The Sun.
London, England, 1837-11-06 00:00:00

"THE SUN"

FOR THE
BEST AND EARLIEST
IN
ON ALL IMPORTANT MATTERS.
WE SAY-THEY WILL NOT BE
DISAPPOINTED. WE MERELY
REFER TO THE PAST AS A
PLEDGE FOR THE FUTURE.

"THE SUN"
OF

THURSDAY, NINTH OF NOVEMBER,

WILL GIVE A VERY
FULL ACCOUNT
OF THE

ROYAL PROCESSION,
FESTIVITY, &c. ON

LORD MAYOR'S DAY,
SO AS TO REACH ALL PARTS OF
ENGLAND ON THE FOLLOWING
MORNING, AND SCOTLAND AND
IRELAND THE NEXT.
N.8.-EARLY ORDERS SHOULD BE GIVEN.

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

LONDON :
MONDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 6, 1837.

The remarks of Lord EBRINGTON on the subject
of the Ballot, which his Lordship made at the grand
Reform dinner that took place on Monday last at
Barnstaple, are full of sophistry—and of that sort of
sophistry which has neither novelty nor ingenuity to
recommend it. "If I could bring myself," said the
Noble Lord „to believe that the Ballot would effectu-
ally give that security to the honest and independent
voter in the exercise of his elective franchise, which I
am ready to admit is in many instances now wanting,
I should certainly not feel any hesitation in voting in
its favour ; but the more I have reflected on the
subject, the more satisfactorily have 1 brought my
mind to the conclusion that the Ballot would not be
productive of that effect. You could not prevent the
landlord from soliciting his tenant ; you could not pre-
vent the wealthy customer from soliciting the tradeL-
man whom he employs ; and in proportion as they
would have the less means of ascertaining whether
their Promises were kept or not, they would be induced
to exact more solemn and binding pledges than they
now do." The whole of this reasoning—if indeed it
deserves the name of reasoning—is based on false as-
sumptions. Neither the " landlord" nor the " wealthy
customer" would dream for an instant of soliciting their
tenants or their tradesmen for a vote, were the Ballot
once in active operation ; and for this sufficing reason,
that they would have, not "less," as Lord EBRING-
TON seems To think, but absolutely no means at all
of ascertaining whether their solicitations would he
successful or not. As for their exacting front I`,,c
voter" more solemn and binding pledges tb,Th they
now do," none but the veriest idiots be guilty
of an act of such manifest sto::ererogation ; for
what possible reliance could_ be placed on the
word of a man, who, Laving solemnly pledged
•himself to vote against his conscience, at the
instigation of a lan6ord or wealthy customer, could
break that pledge and vote in accordance with his own
principles, without the slightest risk of discovery ?
Lord -EtRINGTON'S objections to the Ballot would
have some weight, were it possible to suppose that all
the influential Tory landlords and customers would
combine to make fools of themselves, by coerclurr Ute
voters, when coercion was dearly shown to be' tin-
availing ; but we have no idea of any such combination;
in this instance, we tliink better of the Tories than his
Lordship, and are fully persuaded in our own mind
that the very moment the Ballot becomes kw, that
moment coer-:lon will cease, and for ever. The Noble
Lord see7ns to be under great alarm for the consciences
fif all poor dependent electors, whom, he thinks., se-
cret voting will have a strong tendency to demoralize ;
but he need not be apprensive on this score, for they
cannot possibly
consequently be demoralized than they now are ;
any change in their present mode of voting
'must, of ric,ces
y, be for the better. For our own
Eart, Vita main reason why we so urgently demand the
sullot, is incluse we are persuaded that its very first
tesult lET:sa he to elevate the dependent elector—who in
his present situation has not even a thought that he
fore tall his own—to a lofty and becoming sense of
inderndence ; and teach him to consider the franchise
Its something better than a mere marketable commo-
dity to be bought and sold at the option of the
highest bidder. After stating his objections to
the Ballot, Lord EBRINGTON goes on to observe,
If At the same time I am bound to say, that
feeling, as I do, that the system of coercing votes is
o newhich requires a remedy—feeling, as I do, that no
remedy has yet been pointed out which to my mind is
satisfactory—and that while the Ballot is by no means
satisfactory to me, still it is that which the majority
of the people are in favour of, I have for some time
abstained from voting against it, until I can sa-
tisfy my mind that some better, remedy can cai
be found." Now, with every feeling of respect

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