The Sun.
London, England, 1839-12-27 00:00:00

BIRMINGHAM ELECTION.

TO THE ELECTORS OF THE BOROUGH OF BIRMINGHAM
My name has been so publicly proposed, as that of a
suitable person to represent you in Parliament, that it
is due to you, and especially to those who are desirous
of promoting my return, to explain, first, the position in
which I have found myself placed, and, secondly, my
views on several of the leading political questions of the
day.

I
was not aware of the precise circumstancs of the
Borough until my return, on the evening of the 21st
instant, from a journey in the north of England. The
whole of the proceedings whieh have brought my name
so prominently before you took place during my absence,
and without my concurrence. In nominating me, my
friends could, therefore, only have acted on my known
opinion, that, under a Representative System, every
man is bound, when called upon by his fellow-citizens,
to take his due share in its administration, unless pre-
vented by paramount obligations ; and that he who re-
fuses to do so, has no right to claim the protection of
Government.
As to my political principles, I belong to no party ;
inasmuch as I consider that the Christian rule, of doing
to others as we would that they should do unto us, is of
universal application. Keeping this principle in view, in
the relations of our domestic and foreign policy, I hold
the following opinions:—
That, as religion is a matter between man and his
Maker, no human authority has any right to interfere
with it, so long as the peace and welfare of society are
not endangere ; that not only should all Ecclesiastical
demands, in the nature of Church-rates or otherwise, be
abolished, but there should be no connection between
Church and State ; and that all support of religion
should be voluntary.
Whilst I consider the institution of one day in seven
for rest and religious instruction a high privilege, and a
great moral as well as physical advantage to the commu-
nity-, and that it is the duty of all persons, whether as in-
dividuals or as directors of public companies or other-
wise, to do all in their power to afford their own ser-
vants and others an opportunity of enjoying it, I am op-
posed to any legislative enactments to enforce its obser-
vance.

I consider that commerce should be perfectly free, in
all commodities and with all the world ; and that the
necessaries of life should be exempt from taxation.
This, of course would involve a total abolition of the
Corn and Provision Laws, which have already inflicted
irreparable injury upon the country, and unless speedily
repealed, will produce most fearful inroads upon our
manufacturing interests, and upon the means of support
to the working classes.
I am in favour of a Great Extension of the Elective
Franchise, and opposed to any Property Qualification.
I conceive that the present legal duration of Parlia-
ment is much too long, and that it should be reduced to
a period sufficiently short to give the Constituents all
reasonable control over their Representatives.
I wish to see the Ballot subjected to the test of ex-
periment, upon as complete a system as can be devised.
In according with the great principle already stated,
and upon whic my political creed is based, I hold that
the punishment of death in all cases ought to be abo-
lished. I believe that war will necessarily cease when-
ever the principles of free trade are fully carried out ;
and I consider that it is as inconsistent with true na-
tional safety as it is in direct violation of the spirit and
precepts of the New Testament.
Without forgetting that, on all suitable occasions, it
is my duty to assert the political and social rights of my
fellow-countrymen, I deem it still incumbent upon me
especially to advocate the cause of those who are held
in personal slavery in any part of the world ; and this I
would do in accordance with the dictates of our religion,
which teaches us that every country is our country and
every man our brother.

The position in which my friends have placed me has
compelled me to make the present declaration of my
sentiments. It only remains for me to state, that I be-
lieve, both amongst my fellow-townsmen and the country
at large, there is an increasing number who hold opinions
similar to my own. At the same time, they probably
do not so far accord with yours that it would be the
decided wish of a majority of your body that I should
represent you in the British House of Commons ; if so,
I hope this can be ascertained long before the day of
election, and my name withdrawn with satisfaction to
all parties. lam not insensible to the kindness and fa-
vourable opinion of those who are anxious to promote
my election ; but I most strongly deprecate a single
word or expression that can justly excite any angry
feeling towards those who may differ from them. I hope
I shall be excused for giving this caution, because, on
these occasions, the best of men sometimes forget that
charity which they usually exec cise towards each other.
I am, very respectfully,
JOSEPH STURGE.
Birmingham, 12th month, 24th, 1839.

A merry Christmas and a happy New Year are
generally the congratulations at this festive season, and
every auxiliary is eagerly sought after for the embellish-
ment of the person. The decorative beauty and cul-
ture of the tresses of female loveliness especially, en-
hancing as they so greatly do the charms of personal ap-
pearance, occupy by no means a small share of atten-
tion at the toilet. It is more particularly at such periods
that the enlivening and wonderfully revivifying properties
of that most delightful article, Rowland's Macassar Oil
are displayed, and which place it as an invigorator and
beautifier of the hair, beyond all precedent. Indeed,
among the chief virtues incident to the use of Rowland's
Macassar Oil (in reference to ladies' hair) may be
reckoned its enduring properties in preserving the ring-
lets in pristine decorative beauty through the heat of the
ball-room, or locomotion of the promenade.
THE BOASTFUL ToitlES.—Spechnens of as-
sumed full-blown importance similar to the following
exquisite piece of fierce swagger, in the Brighton
Gazette, are to be seen now in most of the Con-
servative organs :—" We are happy to learn from
a source on which reliance may be placed, that
the chiefs of the Conservative party have at last
determined to adopt, what the country has long called
for, a vigorous course of action on the meeting of Par-
liament. In a short time, therefore, we doubt not that
we shall be able to congratulate our readers on the
overthrow of the traitorous' Ministry?'

A few days ago some labourers, in opening a
fresh stone pit at Chilton, turned up the skeleton c,f a
tull•grown person, about 18 inches below tne surface ;
and it is conjectured that it is the body of a man who
is supposed to have been murdered. The village gos-
sips say that some 20 or 30 years since a Scotchman,
w►th a pack of linen, &c., lodged at the house of a per-
son who occasionally took in travellers (near to which
premises the skeleton was found), and was never seen
afterwards. He had previously exhibited some money,
and part of the family were afterwards seen dressed in
goods which the neighbours identified as having been
part of his stock ; rumour did not hesitate to say that he
had been unfairly dealt with. About six or seven
years ago this person died, and the story was again
revived, from the singular request he made on his death-
bed, that the 51st Psalm, eld version, might be sung
over his grave. The words of the second verse are cer-
tainly very singular :

" Wash me, 0 Lord, and make me clean,
" From this unjust and sinful act ;
" And purify me once again
" From this foul crime and bloody fact."
We give this as told by the gossips (with a sad shake of
the head and rueful countenance), without vouching for
the truth of it. We understand the parish officers did
not think it necessary to hold an inquest, though pcg haps
the coroner may .—Bucks Herald.

(FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)
The Liberal interest here is completely divided by the
Proposition of Mr. Muntz as a candidate for the repre-
sentation of the borough,and unless the electors prove true
to themselves and the cause of political freedom, Birming-
ham:—Radical Birmingham—will present-the anomaly of
a Liberal constituency represented by a Tory Member.
Mr. Muntz has not yet officially intimated his intention
to contest the election, and it is said that he will not
oppose Mr. Sturge. Should this prove to be true, it
will tend to elevate that gentleman in the estimation of
every sound Reformer, and show to the world that he
holds the cause of civil and religious liberty dearer than
any object of mere personal ambition. In the published
letters received from Mr. Muntz, he declares his inability
to give his attendance in Parliament in the coming
session, unless in cases of " absolute necessity ;" but
surely the present are not times in which the represen-
tatives of the people should qualify their sense of duty
or the discharge of the sacred trust reposed in them.
Mr. Sturge, on the other hand, is sound to the core on
the great political questions which may be shortly ex-
pected to engage the attention of the Legislature, and
if returned to Parliament, will devote his undivided
energies to the cause of the people. It remains with
i
Mr. Muntz whether he will persevere n.a course which
must reflect disgrace upon the town of Birmingham, and
strike a blow at the great principles for which he has
contended—most successfully and powerfully I admit—
during the whole of his political life. A Mr. Allen
is named as a third candidate, whether inAlibig
Tory interest is"tinknciwni but it is very shrewdly sus-
pected that he is put forward by the latter. Colonel
Thompson has retreated for the present from the field,
and the Tories are " biding their time." That they will
start their man, should a favourable opportunity present
itself, no one for a moment doubts ; but this depends
altogether upon the course which the Reformers may
pursue. The following is a copy of an address put forth
by Mr. Sturge