The Sun.
London, England, 1847-02-16 00:00:00

.•
•
4
4‘,.33
,
•
*. . .
.
dOOO, •
. "4,4
• (i/14- 4 de,
-n7+
./ 4
. ; , 00. . 4 lip
“ DIF *r_f.„ll- Mssir„7„ ,V17:41%.• on .4 w‘ clq
ex
,6 •

- 2 ,

DINNER TO MR. lITAKLEY, M.P.
Yesterday evening an entertainment was given to Mr.
Wakley, M.P., at the Angel Inn, Islington, by his consti-
tuents, ,not only as a testimony of their approval of his
political conduct, but of the way in which he has discharged
his duties as coroner, and particularly of his mode of con-
ducting the proceedings of the inquest at Hounslow: Mr.
Fielden, M.P., presided, and was supported by Mr. T. Dun-
combs, M.P., General Sir De Lacy Evans, M.P., Mr. Shar-
man Crawford, M.P., Mr. Williams, and several in-
fluential gentlemen not in Parliament. About eighty of the
electors of the borough sat down to an exceedingly well-
arranged dinner. The moment the cloth was removed,
The CHAIRMAN rose, and said that the first toast on his
list was one which used to be drunk first in better times,
viz., "The people, the just source of all political power."
he toast was drunk with loud cheering.
The next toast, " The Queen, and may she at all times
faithfully fulfil the wishes of the people, and always set a
good example to the aristocracy, amongst whom she held
the highest rank," having been drunk with the greatest
enthusiasm, •
The CHAIRMAN proposed the "Health of Mr. Wakley, the
honest and fearless representative of the borough of Fins-
bury in Parliament."
The toast was pledged amitht general and vehement
cheering.
Mr. %VARLET commenced by acknowledging the kind and
flattering manner in which I hey had received the toast. The
Hon. Gentleman then described his own active life for nearly
ahaqducaorntedruoctfeadcaenptuabrieyi,
irnfoourtwenty-three years of which he
Al, had been twelve years their
representative, and for eight years coroner for a considerable
portion of that county. He continued—the Reform Bill had
not been attended with the good consequences some persons
expected, and the House of Commons 'night still be named
emphatically a bad house, and John Bull ought to be called
John Cow, for he yielded to the pressure of taxation as ith
merely a grumble, but did not combine and agitate properly to
make the Legislature act as it ought to do. Public spirit was
not kept alive except when some great crisis occurred; in
fact, John Bull seemed always to be locking the door after
the horse was stolen. He would not go through all the mis-
doings `of the last Parliament, but merely state his opinion
that it was not a good one for the people, and how it would
end he knew not. The time would soon come when a grand
national inquest would be held upon it. He was of opinion
that the duration of Parliament, should be shortened, the
number of the electors should be increased in order to render
them more independent, and that the vote by ballot was
necessary, though the electors of Finsbury were able to do
without it, and preferred going to the hustings and re-
cording their votes openly. The Hon. Member then
alluded to the state of Ireland, which, he observed, showed
how occupied people were in England. Proposals were
now being made to send large grants of money to. the
sister country. Did. the electors of Flashing regret those
grants 2. No, they would not regret them if they saw
that the result of them would be placing society in
Ireland upon a just and safe footfns: He would • ask
whether the proposals now made by Ministers had that ten-
dency? In his opinion they had not, and they would only
make things worse. A small party of public men with
whom he was connected had been for many years demand-
ing for Ireland ene thing—viz., a just and liberal poor-law;
and, in the absence of it, every farthing seat to that country
would be a robbery, because it would not be a benefit to the
poor Irish, but to the Irish landlords only.—(Hear.) There
were at that table six Members of the House of Comons, and
he believed that every one of them took the same view
as he did of the question.—( Hear, hear.) If such a state of
things were permitted any longer, it would be a judgment
on the whole community for their supineness. In the parish
of St. Giles 27,0001. a year were collected for the relief
of the poor, and during the last year he was told that
20,0001. out of that sum had been expended on the poor of
Ireland. The truth was that the officers of that parish,
seeing what would be the fate of the Irish if they were sent
back to their own country, declined sending them there any
longer. When a poor-law was spoken of for Ireland the
Irish landlords contended that such a tax would amount to
a confiscation of their property. All he could say was,
" then lam for confiscation."—( Loud cheers.) If it is to be
a question between the landlords of Ireland and the people
of England who is to be robbed, I say, as one of the majority,
let the minority be robbed.—(Loud_ cheers.) They have
been long enough robbing us. He was told that if out-door
relief was given to the Irish they would not 'work. He
knew better ; they worked in this country, and they
did not apply for relief as long as they could work.
He could not help alluding to another proposal for the benefit
of Ireland, viz , the loan of sixteen millions to make rail-
ways in a country were people were so poor that they had
not money enough to pay the smallest passage fare. This
was a scheme propounded by the leader of the Protectionist
party. Really it was an Irish proposal, though some said it
was concocted in the land of Hudsonia. It was most ridi-
culous to say it was the relief of Ireland, when the truth
was that it was intended for the benefit of Irish railway
shareholders.-.(Hear, hear.) He believed that the good
sense of some of the Members of the House of Commons
would prevent the passing of such a measure, and that it
would not be revived in the House of Lords. The Hon.
Member then alluded to the late judgment pronounced in the
Court of Queen's Bench unfavourable to him, and having
gone over the facts connected with the inquest at Hounslow,
maintained that that judgment was delivered in ignorance,
and that he would defend himself against the injustice, not
only on the present occasion, but on a fitting opportunity
elsewhere. Having thanked the electors for the honour they
had done him, the Honourable Gentleman sat down amidst
loud cheering.
Some other members then addressed the company, who did
not separate until a late hour.