Glasgow Courier. — 1846-10-17 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

YNER. 0. STOUGHTON. "  "When this resolution was sent to me, involving as I found it did, a blind adherence to an unexplained plan, for there are names among them of decided Protectionists, who will not support freetrade principles or vote for any man that does—at least, so they have assured me; and that it was, in fact,a resolution to sacrifice me to whatsoever nominee his Lordship might propose; I demanded that those same gentlemen should meet me at Glocester on the 6th of October, and to that convention I invited Lord Fitzhardinge. With one or two exceptions on the plea of illness, and the OrIMINiOII of Lord Fitzhardinge,they afforded inc the presence I required. Indeed setting aside all other ties, an Englishman Iris a right to call for an interview, face to face, with his accusers; and having turned to one side of the question, they could not refuse to hear the other.  _ "Their tneetingafforded me all the personal satisfaction the extraordinary circumstances admitted, but publicly they gave me none. I don't know now why Lord Fitzhardiuge deserts me, or why they, the gentlemen who attended him, have seemed to take a step sanctioning his desertion, unless it is that he has refused to pay for the registration of the division if they don't obey him, and they are not prepared to pay for it; and they further say, 'if he does not do so, the division will fall into the hands of the Protectionists.' A sorry compliment to men, to principle, and measure, to deem that the voice of this great county depends on one man's gold ! But Btiii, this can't be it, for the meeting contained Protectionists, who, if sincere in their views, would desire to see the county in other hands. Since these gentlemen met me I have heard one of them declare he 'signed the paper conditionally.' Conditionally or not, I assign the whole proceeding, in the first and primary aggression, as harsh towards me, uncalled for, unconstitutionally oppressive, and not as yet au,agitation publicly understood! 'lt then becomes my painful but imperative duty to resist these aggressive steps towards me for two reasons. The first, because no one has a right to wrest to any privately instilled animosity the free choice ea free constituency, because when public party purposes suited private as well as public design he assisted one general registration. In the second place, to withdraw the confidence and support from a representative who was thought of judgment sufficient to propose a member to represent the whole county on the question of reform, and then to represent a division of the county himself after the reform was carried up to the present time, and who has from that time to this faithfully guarded his trust, to the utter defiance of any charge against him, is, in fact, a declaration that he has been found unworthy any longer to hold his place in Parliament. I call, therefore, on the noblemen and gentlemen and independent electors of the Western Division to convene a public meeting in the early part of Nov. next, and where they please, at which I will attend to tender an account of my stewardship, and publicly demand why Lord Fitzhardinge so unconditionally deserts me. On the field of politics I stand precisely on the spot where he placed me. lam 80 far and no further, by his immediate desire, and with his personal concurrence, and suit is fair to presume that in his unexplained desertion of me, he either contemplated a retrograde movement or he means to jump beyond me, leave me at a spot to which my obedience to his n ishea led me, and to join the free-traders to the evident extent of their wishes. At all events, by every law of courtesy and justice, he ought to give me the option of taking either step by his will. "A letter from one of my constituents in the Forest, who writes for himself and others, states, 'that they had heard that Ids Lordship had withdrawn his support from me; but they did not know exactly why, bat the fact of his having done so seemed to them to destroy every hope of my re-election. And then they began to look round and inquire who would be a suitable man to bring forward. Many of my able friends, if they must have some one in my place (which seemed to be inevitable), would prefer a gentleman altogether removed front the hostile influence of which my letter complained, and their inquiries were directed not to Berkeley Castle, but to another quarter.' • These 'inquiries' refer to a period long previous to the 'letter' which my correspondent alludes to as having received from me; and I address the very natural inquiry to the paper signed at the meeting called by Lord Fitzhardinge, and ask, who then is it that has already ' placed in peril the Liberal interest,' and who has and is about to sever the political ties so honourable to the old castle?  " Let every gentleman and man throughout the county withhold the promise of his support till these doubts are dispelled; I am ready to sacrifice myself as I have long done, for her real interests, but not to an unworthy conspiracy, if one exists. lamin no way inclined to commit a political suicide, or to allow my political life to die by the hand of undiscovered assassination. I call on you then—upon those friends who have so long reposed their trust in me—to support me until we differ, or until I shall have been proved unworthy of the public confidence. " And with sentiments of the highest respect, I remain your gratified and most faithful servant,