The Sun.
London, England, 1831-11-12 00:00:00

HASTINGS REFORM MEETING.

At a very numerous meeting of the inhabitants of Hast-
ings and St. Leonard's, held on Tuesday, Nov. 8, for the
purpose of forming a Political Union,
Colonel EVANS rose to propose the first resolution. He
felt reluctance in yielding to the request to do so, conceiv-
ing, as he did, that in this (probably) the most numerous,
respectable, and important public meeting ever assembled
in Hastings, the honourable task of opening their proceed-
ings had been more fittingly performed by one of the
Members representing the town in Parliament. Doubtless
these gentlemen would account to their constituents for
their absence. The purport of the resolution be now
submitted was an expression of " astonishment and indig-
nation on the occasion of the late rejection by the Peers
of the Reform Bill." This self.evident proposition needed
no argument. It was but an echo of the universal feeling
loudly proclaimed in every part of the country. He
deeply regretted this event, but far more on account of the
Peers than of the people. Reform was certain. The tides
or the winds of Heaven might as easily be resisted. But
the political blindness, turpitude, and folly of a factious
majority of the Upper House bad excited feelings against
the Peers, which were but too just, but which he could
not lint be sorry for, as it would involve in the same
censure, and possibly in the same consequences, many
members of that branch of the Legislature which contained
within its walls some of the ablest, most patriotic, and ac-
complished men the country possessed.
Mr. Flownan ELPIIINSTONE seconded it, observing that
at an important crisis like the present, when the Lords had
thrown out the Reform Bill and set themselves against
the people, it was necessary that the people should unite to
promote the success of the Bill. He considered the time
bad arrived when the Bishops should no longer have seats
in Parliament, and that his Majesty's Ministers had not
acted with sufficient energy. If the people did not put
their shoulders to the wheel the Bill would not be carried,
they must unite together as well for the Bill as for the
sake of the public peace, and ought to imitate the conduct
of London, Birmingham, and other towns. He was con-
vinced it would be a waste of time to offer any argument
on the subject, and would merely notice the well-known
fable of the bundle of sticks. He had intended making
observations on some members of the Corporation who pro-
fessed to he Reformers, and who he expected would have
come forward on an occasion like the present, but the re-
spectability and number of the persons which met that
day, fully answered the objection which had been made to

the meeting.
Sr GorionEY 'WEBSTER, Bart.—lt had often fallen to
his lot to address the inhabitants of Hastings, but he was
pleased to find that they had that day joined in the holy
bands of matrimony with St. Leonard's in the good cause
of Reform. He had however to regret that any person
among them should have attempted to get up a hole-and-
corner petition. Was it possible that the ancient despotism
which had for so many ages been the curse of the town was
to be revived ; and could not the inhabitants get up a peti-
tion without the help of the Corporation ? He was present
to advocate the great cause of Reform, but where were
their Members ? It was not the interest of any particular
individual. He did not wish to interfere in the private
politics of the place ; but if he had a vote for the election
of their Members, be should most likely give it to his friend
Mr. Howard Elphinstone. He had a resolution put in his
hand, which he had no doubt they would adopt and act
upon ; it was so mildly drawn up that even the Corpora-
tion itself might support it; most probably if he had
drawn it up be should have put a little more gunpowder
in it. He was decidedly in favour of Political Unions : it
was by combinations that the boroughinongers defended
their interests ; they had their head-quarters in Charles-
atteet, from whence they issued their orders, for one
General to make an attack in one place, and for another
to make a push at another point. There was not the same
discipline in the ranks of the Reformers, but the moral and
physical strength of the people must eventually have a
glorious triumph over their domestic foes, as it often had
over their foreign enemies. These Unions would speak an
intelligible language; there would be a strong appeal to
the King to act with them and for them ; and although by
creating Peers it would strengthen the hands of the Mi-
nistry, still he thought if the Peers should again reject the
Bill, the best way would be to refrain sending writs to
_those ptaces which were corrupt, as it was a mere act of
grace on the part of the Crown to send writs. The writ
to Rye was sent to s Rev. Gentleman who wanted to be a
ftialiop ; that to Winchilsea went to a certain Noble
Marquis. Was it to be supposed that. the King and the
whole people of England were to be set aside for the sake
of forty Bishops ; he had, however, dealt so very harshly
with the Right Rev. Fathers in God during the last week,
at the county meeting, that he need not then say much
nowe. The Bishops told the public that they did not sit
in the House of Lords as Spiritual Peers, but in conse-
quence of the lands which they hold. Some of them had
very small, whilst others had princely incomes ; his plan
wou'd be to gave them 5,0001. a year each, and let the
public take their ,lands, and let them watch over their
Clergy, when the people of England would entertain a
much higher respect for them.
Mr. Fairern said be rose with great pleasure to second
the resolution. He believed he was the oldest Reformer
present. The first vote he ever gave he gave for tmhe
Champion of Reform, whose speeches and letters they
had no l!011bt most of them read.
Colonel E 5727,5 could not allow this resolution to pass
without offering ..pon it one or two observations. An
association nearly aimitar to the one now proposed had for
years existed in the town he had the honour of represent-
ing. The greatest benefit had been derived from it. That
town had for more than a century le.boured, and indeed
languished, under the loathsome borough system. The
association of the inhabitants had enabled them to vindi.
cote their rights, and to triumph on more than one occa-
sion over their oppressors. One of the county Members
had, at the recent meeting at Lewes, thought proper to
express some opinion which seemed adverse to political
associations. But the groans, eaeecrations, and hisses of
the meeting, sufficiently evinced the degree of good taste
and sagacity displayed by the Worthy Member pn the sub-
ject. Doubtless, however, if any misapprehension oeoee, the
lion. Member would explain himself to his constituento.
No portion of the English people had more powerfully
contributed to the carrying of the Reform Bill, or to the
maintenance of the public peace, on its rejection, than did
she /Union at Birmingham. In like manner was the con-
duct of the Bristol Union worthy of commendation, and
most exemplary, and particularly so in its efforts to restore
and ensure tranquillity after the late deplorable catastrophe.
Deeply culpable as were the paltry and debased class of
persons who were permitted to indulge in these infamous
excesses, and reprehensible as was the conduct of the
wretched Tory magistracy of that city, still more so was
that of the unfortunate man, who though remonstrated
with and entreated on all hands to delegate the perform-
ance of his mission,—who, though assured from all quar-
ters that calamity would be the consequence his ap-
pearance—who, though at the time clothed in the mooed
garb of a Judge, the appointed mieister of justice and of '
peace, would yet imperil the lives and property of a whole
city, rather than divest himself even for a moment of the
infuriate motives of a political partizan. Be on thin man's
head then the blood, the ruin, and horrors of which he
was the wilful cause, for not half so morally responsible
for these disgraceful occurrences were the ignorant and
iissclute wretched who took advantage of the excitement
lie hed occasioned, to perpetuate them. The Hon. Baronet
who spoke last seemed averse to a creation of Peen?, for the
purpose of carrying the Reform about to be presented.
lie, for otw, should deem this exercisa of the Royal pre-
rogative on the ,resent occas;ors as the me g just, expe-
dient, safe, and indispensable course which .conid possibly
be adopted. Ile was totally at a loss to divi,ne phaa
magic there was in the preen,: existing number of 400,
which the Peers consisted. It avase.ared to him that 456
on the one hand, or 350 on the other, might equally well
perform the ditties assigned to the Lords. Tle felt per-
fectly convinced that the Peers would not agate ,commit
the absurdity or audacity of placing themselves in collision
with the nation on the Reform question. Put the fruits
of the Reform of the lower House could not he obtained
without an infusion of liberal Members, to counteepoise
the overwhelming number of Tory and corrupt yartizana,
raised to the Peerage during fifty years of Tory aseandancy.
The liberal Ministry were not secure, public peace and
property would continue utterly insecure, without this ex-
ercise of the royal prerogative. As for the Prelates, it
was clear that ae best interests of religion, morality, and
the State, imperatively demanded their speedy remw oval fealth and
rom I
the delusive pomp's and vanities of excessive
misplaced secular
,power. He then pointed out at length
the various modes, open to bee adopted for the success of
Reform. The alnpk'gFounds for firm assurance of the
result, the total absenee of any plea fns- despondency or
continued in itation,—and concluded by a trilaeee of grati-
tude and applatise to the Sovereign cad-Government, ,whose
existence depended, it is true, on the completion of Reform,
but who, when it was completed, will loove erected to
themselves an eternal monument of renown. In on after
part of the prodialings he pleaded not guilty to the chg.:y.2
of luring recorninended either of the present Members for
11.:.tingis to the town. .
FaAsEtt said he stoodio the same situatioo ass
Colonel Evans, in the regret which he felt that neither of
the Members of the town were present at the meeting, he
ouppoaed they had been travelling in other -directions, to
AES4t the Oat CAM cf jut first LniAg wbia

he saw in the list of the Committee, was his Worship the
Mayor; Sir Godfrey Webster had told them that their
unions were to establish their rights ; now in this instance
they called into their service to help them to gain their
rights, an individual who had ever stood forward to pre-
vent their gaining their rights. Amongst the misrepresen-
tations of the enemies of Reform, one was that the middling
classes wished to keep the working order of people in du-
rance vile, but it was far different, there was no impalpable
distinctions in this country, the man in the humblest sta-
tion of life might rise to distinction and wealth, and be-
come the first magnate in the land ; in fact the middling
classes must of necessity always act with fairness to those
who are below them. He wished to wipe away another
fallacy, which probably lost Mr. Ponsonby his election,
which was that Reform would he injurious to the agricul-
turist, but how could this be when Reform would add 50
more members to that interest.
Mr. G. DUKE said, although a young man, he was not
a young Reformer, but he would not call himself a Hast-
ings Reformer, least he should be thought a bit-by-hit Re-
former ; he would not call himself a Sussex Reformer,
least be should be considered an opponent to their po-
litical unions, and a friend to the Bishops ; he was in fact
a Lewes Reformer, as it was in that town he first imbibed
the principle of Reform ; he seconded the resolution.
Mr. MADDON proposed the fourth resolution.
Mr. Join; &slim, in rising to propose the fifth resolu-
tion, believed that it was put into his hand because he was
a Reformer ; he was fearful the very name of a Political
Union would frighten the bit-by-bit Reformers, but it
would tend to preserve the peace of the town ; he was
sorry Mr. North was absent, for he professed to be a Re-
former ; when he asked him for his vote, he told him
(Mr. N.) that he was so loaded with corporation sins he
could not support him.
Sir GODFREY WEBSTER moved the sixth resolution,
which was seconded by Mr. Howard Elphinstone.
The meeting then broke up.