The Sun.
London, England, 1830-01-30 00:00:00

the sum of ore shilling to pay tl►e turnplie. Nothit,t-
would save the country but a %Try huge rem'
of taxation—the knife and sponge. most both be ap.
plied—the -latter par hilly, and the fol trier with :in
,insparing hand. He had long a.drocated the jug.
:ice of a reform of Parrament; but no,v he was
more than ever convinced of the necessity of that
measure. It would be dangerous and infamous to
again resort to that measure which had, in a great
degree, produced all the evils we were suffering.
What wipe off the old score, and commence anew?
Never did he hope to see that day. The Duke of
Wellington was a bold man, and, he beleved, a►►
honest man ; he had accomplished a measure of
great justice to the Catholic aristocracy, which no
former Minister had ventured to attempt. Ile
trusted he would have courage to look fearlessly at
the dreadful state to which the country had been
reduced ; that he would call the people to his aid ;
!hat he would grant them reform, without which
we never could expect indemnity for the past, nor
security for the future. The national debt hung like
a millstone round the necks of the people, and para-
lyzed their energies.• We were up to our necks in
misery, but, perhaps, not until Ire we were chin
deep, cr ear deep, would all parties unite in a cry
for that reform, which alone could restore the nation
to a healthy and prosperous state. He was no party
man, but he trusted that all parties would join in
praying for reform, without which there could be
no hope for the country. As the gentlemen who
had gone before him had not offered any petition to
the meeting, he would take the liberty of submit,
tiny one which he had prepared; and should the
prayer of it be granted, he had no Joubt of prospe-,
tity being soon restored to the nation.
The petition of Mr. James was seconded by the
Rev. Mr. BENSON, the Rev. gentleman observing,
that he seconded it, rather than have it fall to the
ground.
Mr. BLAMIRE again stepped forward, and stated,
that he had wished the various facts of the petition
to be proved by the different gentlemen who were
to address the meeting, before proposing hiS peti-
tion ; hut as another course seemed now desirable,
he would move a petition he had prepared. He
then read the following petition :

" To the Honourable the Commons of the United King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland in Parliament assembled.
" The petition of the Nobility, Clergy, Gentry, and Free-
holders of Cumberland, duly convened in county meeting,
" Humbly showeth,—That after fifteen years of unin-
terrupted peace, which heretofore was wont to bring pro- •
sperity and plenty, the burdens under which the people la-
bour become continually more oppressive, industry less
profitable, trade less successful, losses more extensive,
poverty more general, than at any period.
" That the distress is not confined to any one branch of
productive industry, but at the same time, and with equal
pressure, weighs down the landowner and the manufac-
turer, the shipowner and the miner, the employer and the
labourer; and profits decrease while wages fall, and the
cost of producing is barely exceeded by the selling price of
those staple commodities which, being native, are the
sinews of rational strength.
" That the fatal depression and general distress cannot
be ascribed to any visitation of Providence, or fault com-
mitted by the people. Greater efforts were never made to
overcome difficulties by increased exertions, and the
patient endurance of privations was never more examplary ;
yet property of almost every desctiption, unless arising
from fixed moneyed payments, still diminishes in value;
and since, in such varied instances, it is impossible to
assign special causes to each, the belief cannot be deemed
unreasonable that some general cause must be productive
of this common disaster.

" That your petitioners cannot contemplate the en-
hanced value of money, occasioned by the suppression of
the small paper currency, and the adoption of a high gold
standard, unaccompanied by a proportioned reduction of
taxation, without entertaining an earliest desire that your
Honourable House would be pleased to institute an inquiry
whether these measures may not have caused the distress,
which fills the nation with alarm ; and whether the addi-
tion to the value of money be not also a corresponding
addition to all incomes drawn frcm the public purse, and
to all taxes borne by the people. And would further pray
for a repeal of the malt and beer dutii.
" And your petitioners will ever pray, &c."
W. BROWN, Esq., of Tallentine Hall, seconded

the petition.
Mr. PETER DIXON (manufacturer of Carlisle)
moved, as an amendment, that the clauses in the
petition which related to the currency question
should be left out. _

H. HOWARD, Esq. of Corby-castle, seconded the
amendment.
-

The Rev. Mr. BENSON, of Cockermouth, now
that another petition was before the meet-
ing, would decline seconding the petition of Mr.
James.

No one having seconded Mr. James's petition, it
fell to the ground of course.
Mr. JAMES said, that as there was not a freeholder
to second him, he would move that the petititin of
Mr. Blamire be rejected, and no petition be sent up
at all.

The Sheriff declared this motion to be negatived
by the persons on whose account the meeting was
called.

The amendment was then put and rejected, and
the original petition carried.
Sir J. GRAHAM, Bart. M.P. for the county, then
came forward to move the thanks of the meeting to
the High Sheriff, for his readiness in calling the
meeting, and for his upright and impartial conduct
while presiding over it. He took the opportunity
of saving a few words on the questions which had
been discussed at the meeting. He had attended,
as he conceived it to be his duty, in order to ascer-
tain the sentiments of his constituents, as a guide
for him in the discharge of the trust they had placed
in his hands. From what he had heard. he had
come to the conclusion that-the distress was great,
and almost unexampled. He would not hastily
give an opinion which might hereafter hamper his
conduct upon the remedies proposed, but wait to
hear the propositions of Government, and the judg-
ment of men more skilled in such matters than him-
self—that he might come to a decision with
a full knowledge of all the facts. But as he
never wished to blink any great political question
when put to him by his constituents, he would
state candidly and explicitly his opinion on the ques-
don of Parliamentary Reform, which had been put
prominently forward by his friend Mr. James. He
did think that some reform of the representative
system was necessary, but deprecated any sweeping
measure of reform upon an untried theory. He
would not agree, at one fell swoop, to deprive the
freeholders of the country of their right of voting,
and take his chance of a more honest body of elec-
tors, upon some plan as yet undefined. A greater
portion of the spirit of the people ought to be in-
fused into the House of Commons. In the first
place, he would confer the elective franchise upon
all large towns, such as Manchester, Birmingham,
&c. He would next break up the corruptions of
corporations, and throw open the right ef voting to
all tax payers of a certain amount. In the coun-
' ties he would open the franchise :to the copy-
holders. The worthy Baronet next spoke of
what had been called the singular mixture of
parties which the present meeting exhibited. He
thought nothing was more natural than that
a common calamity should induce' men to act in
common, without reference to former differences
of opinion. It bed been said, the Meeting had
been got up to harass the Government of the Duke
of Wellington. Ile knew not what were the mo-
tives of others, but he felt himself clear of any such
imputation. Although he did not like the military
aspect of the Duke's Government, and very much
disapproved of the late prosecutions of the Press—
(Applause)—still he could never forget the debt
of gratitude this country owed to the Duke for his
nob!e military achievements ; he could not forget
that he was the compteror of Napoleon, and the
foremost man of all the world; that prudence, fore-
sight, and decision, had always marked his progress;
aud that now, more than ever, were these qualities
requisite to save the country from ruin. He (Sir
J. G.) hoped the Duke would emancipate himself
from those Councillors who were wedded to parti-
cular theories, and revise their monitory measures
1 hich had produced a greater ebangein property than