The Sun.
London, England, 1837-11-07 00:00:00

TRIAL BY JURY.

The friends of Parliamentary Reform met yesterday at
R tdley's Hotel, Bridge-street, Backfriars, to celebrate the
forty-third anniversary of the acquittal of Thomas Hardy,
John Horne Tooke, John Thelwali, and others, from the
charge of high treason, preferred against them, in 1791, by
the Government of Mr. Pitt. About 200 gentlemen sat
down to dinner.

Mr. C. BULLER, M.P., in the Chair.
After the usual loyal and pat, :ol'e toasts ha I ten d's-
posed of,
The CHAIRMAN rose and said—Gentlemen, I have now
to propose to you " Her Majesty's Ministers ;" a toast which
I think you will drink with the greatest satisfaction, be-
cause their names are coupled with a hope that they will
cordially co-operate with us in the steady advancement of
reform ; for it was never more necessary thus to combine
measures with the names of men than now, when the con-
tinuance of a reforming Ministry depends entirely on
the wisdom and vigour of the policy which it must
shortly develope to the country. By this alone shall
we maintain that union among Reformers which we all
desire, but which we shall not secure by merely de-
siring. For that union, which implies a general and
zealous co-operation for all common objects, a cheerful
abandonment of every individual opinion which may inter-
fere with those common objects, is not to be secured by
exhortations to union, and demonstrations of its expediency,
but must be commended by such a policy on the part of
Ministers as shall compel Reformers of every shade to
unite in a common effort to obtain some substantial, and
at the same time attainable reform. I have never known
Reformers', so unreasonable as to refuse to unite their ener-
gies for any attainable good, however small it might appear
to many of them. I know that there are those among the
weak and insincere admirers of the Ministry who, judging
from the general ill-success of the Liberal party at the last
election, and more particularly from the defeat which three
or four very distinguished Radicals experienced in parti-
cular localities, have come to the conclusion that the
country is opposed to thorough reforms, and that it is the
interest of Ministers to adopt what they are pleased to call
a Conservative policy. I read the lesson of the late gene-
ral elections very differently. I see that, in spite of our
being deprived of a fea most eminent and valuable men,
the number of thorough Reformers has suffered no dimi-
nution. I know that the number of the Tory opposition
are increased. I say, then, that on that account also—
in order to render that numerically powerful opposition
morally powerless—in order to prevent it from speedily
clearing the trifling distance that separates it from an abso-
lute majority in both Houses—it is more than ever necessary
for Ministers to abandon the do-nothing policy which is the
real strength of their opponents, and to link their official
existence with measures so popular and so practicable that
the country may really think it worth its while to keep them
in office. It is not my wish to urge Ministers forward, as
the cant phrase is, too fast. Ido not call on them to pro-
pose reforms for which the country is not ripe, or to at-
tempt to carry measures offensive to the feelings of a large
and sincere minority. I tun not one of those who divide
the whole country into two parties, and think that the
wishes of all from whom I differ shuuld be recklessly disre•
garded. Useless as 1 think it to attempt conciliating the
old and leading Tories, the systematic supporters of existing
abuses and opponents of popular power and representative
Government, my experience of the late elections has con-
vinced me that the present strength of their party consists
in the temporary support which it has derived from men
who act with them only from passing causes—of men who
were Reformers, and are in the main Reformers still, who
supported the Reform Bill, who stand by the Reform
Bill still, who wish to have it perfected, and wish for
most of its legitimate consequences—of men who agree
with us in desiring the removal of aristocratic abuses—
(Hear hear)—and, above all, who agree with us in a de-
termination to extend instead of surrendering the political
power which the people have lately obtained, but who have
been drawn into a temporary union with the Tories either
by their prejudices on the one or two points on which the
present Ministry takes its stand, or by the utter indiffe-
rence produced by the want of definite, practicable, and
generally interesting objects of exertion. These are men
whom we ought to conciliate—whom, if we wish for suc-
cess, we must alienate from our opponents ; and I think
that the great good fortune of Ministers is, that the very
policy which would encourage their present supporters is pre-
cisely that which would conciliate the greatest number of
their present opponents. Do not suppose that I mean to de-
preciate the really reforming policy, with regard to certain
Church questions, on which the Ministry has taken its
stand : 1 rejoice that it has boldly encountered the Tories
on these points ; but I think it imprudent to have en-
countered them on these points alone. We ask nothing
but the keeping of the promise of the Reform Bill ; we
ask to have the franchise simplified, equalised, unfettered,
and consequently extended : above all, we ask to have it pro-
tected. This is asking no wild ehange ; this is urging no
dangerous course. I know not what prejudices or what
secret understandings have hitherto prevented Ministers
from cooperating with us on this point. I believe that
extensive and well prepared measures of practical Reform,
instead of being effectually thwarted by the 'Tories in either
House, would daunt their opposition ; and that the more
sensible the inroads made by them upon aristocratic ino-
nopoly, the larger would be the number who would
feel themselves interested in carrying them into effect.
What Tory opposition could thwart Ministers in the
revision of the pension list, or compel them to keep
up the extravagance of the civil list? What opposi-
sition could defeat a Ministry in an attempt at real re-
trenchment, or in such a reform of our military and naval
establishments as would elevate the private soldier and
sailor, and make promotion the reward of merit and service,
not the privilege of birth ? or in such a Law Reform as
would simplify and humanize our law, and bring sound jus-
tice cheap to every man's door? or in such a Church Re-
form as would make the Church that poor man's Church,
of which it is now but a mockery, and apply the ample
funds of the Establishment to the wants of the working
Clergy, not to the waste of aristocratic drones ? That
there is now no secret difficulty in the way of a popular
policy from the antipathies and fears of the Crown we are
assured ; and if there be any arising from the prejudices,
the timidity, or the intrigues of individuals, Lord Melbourne
must free himself from them. And it is in the confident
expectation that such is the course which the leaders of the
Ministry will adopt that I propose " Her Majesty's Minis-
ters," Se.—The health was drunk with nine times nine, and
loud cheers.

The CHAIRMAN next rose to give the toast of " Purity
of Trial by Jury."—This toast was also drunk with nine
times nine.

The CHAIRMAN called ui,on them to fill a bumper to
" The healths of the three Juries who in 1794 acquitted
Tilomas Hardy, John Horne Took and John Thelwall, of
the charge of high treason."—(Load cheers.)—The toast
was drank with nine times nine.

Mr. D. W. HARVEY, M.P., rose to propose the next
toast, and was received with loud applause. The toast he
had the honour of proposing was, The Memory of the
twelve gentlemen who were charged with high treason in
the year 1794, and who were so ho ourahly acquitted."
Eight of these gentlemen he had had the honour of know-
ing personally, and three of them were his most intimate
friends.—(l4oo(l cheers.) He had the pride and pleasure
of reckoning amongst his intimate friends the kind and vir-
tuous Hardy—(Loud cheers)—the pious and learned Jere-
miah Joyce, and that ardent and honest Reformer John
Tnelwall.—(Loud cheers.) He would test the sincerity of
the men of the present times, and of the present Govern-
tnent, by the measures which these illustrious patriots sup-
ported. If he might be allowed to suggest it, he would
say that the people ought to make up their minds at the
present juncture of affairs as to two, or at most three,
great measures, laying aside every thing else, and devoting
their attention exclusively to the attainment of those mea-
sures. They should demand a comprehensive reform of the
Reform Act, which would embrace the three great cardi-
nal points of Household Suffrage, Triennial Parliaments,
and protection from intimidation and corruption by the Bat-
let.—(Loud cheers.) He wished it to be announced that
he did not mean to allow a week of the approaching session
to pass without giving notice of his intention, if the Go-
vernment did not anticipate him, of bringing in a Bill which
should embrace these three points.—(Cheers.)
The toast was drunk in solemn silence,

Mr. GALLOWAY had the greatesteeeeeeeee in proposing
the toast which had been committed to his care, because
he felt convinced that the men whose health he would pro
pose were most influential in bringing forward the principle
of Reform. It wit: highly gratifying to him to see so many
friends of Reform assembled upon such an interesting occa-
sion, and that the meeting was presided over by a gentle•
man of great sense and ability. flis services in Parliament
acre of a high etaracter ; he never appealed to the passions,
but to the judgment of his hearers. He entertained for
that gentleman the greatest respect. Ile was also happy
to sop 4p4tliQr veteran in the cause of Reform. Ile thought
that the cause of Itel-ami was greatly indebted to the exer-
tions of Mr. Harvey. He felt happy to recognise in that
assembly several members of the Corresponding Society,