The Sun.
London, England, 1837-07-31 00:00:00

altered by the smiles of office or the temptations of place.
Hear.) The Tories attempted to malign his character,
but it was unassailable, and especially by those who had so
little character themselves. No man stood higher in the esti
mation of his country, and the name of Hume will be immortal
in the history of our times.—(Cheers, laughter, and groans.)
He (Mr. T.) called upon the people of Middlesex to support
Mr. Hume, but for the honour of that Gentleman, not as a re-
ward for his past services, or an acknowledgment of his merit,
but for their own sakes end the good of the country.—( Cheers
and great uproar.) If they deserted their own cause,
and turned their backs upon Mr. Hume on this occasion, he,
(Mr. T.) confidently prophesied that they would ever repent it.
Colonel CLITHEROE came forward to nominate Mr. Wood,
and he was for some time inaudible, from the uproarious
cheering of Mr. Wood's parts', and the groans and hoot-
ings of the crowd beyond then. His said he could not
expect so calm and undisturbed a hearing upon this oc-
casion as upon one of less excitement, and he would
content himself Lich proposing Charles Wood, EAT ,
Littleton,of
as - a et and proper person to represent this county
in Parliament, and ns the
man who would oppose the machi-
nations
of O'Connell and his tail. —( Loud cheers and groans )
That agitator would trample on everything dear to English-
rnen, and it was the duty of every man, who valued the honour
and liberties of his country to' assist in crushing the tail.—
(Cheers. )
Sir J. GIBBON, in seconding the nomination of his friend
Mr. Wood, wished to make one or two observations upon
the addresses of those gentlemen who had proposed the other
candidates, but on account of the uproar of cheering and groans
we followed him with great difficulty. Tho electors had been
told that Mr. Byng was the paragon of consistency.
—(Hear.)—But how was his present conduct consistent
with his previous life and character? Ile had now wade him-
self the first link of Hume's tail.—( Cheers.) Was it con-
sistent of Mr. Byng to form a coalition, to bind himself up
with a man who had recently declared in the House of Com-
mons that he would vote black was white? Byng had
said that:he could not desert a man who bad done so much
service to the country. But how did Mr. Hume behave in
return ? Why, as soon as he got into Parliament he made a
violent attack on his friends.—( Hisses.) It was pretended
that the Tories would wrest their liberties from the
people. But what have the Whigs done for the liberties
of the people ?—(Cheers, and groans.) They made a
great boast of their love of economy. To be sure
they economized in some small things, but how many hundreds
of Commissioners had they appointed with large salaries, and
without necessity.---( Uproar.) It had been said that if the
Conserve is, a got into i ower—( Laughter, and cries of " Dont
you wish you may get it?").—they would take away the liber-
ties of the people.—(Cheers.) All he would say was, that
those men now iii power had already done so. They had given
liberty to those who supported them, and taken it from
their opponents. He would not detain them longer than by
saying, that let the Conservatives come into power when
they would, the country would not get a worse set of men
than those whom their late representatives supported. He
cordially seconded the nomination of Mr. Wood, and would
call upon the electors, if Mr. Hume said anything, to ask him
whether he meant to say that white was black, or black
white ?—( Hissing and groans, with partial clitmeiros.)
J. S. STRACIIAN, Esq., then came forward, and said he
stood there with very great satisfaction to propose as a fit and
proper person to represent the county of Middlesex in Parlia-
ment, his Hon. Friend Henry Pownall, Esq.—( Hisses.) If
his friend had no claim upon them for past services, on the
other hand he had no political sins to coefess—no political
errors to retract or repair. The only character in which Mr.
Pownall was kn iwn to them:was in that of a private gentleman
residing in their neighbourhood, and amongst those who
knew him he fearlessly asked whether there was any gen-
tleman in the neighbourhood who was more entitled to
the respect, affection, and confidence of the electors of
that great esenty ? He (Mr. Strachan) would never be
a party to a contest of personalities—that was a contest of
principles. He asked, fearlessly, whether there was known
among the electors a gentleman who was more the friend to
all things which tended to the welfare of the people ?—( Oh,
oh.) It was on his character as a friend of the people that he
(Mr. S.) stood by him on that occasion. He saw a banner
before him, claiming for their opponents to be the friends and
supporters of the education of the people. Even on that ground
he would meet them, and ask, who had been more the friend of
the people in that point than Mr. Pow ; and he would point
to the schools in the neighbourhood which had been instituted
by Mr. Pownall.—( Cheers, and cries of " Humbug 1") Their
Hon Friends claimed and justly claimed, that they were en-
titled to support, because they lied supported that great achieve-
ment, the abolition of slavery ; but without wishing to pluck
one feather from the cap of any one, he would say it was
the people who had won that glorious achievement, and who
had been more zealous in the cause than Mr. Pownall ?
His whole life had been spent in promoting the mitigation of
misery, the spread of knowledge, and the promotion of religion,
and everything which would tend to the welfare of the people.
While h's motto would be justice to all, he never would make a
fraudulent compact with one party which would tend to the
annihilation of another, which was the great support of the
Church. To the Church, as e‘tablished by law, he would be
an honest and unflinching friend—( Hisses) —while he would
to every abuse be found an unflinching and holiest opponent.
He would be the friend of rational economy, while to pre-
tended economy lie would ever be opposed. The Queen
would never find a more loyal subject, the people a more
stanch friend, or the county a more intelligent and consistent
Legislator.—( Hisses.)
General Sir EDWARD BARNES seconded the nomination of
Mr. Povima 1, amidst groans, cheers, and great uproar. He
saw that they were impatient to hear the sentiments of the
several candidates, and lie should therefore content himself
with merely recommending to them Henry Pownall, Esq., as
a fit and proper candidate to represent thetas in Parliament.—
( Cheers, and great uproar.)
The SHERIFF then enquired if there were any other candi-
dates to be proposed, and being answered in the negative,
GEORGE BYNO, Esq. came forward, and was received with
loud and very general cheering. This was followed by great
uproar and hooting from a knot of the Conservative party who
were stationed in front of the hustings, and who commenced
a fight. which soon became general. The uproar and confu-
sion having lasted for some minutes,

Sir JAtki-ti s DUKE requested that the mooting would give
Byng and all thq other candidates a patient hearing.—
tenewed uproar and fighting.)

The S:icriff then called for the high constables, and after
the lapse of two or three minutes one of them appeared in
frant of the hustings, and the sheriff directed him to have the
persons fighting in frcnt of the hustings removed, for tho pre-
servation of the public peace.—(Great cheering.)
A body of constables then proceeded into the crowd, the
Conservative gentlemen on tl:e hustings crying ‘. Sname,
shame." Order Ir:ing been by this means partially restored,
Mr. BYNG proceeded as follows—Gentlemen I appear be-
fore you for the fourteenth time, to solicit the honour of your
suppert.—(Applause.) And, Gentlemen, I can fearlessly
assert, that I have served you with zeal and fidelity.—( Cheers. )
But, gentlemen, on the present occasion there are two gentle-
men who have come forward in the anti-Reform interest,—

(" No, no," from the friends of the Conservative party.)
What arc you?—(Great cheering.) They have come for-
ward against the two old Members who have on all occasions
supported Reform.—(Great uproar.) Gentlemen, they say
that there is no man in his senses who would give me 11;s sup-
port r fter allowing my name to be mixed up with Mr. Fume's
after:his conduct to me. Gentlemen, I deny such an imputation
against Mr. Hume ; that gentleman has always treated me with
the greatest kindness and friendship. The next objection
to me is, that I am an enemy to the Church.--( Cheers, and
cries of " No, you are not.") Gentlemen, having lived now
for many years, I have had opportunities without end of show-
ing my attachment to the Church. It is almost incredible for
me to state to you the opportunities I have had of showing my
attachment to the Church. Gentlemen, within the last two
years and a half I have spent nearly 7,0001. in building
churches.—( Cheers, and much confusion.) Gentlemen, I will
tell you why they object to me. It is on account cf the
part I took on the Church-rate question.—( Hear.) The
Dissenters have only within the last two years stated that the
Church was a grievance. If they tell us it is a grievance to
them, as all happiness is in the mind—if the Dissenters can
get rid of it. I say they are very much in the right to try to
do so. If I was a Dissenter and could legally get rid of it, I
would do so. Gentlemen, his Majesty's Ministers Wished to
provide some substitute in the room of Church-rates, and for
that purpose they moved certain resolutions in favour of which
I voted, because until those resolutions had passed, they could
not introduce any Bill upon the subject.—( Hear, and long
continued cheering.) Gentlemen, to show you the spirit
that actuates those who oppose me, they stated
at the time, that those resolutions were under discussion, that
it was the intention of Ministers by them to destroy all Church
property. Now that I deny, and. I fearlessly assert their in-
tention was not to destroy, but to repair and beautify the in-
stitutions of the Church, and to give further security to the
property of the Church.—(Cheers.) Gentlemen, I also
voted for an inquiry into the amount of Church property, be-
cause I was of opinion that the clergy as a body were bound to
see that the property of the Church was properly administered;
and if they have not done so, I cannot see how they, as a
body, should be exempt from inquiry. Gentlemen, those who
profess to be supporters of the Church may talk as they please;
I say, they are only nominally so ; and I should like to ask
them how far they would come forward for the purpose of sub-
scribing to the reparation and rebuilding of Churches ? Gen-
tlemen, there is not one in ten among those who profess to be
supporters of the Church would come forward and subscribe
to such a purpose.—(Cheers.) The next objection to me is,
that after the last contest I wrote a letter in severe language
against the Tories.—( Tremendous uproar.) I deny that
I did so the letter that I wrote was against those
who called themselves Conservatives —(Cheers and increased
confusion. )—Another objection to me is, that on the second
day of the last election, I had influenced 400 of my friends to
give their votes to Mr. Hume. I deny most emphatically and
positively that I did so. I deny that I ever influenced a sin-
gle vote.—(Great cheering e and confusion.)—l deny Gen-
tlemen most positively, that I ever transferred the electors
who voted for me over to Mr. Hume as so much 3 per cent.
conTols.—(Great cheering and laughter.).—But gentlemen
what have those who oppose me done.—(Great cheering)—
I might accuse our Tory opponents of having descended to
unfair and unhandsome means of opposing both myself and
my Hon. Friend (Mr. Hume), but I do not intend to do so.
They have spent a great deal of money in circulating hand-
bills and placards, in which nay personal character has been
openly attacked. I do not accuse Mr. Pownall or Mr. Wood
of havint done this, because I think those gentlemen altoge-
ther incap:sble of dcing so ; but a handbill has been sent forth
in whieh it is broedly stated that I have sold nn self to the
present Government., —( Confusion, cheers, and uproar.) I
need hardly say in ,be prose nee oF those who new hoar me
this statement is decidedly tint; ue____(Cheers and groass.)
entered the House of Commons with a firm determination

never either to ask or accept a favour—(Cheers)—and to th
determination I have most scrupulously adhered. eisl nigh:
had I been swinclined, obtained a peerage from the Duke c,
Portland, at the time of his dissgreement with Mr. Fox
Again, in 1806, I might have had a peerage from Mr. Fox,
but I refused it—( Cheers)—and I did so for this re,.
son, that I found fault with the mannncr in which Mr.
Pitt had disposed of Peerages—( Cheers and groans)_.
it being always my opinion that no peerage should le
conferred unless for service rendered to the State. le e
Peerage was to be conferred in me family I considered my
brother more entitled than myself from his long services ii
the army. [This part of the Hon. Gentleman's speech we
almost entirely interrupted by the groans and confusion mice
by the opposite party.] My brother, after having served abroad
during the whole of the Peninsular wet., in which he never at
mined a higher rank than that of Major-General, was on hi.
return sent to the North of England to preseree the publi
peace in that part of the country, and • he did so during
period of 12 years, without having occasion during that
tirre to fire a single shot.—(Cheers.) He was then re-
moved to Ireland as the Commander of the Forces, and we,
mainly instrumental in restoring, in a great degree, the poem
f that country.—(Cheers.) Gentlemen, during the first
forty years' of my public life in Parliament, I was uniformli
opposed to the Government of the day—(Groans from th;
Tories)—but I stand before you now as the supporter of her
Majesty's present Ministers, who have also the confidence am.
support of her Majesty.—(Cheers and yells.) [Here the calif
for Mr. Hume became very loud, but the groaning surpassed
anything of the kind we have heard for some time.]
Mr.. Hums came forward, but was assailed with such a
volley of groans and hisses from the opposite piny, mixed with
the cheering of his friends, that it was some time before he
could proceed. He at length said "If those good natured
people who were making this noise could only hold their
tongues, I would shortly offer a few observations to you.
—( Hear, hear, and groans.) I stand before you not as
an untried man. I have ever since I held a seat in Parliament
been the inveterate opposer of the Torie I now present my-
self to you as the friend of freedom and of our Most Gracious
Queen ; end I care not one farthing either for the Cumber
land faction or the revolutionary principles ; and I here tell
Sir John Gibbon, and all those who support the Duke of
Curnherlend, that they are decided enemies to the liberties
of this country. I tell them also that all friends of free
institutions are thorns in the sides of the Tories.—( Hear.)
I stand before you as a tried man, while the Tories stand con-
victed as the oppressors of their country. Who goaded and
ground the people? The Tories. Who encumbered and over-
burdened the Civil List ? The Tories. Is there, I would
ask, any one good act which can be attributed to them as
body ? I know of none. It is true that there arc some good
men amongst the Tories, and it is also true that some of there
have recently changed their opinions ; but I have not changed
my opinions—they are the same. I came here to seek the
suffrages and support of my fellow-countrymen, without
piecing any dependence upon the Tory magistrates, the
ry clergy c r the Tory aristo wacy—( Loud groans and hisses)
—I feel the ignorance of these men—they are groaning the
voice which has been raised in the worst of times in their
he'talf against oppression.—(Uptoar.)—Allusion has beet:
mcdc to education—Gentlemen, who, I would ask, for 25
years has supported education in parliament, when the Tories
opposed it ? I have.—( Cheers. )--Who h: a promoted every
measure to relieve the pressure of taxation upon these unfor-
'unato men? I have done it.—(Cheers.)—Did the Tories
ever take off a tax ? No, gentleme-n. Pensions, sinecures,
aod snug appointments have been the sale; objects of that
government andithat Farty,—(Loud groaning.) It was their
ui:iform policy, and they could not conduct a Government a
to ere without corruption.—(Cheers, followed by great uproar
Had hootieg from the Tory party. ) I should be ashamed of
my self if I cleared the rail-road to hire men to come and dis-
tu b the public peace. We can only pity them.—(Cries of
Who did it?") Who has done it? I ask. I have not done
i:. Now, Gentlemen, I am, as I before stated to you, a steady
advocate for all Reforms in Church and Stare. I supported
the Refo:m Bill, which the Tories opposed. lam an advocate
for the extension of the suffrage, which the Tories always op-
posed, lam for triennial Parliaments, which the Tories are
adve se to. In short, lam an enemy to all the measures they
support. lam an advocate for the vote by ballot against op-
pression, which the Tories have always opposed. lam for sup-
porting the Queen and her Reform Ministers, but the
Tr:es are opposed to them. Look at their banners on which
education is so conspicuously ernblezoned. Why, I was the
advocate of education before Mr. Wood was out of trowsere
—( Great laughter)--and I was the friend of education before
M-. Pownall was known among, you. Gentlemen, I rejoice
to find any man promoting the cause of education, and I
would be that man's friend—it is one of those qualities of
which I approve ; but in Mr. Pownali's case it is the only one
which deserves the support of the Reformers. I would cor-
rect the abuses of the Established Church. For twenty
years I have advocated reform in that Church ; and I tell
my opponents, and every man, that I have been the hest friend
of the Church by endeavouring to put an end to the abuses ex-
isting in it, and they are the enemies of the Church and Consti-
tution who would support the monstrous abuses by which that
Church has been degraded and disgraced.—(Cries of " The
Poor Lew Bill," and great groaning.) These unfortunate nick
are keeping up a cry about the Poor Law 'all, but they for-
get that I have been the friend of the poor for eight
Parliaments.—( Cheers.) lam ready to defend any vote
of mine upon that and every other measure. I have been
always the decided friend and advocate of Reform ; and if I
had the power I would carry through every branch cf the
Chu: oh and State, with a view of lessening the corruption
that exists, and the evtravagant exeenditure that has resulted
from it.--( Renewed groaning.) It is impossible, with such
company as we have here to-day, to do more than
repeat what I have done in every part of the county—
( Hear, hear)—and what I am prepared to state when
an of portunitywecene—..bat lam no altered man. Let me be
judged by my conduct for the last twenty-five Years —( Cheers
:cut' :rat
gei
nne gvaie,:edt,hi
t.ehrre
ialevtneids
c,
ootlfhl
teti rnheuefeondriei
theirl, aiosn an
thatcu advocatefianr,d.yt
and uproar.) My acts I hold up triumphantly, and I dare an
y
end
com,:aartile evit
to this );hoclisalrec,
wveinn'sdtecardewof".tlhieo many. My whether in or out of Parliament my voice shall be raised and
inGytneeffrilairrntsendtirbecenteedficaigiaittotstthtehafet
the
is good and cheap Government, and my doctrine is civil and re
l:g ous liberty—equal civil rights to all men, whatever creed they-
ofess. lam not one of those narrow-minded, higot ed men,
woo presumptuously say, " I alone ant holy," as many of
th s who are of paced to me say. Ile .re to these presump
tuoes men to settle that with their consciences. I have
thrtughout opposed Tory principles and the Tory s
it m—l have exposed the Duke of Cumbei land, and
I happy to see him there.—( Pointing to the effigy,
whi :h occasioned immense cheering and great lauohter.)
He has always been the head of the Tories, and they rejoice
in his support. His principles have been always theirs, and
he has cedeavoured to carry them out by the abolition cf the
liberCes of the people of Hanover. If you elect the two
Tories who arc our opponents, you elect men who are opposed
to reform, to civil and religious liberty, to her Majesty's
Government, clad to her Majesty's principles.-_(
Cheers.)
El.ct them, and they will carry out the Duke of Cumber.
lan I a system in England whenever they can.—( Cries from
the Conservative candidates' friends in the hustings, w That's
not fair.") The line between us is a broad and distinct mee—
support Toryism and you hug oppression—support the Duke
of Cumberland's party and you have nothing but slavery and
ospscssion to expect, with a severe military dominion.
I take the other course.—( Tremendous uproar.)
I am for Reform, and I wish I could reform these chaps_
(pointing to the mob.) I wish I could reform the Tories,
who have left the country in the darkness which has
enabled such scenes to take place—they have always op-
pose
d the enlightenment of the people. I have no hesita-
tion in saying that I quarrel with their principles--.I object
to no man privately, but I say that those who profess prin-
cip es so injurious to the liberties of this country cannot be
the friends of the human race, and I tell you that the result of
good government in this country will be the spreading
of liberality all over the world.—( Hear, hear, hear.)
The people of England have now the choice—liberty
to 'hem, and freedom to the world; cr if the Tories succeed,
Hanoverian sauce to the whole country.—( Cheers and
laughter.) As to personal remarks, I cat.:only say that I de-
spise them. I have been too long before the public, andj
have stood up in times much more unfavourable than the pre-
sent—l have stood forward when the people—not in-such a
mass as I see- here before me—were driven to forge their own
chains by returning men of the same party as those who are now
put forward against me and my late Hon. Colleague. One
gentleman told you that Mr. Pownall is a friend to education.
Well, I give him every credit for that : and there is another
thing for which I also give him credit—l give him credit for
supporting the Reform Bill. But he is now a turncoat.—(En-
, reaced uproar.) There, I see the name of Joseph Hume
held up yonder. But you will never be able to say that
Joseph Hume was a turncoat.--(Cheers and uproar.) I will
ask Mr. Pownall to explain here how it is that after voting
for the Reform Bill, he is now one of the tail of the Duke of
Cumberland?-_( Increased uproar, aided by several gentlemen
on the hustings, who were whistling and producing strange
-noises by striking their hands upon their mouths, and other
expedients.) Yes, the Duke of Cumberland is the head and
leader of their party.—( Hear, hear.) They may talk of Dan.
O'Connell and his tail. But where'is the Torya-where is there
one of the Cumberland tail, that can hold up his head to
Daniel O'Connel the great agitator in the cause of his coun-
try, and of good government?—(Cheers and indescribable tu-
mult.)—Some gentleman says that I have got a tail, but I
should be sorry to have such a tail as the Hanoverian Devil.—
( Cheers, laughter and groaning.)—The Tories cannot deny
that they are his tail. I say nothing of them in their private
life. I know that in England we have good men of every
party, and Ido not quarrel with my opponents here to-day as
men. It is with their principles I quarrel.—(The interrup-
tion was hero so great, that Mr. Hume was obliged to stop for
sonic seconds. )—I see the name ofJoseph Flume held up there,
bat who can say any thing about him ?—(Renewed uproar.)
I have something more to say to you, but as I am
overruled by those persons there, I will not detain you longer.
I will only say, that if the people of Middlesex have altered
their principles, I have not altered mine, and in God's
name let them reject me. If they have altered from the
principles of patriotism and public virtue—if they have
adopted Hanoverian principles—then let them elect Mr.
\Vocd and Mr. Pownall, who unquestionably are more fit to
represent the principles of the Duke of Cumberland than my
colleague or myself. I stand here as an independent man. I
ask
you to send me to. Parliament not as part of any tail, but
as the representative of this great county, and the friend of
the tights and interests of the whole people.—(Cheers.)
rest my hopes upon the free suffrages of the enlight-
ened electors, which I value much more than the
wt of ouch hirelings as the herd before me. I have no
doubt the electors of Middlesex will draw the line distinctly.
I have no doubt they will rightly discriminate between nay col-

leaguge and myself on the one hand, ;as the supporters
of the Queen and the friends of liberal principles, and Wood
and Powaall, who are Tories by connection—Tories by pro-
' ssion—and Tories in practice. If Tories be returned to
Parliament by the peoale, the country will he placed in den-
rer of seeing its Constitution destroyed by the Ilmoverien
rectum—( lean., hear. ) Every man whe wishes to have
Hanoverian sauce every day of his life will vote for
Mr. Wood and Mr. Pownall, but every friend of civil and re-
ligious liberty will vote for us. I have always been the ft iend
of civil and religious liberty, and no one can honestly deny
hat I have always been the zealous friend of the education of
:he people; for I know that if the people were once restored
'o their own rights, I could deal with them better than I can
deal with that mob before the hustings. For keep the people in
ignorance was always the study of the Tories; for they know
that they could not make such use of them as they are making
if they were properly educated ; and God knows what would
have been the consequence if I, and others who noted with
,ne in Parliament for the last 20 ycar3, lied not laboured to make
the people understand their rights, and assisted to obtain them. I
say no mere. I have only to call on you to vote for two Reform
candidates. Ido not ask you to vote for Byng and Hume. I
ask you to vote for the principles—_l ask you to vote for your-
selves and for the country. I thank you .for your past favours,
and I hope that before many days I shall have again to thank
you from my place as the Member for Middlesex. If you think
that I am less fit to serve you than I was when you last sent
roe into Parliament, you will of course reject me ; but I must
assure you that lam unchanged. I am, and ever shall be,
levoted to your interests. I have done my duty, and no one
act shall I ever do to disgrace the name of Joseph Hume.—
( Loud cheering.)
Mr. WOOD then appeared, and was received with loud
cheering, which even himself could not stop till the hired men
thought they had earned their money. He said, Gentlemen,
lend me your attention; I have a stake in this election, and it
is my duty to lay before you the principles upon which my
:lon. Friend and I stand. We are on our trial, and we sub-
mit ourselves to your judgment. When the Friends by whom
we are supported thought of the dangerous principles advo-
cated by the Government of his late Majesty with respect to
the Church, they though it their duty to bring forward two
gentlemen determined to oppose such principles. What he
had to determine was whether there was such a concurrence
between his Hon. Friend and himself to justify them in the
open coalition which they had formed. Gentlemen, there is
such a concurrence between us, that I was justified in the
course I have taken, and that without any damage to my
private character or public honour.—(Cheers.) It is not for
:no to pronounce whether the coalition which exists between
he other two candidates is warranted by private honour or
public principles—that is a question for the electors to deter-
mine. Our late respectable member has explained to you
the position in which he stands—is that explanation satisfac-
tory' to you.—( Yes, yes.) I would remind that respectable
gentleman of a coalition of public men which took place in
ohs early days—that coalition was not founded upon principle,
and it therefore met with the reprobation of the British public.
I tell you, Gentlemen, that the British public will discounte-
nance not only the unprincipled coalition which exists now
aeon the hustings, but also the still more unprincipled coali-
tion of a profligate Government—(Cheers and much hissing)
—who for electioneering purposes are making so infamous a
use of their influence in favour of men who entertain principles
in which they tritely they cannot concur—of men whom they
know to be inimical to the existence of the Church, while at
the same time they are putting into the lips of our gracious
Sovereign a pledge to uphold the Established Church
and other institutions, all of which are the very hatred
of the men they are now supporting. Our late respectable
Member referred to his vote on the Church-rate question.
Does he mean to say that by voting for those resolutions he did
sot sanction the principles of the Government ? Are his views
n accordance with those of their other late Member, Mr.
Hume ? But, my friends, the question you have to determine
:s not a personal one—yeu have to determine whether you will
this (lay sanction those dangerous principles which are making
small beginnings, but which must end in the desecration of
the Church 1 What is the propositions of the Government ?
In Ireland they propose to alienate a portion of the
Church property, under the pretence of tranquillizing the
country, thereby making concessions to a partyisvho tell you
het it is not a part they want, but the whole, and the whole
they are revolved to obtain. Instead of trenquillizing that
country it will and must have a very different effect, for it wiil
,rill inevitably raise a cry against the rents of the landlords,
,and a demand for the repeal of the Legislative Union, which is
the mainstay of the United Church.—(Cheers.) With re-
,pect to England, the question is, whether you will, under
hr pretence of conceding to the conscientious feelings of the
Dissenters, fur whom no one has a greater respect than my-
mdf—whether you will concede to them that great principle,
:hat it is 'ithe paramount duty of the State to maintaie the
.2ublic worship of God in the land, and to maintain its fabric
from tho public purse. But it is ever, more than that, for the
proposition of the Government goes this length—make over
the bishops' lands—make over the lands of the deans end
chapters into the hands of our paid Commissieners—
(Cries of " Hear, hear").—we will maintain your Bishops on
pensioned salaries ?---( Great confusion. )—Why, how con e
expect that honoerable, that independent, and that up:-fight
conduct which we expect from the Prelates of our Church,'' if
:re degrade their character, invede their property, and render
•hem the stipendiaries of any Government that may exist?—
Gentlemen, there is a scene in our history which I wish to
.ccall to your minds. When the Prelates of this conetry,
having refused to sanction the arbitrary ordinances of James
the Second,a were sent as prisoners down the river Thames—
( Cheers)—they refused to premulgate the ordinances of
that tyrant, and what was the consequence ? Their
acquittal led to the Revolution.—(Tremendous cheering.)
Call we expect such conduct again if we make them nothing
but officials 1—( Cheers, and great uproar.) No, Gentlemen,
it is tic; principle of the Church that she shall be indepen-
dent, and that she shall not yield to the popular caprice of
the day, or the dictates a Monarchical Government.—
( Cheers.) What was the harangue, and of what did it
consist, of the other honourable candidate ? It was a
dill, monotonous tirade about Toryism.—( Hear, and cheers.)
According
independence, statementiri
those
integrity,
who
vl,l.zetdre
then
fc'e
lil'
gth sv
ofo con-
sistency,m.erethe bond slaves of pa; Cheers.) If I was an elector of
aliddlesex, no consideration should make me barter my in-
s
e ce •
cience —( Cheering.) I admit, if I saw Government
.
to his
a
cernposed of men of taleet and virtue, that I should on all
occasions, if my conscience edinitted of it—( Cries of " Oh yes,
your conscience o—give them a free, disinterested, and
nonourable support—(Cheers)—but I would never aart with
that best gift of heaven, the free conceptions and expression of
my feelings.—(Grunt cheering and uproar.) I will fearlessly
oppose to the last the unprincipled Government that has now
usurped the reign of power.—( Hisses and confusion, and slight
cheering. I congratulate the chivalrous chamnion of that
Government, in having so long continued to supprees
those loyal feelings which in their old age will press upen
them with increased vigour; they found my opinion lik lover's
necents in old men's mouthe.—( breat laughter ) Gentlemen,
there is a question which it may be expected I should in person
giVe my opinion on, that question is with respect to the Per
Laws.—( Cheers. )—When I was last on the hustings I told you
then that I thought it was an arbitrary power, without adequate
responsibility. I have since further considered that law, and I
see no reason that I should retract my opinion.—(Cheers and
great confusion.) I do think the powers of the Cemmis_
sioners are arbitrary, and I do think that they are disposed
to apply those principles too rigidly.—( Loud cheering, and
very great uproar and confusion.) As your representative, I
should direct my mind to the just curtailment, and watch these
powers, and I shall in my executive capacity of a magistrate
endeavour to direct the operation of that law to the public
good. Recollect always the first duty which we have to per-
form is to the poor man, and the second we have to per-
form is to the rate-payer, we ought to combine those interests for
in reality they are not distinct.—(Cheers.) Mr. Hume had
alluded to the subject of education, he has called you igno-
ro.t and hirelings, and he has said you wanted education ;
will he explain to me what education he means, if he
means a servile imitation of that philosophical system, that
civic education as it was called, which was first in-
stilled into the minds of Freuehmen, which deluged the country
with infidelity, mid atheism, end war, I would shun it as I
would a pestilence ; but if be means that education which
teaches the people their duty to their Creator, and teaches
tin, m cf. a Being in whom they live, move, and have their being
—and if that education leads onward to instruction in science
and erudition, then I am for that education.—( Loud cheers.)
But the contrary, I apprehend, will turn out to be the fact ; I
call upon you, then, to support the Church, purified as sine is,
and has long been, front the errors of Popery, inters oven as
her institutions have been by some of the beet and meat able
men with our political institutions. That Church is, I am
happy to say,
not only free from impurity, but disseminates
that mild spirit of toleration which all must admire. I feel
that we are not only called upon, but bound to resist the evils'of
the present measures of Government—l speak it not with
an intolerant spirit, but with a firm conviction that they are
calculated to produce that effect. It is not my intention to
enter into the minor differences which may arise in isolated
and distant parishes. With respect to the payment of certain
Church dues, there may or may not be hardships existing in
peculiar cases which require to be removed, but I never can
consent to shuffle off the whole burden from our own
shoulders, and remove it from the laud to the Church.—
( Loud cheers.) This would be depriving the Church
of a property to which it was as much entitled
as we are to our estates. Besides I have an additional reason
for opposing- such a proceeding, that is, that it would never
satisfy our brother Dissenters, who if they took such a step
would not rest until they had attacked the Church itself.
It is therefore our duty to show at once where we me ;n
to make a stand, and upon what questions we do not
mean to go any further. I call upon the meeting to consider
of the measures resorted to, in order to obtain and retain
power. Secret suffrages were advocated, and Triennial Par-
liaments were enforceebs, some candidates with a view to gain-
ing votes.. I am assured the Hon, Gent. near me (Mr. Hume)
has not advocated those doctrines for the sake of obtaining
Power, because, if he had the means to-morrow he would
carry the measures out to their fullest extent. These were
the theories of the presedt day, but if once carried into effect,
a total change of system would take place. Men of more
talents and more enterprise would aeon stand up, and
in a very little time would immediately take the reins from
the present Government, and than would commence a reign
of anarchy and confusion which would end in destruction. v I
call upon you, Gentlemen, to state whether you agree with
the doctrines laid down by our opponents? If you do, you
will of course give them your votes. But if, on the con-
trary, that such measures would be productive of the great-
est disorder, and that no one could tell where that
disorder would stop, then. I think I may chains your sufFrages
with a confidence not arising from any speculation upon the
poll books, but from a- conscientious feeling of the justness
of my cause, and I am sure that in coming to a decision upon '