The Sun.
London, England, 1847-07-22 00:00:00

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LONDON, THURSDAY, JULY 22, 1847.

PRIVY COUNCIL.

A Privy Council was appointed to be held at three
o'clock this afternoon, at Buckingham Palace, for the
purpose of settling the QUEEN'S Speech on closing the
session of Parliament. Most of the Cabinet Ministers
were expected to attend the Council.

That supreme authority over the character of the
Legislature, which is periodically confided to the dis-
cretion of the multitude, entails with it a supreme
responsibility. Rashness is culpability, indifference
is culpability, not less than dishonesty and corruption,
in an elector. For it must be remembered that the
proper exercise of judgment in the selection of a
Parliamentary representative is absolutely requisite
to ensure permanence and wisdom to the national
councils. Under this consideration it becomes obvi-
ous that the possessors of the elective franchise are in
effect the creators and guardians of the House of I
Commons ; to them is traceable the disposition of our
representative assembly, the bias of that assembly,
the tendency of its members, its disposition, its mo-
rality, its capacity, its subtlety of comprehension, the
eloquence of its discussions, the keenness of its per-
ception, the comprehensiveness of its experience—all
are attributable directly and essentially to the people.
It is by the people that the character of the House of
Commons is formed ; as emphatically—to use, not
irreverently, an old scriptural expression—as the clay
in the hands of the potter. Is the Parliament one of
distinguished honesty It is owing to the popular
selection. Are its Members ,
been
competent to de-
cide upon measures of legislative improvement .
Their capacity has originally detected
by the enfranchised
e, and their ser-
vices consequently enlisted in n the cause of the
entire empire. W may
it Whatever be the prevailing
tone of a Government—whether
be
pa
rofii g perniciousate iin
or a beneficial influence--whether it be
principle or conscientious in practice—that tone
has been born from the aggregated voices of the
electors. This was deplorably manifested in the last
generation, yes, in the last generation, as well as in
its predecessors : the rotten horoughmongering sys-
tem impregnated the Commons with a venality and a
pervading viciousness most consonant with the cor-
ruption practised among the pocket constituencies.
Now, however, that boroughmongering is almost
rendered impracticable, the electors are permitted
a better opportunity for evincing at once their inde-
pendence, their incorruptibility, and their discretion.
Their responsibilities are, moreover, enormously in-
creased.

Never, we distinctly affirm it, never has a general
election approached under circumstanc s more calcu-
lated to afford the constituencies of the United Kingdom
a chance of selecting at their pleasure from among the
various candidates who will present themselves upon
the hustings, the most patriotic and enlightened body
of representatives. The opposition which is pre-
sented to you, Liberal electors, is either so odious in
purpose, or so splintered by divisions, or so contemp-
tible in its numerical disproportion, that failure will
only be attributable to yourselves. Union—and the
day is not only yours, but the seven years are yours.
Combination—and the shadow of Conservatism, or
rather Toryism disguised, will be discomfited forever.