Political canvassing by Otway[a] Cave, J. A. Warre, F. North, W. Camac and H. Elphinstone
Another political meeting was held at the celebrated hostelry here moved on the 26th of March, the purpose being to support the candidature of Messrs. R. Ottway[a] Cave and J. A. Warre. The principal speaker was Mr. Fraser, a candidate for the Cinque Port of Hythe. He had come specially from London to advocate the claims of the two most popular candidates for Hastings. Mr. George Duke, a resident barrister, occupied the chair, and opened the meeting with a call of "Four times four for the King!". He was followed by Mr. John Mannington (afterwards a freeman) who, in proposing a toast to Lord John Russell, alluded to what the Parisians had achieved in 1830, despite the frowns of the Court and the bayonets of the soldiers. After a short address by Mr. Baker in favour of the two named candidates, and in disparagement of Mr. North, the Mr. Fraser (who was received with loud applause), addressed the meeting in a fervent strain calling for Hastings to rise as one man to wrest its liberties from the grasp of the boroughmongers. He was followed by Lieut. Francillon, who, while returning thanks for the respect the company had paid to Col. Evans, spoke of Mr. North as a gentleman who was offering himself as a candidate after doing all in his power to keep the people from having votes, and who still held in his pocket the suffrages of the 17 men who returned to Parliament the present members. Another fluent speaker was Mr. Townshend, the proprietor of the Hastings Iris, who referred to the distribution of political tracts by ladies for the purpose of upholding the sinking cause of the boroughmongers and fanning the dying embers of corruption. One of such tracts contained the speech of Mr. Moring, the proprietor of the rotten borough of Callington, and the other was an address to the people beseeching them not to be so much in love with Reform, which would only end in anarchy and confusion. At the close of his lengthy speech, Mr. Townshend proposed the health of Mr. Fraser. The latter gentleman then rose and spoke at some length on the question of Reform, and then returning to local politics, denounced, with great vigour the pretentions of Mr. North in offering himself as a candidate favourable to Reform, after having been, for some years, one of the principal agents in withholding from them their rightful suffrages. The address of Mr. Fraser, as well as the addresses of the previous speakers, was principaly in condemnation of Mr. North, it being felt that that gentleman's prospect of election was in the ascendant.
The above meeting, as before stated, was on the 26th of March, and on the 15th of April a fifth candidate entered the field in the person of Mr. (afterwards Sir) Howard Elphinstone. His address, dated from the University Club was as follows;
Gentlemen,
Having been privately requested to offer myself as a candidate for the honour of representing you in Parliament, I think it is due to you and myself to publish the answer I then made. I stated that if invited by a respectable number of the inhabitants, I should feel proud to come forward on the first opportunity; but that unless your support were given to me on public grounds and on your agreeing with my political sentiments, I would not consent to enter on a private canvass. As unfortunately I have the honour of being personally known to so few among you, I beg to leave now to state distinctly what my opinions are:-
1st. I profess to be a Radical Reformer of all abuses.
2nd. I support the Reform Bill introduced by his Majesty's Government - the Bill, the whole bill and nothing but the Bill
3rd. after this Bill shall have become law, I think the votes should be taken by ballot, that the duration of Parliaments shortened, and all persons paying rates and taxes to possess the right of voting
4th. I detest all monopolies, and especially that of the East India Company.
5th. I am an advocate for Free Trade, and consider the tax on the importation of foreign corn a wicked robbery of the people, an injury to the farmer and a detriment to landowners.
6th, I have a rooted aversion to Primogeniture, and consequently, a deep dislike to an Hereditary Legislature.
7th, I think the taxes ought to be so arranged as to fall -
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