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1111^ V/Vf X. X L/l’ 1/ViVCiJ X .Mr. POKTMAN said he had several petitions from the western parts of * the county which he represented in favour of reform, and praying that the supplies might be stopped, which lie should also postpone, in consequence of the communication of his noble friend.Lord ASHLEY did not doubt his lion, colleague had such petitions to present, but he begged to state this was the first he had heard of them, nor had he heard of any public meetings in the county.Mr. ROBINSON made a similar declaration as to petitions which he had from Worcester and places in its neighbourhood. ;Mr. WARBURTON said that similar petitions from Brid-1 port, and various places in the county of Dorset, were agreed to. ' At Bridport there was a meeting of la200 persons, and similar i meetings had been held all over the western part of the county. |Lord ASHLEY said he had not been informed of any meet- ! mg being called in the county of Dorset in support of reform; if he had had counter petitions sent tohim he should have informed his lion, colleague.Mr. PORTMAN said that meetings had been held in favour of reform at Bridport and Bedminster, and other places also; and he regretted that the noble lord should not have been made aware by his friends of the proceedings which were going forward in the county he represented. He had only received the petitions that morning, and had no time to inform his hon. colleague.Mr. HUNT was desirous of asking the hon. member if he had not said on the hustingsthat if Lord Ashley were elected for the county of Dorset he would not sit with ins lordship, but would give the county an opportunity of returning another Tory also. (Hear, hear, from the opposition benches.) He was glad at length to see two members for Dorset.Mr. PORTMAN said he was perfectly willing to give ^in answer to the question, if the house thought proper. (Cries of “ No, no.”) It would give him pleasure to be allowed to do so. He had made no such declaration on the hustings as that alluded to by the hon. member. (Hear, hear.) He had, however, made a private communication to the noble lord, in which he had expressed himself in language not proper to be used if the communication were intended to be made public. In that communication he had stated that if the noble lord succeeded in making the county appear to be a weathercock county, he should give the freeholders an opportunity of choosing another Tory candidate. {Hear, hear.) When the committee of that house decided in favour of Lord Ashley, whatever some people might imagine, he thought he was called upon to keep the pledge contained in his private communication, and he accordingly tendered his resignation ; but the county, by a requisition, begged of him not to hazard the peace of the county by resigning at such a time. The hon. member did not know him as well as others, or he would have known that he would have been pleased at being released from his parliamentary labours, in order that he might attend to duties which were to him far more agreeable. He begged, however, to say that personally he had not any objection to act with the noble lord as a colleague.Lord ASHLEY did not think it necessary to trouble the house with a full explanation of his conduct in the affair thus brought under discussion, as he had already submitted it to the fullest consideration of the gentlemen of the county which he had the honour to represent, and by their sentence in his favour he ■ considered he was fully supported in the view he had taken and acted upon. He wished, however, to explain one thing. He had previously written to bis hon. friend, who was an old college friend of his, upon the subject of the election. That letter was • strictly of a private nature. He believed it began, “ My dear ; Jack.” ^ (« No,” from Mr. Portman.) At all events he had j written in those familiar terms which his ancient college friendship dictated. (Hear.) He then got the answer of his hon. j friend, in which he said, 161 cannot consent to sit as member for the county if you are returned.” (Hear, hear.) He got this letter very late, immediately before the commencement of the election, and he had no time to lose. Ilis hon. friend spoke of giving the county “the pleasure of another election” if he (Lord Ashley) should be returned. He saw no reason for considering it a private communication when he was saddled with the whole
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Albion and the Star
London, Middlesex, GB
Fri, May 18, 1832
Page 2
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USA 25 Aug 2023
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