The Sun.
London, England, 1830-12-23 00:00:00

dressing 500 as respectable persona as any in this island,
and not-orie ofyon even know -the names of the members
or the Isle of Wight. I have already detained you so long
I will now conclude; but Al you have beard me, upon my
honour, with great patience, I roust express my gratitude
for the favourable attention you have bestowed upon me.
He then seconded the third resolution.
Mr. SAM= Pnlxo—l am sure you will kindly make
an excuse for any imperfections you may perceive in the
few observations I shall offer to your notice. Gentlemen,
this is the first time in my life that I was ever a ministerial
man, and yet I have always advocated the s►me
I have been called a radical, wishing to disturb the public
peace, because I wanted to see abuses remedied. But,
however much we may set about remedying abuses, 1 will
observe that, even if the elective franchise be extended to
the island generally, it will be worse than useless, unless
accompanied by vote by ballot. Some have indeed said it
is x sneaking manner of voting, but is it not better that
the poor man should be able to vote according to his con-
science? If this system were introduced, would corrup.
tion stalk about as she does now in the public streets.
Would any man attempt to bribe persons who voted by
ballot, and can many persons dare to vote conscientiously
unless by ballot. Freedom of election, without vote
by ballot would be a mere bugbear. Only look at the
late election at Liverpool ; see there how bribery and cor-
ruption walked publicly and boldly through the streets.
Could it have been so if they had voted by ballot. Look
at Southampton, again—the ballot is the only means of
enabling men to vote for persons who will stick up for the
liberties of the people. Look at Newark—those who were
honest enough to vote for Mr. Wilde were turned out of '
their lands, oat of their houses.—(Shame, shame.) Look
at Stamford ! Look too at this town, this nest of corrup.
tion, this peat to the state. Look at Yarmouth and New.
The patrons to this rotten borough are the same
to both the others. Although I have been called a radical,
I have at last accomplished what I aimed at. Who would
have thought a little time ago, that the Minister could be
deposed fur saying !' No Reform." lie then would have
been supported by his parasites against the efforts of the
people. ' Reform must come.—(Loud cheers. )—Look at
that milk and-water-petition which was got up to crush
the voioet.of this meeting; no sooner was this meeting de-

eilled on, Ifion out comes this milk-and• water concern.

Mr, Pring then regretted that their natural captains bad
seceded,. but he was. happy to find the troops could, never-
theless, lead on themselves, and concluded by proposing
the fourth resolution.

Mr, SAlts—l come forward under considerable emb a-
rgument ; fur this is not only the first time I ever at-
tempted to speak in public, but the first time I ev,r at•
tended a meeting on Reform. My principles of loyalty
and attachment to our venerable Constitution which have
caused me heretofore to abstain from mixing myself with
ouch meetings, are the very came which now bring me
forward. Such meetings before appeared to me to Ito
dictated by a party spirit, a spirit of opposition to the
ruling powers, and not to have arisen from conscientious
motives. But it has ple►ced Providence to bless us with
Ministry who will lay their shoulder to the wheel to
grant that relief to a long-sultering people which they so
anxiously desire. It can require no argument from me,
nor cm I bring forward any, to prove the necessity of a
Reform in Parliament; many others inure adequate have
already placed this matter in a most s tisfactory
In some cases a negative kind of reasoning is more perti-
nent; I will, therefore, point out to you some of these
abuses arising out of the undue influence of the Aristo-
cracy. I have heard that many persons in the Isle of
Wight have lately received threatening letters. I could
name to you one person, considered to be one of great
respectability, who has lately sent a threatening letter to
one whom I could also name ; this was soon followed by,
a second threatening letter, telling him that he bad cot
yet paid his rent. Is it not from the influence of such
threatening letters that we have not this room half full
of the yeomanry of the island. How can they who
wt he letters of this description, complain of threaten-
ing letters? I regret very much that the Ma-
gistracy of this Island should have so far forgotten their
duty as to refuse to smetion your meeting. The magis-
trates are our shepherd., and should assemble their flocks
around them, and not shrink from investigating the cane
of our distress. I ask whether their absence on this occa-
sion dO4 not prove conscious guilt. I suspect the yeo-
manry are not much afraid of threatening letters; they
should threaten the threateners. The farmers need only
skew themselves what they are to ensure respect. He
then seconded the fourth resolution.

Mr. Tttouas Dose Having been unexpectedly called
on to addresef thin respectable meeting, I trust you will not
expect that I should advance any thing new on the subject.
I sincerely-congratulate the movers of this measure on the
numerous and respectable company assembled here this
day, to encourage and support the proceedings which it
luut been thought desiratle to adopt. I trust you will all
sign the petition ; it in butte reavonable and just, that per.
sons who are to be governed, should have a vote in the
choke of those who form laws to govern, and levy taxes
for the support and maintenance of Government; but is
it right, is it to be borne, that these taxes should be im-
pond on the middling and lower orders, for the sake of
squandering them on placetnen and sineuurists ? Some
are fur a partial Reform, but this would only be a milk-
and-water measure, and would be of no avail, Our reso-
lutions breathe the spirit of benevolence and philanthropy,
not only embracing fur its object the amelioration of the
present generation, but extending its Lenefits to future ge-
nerations yet unborn. It is therefore our duty to parse.
were, in a firm, steady line of conduct, in respect to the
helanale, we have baud—a Reform, not partial, but per•
feet, complete, radical. The Church of England wan re-
ran-tea partially, years ago, awl further Reform was pro.
Wised, but it *till relivable the same. Should we succeed
in obtaining a just and legal representation, .should the
Holm -of Commons be restored to its former state, I have
res doubt it would he followed by very beneficial effects.
The British Constitution war originally good, consisting
of three Estates, this wan just and proper ; hut of late yearn
one of the three Estates, the Commons, has lost all its in-
fluence, and become little more than a tool in the hands of
Ministers, The House of Commons must accede to what
it proposed by the Peers, it is led entirely by them, But
when once we can vote by ballot, then we shall be able to
return such persons an shall ensure the prosperity of the
natirn.

The fifth resolution WAS then moved and passed un-
Anintausly.
Mr. Error,/ then rose, and having begged permission te
read a few remarks which he had committed to paper,
proceeded to read as follows :—Mr. Chairman and Gen.
tlemen, I rise on the present occasion with mingled feel-
ings of pleasure And 'egret. I am greatly delighted at
beholding so many of the yeomanry, freeholders, and
tradesmen of our sea•girt isle, assembled for one of the
most important objects that can possibly occupy the atten-
tion of men. I sincerely regret that toy abilities to do
justice to the glorious cause, are in no degree equal to my
zeal, hut, as the object of our meeting today, is to benefit
eseentildly the present and every future generation, a per.•
feet silence on my part would be a dereliction of duty. I
Brunie I need not say, Sir, for your information, nor for the
information of a greet majority in this assembly, that dif-
ferent nations have different forms of government, hut I
hope you will hear with me, while I advert to this, for the
Information of those who have never, or but very lately
*meted the mazy labyrinth of politics. Some nations
lodge the supreme power in one men!, then it is called mo-
narchical ; others place it in the nobles, and then it is de-
nominated aristocratical ; others prefer resting the govern.
ment in the halide of the people, in which Cat: it has the
Appellation of a democracy; (Mr. Eaton was here inter;-
esapted by several exclamations of, "'What has 'all this to
At, with the question," "Come to the point at once."
Hier a Aunt pause, however, be resumed.) The British
Government is a compound of the three; being runner.
thical, aristocratic, and democratic, all in one, anti no.
thing could endanger or laid the Constitutional Given:-
meet of Britain, but destroying the equilibrium of power,
between one branch of the legislature and the rest, and
suck a change however effected, is according to the cele-
brated Mr. Locke, at once an entire dissolution of the
betide of Government, and the people are thereby reduced
to a state of anarchy, with liberty to constitute to them•
street; a new legislative power. I know, Sir, that there
are hundreds, nay, thousands in this kingdom, and there
may be souse possibly in this room, who, because they
have their hands deep in the country's enckat, think, or
ember say they think that all such meetings as this, bar,
for their object the overthrow of the Constitution. Well,
Eir, for eminent, and for argument's Hike I will admit
it, but why wish to overturn it? because, Sir, the wrong
side of it is uppermost; many Galata have COWlbintd to
overturn it, awl especially the all absorbing power of the
aristoerAcy, for by depriving the Commons of England of
as foil and fair representation in the Commons House of
Parliatrient, they hive, first, (by destroying the equili.
Win eor ;poseur) turned it upside down, ma that instead of
tellehling it m its original purity cud glory, like the meri•
di4ll turn Atritillog a glory and a salutary 'Milieu,* on the
comMunity, it is eclipsed, and we now see and feel
too often, that only its dark side is presented to us.
We aro root hem to lay the foundation of a petition to
ParliaMent for its sesturatii,u, and, if I nmy say so, to
pat our shoulders wider one tide of it, while his Majesty's
Ministers are exerting themselves in the same cause to turn
it back again; then shall we see its original beauty. no
great defect in ()Ur present system of representation is, that,