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

SOUTHWARK ELECTION.

MEETING OF SIR WILLIA:q MOLESWORTITS
SUPPORTERS.

Yesterday evening a crowded meeting of the friends of
Sir William Molesworth was held in the Literery In-
stitution, Borough-road, at eight o'clock. The Theatre
of the Institution, which is calculated to hold 1,200 per-
sons, was crammed to suffocation, and at least as many
more were compelled to leave, having been unable to
find admittance.
Sir William, on entering, was greeted with enthu-
siastic cheering, which lasted several minutes.
Mr. MARTIN was celled to the chair, and proceeded
to congratulate the meeting on the prospect they had of
returning their candidate, despite of the unworthy con-
duct pursued by Mr. Miall, in aeeking to divide the li-
beral interest in the Borough.
Sir W. MOLESWORTH then rose to address the meet.
ing, but was interrupted by a person in the body of the
room, who was, however, put down by the indignant
shout that arose from all parts of the Theatre. The
Hon. Baronet was then allowed to proceed. He thanked
them for the enthusiastic reception they had given him.
In all the meetings he had held he had been equally
well received, and he believed that his principles had
been generally approved of.—(Cheers.) He had so
often told them what those principles were that he sup-
osed they must now have them by heart.—(Cheers.)
fie would not, therefore, go over the ground again, but
instead he should, with their permission, review the
leading; features of the contest as far as it bad gone.
And, first, as to the reasons which had induced him to
come forward. He had been asked to stand by a num-
ber of the electors in that Borough, and he was sorry,
exceedingly sorry, to find that after his address had been
published some of those gentlemen who had prayed him
to come forward had gone over to another party.—
(Cries of " Shame.") There were but two antagonists
in the Borough, for Mr. Pitcher's chairman had pub-
licly stated that that gentleman's committee had called
upon the Liberal electors, asking them to support Mr.
Miall in his election.—(Cheers, and cries of " Shame.")
and tremendous uproar.) He was, however, confident
of success; and when returned to Parliament, he trusted
that the angry feelings which now actuated them would
be softeneedown, and that they would, even if late, do
him full iustiet.—(Cheers.) But what hal first occa-
sioned this disunion in the Liberal ranks ? Why, the
question of Maynoeth.--(Cheers and hisses.)—Bid he
shirk that question ?—(Cries cf " No, no," and cheering,
which was greatly increased when- a steatorian voice
shouted out—" You're a straightforward honest man.")
—Sir William attempted to address the meeting in con-
tinuation, but was obliged to sit down fora time, as it
was absolutely impossible to make himself heard in con-
sequence of the confusion arising from the dense
crowd admitted into the building. After eon-
siderabio exertion on the part of the Chair-
man, the Honourable Baronet proceeded to explain
his reasons for holding that the grant to Maynooth was
a just one. Would any man there find fault with a
measure which provided that a proper education should
be given to the ministers, who were to direct, at a future
period, the religion of seven millions of Irishmen?
Let them do away with the monster church of Ireland
—(cheers)—that incubus which pressed upon the ener-
gies of the country—(continued cheering)—and then
the Irish would not ask this country for their paltry
grant.—(Cheers and disapprobation.) A voice, "Be
quiet, lot."—(Roars of laughter.) But this con-
test had turned not upon the proper political questions,
but upon matters peculiar and personal to himself.—
(Cheers.) The enemy, finding that they were driven
from the one position, the hypothetical question as to
what he should have done on the subject of Maynooth
if he had been in the House of Commons, had tried other
ground.--(Cheers.) The last question that heel been
raised—the last charge that lead been made, had been
that he had edited the works of Thomas Hobbee of
Malmesbury.--(Cheers, hisses, and great confusion.)
At this time a person who had repeatedly interrupted
the Hon. Baronet by his ill-timed and ridiculous ob-
servations, was ordered by the chairman to be turned
out of the room. In a second the unfortunate
wight was with a degree of violence altogether
unnecessary, pitched over the seats to the very feet of
Sir Wm. Molesworth, and thence out to the street. A
second person who had ventured to question the pro-
priety of this coarse, was by the same summary process
ejected, and the rapidity of the punishment having
quieted tho other malcontents the Candidate con-
tinued. He explained the nature of Hobbes' works, aecl
defied any of his opponents to produce from those works
one line, or one sentence inimical to Christianity.—
(Cheers.) Just before he had come to that meeting a
paper (the Potriot) had been put into his hands, and
there he found many extracts from Hobbes, but these he
would inform them were garbled, and to understand them
they should be read with the context. Those extracts,
however, could not be tortured into anything derogatory
to religion.—(Cheers.) Thomas Hobbes, he repeated,
was one of the most profound writers of the times of the
Commonwealth, and he (Sir Wm. Molesworth) should
have thought he was doing a service to the
literature of his country by spending a few thousand
vends in editing the works of this great man— (Cheer-
ing.) But he had been charged with having opened
public-housea in the Borough.—(Cheers, and hear,
hear.) He indignantly denied the charge. Another
imputation had been made against him—a charge of
wilful falsehood—by a person well known to them all.
That person was Mr. Feargus O'Connor— (Great con-
fusion, groaning, &c.)—and were he alone to Le satis-
fied he should disdain to reply.—(Cheers.) Bat he was
asserted to have advocated universal suffrage.---(Cheers
and confusion.) He denied it most unequivocally.—
(Cheers.) Here a Chartist with the most admirable
sang
,froid coolly distributed bills purporting to quote
Sir Witham Molesworth's speech in favour of universal
suffrage. The confession that arose egg r; description,
but notwitbstaraling the shouts of " put hire out,"
" arrorti him over." the undaunted bill distriLutor stood
his ground. Sir Williens thanked them for their hied
ness and sat down.

Mr. liowEnnsaid that there had been aclnt, interuption
to their proceedings, but from whom had it arisen ?
From professed Chartists—the tools of Feargus O'Ci.;n-
nor.—(Chsers, and tremendous confulion.) He (Mr.
Howell) was that night entrusted with a resolution,
pledging the meeting to the support of Sir William
Molesworth ; he did not expect that it would be carzied
unanimously, for he observed that there were several
well known persons in the meeting banded to oppose it.
—(Cheers and hisses.) Why, even they were, if they
but told the truth, in faVour of Sir William Molesworth 's
principles, and on every question excepting one—the
Maynooth grant.—(Cheers and hisses.) He would tell
thorn what had occurred that morning to himself, and it
was one of those things that, better than anything else,
tested the opinions of candidates.—(Cheers.) Mr. Filcher
had called upon him that morning, and after some con-
versation, told him that, if Sir Robert Peel brought in a
measure next seasion for the repeal of the corn-laws, he
(Mr. Filcher), if in Parliament, would support him.—
(Cries of " Oh, oh.") Now, would they not rather
put their faith in the straightforward, than
in the candidate who varied in his opinions.—(C!tecra.)
Ile might inform them that it had been sail that Mr.
Filcher had promised, in the event of his being re•
turned, to defray the half of Mr. Miall's expenses.
Mr. HEARNE, in seconding the res;liiti,a, said that
some gentlemen canvassing for Mr. Filcher had called
upon his wife and so frightened her with stories of Sir
William Molesworth's infidelity that the good hey had
threatened if he (Mr. Hearne) did not revoke his pro-
mise to vote against Mr. Miall, that he should not have
an hour's sleep—(Laughter)—and he had therefore made
up his mind not to sleep at all till after the election.
The resolution was carried by 'a groat majority.
Thanks were awarded to the Chairman, and the meet-
ing broke up at ten o'clock. •

I_,
MEETING OF MR. AIIALL'S FRIEN
Mr. Miall met the electors last night at the 1-e or
Wurtemburg Ttnra, 114tficld-streef, Sttunivr -aro*