The Sun.
London, England, 1830-07-29 00:00:00

BIRMINGHAM POLITICAL. UNION.

According to postponement, in order to wait the
convenience of Sir Francis Burdett, the first invoiel
meeting of the Political Union took place at Mr.
Beardsworth's Repository, on Monday last.
Mr. T. ATTWOOD moved that Sir Francis 13te-
dett do take the chair. This having been done with
acelamatiens,
Sir FnANOS IlintbitirT rose and addressed the
meeting. Ile commenced by expressing his rati-
fication at seeing so immense an assemblage of hi.
fellow-countrymen assembled together for the pur-
pose of promoting an object which he hail laboured
to accomplish the whole of hia political life. All
his labours in the cause of reform had hitherto pro-
duced little effect upon the Legislattee; and little
would ever be effected unless by a g. n.'ral anion
and co-operation of the people.—(Cheers.)—lt as
perfectly in vain to expect to make any impre.sion
upon the bands of individuals intercv.ed in fife
present corruptions, for they were too tine to the
duties which they owed to their consti•itents to
allow any remonstrances of the people to have any
effect upon their minds. He had himself a curious
duty to perform, which was to explain how be was
justified in giving them credit for such a faithful and
conscientious discharge of their ditty to their con-
stituents. The fact was, the majority of these gee-
ilemen had but about 151 con-tnuents, and tnosr
faithfully did they discharge their duty to that aele et
',umber. They would easPy learn what might he
expected from the fideliti of Members fre,ly re-
turned by the people at large, when they saw bow
dutifully and carefully the interests of this select
number of constituents were guarded by their WO -
tut represcortitives. He cautioned the public ugain-t
being led, by passing events, from the real and vital
question of reform, as nothing could be more dun-
germ's to liberty than the eyes of the patine
being turned to things which would ultimately h..
of 'roared'. He alluded to what were falsely called
the elections of the people. They all knew that coun-
ties were considered the most free and independent;
but they must all know that the man r,f att gren•e*t
wealth was always the surest of his electioe, and
that it was now esteemed, even by the rich, an act
of great folly, certainly of great injury, to stand fur a
county. It was equally unnecesSary for him to in-
form them how small a portion of county Members
the House of Commons contained. So notoriously
deficient, indeed, was the House of popular rep.e-
sentatives, that in 1793 Lord Grey offered to prove
at the bur that the majority of the Members were
merely the nominees of Peers, or other great landed
or borough proprietors. With respect to the la-t
Parliament, it would not thank him fur what lie
was going to say, nor would they be surmised. lie
was going to make their defence. 'i he HOD. Dr,
toilet then proceeded to argue, that the majority of
the Members of Parliament,. as at present consti-
tuted, were, on the whole, fair representatives of
their constituents. tie would defy any man to
prove en instance where any of those renamed for
Piers had acted contrary to the orders or directions
of those by whom they were returned.—(Cheera.)
If they were only as true to the interests of the
people, and the principles of the British Constitu-
tion, as they were to their constituents, the people
of Englund would speedily be restored to their
birthrights. It was to advance this object that they
were met that day—an object not hostile to the
Constitution, but as much for the benefit of the
King on his throne, as the happiness of the people.
It was not directed against any Minister, so much
as intended to rescue all Ministers from the hands of
a boreughmongering faction. While upon this topic
lie might be allowed to express his satisfaction in
being able to state his entire confidence in the pre.
sent. King, who, in the short time he had beet' ou
the throne of his forefathers, had displayed more
true tuglish feeling, had performed moie acts of
private benevolence, than had been displayed or per-
formed by any British Sovereign for years past.—
(Cheers.)—He had called forth gallant men who
been laid on the shelf neglected, and rewarded them
for services long since performed---rewards which
they must long since hoer-despaired of ever receiv-
ing. One of his first acts was the recalling to his
Court of an old and • gallant friend cd Lord
Nelson, whose name would be long remem-
tiered in the naval annals of his country.—
' (Cheers.)—lle had likewise shown the same
kindly considerations for the comfort and convenience
of all classes of his subjects. In the recent opening
of St. Jarnes's Park, he had displayed a desire to
comply with the request of the inhabitents of West-
minster, who had now a ready access to its walks.
In short, in William the Fourth they had now a
King of England, and not the King of a faction.—
(Cheering.)—Now, therefore, was the time to press
all subjects of national importance. Sir Muncie
then stated, that so long ago as the close of the
American war, the subject of reform had been in.
troduced into Parliament by. Mr. Pitt, with an elo-
quence which completely dazzled the people of Eng-
land. Those, therefore, who charged Mr. Pitt's
former friends with being apostates, because they
advocated-seform, were themselves the apostates;
for that great MOH Was one of the earliest and first
advocates for its necessity. There were records of
his sentiments on that subject, from which he had
made extracts to show what were his principles,
and the lessons with which ha accompanied them.
They would be found to be the same as those they
were that day met to support ;and which he should
always feel honoured in advocating, either in Bir-
mingham or elsewhere, whenever he thought his
exertions would prove useful, lie made this con-
dition, because there had been, and might be, sea-
sons when all efforts were worae than useless. Some
therefore had accused him of lukewarmness and in-,
dolsnce.—(A voice from the crowd exclaimed "old
Cobbett.")—Sir Francis, " Aye, and honest men
too.7—(Letighter and cheers.)—But he would defy
any one to say, that in the course of his long poll•
and life he had neglected, upon all fair occasions,
to come forward in the cause of reform, as warmly
and zealously as when he first became its advocate.
The Hon. Baronet then proceeded to read extracts
' from a speech delivered by Mr. Pitt on the 17th of
May, 1782, is :the course of which he indulged in
the most severe sarcasms on, the present vicious
system of borough representation. The walls of
Old Sarum or Guitar) had nothing. to do with
.the
British constitution; except so far as it assisted their
proprietors to fill their pockets out of the public
purse. What bad the Nabob of Argot to do with
the constitution of England; and yet it was noto-
rious that he had at one time seven Members sitting
in the English Parliament? The present system of
eepresentatien had,. however, this redeeming quality
...that an honest man, who wished to serve his
country, might, by an outlay of 4,0001. or 5,0001.,
purchase a borough.. So bad, therefore, was the sys-
tem, that even an evil itself became a mitigation of
a greater evil, and without which there would be a
total monopoly in the hands of a few. Anher
proof of the state of affairs was to be found in the
fact, that at the .present time the largest, counties,
the representation of which was the family glory of
what Mr. Bentham called "the purse-brandishing
tyranny," were now going a begging. Government
he thought had shown a want of policy in not traits-
ferriug the elective franchise of East Retford to the
great and important town of Birmingham, and
allowed them is representative acquainted with its
numerous interests. It must be perfectly known to
all how unconversent members of the House of
Commons generally were with these subjects • anti
that such a state of things ought not to be endured.
He would assert that there was no species of reform
which would not be a benefit, if it Were only a
change. That led him to point out the necessity of
union. He. deprecated all extremes which discon-
nected the reformers from each other. Some points
had been gained; they were now enabled to speak
strong
of the corruption of the House of Commons in
terms for which formerly an offending member would
have been 'consigned to the Tower, so perfectly
shameless had Parliament bleocnognsep.ull,lna
this
r o
n state
t a t eof
pull,
things the people of England were called upon to
unite resolutely in a pull, a

ultimately succeed in overthrowing this flagon
is
its own temple, and, as in the case of the Dergend
'and a pull altogether; and they would assuredly
old, shame its own worshippers.—(Cheers.)—Po'
li•tment was so corrupt, that the cleverest or most
ingenioint mat would find it itipossible euggest ON'
devise a plate which so 'untie* operated spire
the interests of the people. Sir Frnticis, after rte.
neg that he should always be found at leis post, eon•
eluded by etpressing the pride he felt in being
leagued in the Annie cause xitli the Pitmitiltho
Union. His services were always at its comtnsnd,
with the certainty of prompt attention.—(Cheers)
Mr. Arrwooo then addressed the meeting, and
in the course of a very long speech dwelt largely on
the distress of the country and its CllllllO, COTite•
ins that such distress did exist, whatever might b.
,aid to the contrary. lie considered the only re
meely to be that Governments should be he'd se
swereble. In Turkey they had strange (*WWII*
and one of them was to cut off the tweeds of Oil
rids unsurceaul in battle. Now, though he ow
! not recommend ruch a policy RS this in Engloolle
yet he would undertake to say, that if a lac "I,
Parsed to hang the Ministers whenever a genera
bud .late of trade occurred, the child in the ersei
would never live to hear of a bad state of toll
again.—(Cheer.. )—Mr. Att wood concluded by No
iie the report of the Union, and moving
Vat ions eviolterimis were then put until corned
connected with the obj,c.s of the meeting. cornett
for hid Rl'
a cite of thank 4 to Mr. E. Davenport,
vice. : tee Union, hatl been moved and seconded,
Si) F. Buarnerr said, he could bear testimonyl°
the troll of all that hail been said in favour et Mtr'
Davenport's -ere ices in Parliament ; and it Iva twi!
to be regretted that such was the state of the rePT
%rotation, that he feared the country Wag n°11,412'1
again to have the honour and the bent&
service., • n
Mr. DAVENPORT espressad his Istieottno-
iii
ving been able to render them service, Imttl'tr
sew
tidal, 1k joined most cordially its adopiie!:
tintents of confidence which had be,
oatpwrhietrrieoeedautsrrlha‘:ll,ide:oth4i'li:it,nnitt 11,:rilst,liatehieriejoel
ghlaumli
wards his Msj,sty. The virtue
affoeded at least one tar of hope---
being considered as a member of
should be extended to the Societ
was wanted, he should be found
the a propos tion and vote of
uplothlioluicat elierpe.r—ets:
Burete.tt, be rose and said he emit
l
day. He must say that they Joel(
fisuccess in the weld cause with win
cd, which he had never before ei
they mar again, he hoped it w
meeting of congratulation for sue
upon their exertions titan of rent
really did not know well how to
them.—(Cheers.)—Every topic of
hau,ted, but be felt compelled
lie had derived from- the meetii
lingering look bdrind."—(Cheers.,
ea:psdoiti:liirvli:a,hhdtiticim‘ih,aticltibtteyilimmifet.htiletitieee(opcaprri
day's proceedings be an example to
iota'
country, and the means of occasioning a .1"1- ?ht
ous movement throughout the whole ItintOtt
Worthy Baronet then took his leave amidst theme
op
deafening cheers, and the meeting quietly tio`a,.
The meeting was supposed to have been titt'l
by about 20,000 persons.

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