The Sun.
London, England, 1837-08-05 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATMIDAY, AUGUST 5, 1837.

DINNER to J. PARKER, ESQ., and H. G.

WARD, ESQ., at SHEFFIELD.

On Saturday afternoon the two representatives for this
borough were entertained at dinner in the Tontine Inn, by a
numerous party of their friends and supporters. Dr.
Knight in the Chair, supported on the right by John
Parker, Esq., and William Evans, Esq. (the candidate for
North Derbyshire), and on the left by H. G. Ward, Esq.,
and William Ibbotson, Esq. ; Benjamin Sayle, Esq., and
John Sykes, Esq., occupied the vice chairs. After the cloth
was removed " Non nobis Domine" was sung by a party of
glee singers, seated under the orchestra.
The CHAIRMAN, in proposing " The Queen," stated that
the loyalty of those over whom he had presided on former
occasions was sufficiently well known to render any more
than simply proposing the toast unnecessary. As Queen
Victoria is the highest in rank, so may she be distinguished
by ail the virtues and accomplishments of the female cha-
racter. May her reign be long, prosperous, and happy.—
( Three times three.) Song, " The Queen."
The CHAIRMAN next gave " Queen Adelaide." " The
Duke of Sussex, and the rest of Royal Family."
The CHAIRMAN then, after an able and eloquent speech,
proposed " The healths of John Parker and H. G. Ward,
Esquires?' The toast was received with great enthusiasm.

l'lr. PARKER, amid loud cheers, returned thanks. On
his arrival in Sheffield he found a holy alliance combined
against them. He found what was represented to be a
formidable opponent in the field. But his friend Mr. Ib-
botson had broken down and shivered to the winds that
holy alliance, and the state of the poll had decided triumph-
antly that such alliances were not likely to exercise much
influence over the people of Hallamshire. He believed that
the spirit of Reform was as strong as ever in this district.
For the grounds of this ho need only to refer to the final
state of the poll, and to the immense crowd who had as-
sembled in front of the Tontine at the conclusion of the
previous day, which he looked upon as a matter of congra-
tulation, partly to himself and to his colleague, but which
was of far greater importance as proving the great interest
they still manifested tin the cause of sound and wholesome
Reform. He had no doubt that the same spirit would still
continue to actuate them, and that in every succeeding
election a similar result would show that the men of Shef-
field took a deep interest in the cause of good, sound, and
constitutional government. He considered that the oftener
a representative came among his constituents and explained
to them his past conduct, and the grounds on which he soli-
cited a continuance of their support, the more likely would
he be to answer the expectations of those who had sent him
there. He sat down amid much cheering.
Mr. WARD, on rising, was received with the greatest
enthusiasm. He said he looked upon this election as very
important to the domestic peace and welfare of Sheffield.
Formerly their struggles had been divided among their own
party and townsmen ; he therefore trusted that the union
embraced and adopted by all classes of Reformers on this
occasion, and the happy result of the election, aided by that
union, would put an end to all civil strife and animosity.
The Reformers here had shown that union was strength,
and that, like the bundle of sticks, when separated and di-
vided, they might be broken or twisted, but when united
and resolute, any frown which could be brought against
them was insufficient to break or even to bend them. He
lelt satisfied that nothing but a dereliction of principle on
the part of their Members could ever be found snfficient to
destroy that sympathy which existed among them. Such
derelictions of principle had taken place among public men,
which had been the cause of deep regret to the friends
who formerly had supported and admired them.—(Cheers.)
He believed there was a similarity betwixt his Hon. Col-
league's opinions and his own, which would likely make
that sympathy and union prove lasting. He considered
himself in advance of Mr. Parker in very view points—
(Cheers)—much fewer than would otherwise exist were
Mr. Parker not connected with and a member of the
Government. As for his own :part, he was an inde-
pendent man, and by the kindness of the people of Shef-
field as independent a man as any in the House of Com-
mons.—(Cheers.) He did not allude to his independence
in a pecuniary point of view—(Laughter)-.—but to the in-
dependence of his principles. He was in advance of the
Government on many points, and was always ready to act
as a pioneer for them. In returning Mr. Parker and him-
self they had returned two who were likely to work out
good and wholesome reforms, as the caution of the one
would temper the boldness—some would call it rashness—
of the other ; and their being returned as colleagues might
not inappropriately be termed la belle alliance. In this
respect they were similarly with some other great towns ;
with Leeds, for instance, where they had Mr. Baines, an
old Whig, and Sir W. Molcsworth, who might almost be
termed the leader of the Radical party in the House of Com-
mons. He had represented nobody's opinions but his own
since he came to Sheffield. On many points he was ad-
vised to keep quiet previous to his coining here, as he was
assured that the extreme views he was considered to enter-
tain on some questions would be unsatisfactory to many
consistent Reformers in Sheffield, who were not inclined
to go so far as he did. Had he come to personify the
old man and his ass, reserving part of his opinions from
one party and speaking them boldly out to another, he
would justly have been looked upon with distrust, and would
have pleased nobody. He had preferred the more manly
and straightforward part., and the result had shown that he
was right in so doing.—(Cheers.) He came among them as
a man who thought before he spoke. The conduct he had
pursued as a candidate had met with their approbation ;
and he hoped that his conduct as their representative would
never be such as to induce them to come to a different
opinion. He would endeavour to identify himself more
with his constituents by coming down frequently among
them, which was the best way to temper his own opinions
into unison with theirs. He would visit them at least once
a year, and give an account of his stewardship. He con-
cluded by thanking them for the honour they had done
him, conjointly and individually for the kindness they had
shown him since he first came among them, and trusting
that further acquaintance would increase the mutual respect
they entertained to each other.
Mr. Evetes (candidate for North Derbyshire), in pro-
posing " Earl Mulgrave, and Justice to Ireland," referred
to his Lordship's conduct in Jamaica, when the abolition of
slavery was to take place—one of the most trying times for
a Governor of that island since it became a British colony.
On that trying occasion, his candour, his manliness, and
his sympathy for the unfortunate slaves, recommended him
to his country as a man worthy of their highest esteem
and deepest gratitude. With all these commendations
in his favour, Government could not have made a better
choice of a representative in Ireland, torn with faction, and
racked by the most grinding persecution and the most bitter
political animosity. He need only refer to Lord Mul-
grave's past conduct, which had brought about the present
tranquil state of Ireland, to prove that he had fully an-
swered the expectations formed of him. The call for jus-
tice to Ireland was much louder and more general now
than he (Mr. Evans) ever recollected it to have been. Ile
had always been an advocate for the rights of the Irish peo-
ple ; and, in 1826, when Member for Leicester, lie had sup-
ported Catholic emancipation in the House of Commons.
How could this country expect her manufactures to be
consumed by the people of Ireland, or to flourish in that
country, when property was not safe ? How could she ex-
pect a reduction of taxation when so much public money
was needed to keep up a standing army there to suppress
disturbances among a people who would be equally quiet
were they afforded equal laws and equal justice with the
people of this country ? Or how could they expect them to
stand forward in our defence against a common enemy when
we had always treated them as a conquered nation ? The
Tories no doubt were in power when Catholic emancipa-
tion was granted ; but they would not see the necessity for
it until it had been rolled against their very doors, and the
voice of the people compelled them, from prudential mo-
tives, to yield to their call ; but their subsequent conduct to
the Catholics had proved that they were not in earnest
;vhen they passed it, and were in direct opposition to their
own Bill. The people of Ireland, therefore, must look to
Lord Mulgrave and the liberal men of England to grant
them those rights they were fully entitled to demand.—The
toast was drunk with loud cheers.
Mr. WARD rose to propose a toast which he had much
pleasure in introducing to their notice ; it was " Lord
Melbourne and her Majesty's Ministers." He could wish
to see them advance beyond the line they had laid down
for their conduct, agreeing with them as he did on many
points, differing with them and going farther on others, but
still looking upon them as the pilots of Reform. They had
a very difficult part to perform, opposed as they had been
by the influence of the Court and the aristocracy, a great
part of the Church, and the two Universities. Under these
rely—(Cheers)—as circumstances they had only the people on whom they could
expressed in their own House. He
regretted they had not seen the expediency, not only the
expediency, but the justice, and not only the justice,
but the absolute necessity, of their stepping out more
boldly and taking the place in front of the movement
party of the country. He could wish to see them doing
something for an extension of the suffrage. He hoped
that the Ministers would read the writing on the wall
afforded by the present elections, and that they would
see the ballot was imperiously called for under the
present circumstances.—(Loud cheering.) Lord Mel-
bourne's Government must either be continued, pro-
ceeding cautiously but steadily, or if they were forced
to resign, from the people withdrawing their support
and confidenee from them, a Tory Administration must in-
evitably succeed them, retrograding and undoing all those
measures from which the people had already derived so
much benefit, and opposing any other which had the cha-
racter of Reform stamped upon it. The Government was
even at present in advance of the people in many respects.
In many parts of the country that intelligence which he
had found so abundantly displayed in Sheffield was ut- ,

terly wanting ; and therefore, although they were prepared
for great measures of Reform here, if the country as a
whole did not .support the Government, they could not
be expected to progress too fast. As Members of the
Government many of them had expressed their own op-
nions boldly ; for instance, Lord Melbourne, when he had
spoken his own opinions in the House of Lords, had dis-
played as much liberality of sentiment as any one pre-
sent, and that too under circumstances of the greatest
difficulty. If the present Parliament were not so Liberal
as he could wish in the support of Ministers, and another
dissolution took place, it was difficult to calculate what
might be the consequence. It should always be borne
in mind that they had, great troubles to struggle with,
and that the great object to which they all aspired was the
leading principle of Lord Melbourne's Government. When
they appeared to vacillate, to move out of what might be
considered the right path, or appeared even to stand still,
he could make full allowance for their difficulties. Another
strong argument for supporting them was to be drawn from
contrast. What would be the consequence of a Tory Go-
vernment getting into power ? Lord Lyndhurst, the confi-
dential friend and adviser of that basest of men, the King
of Hanover would come into power. The King of Hanover
—as he himself said by the grace of God, but, as he (Mr.
Ward) would call it, by the grace of the devil—had com-
menced his reign by destroying the Constitution of the Ha-
noverian people, and could we expect anything less at his-,
hands than a destruction of the Magna Charta ? This first
despotic act of his reign would likely come under the consi-
deration of Parliament ; and if it were right 100 years ago
to set aside the direct line of the kings of this country
on a religious ground, it might be a serious question for
Parliament to take steps to prevent him on account of his
awful right ever succeeding to the throne of this country.—
(Loud cheering.) Mr. Ward concluded by repeating his
confidence in her Majesty's Ministers, and concluded with
proposing the toast.
It may appear invidious in us to mention any of the
speakers at the above dinner, in particular when all were so
good ; but we cannot resist saying that the speech of Mr.
Evans, in proposing " Justice to Ireland," was one which
proved that his mind had been cast in no ordinary mould.
The appeal he made on behalf of injured Ireland proved him
to be a politician who had studied the subject in all its
bearings ; and hard, indeed, must have been that heart which
was not roused into a kindred* feeling by the eloquence in
which it was clothed. We trust the electors of North Der-
byshire will return Mr. Evans to serve them in Parliament,
and secure to the county talents of a superior kind, a friend
of liberty in every shape, and the unflinching opponent of
tyranny, oppression, and injury, in every country, and under
any circumstances. Ireland will find in him a warm friend.
—Sheffield lris.