The Sun.
London, England, 1839-02-27 00:00:00

High-Bailiff, in the few apppropriate remarks with which
he opened the business of this day, well charac-
terized the Borough of Southwark as the first borough
in the empire. And because it is- so, and merits
that appellation, it becomes more important that the electors
.
of this borough, and the people of this country, should
know whence it is that at a time when the Senate of the land
is assembled, and invited by the Queen to deliberate on
divers great and serious matters, this borough should be
deprived of one of its representatives.—( Cheers.) It I!
due to those at whose instigation this has taken place, t
you should know. It is due to the " improved character
of Parliament," that you should know. Because, if it is
not to be attributed to the blackest and basest hypocrisy,
the explanation of it can only be found in the
a imp
character of Pariiament," arid the attachment to prin-
cipleeoeed
which pervades its Members.—( Hear, and cheers.)
Now this is the pretext that has bees put forward. T....h..
gentleman at whose instance the inquiry was instituted
and who appropriately enough took the chair of the Com-
mittee—( Shame)—publicly stated: that he was influenced
by 1,0 personal or party considerations—( Laughter) hut
that he was animated by that unceasing, and, if it be
_
pos-
sible, growing anxiety which he through life has manifested
as being the practical guardian of the privileges of Pashas
ment.—( Laughter.) One of those privileges—the most.
prominent—this gentleman deemed to be the protection 01
Members of that House from any influence, however re-
mote or indirect, by the pursuit or enjoyment of official
emoluments. Truly a noble sentiment, and, if univor.:
sally carried out, could not be too highly eulogiscd
—(Great cheering.) But is there any foundation for
this claim? I say none—( Hear)—and for this reason, that
if he ivad been that unsleeping guardian of the public
rights which he professes to be, he would have found many.
such cases, which bad passed, and now pass, unnoticed
and unregarded._( Hear.) But he lets these cases goon,
and only attacks mine ; on the ground that my office, en-
der the statute of Anne, absolutely incapacitated me from.
holding a seat in Parliament. The statute of Anne pro-
vides two things,—that a person holding an office, which
had existed prior to 1706, was to be sent back to his cons
stituents, and that a person holding an office of profit
which should hereafter be created, was to be totally:
incapacitated from serving in Parliament. Now the;
grounds of this distinction I leave for the perception,
of Jesuits of a certain order.—( Laughter.) But it
strikes me that if a Member of Parliament, who has per-'
haps for many years been seeking after and now holding
an office of profit, which, though it was created before
1706, has doubtless influenced his conduct and votes 10
Parliament, he ought to be sent back to his constituents,
at least as strictly as a person who had been elected to an
office of great public importance and of heavy duties which
was created since 1706, should be disqualified from sitting
in Parliament.—( Hear, hear.) The distinction, I repeat,
is too nice for my simple understanding.—(Hear, hear.)
But, gentlemen, when it is stated to you by my friend Mr•
Pellatt, that when I found the effect of this office was to
put my seat in hazard I declined the salary, he does not
exactly state the real facts, because from the beginning !
had the impression that •it might so work, not because
thought it might, but because I believed Mr. Wynn al
those acting with him would make it so—(A laugb.)--an
though profiting by my long experience my cautaans were
strengthened by it, as I stated to Lord John Je-tussell, that
" acceptable as this office will be tome and ;as emoluments'
3et from the beginning I wish three tle.ings to be under'
stood by your Lordship, which I vvilA explain to you,'"
First, whatever may be its effect on ear seat, and however se'
ceptable the salary is to me, which. Ido not deny-4 Hear)-
I will not accept it if it imposes the slightest political oblige'
ti on. —( Cheers.) If the Government, of which you are
the leader in the House of Commons, is to calculate upon s
different course of conduct in the expression of my OPi:
nion, and in the record of my votes from that which I have
been hitherto accustomed to give, though I acknowledge
myself indebted to your Lordship for your kind considera-
tion in giving me the offer of this place, yet, I wish it to be
understood, that I will accept it with no such restraintss
and it is due to Lord John Russell to say, that he was Ilea
less willing to acknowledge my definition of its duties, all
the absence of all obligation, than I was to impose itel
( Hear.) The next suggestion was this, that if it does oe
disqualify, it is quite clear it does not affect my seat, and, there'
fore, some people might fancy that having been returned
to Parliament for the probable duration of six years, I Inig
consider myself comfortably seated for that period, an
"a
also remain in the enjoyment of 8001. a-year. Those are
not my principles, and I am one of those, who think the
merit of a man's conduct is to be found in its consistenca---
that he is not always to be turned abou'c by the wind of a"
pediency, and finding apologies in all, sorts of selfish sufti
gestions. I therefore told his Lordship that if it slana
turn out as I thought it might, that m seat and sa'a.,
could be held and taken together— ythat the first night t`'.
House assembled I should apply to the Chancellor of ill
Exchequer for the Chiltren Hundreds, in order that, ia
might be sent back to my constituents, for them to deal Wit/
me as they should think fit.—( Cheers.) The third a,
pro-
position was this, that as it was not unlikely, 'a
the reason I have just stated to you, that !vase:
which was strengthened and suggested by my esd
perience that Mr. Wynne, and those acting with hitnearis
others, almost as suspicious, though sailing under a n ffe
e
rent flag—( Hear, hear, and a laugh)—might come to tll
conclusion that this was a disqualifying office, my,tb.ob
condition was this :—I will put this office into action'A
will arrange and adapt all its essentials—l will superinte.nt;
through its intricate working—I will give up my time 9,i_i it
readiness, while others are pursuing their pleasure or tut.
business during the recess ; and if it should turn out the
acceptance of this office is to hazard, in the slightest
degree, the far higher distinction—a distinction not rei
ducible to a pecuniary standard (Loud cheers)---e
being representative of the Borough of Southwark.--
then you may take my services, you snay, keep LI
salary, and I will retain my seat.—(Continued -eheel'a
Now it may be said, why did you not keep your place, an.
why did you not retain your seat ? My answer to that '-
this, it was because I wished you should have ass opporta'
nitv of showing what your opinion of my conduct was.
(Cheers.) I should have conic to, the election before tni
constituents without fear; and from the feeling I It:
observed almost universally among them, I believe the:
would have been pleased to find that I could have returned
the salary and my place.—( Hear.) But some gentle's"
or other—some man, who although he may des ise Peril; rnentary minorities under another state of things ,shad afire n
respect for minorities on the poll, inasmuch as it v rasa positih°,
he could never get from.—(Laughter.) He v could say , e
did not come there to disturb the borough, or ao crowd t.ed
hustings with a number of supporters—that he did net el,
to put his opponent to expense, and only asked the supPs....a
of a respectable minority—that of a dozen, electors' d,
(Laughter.) He would care nothing for ayie thous°. 0
arrayed on the other side, but he would Frevsent a petitio,
to the House of Commons, and state ttiat Mr. Harvey vi
his opponent at the election, and that while Mr. Harvey
...,
had his three thousand votes, and he his ha ker's dozen a
( Hear, and much laughter)—yet inasmuch as he bas
given persons notice that all the votes, from one to tore
thousand, which had been given. for Mr. .Harvey, We e
er&
entirely thrown away—because he had placarded the
rough with notices that his opponent had aCC A w
epted a "se
qualifying office, and was not eligible, then he would ba
claimed to represent you with his twelve votes to the re,
jection of the universal feeling, by which his 00,0
nent had been returned.—( Hear, hear.) I wO-eit have considered myself as acting in an extretna,,:
criminal manner, if actuated by personal consvideratWo
even if the salary was far more important in its ametiaal
than I admit it was, I should have permitted this—l she-sf
never have forgiven myself that great political sin of
to aggrandize myself I had placed the constituenei.aa
this Borough (one of the most important and extenste'b
in the Empire, as your High Bailiff has termed it) in etiod
a position as thee, its great interests. and its trade and
commerce shoe'ai be confided to its most strenuous a
es
determined enemy.—( Hear.) Under these circumstaoe+,
gentlemen, '1 am not surprised at the zeal and affectiona
readiness with which all classes in the Borough have
crowded round me.—(Cheers.) I
am not surprise ellt
the absence of all opposition, therefore, on the PrfasOse
occasion, and I wish to express my thanks publicly to, ',host
who are termed the Conservatives of the Borouga, it, it
having come forward to pat, not me to ex en se, for
would not be productive of arty inconvenience tie me',
those friends who have rallied round me.—(Loud elLee-,;cl
The same generous spirit and liberal zeal which, Telnr.-oeo,
me and my colleague free of charge on a former (veal o t
is in operation on the present occasion, and I believe
i,
advertisement will, within the next twenty-fours,. apPegrre
the papers announcing the pleasing fact that a very laari'as
per centage will be returned to those who have so g'see
rously and honourably contributed to defray the expauso
of this election.—( Hear, and cheers.) Gentlemen, Iwo
well pleased to find that this political punishment, a le
of
intended to be, is not unlikely to recoil upon the bead e
the primary agitators, and will not be without aslYsetag
for its example. Not exactly for its coincident circa ary tee
stances, for I am assured that inasmuch as my case was ia
first so it will be the last.—(Hear.) There never ag_au
will be a tract of Parliamentary privileges and p recedeeta
...e,
the Right Honourable Charles Wallin Williiam WYeesol
(Laughter)—settieg forth that Members takaag office ts;
declining to accept salary, rather than hazard their sea 0
have nevertheless vacated them. You need be undertee
apprehension that the same feeling which dictated
the
course pursued towards me will be observed towards ewe
Gentlemen bolding places and pensions—rnen whoopee
never done anything but mischief, and whoee only recite:if,
inendation is that they are now doing nothing.---(nrer.,
laughter.) I have documents in my possession in r''',y
ence to one gentleman who had the good taste to be °lad
Committee, and tsok a prominent part in it, and. who eb-ieby
in the proceedings declared, that this was a place w_es,
could not be held with a seat in Parliamenet, for the ris,
sons he had already stated, that a Member of Pari as
ment with his hand in the public pursa,
was likely to
swayed by private considerataims and Sis.
inducements, to the prejudice of his constitueia_fig
Among other Gentlemen on that Committee wo
the Right Hon. Henry Goulburn.—(Groans and hisse 9
There was a return made to the House some feweaor f
ago, in consequence of as order calling upon Members
and
Parliament to state what offices they had ever filleded I
what pensions and salaries they 'were now receiving, aaoa.
find that this gentleman who is s,o keenly alive to the,/ for
tical purity of the representatives of the people, he'-auts
nineteen years and three quay ens salaries and eneoleintatis
of the annual average and value of 5,2201., which 01 0,
plied by twenty years, gives 100,000/. of the public lid 1 •
and yet so small was that son'—so little opportunity a
hint—soafford hirngroefatpwroaysidthineg
clanger
ris
offalmiiislydyainngd those
debt,sr°lei and 6
Mr. Pitt, which I beg to assure m his
Mr.inpel(ait rweil
never be my case, for although Iy, may, and I am sedgy
will die poor, I shall leave no debts undischar
we find this gentleman with his 100,000/., and holdinga
office for the lest twenty years, now receiaelnntoo,
sum of 2,001 V, per annum all by way of P ae to'
so long as he lives. Now as I have already venter ,
0
thin
refer to a conversation which I had with Lord J°llo.
some
firo7,
Iluese',l, I shall take the liberty of stating
furtner, which Lord J. Russell himself would COsenity
if he were herr, and which he will have an °NAT 1
of seeing through the medium of the public Pbreefogre We
told his Lordship that if two places were put
—one with a salary of 5,000/. and out of the House,
aaei.
the other of 1,000/. with active duties and the. _l37ltb
of retaining my seat, I would sooner take the place
__.......