The Sun.
London, England, 1837-11-23 00:00:00

licly and privately we put in force every personal, physi-
cal, and public power at our command, to overthrow the
spurious abortion of a timid Sovereign, and reinstate it
in a position to do good to the people. We were suc-
cessful. The Peel Government was shattered to atoms,
and finally destroyed—Lord Melbourne was again,
most insultingly to the Sovereign, but most becomingly
on the part of the people, forced into office ; and, it is
but an act of justice to his Lordship to declare, that
he has hitherto worn his honours with becoming dig-
nity and integrity, and that on every occasion on which
it has fallen to his lot to defend the cause of the people,
he has not, in the slightest degree, fallen short of the
expectations formed of him. But what can we say
of the Cabinet now, if Lord John Russell is to be
considered as its mouthpiece ? What !—in the course
of discussing the Reform Bill, state that the Ballot
and Triennial Parliaments, and other measures were mat-
ters not fit o be grafted on the Reform Bill,but very fit
to be adjuncts to it, and matters for further considera-
tion—and afterwards at Stroud threaten the
Tory corruptionists with the application of the
Ballot, unless they behaved themselves better
—and now turn round upon the best friends of
the Government—upon whose hearts and affections,
as well as their daily and nightly toils, have been de-
voted to them—and with one fell swoop declare that
they are no longer the supporters of their favourite
measures ? We would write in moderation ; but no
language can express our disappointment at the speech
of the Home Secretary. It is mischievous to the Mi-
nistry—it is mischievous to the cause—it places every
supporter of the Government in a false and uncomfor-
table position—it was needlessly uttered—it was un-
called-for—in a word, it was at once foolish and gra-
tuitously mischievous. We state these matters broadly.
The public will judge whether we do or do not err.
We admire the manliness of Lord John Russell's frank
avowal of his principles, and give as ample credit for
it, as we utterly condemn the course pursued by Mr.
Wakley, which led to the declaration ; but the cheers
of the Tories are condemnation enough of the former.
Oh, these cheers !—when we hear them, they always
betoken to us treason to the people.—Morning
Advertiser of yesterday.
We commented yesterday, at some length, upon the
conduct of Lord John Russell in entering, most un-
necessarily and unwisely in our opinion, his determi-
nation not to form any portion of an Administration
which would give its sanction to vote by Ballot, to the
shortening of Parliaments, or to an extension of the
Suffrage; and we now again repeat our condemnation
of his conduct as calculated, on the one hand, to da-
mage
the cause of Reform, and, on the other, to dis-
appoint and disgust all those who, however short the
Cabinet may have come of their desires, have lent to it
the most hearty and unflinching support. We are not
however, inclined to enter now at any great length into
the matter, inasmuch as the error, however grave, seems
to be, we hope, in a fair way of being corrected. An
Evening Paper, upon whose information we suppose we
may rely, states as follows :—"We are rejoiced to hear
that the leading Members of the Liberal party are at
length assuming a position corresponding with their
political pretensions, and the confidence reposed in
them by large and intelligent masses of the people. A
letter of friendly remonstrance is, we understand, in
course of signature, intimating to her Majesty's Minis-
ters, that unless they are prepared to identify them-
selves more directly and immediately with substantial
measures of Parliamentary Reform, they must no
longer rely upon the support of the Liberal party.'
There is nothing more to be regretted at the present
moment, than that any difference of opinion, of prac-
tice, and of co-operation, should exist between the
members of the present Government and those who
have supported them, although in principle and prac-
tice they went beyond them. The Government, as a
Go verninent, is in principle in a minority—the Irish
and Radical Members form its majority, and how is it
to carry on the affairs of the country without their
support ? It is alleged by an Evening Paper that the
Radical Members provoked Lord John Russell to an
angry reply. We grant it. Mr. Wakley played a
foolish part in the drama ; but that is no justification of
Lord John Russell, either in being equally angry, or
in placing his veto upon propositions calculated to
advance the independent representation of the people.
Lord John Russell has egregiously erred. He says
that when the Reform Bill was introduced it was con-
sidered to be a final measure, while at the same time he
allows that a final measure is a mass of nonsense, and

that no one but an idiot could dream of stopping the
progress of public opinion. His Lordship is not an
idiot, but, on the contrary, an able, and clever, and well-
informed man—and yet, in the next breath, he says that
he is perfectly willing to amend the Act in its details—
that is, in the registration and rate-paying clauses
but most unwilling to alter it in its principles—that is,
in the substitution of the Ballot, of shorter Parlia-
ments, and an extension of the Suffrage. His Lord•
.ship, let him give us proper credit for it, is a good
logician. He knows what the why and wherefore in
the House mean better, we believe, than any other
Member ; and he will, therefore, take it in good part
when we tell him that his argument is a sophism, and
that he mistakes the mode of action for the prin-
ciple. The principle is the representation of the
people—the mode is the question of short or long Par-
liaments, of a more extended Suffrage, and of Secret
Voting. The anode may be wrong, but the principle
of the Reform Bill is not infringed upon by it. The

distinction is not a nice one. We would enlarge
farther on this subject did any necessity exist for it ;
but we trust in the course of to-morrow to be able to
inform cur readers that the breach has been healed,
and that, as during the last two Sessions, every Li-
beral will be found in his place in the House with sub-
stantial and satisfactory reasons to justify his adherence
to the Melbourne Cabinet.—Morning Advertiser.