The Sun.
London, England, 1831-12-19 00:00:00

blow at Mr. Croker, but paying a high compliment to Mini-
sters, who, instead of allowing the Reformers to extort Reform
bit by bit, considered what was due to the nation, and conceded
it at once; thus preserving their own character for honour
and consistency, and tranquilizing instead of irritating the
people by an absurd and unintelligible opposition. But Sir
Robert ought to have read history a little earlier and he
would then have obviated the necessity of those strictures from
Mr. Macauley, which appear to have stung him to the quick.
Mr. Stanley made some excellent observations on Mr.
Croker's quotations from Hume, and proved that the hostility
to Reform, and not his concessions, proved his ruin. His con-
cessions were the fruit of the power of the people, and not of
his sense of justice.—Morning Chronicle.

The second reading of the Reform Bill has been carried,
and carried still more triumphantly than upon the former occa.

sion ;—we may say upon the former occasion, for the principle
was the same, though the Bill was different. A majority of
162 out of 466—that is, a majority of two to one—settles the dis-
pute about reaction. The debate itself occupies so much
space, and will necessarily attract so great an interest, that we
shall leave it to its own impression, aided by the powerful com-
mentary of a division so overwhelming as that which the
Commons of England have attached to it in their
name. This large increase in favour of the principle of the
Bill in the Commons, be it remembered, where it has been
most thoroughly sifted and discussed, may be expected to pro-
duce a considerable effect on the other House of Parliament

We do not mean an unbecoming, an intimidating effect, but the
legitimate, constitutional, and national effect which the deci-
sion of one deliberative body ought to have upon the conside-

ration of another—that of rendering it more cautious, to

investigate every argument, and take care that, if not on the
same side, it should. at all events, be on the right side of the
question. Our readers will perceive, on referring to this me-
morable debate, that the speeches of the Anti-Reformers are
confined chiefly to criticisms respecting the details of the Bill;
and that the principle, which was the real question, is either
evaded altogether, or disposed of, with the assistance of pro-
phecy, in a manner that supersedes the use of reason. The
Reformers were as triumphed in argumentation as in nume-
rical strength.—Morning HVldd.
The Reform Bill was reacts' second tune in the House of
Commons yesterday—Sunday—morning, at one o'clock, after
a division, which exhibited one hundred and sixty-two against
the second reading—and three hundred and twenty-four in
favour of it—in other words, a majority equal to the whole mi-
nority opposed to Reform I Triumphant in every respect as
this majority was, it would have been still greater but for the
reluctant absence, in some cases, and the determined absence,
in others, of many Irish Members. Some of these gentlemen
consulted their private interests and convenience in preference
to their public duty—and others, through a pretended sulkiness
that nothing had been done for Ireland—but, in plain terms,
that the Government had done nothing for them—determined
to remain in Ireland, in the hope that the Ministers would be
more kind, and send for them, as redeeming angels, in their
hour of trial. God help their silly brains to a little sense
England and her Bill can not only do without them, but better
without teem than with them ; though let us tell them,by the way,
that their mode of advocating Irish interests is not precisely the
way to advance them. Of the debate which took place on Satur-
day, we have not much more to say than we observed
on that of Friday. In the latter, the speech of Mr.
Macaulay was the leading speech of the night—grave, elo-
quent, and argumentative—full of point and cutting satire, and
only not so effective as it might have been, on account of the
extreme rapidity with which it was pronounced by the Hon.
Member. Croker's—which was the only other speech worth
notice, and which is only worth notice because it has been
cried up by the organs of his party, as " admirable," " striking,"
" exhausting the whole subject," &c.—was one of the most flip-
pant, top-whipping sort of things, that ever was listened to in a
British House of Commons—a thing that might have passed off
with numberless cheers in Peel's drawing-room, or Murray's
back parlour, with an Anti-Reform audience, but which would
not have been listened to by any body of men who take reason
for their guide, or consider argument superior to sophistry or
misrepresentation. On Saturday the debate exhibited an equal
lack of talent on the part of the Anti-Reformers :—but no lack
of argument—keen and cutting—on the part of the reforming ma-
jority. Mr. Slaney made an admirable speech in favour of the Bill,
and so also did Sir H. Willoughby. The speeches on the other
side were those of Sir R. Inglis, who appears to have no other
objection to the present Bill than that it is just as Reforming as
its predecessor—of Mr. Stuart Wortley, who has no objection
to a bit-and-bit Reform, but does not like a sweeping measure
—of Colonel Sibthorpe, who complained loudly that Ministers
had shown a disposition to hurry on! the discussion of the
Bill, and expressed a hope that the Bill would be anatomised
during the recess—of Mr. B. Wall, who said nothing of any mo-
ment—of Mr. C. Pelham, who advised the withdrawal of the Bill
—of Mr. Praed, the rising young Tory Statesman, who could find
nothing worth answering in the speeches of his Majesty's Minis-
ters, or rather, as some people think, nothing that he could an-
swer—of Col. Lindsay, who thought there were no practical evils
in the old system, although the country is now groaning under a
weight of taxation which is destroying its life, its industry, and its
commerce—and of Sir Charles :Wetherell, who appears to have
profited by his visit to Bristol, and never once mentioned the
subject of reaction, although lie maintained that Ministers,
and Ministers only, were to blame for the spirit and persever-
ance with which the people demanded a redress of their griev-
ances. Peel's speech, which, with the exception of Hunt's,
which no one would listen to, closed the debate, consisted
almost entirely of an attempt to clear himself of the stigma of
having ratted on. various great questions, and of being ready
to rat on the Reform question, with the exception of a solemn
adjuration on the dangers of Reform. We have given the
Baronet's defence at full length, as well as his solemn adjura.
tion. The former will amuse every one, be of what party he
may—the latter reminds us strongly of Liston, when in the
character of Maunvorm he declares to his laughter-loving au.
dience—" Ye shall seek me, but ye (shall not find me—ye will
try, ye infatuated wretches, to seize me by the skirts of the coat;
but I shall prevent you. I shall throw you all off: I shall
wear a spencer, and fly away." To be serious, however, the
speech of Mr. Stanley was, out of all question, the best speech
of the night, for pith and vigour—bold and energetic—most
sarcastically cutting—and if we may use the expression, " leav-
ing not a wreck behind," to which any of the opposition party
could furnish a reply. We have looked with pleasure on the
progress which this young Statesman has made; but we never
had so much occasion to admire him as in his speech of Satur.
day last. Let him but study his points, and the Crokers and
Wetherells will become smaller men, in the course of a very
few debates, than they have hitherto attempted to make them-
selves. It is not altogether unworthy of remark that Peel and
Hunt—Arcades ambo et canere pares—closed the debate.
They seem to chime in admirably in their opposition to the
Bill ; but cui Lona F Does Mr. Hunt think that Peel will ever
stand godfather to a Bill which has for its principle universal
suffrage.—Morning Advertiser.

The champions of the Constitution have "fought the good
fight" with manly energy and spirit ; and though overpowered
for the moment by the mere numbers of the delegates of fac-
tion, their ultimate success is certain. That a happy re-action
in the public mind has of late extensively taken place upon this
vital question, the results of the many important county and
city deliberations hitherto published in our paper most proudly
proclaim ; and it is therefore nothing short of insult to com-
mon understanding to say that the vote in favour of the Revo-
lutionary Bill obtained on yesterday (Sunday) morning was de-
claratory of the sense of the nation. The immense superiority
in debate of the opponents of the measure is the circumstance