be Country.

The Earl of Durham attended a public dinner at Sunderland on Wednesday Week, to which he was invited by the principal inhabitants of that place and the gentry of the neighbourhood. In the course of the evening, his Lordship addressed the company several- times. He described the state of the county of Durham in 1813, when he was chosen the first time to represent it.

" There was then no public feeling of any description. The gentry of the

county were chiefly Tories; Magisterial Bunch was filled by the same party; all public meetings were hed at the gates of the Bishop's Palace_, and the Re-

verend ' Prelate generally attended • instructions were given to the tenants how they were to vote, and their hands were held up according to the inclination, and in obedience to the bidding, of their landlords. On one important occasion, which some of you may remember, even the eloquence of my illustrious relation, Lord Grey, and of my honoured father, failed to produce any effect—they WM opposed by the Bishop and the Tory gentry ; and resolutions similar to those that were carried with enthusiasm, in other parts of the kingdom, were, on the College Green, negatived almost by acclamation. It was under these circum- stances I presented myself to the notice of the freeholders of the county. I know that, on that occasion—and I own it with pride and pleasure, for you knew no- thing of myself—I was elected solely on the strength of the character and repu- tation of my father : and I may exptess to you a confident hope, that in every subsequent action of my life, Ida, nothing to disgrace his name.

In allusion to the first public meeting held in Sunderland, he said-

" It was convened by the late Rector, on the question of the disturbances at Manchester. I came alone into time room, and found a party of gentlemen, chiefly of the neighbourhood, who said they were representing the sentiments of Sunderland. I thought it a strange mode of represeuting those sentiments, to hold a meeting of which no public notice had been given. I addressed them on the subject ; and in half an hour, the inhabitants of the town flocked in; an adjournment was carried for two or three days, and then the real and unani- mous feeling of the town was clearly ascertained. It was the occurrence of all these circumstances which enabled me to contend, single-handed, against a greater power and influence than was ever exerted against one individual. I had against me, and against you—for we were all fighting for one common cause— the influence of the Crown, the Bishop, the Dean and Chapter, the Bench, and the greater proportion of the gentry, who were Tories; and every resource of that powerful combination was brought into the field, without the slightest scruple or delicacy whatever. We fought together and triumphed."

Lord Durham then spoke in the following manner of his elevation to the Peerage-

" I know that in this transfer of the sphere of my duties I abandoned a stage on which I might, perhaps, have distinguished myself more, and where, in the present state of parties, I might have gained more influence on my countrymen than that on which 1 ant now placed. But I considered that some benefit might, perchance, be secured, by plactug in that House one who was born, bred, and educated amongst the people—( Great and continued cheering.)—one who, from early conviction, had felt that the main object which a statesman ought to have in view, should be the happiness of his fellow-countrymen, not theattain- ment of any object of ambition, except so far as that should be connected with the advocacy of that isrand and glorious cause—and to defend the publ c in- terests amongst those Who were not, by education or habit, inclined to attach so much importance to them as himself. Under these circumstp unpleasant as was the task, and unpleasant as I found it to be opposed • . to the habits and prejudices of those amongst whom I was placed, the ,....vioas educa- tion of the House of Commons enabled me; I believe' to perform more important services than I could have rendered my country had I remained fighting its battles with others, my friends, in the Lower House. Thus much I do know, that the experience I gained in the House of Commons was very often of most essential service in the conducting of public business, and in eliciting important information, when it devolved upon time to defend the rights and liberties of the People, in the discussion of measures brought before the House of Peers." (Loud applause.) -

He advised the electors to examine closely the conduct of their members ; for they might be sure that second only in importance to the conduct of their representatives, was the conduct of the constituent bodies.

"Of what avail is it to confer those privileges upon you which raise you to the rank and dignity of freemen—which enable you, through your Representa- tives, to defend the commercial interests of this port, and of the country at large—of what avail, I ask, are those privileges, if you do not exercise them with meference to the general good of the country. I exhort you to impress upon. your friends and neighbours the absolute necessity of acting upon public principle; and of inereasing vigilance ; for if the rights ai,e. liberties of the country are not strictly attended to, they may, in the hour of triumph, be suf- fered to fall as much into abeyance as they were before. We live in no ordinary times. I repeat that I fear there is a restless spirit abroad; and I am sure it can only be allayed by the means to which I alluded on a former occasion ; and by wise and good men, like yourselves, who also have property and a stake in the country, demanding those wise and useful reforms which would lead, not to convulsion, but to security. We have to contend against those who desire no reformation, and would return to the old days of corruption, and also against those who would introduce confusion and revolution amongst us."

Mr. Fawcett proposed the health of his Majesty's Ministers ; be- cause he hoped that we might look upon them " as those who will he the constant and determined advocates of political improvement—who will boldly and strenuously assert sound political principles, and with strict justice and good sense enforce them."

Mr. Hedworth Lambton, when his health was drunk, returned thanks in a speech of some length, and pledged himself to follow in the footsteps of Lord Durham. When he canvassed the county, he Nvas but little known to the electors ; but they promised him their votes with this simple remark " You are Lord Durham's brother, and that

is enough." • The Reverend Mr. Grant proposed the health of the Countess of Durham and her family. Lord Durham, in returning thanks, observed, that he was a true friend to the Church of England, though he would remove the abuses which disfigured it, and would cut off the excrescences which impaired its utility, and obscured its beauty. Then, alluding more particularly to the toast which .had been given, he said-

" Now with respect to the toast itself—the sentiment it breathed—the kind attachment it expressed to my family—I vill only say, and you will not accuse me of vanity when I make the assertion, that I expected no less. from you. If Thy family has been connected, as it has been for eight hundred years, with the county of Durham—if tradition runs not to the time when it was not connected with its best interests—if, during the whole of that period, it has been ever identified with the prosperity and auxious to defend the interests of the county—if, from the first moment when it obtained the right of representation in Parliament, some member of my family has represented either the county or the city of Durham—and if no antiquarian, however industrious, nor adver- sary, however bitter, can lay any charge against them of having ever conspired against the interests of the country—if from all but personal animosity to its present head it stands unspotted before you, I frankly say, that I did expect you would offer to it that grateful, but at the same time just and merited tribute, which has been conveyed in the applause with which you received this toast. If I . live to have superintendence over the education of that portion of my family which may be interested in the further preservation of your rights I shall bring them up in the principles, the assertion of which recommended their an- cestors to your notice ; and be assured that, in the performance of that impor- tant duty, I shall be assisted, diligently and ardently, by the noble lady whose health you have drunk—who feels, with me, an equal interest in the prosperity, happiness, and welfare of the kind and dear friends whom I now see around me." (Prolonged cheers.) The licalths of Lord Grey, Lord Brougham, the Reverend Doctor Wellesley, Rector of the parish, and many others, were given in the course of the evening; and Lord Durham and other gentlemen spoke repeatedly-. His Lordship was constantly greeted with the warmest cheering.

The electors of the borough of Salford were assembled on the even- ing of Wednesday, in the Townhall, to hear the explanations of their representative, Mr. Joseph Brotherton, relative to his Parliamentary conduct in the late session. Mr. Brotherton recapitulated the pledges he had given to his constituents, and now proved to their satisfaction that he had fulfilled them. He also enumerated the measures which he conceived ought to be brought forward next session among the most important of which he ranked the repeal of the Corn-laws. He said- " I consider that this tax is at variance with the principles of sound policy, of justice, and of humanity. Its continuance is defended upon the ground that protection ought to be afforded to the agricultural classes; but what does that protection mean ? It means an increase of prices, which those persons are inte- rested in maintaining who conceive that it is fur the interests of those who have corn to sell that prices should be kept up. But I think it would require very strong arguments indeed to convince those who have to buy food, and who feel every day the necessity of eating it,—I say it would require very strong reasons to convince them that it is not their interest to get bread as cheap as they can. I think, therefore, that it would be very beneficial to the community in general were the Corn-laws repealed ; for it is not the producing classes, it is not the

i

agricultural labourer, t is not the farmer who wish the continuance of them ; but it is the wealthy: landlords, who desire to continue the monopoly, and to put the profits of it into their own pockets. I therefore think it will be my duty, when this question comes before Parliament, to give a motion for their repeal all the support in my power."

Mr. Brotherton was accompanied by Colonel Evans; who also ad- dressed the meeting.

The York city election terminated on Saturday, in the triumphant return of Mr. Dundas, the Whig candidate; beating Mr. Lowther, his Conservative opponent, by a majority of 494.

A deputation from the supporters of Mr. T. S. Duncombe in Hert- ford, waited upon that gentleman, at his house in Arlington Street on Thursday week, for the purpose of presenting a magnificent silver epergne from his former constituents. The following was Mr. Dun- combe's reply to the address made on the occasion by one of the deputation.

"I cannot receive this flattering testimony of your approbation without the liveliest sense of honest pride, as well as of heartfelt gratitude ; and I hope that . von will not hesitate to believe me, when I assure you that the splendid magni- ficence of the present constitutes, in my estimation the least part of its value. Whenever I cast may eye upon it, I must be reminded of ourpolitical connexion, and the proof it affords me of your satisfaction, that I have never failed asserting, to the utmost of my power, both the independence of your ancient borough and the rights and liberties of the people. Whether, gentlemen, the disgraceful causes alluded to in your address, that last year led to the interruption of our poiitieal connexion, shall be permitted to prevail or not, must depend upon circumstances over which I can have no control; but let Inc entreat you to believe, that, . whether in or out of Parliament, I must always look with anxious interest to every thing connected with the county and borough of Hertford, since I can never cease to be grateful for the warm and liberal support that you have so re- peatedly afforded me when aspiring to the honour of becoming your represen- tative, and for the various and numerous expressions of personal friendship and kindness that I have experienced, and to which your present this day has made a most flattering addition." When the Duke of Cleveland was about to take leave of the ex- . borough a Camelford, on the passing of the Reform Bill, his Grace was applied to for some assistance towards extinguishing the tolls of the market, as being the best thing that eould be done for the place. fee compliance with the request so made, his Grace has given six fields .tte the Corporation, for the object in view ; these fielda are freehold pro- petty ; they contain eight acres, and are near the town ; the rent ob- tained from them is fully equal to the amount received for toll, Sic.. 'In consequence of this gift, the market at Ca celford was free of toll from Friday, November Sth; and it is hoped that the benefit anticipated from the parting-gift of the patron will be realized.— West Briton.