The Sun.
London, England, 1845-09-06 00:00:00

-SOUTHWARK ELECTION.

MEETING OF THE NON•ELECTORS.
A meeting of the non-electors, convened by placard,
was held last evening, at the Chartist Rooms, Black-
friars-road, to take into consideration the three candi-
dates now before the electors of Southwark soliciting to
represent the borough in Parliament. At eight o'clock
the chair was taken by an operative named Nodder,
who, having made a speech of some length on the ob-
jects of the meeting, called Mr. Cooper, who has re-
cently been liberated from Stafford gaol, to address the
meeting.
Mr. COOPER moved the first resolution, which was so
loosely drawn up, that the speaker candidly admitted he
could not understand it. Its nature, however, seemed
to be a statement respecting " the natural rights of
man," us embodied in the People's Charter. The
speaker proceeded to comment at some length on
the
five points of the Charter, and concluded by expressing
himself in favour of Mr. Miall, who was an advocate of
all those principles.
Mr. FEARCICS O'Coxivort, next addressed the meeting.
He complained that the placard convening the meeting
had not invited Sir William Molesworth to attend, that
he might hear his (Mr. O'Connor's) answer to the Hon.
Baronet's statement of the previous evening. Sir William
had, in his (Mr. O'Connor's) presence, stated that he
was in favour of universal suffrage. and if he now denied
it.he was guilty of a falsehood. When he was a candi-
date for the borough of Leeds, his profession that he
would support these two points were the strongest claims
put forth on his behalf. But Chartist principles were
more fashionable then than at present, and although the
Hon. Baronet was then ready to support them, he now
shrunk from the prospective inconvenience attending
their advocacy. Mr. O'Connor then went into a length-
ened statement of his own political views, and concluded
by seconding Mr. Miall as the only candidate worthy of
the suffrages of the non-electors. He had often quarrelled
with Mr. Miall, but now he supported his principles
they were as man and wife.
The resolution was carried, and the meeting separated

MEETING OF MR. FILCHER'S FRIENDS.
The friends of Mr. Filcher held another meeting last
evening, at seven o'clock, at the Literary Institution,
Borough-road, Mr. Charles Shaw in the chair. The
admission was by ticket, and there was a very full at-
tendance of electors.
The CHAIRMAN, on opening the business, was received
with loud applause. He was about to proceed, when a
person in the gallery asked if he had been appointed by
the meeting.—(Great uproar.) The Chairman answered
that he had been elected by the unanimous sense of the
meeting before that gentleman came in.—(Cries of
" No, no, it is a packed meeting.") He wished it to be
fairly conducted, and now he asked that gentleman to
stand up and say what he had to advance against him.
The person alluded to then got up and protested
against the course taken. It was the usual course to
wait till the meeting had assembled, and then to appoint
the chairman. In the present instance a select few had
been admitted by a private door, and Mr.- Shaw had
taken the chair before the regular door was open to the
electors generally. It was evidently a scheme to pack
the meeting.—(Uproar.)
The CHAIRMAN said he would now proceed to open
the meeting.—(" No, no," hisses, and great uproar, in
which the speaker's voice was drowned.) After a few
minutes, comparative order was obtained, when the
Chairman resumed. He was in the chair by right, and
he would keep it.—(Uproar.) The person who had in-
terrupted the meeting would have every opportunity of
having his say before the meeting had closed. What,
he would ask, was the occasion of the present meeting ?
It was one of a series of gatherings greater than any
that had previously taken place. They were in the
midst of a contested election, and they had to consider
the claims of those seeking their franchises to represent
in the House of Commons this great intelligent com-
mercial community. There were three candidates: the
first was a learned man, and some said a reverend gen-
tleman, and he asked them to elect him because he had
no rank, claim, or reputation by which he was entitled
to command their respects.—(Cries of "Read it right,
you are misrepresenting it.") He had none of those things
which candidates are expected to possess. He said he
was poor, and though poverty was sometimes a virtue, yet
when a man was placed in a high office he ought to be
in circumstances to pay his debts. They would, therefore,
consign to the tomb of the Capulets this gentleman,
without rank, property, or reputation, who wanted the
title of M.P. to protect himself against his creditor.
Mr. Miall said votes, by ballot.—(Very good.) The
gentleman says very good, but they had tried it in
France for many years, and found it very bad. It had
been there only a mask for corruption. Would English-
men submit to this—men who had been in the habit of
meeting in political discussion face to face, and inde-
pendently stating their convictions ?—(Uproar, which for
some time arrested the proceedings of the Chairman.)
He would leave the ballot and go to universal suffrage.
He would enfranchise the honest and industrious man,
but he would not give votes to the thief and the
beggar.—(Cheers and uproar.) The Chairman then
went at some length, and amidst considerable uproar, to
dissect the political and religious principles of Mr.
Miall and Sir William Molesworth, in doing which he
declared the latter to be an infidel for editing Hobbes's
works, and concluded by calling on Mr. Filcher to ad-
dress the meeting.
Mr. FILCHER begged a patient hearing from the
meeting, as ho was sure they must all be tired with the
interruptions that had already taken place. He was
happy to stand before his brother electors ; and, in call-
ing them brother electors, he considered that he enjoyed
a privilege beyond the other candidates. He had a still
further claim upon their indulgence, because it so hap-
pened that he was born in the borough, and if they re-
turned him as their Member he was sure it would reflect
no disgrace upon them that they returned one of them-
selves.--(Cheers and cries of " Never.") He was a com-
mercial man, and, therefore, fitted to represent a com-
mercial borough. He was anxious to maintain all
their hospitals, dispensaries, and other charities.
Ho was intimately acquainted with the navigation
of the River Thames.—(Great laughter.) He wished the
electors to consider the vast advantages that would
arise from making docks for the steamers, which would
increase the amount of labour and the rate of wages.—
(Cheers.) These were some few of the subjects which,
if returned to Parliament, he would promote. He would
always maintain Protestant ascendancy. He would op-
pose any measure similar to the Maynooth grant.
He would do all he could to obtain a cheap loaf for the
working man, and he hoped before long to see the four-
pound loaf sold for fourpence.—(Cheers.) From the
result of his canvass he felt confident of being returned,
and he would always vote for measures and not men.
A resolution in Mr. Pilcher's favour was then pro-
posed by Mr. Palmer, and seconded by Mr. Dare, after
which thanks were voted to the Chairman, and the
meeting separated.

MEETING OF SIR WILLIAM MOLESWORTII'S

FRIENDS.

A meeting of the electors of the parish of Bermondsey
was held last night at the Leather Market Tavern, Wes-
ton-street, Borough, to promote the election of Sir W.
Molesworth, Birt. The large assembly-room was
crowded, about 400 parsons being preent.
The chair was taken at seven o'clock by Mr. Thomas
Chadwick, who introduced Sir W. Molesworth to the
meeting.
Sir W. MoLuswowra, on presenting himself, was
greeted with loud and prolonged applause. He said that
his committee had completed their canvass, which he was
happy to state had been most successful.—(Cheers.)
The contest
.was now between the Tory candidate and
himself. . Mr. Pitcher, who was not very fond of speak-
ing, had obtained the assistance of a Mr. Shaw as his
mouthpiece; and this Mr. Shaw was one of the strangest
persdns he. (Sir William Molesworth) had ever heard
of, both with regard to his oratory and his arguments.
Mr. Shaw had. lavished much personal abuse upon
him (Sir Molesworth), but to that abuse
he would not reply. He did not think it worth his
while to crush every gnat that might attempt to
sting him; but he could not help laughing at the reasons
urged by Mr. Shaw against a repeal of the corn-laws.
It appeared from his speech last night that Mr. Shaw
had found, in some story book or another, that, a long.
time ago, a great people existed called the Romans—
(A laugh)—and that they imported their corn from a
country called Egypt; and he found that, after the lapse
of ages, that great and powerful nation fell into ruin and
decay. Mr. Shaw inferred that the decline and fall of
the mighty Roman empire was attributable to the fact
that they did not establish a corn-law.—(Laughter.)
Then Mr. Shaw told the wiseacres who were gaping
around him, that they were very like ancient Romans—
(A laugh)—and that if they consented to a repeal of the
corn-laws the decline and eventual ruin of the British
empire would be the result. He thought Mr. Shaw must
have learned logic from his grandmother—(A laugh)—
and that he was one of those men who would gravely
tell them that the Tenterden steeple had caused the
Goodwin Sands.--(Laughter.) Sir Wm. Molesworth
then proceeded to explain in detail his opinions on the
corn-laws and other political questions, declaring his
firm adherence to Liberal principles, and concluded by
expressing his readiness to answer any questions that
might be put to him.
As no person in the meeting evinced any disposition
to catechise the Hon. Baronet,
Mr. VOUSLEY came forward to move a resolution, ex-
pressing the satisfaction of the meeting with Sir W.
Molesworth's statement, and pledging themselves to use
every possible exertion to secure his return. He ob-
served that Mr. Shaw, who had taken such a prominent
part at' Mr. Pilcher's meetings, was not an elector for the
borough, but he had certainy done great service to Mr.
Pitcher, for, like Balaam's ass, he had spoken for him.—
(Loud laughter.)
Mr. HARRIS seconded the resolution, which was car-
ried unanimously.
Sir W. MoLEswonTa briefly thanked the meeting for
the confidence they rep'sed in him, and expressed his
conviction that he would be the successful candidate.
He then moved a vote of thanks to the chairman, which
was carried by acclamation, awl the meeting broke up.

MEETING OF MR MIALL'S FRIENDS.

A public meeting was held last night, in the Tem-
perance-hall, Fair-street, Horselydown. The building
will hold about 300 persons, and was excessively
crowded.
Mr. Wake was called to the chair.
Mr. MiaLL was received with great applause. He said,
the contest was assuming, more than he could desire, the
aspect of a theological controversy. The blame of it
had been thrown upon him, and he was denounced as
bigoted, intolerant, and uncharitable ; whereas he avoided
any allusion to the religious sentiments of his opponent,
until that opponent, in bad taste, and with a worse spirit,
burled at him the title of " Reverend," evidently intend-
ing thereby to disparage him in their estimation.—
(Hear, hear.) On the previous night Sir W. Molesworth
bad put forth an elaborate defence of Hobbes, of Malmes-
bury. He stood forth as par excellence the representa.
tiy9 'and advocate of civil and religious liberty. He

wondered, it seemed, whether he (Mr. Miall) had ever
read Hobbes: That smacked of the self-complacency
or the sheool of " philosphical Radicals ;" they fancied
reading and knowledge pretty exclusively confined to
themselves ; reminding him of a nursery rhyme—
" She wants to have the sweethearts all her own ; •
But that she sha'nt, depend upon't, when I'm a woman
grown."
—(Laughter and cheers.)Sir William defied him to put
his hand on a passage in Hobbes derogatory to Chris-
tianity. It was one of the distinguishing characteristics
of the writers of that school, that they did not come out
open-mouthed against the system they wished to under-
mine ; their whole work was insidiously to instil false
principles into the minds of their readers, and, osten-
tatiously professing some reverence for the system, they
laboured to establish truths which, if admitted, would go
to overthrow it, be it religion or liberty that was con-
cerned. Sir W. Molesworth might be asked to put his
finger on a single passage in Gibbon, even in the most
objectionable chapters which cculd be selected, as op-
posed to Christianity, though every one was well aware
that the whole tendency and purport of his writings was
to pervert what we regard as the truth.—(Hear, hear.)
It was to be feared that the Hon. Baronet, and the whole
school of " philosophical Radicals," imitated too closely
the writings from whom they derived their knowledge
and their principles ; they would not openly profess what
they were ; they endeavoured rather to insinuate and
instil principles hostile to civil and religions freedom,
while professing something like an outward reverence
to the cause they would destroy.—(Cheers.) But can-
didates ought to show the utmost openness of spirit;
and nothing should be reserved or concealed, however it
might prejudice their interest. If Sir W. Molesworth
really sympethistd with that philosopher whose writings
he so highly eulogised, then he was in favour of some-
thing like a system of centralising despotism; and the
earnest support given by the " philosophical Radicals"
to the New Poor-law Bill, and to the gathering up of
despotic power in the hands of two or three men, to be
exercised without restriction or control over the whole
mass of our labouring population, led to the conclusion
that they Id sympathise with Hobbes in this respect—
that they were for the principle practised on the con-
tinent for centralisation in regard to the sustenance, the
education, and the religion of the people.—(llear, hear.)
He (Mr. Miall) was not so intolerant as the Hon.
Baronet pretended ; what he aimed at was that the
religion of every man should be let alone—the entire
separation of Church and State.—(" That you will
never get.") Of all schools the " never-get" school
was the most despicable.—(Cheers.) A complete
representation of the people would soon secure this
object.—(Cheers.) The Established Church was the
great support of the corn-laws, and the most formidable
obstruction to the progress of liberty. The clergy were
as nerves spread over the body politic, to convey aristo-
cratic influence to the remotest corners of the empire.
That system must be put an end to.—(Cheers.) There
was great power in trnth. He hoped to tell it in the
House of Commons, and it should not be in that conven-
tional method which was used to conceal the real nature
of things.—(Hear, hear.) Let this election be carried,
and other constituencies would take heart, and have
hope, and would no longer put up with the best bad man
they could find.—(Cheers.) Every day's returns gave
his friends a brighter prospect.—(“ Molesworth for
ever !" from two or three near the door.) Persons were
sent now to disturb their meetings. There were some
the previous night. He had on the platform a
weapon taken from the pocket of one of them,
and ac other which was picked up in the inn-yard,
with the former of which the landlord's son was as-
sailed.—(Mr. Miall held up two bludgeons each about the
size of a policeman's staff.) These men were doubtless
paid by somebody, and that somebody was a partisan of
Sir W. Molesworth ; but if his cause could only be car-
ried by such weapons, it was not worth the support of
Southwark.—(Much cheering.) If this came of sympathy
with Hobbes, he was glad his own opinions were not de-
rived from that source.—(Renewed cheers.) Let his
friends give an early vote on Thursday ; there were
numbers waiting to vote for him, if they saw they safely
could.—(" What do you say to a standing army ?") He
would vote for the utmost practicable reduction, and en
deavour indeed to do away with a standing army, and let
the liberties of England be confided to the patriotism of
her sons.—(Cheers.)
The usual vote, pledging the meeting to support Mr.
Miall was then moved by Mr. Star, a Wesleyan, se-
conded by Mr. Newsom, and supported by Mr. Maynard,
Mr. D. Pratt, and the Rev. Mr. Richards, the latter of
whom reminded the meeting that it was but a few months
since numbers of the electors cheered the sentiment, that
the first question to a candidate—and to which all others
should give way-7should be, " What about Maynooth?"
The resolution was carried unanimously, and after
three cheers for Mr. Mall, the meeting broke up.