The Express.
London, England, 1861-07-24 00:00:00

LORD JOHN RUSSELL'S FAREWELL TO

HIS CONSTITUENTS.

After our yesterday's report of the proceedings
at the Guildhall terminated,
Lord J. Buimet.L rid—When reform was under-
taken upwards of thirty yews ago there were in
existence many flagrant abuses—abuses so =
that they made every one nalinsai, sad produced
a general and enthusiastic feeling in favour of • change. At
that time Lord Grey having formed his ministry, one of the
cabinet (the late Lord Durham) sent to me aid rid
Lord Grey bad oommissioned him to bring together some of
his colleagues to draw up the heeds of a reform bill. The
men were soon chosen. They were Lord Durham himself,
the Fed of Beesborough, Sir J. Graham, still happily a mem-
ber of the House of Commons—(cheers)—and myself. At
the meeting of these four persons I proposed that there
should be 100 boroughs wholly or partially disfranchised.
At that time • town destroyed more than ten centuries ago
refereed two members, while the great towns of Manches-
ter, Leeds, Sheffield, and Birmingham were unrepresented.
(Hear, hear.) I pro that fifty boroughs should be
entirely dietnne and that fifty others should return
one member each ; and that Manchester, Birmingham,
Leeds, and the other large towns, should be entitled to
return two members. The proposition, although
not carried in the exact form in which I had
drawn it up, still formed the basis of the measure
which we afterwards introduced. When the count
e
heard that there were 160 seats to be distributed,
there prevailed that general enthusiasm in favour of the bil
that no voice was found in either house of parliament strong
enough to oppose it. (Cheers.) There are no such abuses
now. The questions therefore to be considered require to
be weighed nicely in the balance, and though the
of reform is still fair, it will not, until the people
them-
selves show • strong feeling in the matter, be any
use for the minister of the crown to come forward with •
measure on the subject. (Hear, hear.) I maintain myown
opinion upon the subject. I have the same trust in the
people of England. I believe the people of England—the
working classes, while they would bring further intelli-
gence to the representation, would reflect respect upon the
ministers of the country. These are some of the subjects
upon which it has been our duty to deliberate
durum the 20 years I have been your representative.
I was lately engaged in the House of Commons with regard
to other measures which still require the attention of par-
liament and the support of the popular voice—l mean
questions connected with the improvement of the law. The
List measure of that kind which engaged our attention was
one of mercantile reform, which haa, I am happy to say, re-
ceived the support and unequivocal approbation of the
merchants and bankers of this great city. (Cheers.) While
I return to you my most grateful thanks for the support I
have had from you during the keg period of our coonexion,
and in favour of such important matures, I feel a
certain degree of melancholy at the dissolution
of the tie which has bound us together, and
at the dose of an active career to part from
victories we have carried, and from defeats we have
repaired, and all the exciting feelings that belong to public
life. Heel like a certain emperor, who after having been
engaged in all the great transactions of his time, thought he
would like to see what would happen after his death ; and
with that view had all the forms of • funeral gone through,
at which he himself assisted as chief mourner. I feel as if I
was chief mourner here ; but still I do not give way to this
feeling, because I trust I may still be of use to the country,
though in another sphere. (Hear, hear.) There I. nothing
to dishearten one in the great progress we have made—
nothing to induce one to believe that the cause of reform,
of progress, of civil and religious liberty, will not prosper
in the years to come as it hhashitherto done. I cannot bat
feel, as it is said by ooe of our great poets, "To have dose
with life is to hang out of fashion like testy mail In seem
mental mockery." That is not my intention. My lates-
t* is, that although 47 years have elapsed sines I entered
public lire, still to work, for there are labours still to be
undertaken, quiet triumphs still to be achieved. Ido hope
I may bear some part, however humble, in these
achievements. (Hear, hear.) I may be allowed
to say one thing —Whoa we look back at the
seeimprovements which have taken place, we
the different tempera and different political parties
which have contributed to them. When I name Mr.
(honing, Mr. Huskissoo, the late Sir R. Peel, Lord
Guy, Mr. Cobden—(cheer)—and Mr. Bright—Rood
sheer)-1 name men of very different political parties,
but who have all worked at affluent times for those
great sods—men who have either built • trophy to reli-
gious liberty, or raised the stamiaird of hes trade, and car-
ried it through the land, or have else reformed oarrepe
sentative system. Who, then, can be deepairkig when
there is a great cause before him—when there is dill a great
battle to be won? You may in this matter take • lemon
from an institution which has recently sprung up
smug us—l mean the institution of the Volun-
teers. One man may wish to march • little faster, another
• little slower, hut they are all told that without order and
without discipline they would be useless to the country, and
not formidable to an enemy. So it Is with reformers ; some
would march too fast; others, more cautious, would like to
pick their way through obstacles and difficulties ' • but let all
act with union and with discipline, for in that way alone
will they be able to present • front that cannot be over-
thrown, but which will enable them to march on from
triumph to triumph. I have once more to thank
you for the support I have ever received from
you. I shall still watch the proceedings of the
City of London with the greatest interest. I shall
exped to see you continue in the game spirit el free Uncle,
and the same spirit of liberty, which animated your an-
cestors, and which has built up the great fabric of the con-
s.itution, and destroyed the strongholds of monopoly and
restriction. I shall expect to see you going on in the same
s&it, helping those ready to adviuses, and displaying that
flag of freedom which, I am sure, will always be held aloft in
your hands. (" Hew, hear," aid sheen.) Whatever may
be the chances of the combat, I tea aware u that I shall
retain deeply engraved in my heart the feeling of grati-
tude to you for the support you have essays lent me, and
for having ambled me to say that I represented the City
of London. It was that which gave erength to my voice,
and animated my exertions. To the last day of my life I
shall remember the benefit, and be grateful for the
saffr. (Greet cheering.)
e Lord John Russell bowed to the audience and re.
tired. The cheering was then taken up, and was continued
until his lordship left the hall.
The thanks of the meeting were voted to Mr. Ran* for
his conduct in the chair, and the proceeding terminated.
The following resolution was transmitted to the chair-
man of the meeting, dated from the Lord Mayor's central
committee rooms, London Tavern, July la :—" While
differing from Lord John Rumen in political prieciples, the
Lord Mayor's committee cannot permit his connenon of 20
years' standing with the City of London to cease without ex-
pressing its sense of his high public character, his con-
sistent levotion to the service of his country, and the ability
with which he has discharged the various important °Rices
to which he has bean called.—(Signed)—Tnotiats Beam,
chairman."