The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-27 00:00:00

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LONDON, SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 1864.

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Mr BERKELEY has long been the acknowledged
champion of one of the most important of political
reforms, and to judge from his brief letter to a con.
temporary the other morning, he has no intention
of abandoning his position. If he is again among
the members of the Legislature, " it is his intention
to again unfurl the. old banner, and do his best to
rally our 200 ballot members to the old war cry—
abellu vindex tacitce libertali9." The next election
will, no doubt, give him plenty of illustrations of
the evils of the present s3-stem, for Exeter, he de-
clares, is but a type of what will occur in every
contest, and certainly we have all seen enough of
the usual effects of a general election to
be able very readily to fill in the outlines.
There is not much hope that the opponents
of the Ballot will be convinced by anything they
may hear or see, by any amount of bribery, corrup-
tion, and intimidation. There have been revelations
startling enough to shake the most resolute convic.
tion, spectacles sufficiently humiliating and painful
to overthrow the most obstinate prejudice. Bat the
poet tells us that

A man convinced against his will,
Is of the sane opinion still ;

and we have not yet got to the length of obtaining
even apparent assent. Our opponents still prefer
to regard these various election mal-practices as
especially " English," and therefore to be cherished
by every national well-wisher. There is no line
of argument more convenient and more inex-
haustible than an intangible one. It is so easy to
affix. an epithet or to declaim in genera; phrases, aiad I '
so difficult to fight against ter, ~ idea." The vision- Agricultural meetings and gatherings of all do.
vision-
ary' opponent is not to be be fILd. You may attack Agricultural
will now be the rage for some time to
him with argument, illustration, and remonstrance; come. Lancashire seems to be Particularly active
you may exhaust all the powers of logic and rhe- in these affairs just now. It was only the other
toric to prove him in the wrong, and he starts day that Lord STANLEY presided at the Southport
up again, answering you with the old cry "It meeting, and there made an excellent discourse on
18 un-English." It is quite impossible to answer various topics connected with the subject before
this accusation, seeing that nobody has hitherto them. Last Wednesday there was the annual dine
advocates
chfiued exactly w hat it means, and therefore its ner of the Royal North Lancashire Agricultural
can easily shift their ground when ne- Society, and some noticeable remarks were made
cessary. If it means that Englishmen are not during the course of the evening. Colonel PATTEN
ashamed of thlir conduct at elections, we can only took the chair, and he fulfilled his task very
reply that they ought to be, and it would be more efficiently, although he apologised on account of his
to their credit if they were. If it means that all long absence, from various causes, from that part of
thatfair is naw done in election times is perfectly the country. He concurred with Lord STANLEY as
ber:"4 open, that is so perfectly well known to he to the propriety of giving leases. It will be greatly
ntral-Y to actual facts, that it is no wonder sensi- to the advantage of all concerned when the preju-
' al'n are glad to disguise such meaning in vague dices entertained by many against them are done
tetras. If it means that the lower ciassee would be away with. It is the surest mode of inducing im-
af.conted by te-
-"° I,q)i l cion of being afraid to vote peoremcnts to be made, and, as Colonel PATTEN
openy, th it is a stigma that a large portion of them very property put it, " whenever a tenant wishes to
are bearing now, and it is no disgrace to them to
grant them a protection have a lease, and shows his caracity for working a
which does not compel term, it is to the interest both of himself and his
them to hold
the will
their tongues, Toe
their votes y may speak of landlord that he should have one." One who has
as y , and cauvasaing will not done so much for Lancashire as the gallant Colonel
altogether be put a stop to. In the clubs
conducted on this ver "unE lisp 'which are has a claim to be listened to, which should not be
y -En " fashion, votes passed over, and there was great truth in his ex-
and interest are frequently solicited
mised, but a member is not obliged toed pro. nortations not to neglect the society which h® then
affront discoursed upon, on account of the smaller ones
his friend by openly putting in the black ball starting up in various directions. Being on a more
against his candidate. Lord PALMERsToN, indeed, 'comprehensive scale, it can do mgr® effect-
thinks so highly of the honour of the man who
takes a ten pound note for his vote that he thinks 1 eat service to the cause than local ones,
e owever estimable in their way, Of coarse,
the system of bribery will still be carried on, as E Inch
that is said at these meetings is
agents can bribe the voters beforehand, and of ief a local character, and is not of much interest to
coarse they will keep to their word The saute the general reader ; but,.at the same time, it is satin. -
obligation, he thinks, applies, to the relief from 1 factory to know that due attention is being paid toi,

existence there are occasionally some brightening
gleams to be witnessed, and some peculiar features
may furnish a field for the introduction of wit and
repartee. They are to be applauded who can find

entertainment in such everyday occurrences, and like
Lord PALMERSTON not only enliven their own

existence thereby, but at the same time diffuse a

reeling of hilarity around.