The Sun.
London, England, 1836-06-29 00:00:00

WORCESTER.

TO GEORGE RICHARD ROBINSOIV,Esq.,M.P.
ftitithrhig regoletlens were unanimously adopted
at a Meeting of the Council cdthe Worcester Political Union
helden oil Saturday, June 25
&soHied That this rneetin are dr opinion that lqr,
litihinsen uh iils speech on the Ballot on Thursday, &ening
last; ntisrepfesented the opinion of the Majority d his dowsti=
ttirits en that subject, in stating " 'that the gfeataf pOftidn
df titerlil time inglnding the working classes, were opposed to
the Ballot."
2d. That Mr. Robinson's deciaratidn ftilatim to e deputa-
tion from a Political Union having waited upon him dila! tho
subject of the Ballot, &c., &c., is in all its particulars without
the slightest foundation, as far as regards the Worcester Poli-
tical Union. _ _ _

3d. That Mr. Robinson be written to upon the subject, and
that a copy of such communication be forwarded to The Sun
Newspaper, with the view of disabusing the public mind of
those incorrect impressions, which such a statement is calcu-
lated to produce.
In compliance, Sir, with the latter of the foregoing resolu-
tions, I, at the request of the Council, address this letter to
you, expressive of very great surprise with which the diffe-
rent Members of the Council read the speech stated to have
been delivered by you, as reported in the various London
papers of Friday last.
With regard to one of your statements, that " the great
majority of your constituents, including the working classes,
were opposed to the Ballot,"—the Council most distinctly
avow a contrary opinion, and they observe in arriving at such
opinion, they are not led away by any prejudices which might
naturally be supposed to exist, from the circumstance of the
Council being fully aware from late experience that in too
many cases the situation of the working classes in Worcester
unfortunately calls for the protection of the Ballot. But such
opinion is forced upon the Council from the many opportuni-
ties which they have had of knowing the views and sentiments
on the subject of the Ballot which are entertained by the
greater proportion of the operatives of this city, and they hesi-
tate not to say that seven-eighths of the operatives of Worcester
calling themselves Reformers, are most decidedly in favor of
the Ballot. The Council would claim your attention to a pe-
tition presented from Worcester in February, 1831, in favor of
Parliamentary Reform, signed by upwards of 3,000 persons, in
which the necessity of the Ballot, in a verylong petition, forms•
the principal part, and which, in praying for reform, says,
" Such a reform as shall enable every elector conscientiously
to exercise his suffrage in voting by Ballot." Although this
petition received more than 3,000 signatures in an almost in-
credibly small space of time, yet the Ballot had not at that
time one half the popularity which it has since acquired, more
particularly since the election of January, 1835.
The Council also beg to remind you that during your can-
vass, previous to the election which took place when Dundas
was brought forward as a candidate, you, in a conversation
with one of the Council, declared your belief, that if yourself,
or Colonel Davies, should be unseated, it would be for the
want of the Ballot, and that in the event of such an occur-
rence, should you be returned, and Colonel Davies not re-
turned, you would support the Ballot whenever that question
should be brought before the House. Now, Sir, although
Colonel Davies was not unseated at that election, you need not
be reminded that he sustained a defeat at the following one,
while you were returned ; and who is the man that would be
bold enough to avow that Colonel Davies's seat would have
been in any the least jeopardy, if the electors had been afforded
legislative protection in the exercise of that dearest birthright
of man, the elective franchise ?
_

On that subject, Sir, I would refer you to your own ex-
pressed opinion at the dinner given to you and Colonel Davies,
immediately after Colonel Davies's defeat, (January 19,
1835,) on which occasion you said, (alluding to the 398
plumpers for the Tory,) " I would ask any man whether the
greater number of these would not have divided their votes be-
tween me and Colonel Davies had they not been subject to a
great degree of influence 9"
With regard to your declaration, relative to a deputation
having waited on you from the Worcester Political Union, to
demand a pledge that you would support the Ballot, and that
in case such pledge were not given, they would not vote for
you—that you refused so to pledge yourself, and that, not-
withstanding the members of the deputation did afterwards each
of them vote for you—the Council feel themselves called upon
most distinctly to deny such statement in tote, as being in all
and every particular without the slightest foundation, and they
trust that you will be enabled to offer such an explanation on
this part of your speech, as will prevent their drawing the
very unfavorable conclusion to your character, which such
statement is calculated to force upon them.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
J. D. STEVENSON.
Worcester, June 26, 1836.