The Sun.
London, England, 1845-08-27 00:00:00

MEETING OF SIR WILLIAM MOLESWORTH'S

FRIENDS.

Another meeting of ti electors of Rotherhithe and
Bermondsey, favourable to Sir William Molesworth,
was held last evening, at the Jamaica Tavern, Rother-
hithe, to hear a statement from that gentleman, illustra-
tive of his political principles, and t 9 take measures to
secure his return for the borough.
Captain Barnard was called to the Chair.
The CHAIRMAN opened the proceedings by stating the
objects for which the meeting had been called. It was
to hear a statement of Sir William Melesvvorth's prin-
ciples, and to pass resolutions founded thereon.
Sir W. MOLES WORTH commenced his address by say-
ing that he appeared before them to solicit the_hor.our
of being their representative in Parliament.—(Cheers.)

There were two candidates in the field. Mr. Pilcher,
who was a Conservative, and Mr. Miall, who differed
very little from himself, and for whom personally he had
the greatest respect.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. Miall had
stated that he would rather that a Tory was returned
than a Whig-Radical. He (Sir W. Molesworth) did
not Participate in that feeling, and he was perfectly wil-
ling to leave it in the bands of the respective committees
to take the sense of the Liberal electors of the borough
in any manner they might think fit ; and if they decided
against him and in favour of Mr. Mall, he would at once
r,tire, and assist by every means in his power to return
that gentleman to Parliament. At a meeting held last
night, Mr. Miall had been set forth as the champion of
religious freedom. That gentleman could not be more
so than himself. He (Sir W. Molesworth) was against
all interference with the opinions of others. He would
afford the fullest liberty of thought to Protestants,
Catholics and Dissenters. Jews or Christians on the
matter of liberty of speech were the same to him. He
would make no difference between them in the eye of the
Legislature.—(Cheers.) He had always voted in ac-
cordance with those principles in Parliament, and be
might inform them that the emancipation of the Jews
had invariably received his support. While these were
his general sentiments on religious liberty, he would
inform the meeting, for he had no wish to blink any
question, that he was in favour of the Maynooth grant,
and had he been in Parliament he should have voted for
it. He supported that grant as a measure of State
necessity, and as an act of justice to Ireland. A speaker
at the meeting of last night, to which he had already
referred, (the meeting of the Anti• State Church Asso-
ciation,) in referring to what he (Sir Wm. Molesworth)
had declared on this question, charged him with gross
dishonesty. The opinion of any person who could so far
forget himself as to use such uncoiirteous expressions was
not entitled to much respect. Still he denied, in toto,
the charge. So far from being dishonest or shuffling, he
had, on every occasion, openly and freely expressed his
views on this question. This, too, when he might have
evaded the subject altogether, it being retrospective,
and involving no point relative to future policy.
The Honourable Baronet then proceeded to place
before the meeting his general political views—
in substance the same as what we have already
given. He was in favour of the extension of the suf-
frage, triennial Parliaments, and vote by ballot. He was
also an unqualified free trader.—(Cheers.) He had al-
way iseen so, and was one of the first in Parliament to
propose a total repeal of the corn-laws. He held this to
be the great question of the day, paramount to all others.
Cheap corn led to an increased consumption of manufac-
tures, facilitated exchanges between this and foreign
countries ; and while it furnished the working classes
with low-priced food, it enlarged the field of employ-
ment, and raised the rate of wages.—(l.lear, hear.) He
had now stated his views on all the leading political
questions of the day. Should they do him the honour
of returning; him to Parliament, he should be most
happy, and he would do his best to serve them ; and if
at any future time a majority of his supporters were
dissatisfied with him he should resign his seat into their
hands. He would now submit himself to answer any
question that might be proposed.—(Cheers.)
An ELECTOR asked if Sir William Molesworth had
signed a petition against the Maynooth grant ?
.air W. MoLEswowrx answered—No.

Mr. MADDOX, of I)ockhead, then moved the usual
resolution, that Sir William Molesworth was a fit and
proper person to represent the borough in Parliament.
The speaker, in the course of his observations, said he
was the personal friend, of Mr. Miall, but seeing no
chance for him, he came forward to support Sir William
Molesworth.—[On making this declaration, he was as-
sailed by a person in the meeting, who shouted " That
he was a turncoat, and that ho had changed his Anti-
Maynooth principles." Considerable interruption and
confusion wascreated in the meeting by the proceedings
of this party, it being self-evident that if he was an
Anti-Maynoothite, he was, at all events, not an Anti-
Bacchanalian.]
Mr. VOUSELEY seconded the resolution.

A Chartist in the meeting endeavoured to speak,
but the feeling of the meeting being altogether against
him, after several ineffectual attempts to speak he de-
sisted.

The resolution was then put and carried all but una.
nimously.
A vote of thanks was then given to the Chairman
when the meeting separatel

MEETING OF MR. MIALL'S FRIENDS.
The friends of this gentleman had a meeting last even-
ing at the London-bridge House Hotel, Mr. Apsley
Pellat in the chair ; at which, after hearing an address
in exposition of his principles, a resolution that Mr.
Aliall was a proper person to represent the borough in
Parliament was proposed and carried. The speakers on
the occasion, in addition to the candidate, were Mr. R.
Fenning, Mr. Joseph Stamburn, the Rev. James Lyon,
and Dr. Price. The meeting was a very full one.
T

_RE AVER. STEAMERS.—AIthough there are a
number of very fine boats employed at this moment in carrying
passengers on the river, we have reason to know that there are
several very old crasy steamers at work for the same object.
The manner in which persons receive their tickets for these
short voyages affords but little opportunity for them to discri-
minate in the selection of the steamers in which they are to
embark ; but it is really necessary that they should exercise
more caution. On Sunday last one of these old steamers sunk
near the Red House—fortunately no lives were lost, but such
another escape may not occur again. It appears that notwith-
standing all the talk that this subject has given rise to, steam-
boats are still without any efficient regulation as to the number
of passengers they may carry, or even their fitness for the ser-
vice at all. The pier that has been so long in construction at
Blackfriars-bridge is still unfinished, and if there is any truth
in the report of the amount of competitiop amongst the steamers
that its openingwill promote, we think that the City authorities,
or rather her Majesty's Government, ought to interfere to
prevent the establishment of nuisances so injurious to the
neighbourhood and so dangerous to the public. We are quite
sure that instead of affording protection to the public, it will be
the means of occasioning many fearful accidents. Cheap steam,
either by land or water, however desirable, is always danger-
ous.

THE POTATO CROP.—We have heard of some
partial detects in the potato crop in Rochford Hundred, arising
from mildew, but as no general complaint has reached us, we
have reason to hope it is confined to those parts where the
land is heavy and not well drained. The crops in the vicinity
of this town were sever snore prolific, or of better quality.
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