irg
his political princip.es he should wish to tell them
by ant how he became a candidate for the boroagh of
South-sark. A commuoication was, owing to the severe
illn.-ss of tr.eir late lame tea representa-ive, addressed to
r questing him. in the event of a vacancy, to allow
hi•ustel, p•it In immination, and it was only when
asswed that the ru-st influential persons ire the difforent
:sections Had determined upon supporting him that he
.leongented to this contest. But many of those
persons had n w receded from their promises, and
though in the tar-t instance they had given those pro-
miees unsolicited, they noc unblushingly falsified theta.
He had to complain of this unfair conduct, but even with
all this, he was very confident that his canvass would
ultimately be attended with suecess —(Cheers.) There
were now three can lid ates in the field, and there was but
littla difference, he believed, between himself and one of
his compeitors, but that meeting knot./ that in election

COD, 4310, as in ecclesiastical quarrels, the less the differ-
ence that existed the greater the rancour that ani
Matel the caries. He (Sir William Molesworth).
iu orl-r to preserve the gab .rel interest triumphant
in the borough, would (nest willingly, if required to do
so by a majority of the electors, retire, and leave the
election in the hands ef Mr. MialL—(Cries of " No, no,"
and cheerine.) But what aoswer was received from Mr.
Mall ? Wny he 0-clared that he woual rather that the
Tory candioate wen.: recur ed than that he (S r Wm.
Moleswerth) s.eaild be chosen their representative.—
(Cries of " Shame ") He had, in fact, declared that he
did not care the snap of a finger for the Liberal interest,
(efieers,)—and should he therefore not persevere
in his rativas' in order to preserve the borough from
a person prefe ssing a pt inciple like this ? He felt bound
in jostice to the Liberal electors of the borough to per-
severe in the contest, for he felt that the great majority
ware in his ers, and cries of "They are.")
And now to his political principles. He would, in the
first place, refer to u question which was at that time
exciting a great. degree of interest in the borough—he
referred to the que tion of religious liberty and equality.
He (Sir William Molesworth) had always held the same
views upon this subject. He considered that neither the
State nor society ought to interfere with the religious
opinions of any man. He considered that neither should
the State nor society east any reproach upon him for his
religious opinions, whatever these might be, nor dis-
qualify him from any office on account of those opinions.
—(Cheers.) Those principles he had advocated and
supported by his votes, by his speeches, and by his
writings in the London and Westminster Review. Such
were his sentiments on the subject of religious liberty
and equality, and so far he was prepared to carry them
out.—(Cheers.) But Mr. Miall wished to ask him a
question. He wished know if he (Sir W. Slolesworth)
was prepared, if returned to Parliament, to vote for the
appropriation of the Church revenues to State purposes?
That was, whether he would vote for the destruction of
the Church of England. for the destruction of the Church
of ',eland, and for the destruction of the Church of Scot-
land, and, as a necessary consequence, for the overturnof
the Universities of Ox-ord and Caaihridge.--(Cries of "Oh.
oh," and " Miall will give in.") He would ask any sen-
sible m n then present if they would net think it better
at fitat to try :neir hands on the Church of Treland?—
(Cheers and laughte .) He had always supported the
appropriation of p oft of the revenues of the Irish Church
t state purpos s. and he felt confident that some such
in astir,: woutt be carried at no distant date—(Cheers.)
The Ilouse of Co ninons had enough of practical mea-
sures on their hands with ut troubling themselves with
abstract priociples, which, however just in themselves,
e I never I p reduced to practice, and it would say but
'lthe for the daserimin +lion of the electors of Southwark
it their representatie were to come down to the House
wth a teo 1.-,r proposition of this kind, for destroying at
" one fell swaop" the three Established Churches.—
(Che and itau.;lver.) He (Sir William Molesworth)
thouaht th •L the rt of the corn-laws would be a
• r..arer h. n to the people than the destruction of
the Cht.roh, and he had ever supported Mr. Villiers upon
qusstten. He cenceived that the doing sway of
that obnexonis law could greatly extend the commerce
or the opal. ry, and so add to the comforts of the
labouri tog (44,4841A.—(Cheers.) He was also an advocate
for the eaten,' in of the suffrage and for the vote by ballot.
—(Continued cheering.) He had supported triennial
Parliam, nts—(Cheers)--and he had introduced a
mossure for the abrogation of property qualifications.—
(Cheers.) Her did so because he thought the best test
of a Member's fitness was the fact of his being elected
to represent n free and enl.ghtened people.—(Great
cheerin!..) The Hon. Baronet concluded by saying that
he should gladly answer any question that might be
asked by any gentleman present.
-An Eteeroa wished to know how he would act with
respect to Lord Devon's Land Commission ?
Sir W. MOLESWORTH— As the report is rather a bulky
one, I shoult in the first place real it.—(Laughter.)
A resolution was proposed by Mr. ri --ARMS, and
seconded by Mr. VOUSLEY. pledging the meeting to
support the Hon. Barunet's election. It was carried
unanimiusly.

Sir JioLEswonTH then proposed a vote of thanks
to the Chairman, who briefly acknowledged the corn-
ilimPrit, and the meeting adjourned.

MEETING OF MR. MALL'S SUPPORTERS.
A meeting of the electors of this borough favourable
to the interes s of Mr. Miall was held on Thursday, at
the Victoria Tavern, Rotherhithe.
S!lortly after half•p:ast seven, that candidate having
entered the room amid partial cheering,
Mr. Bennett was, on the motion of 31r. GAYWOOD,
called to the chair.

Thl CHAIRMAN introduced Mr. Miall to the meeting,
observing that, as several misrepresentations had been
promulgated by the supporters of Sir William Moles-
worth, that that gentleman had a majority of promises,
he took the opportunity of asserting distinctly that, so
far as the canvas had hitherto been made, the return of
Mr. Miall was almost put beyond a doubt. They had
been also told that a division among the Whig interests
was impolitic and improper, but he could not see
why a large number of the representatives were to be
denied the power of recording their votes in favour of
the candidate they prefer red. At all events, it was now
too late to retract. Mr. Miall had pledged himself to go
to the poll, and he was happy to announce that that pro-
mise would be fulfilled to the letter, as Mr. Miall was
determined to test the sentiments of the constituency to
the lest moment allowed by the law. Many voters
were opposed to the ekction ,if Sir W. Voksworth in
consequence of h s op uton on the Mlyneoth question ;
and every els:, eque•ty woled he afferled these who dis •
approved to ehurzh .n I •watetit to evince it, by op.
p -ing the caul-date wh • w -111,1 have ,upptrted it by
hie vote lia,i he he--n in Pat-list:omit, and did
pee promote its perpetuation by advocating its
priucif,les in the borough. (Hear, hear.) As
to %!r. Pil.!her, that •tentlem in based his claims to pre-
,erice en th - geem is of being a resident in the borough,
:ttt I long no fleeted its it. Why. there was not an old
, tvem n. in the town who might not say as much, and tt,
re tson ably demand sulnort. Thu cl dins of b ith candi-
datee were. in , tr et, net-unable and ine.insistent, and he
Vier -fore ca.le ont Mr. xl;all to addr,ss the meeting an,l
expoun I those principle; which sh- uld acquire for him
sudo -rt. ~n-I eveutu oly triu uphant success.—(Cheers )
Mr. Mttee then p-esented hunselt t i the mewing, and
was age,,ie rec. iv.ti 4.i,11 a slight demotistratien of ap
plause. He ceintnented by denouning the statements
nightly mad-- by Sir W. Meleswertn as to his prospects
of success, as lief .ended and insincere. The borough
of Southwark was ernin .nt for its ultra principles
respecting the r gets of the people and their
sentiments on e-irtain great questions affecting
the interests of the nation. Let but th..se
. pro 1.351UD5 ';e reit is d--let hut those principle- which
had been inculcated by himself repea,.dly, and warmly
adop ed by a majority of the cemstituency—let but
those feelings be energetically evinced on the day of
electio i, aal he felt no doubt that he should appear
t-iumphant at the head of th, poll.—(Leud cheers.)
He had been Wanted with being a representative of
republican v:cwi. That charge was unfounded. True
it was he ha I opposed ecclesiastical endowments, and
tried to av -rt all the evils consequent on those measures,
but he never advocated the destruction of all religion.
lii tie same way he ha-I always systematically supported
universal sucfra es an.i other .ights to which free-born
men were reesonvey en itl. ii, bur, at the same time, he
thought that a ehi !f magistrate ought to succeed in
hereditary line in preference to being elected. He
was an independent candidate, and should, if returned,
g., to Parli:toteot unfettered by party feeling. This
Whigs were d Lily coslescin,.; more and more with the
Tories, and they found Lori John Russell seconding the
most outrageous measures of Sir Robert Peel, and it
was nut improbable but that in a few years the latter
would retire in: favour of the former, who would introduce
irnmediat-dy a Bill for endowing the Roman Catholic
Cherch, and be sec-mded by his predecessor. He (Mr.
Mi.dl) therefore would not support part), but principles,
and so it was not for himself but for his principles, and
for the sake of the principles of his constituency, that he
asked for the support of the electors.—(Loud
cheers.) With these few observations he would con-
elude, having so often previously explained his senti-
ments ia other parts of the borough. sentiments which by
means of the press had he-nn made generally known
throughout every parish Within it.—(Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN having invited discussion,
A man in the crowd tasked if Mr. Miall would abolish
sinecures and pension lists.
Mr. MIALL replied that he should be happy to do all
he could, both by voice and vote, to abolish pensions,
which were keirerally Niel by undeserving parties.
?At-either- man-..in the crowd here asked would Mr.
Mialtif isle9jedr-retain the same principles in the House
a'e:lie then advocawd. 'Ail men talked very highly be-
Ore-OeCtidne - 'ld w.. n.tt ~.;,axing the people to credit
henh:bui.: Rhea . in -Parliament they forgot themselves,
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