The Sun.
London, England, 1836-09-13 00:00:00

Government of that day, who were not even willing to
concede that principle. Why did
they
oppose this
Because they know perfectly well that next to the Reform
Bill itself, the Reform of Municipal Corporations was
likely to produce a great effect in giving the people a power
• which they did not before possess.—(Cheers.) No sooner
did a change of Government take place, than a Bill was
laid on the table of the House of Commons, and that Bill,
• lam happy to say, notwithstanding its mutilations, did
become the law of the land. I need not remind vou of
what the fruits of that Bill, even during the short period
it has been in operation, has been—the rejection of the
Irish Corporation Reform Bill this Session ; can you doubt
that the experience of the working of the English Bill,
produced the opposition to the Irish Bill, and what has
been the opposition to this Bill—to refuse the same ad-
vantages to Ireland which England enjoys—not that Ire-
land is not fit for it, but because they do not wish to see
the same effects, and finding the majority was increasing
on that subject, they said " Oh ! we will take our chanc'e
what may turn up between this and another Session, be-
cause our hopes are at an end, and if we do not thus act,
we shall not be able to do so then, when that chance will
be altogether thrown away." Lord Lyndhurst made a
great parade of the influence which lie possessed, in order to
thwart this Bill ; but I would remind him that there is an
inherent power in the people—(Cheers)—which may make
the boldest man quail, before that determined front which
the people of this united empire may present, when assert-
ing, through the representation, by mighty majorities, that
this Bill ought to be carried, and affirming that principle
it, the event of a dissolution, which I doubt not they will.—
(Hear, hear.) In many places the Tories have been suc-
cessful in returning their candidates, but this has not arisen
from any change in principle, but from the want of una-
nimity among the Reformers.—(Hear, hear.) The Tories
talk a great deal about the county elections, and about what
took place at Newcastle, and of which, I think, they cer-
tainly ought to talk, because it was well known in town
that there was a very large body of Reformers ill that bo-
rough, and we did not believe that they would prefer taking
a man who was opposed to Reform merely because they did
not approve exactly of every act of the Reform candidate ;
but what do they say to the borough of Sheffield—
what was done there, in the face of what took place at
Newcastle ? Lord Melbourne offered a situation in the
Government to one of its members, Mr. Parker, and he
was not the least afraid to appeal to the people of Sheffield.
There was another instance—the day before the proroga-
tion of Parliament, Mr. Blamire was appointed to the office
of Commissioner under the Tithe Bill, for the purpose of
adjusting those local matters with which he is very con-
versant ; now he was the Member for CumberlariA • which
is also represented by Sir James Graham. rae Tories said
that a re-action had taken place in that county, and that
in the next election they would bring forward another can-
didate, who went quite as far as Sir James Graham in
Toryism—for I regret to say he is gone over.—(Loud
cheers.) A very different result, however, took place when
the opportunity was afforded : Mr. James, a gentleman of
large fortune, great spirit, and a most zealous Reformer,
was returned in the room of Mr. Blamire. The real rea-
son of this was, that the Reformers were agreed on all
sides.—( Cheers.) There is one other question to which I will
allude, which, as you are all aware, has occupied conside-
rable attention—that question relates to Ireland, and one
which came early into discussion—l mean the question of
the Irish Church ; on that, greater misrepresentation has
taken place than on any other subject. The proposition
made in reference to the Irish Church was a moderate
one--that after having provided effectively and efficiently,
by a better distribution of its revenues, by taking from
the larger and giving to the smaller livings, and then to
apply whatever surplus might be remaining for the
purpose of general education—the great object was to
embue them with the principles of our common faith, not
depriving them of the means of religious instruction, and
not making points of difference the points on wi:;ich they
were to be educated together.—(Hear, beak) What is
the feeling in Ireland at the present momrnt ? They live
as enemies, mutually distrusting each other. Now, it is
impossible at once to get rid of the.t feeling, but I trust that
ultimately it will be removed, by educating them together
in the same common principles in which they can all agree,
and giving them every opportunity of being relieved from
that ignorance which is the parent of error and superstition.
With respect to the reform of the Irish Municipal Corpora-
tions, I feel confident we shall succeed in this question ; and
on the other, the Irish Church, we have not succeeded, and
I cannot say lam equally confident of its being carried at
the same early period as the other. I think that the pro-
position is a just one, and when the people understand it
they will support it. All Government is in the people—
that power is not a physical but a moral power, which it is
duty as well as a right for them to exercise, and al-
though 1 do not believe that an election will take place im-
mediately, notwithstanding some of our friends threaten us
with an opposition whenever it comes, I doubt not but that
your opinions will be expressed in that constitutional man-
ner, which I rejoice may now be adopted, without that
slur upon the English Constitution, which in an appeal to
the people was formerly the case. I believe, however, that
it must be settled by an appeal to the people. I tell you
that the power is in your hands, and each individual elector
has the power to contribute to the support of those mea-
sures, which will never be carried except by a decided ex-
pression of the opinion of the people, and it is their own
fault if they do not do so.—(Cheers.) The Hon. Baronet
then concluded by stating that the Ministry were perfectly
willing to do the work ; but if the constituency were in the
situation of the Government, they would find that there
were difficulties in the way which they were not always
aware of; but if they found them deficient in what they
considered to be the duty of honest Reformers, all he asked
of the electors was, to let him know it, and give him an
opportunity of explaining his conduct ; if that were not sa-
tisfactory, he would not wish to continue to be their repre-
sentative. The Hon Baronet sat down loudly cheered.
Sir E. ConaaNaTox expressed the pleasure he felt in
again meeting them, and the two Members then retired,
enthusiastically cheered.

LORD JOHN RUSSELL AND J. S.

BUCKINGHAM ESQ.

CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN LORD JOHN RUSSELL AND
J. S. BUCKINGHAM, ESQ. IN REFERENCE TO AN ADDRESS,
RECENTLY DELIVERED AT SHEFFIELD, BY MR. BUCK-
INGHAM.
(NO. 1.) Tunbridge Wells, Sept. 3, 1836.
SIR,—I find in the Standard of yesterday a report of
some parts of a speech said to have been delivered by you
at Sheffield.
In these extracts, after commenting upon my conduct,
after observing that I had combined my influence and
power with that of Sir J. Hobhouse to seal your ruin, you
are made to observe,
" Theso were his solemn and reiterated professions, and
you have seen how he redeemed them. The distance be-
tween day and night—between truth and falsehood—be-
twgen the highest degree of honour and the lowest degree
of !baseness—between fidelity and treachery—between
courage and cowardice—between virtue and vice—is not,
and cannot be greater, than between the words and actions
of the personages who filled the chief characters in this
melancholy and degrading drama."
I wish to be informed whether you used these words,
and whether you mean to apply the words falsehood, base-
ness, treachery, and cowardice to my -actions as respects
your claim upon the East India Company? or to any part
of my conduct with regard to yourself?
Your humble servant,
(Signed) J. RUSSELL.
J. S. Buckingham, Esq., M. P.
(No. 2.) Guildford, Sept. 7, 1836.
•MY LORD—As I have ever acted towards you with the
fairness and openness becoming the nature of the inter-
course that so long subsisted between us, I shall continue
the same course to the end, whether observed by others or
not ; and in this spirit I feel it my duty to forward you a
copy of the address recently delivered by me to my consti-
tuents at Sheffield.
I wish it had been in my power, both for your sake and
for my own, to have spoken differently of the late proceed-
ings in the House of Commons, on the subject of my
claims. But truth demanded of me the exposition I have
given. It was not necessary to say more, but I could not
consent to say less : and if it gives you pain, be assured
that I regret the cause of this pain as much as yourself.
I am, my Lord,
Your most obedient servant,
(Signed) J. S. BUCKING
The Right Hon. Lord John Russell.
(No. 3.) White Hart Hotel, Guildford, Sept. 8, 1836,
MY Loan—Your letter of the 3d instant, dated .Pl.Olll
t ?
Tunbridge Wells, having been addressed to Inc aJ'nefli'
or-
:
from thence redirected to London, and froni thence f
warded here, has only just reachedourutsr ildy
this morning's post.
I have partly anticipated • y
Lordships wishes, by
having sent you yesterty from this place a letter, and an
authentic copy of '
t:tie speech
tmade by me to my consti-
tuents 29th ult. The extract given in the Standard,
11 Which your Lordship refers, be found, 1 believe, to
correspond accurately with the' printedy version of the whole
speech already in your hands
therefore, from the fullest
responsibility. I do notfo
rw
whatever
v shrink
t,
speech may contain, as conveying
after the most mat• '
my deliberate convictions,
mature judgment, that I could give to the
subjects of it.
In reply
to your Lordship's second question, whether
I meant "
to apply the terms falsehood, baseness, treachery,
and cowardice," to your Lordship
or 's actions, as respects my
claim upon the East India CompahY, to any part of
I beg to
your Lordship's conduct with regard to myself,
1 state that I did not apply these terms to either ; as a re-
ference to the passage itself, will show that I there asserted
what I now repeat, that the contrast between those quail-