The Sun.
London, England, 1837-05-08 00:00:00

WESTMINSTER ELECTION.

THE COMMITTEE for CONDUCTING
the ELECTION of the REFORM CANDIDATE,
J. T. LEADER, Esq., respectfully acquaint flit) Electors, that
they MEET DAILY at the British Coffee-house, Cockspur-street;
where all communications arc to be addressed.
DISTRICT COMMITTEE ROOMS.

St. Martin's-in-the Fields—Slaughter's Coffee House, St. Martin's-
lane.
St. George's, Outer Ward—Flask Hotel, Ebury-square.
St. George's, Inner Ward—Spread Eagle, Oxford-street ; Running
Horse, Duke-street ; and Coach and Horses, Maddock-street.
St. James's—Crown, Broad-street, Golden-square.
St. Mary-le-Strand, St. Clement Danes, and the Savoy—The
Crown and Anchor.
St. John's and St. Margaret's—King's Arms, Palace-yard ; Rose
and Crown, Tufton-street, and Blue Anchor, York-street.
St. Ann's—Golden Lion, Wardour-street.
St. Paul's, Covent-garden—Eastey's Hotel, Southampton-street,
Strand.

At the CROWN and ANCHOR TAVERN, Strand, THIS
EVENING, a PUBLIC MEETING will he held at Eight o'clock
precisely, THOMAS WAKLEY, Esq., M.P., in the Chair.
Mr. LEADER will attend.

By Order of the Committee,
W. WEST, Honorary Secretary.
British Coffee-house, Monday, May 8, 1837.

WESTMINSTER ELECTION.—The Cen-
tral Committee for conducting the ELECTION of Sir
FRANCIS BURDETT have much satisfaction in announcing to
his friends the canvass has proceeded most successfully, the returns
made up to Saturday night are highly flattering, and render the re-
election of the Hon. Baronet certain. The Central Committee
being fully aware of the powerful influence which is in array against
Sir Francis, meet the contest fearlessly, calling on those who have
enlisted in the great and good cause to continue unremitting in
their exertions—to relax not for a moment—to be watchful over
the movements of their opponents—hour by hour canvass the elec-
tors till the opening of the poll on Thursday next, May 11, and then
with one energetic and united effort, again place the independent,
the zealous, and long-tried constitutional friend of the people in the
proud station he so ably filled for thirty years. •
The Central Committee, as well as those of the several districts,
continue to sit drily at the Committee-rooms as before announced,
where they will be happy to receive all communications tending to
secure the election.

The electors are specially requested to remember one day only is
allowed for polling-, which will commence at Eight o'clock and
finally close at Four.

JOSEPH CROUCHER, Sec.
Ship Hotel, Charing-cross, May 8.

The publication of THE SUN NEWSPAPER commenced this day
at 10 minutes past Three o' Clock.

40 .4._

.L'J))e 41t-rc.

LONDON,
MONDAY EVENING, MAY 8, 1837.

S:r WILLEAm MOLESWORTII has well observed
that the approaching struggle for Westminster is not a
trial of strength between Sir FRANCIS BURDETT and
Mr. LEADER, but between two great antagonist prin-
ciples. The question involved in it is, whether Re-
form shall still move forward at a steady, firm pace, or
whether, for a season, it shall come to a dead halt.
It is idle to look on it as a mere party struggle. It is
far greater—far mere momentous—it is a national—
we might almost say, a Europe: n--one. Let the
Tories triumph in Westminster, and the shock will he
felt far and wide through the Continent. The
Carlists will he inspired by it to renewed exertions ; and
Louis PHILIPPE in France, and even Nic noi.As
in Russia will derive equal encouragement from
the omen. At Lome, it will, have the effect of
depressing the energies of Reformers ; filling
Leland with apprehension ; and, in the evein
of a dissolution, giving a vast impetus to the in-
fluence of the faction throughout time kingdom. %V
state these things Broadly, because we are anxious that
the Westinnster electors should know their exact po-
sition, and the amount of responsibility that now de-
volves upon them. Circumstances have placed them
conspituotedv in the van of the battle. On their deci-
sion hangs, in a great degree, the destiny of Reform.
They have to choose between good or evil for their
country. They can, if they please, give to the right
cause precisely that sort of stinudus of which it stands
most in need ; or they con, for the season, paralize its
energies. Under these circumstances, will they hesitate
an instant as to the line of co;:duct they should adopt ?
Impossible. Westminster has never yet been found
wart:ng in her duty ; and sure we are she will not now
flinch from it. Let the electors but bear in m)-id by
whom the two eandidat, s are supported, and they will
need no monitor—no prompter. Who advocate the
claims of Sir Fita Nuts .BURDETT? Who chorus
forth his praises ? Who exalt him to the skies as a
Patriot ? The Tories. And wherefore all this eulogy ?
Because he has deserted the banner under which lie
fought for thirty years ; gone over to the very party
whom lie denounced as the vilest of factions; and hur-
ried from the side of the oppressed, in order to shake
the red !mod of the oppressor These are the Ho-
nourable Baro;:et's claims on the charitable considera-
tion of the Tories, who, with all their flattery, do not
place faith in him, but ;'se him merely as a tool to be
flung contemptuously aside when the job to be done
with it is finished.

On the other hand, who arc the supporters of Mr.
LEADER ? All those who wish well to the cause of
uncorrupt Government ; al, or nearly all, the Re-
formers who have distinguished themselves by their
zeal within and without time walls of Parliament. He
has friend 3 actively at work for him in all quarters,
made so by their admiration of the principles he
espouses, and their abhorrence of the trimming con-
duct of his opponent.
Never were two antagonist principles fitlier repre-
sented than they are just now by the two candidates
for Westminster; In the one case we see the old age
of Toryism impersonated by Sir FRANCIS 13URDETT
in the other, the fresh, elastic manhood of Reform by
Mr. LEADER. Here, all is distrust ; there, all hope.
The Tories quake for Sir FRANCIS. The Reformers
are confident for his rival. In the one camp is discord.
In the other, unity of thought and action. All the
accounts we have yet heard, concur in representing

r. LEADER as certain of a triumph. His canvass
hitherto has been a most encouraging on ; and the.
question everywhere put by the electors to his friends
is the same put Iw Lord R. GROSVENOR in his letter
(which wL! piddish this day) to Mr. BYNo, " who is
tLis Sir FRANCIS litiltDETT, the present Tory can-
didate for Westminster ?" When it is replied, that he
is the same who years ago was the Coryplnrus of
ultra-Radicalism, a vote is at once secured for Mr.
LEADER.

It is not a little cmious that ail that the Tories have
as vet been able to urge in favour of Sir FRANCIS
ButtnETT, and against Mr. LEADER is, that the one
is " an old English gentleman," and the other, a
young one. This is true in both cases, but do the re-
:_.ounendation and objection come well from the 'To-
ries ? Was PITT an " old English gentle:nan" when
he was placed at the head of the faction ? Was
PEEL in the same hopeful predicament when To-
ryism adopted him as its prhne pet ? We are
yet to learn that mere antiquity, with all its
concomitant infirmities of mind and body, is any
recommendation to a statesman ; and when the Torie;
urge this as their candidate's chief claim to fa-
vour, we may safely take for granted that they are re
duced to the last extremity for an arg,tnent in his be-
half. For our own part we are for youth and consis-
tency, against age and tergiversation. Mr. LEADER'S
defect in point of years will mend every Session, but
who shall say the same of Sir FRANCIS BURDETT?
But to return to the point whence we set out. The
approaching election is one of paramount importance
to the cause of good Government. All classes of Re-
formers have an equal interest in it. Let Westminster
then bestir herself. For the sake of England—for the
sake of Ireland, whose fate hangs trembling in the ba-
lance—for the sake of the struggling Liberals in Spain,
and throughout Europe—for the sake of these sa-
cred interests, now in • a great measure depending
on her decision, let Westminster promptly and boldly do
her duty. Let her resist all attempts at bribery and
intimidation, hut remember her glorious struggles in
the days of Fox, when she was foremost to proclaim,
not by words only, but by actions, her unconquerable
love of liberty. As she acted then, certain are we,
she will act now. The old spirit has not degenerated,
but burns with as bright and steady a light as ever.
By way of encouragement to the electors we quote the
following document, which we received at a late hour
on Saturday

" It has been intimated by authority to the Central Com-
mittee for conducting the election of J. T. Leader, Esq.,
that although Lord Grosvenor's name appears on the list o f
the Committee of Sir Francis Burdett, he by no means ex-
presses the opinions or wishes of the proprietor of the Gros-
venor estate; on the contrary, the Marquis of Westminster,
faithful to the cause he has espoused all his life, expresses
his warmest sympathy and good wishes for the success of
Mr. Leaner."

A remarkable instance of mystification occurred in
the debate in the House of Lords, on Friday night.
The Duke of WELLINGTON, who has the character
of being a candid straight-forward man, spoke for an
hour on the Irish Municipal Bill. All listened atten-
tively, to find what he would say of the principle, and
sadly must they have been puzzled, for the Earl of
WICKLOW and the Marquis of LANSDOWNE asserted
he was favourable to it, and Lord BROUGHAM as-
serted directly the reverse, and asked if the Noble
Duke, from the beginning to the end of his speech,
had held out any ground on which to rest even a sup-
position that he was not as hostile as ever to the fun-
damental principle of the Bill. The Duke explained,
and then replied ; and, finally, left the point exactly
where it stood. We are afraid Lord -BROUGHAM
knows the mind of the Duke better than his political
friend, the Earl of WICKLOW; and believe that he
purposely left a doubt on the subject, in order that
he may suit his views to those of Lord LYNDHURST,
when the Bill comes again under discussion. The
Irish people may be assured of the fact that no con-
cession will be made without the consent of the leader
in the House of Lords—the man who has denounced
them as aliens, and against whom they have sworn
unalterable hostility from the commencement of the
discussions on the measure. The conduct of the party
has had the same ominous appearance. The oppo-
nents of the Bill in 'the Commons took up the posi-
tion which Lord LYNDHURST occupied at the close
of last Session, and held out not the slightest hope of
concession. On its introduction into the House of
Lords, the Duke of WELLINGTON asked for its post-
ponement till his Noble Friend, who took such a dis-
tinguished part in the discussions last Session, could
he present ; and after three weeks' delay, he puts it off
five weeks longer, either for the same purpose or a worse
purpose—that of intimidating the House of Commons.
The Commons, however, know, and the people of
Ireland know to their sorrow, that they have never ob-
tained any concession from the Lords but through
fear, and they may depend upon it that House will
preserve its character to the last. If the Ministry,
with such a majority in the Commons in favour of the
measure, were to yield, they would only defeat the
Bill, and seal their own destruction. If they persevere,
that. majority will still support them, till the Irish peo-
ple carry this, as they carried time question of Catholic
Emancipation, by force. Though LYNDHURST and
the Duke of 'WELLINGTON cannot see danger, the
Irish Tory Peers best acquainted with the country, are
fully aware of it. Lord VESEY, who moved the re-
jection of the principle last session, seemed to shudder
at the idea of riTeating a similar proposition, and the
Earl of WrcicLow, declared that, sooner than con-
sent to that, he would vote for the whole Bill. These
are favourable symptons, because they show that the
only reasons which influence their Lordships are now
beginning to operate.

Much respect for character is not to be expected
from a Tory Opposition. The men who are dishonest
in power will not be very scrupulous when out of
power ; but we must confess we did not think that
even the desperation occasioned by so many successive
defeats in the House of Commons would have driven

the Tory party to so undisguised a disregard of prin-
ciple as that which they now constantly manifest.
Every factious quibble, everything by which the public
business can be retarded, and his Majesty's Ministers
inconvenienced—no matter Low futile or ridiculous—

is resorted to as a legitimate weapon with which to
fight their way to the Treasury Benches. We need
only instance, as a proof of this patriotic disposi-
tion die late motion which kept the House of Com-
mons three nights discussing. an accthation against
Nlinisters, the gravamen of which was that they had
too honourably fulfilled a treaty entered info with fo-
reign nations, and the no less disingenuous attempt
made on Friday night to make the Church of Scot-
land a stepping-stone to Downing-street. The great-
est evil of this mode of warfare is that it consumes the
time which ought to be devoted to important business ;
in other respects it is not to be re,retted. It is
_ _

indeed advantageous to Ministers, inasmuch as it
gives them an opportunity of showing the s:rength on
their side bo:h in point of numbers and talents ;
and, at the same time, sets forth to the public the cha-
racter of their opponents- in its true colours—in all
its meanness, and all its selfishness.

What one argument could the clamourers for a
arant of the pul:lic money to the Church of Scotland
Firing forward on Friday for such a measure ? Nav,
we ask, what shadow of an argument ? Why, the very
terms of the original Commission required that the
state of the funds that may be applicable to reli-
gious purposes in Scotland should be investigated, and
a report made to Parliament before the question could
even be debated ! And what does Sir W. RAE, in
his singular wisdom now require ? Only this—that
while a Report relating entirely to the city of
Edinburgh, and showing that there is much va-
cant sitting-room in the places of worship there—
before a single icquiry has been put as to what
may be the means of extending religious instruc-
tion in Scotland—the House of Coin:nous should
make a grant of money to the Church Establishment
of that country ! We venture to say that a more im-
pudent or extravagant proposition was never submitted
to Parliament,

On Saturday a deputation (fon) the Provincial Press
of England had an interview with the CHANCELLoR
of the EXCHEQUER on the subject of the removal of
the penny-postage on newspapers sent by cross-posts ;
and afterwards with the SOLICITOR-GENERAL on
the anomalous state of the existing libel-law. There
is little besides anomalies in the laws—financial and