The Sun.
London, England, 1847-07-09 00:00:00

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PRICE SD.

principle opposed in this/Our time to the all-getteral en-
dowments of religions. ( Cheers.) I will not say to the
partial-payment of religionaries, floVt lee may arise
vi
particular pronc 1 and colonial c sof necessity ;
but in principle I am an opponent to general endow-
ments. (Cheers.) In the old days the priest was
Aught by the public to be the representative of truth,
nd the state, its vicar, consequently, and logically,
enough, punished Dissenters as it would have punished
criminals. In these days the priest is thought to be the
representative of heaven, and the less he has to say to
anything under the earth, and in earth's bowels, in the
shape of minerals, the better.—(Laughter.) There was
a great man great, though he dare not invade the
homes of the men of Kent--(Cheers)—Napoleon Bona-
parte, who said that the Irish Roman Cathclic priesthood
in Ireland were the moral captains of the people. Why,
because they are independent and unpaid. Endow them,
and they will immediately lose their influence.—
(Chegrs.) That is my deliberate opinion. With these
principles and opinions, you may readily believe that I
shall not easily bring myself to vote for the endowment
of the Irish priesthood.—(Cheers.) And now, although
I am obliged, for the sake of time, to omit many sub-
jects, on which, however, I shall be ready to answer, if
you will ask me questions, I will pass to that which is
considered to be the holy of holies, the occupancy of
Downing-street.—(Cheers.) And as there is little
enough as yet of public significancy about this Ministry,
I do not know that I can do better than to quote
what I said six years ago of Lord John Russell,
the chief and champion and best representative of
modern Whiggism, in the figurative language of a
boy, " that it was impossible to speak without admira-
tion of a statesman who reminded him of a saying
of a great imperialist general, who made it his
proudest boast that he bad fought two campaigns
against the Conde and Turenne, and had not been con-
quered. Lord John Russell had fought more than two
campaigns against Stanley, more chivalric than Conde;
and against Peel, more far-seeing than Turenne; and
had not been conquered."—(Cheers.) But since I spoke
that sentence six years have passed away, and Lord John
Russell has not only not been conquered, but has himself
conquered both Lord Stanley and Sir Robert.—(Great
cheers.) He has realised to the furthest and the fullest
the prophecies of his coming greatness which fell from
the greatest of our political poets, Mr. Thomas Moore,
and the most eloquent of our statesmen, Mr. Canning...—.
(Cheers.) But notwithstanding the greatness of his
position, and the greater greatness in himself, I may,
perhaps, be permitted to say—l, who have that Sydney
blood in my veins which was shed on the same scaffold
with his',Russell blood in defence of the liberties of Eng-
land—(Great cheering)—that he remembers too much
and too often that he is a Russell and a Whig, and too
little and too late that he is the Prime Minister of
..s country-.which: is Asick--beartily and cgrdiaPy
of all the barren. inanities of party.--,(Great cheering.)
It has been to me a reproach in politics that my watch
is always five minutes too fast.— ("Hear," and laughter.)
You will probably think that in saying how I will act
towards Lord John Russell my watch is going too fast,
and I am already supposing myself once more your
Member.—(Cheers.) Flattered by such a meeting as
the present—guaranteed by your sympathy and support
—I believe I shall for the third time be your Member.—
( Tremendous cheering.) Under all circumstances I
shall go to the poll.—(Cheers.) Except in a time of
movement, I must admit that we men of theory make
indifferent Parliament men. My own temper is such
that I will frankly say that in these last vicissitudes I
would rather have been one of the journalists who led
than one of the statesman who followed.—(Loud
cheers.) And if I shall be ostracised and deposed by you
—(Loud cries of "No, no exercise thenceforth
the free pen of an independent intelligence, I shall not
personally blame the instigators of a change which shall
hinder and prevent me from mingling in the small dis-
sensions of modern legislation.—(Loud cheers.) But
whatever the event, be it yours now to acquit me of the
charges brought against me ; be yours, or at least of the
gentle judging and generous among you, the part to try
me by no vulgar standard of success ; to reproach me
not that I have been a patriot when a Government was
strong, and a placeman when a Government was weak,
but for that very reason to sympathise with and adopt
my public conduct. Be it mine to assure you that, had
I to renew it, I would speak again as I have spoken, and
vote once more as I have voted—to rejoice that I at-
tacked Sir Robert Peel when his Administration stag-
nated beneath the superincumbent slime of aristocratic
approbation—to rejoice still more that I joined him
when his hand was free, and he struck the niggard rock
of Parliamentary bounty, and the waters flowed forth,
and the people of England were permitted, even in our
time, to feel the invigorating influence of a liberal and
beneficent, but not the less an ancient and :Tory policy.
—(The Hon. Gentleman resumed his seat amidst reite-
rated rounds of enthusiastic applause).
The meeting broke up at twelve o'clock.