The Sun.
London, England, 1837-04-24 00:00:00

WESTMINSTER ELECTION.

This morning, pursuant to a call from the High Bailiff, a
numerous meeting of the Electors of Westminster assembled
in Covent Garden, for the purpose of considering the present
state of their representation►.

At one o'clock the High Bailiff opened the proceedings.
He said he had• called the meeting in consequence of a nu-
merous and respectably signed requisition having been pre-
sented to him. He trusted they would afford an impartial
hearing to any elector iiho might offer himself to their consi-
deration.

Colonel JONES then came foward. He said he appeared
before them in consequence of the illness of the gentleman
who had been appointed to move the resolutions. He had been
called upon to perform a most painful duty, but it was a most
important one; and as it was for the benefit of his fellow elec-
tors, he would not shrink from it, but would speak plainly,
proudly, and fearlessly.—( Cheers.) He would never be
influenced by any one, or by any interest, neither would
he be intimidated by them.—(Cheers.) He was an English-
man, and knew the full value of his rights, and he would
exercise them as bname a freeman, knowing what freedom
was, and loving it.—( Cheers.) They were called upon to
perform a peat and important duty. They were never with-
out representatives.—( Hear, and shame.) Now if ever there
was a time when the active services of representatives were
required it was at that moment, when a foul conspiracy existed
on the part of the House of Lords against the interests of the
empire generally, but more particularly against unfortunate
and misgoverned Ireland. There was now a baneful party
in the country, who had expressed their readiness to
take office, and therefore it became necessary for the people
to take active measures in order to counteract the measures of
their enemies. There could be no doubt in the minds of any
of those then present, that Sir F. Burdett had much neglec-
ted his duty. It was most painful for him (Col. Jones), who
had been a warm supporter of the Hon. Baronet for 30 years,
now to come forward with such resolutions as he then held in
his hand. He did not mean to abuse any one. He censured
the Honourable Baronet for his neglect of duty, but he, at the
same time, lamented his falling off. He felt a warm sense of
gratitude to him for his past :iservices—( Partial cheering)—
and he would have been proud that the Hon. Baronet had
gone down to the grave will all the popular honours which
were formerly so justly paid him.—( Cheering.) Though
he found fault with the representative, yet he still loved the
man.—( Cheers.) The Hon. Baronet was now sixty-seven
ears of age, and had out lived his better feelings ; but taking
all things into consideration, he thought they ought to forgive
him, and he hoped they would part on friendly terms.—
( Cheers.) Then with regard to General Evans : he had
been absent from his post now for a long time. Had he
wished to go a soldiering, he on principle ought to have given
up the representation of Westminster.—( Cheers.) Their
enemies were busy, and it must be the care of the electors to
give them no advantage, but to take care that they selected
such men as candidates as would be enabled to carry their
election securely. They were there to give a great moral
lesson, and having done so, if Arthui Duke of Wellington did
not take, but should he and his party grasp again at power, then
might the time come when the people must give a physical lesson
that time might come sooner than many expected; and, there-
fore, every one ought to make up his mind. He would not
trespass further, but would read the resolutions he held in
his hand, and propose them for the approval of the Meeting.
They were to the effect—that Westminster had, for a long
time, been devoid of any representation—that, on account of
the change in the political opinions of Sir F. Burdett, and his
hostility to all the measures of the present enlightened Go-
vernment—he had lost the confidence of the electors—and
that he, therefore, should be called upon to resign.—( Cheers )
That unless General Evans was returned to his duty by the
day named in his letter of the 24th .March, he also be called
on to resign. The Gallant Colonel said of course they did
not mean to be so mad as to confine the General to a day cr
two, but merely to mark their sense of the state of the repre-
sentation.

Mr. Ds VEA R seconded the resolutions, as we understood;
but from the position in which we were placed it was impossible
to hear a word which fell from him.

Mr. WARLE r then presented himself. He said the meet-
ing had assembled to discharge a very important duty, :be-
cause, in after times, the events of that day would be referred
to, in order to see whether the Electors of Westminster
had had a distinct view of their duty.—( Hear.) A motion
had been made that they should delegate their powers to a
Committee. Now he did not like Committees.—( A laugh.)
They had assembled first to declare that they were not repre-
sented in Parliament, and secondly, to come forward in sup-
post of some men who will do their duty properly. They all
knew how Westminster had been represented for some time
past. He would not for a moment make any attack upon an
old Reformer who had served them. He hoped they would
part good friends, and that the electors would thank the
Honourable Baronet for the labour he had formerly be-
stowed on their cause, for he had been a Reformer when
it put his life in danger.—( Loud cheers.) He (Mr. W)
had now been in a certain House for three Sessions, and ho de-
clared he had only seen Sir F. Burdett there once.—( Shame.)
They appealed to the Hon. Baronet's feelings on the present
occasion, and they asked whether he would throw any obstacle
in the way of the gratification of their wishes, with reference
to their election of such an individual as would fairly represent
them ?—( Hear.) He (Mr. Wakley) believed he would op-
pose no obstacle, and that he would at once and without hesi-
tation resign, if the proposition was carried. Having done
that, what was the next course for them to pursue? Because
that, he took it, was the great, the important portion of the
business of the day. He did not want to beat about the bush,
but would say at once that their object was to get rid
of a representative that was inefficient, and get one who
would work for them. There were in Westminster, as in
every other place, a variety of parties entertaining various
shades of political opinions; but the two great parties were
Conservatives and Reformers. The Conservatives had ac-
quired great power by casting aside minor differences, and they
had an immense number of limbs and trunks that had thus at-
tached themselves to one head —( A laugh.) Sir Robert
Peel was the leader of that party in England, and be ( Mr.
Wakley) wanted a " Leader" also for Westminster.—
(Cheers.) Ile was a little man, but in every respect a
trump.—( Cheers.) He had always exhibited benevolence
for good actions; he bad a head stuffed full of knowledge
for the philosophical ; he had for the wealthy a long purse
well crammed with gold, and lie was above all a sincere Radi-
cal Reformer.—( Renewed cheers.) That was the leader
they wanted, and he was one who would never lead them
blindfold through the swamps and quagmire of political in; s-
tele'. He (Mr. W.) had watched Mr. Leader, and he could
safely say that since he had been in the House of Commons
he had never given a vote that was hostile to the liberties of
the people in the broadest sense of the term. They were
again threatened with disunion in Westminster. That was the
way they had always been conquered. The apple of discord
was thrown among them, and they were fools enough to pick
it up and eat it.—( Hear, hear.) With respect to the Whigs
there were, he admitted, some men among them who had dis-
charged their duty faithfully, but they were used by the Radi-
cals, and supported by them merely because they wanted their
assistance on the road. The moment the Whigs stopped, the
Radicals would bid them good bye, and proceed on their own
account ; and he was satisfied they would never stop
until they had obtained justice to England and Ireland.—
The Whigs could not proceed without them ; they were bound
hand and foot, if the Radicals directed them, and they had the
huge body of Conservatives opposed to them, and staring
them in the face, ready to demolish them the moment such a
crisis occurred. But there were also among the Whigs men
whom they could not possib'y trust—men who were ready at
any moment to shrink away into the ranks of the tyrannical,
boroughmongering, and bloodthirsty Tories. In Westminster
there were many men anxious to get rid of the Poor Laws
Amendment Bill, or to have it altered, but that could never
be effected if they did not stand forward and return Repre-
sentatives who would represent their views and wishes in Par-
liament. It was impossible they could succeed by any other
means, and when they found a man anxious to extend the
franchise to all householders that was the man for him.—
( Hear, hear, hear, and cheers.) If every man had not a voice
in the election of the representatives of the people,
They were as much slaves as those of the West Indies. Mr.
Leader was one who would advocate the extension of the suf-
frage to the fullest extent. He must say that few of the Mem-
bers of the House of Commons were fighting the battles of the
people as they ought ; but then the great majority of these
Members did not represent the people of England. The
majority was actually returned by 151,000 electors. Seventy
of the places returning Members to Parliament had constitu-
encies of less than 400, and twenty-four places had less than
200. Why, it was plain that bribery and corruption must still
be going on in these places, and it was equally plain that it
was impossible the Radicals could consistently support any
Ministry that would systematically oppose the extension
of the franchise.—(Hear, hear.) Ministers, undoubtedly,
had laid some good measures upon the table of the
House of Commons, but he (Mr. Wakley) wanted to see them
carried. When they were carried the Whigs' stock in trade
was out, and after that the Radicals would have nothing to
do with them. They could exhibit nothing in the concern but
dummies—(a laugh)—and the firm of Whig, Radical, and
Co. must be dissolved by rubbing out the name of Whig.
(Cries of Hear, hear, and cheers.) That could not
be effected by individual elections, but it was important that
Westminster, under the very nose of the Court,
should set an example that in the event of a general election
would be followed by other parts of the empire. With respect
to the appointment of a Committee, he must say he did not
like that. They were to be sure respectable and very nice men,
but they were, after all, but a small number of the electors, sad
as soon as they had met, some influential man among them would
name his friend, and would be able to induce the majority to go
with him. They had now got the matter before them, and
he thought they were just as well able to form a correct opi-
ninion upon the matter as any Committee. If a better man
than Mr. Leader could be produced he (Mr. W.) would
at once give him up.—(Cheers.) Let them have any man
they liked, but let them not appoint aCommittee —(Cheers.)
They knew Mr. Leader well—there was five and thirty years
good work in him yet, and his political character was one
that would bear the most scrutinizing investigation. He
would suggest, in conclusion, that the Gallant Colonel would
divide his proposition into two parts, and one thing
he would impress upon them, and that was the importance of
naming a candidate from these hustings at once.—( Cheers. )
The limn BAILIFF then put the first part of the resolution,
as to the propriety of calling upon Sir F. Burdett to resign.
The resolution was carried unanimously.
A second ,portion, calling upon Colonel Evans to resign in
the event of his not returning at the time specified in his
letter, namely, the 10th June, was also agreed to.
On the resolution for the appointment of a Committee being
put,

•
Colonel JONES again addressed the meeting, and assured
the meeting that the Committee would not have had the pre-