The Sun.
London, England, 1837-01-07 00:00:00

questions. When we bear in mind the surprising pro-
gress
that these two questions (the former especially)
have made within the last few years ; and that
the Septennial Act is a glaring violation of the
forms of the Constitution—an Act passed hastily and
for a particular purpose—when, we repeat, we re-
member this, we do not see how Government can do
otherwise than act towards these questions as the
Tories acted towards Catholic Emancipation. We do
not call on Ministers for any lavish display of gene-
rosity—for such a word is not to be found in the vo-
cabulary of Statesmen, expediency being uniformly its
substitute—but we do call upon them, and call
confidently, too, for justice. We ask them to solve
worthily that great political problem, the Reform
Bill ; to bear in mind its scope and tendency ;
and above all, and before all, that it was intended for
the protection of the Many against the usurpation of
the Few. By making open questions of the Ballot
and Triennial Parliaments, Ministers will be only doing
justice to themselves as Reformers, and confirming the
sagacity of the people, who expect, and with confi-
_ _ _

dente, thus much at their hands.
Mr. LEADER'S observations on Peerage Reform,
were in the shrewdest possible spirit ; and never did he
speak more correctly, or to the point, than when he
said that the events of the last Session ,had convinced

the country that this Reform could not be much longer
staved off with impunity. Yet, let us not forget that it
is not the people who have brought this question so
prominently forward, but the Lords ; who, idiots as they
are, first hack away at their own throats, and then
charge others with the murderous assault. If the
Peers exist, as an irresponsible body, much longer,
they will bring political suicide into fashion. By all
means, therefore, let them be shorn of their unmerited
privileges, and public morality will be the gainer.
We cannot close these hasty remarks without again
impressing on all Reformers the necessity of union.
Away with all petty distrusts—all petty jealousies.
They only weaken the cause they would fain give
strength to. Let us fraternize, and place reliance on
each other. Why should we differ on trifles, when on
all great cardinal points we are united ; and when the
only result of our captious differences is to place arms
in the hands of our worst enemies ? United, we are
irresistible. Divided, we are at the mercy of the
Tories.

Up to the hour at which we write (half-past two
'clock, P. NI.), the French Papers of Thursday have

not been received.

The Reformers of Ayrshire lately gave a public
dinner to Mr. DUNLOP of Dunlop, the Representa-
tiVe of the county. The attendance was numerous
and highly respectable. The Hon. Gentleman to
whom this mark of respect was paid, on his health
being drunk, made a speech, of which, with the ex-
ception of one important point, we cordially approve.
In alluding to the progress of Reform,Mr. DUNLOP
expressed the opinion of every true Reformer in th
kingdom, when he stated that much less had been
done by Ministers and by Parliament than the Re-
formers at the passing of the Reform Bill expected
would be done. Did the Hon. Gentleman therefore
lay the blame of this inadequate result of the Reform
Bill, and of the mighty popular exertions made to
achieve it on Ministers or on the House of Com-
mons ? Far from it. He declared that neither were to
be held responsible for this disappointment of the pub-
lic expectations, and the declaration was loudly cheered
by the Reformers of Ayrshire. To whom then is the
blame to be attributed ? What has stopped the progress
of national improvement? Mr. DUNLOP answers at once
as every other honest man would answer—the Lords .
" It must" said he to the people of Ayrshire " be fresh
in your recollection that various measures introduced
for the amelioration of the condition of the people, both
of this country and of Ireland, have been carried, as
far as it was possible for the Government and the
Commons to carry them, but have been lost in another
place."—(Cries of " Shame.") The speaker then
went on to point out the course that a patriotic House
of Lords should follow, namely " That they should
study to legislate for the benefit, not of a few, but of
the whole country, and with sincere and deep consi-
deration for the welfare of the people at large, inde-
pendently of all party politics." The loudest applause
followed the utterance .of those sentiments.
The charge brought against the MELBOURNE Ad-
ministration, that it is carried away by fanciful theories
instead of studying to bring forward practical mea-
sures, Mr. DUNLOP met by enumerating a few of
the more prominent measures of the Government.
" There is no theory," said the Hon. Gentleman,
"in the repeal of fou: millions of taxation.—
(Cheers.) There is no theory in the amount of
salaries saved, 259,0001.,—there is no theory in the
many other reductions which have been effected—there
is no theory in the abolition of slavery, that crowning
measure of benefit to the general cause of civiliza-
tion and humanity—there is no theory in that measure
which recognises Churchmen and Dissenters as one
and the same body (Cheers) all equally the
subjects of the Crown of Great Britain. We wish
to do justice to England and Scotland, and are
determined to do justice to Ireland.— (Loud ap-
plause.) Had we suffered a party who had been baffled
in Scotland and defeated in England, to dominate in
Ireland, there would have been fewer attempts to play
upon the fears of the timid—there would have been no
cries so earnestly re-echoed of the Church in dan-
ger.'—(Cheers.) We would not rest our claim to
the confidence of the nation on the several measures
we have yet effected, but on our avowed object of do-
ing justice to every man."—(Cheers.)
Mr. DUNLOP, we are sorry to find, is not yet a con-
vert to the Ballot, and he openly states the fact to his
constituents. This is honest and straightforward deal-

big, however much the opinion itself is to be regretted.
Mr. DUNLOP thinks that as the franchise is a
trust, it should be exercised under the responsibility of
publicity. But this aroment has no force whatever
in our view of the case, because, with the protection
of the ballot, the voter can have nothing to bias hid
opinion, or to make him swerve from following the
dictates of his conscience, and the good of his country.

Snow-storms are fatal to Toryism at home and
abroad. Every body remembers how a snow-storm
served poor Sir ROBERT PEEL upon the opening of
the last Session of Parliament. His Premiership's
majority of a hundred " staunch Conservatives" were
buried in it, and their luckless remains are yet to be
discovered. The result was the downfall of the PEEL
Administration. This is indisputable, inasmuch as the
Times declared it was the snow, and not the Liberals ,
that swamped the majority of England's pet Premier.
What the snow did in England for the Liberals, it is
stated by the Times and the Post—a pair of precious
authorities truly !—to have done in Spain for the
Christinos. " But for the snow," shout these wor-
thies in concert, " Bilboa would have been taken by
the Carlists." Very possibly, were the Christinos
not to come to its relief. But was not the circum-
stance of a heavy fall of snow more favourable to
the Carlists, quietly entrenched in their quarters,
than to the Christinos, who had to march for several
leagues, to force the passage of two rivers, and—
knee-deep in mud—to fight an enemy ensconsed be-
hind breastworks ? Every circumstance of the weather
and the night was in favour of the Carlists. They
had suffered no previous fatigue—they came fresh to
the conflict—and frightened, of course, not by the
Christinos, but the snow, they fled I This is the Tory
version of the affair—and a droll one it is.