The Sun.
London, England, 1847-07-19 00:00:00

B

OF
Gentlemen,—There appears e Puljr. tilhsu.t
dissolution of Parliament w:ilioivaliairi=ctitietluy„ key'
ce.
is
If it be your will that It
you, I place my services at your command.
I have received the offers of support from more than
one place of the first importance in respect to ci
mereial enterprise and wealth, and to the number of the
constituent body ; but having represented )ou for many
years, and having received from you, under trying cir-
cumstances in publis affairs, signal proofs Of your esteem
and confidence, I as rine filling, by any act of mine, to
interrupt the connexion which has long subsisted be.
tween us.
But I cannot seek your support on any other than
public grounds, and as the position in which I stand is
in some respects a peculiar one, I feel it necessary to
transgress the limits of an ordinary address, in soliciting
your attention to the course whicn I have pursued in the
present Parliament, and in ,xplaining, so far as is con •
eistent with that freedom of discretion which is essential
to the proper discharge of Parliamentary duties, the
general principles to which, if re-elected, I intend to
conform,
When you last returned me to Parliament I held the
chief office in the Government of this great empire. I
am now addressing you in a private capacity, rejoicing
in the recovery of leisure and independence, without the
intentionoorr
owuigs
hh t t
too resumeb elo e ittoh et
the
ethat
saeustshi
oour i toyf 711 ieceh,
or that influence which insg,
pcuonrrf;rarespdirbiuyg tthoepolEwnednand
guidance of a great politicl
But I am not, on that acacou
the motives
the less anxious to vin-
dicate, to your satisfaction,
otivesbyl whichh I have
been influenced, the measures to which
party, and the general course of policy of the vAedtu beent.
lits. a.
trati.in with which I was connected.
The chief acts of that Administration, and the circum-
stances which led to its dissolution, must be familiar to
your recollection.
You have now ample means for judging whether the
conduct of the Government, in respect to the external
relations of this country, was calculated to promote the
public welfare. You can contrast the position of affairs
in 1841 and 1846, and can determine whether the sta-
bility of our Indian empire has been impaired, or whe-
ther a succession of glorious achievements in the field,
and the vigour and firmness, and, above all, the justice
and moderation of those who have directed the public
councils in India, have not increased throughout the
East respect for tho British name, and promoted willing
obedience to British authority.
There is, I fear, some justice in the reproach, that the
people and the Parliament of this country are com-
paratively indifferent, excepting under circumstances of
sudden excitement, to the administration of foreign
affairs. But it would be a grievous neglect of duty on
the party of those whose choice ,:f representatives will
determine the general character of the future Parlia-
ment, to exclude from their serious consideration this
great department of the publie business.

SIR ROB!:.RT P.
TO THE ELECTOR,
TAMWORTIL

When the late Government was formed, the charge of
that department was committed by the Queen to a
Minister of whom I may say with truth, that he suc-
ceeded in acquiring the esteem and confidence of every
honest man engaged in the diplomatic service of other
states, and he made that esteem and confidence
conducive to the great object of his political life—the
maintenance, of honourable peace.
It is for you to judge whether Lord Aberdeen acted
wisely in disregarding those appeals to national pride
and national sensibilities which, if not provocations to
war, were great impediments to the maintenance of
peace, rine in resolving to adjust, if possible, by means
of amicable arrangement end mutual concession, the
petty differences which constantly occur between powerful
nations, and wnich, if treated in eny other spirit, are
easily inflamed into national quarrels.
It is for you to judge, in reviewing our discussions
with the United States, whether it would have been
wise to have insisted on extreme rights of territory
on the north eastern frontier of the province of Maine,
and on the banks of the Columbia river, and thus (even
if war could be averted), to have ensured for another half
century a controversy toll of buterness and irritation;
or whether it was not the better policy to propose, in
the spirit of peace, conditions pet fectly compatible with
the honour of each country, and n,t, requiring from
either any sacrifice, territorial or commercial, which
would not be (earty purehawd oy the cost of a single
week's hostilities.

But, Gentlemen, how, ver important are the considera-
tions to which I have been advrrting, there are others,
in respect to whi,h, from their relation to our social
conditien and domestic pacy, you will p. obably feel a
more immediate concern. The most prominent at the
prt sent time are tho', connected with questions of reli
lion, and with the recent changes in our financial and
commercial legislation.
On these ponds I desire to enter into unreserved ex-
planation with you. I write with, ut concert or com-
munication with any other person what,ver, and the
views and opinion:, the:, fore, which I may express are
expressed on my ilwn behalf exclusively.
I feel, GentL men, the deepest interest in all that con-
cerns the welfare of the Established Church. I feel that
intere,4, from conviction of the truth of its doc-
trines, and from the firm belief that the Es:ablished
Church is capable of being mad,, and through the tem-
poral zeal, anti active exertions of the highest spiritual
authorities, is in the progress of being made, the most
powerful instrument that exists for administering the
consolations of religion, for spreading the knowledge
of divine truth, and for supplying the imperfections of
human laws, by the oblir,ations and restraints of religious
duty.
. _

f have resistei, and shall continue to resist, every
proposal for appropriating any portion of the revenues of
the Church, in any part of the United Kingdom, to other
than ecclesiastical purposes in direct connexion with the
Church.

I have felt it, however, to be quite consistent with a
warm attachment to the interests of the Church to take
a leading part in those measures which had for their ob-
ject the abolition of ecclesiastical sinecures, the curtail-
ment of excessive emoluments, and the application of
such a portion of the revenues of cathedral and col-
legiate churches as was not 11- quirrd for the purposes of
those institutions, to the partial remrdy of great evils
in the social and spiritual condition of this country.
A very few years since it was publicly declared on
the highest authority, that " a vast proportion of the
people of this country were left destitute of the ozy por-
tunities of public worship and Christian instruction."
Of this fact, such proots us the following were adduced:—
That there were in Loncion and its suburbs four parishes
containing an aggregate of 166 000 persons, with church-
room for 8.200, being not quite (we-twentieth of the
p ,pulation—that there ware in the same district 34
parishes with a population of 1,137,00.1 inhabitants, and
church-room for 101.632 person:— th,t in our own
neighbourhood, in the diooese of Lichtidd and Coventry,
there were 16 parishes. each having above 10.000 inha-
bitants, with an aggregate population of 235,000 persons,
and church room tar about 29 000.

doubt it val within the competency of Pat liament
to make provision for the supl•ly of theme alarming defi-
ciencies in the means of religious instruction, by large
grants of public money derived from general taxation;
but I fel, persuaded that it %lonic' not b•• for the ativ n

taou of reiteion that such a proposal sh uld be made,
until after all the resources of ih,. Church, which ~. (f
pro.perly bed (-lA. red stvailwb e fi ir the put- poi-. had het-t,
applied to it. lii It 111,0 persuaded it a! the appr,,,,,,
la
non of those res,,urces, with skis willing consent of
Church, to such objects as the augrneotan,,ll of poor
brnefices, the t-statnishn3ent of n, tr cue!, si,
tricts, and the general improv-:netts to pastoral super
intentience in very popuh,us pari-hes, %soulti not only
increase the localncyof Estabh-hrnew,
wi,uld tend to confirm its hold on the respect anti attach-
ment of the people
It w:,s for such purposes that, with the willing eim,",Fir
of the Church, 1 proposed, in the yt ar 1843..
which passed into law, for making
the spiritual care of populous parishes
inrisrituted, t:ri
\Yaks. and
Under that la« there. rave
b'en*ce;;; distriers and
agreed to be constirtved. 218 better snd
pfoarst(a)ria,nl su-
perintendence
I opirovided
pose this Net to the
lati,in of above 764,000 souls.to the welfare of the
charge of indifference or hostility
new priparishes;
waini Id• 'hua.3vl•inh'eet(erlzi

Church.
eases wherein '1 deered th o
think it inconsistent with the true
interests
to protect the rights, and to consul
claim a just one, .
;shins, I gave my support to gs and wishes of those who dissent f- -
.orn its,
d
rm_theig
L'ot'hle(ti'tiehsnio:ctlir in
nas their ractical iop;iation is
mea-
sures for quieting the titics to Dissenting placcs of wor-
Qip, and for repealing many pentd satutcs in matters of
dlrtest.hese
impre
concerned, but at variance with the mild spirit of modern
legislation, and giving gratuitous offence by implying
suspicion and distrust, Y, ithout , &ring the slightest re-
medy against any apprehendcd d;.,n.ger.
With these impressions also, while cordially approving
of the proposal of her Majesty's pr,-,ssnt Government to
extend the system of I
Pub.ic instruction in this part of thee United Kingd.,m, I exprosied an opinion that it ought
to be sufficiently comprehensive to include the children
of Roman Catholic parents.
During the period to which I am referring, the state of
Ireland (that fruitful source of constantly recurring
nfisnd.
painful discussion), was repeatedly forced upon the:dcr, 1
advert
deration of Parliament. I shall, in this address,ffair which
only to the topics in connexion with Irish
:d. the eni-
have excited the chief interest in this I,:r
d pledgee are
pire, and in respect to which opinion!
from
those
who
icfo:nret,:sai
foo:bnfsl
now demanded by tuany constituencies f
are candidates for their 1 .avour. r
have to make on this
I will preface the observationsotation from the w liingsof
most important subject )
b:Titerity will regard v the
that eminent man
r whculLoPrs and the most profound of
most eloquent 0. the
ioLn
of
modern times.
the philosophic states
s since Mr. Burke, in a letter ad-
It is
ni,,,,, fifty year.. ,
dressed to his „n, paced
ed upon record the fop ,wing
opinions:—
" lc" says, "no more than Being myse ,he , . a common
layman commonly in-orincd in emitroversi, a, leading
only a ver:t, co • inmon life,
in and having only a common
citizen's interest the Church or in the State, yet to
you I will say, in justice to my O•Vn sCiltlin.'ntS,that not
one of those z slots .or a Protestant interest wishes more
sincerely flan: I do, p,-rtnip, not hail so sincerely. for
the support of the Es ishiished Church in bo,th these
kingd ens. It is a o,reat. link to mards holding fist the
connexion of religion with tfe State, and for keeping
these two islands, in their reesen. critical independence
of c a .titu,ion, en a close cooncx 0,, of cpinion and
affe-tion. I wtsh it well, es the rei,lvon of the greater
h lemgd rn.
number of the pre.,,ary land pr,p,:,i ~" c't.th" if '''g' ror
will wli .m all estaniishments of Church and
.State,_
k_
strong poll. led n ;,sons, might in my
t.:,sp1111:-;:er,4:1;
finely cot-11-Hewed. I A ish it well, he'''a. u-ec!
__..m.5, vith
combined than any other of' tier- t...lfur,riesy;lixe „
a con-
. the Crown, which is the stay ( h