The Sun.
London, England, 1852-07-21 00:00:00

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farmers in reference to this proposed re-adjustment of taxa-
tion. Let me warn them not to be led away with a cry of
too
that nature. Let them take care that the matter be not _
narrowly looked into -that that the exemptions which already
exist in favour of . agriculture ire not assailed ; for without re
ference to the income-tax which presses alike upon all—itmay turn out that the vaunted re-adjustment may be more
likely to leave you more heavily burdened that at present.—
(Cheers and disapprobation.) But this re-adjustment of
taxation is only another leaf taken out of the book of
their opponents. Sir R. Peel advoeetted the same, and it Is
from that the free-trade policy has been established—
(Cheers)—and that those barriers have been broken down
which for a long time were placed bet Ween the wants of the
people and that supply which a bountiful Providence has
provided for then; from all the nations of the earth.—e
(Applause.) Gentlemen, I hope my Noble Friend will
be required to promise you, the &loners of Northumber-
land, some advantage clearly defined, before you give
your vote in order to displace me. I find,
gentlemen, that
the issue is now attempted to be shifted. It is not now to be
between free trade and protection.—(Hear, hear.) The
proposer of my Noble Friend, Lord Ossulston, has said—and
lam obliged. to hien for it—that in my private capacity he
respects me, but that in my political capacity the Constitu-
tion may net be safe if you *es.
-swan Me to Parliament. I see
before me a banner bearing the colours of my Noble Oppo-
nent, an inscription-eo Our &dells Constitution, may it
never be pulled down ;"—and to that sentiment I most hear-
tily respond. I believe Lam as ardent a friend of the Con-
stitution as my Noble Opponent can be, and, judgirg of the
future by what my Parliamentary career, and that of those
with whom I have acted fqr the past has been, I leave you
to consider .whether,or not thia,charge has any foundation.—
(Cheers.) [At tine stage of tile proceedings an exceedingly
heavy shower of rain came on, and the greater portion of
the meeting having been obliged to go hastily off to take
shelter, Sir George Grey Yeas obliged to break off his
discourse. The shower having gone off in about ten
minutes, however, the people returned, and the Right
Honourable Baronet proceeded as follows:—] Gentle-
men, he continued, I regret for your sakes the tempo-
rary interruption which has been caused in Your
proceedings.
I hope, my friend, Lord Lovaitae, may
.be favoured with sun-
shine_during the time hte maysturldrese von. I`-must, how-
ever, add a few words in defence of -myself against the
charges brought against me, though I
tun almost ashamed to
repeat charges so unfounded. It has been said by my friend
Mr. Ord, in proposing Lord Ossulston, that though as a
private character I was unexceptionable, yet in my public
capacity lam prepared to ally myself with men • who would
conspire to pull down the constitution and to undermine the
monarchy under which we so happily live, and to establish a
republic in its place. To all the charges of this nature which
have to-day been brought against me I make no denial and
no assertion; but I appeal to a public life of twenty yearS—
to my life as a Member of Parliament and a Minister of the
Crown ; and I ask you if I 'have not done as much to up-
hold th, se institutions as my Noble Friend Lard Ossulston,
who has broaght those . charges against me—(Hear,
hear)—it I have not 'always sought to uphold the
constitution and promote order and good govern-
ment under it= and whetlier we had not the satisfaction of
leaving to our successors in office, the present Administra-
tion, a people contented, happy, and prosperous, and firmly
attached to the Sovereign under whose benignant sway we
live —(Loud cheers.) If, by these charges, it is meant that
you should desire to send a Member to Parliament who will
say no to every proposition for extending popular rights and
franchise:, then I say lam not your man.—(Cheers.) I
would nut go to Parliament for any constituency on such a
principle; ten thousand times rather would I retire at once
into the ranks of private life, than go to Parliament as a mere
drag upon the wheel of progress. I have during my public
life given my careful and honest advocacy to measures and
principles which I believe have conduced eminently
to the peace, the prosperity, and the good go-
vernment of the country, and the consequent hap-
piness and contentment of our population; and I
say I am prepared to consider from time to time whether
popular rights and popular franchises may not be extended
within the strict limits of the Constitution, and in propor-
tion to the growing intelligence and growing education of
the people —(Cheers.) And I ask my Noble Friend, if he
can, to put his finger upon any act of mine, either as a Mi-
nister of the Crown or a Member of Parliament, which bears
out the assertion made concerning me; let my Noble Friend
do so, and I Will retire at once from the contest, for I feel I
should then be • wholly unworthy to present myself to your
notice My public life is before you. I stand before you to
give no new promises, no new pledge. My public life, gen-
tlemen, from its beginning to its end, is before you. In a
large constituency like this it cannot be that all of you have
agreed with every vote I have given or with the sentiments
I have expressed on every particular occasion ; but I appeal
to my general policy. Look at the course I have generally
and unifermly carried out, and compare it with that of the
party which my Noble Friend supports ; and if you still share
those principles which since I firstappealed to you I have pro-
fessed, then let those principles be maintained on your part;
then only, 'do I ask for your support. I now turn to that
formidable bugbear which, from time to time, as I have
been upon the track of my Noble Friends in this contest, I
have found has been left associated with the names of Cob-
den and Bright in connexion with myself in order to lead
you to displace me and to elect one of those Noble Lords in
my place. F And here again I ask you not to be led away by
assertions, pot to be frightened by a bugbear. I ask you
again to look at my conduct. I are say. you have already
watched it, and you will be able tnjudge whether my course
in reference to those respected representatives of the largest
constituencies in the country, all those persevering advocates
of the free-trade policy, has-been such as to lessen my claim
on your support; and you will have observed that it has been
my misfortune repeatedly to oppose them in those opinions
which they have felt it their duty to support in the House
of Commons.—(Cheers.) There is no alliance between me
and any other man, be he Mr. Cobden or any one else, than
an alliance of principle. If I find a man agrees with me in
an important principle, I rejoice to act with him.—(Cheers.)
I rejoice all the more if I find that he has been se-
lected as the representative of the largest
in the empire; and whatever constituency a man
may
YI
shall
been sent by, if I find him dangerous or unsafe
the
always offer him my determined opposition. Wily' sir,
men
whole speech of my Noble Friend to-day has been
a
not measures.. And indeed, he supports a Government
constituency
which have no measures exc©t those which they have
coun-
try, as coming from this able, this efficient, and this strong
borrowed from their predecessors—every one of that goodly
list of measures which has been paraded through the
Government, having been bequeathed to them in an
whom
ad-
vanced state of preparation by their predecessors,
as good measures, with the exception of the MOW
iilittrio
the efficiency of which remains to be tested.
I ask
Yations.
support men who take no pains to shroud their intentions.
1 was one, and,
You ought to know what principle will guide your ~,...
represen-
tatives before you tender them your support. For myself, 1
a ate
am prepared, if you send me again to Parliameat, to advocate
the and
as such, I am bound to say I regaafdthoe.mo,
the same principles which I have hitherto advocatedn .
acted upon. With regard to a re-adjustment of taxation, ,olt.
may be a most important subject, and it might be most ue
by both
neficial ; but it is one which has been acted uponneieh the
preceding Governments. But if that prophecy Neee-
Chancellor of the Exchequer so lately indulged in at 00, we
port, in an after-dinner speech,--and from it, as 8" went, may be allowed to make some discount,—if the Government,
I say, after they have left us in total ignorance
in-
tentions so long, probably because they were„ I,efsin the
themselves what they should do--(A laugoe—' 'ee the
flowing and glowing language of the Chancellor
ate 9, in
Exchequer, they after all succeed, as he antic'',
with sa-
e bringing forward measures which will be bailed
empire," tisfaction by the whole of the great interests of the
t than
there is no man who will gfve them heartier support me
I shall; ay measures for this object shall receive
measures
I candid and fair consideration, and to suchh bumble
I shall be glad to give my adhesion andbenefit the
support, if I really believe them calculated to
generally.
egricul mists and the interests of the country e
should b taken
But I ask you not to suppose that burdensas
°ranee
shoulders
from the shoulders of one man to be placed oil thelegisli
of another. I would abandon all attempts at as
clae the no and have you to seek in the general prosperity °
cheers.)
your own future happiness and prosperity--(been silent At 3
Gentlemen, this Government, although it bas
Lad Ossuls-
to its measures—and althouh the Noble LO untry
, i to you by
future policy, yet this Government is proc'aO ever ex-
itaotne
d),
ahnads notis contrasted
n lifttreada
ttehde vwei itlhthe
Lord Ossulston as the strongest Government thateehe Government
carry out
and as a test of
of which I hal the honour to be a member, a to
that feebleness it is stated they were unable bat do we find
their own principles and measures. Yet w
. a Government
which
feebleness
ha as
o, .
in the present Administration ? Why, he,reselsos the princple
which, if it had any principle of its own, Itd"io office it has
of protection, yet before it is well install rcrouded their
ed it now stands
been compelled to abandon that principle, eal;`, secrecy which
before you with claims supported only by 'Oemises, which I
it maintains, and by vague and indefinite p.
~,ppointment and
,
will venture to predict will end only in `47,,erd more as to
mortification.—(Cheers and hisses.) Oareee ''
and constitu-
our opponents' talk of maintaining the ththey talk of main-
tion, and then I will take leave. Wheelleellor of the Ex..
Wising the constitution,—when the CM"' ..ys the existence
chequer, in another after-dinner meeti '-
ag'the maintenance of
of the present Government is essential to if their principles
the constitution, I naturrally reply, that .
lea in thwarting the
had been successful, if they had succeeded they had succeeded
benevolent policy of Sir Robert Peel, '
Isition, in recovering
by their various motions while in oppoto create discontent
that policy, it would have done more try, than any man in
and dissatisfaction throughout the coati) • Yes, let me tell
this assemblage can imagine.—(Ohearkeeope was convulsed
you this, that in the year 1848, eche!! if
,the body of
in a manner we all too well remember,,el in orthe injustice of the
the people had been left to conerae-t and patriotism were corn-laws, I doubt when their boy 3'
tether there would have
appealed to as they were then, W, it was the happi-
been that noble response vrilieele country in 1848 to
ness of the Government of ''''''
t s were respected by receive from a people who felt their bade
done all it could to the Legislature, and that Parliameno
g et gifts of Providence.
render available to them the bene
nee-
a the people of this
It was this policy, I say, which inn
their patriotism, and to
county to respond to the appeal ton
nstitution ; and we were
rally round the throne and the
constitution
the defeat of
indebted to the failure of the Protectionists,—to
spectacle which the
their policy and plans, for the noble England then exhibited to
loyal and contented people *--d. more also with regard to
Europe and the world. One
word
alluded to by my Noble
one of those political changes atom of secret voting. I
Friend, namely, the ballot or a BY • -
I do that the advantages
will only say this, that, thinking asboth greatly exaggerated,
and dangers of that system are , and not being forward to
and doubting as I do its efficien y
persons amongst us, who ex-
adopt it, I must say that those p
d coercion over the honest
ercise an undue influence an n here cried
to , out
d of Glen . George" Name,
voters—[Mr.Collingwoo ,
and Sir continued.] --
name, and no insinuations," 'O'beee who have exercised
I am asked to name '
undue influence over voters, an e had almost said their d who have created on th
name
was rpart a demand for the ballot.
... But I could name honour-
was legion.— (Cheers and bissesene
who have abstained from
able exceptions to that—of
foraloe purpose of deprivin the
exercising their influence
that privilege which the
elector of the tree exercise of,
em happy to find that these
consti-
tution places in his band. feel they are
for
e the surest way to
Practices are unpopular ;
ballot irresistible by any Govern-
render the demand for the ffence is indignantl
y denied.
ment. I rejoice that the
° e they would have given me
Those voters who have told In know how ve
their votes, but have said " You
hope after hearing the indignant denial of Mr. Collingwood
t released from their Colling
and his friends, they will fee supposed
only in my favour.
previous obligations and vote
side of b
‘,..„in tile opposite
Ur. CoLLIZTQWOOD (from