21 FEBRUARY 1846, Page 9

Zbe Vrobintes.

At Dorchester, on Thursday, Mr. Her Seymer and Mr. Floyer were elected Members for Dorsetshire, in the room of Lord Ashley and Mr.

Sturt, without opposition. Lord Ashley was present; and though he took no part in the election proceedings, he made a long explanatory speech to the large crowd before the hustings— He stated that not only had the Protectionist party opposed to him convened for support in favour of the new candidates, but they had canvassed for signatures to a declaration that support should not be given to him! This extraordinary attempt at personal exclusion he imputed to his avowal, some time back, that "he would not be lynx-eyed to the faults of the manufacturers and blind to the defects of the agricultural body." He now openly repeated his averment, that free trade is inevitable, and his advice that the agriculturists should boldly and honourably concede it. After a masterly exposure of the totally unsupported nature of the assertions that free trade will injure the agriculturists, he came round to the lamentable fact that the population of this country are greatly un- der-fed; told the farmers and labourers of Dorsetshire of the immense interests and vast tribes of working classes to be cared for beyond the bounds of the agri- cultural districts—no enemies to the agricultural classes; and vindicated the Ministerial measure, with which he found only one fault—that the change of the Corn-laws is not to be immediate instead of gradual.

An attempt was made to put Lord Ashley in nomination, and to demand a poll; but he declined to stand, having pledged himself not to do so. The usual declaration was then made.

Mr. George Finch of Burley-on-the-Hill, a Protectionist, was elected for Rutlandshire on Saturday, in the room of Mr. Downey.

Mr. Edward Sherlock Gooch was elected, on Thursday, for the Eastern Division of Suffolk, in the room of Lord Henniker. Mr. Gooch is a Pro- tectionist, of course.

Lord Lincoln has had several meetings with the farmers of South Not- tinghamshire; but beyond a patient hearing nothing to indicate the for- tune of the contest has come out. He speaks manfully. The electors complain of the difficulty of their position; it being impossible to please both the Duke of Newcastle and his heir-apparent, let them vote as they may.

Meanwhile, the Duke of Newcastle has addressed a characteristic letter to the "Inhabitants of South Nottinghamshire "—

He says that he has noticed for the last ten days, with "indescribable pain and annoyance," the existence of a contest for the representation; deeply laments

that any member of his family should have caused it; and describes Lord Lincoln as "the deluded victim of bad counsel." After accepting, says the Duke, an in- ferior office, his son takes the electors by surprise, suddenly appearing among them; and by this means he has been enabled to ascertain the "undisguised and almost universal feelings and opinions of this important county? The Duke goes on to say, "Doubtless it was expected that the constituency would be found to possess easy consciences, and that the public voice would be raised in favour of free trade, and the other newly disclosed enormities of Sir Robert Peel's Govern- ment; although we have neither asked for nor desire free trade, nor any other vicious and revolutionary system." He speaks of his son as an "emissary" sent forth to force down hateful opinions: but, as the result has been totally ad- verse to the new doctrines, he advises Lord Lincoln to withdraw "from a useless, and to all most painful struggle against a long-tried and approved principle and policy, and at once to restore tranquillity to the county and the undisturbed pos- session of its unquestionable convictions." There is an effort in East Gloucestershire to get up demonstrations in favour of Mr. Charteris as an opponent to the Marquis of Worcester.

The Free-traders in South Lancashire are signing a requisition to Mr. Villiers, M.P., and Mr. William Brown, to come forward as candidates at the general election.

Mr. Bowes, one of the Members for South Durham, who offered to re- sign his seat if the electors disapproved of his supporting the Ministerial policy, has been requested by several public meetings, in different parts of the county, to retain his seat on his own terms. Resolutions approving of Lord Harry Vane's strengthened opinions on free trade have also passed.

The Protection storm has aubsided in so far as public meetings are con- cerned. The Brill Protection Society had its annual dinner on Wednesday, but the proceedings were more of a private than of a public character. The Duke of Buckingham and the Marquis of Chandos, (both present,) and the fanners, were the special objects of laudation; clergymen the panegyrists.

The silk-weavers of Manchester have met, and protested against the proposal to reduce the import-duties on foreign silks. One of the speakers declared that the capitalists and large manufacturers were not content with taking the sweat of the working men, but they had taken their flesh, .and now they wanted to open their bones and suck the marrow out. A petition to Parliament, remonstrating against the measure in so far as the 'silk-trade is concerned, was passed.

A similar meeting was held at Middleton, near Wigan, with the like results.