The Sun.
London, England, 1831-10-31 00:00:00

OBJECTS OF THE UNION.

" 1. To obtain a full, free, and effectual representation
of the People in the Commons House of Parliament.

" 2. To support the King and his Ministers against a
corrupt faction, in accomplishing their great measure of
Rirliainentary Reform.

" 3. To join every well wisher to his country, from the
richest to the poorest, in the pursuit of such an important
object.

" 4. To preserve peace and order in the country,
and to guard against any convulsion, which the enemies of
the people may endeavour to bring about.
" 5. To watch over and promote the interests, and to
better the condition of the Industrious and Working
Classes.

" 6. To give opportunities by frequent public discussion
for eliciting the best means by which the above objects may
be carried into execution."

These articles, forming the basis of the Union,
appear to us, if carried fully into effect, to com-
prise every object with which the " Union"
ought to busy itself, or which demands at pre-
sent the immediate attention of the public ; and
for all of them we have Ho hesitation in stating
our opinion that the " Union" is indispensably
necessary. The Birmingham Political Union
exercised a just and salutary influence, not only
upon the late general election, but also upon the
conduct of one House of Parliament, at least,
during the discussion of the Bill ; and is not
this a reason why the metropolis should not
only take example from it, and form a similar
Union, but why also it should put itself at
the head of a grand national movement,
and by its earlier intelligence of the move-
ments of the Anti-Reformers, and greater cen-
trality, give that unity to the proceedings of all
the provincial Unions which is the only thing
wanting to ensure the triumph of the Bill ?
Whatever may have been formerly the opinion
as expressed of the Peers to listen to the voice
of reason and justice, there is no one now, we
presume, so idiotic as to imagine for a moment
that they will pass the Reform Bill, unless they
are fairly out-voted by a large addition to the
Peerage, or witness the whole population of the
country arrayed against them, and determined
to adopt all and every step which might become
indispensably necessary were the Bill to be re li
-
jected a second time—namely, to do that
for themselves which other would not do for
for them, and, like the Barons of old, as-
sert their title to that which they had at
first only sought as a grace. We say, there-
fore, continue to unite in order that the
Bill, with all its salutary provisions, may be-
come the law of the land—and combine and
unite also, we say, that a national convulsion,
hideous in its effects, and whose consequences
no human wisdom can foresee, may be prevented
—that the King's subjects may be safe from
violence, and that the intentions of those who,
under the guise of Reform, are only seeking a
blood revolution, and a universal attack upon
property, may be defeated. The Anti-Refor-
mers put forth long ago a prospectus of
their plan of campaign, with a list of the
officers who might be relied on, to carry
their intentions into effect ; and however much

it is to be deplored, it is ne.Tertheless a
fact, and a fact publicly announced some time
ago by the Westminster Review, that there
is a portion of the population of the country
which is bent on spoliation and rapine—that that
portion is peculiarly liable, from its deplorable
ignorance, to be acted upon, or rather to be
made a handle of, by the boroughmonfferina
b
faction, and that faction is daily labouring to
convert its intended excesses to its own base
purposes. Is not union therefore necessary—
nay, is not union an imperative and sacred duty
—and not only union, but, in case of need, an
armed union, regularly trained to military exer-
cises, and capable, by its discipline and its in-
terest in preserving the tranquillity of the
country, of overawing those whose interest
it is to destroy it ? With regard to the
last object of the Union,—who is there so
blind to the interests of the country, and
so insensible to the voice of humanity, as not to
be desirous of promoting an amelioration of the
condition of the working classes ? None but
the Anti-Reformers ; and we, therefore, depre;
cate any special discussion of this subject at the
meeting to-day. The subject is more fit for the
investigation of a Committee, and ought to be
referred to a mixed commission, not only on
that account, but also because a variety of opi-