The Sun.
London, England, 1837-11-21 00:00:00

is the present representative system..—( Cheers.) What must
those think who look for the establishment of free forms of Go-
vernment? This is the language which gives anxiety and alarm
to the pnblie mind—which gives more than the acts of despotic
Sovereigns is ealealated to prevent the development of free principles.
Thus it is that the people argue ; they weigh the advantages of
long prescription and established order, which are in favour
of the old Constitution, and they find that when Englishmen
have consented to part with these advantages under spe-
cious pretences, that within five years of the birth of the
new measure, not only is it the first cause of complaint and
indignation, but it is declared to be unjust and oppressive,
and shall we run the risk of making extensive innovations on
the established order of things for such a purpose—( Opposition
cheers.) So much with respect to this measure, which you
anticipated would be pregnant with satisfaction to the consti-
tuent bodies, and advantageous to the country ; it is to this
language—it is to the threats of destruction of the integrity
and independence of the House of Lords—it is to that
assumption which is the foundation of all persecutions
I am right and you are wrong,"—(loud cheers)—
it is to that assumption that, because I do not agree with the
Hon. Member for Kilkenny, I must, therefore, be denounced as
unfit for the duties of a Representative—it is the fear and indigna-
tion which prevails throughout our institutions in Church and
State—it is net the corruption and intimidation to which
the Honourable Member has alluded. (Opposition cheers.)
But it is that rational, manly feeling of independence that knows
how to draw the just distinction between the sober eradication
of proved abuses, and the constant tampering with the Consti-
tution of the country. It is the resolution of the people not
to live in a state of constant political agitation—not to be
made the tool of those who are dissatisfied with the
results of their own measures, eliciting different measures
of opinion from their own supporters.—( Cheers.) These are
the circumstances which, as you appeal to them, have caused
this change in the public opinion, and made your majority of
150 dwindle down to an uncertain one of thirty or forty ;
and I feel confident, not permitting the Hon. Gentleman to
put his construction on what the reason is, yet I feel confident
that notwithstanding his threat, that we may trust to the steady
deliberate judgment of the people of England to assist this most
powerful minority which now sits on these benches in resisting
the further progress of democratic change—( Cheers)—not the
progress of rational, well-considerd improvement, but the pro-
gress of democratic change, which it is avowed has for its ob-
ject rather the alteration of the ratio of political power,
and the conferring of a greater degree of political power
of one party in the State, than the general good or advantage
of the entire community. Was ever such a reason given for
such a _ change as the Right Honourable Gentleman pro-
poses ? He says " we have failed—we hare found the
people against us—we are in a minority, and we think
that the result of two or three more elections will be to
leave us entirely without support." —( Hear, hear, and a
laugh.) Does the Hen. Gentleman ask us to give his party
the means of obtaining a predominance for their opinions ?
For my pelt, I, for one, will not consent to further chamles
in the representation but on other grounds than the
apprehension than that it would strengthen his party. I will not
consent to further change, because of the evils which must of ne-
cessity arise from constant political agitation.—(Tory cheers.) I
behave, however, that if I gave the Hon. Gents. opi,osite a carte
blanche to cut and hack and cure the Constitution for them-
selves, I should hare the same confidence in tha good sense of
the people of England that I now have. I believe that even in
that case they would still be in a minority.---( Cheers.) It is
not on that account that I oppose the Hon. Gentleman's proposi-
tions. I believe that the Hon. Gentlemen opposite would not be
able to secure a majority for their opinions. But confi-
dent as I am of that, I am not prepared to incur
all the other evils which must result from a farther change
in the representative system of the country. I shall therefore
find it necessary to oppose myself to the proposition
made by the Honourable Memb"r for Finsbury, on this occa-
sion ; and whenever the particular measures, the Ballot, the
extension of the Suffrage, and the repeal of the Septennial
Act, are brought forward in this House, I shall be peifcctly
prepared to discuss them in detail. I shall be prepared
to go into that discussion with a perfect confidence of the
grounds on which I shall oppose the Honourable Mem-
ber; and the more shall I be confident in the result of
the debate, in consequence of the declaration made by
the Noble Lord oppci.e Lord John Rtissell.) But
I have also a perfect confidence in the good sense of the peo-
ple of England, whatever he the fate of those qu-stions.
—(Cheers.) I have a perfect confidence in the set urity
of the Church and State, because they have the support of the
intellirent people of this country. The people know that to
those institutions the prosperity and glory of this country are
due, and they are then fore rooted in their hearts. The Hon.
Bsronet sat down amidst the lon.!est cheers from his own
sHe of the Meuse.

Mr. WA D—(f.orn the noise oecnioned by the rush of
Members to the door. he was very imperfectly licilrd at first)—
The speech of the Right Hon. Bart. and the Noble Lord who
preceded him had gis en the dk,ussion an importance, which
brought it home to the breast of every cue who had the
Lie of country at heart.—(Hear, hear.) He came down
that night prepared to protest against the policy
of the Hon. Member for Finsbury, and to vote against him if
he had determined on dividing the House; but now, if the
Hon. Member determined to pursue that course. he should
certainly have his (Mr. W.'s) vote. The Noble Lord
was acting most unaccountably, in diametrical opposition to his
warmest admirers and supporters. He had sated that in his
opinion, by carrying the Ballot or extending the suffrage,
he would be virtually extending the Reform Bill. In his
(Mr. W.'s) opinion, the Minister who had used those ex-
pressions, bad signed his own death warrant—had worked out
the term of his own political existence. —( Cheers.) They saw
the impossibility of the people fully enjoying their own rights
at present. The Right Hon Baronet (Sir Robert Peel) bad
placed the question on another footing. He wished to show
that the feeling of the country was hostile to democratic
changes.— (Hear, hear.) Ho (Mr. `P.) did not know
how he could possibly have come to that decision, or
from what part of the country he made his de-
ductions, for had he been attending to the large con-
stituencies at the late election, his eyes must have been
opened to the irresistible feeling in favour of democatie
changes; so much so, that in that part of the country wi:h
which he was now connected, any gentleman holding the
opinions of the Right lion. Baronet would not stand the
slightest chance whatever of being elected.—( Hear, hear.)
He thought the Speech was so framed that it was impos.
sible for any man not to concur in the Address pro-
posed by the Noble Lord, the Member for Morpeth.
Every possible contestable point ras evaded, and it was im-
possib!e for the most captious of the gentlemen opposite to
have founded an amendment on that address.—( Cheers. )
Entertaining, as he did, the feelings and principles
he had ever professed, he could not fail to record his vote in favour
of the amendment of the Hon. Member for Finsbury, should
he think fit to press it to a division.—( Hear, hear.) At the same
time he would tell that Jion. Member that in the opinion
of his friends and political associates, it was not bringing the
question to a fair issue.—( Hear.) There was so strong a feeling
throughout the country, that the debate should not be marred by
any division, but that the Address to the Crown should be
unanimous, that the Honourable Member for Finsbury was
placing the great questions he advocated in the most unfair
situation possible.—( Hear.) The Hon. Member had placed
on record his sentiments, and when he saw each of the questions
of which he had appeared that night as the advocate, in the
hands of those, who, by their exertions, had given interest
to those questions in the eyes of the community, he might,
without dereliction of duty, leave them to that discussion which
they were certain of receiving.—(Hear, hear.) He thought
that course would be fair to those questions, fair to the House,
and fair to those Members whose names had been more par-
ticularly connected With those questions.—( Hear, hear, and
loud cries of " Divide, divide.")
Strangers were then ordered to withdraw, and the Gallery
was cleared for a division.
The House then divided, when there appeared—
For Mr. Wakley's Amendment as to the Exten-
sion of Suffrage 2O
For the Address
Majority —489

On re-entering the gallery we found Mr. WA KLEY on his
legs. The Honourable Member said that the result of the
division rendered it unnecessary for him to divide on the other
two amendments, and he trusted the Hous6 would excuse
him for the trouble which from a sense of duty he had been
been obliged to give them. The Noble Lord was pleased to
say he (Mr. W.) had brought his powders in three papers
and that they bad no effect on his feelings. He was glad
to see, however, that the first powder which he had
administered, had answered its purpose, and he only hoped it
would be as beneficial to the constitution of the Noble Lord
as it was to the object which be (Mr. W.), had in view.
—(Hear, and laughter.) It was a bitter dose, and the
Noble Lord had been obliged to swallow it. The Right
Hon. Baronet had also made a declaration by which it was
pretty apparent that the coalition which ho had before hinted
at had taken place, if not exactly in person at least in principle
between the two parties. That fact had been elicited by the
Amendment, and if it had no other effect it would be
sufficient to excuse him for pressing it to a division.
The people (continued Mr. Wakley) will see that they can
have no confidence in this House, and I advise the people not
to petition this House, but to send their petitions directly to the
Queen.—( Cries of " Oh 1 oh ! and laughter from the Tory and
Ministerial Benches.) I can assure the Noble Lord, and the
Right Hon. Baronet also, that the Radical Party on
this side of the House are not desirous of destroying
the institutions of this country.—(oh, oh !)—We are not
desirous of destroying the Monarchy, or the Established
Church. On the contrary, on every occasion we have manifested
the strongest desire to support these institutions.—(Great
Ntaghter.) Why, if Hon. Gentlemen please they may shout
thejr contradiction again and again, but it is only of a piece
with their conduct at all their meetings.—( Cries of " Oh.")
In feet, it is not true. For instance, the measure of Church-
rate was calculated to serve the Established Church—( Tory
laughter.)---anal Honourable Members opposite know it
very well.—( Hear, hear, hear.) I will read the other
two resolutions, but I do not intend to divide the House
upon them. I consider the expression of opinion upon the
first resolution to be quite sufficient to show the people that
there is a coalition—that there is a coalition of principle—
and that there will be a coalition of action—that the
Noble Lord (J. Russell) and the Right Hon. Baronet the
Member for Tamwcrth arc in the same neat, and that they will
sink or swim together. The Hon. ilf,mber then sat down,
and having handed the resolutions to the Clerk, they were
read by the Speaker, and negatived without it division.
Mr. HARVEY said, if he had been fortunate enough to
have caught the Speaker's eye at an earlier hour in the even-
rl't h_e might have been led to make a few more re-
were now necessary, for the answer of the Noble
: Lelia% ussell), to the Hon. Member for Kilkenny had
don! 1 rft ith the necessity of the first part of the obssrva-
-141. (led to make. The amendment which be bad
. to p.tqp e." to the effect that the Parliament being desirous of
eost liberal provision for the support of the splyn-
-1 dew; a,Wgnity of the Crown, yet they felt at the same time
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