The Sun.
London, England, 1831-11-17 00:00:00

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'to tnat pericid the nhinber was 181. Some of those Peers
bad been created on account of their legal eminence, others
for their naval or military services, which was perhaps all
well enough ; but a great number had been created
in consequence of their connection with the borough sys-
tem.—(Cheers.) To the influence of that system could
he traced the American war and the great French war.
It was the boroughmongers who persevered in the Ame-
rican war, and prevented the people of this country from
having a moderate climate to fly to, where they would
have found their brethren. That war impoverished this
country, and rendered us unable to prevent Russia and the
other corrupt powers dis Wing Poland in the way they did.
It was to the borough system that we could trace all the
great evils of this country. Should a fresh creation of
Peers take place, it would be to shiver a lance with this
boroughmongering ogre, and slay the foul dragon of
Wantley. The institution of the boroughs was originally
good, the Members were returned by the Sheriff, and the
Sheriff was elected by all the inhabitants who rented
houses—(Cheers)—but in the end money and influence
had destroyed their usefulness, and they had become
merely the instruments of the rich. Since the reign of
Henry VIII. these borough members had been increased
173—rendering the county members as only 1 to 51, in-
stead of 1 to 3 as formerly. The influence of those
boroughs had given us our present 800,000,000/. of debt,
and an immense load of taxation ; and given crowns and
riches to their possessors. By the adoption of the Bill of
Reform, a better state of things would ensue, and though
we could not do otherwise than look with regret to the
past. we might view the future with confidence and hope.
The HIGH SHERIFF then put the address to the meet-
ing, which was carried unanimously amidst great cheering.
W. JAMES, Esq., M.P. for Carlisle, then stood for-
ward, and was received with three hearty cheers. After
thanking them for the cordial cordial reception which they
always gave him when he came amongst them, he pro-
ceeded to say that he rejoiced the more at this mark of
their favour, from one of the most numerous meetings
ever assembled, because it had been said that the people
were not so anxious for Reform as at the late dissolution
of Parliament. The present assemblage belied the asser-
tion, and showed that the people were as alive to their in-
terests as ever.—(Cheers, "We are.") But though Re-
form has suffered a temporary defeat, do not let us despair.
We have in a patriotic King, and his confidential advisers,
men who will not shrink from their duty ; and though he
(Mr James) had not scrupled to oppose them when he
deemed they had not done as they ought in many things, he,
nevertheless, would hear witness to their zeal, and perse-
verance to carry the great measure of Reform, and pl iced
confidence in their honour and consistency for their future
Conduct —(Cheers-) He had no doubt but a Bill,
equally as efficient as the last, would shortly become the
law of the land.—(Loud cheers—" Nothing less than the
Bill.") The Bill, and nothing less than the Bill, at least
one similar in every respect, he believed, would ba pro-
duced.—(Cheers.) He need not tell them that the House.
of Commons had done its duty in passing the late Bill—
and why should 179 Lords, and a score of frock-barons— '
(Great laughter, and cheers)—the petticoat gentry—
(Cheers—No Bishops)—have opposed the wishes of the
people ?—(Cheers. ) Because they believed that a re-
action had taken place--(" Away with them")—that the
people were indifferent to Reform—and that by colleagu-
ing to throw out the present Minister., they would bring
back to power the old, corrupt, worn-out, once loyal but
now traitorous Tories—(lmmense cheering and applause)
..—who have governed us as formerly by dungeons, gagging
bills, and tyranny of every description—(Great cheering)
—and endeavour to appease the general cry fur Reform,
by giving us a mock measure, which might wear the
semblance of, but which would in reality net tend to re-
medy the abuses in our time-worn and moth-eaten insti-
tutions.—(Long and continued cheering.) The people
would be aware that because the King kept a few Anti-
Reform Lords about his person, the Tories supposed that
he was not sincere, and that a change had taken place,
and therefore they voted against the Bill ; but firm as a
rock, and true to the cause he espoused, our patriotic So-
vereign immediately discharged these " Lordlings" from
about his person—(Cheering)—and he (Mr. James) hoped
that these dismissals would not stop here, but be car-
ried into effect with regard to every servant of the
Crown, who has by vote or otherwise endeavoured to
thwart the just wishes of the people.—(Loud cheers—
" Aye, the Lord Lieutenants.") Aye, there was Lord
Shaftesbury, too, who was in the receipt of 3,000/. a-year
for an office which he held, he not only voted against the
Bill, but sent his son down into Dorsetshire, for the ex-
press purpose of injuring the present Government, and the
thousand-times expressed opinion of the great mass of the
people—(Shame, shame)—and I hope they will send him
from a situation which he never ought to have filled.—
(Great cheering.) Depend upon it, my good friends, our
triumph is only deferred : if we are firm and united. 199
oligarchical despots cannot fail to see that a struggle carried
on against 20,000,000 of people, will end in nothing else
but their own destruction.—(Loud applause.) The
opposers of Reform may stand out for a while, but the
people must ultimately prevail.—(Cheers, IVe will, we
will.") What, shall such a set of Lordships as the ma-
jority against the Bill were made up of, have it in their
power to make the people of England submit to
such a Reform as they will please to give them ?
No, never !—(lmmense cheering.) Our cause is just--
our victory certain!—(Cheers.) He knew that it re-
quired no ordinary share of patience on the part of the
people to submit to the many indignities which they had
had already put upon them; but they ought to recollect
that it was by patience—by Union—(Clieers)—" Aye,
Union, Union")—by Union alone that they must expect
to carry their cause.--(Cheers.) If the Reformers should
split upon a rock—their cause is lost—let us then be
united.—(Cheers. "We will, we will.") He would
relate to them an anecdote which he had heard, and which
had some useful information in it. A borouglimonger
sent his son to Parliament for a Gatton, or a Sarum, or
some such other place, and knowing as the father did the
necessity, in order to gain popularity, of his son's advo-
cating some measure which would please the people, he
told him to be a staunch Reformer—(Laughter)—a
stout and determined Reformer—(Loud laughter)—but
always to take care not to vote for any Bill which might
be introduced, always to start some objection to it, and
vote against it—(Laughter)—and thus none would ever:be
carried.—(Great laughter.) Now he hoped they would be
better Generals.—(" We know better than divide.") He
believed they did know better; they ought to remember
that the motto of tyrants was " Divide and govern,"
and he hoped the people's would be " Unite and con-
quer."—(lmmense cheers.) Mr. James then went on,
amidst much applause, to uree the necessity of peace
and goer' fellowship amongst all classes; to look at the
conduct of O'Connell respecting Catholic Emancipation
for an example; and above all, to place confidence in, and
allow sudicient time to Ministers, and lie had no doubt
but the Reform they all desired would he speedily at-
tained. He concluded amid much cheering, by proposing
vate of thanks to Earl Grey and his colleagues, and ex-
pressive of their continued confidence in their integrity.
The Rev. E. STANLEY said that in those times of ter-
giversation and vacillation too little had been said in
praise of that consistency which had been shown by Earl
Grey through a long political life. Through good re-
port and through bad report he had held on the even
tenour of his way, and struggled for those principles
in his youth, which now, in age, he strongly ad-
vocated, and showed how deeply he was ins-
pressed with the vital necessity of Reform. He (Mr.
S.) remembered the Noble Earl when he stood forward
at the head of a society called the Friends of the People.
and it might now fairly be said, that after a lapse of 40
years, he was again at the t ead of the Frients of the
People—he meant his Majesty's present Ministers.—
(Cheers.) Thee unfortunate and inauspicious rejection of
the Bill by the House of Lords had led to the present
meeting—that the Lords might be taught that there was
po re-action in public feeling, as bad been falsely asserted.
If the people had been passive since the last election—if
the crew had rested upon their oars, it was because they
had stemmed the torrent, and might quietly swim with the
stream. When the necessity for a different line of conduct
had arisen, they had shown themselves ready to meet it.—
(Applause.) No man who knew Earl Grey, or hid
watched the conduct of his colleagues, could doubt that a
Bill equally efficient as the last would be brought forward
we will-take nothing less")—and there could be
little fear of the Lords again venturing to set their=
selves in hostile array again;t the ne,sion. The
neiv Fill Would he" the twin-brother of that which
had been thrown out i and the only alteration tti,;,,,n
he (Mr. James) eoniemplated in its features seas
that, as the younger born, it might bear upon its front the
mark of the census of 1831 ; but that he imagined would
not generally be looked upon as an umfaveurabie mark.—
(4.pplause) It had been said, that if Earl Grey were
sincere, he would show it by creating a number of
Peers; but Mr. Howard had shown how dangerous
Might be such a precedent. It was scarcely to be hoped
that we should always have upon the '..lirone a King so
patriotic as he who now ;died that seat of honour ; and a
despotic Sovereign might turn against the people a prece-
dent thatahad been established for their protection. ll's
good friend Mr. James had spoken somewhat harshly
against the Bishops, and the cloth of which he (11Ii.
Stanley) was an unworthy member. (" He' could
not say too ill of the BishLips.") —BUt he must be allowed
to say, that there were good and bad men in all prate-