The Sun.
London, England, 1831-11-15 00:00:00

and in this way the existing public alarm might be
made subservient to a most deirAble and difficult
meral reformation.—Marning Herald.

MONMOUTH COUNTY REFORM

MEETING.

(Abridged from the Blonntouthshire_3lerlii9

. .
W. HoLLB, Esq. the High Sheriff, iu opening the
business of the meeting, took occasion to express
his regret that the House of Lords had rejected the
Bill. It was so imperiously called for by the people,
that it must, he felt assured, lie ere long passed
into a law.
The requisition having been read by Mr. Mo.sTrx,
the Under Sheriff,
C. H. LEIGIi, Esq. presented hiurelf. As lie
admired the magnanimity shown by the people on
the rejection of the Bill, so did he condemn the con-
duct of the House of Lords, who had exposed them
to so severe a trial. The peaceful demeanour of
the people under circumstances of so much excita-
tion and such extreme discontent could not be too
highly appreciated. It was necessary, however, to
impress upon the mind of every Reformer that from
tumult and violence no good could possibly result.
Ministers could effect nothing, if their attention were
to he distracted by scenes of popular commotion.
The meeting might rest perfectly satisfied that
nothing could prevent the attainment of their object,
supported as it was by his most gracious Majesiy,
an honest House of Commons, arid the voices of
an uni:ed people. Still they must not relax.—
(Cheers.) Mr. Leigh concluded by proposing tile
first resolution.

Sr T. R. SALUSBURY, Bart. seconded the reso-
lution.

On the first resolution being put to the vote, the
hand of one freeholder appeared to be holden up
against it. " Are you for or against the resolution ?"
said the Sheriff. " For, Sir," replied the man,
thinking that the longer he held up his hand, the
stronger would be the testimony of his approbation.
The Rev. W. PowELL (Vicar of Abergavenny)
then rose and said—Gentlemen, ire we to be
taunted with having adopted revolutionary prin•
ciples, because we are endeavouring to restore the
balance of our Constitution, which has been so
nearly overturned by this usurpation of our dearest
right—the right of consenting by the voice of our
representatives freely chosen to the imposition of
those public burdens to which we may be required
to contribute, and to the enactment of those laws
which we may be called upon to obey ? Shall we
be branded by the most opprobrious epithets which
Tory malignity and Tory scurrility can devise, be-
cause, by endeavouring to restrain the peerage
within tl7e prescribed limits of their constitutional
privileges, we would prevent these very privileges
from beingbrought into question and into jeopardy ?
Surely no one will maintain that a balance can be
preserved betvveen co-ordinate powers, if the Peers
shall not only be allowed to vote by person and by
proxy in their own chamber, but also to domineer
by their nominees, the representatives of the de-
cayed boroughs, in the other House of Parliament.
All we demand, gentlemen, is a restoration of the
balance of our Con•titution. And " the Bill"
would in reality have been equally beneficial to
the Peers as to the people, inasmuch as it would
have prevented the former from being led inn the
temptation of committing the highest of political
misdemeanors. But by the ill-advised rejection ot
the Bill, it would appear that the Lords were deter.
mined at all hazards to maintain their unrighteous
usurpation, and to sink the Constitution of three
co-ordinate estates into the despotic domination ot
an overbearing oligarchy, the worst form of tyranny
by v.hich the human race was ever cursed. I hati
hoped that certain Peers would have read the signs
of the times, and particularly that sign of the move-
ment of the brightest luminary in the Ministerial
constellation towards the palace of the sun of our
political system—the visit of Lord Chancellor
Brougham to William the Fourth at Wnidsor
Castle. But did they nor read this sign ? I believe

they did read the sign, but that they made a wretched
miscalculation in their interpretation thereof. Some
Tory Lords (ex-occupants of the Woolsack perhaps)
may have sought for the interpretation in the deep
hollow of their own hearts. In the language of Mr.
Canning in his better days, " they asked their own
hearts, and read the answer there." Gentlemen,
there is only one thing which can rob the people of
the fruits of their numerous sacrifices and patriotic
exertions,—that can prevent or delay the consum-
mation of their ardent aspirations,—and that is a
spirit of imptstience at the short respite from their
indefatigable labours required by Ministers for them-
selves and for your representatives, to enable them
to perfect and to secure the success of their great
scheme for an emancipation from thraldom. Exalt
yourselves, gentlemen, to the height of the great
cause in which you have embarked. Leave vulgar
abuse, malignity, arid scurrility,—leave tumult and
disorder, to the discomfited Tories; for they are
the proper elements of your opponents. Show
yourselves worthy of the high vocation of Reform.
WEDGEWOOD, Esq. said, considering the
excited state of the kingdom, it certainly was matter
of congratulation that the people had conducted
themselves with so much moderation and forbear-
mice. In that part of the kingdom with which he
was more particularly acquainted—where the popu-
lation was most dense, and where the feelings of
the inhabitants had been goaded to the highest
possible state of excitement—in Staffordshire, Lan-
cashire, and Cheshire—the very cradles of Radi-
calism—where riots and tumults were most ap-
prehended, every thing had gone on in the most
tranquil and peaceable mariner. The fact Was,
the people now knew their rights, and felt cer-
tain of obtaining them. In the House of Com-
mons many things had been mentioned as objection.
able in the rejected Bill. Certainly several beneficial
amendments might be made. The amendment intro-
duced on the motion of Lord Chandos ought to be
ornittedond t he election for counties put on abetter and
surer foundation ; otherwise counties could, by a
subdivision of votes, be formed into close boroughs,
which it would ultimately be necessary to put into
schedule A. Although it was very troublesome to
convene county meetings he highly approved of the
principle. It brought together all classes of society.
Last week he (Mr. Wedgewood) had attended a
' meeting of the county of Stafford, the requisition for
which had been signed by 2,812 noblemen, gentle-
men, and substantial freeholders. This was in a
county which had hitherto been under the complete
controul of a few aristocrats. The enslaved had
trampled on their chains—they now felt that they
were freemen, and had resolved, that henceforth
liberty should be their motto and their watchword.
The Rev. J. B. DAVIES proposed the third reso-
lution, which was seconded by Tilos. FOTIIERGIEL,
Esq., in a neat and appropriate speech.
J. Tsroaras,Esq.—Mr. High Sheriff, Gentlemen,
and Brother Britons !—(Loud and continued cheers.)
Ere I arrived at the age of manhood half a century
ago last March, I joined the ranks of the Reformers;
I became acquainted with its most respectable ad-
vocates, the Dukes of Norfolk and Bedford, Mr.
Fox, Mr. Sheridan, and Mr. Tooke; and from that
period to the present moment my opinion has never
altered one iota. When I read of the gross corrup-
tions of Walpole and Bute, witnessed much of those
of North, Pitt, arid Castlereagh, I began to despair
of living to see Reform triumphant. The Ups tree
of corruption had taken vast root ; its branches had
spread over the the whole empire; its upper branches
had contaminated the higher sphere, arid the lower
ones seemed to be taking root, and I feared it could
never be eradicated. But you have wisely culti-
vated the tree of knowledge, grafted with the tree
of liberty, and well has it flourished ; for now tower-
, ing over the Upas of corruption, it has intercepted
the rays of the sun—caused the viler plant to droop,
wither, and rapidly decay ; while the noble tree of
liberty, having expanded its branches far and wide,
not only over the whole of our empire, but the Eu-
ropean Continent, continues to vegetate. It has
, blossomed most beautifully. The fruit is set, amid in
, due 6002011 will ripen and please the taste of the enc-