FRENCH PICTURES OF ENGLISH ELECTIONS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VIII, Issue 492, 22 July 1857, Page 3

FRENCH PICTURES OF ENGLISH ELECTIONS.

(Prom the Overland Mail, April 10.) Mr. Alexandre Dumas has been on a visit to England, with the object of entertaining the Parisians with some sketches of our' recent elections. The following is a part of his account of the Southwark nomination :— Already from a distance we heard some-

thing like the roll of thunder, which became the more majestic the more we advanced. Indeed, through the windows of our carriage, we saw the'street filled with some three or four thousand persons. These persons it was, these artisans, these gentlemen, as they were called by the candidates, who produced the noise, shouting with all the power of their lungs. We are obliged to stop at some distance from the hustings, a large construction of timber. We, therefore, stopped and alighted, and, our hands in our pockets—as some figures among this honourable society inspired us with but little confidence—we penetrated at last to the entrance.

Arrived upstairs, Mr. Cooper passed his card to Dr. Challis. Dr. Challis, member of the committee of Mr. Locke, cameto us, and very courteously took me by the hand, and loudly calling out my name, he led me to the reserved part, where he presented me to the three candidates, who, in the midst of their occupations, still found time to shake, hands with me, and to pay me their compliments. The Admiral Napier added that he paid me his compliments with all the more pleasure as I had been his companion on some of his expeditions; Which was all the more kind on his part, as I had no vote to give him. Mr. Pellat is a man of from 45 to 50, meagre, small, nervous head, beard and eyes, everything dark. He was seated, and took breath. The Admiral Napier is an old man, of from 65 to 70, fat, short, of robust; build, with grey hair and black eyes, and hairs all over the face; Scotch head and Scotch dialect. Mr. Locke is a man of 48, the face covered with pock-holes, vigorous, broad chest, made for the struggles of the bar, and ready for the much more exhausting struggles of the tribune, for, to all probability, Mr. Locke will be elected. Mr. Locke is the advocate of the city. We had just arrived, when the audience was judged sufficiently large, and Mr. Pellatt was called upon to show himself. He advanced toward the railing of the hustings. I would feel sorry at rendering myself disagreeable to a gentleman whoso cordially and so warmly shook hands with me, but I owe it to truth to say, that the apparition tvas greeted by groans which were far from flattering. The crowd seemed to owe a grudge to Mr. Pellatt for having voted against the Chinese war, and reminded him of the affairs of the British Bank, which must not be confounded with the Bank of England. He intended to speak, but the thunder of heaven would have struggled in vain against the human thunder from below. Among the cries 'that were hurled against him I could distinguished this— " You'll be smashed next Wednesday, old fellow!" Indeed, next Wednesday the affairs of the bank of Mr. Pellatt will come before the Court of Bankruptcy. ' Not less than ten times Mr. Pellatt attempted to speak. Each time the sound of his voice was rendered inaudible by the | cries of the gentlemen in the street. Mr. Pellett, unable to speak, and having exhausted three quarters of his power, made use of the remaining quarter, and turning his back on the ungrateful public, he addressed himself to the shorthand writers, to whom he explained the reasons of the vote which rendered him unpopular, and his moral position in relation to the British Bank.

He spoke nearly a quarter of an hour, during which time the groans from outside were never interrupted. When his speech to the shorthand writers was finished, Admiral Napier advanced. His reception was just as favourable as that of Mr. Pellatt had been hostile. Hurrahs went forth, the hats were thrown into the air, the arms described circles, which in England is a sign of the greatest sympathy. Though in plain clothes, the Admiral was covered with decorations. After some seconds had been spent in acclamations, silence was restored, and the Admiral began a speech which lasted nearly half-an-hour. He began by raising a complaint against his printer. This is what he had to complain of:— The Admiral had ordered of his printer 12,000 to 15,000 cards, and the printer had undertaken, for the price of £20, not merely to print but also to distribute them to the houses. Unfortunately for the worthy Admiral, his printer was, at the same time, that of Mr. Pellatt. He distributed the cards both together, so that it appeared as if the two enemies had formed a coalition.

Mr. Pellatt, who was in clanger of being drowned, did, in fact, lay hold of the Admiral.

The result might have been that Mr. Pellatt—without being saved by the Admiral saving him—might have drawn the Admiral alter him, and drowned him too. Happily, the worthy Admiral, in turn, became aware of the trick. He went in haste to the printer, took back those of his cards which had not yet been sent away, ordered others, and then provided for a separate distribution. The only drawback was, that the rectification had cast him forty pounds, which, together with the twenty pounds first laid down, formed a typographical expense of sixty pounds. This first part of his speech was listened to with expressions of hilarity, which proved that merry England is still lajoyeuse Angleterre, The rest of his speech was devoted to his behaviour in parliament. The., whole was received with hurrahs of approbation. There is no doubt that the Admiral will be elected. Now came Mr. Locke's turn. He advanced to the railings. But though there were, perhaps, a thousand of his adherents among the crowd, as shown by the cards stuck in theii hats, with the words " for •Locke,*' the noise was even much greater than that which Mr.. Pellatt's appearance produced. The reason wa? that in Mr. Pellatt's case there was unanimity, while in that of Mr. Locke there was a struggle of contending factions. Mr. Pellatt became radiant with satisfaction, and rubbed his hands. He touched me with his elbow—"Eh bien ! " said he to me. "Eh bien ! " said I to him. "He made his friends groan at me," he said ; " I will make mine whistle at him." But Mr. Locke's chest was of different make from that of Mr. Pellatt. Eefusing to speak to the shorthand writers, he continued speaking to the crowd. Instead of a thunder coming from below, it was a thunder coming from above. Like Andromache, when she encouraged Hector down from the walls of Troy, Mrs. Locke encouraged her husband down from a balcony. From what I could understand of Mr. Locke's very spirited speech—more advanced even in a religious than in a political sense—he indicated to the gentlemen who listened to him what would be his conduct in parliament.

The clock struck three. I must send you my first letter immediately. I have no time to lose. I ran down to the Thames; I took a steamer, which, together with thirty or forty others plies on the river, and at half-past three I was at my hotel. A. Dusris. P.S. Judge of my disappointment, to sit up all the night to write to you, and this morning I am told r,hat the post is not open on Sundays!