The Sun.
London, England, 1831-12-26 00:00:00

thereby frustrate for ever the hopes of the borough-
mongers. If I stood in want of any argument to
convince me of the expediency of such a step at the
present crisis, I would find it in the alarms which the
anticipation of such a measure has excited in the
minds of the Tory leaders. I would appeal to
their sinister hole and corner addresses to the King,

got up by those pseudo conservators, deprecating
uny new creation of Peers. I would refer to their
insane attempts to overawe the Sovereign in the
just and free exercise of his prerogative, by their
ill-timed and misplaced congratulations at his sup-
posed unwillingness to increase the Peerage, when
they must be conscious that sooner than abandon the
cause of his loyal people he will undoubtedly act a
part quite contrary to that for which they now pre-
tend to compliment him. It is perfectly natural in
the boroughmongers to be opposed at present to an
extension of the Peerage, as it would for ever anni-
hilate their influence as a party in Parliament ; but
I have no doubt that were the tables turned, and
the country again doomed to the infliction of a Tory
Administrat.on, that we should have new Peers in
abundance taken from the ranks of the enemies of
the people's rights. We should then see Sir Charles
Wetherell perhaps as Baron Botherall of Borough-
bridge—(A laugh)—take his seat in the Upper
House, followed by John Wilson Croker and my
polemical friend, Captain Gordon of reformation no-
toriety—(A laugh)—but I am dealing in conjec-
ture, for before the patents for such nobility could
be prepared the all powerful voice of an indignant
nation would hurl such an Administration from its
place.—(Cheers.) In tracing the history of that
part of the Royal prerogative which relates to the
creation of Peers, I find that in the old works on
English law two motives are assigned which are pre-
sumed to actuate the Monarch in exercising that

branch of his prerogative. The first is said to be
ad extsulendunt—to seek the advice of those in
whom he has confidence in cases of emergency. The
next is ad defendendum regent—to call good and
loyal subjects round his person to defend him and
his Government against the open or disguised attacks
of those who would endanger the safety of the one
or subvert the other. Now certainly, if ever in the
history of this country there was a time when the

reason ad defendendum regent was more necessary
to be acted upon than another, the present is that
time, for at no former period did any Constitutional
Monarch ever so much require the aid of faithful and
upright Peers as his present Majesty ; for, notwith-
standing the repeated declarations he has made in
favour of Reform, a boroughmongering and corrupt
fiction still continues to array itself against the rights
of the crown and the liberties of the people which,
if not speedily checked by the strong arm of the
Royal prerogative, may by its blind and infatuated
obstinacy lead to anarchy, and the destruction of the
Monarchy. Mr. Smith concluded by proposing the
third resolution. _

Mr. D. WALKER, printer—l am not in the
least degree surprised by the approbation which
followed the reading of the resolution now sub-
mitted to the meeting. It would be strange indeed
if, after knowing the nature and the object of it, it
would not be received by this meeting, not only
with the deepest respect, but also with the loudest
marks of their approbation.—(Cheers.) The reso•
lution expressed unbounded confidence in the King,
and have we not had the most unequivocal testi-
mony of the inflexible determination of the Monarch
to stand by his people and his Ministers, against the
designs of an opposing faction ?—(Cheers.) Ever
since our Gracious Sovereign had ascended the
throne of his fathers, his course had been one un-
deviating line—he had swerved neither to the right
hand nor to the left—and that course had been a
steady desire to extend the privileges of his subjects
and promote their comforts. All his actions had
corresponded with each other in their consistency,
liberality, and wisdom.—(Cheers.) His Majesty,
when Duke of Clarence, they all knew, was much
esteemed in that circle in which he moved, both
from the urbanity of his manners, and the goodness
of his heart, but it was not until he was elevated to
the throne that all those Princely qualities for which
he is distinguished has been made fully known,
and it was only now that we knew what a
noble Prince reigned over us. His late Ma-
jesty, from his personal attractions and the
refinement of his manners, earned the appella-
tion of being the first gentleman in his dominions,
but there was a moral grandeur and an intellectual
dignity around the brow of King William, which the
diadem of King George the Fourth never reflected.
—(Cheers.) And, perhaps, it would be an inte-
resting arid useful inquiry to consider by what
means, or by what line of conduct our Sovereign
has arisen so suddenly to the very summit of Kingly
popularity and happiness—if that be happiness which
has for its object the good of his subjects, and the
rectifying and rooting out of deep-seated abuse. Has
it been by waging an :expensive and ruinous war,
and spilling the blood of his warriors by sea and by
land ? Has it been by an extravagant and profligate
expenditure of public monies in ornamenting cer-
tain parts and precincts, while the country lay
grinding under the enormous weight of her taxa-
tion; or had it been by a total disregard and viola-
tion of public virtue in the secluded ranks of the
highest state of society. No, truly; it has been
by a directly contrary line of conduct.—(Cheers.)
When he came to the throne, he called around him
some of the choicest spirits in the land, and in their
hands he placed the reigns of Government, avid ex-
perience has shown the salutary nature of the step
which he took. He had also shown himself particu-
larly anxious to economise the public expenditure,
arid both he and his Royal consort had set an ex-
ample of virtue before all ranks of society. The re-
solution mentions a selfish faction, but it was such a
filthy subject t hat he would not sail his hands with
it. Besides, it had already been dissected by infi-
nitely more skilful anatomists, and all its corroding
and diseased qualities laid so much open to the light
of day, that it would be better not to have any thing
to do with it. With such a King, and with such men,
then, as Lord Grey at the head of the Treasury,
Brougham at the head of Justice, Althorp handling
the Exchequer, and Lord Russell conducting the
cause of Reform, were there any doubts of the re-
sult ? He begged to second the resolution.—(Great
applause.)
J. R. STODART, W.S., after returning thanks for
th,e honour conferred on him by his being appointed
one of the Vice-Chairmen of the Union for the
ensuing year, praeeeded—l have been requested to
propose the following resolution, viz.—" That a
petition be transmitted to the House of Commons,
praying that Honourable House to pass the Reform
Bill without delay ;" and also the petition itself,
founded on the resolutions which you have already
adopted. Although we have now a fair prospect
of the great measure being carried, we most not 'T-
hee in our endeavours to promote its success. The
.cry pf reaction will still be raised; and it is our
duty, and the duty of all true friends of the Bill,
again pubiiely to ,express our approbation of it—
(Cheers)—and to petition Parliament that it may
speedily pass into a law. In this city, as late as the
28th Afoestreber, at the Constitutional !sleeting, as
it is. insidiously sailed, as if at other meetings, which
instead of supporting ecieroption, advocate the prin-
ciples of pueity--the piireciplee pf the Bill—were
not constitutional—(gheers)=et this meeting,
I say, the old cry of reaction has been reised, apd
by the Member far the county, too. I hok in my
hand the
,euthenticated report of the speeches tit
that meeting, published by Blackwood, in order
OW in referring to tken, I may be sure I
quote them correctly.
,sir ceeerge Clerk said,
" wetly who were not aware of the qteee eo which
tbe Bill was to
ca,cry them, who wished it to ye
earrie,:l for the purpose of ealping the storm, which
they were taegbe to expect was ready ee., burst upon
them, had at filet 42eP carried away by the gee,oeral
excitgoiont, and had ("Adage,e ' themselves
to be ie
favour of the Pill; but I believe meet of these are
new becoming awe,re of the danger in witi-,4 the late
plan would have involved 'he country, and I rather
think they Iveuld be incline e' to wish for some
Koehler measure pf Reform than that which had
' been proposed by his Majesty's Ministers." Ineleed7