The Sun.
London, England, 1831-11-24 00:00:00

CITY REFORM MEETING.

(Front a Correspondent of the Times.)
The statement in the Times of yesterday, as to the
meeting at the City of London Tavern on Tuesday, is
most incorrect. The principal mover in this affair was
not Mr. Pascoe Grenfell, but Mr. Horsley Palmer, the
Governor of the Bank, by whom the draught of the de-
claration intended to be adopted was subscribed to Mr.
Grenfell. In truth, we have authority for stating, that
there is not a sentence, or even a word in the declaration,
that has emanated from Mr. Grenfell, the whole of it hav-
ing originated with the Governor of the Bank and his po-
litical friends, who accidentally selected Mr. Grenfell as
the medium of communication with the Reformeie, fur the
purpose of ascertaining whether they would concur with
those who bad hitherto been opposed to the late Reform
Bill, and, in a spirit of conciliation, sign the proposed de-
claration. We believe that this declaration was submitted
to some of the Ministers, who saw nothing in it inconsist-
ent with the principles of the late Reform Bill, and rrere of
opinion, that the signatures to it of the triends of Reform,
in union with those who had hitherto been adv,rse to the
late Bill, could not but be favourable to the success of the
Bill about to be introduced. With this sanction the Re-
formers went to the London Tavern, on Tuesday, to meet
the Governor of the Bank and his friends, in the full ex-
pectation that, as it had been understood that the declara-
tion had been seen, and approved of, by all who had been
invited to attend, there would be no discussion—nothing
to be done, in short, but formally to adopt the declaration ;
and, after affixing to it the signatures of those present, to
leave it at the City of London Tavern for the same object..
It is a fact, that many Reformers, to whom the decla-
ration had been shown, objected to it, because it did not
"go far enough ;" and absolutely kept away from the
meeting because they refused to sign it. It was supposed
and indeed believed, by the Reformers, that a siiiiiiar un
derstanding existed on the other side, When the mee'..ing
took place, Mr. Horsley Palmer being calved to the. chair,
03r. Jahn
flthe EastS India
imaov ed and Sir J. Cm
Company),
seconded
co
n dead tpiie l
the declaration.
r\be ai r m a n;
and upon the question being about to be lint, Mr. Charles
Barclay, followed by Mr. Henry Drummond, Mr. John
Drummond, and Sir Coutts Trotter, objected to that
clause in the declaration which referred to the extinction
of nomination boroughs. A long discussion ensued. The
Reformers refused to give way, or to enter into any com-
promise upon what they conceived to be the vital prin-
ciple of the Reform measure, and the meeting separated
without any further result.
The conduct of Mr. Horsley Palmer, the Governor of
the Bank, we have reason to know, has been manly and
straightforward throughout the whole husiness ; and the
obstructions thrown in the way of his object, by some of
those who attended the meeting as hit political friends,
moat have arisen from some unaccountable misunderstand.
ing. Tois is a correct statement of what occurred. The
meeting was attended by about 40 persons, comprising, on
both sides, some of she principal and most influeot:al
merchants and bankers of the cities of London and Weat-
ininster ; and the declaration, framed, as has before been
stated, exclusively by the Governor of the Bank and his
political friends, and by them submitted to the Reformers
for their adoption, is as follows:

" We, the undersigned merchants, bankers, &c., seeing
that, in consequence of the reaction of the Bill to amend
the representation in Egglaud and 'Wales,' by the Souse of
Lords, in the exercise of their undoubted right and privi-
lege, an oppc,;tunity has been afforded for a further e
usi-
deratie of the great question of Reform of Parliament, do
declare our desire to unite, with the true spirit of mutual
conciliation, in an endeavour to put are end to the differ-
ences hitherto existing upon that subject ; and, governed
by that sentillaent, we do profess our (Ith,trate opinion,
that the passing of a measure carrying into effect the pr,n.
ciple of granting direct representation to the gre•j, non,_
mercial, manufacturing, anwdbelathnedredu,intber:srvtii,erwohrichar
now without that valuable privilege, as w-:d as extending
the elective franchise so as to insure a fair and free repre-
sentation of the people and of property; and to prevent
athneynoLiinvaidtiuoL and return of Members to Parliament
Com-
moner—has. ecome abs!'lutely 41,ecsassr; for the peace and
prosperity of this kingdorv...,
" That while wc, t'ass deP,P.are our conviction of that
necessity, we cc,r4lently that in any Bull which may
now be -4-";:opo.ed to Parliament for that object, such pro-
vicious may be made as may, without comproniising those
principles, ine,n with the concurrence of b,,th Houses of
parlinenet,t, and secure its passing into a law, thereby flit-
filling the just expectations of all classes of our country-
men, and affording additional security to the prerost,ativcs
of the Crown, the authority of both Houses of Parliament,
and the rights and liberties of the people."

In die reign of ELIZABETH, THOMAS LONG
bribed the Mayor of Westbury with the splendid fee of 41.
to return him to Parliament.
A bridegroom in Pomerania, sitting at table
with his bride, on seeing her eating with delight the tent
,vhich was under some woodcocks, exclaimed " How I
should like to be a woodcock, and teen re..der you so
happy r —This is a Germain feeling.—Paris in London.