The Sun.
London, England, 1845-07-08 00:00:00

free commerce.—( Cheers. ) lie wished to melt).* foT_ tbent the common,ge of the world. To commerce tti a,ver-ejlne--
debtfd for freedom, and it must be tree that it may Confer I freedcm.—( Loud applause.) He was a friend to ti:it and
religious liberty. Your rpponents will tell you that ;they
were the same, and the only difference was the smear's
by which this two bless.ngs were to be accomplished-.
Exeter was scarcely aware of the position in which she stood.
Within a few months she had achieved a noble triumph ix%
the face of the country, and had become distinguished for thm
honourable stand she made in favour of religious freedom..'
They hod it now in their power to complete their triumph.:
by the exercise of their independent votes. They had secured
religious freedom—they had now the power to secure civil
freedom.—( Loud applause.) Give your votes indepen-
dently—give them fearlessly, and the victory is completed.
The Learned Gentleman then, in a very able and amusing
‘anner, proceeded to criticise the printed addresses of the two,
eil dilates, and concluded, amidst enthusiastic applause, by
r,rot, acing Major- General Briggs.
Dr BAICHA M rose to second the nomination of Genera!
Briggs, He said that many gentlemen in the town were able
to disch urge the duty which devolved upon him in a more
able man leer than he could, who in consistency with their own,
principles ,lught to be present, but they were all honourable
men, and he left than to reconcile their conduct to their own.
consciences. He did net look upon the question to be de-
cided by ills ele„etion as a pa:rty question—the question of free:
trade did net beloeg to party.—
s( Hear, hear.) The Premier
of the country and Lard J. Rusae:l all agreed on this question.
polities/ economy, the leaders of both th't All the great writerson
great parties in the country entirely agreed on the question of
tree trade. It was said to be a questio., of time—if so, now
was the right time—now, that for three yoars corn had beets
selling as a price which free trade could not .snaterially reduce,
and, consequently, no derangement in the re.‘ations of parties
could take place. The Doctor concluded by peconding the
nomination.
E. WooLstee, Esq., rose to nominate Sir J. Puckworth.
He paid a compliment to the memory of Sir W. Ft llett, and
said the citivns were indebted to him for preserving fr,orn irre-
trievable loss their rights and immunities.
THOMAS SNOW, Esq., seconded the nomination, but very
few words of his address were heard.
General I.3erocs was received wan enthusiastic cheers front
his party, again and again renewed, which completely drowned
the hisses of his opponents. He said they were aware he vas
there a second time as a condidate to represent in Parlia-
ment the great principles of international commerce. Th.v
Government had heretofore legislated to the injury and detri-
ment of the pecOe at large ; he meant, in the establishment
of laws which prevented the free admission of food for the,
people.—(Cheers.) His sentiments with respect to free trade,
had been so fully stated in his address, and on occasons
when he had addressed meetings in this town, that ho
need not go into the arguments in favour of those principles;
he should confine himself to the question of protection. Tilts
corn-law was first established in 1815, and the law then pro-
mu7gated was expected to give a'l the farmers 80s. a querfer
for their wheat. That law did cot fulfil its intention. Leases.
however, were taken under its promises, rents were to be paiil
in conformity with them, and the result was that, in a very
few years afterwards—its 1622—instead of 80s., the price of
corn was reduced to 355. a quarter.—( Cheers and hisses.) At
a subsequent period that law was altered, and it was expected
68s. would be the price of wheat. That was in 1828; and neither
did that law fulfil those expectations which were promised..
In 1841, 565. was the price legislated for. Has that fulfilled.
its object ?—(Loud cries of " No, no," and cheers.) Was it
then possible that farmers could pay the rents, which had been.
agreed on, in expectation of realising that sum.—(" Duckwaret
will get it."—( Laughter, and cheers.) The farmershave suffered
from these laws more than any one else.—( Hear, hear.) The-
landlords, too, have been deceived. Under the expectation of
high rents they kept up expensive :establishments, counting on
that income which never was realised ; and the consequence:
of keeping up those establishments and not realising high rents,
they have been involved ia c'ebt, and their estates have beets
mortgaged.—Hear, and cheers.) He contended that the
landlords as well as the farmers, and from them to the la-
bourers, have suffered from these fictitious laws.—(Cheers and
hisses.) During those periods be had referred to, on six dif-
ferent:occasions the farmers went before Committees of the:
House of Commons, praying them to do something for the
crippled condition of the agricultural classes. He asked what
had been the remedy ? Had any been found.—(No, no. y
Now, if those protective laws. were of any avail, would
they not have had the effect of benefiting the condition of
classes interested in agriculture ?—( Loud cries of " No, no,"
" Yes, yes," cheers, hisses, and great uproar.) He knew that
among the manufacturing classes they had not suffered to suck
an extent during that period. He had found in Exeter per-
sons retired from trade as butchers, bakers, or shoemakers.
All descriptions had flourished and retired from business, but
he wanted to know where was the farmer who, in the last 3G
years, had made his fortune ?—( Great cheering.) That ques-
tion he wished to have put throughout the county—through-
out the kingdom—that the agriculturists might know
what they had suffered from protection. They had
not been benefited through it. It was against the laws of na-
ture.—( Loud cheers.) Protection had never afforded advan-
tages to any trade to which it had been applied.—(Hear,
hear.) With respect to the labourers, how had they been be-
nefited ? They were told dear corn was conducive to high
wag's.—( Derisive cheers.) It was known that was not the.
case. It was known that when corn was cheap, if the labourer
had no real access to his wages, he derived great advantages
• from the state of the market.—( Hear, hear.) Seven shillings
a week in 1842, and seven shillings a week in 1845, though
nominally the same, are quite different ; it is as good
as ten or twelve shillings.—(Cheers ) The condition
of the people had been set forth in public speeches and public
papers, and he should not, therefore, go into detail en that point.
He would merely say he had a paper in his hand, which showed
that there was a family of four individuals living in Wiltshire:
on eight shillings a week, payingtwo shillings a week for rent.
and having oily 21d. a day on which to support themselves.—
(" What paper is that ?" Groans, cheers, and hisses. A Voice
—" In Exminster the wages are ten shillings a week." )
S. T. KEKEWICH, Esq., of Peamore, rose amid great
confusion.
The Sit sou FF asked whether he rose ou a point of order, as
if so, he would have a right to be heard.
Arno' the greatest uproar, we understood Mr. Kekewich
to say he did not rise to call to order, but to correct a mis-
statement.

Ge rieral BRIGGS having obtained a hearing, said he had
been interrupted by being infeened ten shillings were the,
wages of the agricultural labourer in that county—(Loud
cries of " It's no such thing ; they don't get more than six.
shillings a week in hundreds of parh.hes," and diaapprobation)—
but in another county, eight in, mbers of a family only earned
unitedly ten shillings and sixpence a-week, out of which te is
shillings was paid for rent, and there was left one shilling and
three farthings a-day for the maintenance of the whole. —( Crie a
of " Shame.") What, then, he asked, had protection done for
the agricultural labourer ?—( Nothing.) Having stated dins
nsuch, he would now turn to the Hon. Gentleman who con-
tested the seat, and ask him it he could contradict any of those
statements 1—( Endiusiastie cheers. )
Sir Jesus DUCKWORTH was cheered l) his friends on rising,
but the groans and hisses of the opposite party prevented our
catching the first two or three sentences. When his voice
was audible, he was saying, if be bad taken on himself to offer
himself to the electors of Exeter as a fit person to represent
them in Parliament—(No, no, totally unfit)—he should have
approached that contest with feelings of great diffidence, but
when he was called on by so large a body of friends and bur.
gesses to present himself ready to undertake the duties of their
Member, he answered to the call as a call of public duty.—
(Cheers and hisses.) Connected will that hall stood the
names of very honourable characters, elm for a long term of
years had been associated wits their city, set no name would
go down to posterity with greater regret, respect, or affection
than the name of the hcnourable. the lamented Sir William
Follett, of whom, in the course of nature, they had been de-
prived, and whose loss in that county no one more deeply or
sincerely regretted than he did.—( Cheers and groans.)
Should he be returned, their late representative's character
anti public conduct would be a beacon to direct him.—(Cheers
and hisses.) He confidently evpected to be chosen as their
Member, and he would say the general principles by which he
should be actuated would be Conservative principles.—(Loud
cries of " What's that," cheers, groans, and hisses.) Ho
should be a stanch supporter of the valued institutions of the
country, and would desire to uphold in perfect efficiency the
great bulwarks of thenation. the wooden walls of Old England,
which would prevent injury to their commerce abroad, while
they secured the liberties of the people at home.—(Cheers.)
The Gallant General advocated absolute free trade, and on
that the issue wss fairly joined between them. Though he
could not conic forward and ask their votes on the principles of
perfect free bade, he should not oppose such a reduction of
duties as might be found, by those interested in the finances of
the country, to be expedient.—( Cheers. ) lie agreed with
General Briggs in thinking that was not a place to
argue the question of free trade. and all he would say
to cougratulsee those gentlemen, whether butchers, or bakers.
or whatsoever trade they might be, who had made their fortune
under the present laws.—(Laughter and cheers.) The farmers,
the lion. Gentleman said, had not done so. On that occasion.
he apprehended he was Lot addressing a great number who
were there under that character, but he believed he might say
they (the farmers) were much obliged to him (Gen. Briggs)
for his good wishes ; they understood their own interest, and
would lake care of themselves.—(Cheers and hisses.) lie
was sure that he would find throughout the country
a great many in favour of protective duties.—( Hear, hear. )
The fact was, he (Sir John) was sorry protection had beers
ever used in that matter; he felt the word protection gave a
false colouring to the real facts. Those duties should have
been designated adjusting duties, to compensate for the bur-
dens which press on one particular class.—(Cheers and hisses. )
That was his feeling ; and he was desirous, whether in agri-
cultural or colonial produce, there should be an adjustive duty,
as lie believed they were entitled to it.—(Cheers and hisses. )
The Hon. Baronet then proceeded to say, on the point of
difference with some of the Conservatives, because he
would not pledge himself to oppose any further concession to
the Roman Catholics, that it was not the question of conces-
sion to the Roman datholics, but the word pledge that he ob-
jected to. If he went to Parliament he would go free and an .
fettered, as the independent Member of the citizens of
Exett.r. He asserted his title to be considered as a
worthy soli of the Protestant Church, and concluded by
assiering them, if sent to the House of Commons,
he should do his duty honestly and straight-
fordwardly, to the best of his judgment and ability, and
should always act up to the principles of conservatism, on
which he now stood forward. The lion. Baronet resumed his
seat amid great cheering from his friends, and hooting and
greanings from his opponents.
opinions on the game.
la„.ll.,l,r.bußtEhSeLELaadsekdedghiviinnlg What were
his
art
answer.
eaulpledibfrorGaeziesriaolvv
Briggs. However.
ds,nsovwheevnera
large majority were held
The SHERIFF then
the Sheriff saying that there was some doubt on his mind, a.
second show was called Sheriff' declared the dee-
for, when the S
was demanded for Sir J. Duckworth, which will
tioAri hadpol ,I fallen on General Briggs.
commence to-morrew at eight o'clock.

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