The Sun.
London, England, 1831-08-03 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

Last night " the 13ill" made some progress through
the Committee, though its pace was slow and its
march interrupted. Totness and Sudbury, which
had enjoyed a respite of two days beyond their com-
panions in schedule B, were finally consigned to their
proper class—the latter after a ❑seless division. The
whole of the boroughs in schedule B, as well as
those in schedule A, are now disposed of; and the
Anti-Wformers, like unwilling scholars, have been
carried forward to the third letter of the Reform
alphabet. We heard some days ago of the Paganinis
of the House harping upon one string, and occupying
Cie time of P,urlatnent and of the country with less
agreeable notes than those of their Italian namesake.
Some of them may have read of a celebrated at:clew
musician, who was as great in his day as l'aganini is
in ours, and whose movements we expect them to
imitate. Of this celebrated ancient Paganini "it is
said or sung"—

" Sape velut qui
" Carrebat fugiens hostein ; perseepe velut qui
" Junonis sacra ferret --"

The processional march, with the sacra Janonis,
or, in other words, the funeral procession of the
rot ten boroughs, has been slow, if not solemn enough;
ler us now hope that our great Parliamen'ary artist:
will indulge in their more rapid paces, in their run-
ning caprice. If we could expect any consistent
system for such persons, we should be entitled to
calculate on this result. They resisted the total or
partial disfranchisement of the condemned boroughs,
because they considered this part of the Bill as an
infliction of pains and penalties, " or a corporation
robbery," or something else equally alarming to the
imagination ; but they have now a more cheerful
and safe task. They have now not to take away
privileges, but to give them, not to perpetrate " a
robbery," but to confer a favour. Last night the
House entered on this more grateful duty, and en-
franchised three of our great manufacturing towns—
Manchester, Birmingham, and Leeds,—which, on
any sound principle of represemation, ought long
ago to have sent Members to Parliament, possessing,
as they do, more wealth, population, and industry,
than all the hundred and odd places in the two sche-
dules, over which the boroughmongers have made
such doleful lamentations.—Times.

Lord Althorp, at a meeting of the friends of
Ministers yesterday, made some propositions which,
if cordially accepted and adhered to by the advo-
cates of the "Bill," must have a favoutable effect
in abridging its passage through the House of Com-
mons, as likewise in fixing on the proper shoulders
whatever delays or vexatious obstructions it may
meet with. His Lordship recommended to the
gentlemen who support the measure, that such of
them as have given notices of motions, or who
merely meditate them, having for their design some
partial changes in the provisions of the Bill, by way
of rendering its details what they consider more
perfect, should withdraw such motions, or forbear
to act upon such views, for the sake of leaving the
progress of the measure uninterrupted, and of
sending it up to the House of Lords with the utmost
practicable expedition. It is, indeed, a most urgent
duty to frustrate as effectually as may be the scheme
of procrastination, which is the only one whence
the Tories can flatter themselves with the least
hope of success. An error of detail may be
easily rectified hereafter; but a defeat of the Bill,
or a long delay of it, is irretrievable. Sure we
are, that a knowledge of the state of this country,
and of the pitch of determination to which the mind
of the whole British people has been wound up,
would operate, even upon the least sane of the
Tories, as a complete extinguisher of all their ma-
noeuvrings for delay. There never has been a ques•
tioa on which the reason of Englishmen was so set-
tled, or their solicitude so excited; and if any faction
were by trick or obstinacy to impede the course of
Reform, we exaggerate nothing in asserting that a
collision—nay, that it would be inexact to say, of
forces so unequal, but a reaction—of the most over-
whelming kind would unquestionably and speedily
follow. In the mean time it is satisfactory to find
that the courage of Ministers is on a level with their
glorious task. Lord Althorp is reported to have
used these remarkable expressions with regard to
the degree of success which is likely to attend
the Tory policy :—" He begged it to be under-
stood that the enemie,s of Reform were most miserably
mistaken, if they hoped to defeat the Bill by delay.
They might originate discussions from day to day,
and throw obstacles in the way of the Bill ; but of
this they might all rest assured—that rather than
abandon the Bill, Parliament would be kept sitting
until next December, or next December twelve-
month, if necessary." " That's wormwood 1" Sir
Francis Burdett concurred in the necessity of giving
up individual views of amendment for the sake of
not impeding the general progress of the Bill ; but
Lord Milton stated as an objection, that " the Bill
ought to be made as perfect as possible for the sake
of rendering it final." But the general sense of the
meeting was warmly expressed in favour of Lord
Althorp's wish, which we hope and trust will be
perseveringly realized. If something of the kind be
not done, the measure may not reach the House of
Lords before Christmas. A message from his Ma-
jesty was last night brought down to Parliament,
recommending an increased provision for the
Duchess of Kent and her daughter; who had
hitherto, it is understood, been indebted for a
part of the comforts required by their station to
Prince Leopold. The Prince having no longer
any command of English money, this message will
doubtless be regarded as a thing of course, and more
especially when it is recollected that an income of
6,000/. per annum was many years ago granted to
the Duke of Cumberland, expressly for the educa-
tion of his son, a Prince two steps further from the
throne than is the Princess Victoria; and not of a
' branch of the Royal Family, as we have heard, dis-
tinguished by any superior claims to public esteem
or consideration. It will be seen that the meeting
of the Livery, which had been intended for the lour-
pose of stigmatizing the factious opposition to the
Bill, has been pdstponed, principally because of the
progress which has been made with the measure
since the first suggestion of the expediency of such
meetings. A resolution, however, has been passed,
which is to stand over in terrorein, should the bo-
roughmongers be caught at their manoeuvres again.
Measures like the above are strictly but defensive,
against that audacious system of mock representation
which it isthe aim of the Tories to perpetuate against
the people of England.—Tithes.
Schedule B is at length disposed of. Mr. Alex.
Baring re-produced, with a slight variation, the doc-
trine of Mr. Attwood, that the Reform would have
the effect of introducing to the House active, intel-
ligent, andspushing men, who would be an over-
match for the country 'Squires. "He assured the
gentlemen connected with what was called die
country interest, that if, in supporting this measure
of the Ministers, they supposed that a few 'Squires
from the country would be able (when the day of
battle should come) to contend with the active, in-
telligent, pushing men, who would be returned from
the manufacturing towns, they would be sadly dis-
appointed.—(Cheers.) He said this only to call
the attention of the country gentlemen to what
would be the consequences of the altered state of
the representation.—(Cheers.) The gentlemen
who would be returned from the manufacturing dis-
tricts would be active men, who read every paper
which should come into that House; and could
the country gentlemen suppose that in contending
with such men they would not be overmatched.—
(Cheers.) Against such a representation the country
interest could haven° chance of maintaining itself; and
he would ask,how was the Church,thtn, to be support-
ed against the Noble Paymaster's friends— (Cheers.),
This is truly a strange way of arguing the question.
No man would think of supporting the country in-
terest and supporting the Church, who is not egre-
giously lazy and stupid, and does not read any of
the papers which come into the House. If he is
active and clever, and a reader of papers, he will
assuredly be opposed to the country interest and to
the Church ; and where stupidity and laziness tat-
, opposed to leverness and activity, the result cat.-

~ Nt ~ ' ~

•
nit be doubtful. Keep the few clever art] active
men out of the House if you wish to maintain your
,round. The real motive for the limitation of the
choice of electers to candidates possessed of a cer-
tain amount of annual income, was to do that in-
directly which could not have been so well done
otherwise: namely, to ensure the return of the
most stupid and lazy men in the nation. At ane-
'her time the Tory 'Squires would not have much
relished the complaint of Mr. Baring ; but they will
even submit to be kicked by a man who beats them
as little better than idiots, for the sake Of the pillage
of the nation. They cheered him. They declared by
their approbation that the cap fitted them admirably.
But if there be any truth in theargument of Mr. Baring,
i what a handle he furnishes to the people Of
E ,gland to oppose themselves to the Aristocracy.
He declares to them that no man possessed of energy
and application, and who attends "to the business
before the House, would vote as the country
'Squires vote. He declares. that no man of talents
aniuld support the Church; and that the Aristo-
cr cy and Church only exist, because clever and
industrious men are excluded from the House. But
why are clever and active men to be necessarily
opposed to the country interest end the Church ?
Mr. Baring here lets the cat out of the bag. Before
he was so extensive a landholder as he now is, he
was the great opponent of the country gentlemen,
and declared, when opposing the Corn Bill, that
they lived in a style which no landholders could
maintain in any other country, at the expence of the
people, whom they taxed unmercifully to increase
their rents. Mr. Baring evidently shows that he
has retained the opinions, for maintaining which he
was hooted at the time by the country 'squires, but
that it is no longer convenient for him to urge them,
though he is satisfied that they can only not be
victorious in the House, by confining the repre-
sentation to noodles and sluggards. There is in all
this something so monstrously impudent, that we
question if, in the whole history of the world, there is
an instance of men using an argument which involves
such a marked insult to a nation. By holding out in
this manner to the people the higher ranks as their
inveterate enemies, do they not do all they can to
make the people enemies to the higher ranks ? Mr.
Stanley exposed the absurdity of Mr. Baring's ar-
gument. He vindicated the country gentlemen
from the charge of want of intelligence and want of
activity, " and felt perfectly assured that those who
came from the barley field, as it had bean stated,
would not be overpowered by those who came from
the coal field ; and were those to be blamed for
doing that in the House which they were expressly !
sent to do ?—Were they to be blamed because they
formed a class of men who would know what was
going forward in that House ? It would seem that
his Hon. Friend wished 'to have the agricultural
Members so circumstanced that they might come
down to the House for an hour or two, then go to
dinner, to an evening party, or where they pleased,
and in the latter end of the evening give such time
or attention to their Parliamentary duties as might
suit their convenience : but was such known from
experience to be the conduct of the country gen-
tlemen, or ought it to be their conduct ? Was it to
be accepted as a sound argument in a discussion like
the present, that there should be two Members
from the barley-field for one from the coal-field,
that they might relieve each other, and take the work
in turns of opposing the Members from the towns?
This is forcibly put. There is no doubt, we be- •
iieve, that the House of Commons, ill times past,
has too often been a lounging-place for men of rank,
where they might pass •an hour when not more
agreeably engaged. That with a Parliament really
accountable to a constituency identified with the
people, such a state of things can be tolerated, we
do not believe. Members will go into Parliament
with the knowledge that it will be no longer safe to
evade the duty they undertook to discharge. But
the necessity for assiduity imposed on men of rank
and property will be a benefit to them rather than
an injury. Rich men possess one advantage over
men who are without fortune, that they have leisure
for the public business; and the change produced
by the Reform Bill will not be so much the throw-
ing into Parliament men from another class, as the
improving class which now has nearly the monopoly
of the representation. Having disposed of the dis-
franchising clauses, the Committee entered on sche-
dule C, all the places in which are to have two Mem-
bers. Manchester and its environs, Birmingham
and its environs, Leeds and its environs, obtained
respectively their two Members. Sir Robert Peel
separated himself fairly last night from the Anti-Re-
formers, and justified the course pursued by Ministers.
" Looking (he said) at all the circumstances of the
country, at what had taken place previous to the dissolu-
tion, at the difficulty of constituting any Government not
prepared to concede the principle of Reform, he had to
state, that, acting for himself, and not in concert with
others—forming his own judgment—he for one, having
yielded his own opinion in deference to the majority of
the House—looking, he said, to all the circumstances of
the country, to the formation of a Government, the per-
haps necessary formation of a Government pledged to
ReforM, he had stated at an earlier period, that rather
than hazard the displacing of the Government, not seeing
how any Government could be formed hostile to Reform,
he had professed himself ready to consider the question of
letting
Reform, and what Reform should be granted.—(Hear,
hear.) As a Member of the Government, though he did
not object to enfranchise single towns, he was afraid of
loose the question of Reform, and would have been
satisfied with a more limited enfranchisement than that
now proposed. Be was at the same time aware, that
such a limited enfranchisement proposed by the late Go-
vernment, professing itself hostile to Reform, would not
have satisfied the people, and would not have been a per-
manent measure.—(hear, hear.)"
If a Government could dot be formed hOstile to
Reform, and if a limited enfranchisement would
not have satisfied the people, and would not have
been a permanent measure, then Ministers are justi-
lied in not only proposing. Reform, but such a Re-
form as would alone satisfy the people and be per-
manent. How long Sir Robert will remain of this
rational opinion, or rather how long he will continue
to support this opinion, is a question which we will
not pretentl to answer. It is, no doubt, difficult to
please all parties; but Sir Robert will please none
by ohteh esra.m—e
veerHe ne‘ivtg :
haot7vuetv:rr,"defZedsexßtreemforemtootiant
grounds he urged for emancipation—invincible ne-
cessity.—Morning Chronicle.

Tie anxious interest which the Duke of Welling-
ton and his political friends appear to take in the
fate of Portugal would do them great credit if they
were actuated by the generous motive of a faithful
adherence to an " ancient ally" in adversity; but
surely the Noble Duke and his partisans must pre-
sume upon a very gross degree of stupidity or igno-
rance in the people of this country to make it pos-
sible for them to mistake the interests of the usurper
for those of the nation on whose rights he tramples,
and to confound the claims of Don Miguel with the
cause of Portugal. There is no doubt that Portugal
is one of the most ancient allies of this country, if
not the most faithful. Before the era of Cromwell
our commerce and connection enjoyed certain privi-
leges from the GOvernment of that State, by the
grace and favour of its Kings. In the Protectorate
of Cromwell our alliance with Portugal was more
closely drawn, and the commercial advantages
which we enjoyed more accurately defined by the
treaty into which that great politician and suc-
cessful negotiator entered with John IV. Sub-
sequently the marriage of Charles 11. with the
Infanta Catherine, by which the Crown of Eng-
land first became possessed of Bombay in
the East Indies, made the connection still more inti-
mate; and the treaty of Queen Anne with Pedro
11., by which mutual advantages were stipulated on
each side—on the one, for British woollens, and on
the °dim, for Portuguese wines, completed the con•
nection which had subsisted with but very little in-
terruption to the moment when Don IVliguel, in
violation of his solemn oath, and of every principle
of morality and justice, overturned the Constitution
which he had pledged himself to protect, and stole
the diadem which had been placed with him in
trust. If that Constitution had remained urisub-
vetted, and the Crown of Portugal had been placed

--Ttc

40 41

upon the bro‘is to which it rightfully belonged,
we ask if the Duke of Wellington, the Earl of
Aberdeen, and others of that class of Statesmen,
would have expressed the same tender sympathies
which they now affect to feel for the fate of Portu-
,.:al, or allude, in the language of pathetic interest,
to our treaties with our ancient all ?" And yet
who has been the cause of the most serious interrup.
pion which that connection with Portugal ever re-
' reived ?—Don Minuet. Who has annoyed arid op-
pres:ecl the subjects of England, contrary to the let-
ter and the spirit of those treat;e, of which sr,
much is said ?—Don Miguel. Who has given the
most vexatious hindrance to British commerce, and
r p-Atedly insulted the flag of the mistress of the
seas ?—Don Miguel. Yes, this insensate and trucu-
lent usurper has severed, as far as in him lay,
the long-established connection between the too
countries. But the people of Portugal are not
an-
siverable for his frantic follies. To chastise the
tyrant is not to make war upon the people whom he
oppresses. The day which would hurl him from
the throne which, by fraud and perjury, he has as-
cended—the day which would dash from his hand
the sceptre which he has dyed in the blood of his
subjects, would be a day of rejoicing and deliverance
to Portugal. Can we forget that there was a time
,lien the Duke of Wellington himself introduced
Donna Maria at the British Court as the Queen of
Portugal? Can we forget that, by his advice, as
responsible Minister of the Crown, she was so re-
ro4nised by his late Majesty George IV ? If, on
tills subject, the Duke of %Wellington has abandoned
consistency and forgotten justice, the people of Eng-
land have not.—Morning Herald.

CONDUCDOF THE MEMBERS OPPOSED

TO THE REFORM BILL.

Yesterday a meeting of several of the Livery,
who signed the requisition to the Lord Mayor to
call a Common Hall, to consider the proprie•y of
denouncing the conduct of the Opposition in the
House of Commons, and of petitioning the House
against the delay in passing the Reform Bill, took
place at the Guildhall Coffee-house. The object of
the meeting was to discuss the expediency of perse-
vering in the intention to assemble the Livery on the
occasion.
Mr. FEAroN was called to the Chair.

Mr. GALLOWAY was, he said, one of those who
had signed the requisition to the Lord Mayor, in
consequence of the injurious delay in passing the
Bill, under the impression that the strongly-ex-
pressed disappiobation of the people would remedy
the evil.

The CHAIRMAN thought it necessary to state that
he had, on the day before, on London-bridge, had a
conversation with several Members of Parliament
on the subject of the intention of the Livery to as-
semble for the purpose alluded to. The general
impression amongst them (and they were staunch
friends to the Bill) was, that if, when appearances to
throw impediments in the way of the measure were
first discovered, a Common Hall had been sum-
moned, a good effect would, doubtlessly, have been
produced. But they thought that the most im-
portant schedules were now nearly disposed of, and
that, in all probability, if the boroughs had been
put together in a lump, they would not have been
got rid of sooner than had been the case, as certain
forms were considered indispensable in the House.
The fear was that, if any other course had been
adopted, topics of irritation would be increased, and
further causes of procrastination would be the theme
of discussion. Under such circumstances they
were of opinion that the Bill would, within three
weeks, pass through the Commons, as the Oppo-
sition was worn quite threadbare, and grew more
and more tiresome and ridiculous.

Mr. RICHARD TAYLOR a fortnight or three ►weeks
ago felt convinced that the country must express
itself on the subject, particularly after the night on
which the Opposition had ►worried the patience of
all honest men by dividing so frequently ; and he
had spoken to several about the necessity of calling
the Livery together. It appeared, however, to be
the feeling of those whom he addressed that he
should wait some time longer; now, however, the
tone was changed, and he was told that they had
waited too long. He thought that the meeting
might be held without the hazard of throwing any
censure, by implication, upon his Majesty's Mini-
sit ers, in whose motives he had the most unshaken
confidence. He thought it of great importance that
the people would not be obliged to hide or to mys-
tify their strong indignation. The forms of the
House, and the etiquette ►which at all times reigned
there, prevented the members of his Majesty's Go-
vernment from using terms of adequate disgust at
the base conduct of the Opposition ; but the Livery
would not think it expedient to stick to Parliamen-
tary phraseology; the Livery ►would, he thought,
use language less fastidious.—(A laugh.) The Press
had spoken out with great power and spirit ; hut
►what did Sir Robert Peel say upon finding that the
Press had exercised its privileges ? He denied that
the Press communicated the sentiments of the people,
and spoke of the spirit of journalism with which the
Government was, according to his description, af-
fected. Now it was his (Mr. Taylor's) wish to
show that the Press spoke the language of the po-
pulation, and that those ►who denied that fact spoke
arrant falsehoods. He wished to show that Reform
was not, as that factious and ►wretched set of bo-
roughmongers described it to be, a cry raised by
Ministers to keep them in their places, but that it
was a measure which the people were determined to
accomplish, and would, with the aid of Government,
no doubt accomplish. He approved of a latitude of
discussion; but discussion had long been at an end
on that question. Obstruction was the word, anti
not discussion. The enemies of the Bill ►were con-
stantly engaged in petty villanous quibbling. They
resembled those low attorneys who constituted the
vermin of the law, and who availed themselves of
technicalities to smother the operations of justice.
ASHURST thought the meeting was bound at
least to express their determination to support his
Majesty's Ministers in the most powerful and de-
cisive manner.

Mr HEVERS (of Bishopsgate) thought it would
not be advisable to hold the Common Hall, as had
been proposed, on Wednesday. Ministers had been
in his opinion, tardy, but they had explained their
reasons for the course they had adopted, and many
thought that they could not have done better than
by pursuing that course. He thought it would be
advisable not to meet on Wednesday, but to draw
up some resolutions stating the ground of the post-
ponement. They ought to wait till they could
ascertain whether the Opposition was to be carried
on in the same odious spirit which had distinguished
it, or whether it was not nearly at an end. He then
moved that they should draw up resolutions on the
subject.
Mr. LEDGER seconded the motion.

Mr. WILLIAMS, of Wading-street, stated the delay
in the Bill was of extensive injury to trade. Who
could enter into engagements, when it was known
hat multitudes had determined, if the Bill did not
pass, not to pay any more taxes ?—(Hear, hear.)
There were other alarming circumstances connected
with the delay.
After a few words from Mr. DILLON, of Fore-
street, Mr. GALLOWAY, Mr. PRITCHARD, &c., the
following resolutions were unanimously adopted:—
" That, in consequence
.of the progress made in the
Committee of the House of Commons since the signing of
the requisition to the Lord Mayor, particularly on Satur-
day last, when the di•qualifying clauses were neai!y ter-
mirated, and from the fear that the proceedings of any
public meeting might, by those engaged in the present
factious and unprincipled opposition to the measure, be
used as a new means of causing a frivolous and vexatious
delay, this meeting withdraw their requisition for the pre-
sent, and express their desire that a Common Hall should
not immediately be held. And that the Liverymen now
assembled do torus themselves into a Committee, with
power to add to their numbers, and that such Committee
do meet again on Monday next, or earlier if expedient, to
consider whether it will be then necessary to adopt any
and what measures regarding the passing of the Reform
Bill."

'NV