The Sun.
London, England, 1830-11-09 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 9, 1830.

sentativos, than they have to represent the citizens of
London !

I will not, in this place, condescend to refute, in
detail, the futile and hitherto unheard-of pretences
which were advanced as a plea for this most wanton
and unparalleled outrage on the laws and Constitu-
tion of the country. Suffice It to observe, that the
Mayor refuses the formality of awearingand enrolling
to ELECTORAL freemeo (who are admitted to pos-
sess the qualifications pointed out by the competent
tribunal), and then rejects their votes, because 1w
himself had not enrolled them! Which is about as
reasonable as if a Judge, in trying n cause, were to
disallow administering the usual oath to a witness,
and then to tell the Jury his evidence was not to be
received, because he was not sworn.
An important distinction, not unfrequently lost
sight of, may here be pointed out :
To Common-law Courts chiefly belongs the liti-
gation of pi ivate, corporate, or pecuniary interests,—
while to decide on questions of the elective Iran-
chive (the greatest of all public rights) is the ex..
elusive province of Parliament. Ancient right or
ancient possession is the law of Parliament in re•
Bard to, those tipestio.es,—tuid theariote ancient the
more incontrovertible ; while, on •the contrary,
modern usage, modern possession, or custom, is the
rule which obtains in Westminster-hall. Thus
widely different are the subjects of adjudication
and the principles which govern technicul Courts
and Parliamentary Committees ; and accordingly it
was, that in the case of " Thorpe the Speaker," the
twelve Judges declared, "That they would not ee-
tensible the privileges of the High Court of Parlia-
ment, of which the knowledge belongeth to the Lords
of Parliament, and not the Judges." Again, in
the' celebrated,cale of Ashby, eleven of the twelve
Judges stated, that " The law of Parliament stood
on its own basis, and was not to be decided by the
general rules if, law."—EvEiv Lord Tenterden, in
an action brought by a voter against the High
Bailiff of Westminster, (1819), admits that " The
right of voting was peculiarly a subject for the
house of Commons, and that no decision of a Court
in Westniinster•hall was binding on Committees."
But ibis is the first time that a returning officer
has dared to say that he will not conform to the
decisions of the House of Commons on the elec-
toral franchise, unless they be confirmed by the
Court of King's Bench, and therefore by Judges
appointed by the Crown 1 Were the often-prac-
tised trick of confounding corporate with elective
rights thus to pass into a principle, it would be in
the power of a returning-officer to compel each
elector to expend 5001. or 1,0001. (the usual cost of
this kind of legal proceeding) before admitting hies
to vote; nay, some of these suits, as that of Ches-
ter, have cost 20,0001. Now, as the great body of
electors are utterly destitute of the means of pursu-
ing any such remedy, were such a monstrous doc-
trine established, it would thenceforth be competent
to these inferior Magistrates almost to disfranchise
the whole kingdom. .layors, Bailiffs, and lawyers,
would soon be masters of the safeguards and privi-
leges of Parliament and of the people; and the in-
fluence of those who have the keeping of the public
purse alight then, by no very tedious process, and
with no great difficulty, put an extinguisher on the
Representative principle ! Rome continued to pos-
sess a Senate for souse hundred years after the real
power and independence of that assembly had ceased
to exist.

- Gentlemen,---1 sin perfectly aware of the further
depopulation and utter ruin that must ensue to your
town, it this dishonourable conspiracy against you
should, by any improbable circumstance, suc-
ceed. If a professional borough monger of inferior
class should' thus continue to be supported in the
attempt to 'regain 'hie former power, and so
possess himself for eier; as an heir=loom, of the un-
controuled Government of
.so many thousand re-
spectable inhabitantti,—then indeed the indignant an-
ticipations indulged in by some of you, would not
be unprovoked,—nor could the despair contem-
plated by others, leading as it does to the in-
tention in such event of abandoning the country,
excite surprise. Certainly if corruption or undue
influence (which are expedients beyond the law)
should on one side triumph over justice, so, on the
other hand also, other means, out of the usual
course, and beyond the law, might with equal equity
be resorted to to counter-balance these foul and ille-
gal expedients. For my own part I consider, under
the circumstances, my individual honour as much
identified with this matter as your rights and inte-
rests are. And therefore I trust I shall be excused
if disinclined to surrender either the one or the other,
tamely. But, Gentlemen, I feel confident that
the same high and • unimpeachable impartiality,
the same just and humane relief which you expe-
rienced at the hands of the last Parliament; will be
but Confirmed by the present one,—so that all cause
either of exile or violence may happily be averted.
Gentlemen,—Even while the delusive, indecent
violation of an election was going on upon your
hustings, essentially the very same question was
debated at the cannon's mouth in a neighbouring
country, though on a larger scale and more splendid
theatre. For the subversion of the elective fran-
chise byan armed force and arbitrary decrees openly
promulgated, is not one iota different in character,
or more heinous, than its dettrUction by craft, ve-
Wiry, or pretended legal forme.
H The prOvidential failure, the tremendous copse-
: qtiences, the warning catastrophe of that atrociously
had, but yet not so corrupt and Machiavellian at-
tempt, will, we may venture to hope, Gen-
tlemen, plead with avail and with, persuasive voice, j
for the injured throughout the civilized world; '
and will do much for that safe and moderate
species of reform, of which your efforts may
he considered the precursor, and between which
and some sudden sweeping measure, bearing the
semblance and not divested of the dangers of a re-
volution, I apprehend there can be now no inter-
mediate alternative. Never at any former period was
the mind of nations. so instinct with the desire of.
removing abuses and of obtaining, justice. This
spirit is not partial or territorial ; it belongs to Eu-
rope and to the age. Never was a discreet and
temperate exercise of influence or power more im-
perative—nor a capricious invasion of supposed
rights sn perilous. The political atmosphere is
charged to the full; it is the part of wisdom, the
solemn duty of men in high places, to abstain from
those interferences which may provoke, and to
suffer or direct that which may prevent, explosion.
—The integrity of the elective franchise is the safety
valve.
But, Gentlemen, while I write, a petition of ap-
peal is put in against you by " Me Reverend George
,iugustus Lamb, Doctor it/. Dianily, and Rector of the
parishes of Iden, Plnydeis and G uldeford, and
For what purpose can this be required ? Hes not
that Reverend` Person already, of his own authority,
reversed and controuled the Standing Orders and
jucicial decisions of the House in your favour, by
placing within its precincts, where they now are, his
two nominees? And how, after such an audacity,
lie can venture to approach its bar in the character
of a respectful petitioner, praying that such an act
should be legalised by an insulted Legislature, is not
little surprising!
• Gentlemen,--My colleague and myself have pre-
hatred to the House the ordinary petition. But the
case is utterly the reverse dim ordinary one. It is
wholly unexampled. In the dark annals of these
misdeedia, it is utterly without preePtlent,
I am too obscure a perion—too moderate in -
my general views—too unconnected with any

of the great parties, to expect that any griev-
ance of mine or yours could draw forth ant
peculiar interposition for our protection. But I
thus have explained, in the hope that some public-
spirited Member may see—that far higher interests
than those of a town or un individual are involved
in the bringing this affair to the speediest postale
issue. It is now appointed for a remote day, on
what ground I know not.
Gentlemen,--A deliberate Outrage on the dignity
and privileges of Parliament has in this instance
been committed. We have been openly menaced
with a combination of influence and pecuniary means
for maintaining that outrage. It would be far
from (Met& to shew, that what has been thus briefly
and feebly pourtrayed, is, in effect, the most direct
and dangerous attack on public liberty essayed in
this country since the reign of James the &cond.—
Were it suffered to pass into a precedent, the con-
sequences are as distinctly predicable, us would those
of the mina lodged under a beleagured rampart.
An attempt so palpable to wrest from the hands of
the representatives of the nation, the guardianship
and interpretation' of the law of Parliament, to trairt:i
ter its securities to the custody of inferior and easily
corruptible agents—to dispute the competency,
and treat as nought, the necessary and undoubted
authority of the Commons, CORICi home to every
man's business and bosom for that House, whatever
its imperfections may be, is after all the great bul-
wark not only of stable lawful government and in-
ternal peace, but, in result, of whatever provides for
the maintenance of all that is valuable or desirable
in the institutions of the empire.
Gentlemen, I have the honour to remain,
Your faithful devoted servant,
It Regent-street, London. a L. EVANS.
To the Barons and Freemen of the

Town and Port of Rye.

SPIRIT OI THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

The disappointment ihtlicted yesterday upon the citizens
of London, and not on them only, hut on the public at
large, and above all °these, as we can boldly affirm, on the
feelings of our gracious Sovereign and his Consort, is alto-
gether indescribable. Our _ fellow-citizens were most
anxious for the presence of their frank and kind-hearted
Monarch in the midst of them. For days and weeks they
had devoted themselves,--those of them who were public
functionaries, mad all in their private character as hoUae-
holders, and masters of femilies—hand and heart, to the
business of doing honour to their King. The Lord Mayor
elect (Alderman Key),—whether willing to curry favour,
as it is termed, with the head of his Majesty's Govern.
ment, or by what other motive actuated is nut for us to
say, but—behind the backs of all Isis brethren of the Cor-
poration—men quite as loyal, and of as discriminating
judgments as himself, and before he had been sworn into
office, or could formally exercise any functions becoming a
Lord Mayor, took upon himself to address a letter to his
Grace the Duke of Wellington, stating, that from infer-
Illation which he had received, a design was entertained by
some desperate and abandoned characters, to do—
what?—to insult the King and his amiable Consort ?
to storm the Bank?--to batter down St. Paul's
to burn the city? No, nothing like it; but that the des-
perate characters had resolves! " to snake an attack on yuur
Grace's person, on your approach to the Hall." Now,
we tender his Grace the Duke of Wellington's person as
highly as any Alderman, Mayor '" elect" or nun-elected,
among the whole board. There is no public man now
living, or at any time, whose life deserves from every Bri-
ton that greater efforts, or, if neresssry, greater sacrifices
should be male by his country, to preserve it. But that
a bare assertion hams the individual, unauthorized by any
official power or tribunal, and by those more especially
whom such an informant ought in all good sense and pro.*
priety to have consulted, of an outrage against the indivi-
dual Duke of Wellington being meditated, should have be..
come the ground-work of a Cabinet remonstrance to his
111ajesty, urging hint, King William, to abstain from dining
with Isis loyal citizens of the metropolis of Englund, is
something scarcely credible. If King William be, as all
the world knows, a most popular and beloved Monarch,
and one whose presence never fails to delight his faithful
subjects, while with affectionate and cordial greetings they
as uniformly testify that pleasure, is it fitting that, for
the sake of any one person who may happen (perversely
and unjustly we at once admit) to excite f. stingy less
friendly in this minds-of the unmannerly multitude, the
King and Queen of England should lose, the benefit of
their well-earned popularity, and the people be deprived
of the comfort of Ismail; sting their' ittachinent ? Such a
reflection, moreover, arises from the supposition that the
writer of the intelligence to the Duke of Welling-
ton' is correct' as to the fact which he communi-
cates. In that cave (the least favourable hypothesis),
the Kiug and Queen might very well have trusted the
devotion of their faithful and mahly subjects; and any
Minister who bad reason to fear that his own want of po-
pularity would expose Isis individual person to rudeness,
might surely have remained at home. But was the in-
formation true? Was violence to any mortal dreaded,
even by the most ancient of the city old women ? We
have good authority for asserting, that among the men of
London at least, eiere existed no such fear. The Court
of Aldermen are quite satisfied of the efficiency of the
police, and that the steps Liken to increase the civil force
were commensurate with the important occasion. The
Court of Common Council go still further in their contra.
diction of the fact which wart hazarded by the Lord Mayor
elect. Aldermen Thompson (late Lord Mayor) and Welds-
man, lest night in the House of Commons, disavowed the
o Eject " and his intelligence.. In truth, the postpone.
merit of the Royal visit has beers an inconsiderate and ill.
judged act, proceeding evidently from imperfect and erro-
neous information. It will be seen Irons an advertise_
meat that a propassl its on foot for the great mass of re-
spectable citizens of London and Westminster to form
themselves into a body guard to escort the King and
Queen to Guildhall on whatever day it may hereafter
please the advises s of the Crown that the city should he
honoured with the Royal presence. Now that the civic
authorities (both Aldermen and Common Council) have
declared there is no ground fur any alarm, it may be hoped
that the Royal visit will not long be delayed..--Times,
Both Houses last night were occupied with the conside-
ration of what might well be termed by Lord Althorp
" ore of the most extraordinary and alarming events that
he haul ever known in else course of Isis experience," the
deice given by Ministers to his Majesty to decline fulfill-
ing the promise to dine with the Lord Mayor. We anti•
cipated, from the ill-judged letter of the Secretary of
State, the most disastrous consequences, and the event has
already but too well justified our anticipations. The funds
fell yesterday no lees than a per cent, But the extent of
the mischief cannot be known for sometime. That letter
will carry alarm into every collier of the British empire.
The movement of troops on the metropolis, the putting
the Tower into a posture of defence—all this, coupled with
the letter of Sir Robert Peel, which, in charity to the Mi-
nistere, it will be supposed was dictated by the 000
urgent necessity—all this will strike the iteugmations of
use's at a distance as the harbinger of some dreadful cala-
mity. A very justifiable curiosity drew crowds to the
two House* to hear the explanation% of Ministers, The
Duke of Wellington, after admitting thst his Majesty is
one of the must popular Sovereigns that ever reigned
in this country, and still more that he is a Sovereign
whose public and private conduct most deserves the
popularity which he has obtained, proceeded to state
the circumstances which had led them to advise thii
popular Monarch to disappoint the expeotation of his good
citizens of London, lie began by ten lief the leVer Cr"'
the Lord Mayor elect, whieh has been so much animal-
vetted on by the Courts of Aldermen and Common
Council. The Lord M syur elect, in this letter, sell, h's I
Grace, " from what I learn, it is the intention of some of I
the desperate characters who are anxious to avail them- '
selves of any circumstance to create tumult and cottfosiont
to take the opportunity of man.ng an Ottt(ick on 'your
Grace's person on your spproach to the Hail ;" and he
added, " I thuuldttat be sluing my duty after what I have
Iseard, did I not take the
tanninglibestiotfrostuiyesitutidnsguffin
toriulyr
Grace the. propriety of
your
guarded.' " Under these circutustancet (says his Grace),
when I received the letter I have referred to, I felt it soy
duty to "freio floto ottending.at the City Feast." We
do not certainly Islame leis Grace, who no doubt conceives
the salvation of the country to be bound up with his life,

for the impression which this recommendation seems to
have made on him. To refrain from attending at the
City Feast, under all the circumstances of the ease, might
have been prudent. But it was not necessary that his
Majesty, who is so deservedly popular, should not fulfill
his promise. It would have been quite enough to have
given ample notice to the public that his Grace, and the
rest of his Majesty's Ministers, for sundry good and
weighty reasons, had deemed it expedient td ab-
stain from eccompanying his Majesty to the City
Feast. Their absence would have cast no gloom
over the entertainment; the public, after what lute peeved
during the last week, would have understood without
difficulty the reasons for their absence It would not
have entered into the head of man, woman, or child,
that the hazard of hie Majesty would have been increased
by their absence. The Funds would not have fallen one-
fourth, or even a smaller fraction, on account of their
absence. The safety of the City would not have been
supposed in Manger, because his Majesty's Ministers took
soitable precautions. But, like the fox without a tail, they
were determined that if they could 'not go in safety to the
city, his Majesty should not go ; no matter what condo-
Amy should be drawn front the unusual and appalling fact,
Oat it had nut been deemed safe to allow hie Majesty to
%wear at an entertainment given toilette.* him by hie
loyal subjects, the citizens of London, "My Lord, I
communicated this determination to my colleagues, and we
found on that occasion; from the letter which I bad re-
ceived, and from letters received by my Right Hon.
Friend, the Secretary of State on the same subject, that
it was very possible that a tumult would occur in the city
on the occasion of his Majesty's visit; and we thought it
our duty to recomtnend to his Majesty to postpone his
visit. We were induced to come to this determination in
consequence of all the information we received of various
descriptions. We have no doubt whatever, from the
information conveyed to us from a variety of quarters_
information on which we could rely—that an attack
would be made on the Police—that there was a plan laid
to extinguish the lights, and a variety of attempts to
be made to excite riot and disorder. We by no means
wish to insinuate that his Grace did believe this informa-
tion ; but we think there itenot an individual in the coun-
try so credulous as to believe that there would have been
the slightest danger of riot or tumult, if his Grace and
colleagues had left his Majesty unincumbered on such an
occasion by their unpopularity. As it is, the City Ma-
gistracy unanimously scout the idea of danger. But the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, in the other House, ob-
served, that they were actuated by compassion for his Ma-
jesty. "Would they, if they now resigned," he said, "not
be told they hail brought the Monarch into circumstances of
difficulty, and then abandoned him—(Cheers)—and left the
City exposed, without means to repress the disorders which
they had themselves anticipated, and from the approach of
which they had shrunk?"—( Cheers. )—This !minds us of
a saying imputed to a Learned Under Secretary for the Co-
lonies. 'When offered an Indian Judgeship towards the
end of last Session, with similar generosity he refused, ob-
serving, that he could not think of abandoning Ministers
in their difficulties. Mr. Brougham having observed, that
44 he could not help thinking it was a little haul upon his
Majesty that this proceeding should have been Wien, nut
with reference to any supposed unpopularity of his Ma-
jesty—quite the contrary—but with reference to the un-
popularity of those who were in his Majesty's Councils,"
Sir Robert Peel admitted that " the Honourable and
Learned Gentleman had put a correct construction on the
whole transaction. He did believe with the Honourable
and Learned Gentleman, that their Majesties might
have gone to the City without any inconvenience, but
that perhaps arising front exuberance of affection on the
part of their subjects; he did believe that 'vim one end
of the procession to thee other their Majesties would
have been received with one universal demonstration of
loyalty; he also believed that every person ,possessed of
property would have exposed himself to any danger in
endeavouring, to preserve the public peace.-..a feet of
which the voluntary offer of foes teen or fifteen hundred
perscns for, that purpose afforded sufficient evidence. .
But only let the House calmly reflect on the condition in
which London would have been placed by the projected
festival. All the firemen would have leen employed in
the procession, All the constables would have been as-
sembled in one spot at an early hour of the day. Would
it have been safe to leave the whole suburbs of the town
exposed to outrage ? Would it have been right volunta-
rily to allow the congregation of an enormous crowd on
a November night, which might be as oided ?" Strange
that all this providence and forecast—all this danger from
stripping London of its firemen, of its constables, leaving
the suburb% to outrage, congregating immense crowd, on
a November night, only occurred to Ministers at the
twelfth tenor, when it was suggested to them that they
were themselves in danger! It was known at hen the
promise was made, that the feast was to take place
on the nth of November—it could hardly be supposed
that the King could dine with the citizens of London with-
out a large congregation of people taking place—the as-
sembly of firemen and constables must also have been an-
ticipated. But Ministers seem to have remained in a
strange sort of lethargy from the time they advised his
Majesty to accept the invitation—timing the progress of
the preparation—till the letter of the Lord Mayor elect,
by warning them of their own danger, roused them to a
seek! of the numerous dangers to which London and its
citizens were exposed by the various circumstances above
enumerated. The Duke of Wellington has been taught
on this occasion a great morel 1,01011, and we trust the
lesson will not be thrown away on others. The declara-
tion in the House of Lords on Tuesday last, displayed so
much more of mental prostitution than the weirdo!' called
for, that from one end of England to the other it has pro-
duced but one feeling of disgust. Even the Borough.
mongers whom he wished to conciliate must have turned
away with loathing from the " matchless intrepidity
of face which they witnessed." All our Statesinen of
any distinction, however adverse to reform, have
still shrunk from the task of eulogising the con up-
tint' they could not dispense with. Even the aristocratic
Burke, when told by Lord Cermarthen Out Manchester
not being represented, had as much right to complain as
the Colonies, exclaimed " When they wish to assimilate to
their parent, anti to reflect with a true filial resemblance
the beaoteous countenance of British liberty, are we to
turn to them the shameful parts of our Constitution ? Are
we to give them our weakness fur their strength? Oar
°pitted,' ium for their glory ? And the 'dough of slavery,
which we are not able to work off, to serve them for their
freedom?" Ilia Grace, however, glories in their oppro-
brium, like one in the last stage of demoralization, he ex-
poses the shameful parts with an exultation which repels
every beholder. Sir James Graham, in a most impres-
sive speech, touched on the irrepirable injury which the
Duke has done himself. " Thu Right Hon, Baronet,"
said Sir Jame*, " in his letter toys, it is dangerous to
the public tranquillity that by night a Royal procession
s ;dace; and yet about eight days ago, their
Majestiesticiutike
visited the theatres, unaccompanied by any
extraordinary guard. Was there any confusion ?
None. The Royal Sovereign was received with the
estimations of a loyal and attgelied people.—(Cheers.)
net is it, then, Sir, which bus changed this se-
curity to slay m—this loyalty t a dissatiefection ? Hee
anything ininterveued that could possibly 40 soeh
a chauge? Yes, Sir, something has inteswened ; there
has been a decleratiume,a moat uncompromising declare.
tion—by the Noble Duke at the brad of his Majesty's:
Government, that nothing should tempt him to admit e
question, which, unless I ion much deceived on that very
point on which the Duke of Wellington says, • will cons
cede nothing,' is that on which the people-L.4 mean not the
mob, but the middle clitaites,--( Hear, hear).-e-aintertain tort
opinion, in conformity with whieh the Guvernment of this
votary must he conducted, if it he amdfunted in peace,
and in conformity with which the Right Honourable Se-
wavy hinted!' has declared that he will act, fur that he
would throw aside patronageTtud rely on public
(Hear, hear.) • • •
toe, that it is now quite clear the titivation of Reform can
he no longer evaded, and the declare tieri of the Nulik
puke has astounded the people of Eegland, and wait; him
within a short time the most enpepular:.i/iniater that ever
swayed the destiniea of his country."—.(Hear.).—lle
1141 West, by seeking an advantage by meow which
have left him Inc other auceess than the discredit of them.
To throw away character without gaining the object rot •
which it was thrown away, iY always prodigiously mottle
Eying, The speech of Earl grey met hey* been keenly
felt by the Duke of Wellington. 4' 1 mutt say," : observed
his Lordship, etthat Min I first read the letter this
morning whieh appeared in the public prints,. that I fat
"'lathing like humiliation! I felt the fullest regret and.
aicypointment that such a letter was thought necessary

by the Government, being persuaded that it would not
issue each 4 letter without first making inquiries, and ob.
twining information that the letter was necessary. Is this
a moment to circulate accounts of public dangers unneces.
wily? His Lordship passed a warm eulogy on the French
Revolution, and hoped that Ministers, as they had bhown
respect to the Government of Prance, would show respect
to the people of Belgium, by which alone, be thought they
would ensure the peace of this country, anti the peace of
Europe." So much for this ill-judged proceeding of
Ministers—a proceeding A;hich most lower them pro-
digiously with regard to character for discretion through-
out the country.-11torning Chronicle.
The Magistracy of the City disclaim the representations
of the Lord Mayor Elect, and another Alderman. In the
Common Council strong measures would have been adopted
had not the Lord Mayor Elect thrown himself on the
compassion of the Court. in the house of Lords Ear;
Grey significantly nlluded to the period of 1780,
.when
London was disgraced by her Chief Magistrate. The lesson
of yesterday will nut be soon forgotten by the Lord Mayor
Elect. Between him and Ministers, the: feast has turned
. .
out 4 sorry repast for the country. itltitein# Chronicle.
It was only last week ihst his ''
„; - made use of
the fellf."olg wt4Sisi4ollloosirso
,' Wed Neils,
s-,tatott
Meet t=" Amidst. al . the difficulties of -the present con-
juncture, I reflect with the highest tatisfaction on the
loyalty and affectionate attachment of the great body of
my people,"—and yet, in one short week, after pro-
nouncing the emphatic opinion iif the good disposition of
the people towards his person and Government, his
Majesty officially declares, through one of his Secretaries
of State, that he dare not venture at the head of his Mi.
:nistere and the Greet Personages of the realm, and guarded
by a numerous force of police and military, to dine with
the Civic Authorities of hie own capital ! What is the
cause of a change in the ,pinion of the Sovereign with
regard to the loyalty of big people so sudden and por-
tentous ? The excitement! and consternatian which the
letter of the Secretary of State to the Lord Mayor occa-
sioned in this great metropolis, and, no doubt, has, by this
time, spread very generally throughout England, could only
be justified on grounds of urgent and extreme necessity.
'Such as an intended revolutionary movement, or an attack
on the person of the King. Had the Government credible
inform +don of either one or the other of those violent and
treasonable intentions. The discussion of last night shows
that they had not. That discussion, as will be seen from
our Parliamentary report, was brought about by Lard Al-
thorp demanding an explanation of the conduct of Minis-
ters in advising his Majesty to relinquish his purpose, at
least fur the present, of gratifying his good citizens of
London by visiting them in state, and partaking of the
civic hospitality, according to an appointment, which had
given pleasure only to be exceeded by the regret and alarm
occasioned by the unexpected change of the royal inten-
tion. Sir Robert Peel being thus called te:on, rose to
give such explanation as he could of the grounds of the
advice wlrich Ministers had thought fit to give his Ma-
jesty, and in the commencement of his ',peach expressed a
hope that Parliamint would not call upon him to wake
any disclosures that " might interfere with the course of
public justice." Flom such an exordium it was naturally
inferred that Ministers had acted upon information whirl,
made skein acquainted with meditated acts of a treason-
able character, which only awaited their proper and
full developetnent in it court of law; but the remainder
of his speech did not bear out well au inference, for
nothing could be more vague and unsatisfactory
than the counnun'cations :to which he referred, as
justifying tire advice which the confidential Council-
lors of the Crown bad given. to their Sovereign, and
which had thrown theinhabitante of the metropolis into a
state of the most extraordinary agitation, and made them ap-
prehensive of the su Idea and terrific explosion of some
mapending calamity. The only document which he pro-
duced was a letter from the Lord , Mayor elect, who stated
that he had received communications which made him ap-
prehend tluit a personal attack would he made on tie, Duke
of Wellington if be joined the Royal procession, in conse-
quence whereof he recommended that his Grace, if he
came at all, should come particularly well guarded. This
was the only documentary evidence, its we awed, that Sir
Robert Peel produced • and it does not appear he ever In-
quired, as it was his ()minden duty to du, what was the
Lord Mayor elect's source of know'edge. It le not the
vague assation of a Magistrate that should be a foundetion
for a solemn act of the Minister of the Crown. He should
ask fur the certain and defined evidence on which the state-
ment was grounded ; and if there was none, he should have
treated it as an idle report, unworthy of the serious attention
of the Minister aof a greet empire; or, if he took any step in
consequence of it, he and his colleagues should have confined
themselves tw the sidoptitm,withouteit her noise or ostentation,
of precautionary measures, and, thereby, while they were
vigilant against surprise, they would have avoided spread-
ing among the people unnecessary alarm. The conse-
quences, in a counnerciel country like this, of exciting sp.
pr of revolutionary proceedings are so dreadful,
that a Government should take care never to do so but

upon testimony so clear and indisputable as, when stated,
must inevstably produce general conviction. But did
the evidence which Ministers brought forward last
night produce such conviction on the minds of
those who heard it ? So far from it, that the statement
of Sic Robert Peel only created laughter and termitic
cheers. Mr. Brougham strongly depicted the fully of
Ministers in spreading, on melt indefensible ,rounds, an
alann that had canard the public fund* to fall, in the
course of that one day, about three per cent., and had
probably reduced many reepectabie tioniliet, who had
previously an honed independence, to absolute beggary
Sir Robert Peel, in his speech, having admitted that
the communications which he received mily..applied tu
meditated attack on the Duke of Wellington, and
having also admitted that his Majesty's popularity re•
mined unimpaired, Mr. Brougham obeerviali in refe-
rence t o this part of his statement, that the proper re-
medy for the apprehended evil was, that the Duke of
Wel ington should remain 03 home, and not to attempt to
screen himself from the odium which his political wee.
cures had brought upon him, by involving his Itoyal
Matter in the consequences of his own unpopularity.
Indeed it was acknowleill ed on Loth sides of the House
that his Majesty might tartly traverse any part of !ail
metropolis, or kit dominions, without the protection of
a military guard, if unaccompaiiied by hi,% Ministerei—
Alderman Waithmin expressed himielf, upon the con.
duct of Ministers in this case, iu very strong tertian lie
said it was impossible to account for their conduct upon
any rational ground of action, arid that he was run.
vineeil if Isle Majetty'a " confidential edviselos" were put
upon their defence Part writ de lunatic() implant)°, there
was no ounseientious Jury in the kingoom that would
not bring in a verdict of insanity Titia aeatement
was followed by vehement elieeriag. The Worthy Al.
derman also stated that tho Woo. of the Lord Maur
. .
elect, as well as Ott; `verbal communication tit *toiler
Aiderinent who made a similar statement to, Sur Ilobert
Veel, as the representative of the Fats Lord Mrtlor,
were totally unknown to the caller Aldermen of the
City, and that a Court of .Alliermen had been held that
day,• who had doehtimed all Imutvlsalge of thole co u•
numieations, mid had stated it as their 'Arm opinion
that If his Majesty hail adhered to his original intention of
dieing with the Corporation in Guildhall nu distrobara
of the puhlie peace wou'ei have occurred. Titiw at4teiont
Alderman Thompson fully confirmed, 14%1, be was not
pie :nerd t ► doubt the propriety awl, wisdom of the advice
which Ministers had elven tu Oak Sovereign. Mr. nob.
house observed that Ministers seemed to forget there who
an alterntiye to whickthey could have resorted% unapt nut
cawing the King to sacrifice a particle or ',1,,s popularity,
and that was to resiyn. Tido it \oil their duty to have
done, when they found that they had lost the public cots
thieoce, which they well deem veil to lose in contirournce
of the Sin eels from the Thrice., end the tleAnations of
the Duke of Wellington and the Secretary for the Boom
Department against all ref urn In the reprraentstien of the
people. Sir James tlraloon eapresiedeluttilar m 1044044,
as tli,sl Colonel Devise and sane other Menberii oft the
Opposition aide of the House, mole particularly Mr.
Hume who expetted a hove that Varliament would
CrOwo to (Nook, the Ministers. The cititio
eellor of the tiechiquer challenged him to carry his threat
into effret, by calling on the 10 ;+t; to vote such
Address at once but Sir Ames Graham observed
that; constituted us Me 44ouse Men was, he trusted Matt
no such direct attempt to putout Miniskrs would ft Made,
but that the oratioary busiiiess Of the Sestsiou would be
allowed to go one, and that the atalAility of the Intent
Government would be tried let n way not so congenial
with their tarries as an addieta of the nature proposed.
Some of the Members on the Treonry benches—.hut they !
were not many—defended the Government : among these
Sir Charity leorine Was the num lettioutt, and he tuitt4