The Sun.
London, England, 1837-05-04 00:00:00

?, •• •
9u4ring a property qUalificatich ~.embers oc die 'louse
Ofcommons.—(Hear, hear.) I have no doubt that there
are several gentlemen in the room fully as competent to be
Representatives in Parliament, but who have too tender
consciences to swear that, they pre worth -.1,00,/. :year, but
sub iS staid of inOra4 'on this iiolot; that it is not re-
garded. I trust we shall get iiiiS abolished in a short time.
To conic back to the House of CorihnopS,H(A. voice," We
will send y'k4i,back:!')' I an-i Rot ,O;it of it fet; As I have
. not yet There is one thing in which I trust, that
there will be a change in the law within a short time,
namely, that we should go back to the old English system
of having Annual Parliaments, or that the duration of the
present Parliaments should be shoftetied. I dila, that it
would be sUffitient if 0.,6 hho tdned the duration from seven
to three yeah.--,qUries of" No, no, " Yes, yes.") I am quite
delighted to see such unanimity.--4 Laughter.) I see that
you are all agreed on one point; natnelk; that you Will have
Parliament§ Of Adder ddratidit thall the ftt'Oettt, 1 do
not say that I would stop at triennial, but you are all
agreed that that would be better than having septennial
Parliaments.—(Hear.) There is another point respecting
which I believe you also aro all agreed, and in which indeed
the Government concurs, namely, the getting rid of the
rate and tax-paying clauses of the Reform Bill,—(Hear.)
By these clauses a man is obliged to pay something for the
preservation of a right, and if he should be absent from
home on the day the tax-collector might call, he may be de-
prived of the elective franchise. By these means you would
get a good House of Commons, that would really represent
you. If the duration of Parliaments was shortened—if you

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obtained the Ballot—if you got rid of the rate-paying clauses,
and the property qualification for Members, it would be
your own fault if you did not get a good House of Commons.
—(Hear.) Supposing you had such a House of Commons,
I may be told that we should be as far as ever from other
reforms, if we had an hereditary House of Peers, voting
by proxy. Such a body might do all that they could to
oppose their reforms, and we would do all that we could
to harmonise with it ; but if we did not succeed, the people
of England would tell them that they were determined to
have reform, and that if the House of Lords would not
give reform, the people of England would pass by the
House of Lords.—( Cheers, and " No, no.") I hear some
person say no. I would ask do you wish for these re-
forms ? How .can you do so if the House of Lords con•
stantly opposes you ? I confess Ido not understand you
when you say that you desire the end, and yet refuse to
pursue the course I have mentioned. If you wish to ob-
tain the end, you must employ the means.—(Hear.) Such
are my political opinions, which I suppose some persons will
say are somewhat Radical. Perhaps they are, but they
are not destructive.—(Cheers.) I would not subvert pro-
perty or order in this country ; on the contrary, lam
anxious to preserve peace and order, and maintain the se-
curity of property, and I believe the best mode of doing so
would be by granting the reforms I have mentioned.—
( Hear.) Instead, therefore, of being a Destructive, lam
really and truly a Conservative.--( Hear, hear, and a voice,
" You have no interest to destroy property I") My friend
says, I have no interest in destroying property. What man
present has any interest in destroying property ? The
man whose means of subsistence depended on the labour of
his bands had as great or even greater interest in the secu-
rity of property than the wealthier classes. Suppose, by
any misgovernment or series of events, consumers' in-
come in the country was reduced one half, the person with
I,noo/. a year might preserve the means of subsis•
tense ; but could the poor man with 501. a year main;
tain himself and family with half of that sum ? I say,
therefore, that the poor man has as great an interest in the
security of property in this country, and preserving order
and good government, as his rich neighbour.—(Hear, hear.)
I have thus stated my political opinions in somewhat a
rambling manner. Before I advert to Ireland, I must say
a few words as to the conduct of the Radical Members in
the House of Commons. Many persons have charged us
with having uselessly and needlessly attacked the Govern=
ment, but what are the facts of the case ? Whenever we
could conscientiously support the present Liberal Govern-
ment—for so it is, as compared with the Tory Government
—we did so zealously and firmly ; but when we found the
conduct of the Government opposed to what we conceived
to be sound principles, we felt it to be our duty to oppose
it.—(llear, hear.) Thus we opposed the Government on
the Ballot, but the Government was not very zealous on
this question ; we also did so on the qualification question,
on the Corn-laws, and, lastly, on the unfortunate coercive
resolutions against Canada—(Hear)—but we supported the
Government whenever we could do so without a sacrifice of
principle.—(Cheers.) BUt what would happen if the Tories
should return-to power, and possess themselves of the Go-
vernment ? It would be attended with great mischief to
England, but the consequences would be incalculably greater
to Ireland. You would then have the Orangemen again
establishing their horrible societies, which were worse than
even the Inquisition itself—(Cheers)—for they were the
means of murdering in cold blood, through the agency of
Judges and Juries. You would have such a spirit excited
in that country, that it must produce a civil war, or some-
thing worse in the country.—(Cheers.) I would say, in-
deed, that if Ireland were again. placed under Orange do-
minion I should despise my friends from that country if
they did not rise in opposition to such a system.—(Load
cheers.) Some persons have been pleased to say that lam
an Irish adventurer.—(Loud laughter.) I assure you,
brother electors, that I should have no objection to be an
Irishman, but it so happened, from some cause or other,
which I cannot explain, that I was born in this neighbour-
hood, namely, in the village of Putney. Instead, therefore,
of being an Irishman, I am nothing more nor less than an
honest straightforward cockney.—(A laugh.) But suppose
you lose this election, for it is nothing to me as compared
with its importance to you and the country at large—
(Cheers)—supposing Sir F. Burdett, aided by the Tories,
is returned to represent—(" No, misrepresent")—you, I
believe that it would cause this great moral effect, namely,
that the Tories would seize the reins of Government. If
this followed there would be something like discontent. I
will not call it revolt. There would be something like a
rising up in opposition of between seven and eight millions
of people. There also would arise universal discontent in
the colonies, which are already sufficiently ill governed.
Then would the reign of despotism be extended throughout
Europe; for at this moment there is a combat going on through-
out Europe between the aristocratic and democratic princi-
ples. A struggle is being carried on between good and ill
government. It is therefore not merely yourselves, then,
or the people of England, that are interested in the pre-
sent contest, but it is a contest involving, such principles
that the interests of freedom not only in this empire, but in
Europe and throughout the world, are deeply interested in
the result.—( Loud cheers, which lasted several minutes,
and cries of " Bravo, young Glory !")
The resolution . was then put and carried unanimously
amid loud cheers.

Mr. MORGAN JOHN O'CONNELL then came forward and
was received with great applause. He was satisfied that
that the present contest did not involve merely local inte-
rests, but on the result of the great struggle in which they
were about to engage depended the establishment of good
or evil government throughout England.—(Hear, hear.)
fle could not forget that the happiness and prosperity of
his country-men, depended to a certain extent on the pre-
sent contest ; and the result of the struggle might place
them at the mercy of the sanguinary Orange Lodges, which
had for such a long period deprived his country of her
liberties.—(Hear, hear.) The Hon. Gentleman concluded
with some pertinent observations on the passage of Sir
Francis Burdett's letter stating that there was a combina-
tion of Irish agitators, Popish priests, and paid patriots,
operating on the Government.

Dr. BOWRING said that as an elector of Westminster,
he was deeply anxious that his brother electors should now,
as they had ever done, distinguish themselves as the beacon
light on which the eyes of the whole country were fixed.—
(Hear, hear.) On no occasion had the electors of West-
minster a more important duty to fulfil than that which they
were now called upon to perform.—(Hear, hear.) It ap-
peared to him that Sir Francis Burdett had been treated
with too much tenderness by his late constituents.—(Hear,
hear.) He knew nothing which ought to recommend a
public man to public esteem but principle ; and when a man
abandoned a principle he was no longer entitled to esteem.
—(Hear, hear.) The electors of Westminster were called
upon to elect a man for their representative with a view
to future legislation, and not to indulge in a private and
personal feeling arising out of former transactions. This
being the rule, he would ask, what line of future
legislation could they expect in Sir Francis Burdett ?
Was it the legislation of Reform ? No, for he had re-
pudiated Reform, had turned his back on the Re-
formers, had outraged and insulted them.—(Hear, hear.)
The Noble BaAmet called them " pismires," forsooth. He
(Dr. Bowring) greatly rejoiced at finding that the pismires
had stung the Hon. Baronet so smartly.--( Hear, hear.)
The electors of Westminster had before them a Reformer
and an anti-Reforiner ; hut the question was not between
man and man : it was a question between the oppressor and
the oppressed--between right and wrong. The electors of
Westminster had a most important and responsible duty to
perform : the fixed attention of the country was upon
them, anxiously waiting to see whether the electors of
Westminster sanctioned their late representative. in his
junction with the Tory phalanx, or whether they were
pre-
pared to shake off for ever the disgrace with which Sir
F. Burdett—oh ! sad misfortune for him—had. in his old
age, associated his once so honoured name.—(Cheers.)
Mr. VILLIERS did not scruple to say that in the conduct
of the late Member for Westminster he considered that
the party to which he was attached had been first aban-
doned and then insulted.—(H ear, hear.) And that
whatever excuses friendship might offer for the ofience,
the fact was before the country that the man whose
great distinction it was to enjoy the confidence of the
people, had deserted their service, and from the pre-

T 14.: SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY, MAY 4, 1831.

rinds of the Court had attempted to -614 up the, popu-
lar cause and his own friends to the t,4.‘M and derision
of the world.—(Hear, hear.) And now, at every turn
the street, whenever a Reformer met those who had always
openky and manfully opposed the popular party, he was
pointed at with i ,':';!.:-.:tptit,,atttLasitefl what he thought of his
favoUrite patriot now ? Sir FranCii; it *al.saidi now began
to learn the truth that they had ever told him, that be Mast
kick the riedpie .if would have them lick his feet'; and
he seemed new lh that Spirit to thrown down the gauntlet
to 12,000 electors, and dare theta nod rii-elect him ; and
that was the position of the city of Westminster, flit' tiatent
of Reform, she who gave the example that the rest of Eng-
land followed i for it was to the struggle of this borough
for a qua'riet of d CartflrY that we are indebted for the
Reform Bill—(Hear)--and from that ciretimstance was it
that her example on this occasion would again be followed
by the constituencies of England.—( Hear.) Let no man
therefore disguise from himself the importance of the event,
or what hangs upon his own conduct ; let no man who is a
Reformer, and cares for his character, doubt that his
position in public in the country depends upon the result
of this election. The language of their late Member was
before them ; the principles involved in the challenge were
intelligible ; let no man hope that if ho responds not to
it with spirit and success he will escape from becoming
the by-word of satire and reproach wherever he is known.
—(Hear, hear.) Their borough placed in this position, he
should care little by whose instrumentality it was that they
vindicated their credit and their cause ; but he thought it
matter of high congratulation to them that a candidate for
this purpose had presented himself uniting so many quali-
ties that fitted him for their purpose as his friend Mr.
Leader—a gentleman independent in fortune, intelligent
in mind, excellent in disposition—at once uniting in him-
self the desire and the power to serve his cause and the
country.—(Loud cheers.) With their interest and their
honour then at stake, what excuse had they for withholding
from him all the zeal they could display, for not devoting
their hearts and their souls, and straining their nerves to
secure a triumph so important to themselves ? In every
quarter the oldest Reformers are saying that no event in
their day has at all approached this election in interest and
importance; for, as the Member for Southwark had justly
said to-day at a public meeting, on the result depended the
policy of England's Government for many a day. If the Re-
formers from any circumstance, whether from local differences
or any other cause, were now beat, it would be a sign to Eu-
rope, to England, and to Ireland, of the future policy of this
country—it would be rumoured through Europe that the
first and largest body of electors in England had returned
a Tory instead of a Liberal, and it would at once beat
down and depress the spirits of that party wherever they
existed ; but if this was the wish of the electors of this
once liberal city, why let it be known : let them proclaim
themselves unfit to be free, and declare that they want the
spirit of the worm to turn when they are trampled upon ;
that they sympathise with that policy called Toryism ; that
they think with their late Member, that a soldier is the
fittest ruler of this land ; and that they rejoice that he has
taken the right step to prevent their resistance to such do-
minion ; but he (Mr. Villiers) would not contemplate the
disgrace of any body of his fellow-citizens till all doubt of
the calamity was removed ; and he would only think of the
exulting and cheering reflection which contemplation of
success produced upon this occasion, for that would teach
a great moral lesson in this country ; it would give the lie
to the charge of fickleness and caprice against the people,
that they were heedless of principle, and careless of
public duty ; it would, above all, teach men of rank and
property in this country that they were not to use the
people as the toys and tools of their vanity and am-
bition, and to fling them off when the purpose, was served,
without punishment or reproach. This was the moment,
then, for teaching such a lesson ; it was thus that the charac-
ters of public men were to be determined ; it was the conduct
of constituencies that formed and fashioned the representa-
tive ; and it was from want. of prompt and decided conduct
upon these occasions, that they had heard of late years of
such frequent apostacy. It was the conduct of the electors
now that would teach English gentlemen what was expected
of them in their position. The Hon. Member was loudly
cheered throughout his speech.
Colonel P. THOMPSON addressed the meeting as fol-
lows :—Pismires—(Great laughter)—jackasses in lions'
hides—(Renewed laughter)—such are the holiday terms
that the candidate for your suffrages applies to you,
electors of Westminster.—(Hear, hear.) Gel home to
the little pismires—(Great laughter).--that creep about
your hearts, or to those greater pismires, those honest
women who adorn your homes, and ask them whether
they think that this spirit manifested by the candidate
is likely to be useful in the representative for the
city of Westminster.—(Hear, hear.) I beg of you, in
this contest, not to forget to let your rallying cry be " Pis-
mires !"—(Cheers and laughter.) Unite, as these saga-
cious creatures do, and do not let minor differences induce
you to divide—(Hear)—and support any man who is bet-
ter than his opponent, and make no new difficulties for the
novice.—( Hear, hear.) Sacrifice partial differences for the
promotion of the great end, and no doubt the result of your
union will be the triumphant return of Mr. Leader.—
(Loud cheers.)
Mr. W. WILLIAMS, M.P., then addressed the meeting
at some length in an able speech, which was loudly ap-
plauded, but for which we have not room.
Mr. PLACE was happy to be able to state that the con-
tests in Westminster had always been a matter of principle
on the part of the Reformers. He urged the electors pre-
sent to form themselves into district committees, and to
canvass actively, for the result of the contest depended
greatly on that. He could not help mentioning that it was
on that day, and about that hour of the night, 30 years ago,
that he drew up the resolution proposing Sir Francis
Burdett in the committee of the electors of Westminster.
—(Hear.) They went to the poll on that occasion, and
succeeded in returning the worthy Baronet. They fought
the same battle on two subsequent occasions, and beat both
Whigs and Tories, and it would now be most disgraceful
to the electors of Westminster, when they have only one
faction to contend with, if they do not succeed. He recol-
lected that at a meeting that occurred some years ago, Sir
Francis Burdett was charged with having abandoned his
principles, and on that occasion he replied that he did not
know what might happen to him—he might be turned into
an oyster—(Laughter)—but he did not think that it was
possible that he could ever abandon the principles of. Re-
form. At that time he (Mr. Place) would as soon have
believed that Sir Francis would be turned into an oyster as
have turned Tory, as he thei was.—( Hear, and laughter.)
He would not have said one word in opposition to the re-
turn of Sir Francis Burdett, had he not abandoned his
principles, as well as the electors of Westminster —(Cheery.)
If Mr. Leader hereafter acted as Sir Francis Burdett had
recently done, lie trusted that the electors of Westminster
would treat him as they were now about to. treat the
worthy Baronet.—( Hear.)
Dr. WADE hailed with great pleasure the adoption of
Mr. Leader by the present meeting. Mr. Leader, lie be-
lieved, caine from the middle classes, and he understood his
friends had acquired their wealth by selling spirits.—(A
laugh.) He saw clearly that Mr. Leader was a good
spirit, but it was clear that Sir Francis Burdett was below
proof.—(Laughter.) He recollected some years ago, in
conversation with Dr. Parr, having strongly expressed his
admiration of Sir Francis Burdett, when the Rev. Doctor,
who was smoking at the time, said, " Pooh, pooh, he is
like this," blowing out two or three puffs of smoke from his
pipe.—(Great laughter.)
A Committee was then appointed, to sit daily at the

Hart Hotel, Fitzroy-square.
Dr. WADE then proposed " The best thanks of the
meeting to their Honourable Chairman,", whose high and
honourable name gave such an eclat to the proceedings.
Mr. NOTT seconded the motion, which was carried by
acclamation.

Mr. GROTE having returned thanks, the electors se-
par'ated.

An article dated Vienna, 20th uit., states that all the
accounts received in that capital from the southern and eastern
provinces of the empire spoke of new commercial failures.
There is a quaintness in half-cunning, wicked,
stupid persons, sometimes, that is very like wit. I. remember
an instance :—A half-witted boy, maintained by the parish,
was in the habit of tearing off his clothes, till they found a
method of buttoning his jacket behind. Doubtless he was not
fed like a fat friar. Meeting one day a greyhound (there is
always a fellowship between such and these dumb creatures),
he looked earnestly at him, and felt, with his hand, down his
back bone, and spanned him round his body. " Ali, my poor
fellow I" said he, " it is bad times for you and I, since button-
ing-in in the back h come into fashion."—Blackwood.
,It is stated in a provincial journal, that in one of
the ancient boroughs in the Isle of Wight a law is still in
force, that if any person is found listening at doors, windows,
or other places, a fine is levied on the offender, and if not paid,
a distress warrant is issued fur levying the amount.
Eight individuals have been taken into custody on
suspicion of being concerned in the murder of a woman
named Elizabeth Hemmings, whose body was found last
week in the Cauldon Canal, near Shelton, Staffordshire, with
one arm broken and 'several cuts on the other.—. Liverpool
Chronicle.

On Sunday morning, about half-past one o'clock,
the inhabitants of Great Brickhill, Bucks, were alarmed by the
cry of fire, proceeding from the farmyard of Mr. Henry
Smith, of the Duncombe Arms Inn. We regret to state
that the whole of the farm buildings were entirely consumed.
A very fine cow, an in-pig sow, two sheep, one lamb, and
about lb fowls, were also destroyed. The cries of the poor
animals were dreadful. No assistance could be rendered them,
as the fire had completely surrounded them before it was dii-
covered. It is much to be feared that it is the work of some
dastardly incendiary. There is one pleasing circumstance
connected with this melancholy affair, that there was not one
idle person seen at the fire, although many hundreds were
present. The labouring classes exerted themselves as much
as possible.—County Chronicle.