The Sun.
London, England, 1847-11-23 00:00:00

A.

MR. VILLIERS.

The following address has been sent to the electors
of South Lancashire from Mr. Villiers :
LONDON, Nov. 20.—Gentlemen,—An anxious de-
sire to arrive at a just decision, under the circum-
stances in which I find myself placed, in the proud
position of your representative, has caused me to
delay for some time a formal announcement of the
course I feel called upon to pursue. To be selected
as a fit and competent person to represent the vast inte-
rests of the southern division of Lancashire, con-
taining, perhaps, the most important constituency of
the United Kingdom, though unconnected with it
by family or property, is one of the highest honours
which an English commoner can receive. It is not,
therefore, without a full appreciation of the great
and unsolicited distinction that has been conferred
upon me, that I am now compelled to state
that I cannot, consistently with my sense of
duty, avail myself of it. I will, with re-
spectful candour, lay before you the reasons of my
conduct, trusting that they will be no less convincing
to you than they have been to myself. Nothing is
more valuable in a constitutional Government than
the establishment of perfect confidence between a re-
presentative and a constituency, when once formed,
it embodies the whole moral force of the representa-
tive system, it becomes at once a principle and an
example. The duties which spring from it are re-
ciprocal, and a moral wrong, is perpetrated, and a
moral injury inflicted, if upon considerations that are
not strictly national, a constituency should discard a
faithful representative, or a representative abandon a
pure and confiding constituency. When elected for
South Lancashire, after the trust long reposed in me
cibloy, the boroughonnsataitruaehnlycyr,ewh of
ehNovseed:olnffie dl
teWolverhamptonnthceatl
thh had
aeddeenci.iosyi
decision
been mo
st
honourably
from
to the
ticeentorfasnecaetsi
notuogphutbnl
ioctlti
foe rest with
dwuittyh
tmeotbheutelewcittohrsthoef
ficlAhrrsoolverhampton was clear; it was for them and not
for me to determine whether there was any exigency
of public service, or
compensate for the severance of
ag aconnexion
c hwyrh-
cuhl d o
had lasted
and which with time had becomen mearolyretbhiinrtdei
enng,yme anrrse,
It was my ear-
innetsitmwatiseh, and
iln tdreuesitdimngortehs uiseful. I
question the electors
of Wolverhampton should not take into account my
personal feeling or position ; although the represen-
tation of South Lancashire must be an object of the
highest ambition to any public man, individual sa-
tisfaction should not be weighed against public prin-
ciple or honourable engagement. The electors of
Wolverhampton have decided that the princi-
ciple of reciprocal obligation between a representative
and his constituents should prevail over other consi-
derations submitted to their judgment; they have
deliberately examined the circumstances, and weighed
the subject in all its its bearings. To their decision
lam bound to defer. Ido so the less reluctantly, as
my previous knowledge of South Lancashire has con-
vinced me that there are among yourselves many well
qualified to watch over and defend your interests in
Parliament. Gratitude for the honour you have in-
tended to confer on me, cannot be effaced from my
memory; the great question of free trade which has
hitherto united us will long continue to hold us
together; much has been accomplished, but much
yet remains to be done, and one of the reasons that
has influenced me in adopting the line that
I have done in this important question is,
t' 'rnscolahl- fesr that the desertion
of a constituency which has been devoted to
free trade from the time it was enfranchised
by a representative elected for free-trade opinions,