The Sun.
London, England, 1831-03-21 00:00:00

HUNTING INTELLIGENCE.

APPOINTMENTS FOR THE PRESENT WEEK.
His Majesty's Stag Hounds meet on Monday, at Ascot Heath ;
and Friday, at Longford—at half-past ten.
The Brighton Harriers meet on Mondays, near Patcham ;
Wednesdays near the Race Course; and Fridays, near the Dyke
—at half-past ten.
The Brookside Harriers meet on Mondays, at Newmarket ;
Wednesdays, at Ashcombe, (the alternate Wednesday at the
Kennel, Hord) ; and Fridays, at Telscombe Tye—at hall-past ten.
lhe East Kent Fox Hounds meet on Monday, at Mockbeggar ;
Thursday, at Kingston; and Thursday, at Adlington
Corner—
at ten.

Earl Fitzwilliam's Hounds meet on Monday, at Thornhaugh ;
Wednesday, at Weybridge Wood; and Thursday, at Abbotts
'Lipton—at ten.
The Puckeridge Hounds meet on Monday, at Hare-street;
Wednesday, at Saffl•on Walden; and Saturday, at Box Wood—
at half-past ten.
The Cottesmore Hounds meet on Monday, at Corby Toll-bar ;
Tuesday, at Wardley Toll-bar; and Thursday, at Manthorpe
Mill—at eleven.

REFORM MEETINGS IN SUPPORT OF

HIS MAJESTY'S MINISTERS.

SURREY.

On Saturday, the gentry, freeholders, &e. of the county
of Surrey met at Epsom, to declare their determination to
support the plan of Reform proposed by Ministers. The
meeting, which consisted of about two thousand persons,
including the most influential men in the county, was held
in the open air. Amongst those present were the county
Members, Mr. Denison and Mr. Briscoe, Mr. Moberly,
M.P., Mr. H. Drummond, Mr. Richardson, Mr. J.
Palmer, Mr. Lee, Mr. Jackson, Mr. Leech, &c. &c.
The HIGH SHERIFF having taken the Chair, stated the
object of the meeting.
Mr. MABERLY, as one of the requisitionists, addressed
the meeting at considerable length. The Hon. Gentle-
man, after highly eulogising the plan of Reform proposed
by Ministers, confessed himself to be one of those who
feared that the measure would not be carried.—(Cries of
" No, no.")—He woulknot deceive them—he verily be-
lieved that the rneascould not be carried—that it
would he deprived of its essential character in the Com-
mittee. If it should so turn out, he hoped the Minister-
would reject it with scorn and appeal to the people, and
they might rest assured the result would resound from one
endof Europe to the other. The Hon. Gentleman concluded
by moving two resolutions, declaring that the majority of
the House of Commons were returned by undue and cor-
rupt means; and that the excessive weight :of taxation
under which the country labours was mainly to be attri-
buted to the corruption of that House.
Mr. PENRYN seconded the resolutions, and concurred
in the opinion that the measure must ultimately be carried.
Mr. PAYNTER said to judge of the system, they should
look at its effects—it produced greatness and fame. The
British Constitution was composed of King, Lords, and
Commons.—(A voice in the crowd, 4‘ No such thing—
King, Lords, and Boroughmongers"—laughter and ap-
plause. )---He contended that the people never possessed so
much influence in the affairs of the country as at the pre.
sent moment. Let them look to the influence of the press
—every speech delivered in Parliament was canvassed
throughout the empire. The system had worked well.—
The political horizon was now overcast, and it was no
time to venture on a voyage of speculation. The Hon.
Gentleman continued to speak against Reform till the im-
patience of his auditory became excessive, and he retired
amidst groans and hisses.

The ie,,olutions were then agreed to, only Mr. Paynter
and Mr. Perceval holding up their hands against them.
Mr. BEST, after a brief address, moved a resolution,—
" That the meeting could not sufficiently express its de-
light at the excelent plan of Reform submitted by his Ma-
jesty's Government to the Houseof Commons, as the means
of restoring that House to the confidence of the people."
Mr. LEECH supported the resolution.

Mr. AUSTEN, after designating his present Majesty a
second Alfred, and eulogising the present Ministry and
their plan of Reform, gave the resolution his cordial support.
The resolution was then put and agreed to.
The Rev. Mr. COURTENAY read a resolution expressing
the highest gratitude to his Majesty for sanctioning the
proposed plan of Reform. He denied that the tendency
of the plan was revolutionary. The measure proposed by
Ministers was called a sweeping plan of Reform. The
Lord Chancellor had also been accused of sweeping mea-
sures. Now lie (Mr. Courtenay) had often, as a. church-
man, disapproved of the measures of that Noble and
Learned Person; but since he bad become Chancellor he
had seen nothing of which he did not highly approve; and
he hoped that he would sweep his own Court as clean as
it was intended to sweep the other Court. He begged
leave to say, that he was now a Broughamite.—(A laugh.)
He was about to allude to a subject rather delicate to him,
as a churchman. Pluralities were complained of ; and he
was a pluralist, having two livings—one in York, the
other in Surrey. If an inquiry should come, and it should
be found right to put an end to pluralities, he would cheer-
fully give up his.

Mr. MAXWELL said, if the salutary measure of Reform
should not be carried, it was beyond human calculation to
estimate the consequences. Should the present measure
fail, the Constitution must crumble into dust. He would
exhort every one, in his station, to assist the Sovereign to
relieve him from the base influence of the aristocracy, and
the people from their grinding oppression. —(Cheers.)
The resolution was carried by acclamation.
_ _

Mr. RANDAL JACKSON warmly panegyrised the plan of
Reform proposed by Ministers, and moved a resolution,
that nothing less than the whole Bill would satisfy the just
expectations of the people.

M. DENISON said, Ministers, by their Reform Bill,
had imposed on the country a debt of gratitude they never
could repay. It would ever be remembered with delight,
that as the last William rescued the country from the
Stuarts, the present restored the House of Commons to
the people.—(Cheers.) The Hon. Gentleman read the
following names of Nobleme❑ who had announced their
willingness to surrender their borough patronage :—Earl
of Radnor, Duke of Norfolk, Dube of Bedford, Duke of
Devonshire, Doke of Grafton, Marquis of Cleveland, Earl
Fitzwilliam, Earl of Yarmouth. To this list was to be
added two distinguished Commoners, whose conduct de-
served the gratitude of the country—Air. Russell and Mr.
John Smith.—(Cheers.) The Hon. Gentleman con-
cluded by moving an Address to his Majesty in support of
the plan of Reform proposed by Ministers.
Mr. BRISCOE said, the Bill they were assembled to sup-
port was wisely adapted to the end it professed to accom-
plish. It was liberal and comprehensive. He wished
the petitio❑ of the county to have the unanimous signa-
tures of the freeholders, and that, on the carrying the
second reading of the Bill, every parish in Surrey should
testify its joy by a general illumination. He concluded
by seconding the resolution, which was carried, with but
two hands held up against it.
Mr. PERCEVAL expressed his disapprobation of all the
resolutions, and of the whole measure of Reform.

Mr. COBEETT spoke in favour of the measure, and re-
joiced that bribery, corruption, false swearing, and the
infamy that prevailed at an election, were likely to be put
an end to.

Mr. COURTENAY then moved a resolution of thanks to
those noblemen and gentlemen who have sacrificed their
personal interests for the benefit of their country, and
hoped that their patriotic example will not be lost sight
of by those who retain pecuniary influence in the House
of Commons.

Mr. H. DRUMMOND thought that Ministers were en-
titled to the thanks of the country for the measure they
had introduced, and characterised it as a bold, manly,
honest, and able piece of legislation. In conclusion, he
moved a ♦ote of thanks to Ministers for propounding so
advisable a measure.

Mr. COBBETT said that the present Bill was, in sub-
stance, prepared by Lord Grey in 1797, and the whole
merit of the measure was due to him alone.

The resolution was then agreed to.

Mr. RICHARDSON recommended a general illumination,
and that every man should exhibit " Reform and Grey"
in front of his house.

The thanks of the meeting were then moved to the
High Sheriff, which he acknowledged ; and at half-past
five o'clock the meeting dissolved.

ESSEX.

A meeting of the county of Es•ex was held on Satur-
day, at Chelmsford, to agree to a petition in favour of Lord
John Russell's Reform Bill. Among the gentry we ob-
served Mr. Western, M.P., Mr. Leonard, M.P., Mr.
Wellesley, M.P., Mr. D. W. Harvey, M.P., Sir F. Vin-
cent, Sir T. Ormsby, &c.
The Ilion SHERIFF having taker the chair, read a
letter from Sir John Tyrrell, apaiogizing for his non-at-
tendance, in consequence of being on the Petersfield Com-
mittee.

Mr. DISNEY said, the chief object of the people's dis-
like and concern was the borough system. There were a
great many persons whose property consisted of boroughs,
and they had been used to get men out of gaol, and cheat
honest creditors. In the reign before the last, there was
a person in the King's Bench for an enormous debt, which
he could not pay, but had a friend who owned a borough,
for which he was made a Member, and he got out of gaol
by an order of the House ci Commons. The advantages
of the measure were, that all parties were to be benefitted.
He concluded by moving the following resolutions
Resolved,—That this meeting, impressed with a strong sense
of the necessity of an efficient Reform in the representation of
the people, views with infinite satisfaction the introduction of a
measure by his Majesty's Ministers admirably adapted to restore
the Commons' House of Parliament to its just and constitutional
character.
" That this meeting feels the deepest sense of gratitude and
affection to our beloved and gracious Sovereign for sanctioning
his Ministers in bringing forward a plan so fully in accordance
with the wishes of the people and the just principles of the Con-
stitution.
That this meeting pledge themselves to support, to the ut-
most of their power, the Bill which his Majesty's Ministers have
introduced, and to exert every constitutional means to obtain its
adoption by both Houses of Parliament.
" That an humble Address to his Majesty, and Petitions to the
Houses of Lords and Commons, be founded upon the foregoing
Resolutions."
Sir F. VINCENT seconded the resolutions. He denied
that the boroughowners had any right to compensation,
and observed, that when the forty-shilling freeholders
were disfranchised, no one talked of compensation to them.
Other opponents of the measure said that the Bill did not
go far enough ; but to them he would say, " Give this
measure a fair trial, and if not found sufficient, it can be
altered."—(Applause.) jo his opinion human wisdom

cou'd not plan one better calculated to restore the Consti-
tution to its pristine vigour.
Mr. NVEsitax said, when it was recollected Vitt in
1793 he was associated with Lord Grey and Lord Dacre,
in endeavouring to bring about a Reform, it mist be sup-
posed that he felt great delight in the measure being sub=
mitted to Parliament.

Mr. TOWER said that Ministers had nobly redeemed
their pledge by the Bill, awl it was the greatest public
and most valuable measure, that had ever been submitted
to the people. Mr. Tower concluded by reading the ad-
dress to the King, and the petition to Parliament, both
of which were grounded on the resolutions proposed by
Mr. Disney.
Mr. SHAEN seconded them.

Mr. WELLEstEr observed, it was worth remembering
that the present Government had advocated this measure
for thirty years, and it was, therefore, fair to suppose
that they must be better acquainted than most others with
the nature of the details necessary to bring the measure
i
certainly would have been to support the late Government,
butnto
he
eh fullest e stth operation.—(Applause.) pt
. rfaht leo
gaven . Appl
( ause.) His predilection
d
it his support, he would have
been in trammels, from which he never would be able to
extricate himself. And now, feeling that the principles
which the present Government were acting were such as
to deserve well of the people, he had become a party man
in their favour, and would continue so till they swerved
from those principles.—(Applause.)
Mr. LENNARD looked with great pleasure to the passing
of this Bill.
__

Mr. D. W. HARVEY said the Bill, in his opinion,
was the greatest and most statesmanlike measure ever pre-
sented to Parliament. With or without alteration he had
no doubt it would pass the Commons and the other estates
of the realm. When this Bill was passed the people would
have no one to complain of but themselves, for the basis of
this measure was to enahle the people of England to be-
come politically free. If it was asked what other benefit+
would arise from this measure, he would say, once esta-
blish Reform, and they would soon have a regulation of
the Church. Was it to be endured that an army of 3,000
clergymen should have ten millions of money among them,
all of which was paid out of the pockets of the people.
—(Cries of " Shame !)—Let there be a clergyman for
every parish; let him reside in that parish—(Cheers)—
let him have about 3001. a year for his support; let there
be Bishops, or supervisors, to examine into complaints,
with a salary not exceeding 3,0001. a year, and they would
then be able to have a national church at an expence of
three millions instead of ten. But not only would they
have a church reform—they would also have a law reform;
so that the passing of this Bill would produce a useful
church, and cheap and speedy law.
The thanks of the meeting were then moved to the High
Sheriff for his conduct in the chair, and the meeting dis-
solved at four o'clock.