The Sun.
London, England, 1831-12-22 00:00:00

HASTINGS, DEC. 21.

AUSPICIOUS INAUGURATION OF 157 OF THE
INHABITANTS OF HASTINGS WHO HAD THEIR
FREEDOM TENDERED TO THEM.
It was announced in this Paper some time since that two
hundred and eighty-two persons residing in Hastings had been
offered freedoms by the corporation of that town. The day
fixed for the enfranchisement of those packed and picked men,
was the same day as our gracious and patriotic Monarch opened
Parliament in person, and in his speech from the throne reas-
sured a loyal and devoted people that the Reform Bill would
immediately be brought forward again. The day fixed on for
making new freemen was well chosen and auspicious ; the ob-
ject to be accomplished was on the face of it both just and expe-
dient ; and it is only to be regretted that the manner in which
it has been carried into execution is not equally entitled to pub-
lic approbation. An evil genius seems to haunt the halls of
most rotten boroughs, and shed its baneful influence on their
councils. Close corporations have for so many ages been hack-
neyed in the crooked path of error and monopoly, that folly and
waywardness become, as it were, second nature; and even the
best designs of these unholy fraternities end too often in rnis.
carriage, and attract to their authors a considerable portion of
reproach and shame. Can men expect to restore confidence or
establish peace, by partiality and favouritism? Or can the fa-
vour of the few individuals, whose hostility the corporation
may hope to have neutralized, be of so much importance in
their eyes as to induce them to treat with contempt the greater
part of the inhabitants of the town? It seems as if prejudice,
inexperience, and pride, had combined together to blight the
hopes of the friends of peace, and to prolong the existence of
those bitter hostilities which have for a long period rendered
Hastings the arena for all sorts of party divisions and feuds.
Could the pleasing hope be cherished, that the voice of truth
and reason would find favour with the majority of the corpora-
tion, and that, when the herald of conciliation proclaimed his
errand, " attention would watch his lips and conviction close
his periods," then might be expected the close of those dire
contentions. " Hope deferred maketh the heart sick," and as
to any beneficial adjustment of differences, or effectual reform
of abuses, proceeding from those corrupt bodies themselves, the
thing is utterly hopeless, and the people must, as regards their
interference for any good purpose, absolutely throw up the cause
in despair. But, happily for the lovers of freedom, and the
advocates for the rights of the many, they have strong confi.
dence in the present Government, and watch with eager solici-
tude that great measure of Reform which will and must soon
become the law of the land; when every inhabitant of Hastings
occupying a house of the yearly value of ten pounds will have a
vote for Members to represent the town in Parliament, without
being in the least degree under obligations to the corporation ;
whilst the worthy gentlemen who have compromised their prin-
ciple arc content to follow in the wake of persons whom they
hitherto ridiculed and despised, and have become the chivalrous
champions of rottenness and corruption, will never by their
franchise get a political vote, or even hand one down to their
progeny, although each of them, to his great self-complacency
for his lift in life, finds himself decked out in the badges of in-
fection, and minus the sum of five pounds thirteen shillings
and sixpence. What a different—what a placid scene would
the Town-hall have exhibited, on the 6th of the month—the
day for inaugurating the glorious band of worthies who are to
add not more in numerical strength than they do in patriotism,
virtue, and dignity to the bevy of Magistrates and freemen who
receive them with smiles, and bows, and kisses into their arms,
had a more impartial mode of selection been adopted. Had
they acted with common fairness, instead of being obliged to
close the proceedings of the day abruptly, in a hurricane of
tumult and anger, and thereby disappoint for a time the ambi-
tion of one hundred and twenty-five of the aspirants for Cor-
poration fame, they might have held on the " noiseless tenor of
their way," would have given satisfaction to the whole town,
and restored the blessings of good fellowship and peace.