The Sun.
London, England, 1837-05-04 00:00:00

the object we have in View ‘; it would be attended with
sacrifice of principle. I therefore urge iOu 6 av3id this,
so as to prevent our sac'ri` eltig a great and noble cause
merely Id the naMe of this or that individual.—(Cheers.)
Bef&O the present resolution is put to you, and before you
Say wliether you will receive me or not,. I feel that it is my
duty to say, something about. my f,,ClitiV,A lirinciples. I
have been a! tong as CO`Old 4,i'stVrigUi'sh between right and
wrong,
.a Reformar..)liters.) I knoW that there are
many kinds 'of It eformers. There is the nied4a.te Whig,
who almost approaches the To 4---41411. ttige is the Whig,
the Whig proper--(LanOrYte.' and cheers)—then comes the
Radical, win', is halt' a Whig—then the real Radical, and
the rit4t4tadical.--(Laughter, and hear, hear.) Ido not
rii3tend to belong to any one in particutar of these sections,
but I am a Reformer generally.—(Loud cheers.) I be-
lieve that every man who hears me is satisfied that it
would be better to have 'certain alterations in some of
our institutions—for instance, that certain financial matters
would be better arranged than they now are if the people of
this country had a greater voice in the Legislature than
they at present had.---(Cheers.) The first reform that I
reqn—ire is a thorough olfik entire reform of the Church Es-
tablishment.-----(Renewed cheers.) Do not let any man
suppose that I am an enemy to the Church Establishment ;
and still less of the Christian religion, for I am myself a
member of the Established Church.—(Hear, hear.) But
this is not a reason why I should support the iniquitous
system pursued against the Dissenters.—(Cheers.) I would
not support a system in the Church which at the same time
gives to archbishops and bishops from 10,0001. to 15,0001.
a-year each, while the poor curate, who has anxious and
arduous and laborious duties to perform, is left to maintain
himself and family on a miserable pittance of less than 50/.
a-year.—(Hear, hear.) I am not one of those who say that
I think that it is better for religion that the bishops should
have seats in the House of Lords, where they can struggle
to obtain better bishoprics, or can exert themselves to fur-
ther their own peculiar interests, and provide for them-
selves and families.—(Hear, hear.) I do not think that
such a state of things either seems to promote the interests
of religion or to extend the blessings of moral instruction.—
(Cheers.) 1 therefore wish to see a reform of the Church
Establishment in this respect : mind, I do not wish for its
abolition, but only for its reformation;—(Hear, bear.) Ano-
ther reform which I require is good extensive reform of the
law. I dare say that there are a great many who hear me
who have suffered from the present state of the law, and I
have no doubt that many of you have friends in the country
who complain that they have not justice, but a thing called
justice, administered to them by persons who call themselves
unpaid magistrates.—(Hear, hear.) These were irrespon-
sible persons—young gentlemen of twenty-one and upwards
—political dependents of the Lord Lieutenants, and those
who have rendered themselves artful by their subserviency.
Were these the persons who should be allowed to decide on
the liberty, the property, and perhaps the lives of their
neighbours ?—(Hear.) I say, then, that we must have a
reform in the law in this respect. I would also have Local
Courts established throughout the country, by which justice
would be brought home to every man's door. I dare say
that there are many gentlemen present who would like to
see trade as free as possible/ Now, one of the first things
which I should like to see accomplished, and in regard to
which a free trade should be established, would be that the
country squires should be deprived of the control they now
have on the trade, and consequently, the price, of that ne-
cessary of life, bread.—(Cheers.) It might be supposed that
country gentlemen would be content to rest the maintenance
of the Corn-laws on something like argument ; but the
truth. is, that if a Member only gets up and tells the
House that he wishes to bring forward a motion, not for
the abolition but merely for the revision or even inquiry
respecting the operation of the Corn-laws, all the country
gentlemen instantly lose their tempers.—(Laughter.) They
think that they have a right to have corn at their own
price ; and if any independent Member, like my friend
Mr. Villiers, suggests an alteration of the Corn-laws, they
become indignant.—(Hear, hear, hear.) There is another
tax which is also very obnoxious which I would get rid of.
I do not know whether or not you feel any pressure from
the window-tax in this district, but I know that it is felt as
a most grievous burden in many places.--(Hear, hear.)
There are many means of raising the revenue without tax-
ing the light coming in at the windows.---(Hear, hear.),
Every tax pressing on the happiness and well-being of the
working classes should be altered and got rid of ; and, if it
was found necessary, the revenue could be raised by some
other less objectionable mode of taxation. There is another
reform which I cannot think necessary--if the term reform
can be used with reference to a thing which does not
exist--I wish, therefore, for the establishment of a
good system of education for the people at large.—
(Hear, hear, hear.) I do not wish to see our system
of national education reformed, because there is no such
system ; but I consider it to be the deepest disgrace to the
Government and Legislature of this country that we have
been so long without such a system. Englishmen boast
that this is the greatest and most civilised nation in the
world ; but I can mention three or four countries where
such a system of general education exists, and where the
operation has been found to be most beneficial and produc-
tive of the best consequences. One of the best things that
can be done for the attainment of such a result would be

to get rid of all the taxes on knowledge. Some persons
are only only able to read Newspapers ; and, in point of
fact, this is the only means of educating them. On that
ground the Newspaper tax should be abolished. I have
now referred to three or four kinds of reform which I am

.....
anxious to see effected. I wish for a reform in the Church,
a reform of the law, the establishment of a system of free
trade, and a good system of national education. In addition
to this I should also like to see carried out a thorough re-
form in the army and navy. I should like to see the system
of promotion in both services a little less aristocratic, and that

a greater chance of becoming officers was given to the lower
classes.—(Hear.) I wish that every man who behaves
well, whether belonging to the lower orders or not,
should have a chance of becoming an officer instead of the
probability being so slight as it is at presents—(Hear, bear,
and an exclamation, " 'Would y2u abolish flogging ?")
Does any man here present suppose that I would be a sup-
porter of such a debasing system as flogging ?—( Hear, hear,
hear.) Whenever I have had an opportunity I have voted
against the continuance of this system, and I shall ever
continue to do so ; and, as regards myself, I confess if I
were a soldier that I would rather be shot than flogged.—
(Cheers.) We have been told that the discipline of the
army could not be kept up without resorting to the lash ;
but I am satisfied that this could be done if care were taken
that men of better character were enlisted into the service ;
let sucli men have a fair chance of rising and becoming
officers, and then the debasing lash might be got rid of:—
( Ileos, hear, hear.) These, then, are some of the re-
forms which I wish to obtain ; but how are we to get
them, how are we to attain this end ?—( A voice, " By
sending you to the House of Commons.") Not a bit
of it.—(Laughter.) Not by sending me but by send-
ing 300 men like me you would do something.—(Hear,
hear.) But let toe add, that sending me in would
not bo altogether useless ; for I am in the habit of
stating my opinions on any subject, and in any place,
openly, fairly, and fearlessly, regardless of the conse-
quences.—(Cheers.) For the attainment, then, of the ob-
jects I have just alluded to, the first great thing is that the
people should be fully and fairly represented in the House
of Commons.—(Cheers.) Does any man suppose that the
people are fully represented now ?—(No, no.) It would be
a mere farce to say so ; it would be throwing dust in the
eves of the people to tell them that they were represented.
No doubt a great deal had been done by the Reform bill,
but that measure wa.s; as it were, only taking one step when
we had a mile to proceed.—(Hear, hear.) There were
even at the present moment a great many rotten boroughs,
and a great deal of corruption prevailed in several of the
stnaller boroughs. Before you can obtain the reforms you
want'there must be a change in the House of Commons ;
and before it can be made truly to represent the people se-
veral things must be clone. You must, in the first place,
have an extensio❑ of suffrage.—(Hear.) It is not possible
to unite men of all shades of opinion, and not being dis-
posed to frighten men not disposed to go all the Way, I
confess 1 should be satisfied with Household Suffrage—
(Hear, hear, and hisses)---although I am not an enemy to
even a more extended suffrage ; but Household Suffrage
is a very good step.—(Hear, hear.) It is absolutely ne-
cessary that electors should be protected by the vote by
ballot.—(Loued beers.) I was always favourable to the
Ballot, as I considered that it was necessary for the protec-
tion of the voters jp smaller constituencies ; but since the
commencement of the present canvass I think it is also ne-
cessary for the protection of the electors of Westminster.
I had thought that in a great constituency the people were
ire° and could vote as they pleased, but to my great sur-
prise I found that even in Westminster, which justly is con-
sidered the first constituency in the kingdom, the greatest.
coercion and restraint and intimidation is resorted to for the
purpose of preventing the independent exercise of the fran-
chise. I find that great ladies are going about canvassing
for the other side, and resorting to proceedings which are
utterly unjustifiable. I have had several persons come to
me within the last few days and said in nearly the same
terms, " I agree with you in politics, but my Lord such a
one will take away his custom ; my Lady such a one has
threatened to ruin me if I vote for you."—(Cries of
" Name.") Why should I name the parties, when I dare
say many present know many instances of such proceed-
ings ? If in a constituency like. Westminster such intimi-
dation is carried on, what must it be in the smaller bo-
roughs where there are two or three hundred voters, and
where one or two great families could ruin several fami-
lies if they voted against them ?—( Hear, hear.) I
would, therefore, say agitate, agitate, agitate, until you ob-
tain the Ballot, which is the only secure protection to the
voter. In order to get such a House of Commons as you.
wish, you must 4160 get rid of that most absurd law re-