The Sun.
London, England, 1837-10-05 00:00:00

were more required. That Tory faction which, for
nearly a century, attested its power by years of misrule
—whose career was marked in the page of history by
bloody and expensive wars—by tyranny abroad, and by
profligacy and corruption at home, whose only mementos
as to foreign policy are Kingdoms lost—(Cheering.)
as to domestic policy an almost overwhelming debt—and
whose inglorious but constant acts were mere repetitions of
suspensions of the Habeas Corpus . Act—conspiracies fos-
tered by spies, and by them detected—followed by exsee-
tions according to law, and massacres according to the sabre
or the bayonet—that Tory faction was still alive and vigor-
ous. The enlightenment of the people—the slow but sure
progress of that education which the Hon. Member for
Waterford sought fully to develope, prepared the way fur
the Reform Bill, and when in the full plenitude of poe er,
the mighty conqueror of Napoleon declared that the crav-
ings of a people, no longer the unthinking because the un-
educated creatures of their rulers, should not be satisfied,
the storm of popular indignation arose, the ramparts of
Toryism were levelled with the dust—the onward march of
liberty could not be stayed—the banner of freedom was
unfurled, and the Reform Bill, the second Magna Charta of
Britain, was the proud result. But the Reform Bill was
not a perfect measure, and from the very moment of its
becoming the law of the land, the Tory faction had
laboured without ceasing, to evade its enactments, to
destroy its utility, and to pervert its intentions. Two
grand mistakes in the provisions of that Bill had neutra-
lized the county constituency—the 50/. tenant-at-will
clause, and the clause preventing occupiers, being also
owners of the freeholds they occupy, from voting if within
the limits of a borough. The first gave that plurality of votes
to one individual which was always an evil, for the tenants
speak the multiplied voice of their landlord as dictated to
them by his steward, whilst the second took from thousands
of industrious men who, having a little property, would
naturally invest it in the purchase of a house in which to
dwell, their votes for a county. What so proper and just,
as that a man, who having acquired a little property by his
industry, should be anxious to purchase the house and shop
in which he had lived, and thereby acquire the right of a
franchise for the county ? The Reform Bill took away that
right. It deprived the counties of one of the most indus-
trious, one of the most valuable, and one of the most im-
portant classes of freeholders ; but it increased the value
of acres, whilst it decreased the value of intelligence. Thus,
whilst the influence of acres was increased, the influence of
personal worth was diminished, and the inconsistencies were
every year more apparent. At the first election under the
Reform Bill, undoubtedly a much larger proportion of Li-
beral Members were returned to the House, than under the
unreformed system ; but although a fair test of public opi-
nion, this was no fair test of Tory strength, and so the fac-
tion soon discovered ; when the first shock of defeat was
over, they. began to rally their scattered forces, and to
search for means to regain their former elevation. Years of
persecution and plunder had made them adepts in ths arts of
bribery and corruption—almost every Lord Lieutenant was
Tory—every magistrate Tory—from the judicial bench to the
beadle of the Court Leet, every office was filled by Tories—
every subaltern in every Government office was Tory, and
with the tactics which office had taught them, the power
which the poSsession of every post of honour gave them,
the whole party as one man entered on the labour to make
the Reform Bill a mere dead letter, and useless to the cause
of good Government. They had also the Clergy of the
country almost to a man, forsaking those doctrines they
were specially appointed to teach, and teaching their flocks
how to cheat the people of the Reform Bill and its fruits.
The timid and vacillating conduct of the Ministry of that
day deprived them of that support which more decided ac-
tions would have obtained for them from the great body of
Reformers, and, consequently, at the election of 1834, their
numbers were sensibly diminished, It was then found by
the Reformers that the registration had not been sufficiently
attended to ; that the Tories had packed the registers—
that in almost every county a long list of parsons were found
united with the enemies of the Reform Bill—and when the
poll was taken it was found that every coach conveyed loads
of Tory Clergy hastening in all directions to vote against
the liberties of the people. Since 1834, the Association. of
which he had the honour to be Secretary, was formed ; and
from that time he had endeavoured to obtain informarfion of
what had been going on in almost every part of ngland.
Ile had seen the progress of corruption and tefickery in the
counties, and he was enabled to say that tho majority of their
members no more represented the inteiligence of the country
then, said Mr. Coppock, one of your members rep'SSC7ll
you.—( Hear, hear.) The registered voters were composed
of persons professing to have as interest in property which
they never saw—the profits of which they never received,
and of which they never heard anythiasg except when they
went to the poll, and declared they had the property for
which their names were entered. At the last election the
Tories said they had beaten the Reformers, although they
acknowledged that the latter had a majority in the House
of Commons. It was the first time lie had ever heard of
a defeated army having won a victory ; it was the first
time he had ever heard of an army that had been partly
routed, glorying in not being totally destroyed, and there-
fore claiming a triumph.---( Hear, hear.) But we were told ,
that England and Scotland had returned a majority of
Tories, and that to Ireland alone the Reformers were in-
debted for their continuance in office. Be it so ; were we
not one nation ? We bad some time ago heard a great deal
said about repeal. The Tories themselves had now turned
repeaters ! Because they could not use the Irish votes for
Tory purposes of corruption, they wished to separate from
this country that land, one of whose sons to night had uttered
sentiments that would do honour to the first man in any coun-
try—that land which had long sent its sons to shed their blood
whenever asd wherever our cause demanded the sacriice—
had now sent one of its representatives to enlighten the
understanding of our people, by making them better men,
and by filling their minds with the wholesome truths un-
folded by education—this was the land the Tories wished to
separate from us.—(Cheers.) The Tories had turned re-
peelers because, out of 105 rer,,resentatives sent by Ireland,
seventy-five, amongst whom was his Hon. Friend at his
right (Mr. Wyse) were Reformers.—(Hear, hear.) It
was a great misfortune that the Reform Bill was so far
impeded as to give the Tories so much power in England
over the electors ; but the Reformers had beaten them on
the whole ; the Reformers had taken the best part of
their army, and eventually would destroy them.--(Cheerss)
Let Sir Robert Peel attempt the Government, if he d-are
He would never come to that post even from Tarnesor'.as ; he
came from Italy before !—(Cheers.) But he 'erseuld never
try with the present House of Commons. Tee majority was
large enough to prevent the Tories atterreptiog to govern
the country, but the conduct of that mas7sorlty would be at-
tended with vast results to the country, eis:ner for good or for
evil. It mattered not whether the Refeeemers had a majority
of ten or two hundred in the House of: Commons ; upon the
people it depended whether their prix, ciples should go on and
prosper. All must put their shaulde,
.s to the wheel ; all minor
differences must Le surrendered ; all curious theories thrown
to the wind ; but there was amt.,:
ning which Reformers must
do: it was this—to call leudl
3' Ins d earnestly for the Ballot.— s•IES OF SPANISH LIFE.— EDITED BY
(Cheers.) The majority 1.-a the ,Commous would listen to the T°R
leseter.-CoeoNEL Cu/innate—These two volumes are
seise of the people, 'and if an y obstruction arose, out of
a eoc lc m and valuable addition to English literature. In
that House, to ttie (AI er means must be devised
'they are true, profound, philosophical, and
to carry it, 'There w their character
as a Ins ,de of obtaining suggestive, giving the ballot, n
and ho ti‘Se suesge, stion in the hope that it by far the best view of Spanish life we
rew out th
have yet met with, both amongst the urban classes, as they
might Ise found useful. Th c House of Commons took
arc when in peace and repose, and the whole people, when
the power on a scrutiny, to s ike off the vote of any Peer
roused into passion by religious and political zeal. No modern
of Parliament who might v. at in an election, and why writer with whom we are acquainted has so thoroughly pe-
should not the House of Co m mons pass a resolution that
netrated the Spanish character in its strength and its weak-
they would not, upon any petii lion against the return of a mess, its vices, its virtues and its peculiarities—indicated so
Member, take notice of the 11 oil petitioned against, un- clearly the causes in which these qualities originate, of so per-
less the votes be taken by well of ballot ?—( dear, hear.)
fectly and comprehensively pourtrayed them.—Spectator.
There was no statute law to ea mpel open voting.—(Hear,
hear.) At Lymington not thi see. hundred years ago the
the ‘l7tli alt., on the body of Mr. Thomas Smith, an
An inquest was held at the Cock Inn, Barnet, on
election of Members for Parkas neat was carried by ballot,
inside passenger of the Brilliant, Birmingham coach, who
and there was no law against that being the practice
now. There was nothing un -1 ;flash about the ballot.— ex ired that vehicle, between South Mimrns and Barnet,
(Hear, hear.) Talk about open voting ! Why there were aboutP six o'clock on Tuesday morning. Deceased corn-
lained of illness on the road—he did not appear unwell on
men even in this town who would rather vote openly
gPetting into the coach—was exceedingly sick at Daventry
than otherwise, because they sought. to make their vote
and Markvate-street, and seemed so much worse that the
subservient to their own inte :rest ; men who would bring
witness (gemuel Harley, the gulrd) urgedhim to have me-
upon themselves the very di sugar they professed to be
dical advice, and remain at the inn, offering to pay for a bed
desirous to avoid, and for tl mese there was an -egad ne-
for him ; no persuasion, however, could, induce him to stop,
cessity for the ballot. The haftlot, in short, would pro- being, as he said, anxious to get Lome. About two miles
test the representative from the domination of the elee-
from Barnet one of the passer,gerc, called out to witness that
tors, as much as the electors f roin the influence of those
he thougllt the deceased 'ems dead ; which, on the coach
who would bribe and coerce t) ,em. The ballot was niel-1
being pulled up, proved 'co be the case. The jury found a
cessary both ways—let the peel c, then, have it, and your%
verdict of " Died by
hear no more of that system of-. exclusive dealing and o. - ,
1' he accidents,
the visitation of God."
o recently occurred to the trains
timidation which the Tories in, this town have practised.
He hated exclusive dealing-4,e 'hated all those lines of de- belonging to.: t•:.le lovndioen and Birminghamß Railroad Corn-
ream..
rnareation which separated m esa from man ; but they must plans',
'mechanic, ho has
:e ateeesee,i of Mr. Richarde, a
deal with the Thrice as the rer ies dealt with them—give
effectually remove any
trom London to ocxlmevoeorr, having attracted
them exclusive dealing to titeir heart's content. Let the In':elited en instrument which mustnt
be
trams. The inven-
Tories feel the weight of nopub r indignation, and thus you obstroetion accidentally
will gain the means of
43.111/ , the Ballot out of the I;ur- tion is an iron sweep,
fixed
anything which it may meet in
mace, by making tied Tories your instrument.—(Le,ua purpose of thrownsts, asiderebv
peventing the possibility of the
falling
llblrne the engine-wheels, for the
cheers.) Mr. Coppsock cost kkt led by stating, that ult',loeg its rapid progress,
at some personal ineonveni euc .e he had been prose,
l which rings the instant it comes in cou-
nt at this
meeting, he had les..en high/ 'gratified at the ernicatcs with
o -ing matter, and the engine-man warned
,tireproceed- engine being thrownbcltneoff the railway. The sweep commu-
ings. It was, however, in •lain for Stock's' tact with any p
hold such otPdan6ger, may stop the macine. We con-
meetings, unless Stockport , went o tns er art to
to the safety of the public.
skier this conducive
in the 6,050 of Reforiii, rr ewa
1- -r ,scat influence in the
dily and anxiously
of the slightest