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

SPIRIT Or, THE PUBLIC JOURNAL,

The men of Cambridgeshire are worthy of
their name, and deserve high honour from their
country. The majority on Saturday evening
for the Reform candidate was 428, after only
three days' polling, and when the whole number
of votes given had not exceeded 2,942, out of a
gross body of freeholders amounting to 4,500.
Our report of the proceedings of Saturday will
be read with extraordinary interest by both par-
ties,—the national and anti-national,—who have
fixed their eyes alike on Cambrideshire as a
test of the stability of public feeling in favour of
a redress of grievances, and a remedy for abuses
disgraceful to the intelligence, the spirit, and
'moral character of the nation. It is to be ob-
served, and ought never to be forgotten, when
the Tories vaunt of what they will do, or what
they have done, that the existing constituency,
even in counties, is an unreformed constituency,
and so inadequate an organ of the popular will,
as to have formed one of the many grounds on
which the universal demand for a more enlarged
.representation .of the people of England had
been called for. Ths limitation of the county
franchise to freeholds, as contradistinguishel
from copyhold and leasehold tenures, gives a far
more extensive power, whether of coercion or of
a certain species of persuasion to the oligarchy,
than its members could hope to exercise under
an enlargement of the qualification, which would
add, perhaps, as many more voters to each
county as those who now elect its representa-
tives. What, for instance, could the two Lords
of Rutland and Hardwicke attempt with a
constituency of 9,000 votes for Cambridgeshire,
when they now seem likely to be defeated in
managing only half the amount ? However,
though promising, the progress of the struggle
or its issue is not vet secure. A majority of
428, though a "comfortable breakfast," as some-
body said, of " hope," is but a " scanty supper."
Our honest brethren of the Reform breed must
set all sail, or the pirate vessel may escape them.
If we find, indeed, after a busy day's polling,
that Mr. Townley's majority at four this evening
reaches to 856, which is double the actual
figure, there may be some relaxation of the
strained sinews of patriotism, and some indul-
gence from the fatigues of this critical, and we
trust final, struggle, but not while the most dis-
tant chance remains of Captain Yorke's recover-
ing his ground. While the example set by one
or two great colleges of the University merits
the applause and imitation of all the Cambridge-
shire clergy, we would recommend it to a certain
meddling personage at Queen's, to beware of
what he is doing. Our reporter speaks of a
gentleman (not the respected head of Queen's
College) tampering with the fears of trades-
men, and threatening them if they 0.0 not
sell their votes that they shall not sell any
thing else. Is flagrant corruption of this nature
to he passed by without even official censure? We
trust not, for it involves the fame and honour
at once of the Church and the University. At
the same time let us remark, that tradesmen
being a sort of " tenants at will to their cus-
tomers, we would recommend the above prece-
dent of the abuse of power over those who can-
not help themselves, to the consideration of
those Hon. Members of the House of Commons
who voted for the clause of my Lord Chandos,
giving votes to tenants living at their landlords'
mercy. It is gratifying to perceive with what
sagacity as well as energy the reformers of other
parts of England identify the cause of Cambridge
with their own. A subscription has been en.
tered into by the inhabitants of Stroud, in Glou-
cestershire, and 100/. handsomely forwarded to
Townley's Committee. This ought to be-
come general. It affords a magnificent sample
of that re-action with which the boroughmongers
taunt us. Another day, we earnestly trust, will
set Mr. Townley high and dry above all attempts
from the salt-water Tory that opposes him.—
Times.

The utter hopelessness of the boroughmonger
faction is visible in the wretched shifts which they
have recourse to. If there be one Tory objec-
tion on record against the Bill that has been
more frequently and thoroughly repeated than
any other, it is that of its assumed tendency to
injure the agricultural interest ? What is the
agricultural interest ? Is it that of the landlords,
or of the farmers ? Suppose the corn law were
to be repealed to-morrow, what would be the
consequence ? Why, that rents in sonic parts
of England would fall. Is that a circumstance
which the farmers ought to regret ? No—nor
the landlords neither. The former would have
less to pay; and what the latter received would
go further in the maintenance of their families.
But how do the direct provisions of the Bill
affect the interests of the land ? All sorts of
landed property would, under it, be admitted to
the right of election, whereas at present only one
species, viz., that of freehold, has the right. The
counties receive an addition of between sixty
and seventy representatives. Is that nothing for
the landed interest ? The small towns are to
return Members to the House of Commons, the
choice of whom will be made by persons all of
whom must derive their qualifications from the
lords of the soil. Is that no boon to the
" landed interest ?" The representatives of
such towns will invariably be chosen by
the occupiers of land and houses, with a
substantial interest in each ; not like the pre-
sent pot-wallopers, who have no definite inte-
rest any where; nor like the freemen drawing
their qualifications from apprenticeships, who
have no connection with the land. The ridi-
cule of the thing is that Mr. Baring and others
abused the Bill for giving too much to the land,
and taking away from the commercial interest all
chance of getting into Parliament by virtue of
their money. Who is right when opposite ob-
jections are started ? In our opinion neither.
There h, to be sure, one branch of the farming
interest but scurvily treated by the last Bill. It
was, however, the Bill as amended by the disin-
terested motion of Lord Chandos. The Noble

Marquis did not like that independent tenants
with leases for years, should be qualified as elec-
tors. He therefore moved, aye, and carried his
motion, that tenants, who were slaves at their
landlord's mercy, not having any leases at all,
should have votes ; that is, that they should
be compelled to vote at their landlord's dictation
or be ruined. This was the famous " tenant
at will" clause, brought in by the heir of the
Duke of Buckingham, whose estates are occu-
pied almost exclusively by that very description
of tenant. Has ! the silly cuckoo note of the
"agricultural interest" being menaced, is already
no longer listened to : Captain Yorke may as
well hold his tongue--Times.

It may be sufficient to refer to an extract
which we have made frOm a. Morning Paper to
establish adequate p'recedents for, dismissing such
Lords-Lieutenant of counties as lately voted
against the Reform Bill, •Oi still persist in their
hostility to the great measure which the Crown