The Sun.
London, England, 1836-01-19 00:00:00

that a similar precaution was necessary in dealing with the
ories—they found that if they gave up 99 out of the 100
parts, and did not give up the remaining one, they would be
still abused, insulted, and calumniated ; and for these
reasons they very properly declined any coalition with them.
The Government (Whigs) had also become wiser. What
bad they lately done ? Why, in place of putting their
avowed enemies in office, and thereby furnishing them with
power to annoy and torment them, they were as they ought
to do, filling the public situations with their friends. The
changes in the Lord Lieutenancies of the county was proof
of that, and other changes also showed that Ministers were
mow beginning to see the necessity of keeping them at arms'
length.—(Loud cheers.) If Ministers would pursue this
course they had nothing to fear, and be rejoiced at their
conduct, because he wished them every success. He was re-
joiced to find that they had now a Government which had done
a great deal of good—which was doing good—and from
whose exertions in the next sessions they had great things
to expect. With reference to the Irish Church, a great
deal had been said about the Government measure being an
iniquitous proceeding. It was s!id that this property was
protestant property—that itilW sacred, and ought not to
be touched. Now, as a Protestant, he must say, he consi-
dered this outcry got up merely for the purpose of religious
intolerance. They accused the Catholics of being igno-
rant, and the principal object of this Bill was to afford them
education. Who was it that paid the tithes in Ireland?
Was it not the Catholics ? And such being the fact, was
it unreasonable to say that, after providing for all the reli-
gious wants of the Protestants of Ireland, a portion of
their own money should go for the education of their chil-
dren ? Was it to be endured that a hundred and fifty be-
nefices, without congregations, should continue to exist ?
(Loud cheers.) Was it, in fine, to be tolerated that such
an anomaly as the Protestant Established Church in Ire-
land exhibited, should continue ? Mr.- Muntz, after further
observations on the same subject, concluded with the follow-
ing words--I disclaim most positively any interference on the
part of Government with our proceedings. It is the work
of the Political Union, caused by falsehood, misrepresenta-
tion, abuse, invective, and folly of the Birmingham Tories.
THOMAS ATTWOOD, Esq., M.P., here presented himseli
before the meeting, and was received with immense cheer-
ing, which lasted a considerable time. When silence had
been somewhat restored, the Hon. Gentleman commenced
by expressing the gratification which it gave him to meet
again the brave, the patriotic, and enlightened men of
Birmingham, who were the first to sound the trumpet blast
of liberty.—(Cheers.) That glorious trumpet blast had
been re-echoed throughout their country, appalling the
hearts of tyrants on their blood-stained thrones. Colonel
Napier, in his admirable work on the Peninsular War, in
describing one of those terrible charges of bayonets in
which the British infantry advanced amidst showers of mus-
ket and cannon ball carrying death and ruin before them,
Colonel Napier had told them that then was seen the ma-
jesty and might of the British soldier ; but the thousands
then before him had exhibited that day the necessity and
might of the British citizen.—(lmmense cheering.) The
moral grandeur and intellectual dignity with which the
British people had demanded and commanded the liberty
of their country, he was glad to find had not been changed.
—(Hear, hear.) He knew that the breath of prosperity
had been blowing over them, but he also knew that it had
not changed their hearts.—(Loud cheers.) The Political
Union had but just touched the earth, when thousands of
patriots rose up at its call. Under those circumstances it
was that the Tories told them they were changed and had
become Conservatives. Conservative of what ? Of the fraud,
injustice, and oppression of their country. They asked where
were the hosts of Newhall-hill ? Why, that they had all
become Conservatives ; and he therefore must suppose that
all in that hall were Conservatives.—( Laughter.) But
he would tell them that this gathering of the elements of
agitation—that this outburst of the hearts of their fellow-
townsmen would be echoed ere long a thousand-fold
throughout the whole of England.—( Applause.) The Po-
litical Union was never dissolved—the Council of that great
and mighty Association felt that they had acquired, through
the confidence of their countrymen, a great power over the
people ; but they also felt that they were answerable to God
and them for tl.e judicious, prudent, zealous , and patriotic
exercise of it. They reflected that possibly, and probably,
days might come in which it would be necessary for the
Union to interfere—they reflected that they had still rights
to obtain, wrongs to redress, and miseries to relieve, and
they in consequence decided that they would not recom-
mend its abolition ; therefore, that great Society, that for-
midable and. mighty. Association, whose every movement
made the earth to rock beneath the feet of the Govern-
ment, still remained in full life and existence.—(Cheers.)
But he ought to explain to them why the Council of the
Union had remained so long inactive. They all knew that
before the Reform Bill had been ushered into being by the
wrongs and injuries which the borough-mongers had inflicted
on the industrious classes of the community, the Council of
the Political Union of Birmingham was appointed by the in-
habitants to watch over their interests, and do all in their
power to redress their grievances. For the last three or
four years in which the new parliament met, they thought it
but right to give it a fair trial ; they considered it was but
fit and proper to wait the march of events, and if they
found that under the new order of things the people were
contented, prosperous, and happy, they felt that it would
not be their duty to disturb their tranquillity. That great and
mighty Association therefore sunk to rest, like an infant on its
mother's breast ; but that prudence and discretion which
lulled them to rest but tended to give them more formidable
power over the hearts of their fellow countrymen.—(Hear,
hear.) They knew by experience that the Council of the
Political Union would never call upon them but in cases
of necessity, and that should that necessity ever arise, their
very moderation would, in consequence, give them a ten-
fold claim over their affections, and give ten-fold energy to
their proceedings.—(Loud cheering.) They had been told
that the Government had influenced that meeting.—(Hear,
hear.) They had been told that Mr. O'Connell was con-
nected with the circumstances which had called it together,
as also that he had been connected with the origination and
formation of the Union. But he would tell them that these
three assertions were gross, wilful, and malicious lies.—
(Immense. cheering.) No member of the Government, no
one having connexion with it, not even the lowest retainer
or fag, had any idea of their intentions, until, perhaps, they
saw the advertisement in the Morning Chronicle ; and as
to Mr. O'Connell, he (Mr. Attwood) was not aware that
he knew of it, except through the same medium. With re-
gard to the Union, they had been told in January, 1830,
that Mr. O'Connell was connected with that ; but he (Mr.
Attwood) would again assert, that he never heard of it until
be had received a case upon which to give his legal opinion,
and Sir C. Wetherell received a case from the opposite side
on the same day. They were lies, wilful lies, with which the
public dignity and sense of the town was at that time, and still
continued to be insulted.—(Cheers.) He looked upon these
low tricks as weak inventions of the enemy, that none but
mollies or dollies would believe or attend to.—(Great
laughter and cheers.) Having told them that no Minister
knew anything of their meeting—nor any friend of the
Ministry—that neither Mr. O'Connell, nor any friend of
his had been apprised of it, he would now tell them that
that meeting was the sole, pure, and spontaneous growth of
their great town.—(Loud cheers.) And he was just re-
minded by his worthy friend in the Chair to say, that it was
called into existence by the Tories themselves.—(Continued
cheering.) On the 4th of September last a great meeting
had been held, in the place in which they were that day
assembled, for the purpose of re-organizing and bringing
into effective operation the Political Union, in order to pro-
cure a Reform of the House of Lords, to carry the Muni-
cipal Corporation Bill into full effect, and to obtain for Ire-
land a redress of the abuses of the • Church Establishment.
Only four parts out of five of the Reform Bill had as vet
passed into a law, but he hoped before the end of the next
Session, they would get the other fifth part. As to the
Reform of the House of Lords that they must and should
receive.—(Great applause.) They might be asked why
had not the Council of the Political Union moved earlier
in the matter ; but he could assure them that, four months
ago, a meeting of the Council was held, at which reso-
lutions were adopted, one of which he would have the
honour to propose for consideration that day, but they
were unwilling to act without necessity ; and had it not
:been for the infamous lies and calumnies of the Tories, he
aloubted whether they would have acted upon them at all ;
but when ;they found their unprincipled opponents pouring
calumny and poison into the heart of their King, they felt
that as honest subjects they would not be faithfully dis-
charging their duty to themselves or their country, if they
did not rise up and contradict it.--(Cheers.) The Tories
bad told the King that the feeling of the people was
changed—that the men who had met at Newhall-hill—
those honest, brave, and patriotic men, had become Con-
servatives! If the royal ear could be thus poisoned, there
would be no safety for the throne or the people—the
throne was established for the good of the people, therefore
it was on them the good or evil results would flow ; not upon
the offscourings of the nation by whom those falsehoods
had been propagated.—(Hear, bear, and cheers.) It was,
Iherefet.e, they felt it their bounded duty to come forward
and lake known their feelings, in order that the throne
might do its duty by the people whose interests and liberties
it was appointed to guard. He saw before him thousands
of the men assembled at Newhall-hill, and yet the Tories
told them that the Unioii was dead. He knew that the
mass of the people were doiiv. well. God forbid that he
should call upon them without' a cause ; but sure he was,
.if tbe Union made known to them that the borough-
-3,-,onkjers were at their work again, to put down the pros-
perity of the people, and disturb the present flourishing
tva the manufacturer, and send the industrious artisan
:)11. -orkh ouse ;he would tell them that within one
; -14 the Union could produce one hundred
.400 fighting men.—(Loud cheers.) It was not
Wei? d, Ity to make this appeal at present, but merely to
r _