The Sun.
London, England, 1837-12-11 00:00:00

LORD JOHN RUSSELL AND THE;

BALLOT.

_
Lord John Russell has destroyed our hopes of the further
P!egress of Reform this Session. He has sneaked out of
InsStroud declaration, and now affirms that although there
Was at no former period in the hi.tory of elections more
gross and general bribery, coercion, and intimidation of
°tars) we are to have no remedy—no protection! Is this
rtilaN with his puny mind and benighted ideas, fit to be a
inister ? Is he to be allowed longer to guide the helm of
.State, when he has declared his inability to recognize the
Tlugers which are on every side impending over us How
different are the manly declarations of Lords Durham and
4'ougham, whose gigantic energies even their enemies view
"ah admiration and reipect! These are the men whom
the country looks to for safety and protection in the
e'„ riling crisis, and we devoutly trust we mAy not look to
them in vain. The popularity of our fair and lovely So-
t'ereign has been grievously affected by the position taken
by her Minister. Would to God that s!le may see
her error before it be too late, and by calling a wiser and
Letter man to her counsels, rescue her reputation from the
B,liPsfreck to which it is exposed, and regain the place in
her people's hearts which by his imbecile folly she is
ell nigh losing. The Ballot must be had. The cry
T
r it resounds far and wide. Numbers who were be-
lre opposed to it have by the last election been con-
'need that nothing is to be done without it, and we
are happy to be able to announce that many of the
leading Magistrates and others of this county have
already signed petitions in favour of the measure. We
call upon the county to second their efforts, and cease not
tu send up petition after petition, one after the other, until
the great palladium of liberty is obtained. Let every Dis-
senting Minister prepare a petition from his conregation.
It is easily done, and may bee to the following effect
"TO ins COMMONS OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND, IN

PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED,
('
The humble petition of the undersigned Minister and Con-
gregation of Chapel, in the Parish of —, in the
County of [or of the freeholders and inhabitants of
the Parish of , in tl,e County of ---1—
SHEWETII,
" That at the last Election for the County of Carmar-
then there was the grossest coercion and intimidation of
toters, to prevent their voting according to their wishes.
That this is as unconstitutional and dangerous to the
itoedem of the country as it is contrary to the Statute
of Third year of the reign of King Edward -the First,
chapter 5, which is still in force, and enacts that because
Elections ought to be free, the King commandeth, upon
great forfeiture, that no man by force of arms, nor by malice
Menacing, shall disturb any to make free election.'
" That from the very nature of the intimidation and me-
!aces used, namely, vague indistinct threats and hints of the un-
defined mischief, it is next to impossible to indict with success
ile'he parties using such threats ; their effect, therefore, can only
cuunteraeted by rendering_ it impossible for any man to know
LT the vote of the threatened party whether such threats have
Produced any effect or nor.
" Your petitioners, therefore, humbly pray that Parlia-
ment will speedily give us the Ballot, in the election of
Members to serve in Parliament, as the only means of
effectual protection to the voter in the honest exercise
of his elective franchise."
Similar petitions should also be prepared and signed at the
a4rne time to the House of Lords. The heading to which
should be as follows :
" To the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, in Parliament
assembled,
The humble petition," &c., (as before.)
These petitions may be written upon paper, and being
folded up and encircled with a direction paper, in the same
Was as newspapers are sent by post, will go postage free
Without any limitation of weight to any Member of Parlia-
!nOnt, if directed to him at " the House of Commons," and
In like manner to any Peer, at " the House of Lords."
The following are the names of the Members of the
liouse of Commons to whom we should recommend some
;i_lf these petitions to be sent, as we think they would thus
" more likely to produce an effect than if they were all
presented by our Borough Member
Grote, M. P. Joseph Hume, M. P.
Attwood, M. P. W. Williams, M. P.
•S. Duncom!.e, M. P. T. Wakley, M. P.
Sir W. Nlolesworth, M. P. Sir S. Whalley, M. P.
ts General
W. Harvey, M. P. J. T. Leader, M. P.
kieneral Evans, M.P. Daniel O'Connell, M. P.

We could add greatly to this list, but the foregoing
tlatnes we deem sufficient, and in the House of Lords the
Petitions should be sent to the Earl of Durham and Lord
15rougham. A separate letter should accompany each petition,
requesting the Member to support it.—The Welchman.