The Sun.
London, England, 1839-06-20 00:00:00

EVEN ED rr i ON.

11:1E1 ROPOLITAN POLITICAL

SUMMARY.

-.0-
The Globe of last evening makes the following Amer'
vations on Mr. Macaulay's speech last night, in the House
of Commons, on the Ballot : —" It would be as impossible,
as the attempt would be injurious, to abridge Mr. Macau-
lay's speech. For force of argument, extent of research,
and felicity of illustration, it is worthy of being ranked
among the most splendid specimens of ParliamentarY
eloquence. While it captivated it convinced ; and bad
Members been allowed to vote according to the dictates
of reason and justice enforced by that exhibition of both, a
large majority in favour of the motion would have attested
their triumph in its adoption. Other interests for a time
prevailed ; but the day is near when these will be com-
pelled to yield before the majesty of public opinion, based
on truth and impelled by necessity. The Times emploj's
an ambiguous expression of Lord Howick to convey the
impression that in consenting to make the Ballot an open
question the Cabinet intended to retard rather than acce-
lerate its adoption. Nothing could be Luther from the
obvious design of Lord Howick, as the whole scope eh's.
argument fully proves."
The Courier speaks as follows on the subject of the
Ballot :—" Of all the objections against the Ballot, none
is so idle as that which sees or-affects to see a difficulty in
arranging the necessary machinery for securing the
secrecy of the vote. In our club-houses, where the
Aristocracy of the land arc very willinrs to enjoy a pro-
tection which they wish to withhold from the humbler
classes, no such difficulty is ever experienced; and in
France and America the system of secret voting has so
long and so satisfactorily prevailed, that we cannot give
much credit fur sincerity to those who seem to aPPre-
bend these visionary impediinents. What is *to prevent_
every electrr from writing on a slip of paper the name of
the candidate for whom he votes, and, after having
folded it up, depositing the said slip in an urn or Ballot-
box ? After the votes have been duly counted and
checked, let these slips of paper be publicly destroyed by
the returning officer, and all means of an inquisiterial
test are done away with."
The Standard thus expresses itself on the Ballot:--
" As to the question of the Ballot, upon which so much
has been said and written, we have long since formed and
avowed fur ourselves opinions which we see no reason to
modify. We are convinced that, to secure secret voting.
among a people so universally frank ar.d high-spirited as
the people of this country, would be perfectly impracti-
cable to any extent worth the least 'attention ; but that, "
secret voting could he secured, its effect would be greed),
to aggrandise the influence of property and rank, and in-
finitely to extend Conservative principles—with thie draws
back, however, of much embittering party feeling, and ex-
tending that feeling through all the business of life."
The Times cf this morning, recurring to the question
of the Ballot, evinces much alarm at the rapid progress it
has made within the last few rears, as is evident from the
following passage :—" The Ballot, as a method of votieg
for Membsrs of Parliament, would place the representation
of the United Kingdom in the hands of the moats numer-
ous, that is the lowest class of electors. And since it is
admitted on all sides that the Ballot' being once carried,
universal suffrage must immediately follow, .that class of ,
electors would consist of the very lowest of the peolle'
This would verify with a vengeance the naive admission of
Mr. Macaulay—viz., that " the worst of despotisms is •3
despotism carried on by means of the machinery of free'
dont." Now this is a cession to the mob of a dominion at.
the same time irresistible and irresponsible over thereatl
the community ; and it is but fair to state, that we li°l
such a power in abhorrence as compared with the class's
which earn their bread by manual labour—by that species
of labour which is most unfavourable to mental cultivation
and acquirement of any kind. It is our firm conviction
that the proprietary classes, where resides the largest
amount of both, have been already more than stifficientlg
weakened."
The Morning Herald, alluding to the Ministerial mei'
rity of " Ten" last night on the Jamaica Bill, appears to
derive inexpressible comfort from the fact that it is ittsd
twice as large as the last majority on the question; f:t,
infers, therefore, with exquisite logical precision,* that All—
nisters are just twice as weak as they were before :—" 'l,le
third reading of the Jamaica Bill was carried, last night,
a majority of TEN.' When it is considered that Minis-
ters have abandened many of the most ohnoxieus
clauses of their former Bill ; and' when it is considered,
moreover, that the fears and hopes of the Radical support-
ers of Ministers have been acted on in all imaginable trays
by their patrons—the majority of ' TEN' would appear to be
even more damnatory of the policy of the Whig Cabinet,than the previous majority of • FIVE.' If the present occu-
pants of Downing_street had not, long ago,.bade adieu to .
the last traces of independent feeling, they would regard
this judgment pronounced by Parliament on their amended
Jamaica Bill, as nods° to quit.' The Whig sense f
:
duty to the Queen' will not, of course, permit the Wings
to abandon place and pay ;—and Whigs have always
.been
found unable to exhibit that sense of duty any where but k
in office."
The Morning Chronicle, in the course of a leading
article su„egester. by Sir James Graham's violent speech'
against the Ballot on Tuesday night in the Commons,
directly charges the Right Hon. Baronet with having
" solemnly" recommended the Ballot to William the •
Fourth's Cabinet, when he was himself a Member of that
Cabinet :—" Sir James Graham has declared in the face
of the nation that by his opposition to the Ballot he was
prepared to stand or fall.' If so, he is ready for :his .fate;
and fail he mast, as a Legislator claiming confidence of
the people. But one construction can be put upon some
parte of the Baronet's speech. He emphatically affirmed
that ' he had n-ver in the whole course of his life
vo.cel for the Ballot, nor ever advocated the Ballot.
He had constantly refuied to support it, &c. &c.'
And we affirm as emphatically that there stands his
name, James Graham, in his own handwriting., to the
solemn recommendation of the Ballot to King William
I V.'s Cabinet. Denied it by implication and inuendo he
has; let him deny it directly, if he dare. He cannot rail.
the signature from that bond. He cannot redeem the for-
feiture incurred by his speech on Tut sday night. No, not
if he were willing to cut his heart out to pay the penalty.
There they stand; the damning characters -burning into
him,- like the letters of fire that blasted the sight of ancient
honour fallen from its high estate,' and emblazoned its
shame on the eternal pages of history. I always hated
the Ballot, witness my heart, James Graham.' So goes
one testimonial ; and the other, I recommend the Ballot,
witness my hand, James Graham.'"
The Morning Advertiser contains the subjoined remarks
on the subject of the Ballot:—" Tce proceedings on the
Ballot-question, on Tuesday, give twofold causes of gratu-
lation. The progress which the question makes is rapid,
and promises a sure and early success ; and the principle
of open questions, so indispensable to the conduct of Par-
liament:my affairs by a Liberal Government, is established
by a marked precedent, and vindicated by the best and most
convincing arguments. The fear of breaking up the Go-
vernment, by pushing the question of the Ballot, offers no,
longer a barrier to the effurts of the most earnest,: while-
every new election, either by augmenting the number of
victims to intimidation, or by inducing the Tories to forego
that barbarous' and tyrannical method of securing sufftagei
will withdraw strength even from their ranks."
The Morning Post contains the following remarks. in
reference to last night's de-I)sec in the Commons, on the
Education question :—" The language of Ministers in re-
lation to religion, and to the Established Church, upon the
education question, can scarcely be supposed to belhat which
they like to use. It is that they do not dare to speak other-
wise. The general character of these Ministers as private
men, and the circumstances of connection and society by
which they arc surrounded, forbid the supposition thatef a free f
choice were open to them, they would speak as they have
done. But there is this party which it is expedient t°
flstte r(they call it "conciliate") and that party -vvhich it sit '
is expedient not to offend, and bearing those points of policy/ ,
in mind, rather than the manful declaration of their oyin
judgment and their own feelings, they sacrifice the cause
of truth, and envelope matters of the most sacred inirr- est
tance in an odious net of trick and compromse, which come ing
in the end to weakness, folly, and wrong." opt'.

On the evening of the 24th ult., the anniversary
•of the birth-day of Mahomet and that of the Queen (*)f
f England, were celebrated at Constantinople. The pro-
• phet was born on tho 25th of June (some twelve centuries
ago), but his faithful followers, according to eastern
tom, commence the cebbration on the evening of the 2-Ith,
after sun-set.
FOREIGN FRUIT.--A petition to Parliament is
in course of signature, in Worcestershire, against the
im-
portation of foreign fruit at the present rate of duties.
MARYLEBONE REFORM DINNER. Olf
Tuesday evening upwards of four hundred Reformers of
the borough of 110r3lebone dined together at the spacious
room of White Conduit-house. J. G. Chalk, Esq., senior
Churchwarden of St. Pancras, officiated as Chairman;
and amor.g the more influential guests present, were Ho-
ward Elphinstone, Esq., G. A. Young, Eaq., Colonel
Thompson, J. M. Drummond, Esq., Dr. Carpuc, Dr.
Simpson, Mr. Thomas, the barrister, &c. &c. The Chair-
man stated that he had ret eived letters from Sir Peniair,in
Hall, M. P., Mr. Duncombe, M. P., Mr. Waklev. 31;
Mr. Hardy, M. P., Mr. Vigors, M. P. and Dr. 13" ring.
The four first-named gentlemen excused themselves 9n
the ground of the'r Pail amen-ary dut:es, as tl.ey "'ere
anxious to be present on the important discussion of the
Ballot, which was to take place that evening. We regret
that we have not room for a report of the speeches.
LI NIsI.2EAN SOCIETY.—At the last meeting for the
g ob. of
session, held on Tuesday evening, Edward Forster, Eiq.,
V. P., in the chair, a letter from Upsal was read an.
nouncing the death of Louisa Von Linne, the third and
last surviving daughter of the celebrated Linnaeus, whin h
to9nt.tk
Tplacehis theolnady
is 2rlesetnrodfadMabrychh,
eartfhtaliteeras h
advancedavi
n age
served sparks of light issue from the_ flowers of the pas.
turtium during a walk in his flower garden on a summer's

evening.
mortal
omthpeoser, whose
FUNERAL OF THE LATE Mn. - M.
ORI.--This
nineee lebroa'etelodckc,
re-
mainsmorni nog f,
sudden decease has caused so much regret, were removed
Abiert.wAeleonr
Morin,
eight
the andlate
front his late residence, :n Bond-strcet, tor interment in
the Cemetery at Kensal-green. The melancholy proces-
Eion, in addition to the members of the deceased's family,
contained a great number of professional friends and ad.
110 of whom performed mirers,the sacred music befitting
the solemn occasion._