The Sun.
London, England, 1831-03-23 00:00:00

-74-4 4(140

LONDON,
WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH 23, 1831.

The fate of the Reform Question is now in the
hands of the people. If they continue firm, unani-
mous, and determined in their support, it will
assuredly triumph; if not, it will as assuredly fail,
and they will have the satisfaction of witnessing the
return to power of a set of men whose energies, new
stung by revenge, will prompt them to the com-
mission of every enormity, no matter how uncon-
stitutional, and whose tyranny will be bounded
only by their apprehensions. Let but the
Anti-Reformers come bank, let them be but
once again fixed in the saddle, and once again
the eountiy will be cursed, head and heart, body
and soul, in all its joints and arteries, like the ex-
communicated in Tristram Shandy, with the re-
newal of the old system of corruption and pecu-
lutions; gagging acts will be resorted to ; the free
Press will be enslaved ; a fresh load of taxes will
be laid on ; the Pension List—the frightful Pension
List—will be augmented to such an extent, that
were it stretched out to its full length upon the
ground, it would be no slight exercise for an
invalid to walk front the top to the bottom of it;
law will be made dearer that ever; justice be ren-
dered a luxury, pug chasable only by the wealthy and
the titled ; and church pluralists, bankrupt com-
missioners—whose sole recommendation to such
appointment is that they know nothing at all about
the matter—sinecurists, placemen, and borough-
mongers will ride rough-shod over the country,
scattering every where in their progress the seeds of
discord, desolation, and utter, inextinguishable ruin.
Such will be the consequences of the return of the
Anti-Reformers to office. But, as we said before, the
people have it in their power to defeat them. There
is little doubt, of er the division of last night, that—
artless the Bill be allowed to proceed—a dissolution of
Parliament will take place. Then will be the time for
the country to show that it is in earnest, and
to prove by deeds, as well as words, that
it is resolved to see itself righted. Ca
any stronger n
proof of the necessity of Reform be
needed, than the single fact that a proposal to
purify and regenerate the Constitution, was gained
in a House which professes to be the chosen
guardians of tha. Constitution, by a bare ins-
jority of One? Can any Man with the average--
or even less than the average—allowance of brains,
hesita,e, after such an unblushing proof of
Parliamentary corruption, no support Reform to the
very utmost ? If there be such a man, and if he
be yet vegetating without the walls of Bedlam, We
request that his name and address may be forwarded
to us, that we may hasten to get a peep at the phe-
nomenon. We will cheerfully pay our shilling for
the exhibition.

Let the people icok to the division of last night•
Let them analyze the factious minori.y, and they
will find that 160 of the squad is made up of Mem-
bers for Treasury boroughs, and those who woul►l
be thrown out by the Reform Bill. Taking this
160 (which the people have it in their pow er to
subtract) from the whole 301, will reduce the mino-
rity to 141—and adding it to the majority of 302,
will make a total of 462—leaving a triumphant n►a-
jority in favour of Reform of 321! The relative
numbers will then stand as follows :

In favour of Reform ...
Against it l4l

Majority in its favour .............. 321

Such being the interested character of the mino-
rily, it bas but to be analysed, to be despised--