The Sun.
London, England, 1863-10-27 00:00:00

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rice. The progress of affairs in America showed
how fallacious were the principles which a few years
ego soma people thought would ultimately prevail
in England. When we saw how much blood had
been shed, how much treasure had been wasted,
and what evil had arisen in a manner from the
form of government which the Americans had
sketched out for themselves, we might congratu_ate
ourselves that our own different form of govern-
ment established by our forefathers had exempted
us from those evils ; attd we should take care
that the blessings which the Constitution of this
country secured for us might be handed down from
us to our children and to our children's children.
(Cheers.) He felt strongly the lesson which was
derivable from the state of affairs in America; he
felt that that lesson had been brought home to the
convictions of many who had before allowed them-
selves to float down the stream of public opinion
without caring where it drifted them to. He
thought it right at the present moment to make
some remarks on the question whether their Home
Government was to be supported or opposed by the
Conservative party, and on this point he must say
that he believed Lord Palmerston had done more to
degrade and demoralise public opinion than any
other statesman. He was a man who had never
maintained any great principles of his own, but had
always been at the beck and call of the majority,
which was a dangerous and unsafe position for any
leader of her Majesty's Government to take up. At
the beginning of the present century Lord Palmer-
ston was a Tory of the Tories, and held office un-
der Lord Liverpool, and afterwards was a supporter
of Canning. At Canning's death he took office un-
der the Duke of Wellington, and was in the suc-
cessive Ministries of Lord Grey, Lord Melbourne,
and Lord John Russell, and when Radical opinions
were in the ascendancy he was ready to give 11,§
support to any Radical. And while at one time
Lord Palmerston was ready to lend himself to a
large degradation of the suffrage, so he now thought
it wise, with Lord Russell, to turn round and laugh
at those who had raised them to power, on the pre
tence of advocating that extension. Mr. Lygon then
referred to Earl Rassell's recent speech in Scotland,
and went on to say that he was not one of those
who asked for any extensive degradation of the suf-
frage; but he was astonished at reading that speech,
remembering as he did that so recently as the year
1859 Lord Russell had solemnly stated in public
that as he had supported reform when he was young
so he would not desert it when he was old. With
regard to other public questions he might allude
to the course taken by Lord Palmerston on the
church rate question as illustrating his character as a
statesmen. Some years ago when there was no ques-
tion raised about church-rates, Lord Palmerston
supported their imposition. Subsequently, when the
agitation against them was raised, and church-rates.
were pronounced to be doomed, Lord Palmerston
consented to give them up, and voted for their abo-
lition. That was not all; a change again took place;
the opinion of the House of Commons was altered,
the minority against their abolition increased,
and at last was turned into a majority. What did
Lord Palmerston do then ? He paired with a mem-
ber who it was well known was in Italy, and left
the question to take care of itself. And thus he
maintained the character which he (Mr. Lygon) had
given of him. Whichever side of a question had the
majority was the side supported by Lord Palmer-
ston. He (Mr. Lygon) maintained that this was not
the motive that should actuate public men and
leaders of public parties. A man entrusted as Lord
Palmerston was with public affairs ought to main-
tain a principle, abide by it, and make sacrifices for
it. (Hear, hear.) He should make up his mind what
was the right course to pursue on a public question,
and having done this he should follow that course.
(Hear, hear.) It was all very well to say that Lord
Palmerston was always found on the winning side.
That might be so, but that was not the only qualifi-
cation that they had looked for in a statesman. To
maintain a great principle, to promote the oincation
and improvement of your fellow-man, and to lay
down a great principle of government, was a task
to which any man might aspire; but if he became a
mere weatherglass, to record the opinions of a ma-

jority which might be black one day and white on
another, was the worst possible state of things that
could exist. He was not one of those who meant to
say that a man might never change his opinions ;
but he did oppose any such change when it became
not a change in principle, but a change in order
to maintain in office the party effecting it. (Hear,
hear.) He next alluded to foreign affairs, They
had an unfortunate state of things in Poland, and
a Ministry doing something for the sake of
doing something, and treading in those steps of
vacillation which in 1854 led to the war with
Russia, and which he feared might lead them to
war again, although contrary to the wishes of the
people of this country. (Hear, hear.) He believed
that the people of this country were not prepared to '
go to war with Russia for the sake of Poland.
(Hear, hear.) If unfortunately war should arise
between this country and Russia, it should be made
known that it had arisen from want of principle on
the part of her Majesty's Government in reference
to its conduct towards foreign nations. In con-
clusion the hon. gentleman thanked the electors for
the kindness they had shown towards him and his
family, and moved the thanks of the meeting to
the High Sheriff for his conduct of the election.
Sir JOHN PAKINGTON, in seconding the vote,
paid a passing tribute to the memory of the late
Earl Beauchan3p, who in the House of Commons
and the House of Lords had represented the county
over a period of 45 years ; and, alluding to the ab-
sence of opposition to Mr. Lygon's election on the
part of the Liberals of the county, said he would
accept that fact as a mark of respect offered to the
memory of the late earl; but (Sir John added) he
suspected sound discretion had something to do with
the decision of their political opponents. But Mr.
Lygon had now been elected, and would proceed to
Parliament to support those Conservative opinions
which he had that day expressed to them in so
accurate and just a manner; and in no respect was
he more accurate in his enunciation of Conservative
principle than in his statement that Conservative
opinions were not opposed to liberal and gentle pro-
gress. (Hear, hear.) What Conservatives opposed
was democratic innovation. We loved our consti-
tution, we loved our country, and we loved that
liberty which was the result of those institutions.
That was the feeling which actuated the Con-
servative party in the country—(hear, hear)
—and he (Sir John) believed that the great
body of the British people sympathised in the
soundness of the Conservative policy, and that it
was this unanimity of feeling that had obliged Lord
Palmerston to abandon those principles on which ho
had taken office, and to govern the country on Con-
servative principles, in order to keep him and his
colleagues in office. He had only to add his con-
gratulations on the proceedings of that day, and on
their choice of a member who would do honour to
the county of Worcester. He had known Mr. Lygon
from a child, and respected his abilities. He was
one of those young men who preferred to devote
themselves to the public service of their country
rather than to give themselves exclusively up to
pleasure. He had had the pleasure of acting with
him for it short time in official life, and he hoped ha
would long live to represent them. Although
ie
)
0
(Sir John) was not much in the habit of quotitigtt?,
opinion of Earl Russell, he thought he could no d
better than close his remarks with the few words
of advice lately offered to them by the noble earl,
it
Ife would therefore say that, havlngnOiv I
good member, it would well bEcorne them to " re:,t
and be thankful." (Laughter and cheers.)
ac.knowiedged the
The limn SHERIFF having
in due f
vote, and the new member havi.ng
girt with a sword, the proceedings end edorm beef,
ended
form
hon. member afterwards rode in procession
through the streets of the city.