The Sun.
London, England, 1841-09-09 00:00:00

THE SUN, LOND )N, 1: I

PUBLIC DINNER TO G. BING,
ESQ., MEMBER FOR MIDDLESEX.
A public dinner was given yesterday at Brantford, by
the ReformPrs of West Middlesex, to George Byng,
Esq., their venerable representative.
A temporary building was erected for the occasion,
which was tastefully decorated with variegated lamps,
with flags and banners, on which we noticed the follow-
ing inscriptions :—" The Queen and liberty"—" The
Queen and the people"—" Byng, the advocate of cheap
bread, and the friend of the poor"—" Down with the
monopolists, the robbers, and oppressors of the poor"—
Who taxeth the bread of the poor, the people shall
curse him"—" No surrender"—" Peace and free trade
with all the world."

The building was crowded to excess, and it was com-
puted that not less than 500 sat down to dinner. A space
was appropriated foi• the ladies, in which a great pro-
portion of tho beauty of the county was assembled.
Shortly after tour o'clock, the Chairman, Sir William
Clay, 13art., entered the room, accompanied by Mr. Byng,
who was received with loud cheers, all the company
standing. In thC seats beside him we noticed Sir T.
Wilde, M.P., Viscount Ebrington. M.P.,Hon. C. P. Vil-
liers, M.P., Mr. Vernon Smith, M.P., Sir John East-
hope, M.P., Mr. Hubhouse, M.P., Mr. Thothas Dun-
combo, M.P., Mr. Ewart, M.P., Mr. Ward, M.P., Sir
De Lacy Evans, Mr. Whitbread, Blunt, Esq., W.
A'Becket, ESq., W. Coppock, Esq., and other gentlemen.
Grace having been said, and the cloth, removed,

The CII AIR3IAN said, that the first toast which, in dis-
charge of. his office, it was his duty to propose, was the
health of her Majesty the Queen.—(Loud cheers.) To
that toast he was sure they would give a cordial. welcome,
not oit'V because they entertained that feeling of loyalty
Whielfo.felt by every Briton;bitt becauSe, a:Reformers,
they could not but be sensible that no Sovereign had ever
filled the throne of these realms who had shown that
they more respected the rights and privih:ges, or had
more deeply, at least, • the well-being of the people at
heart. Their relations, as Reformers, towards their
Sovereign, had within a short time sustained an impor-
tant alteration. The councils of this country were
no , -longer guided by members of the Liberal
party, but he was sure they would be happy
to show that that made no difference in the
feelings they entertained towards their Sovereign.
They well knew that she had submitted to
that necessity—(Cheers)—imposed upon every constitu-
tional monarch, and which no constitutional monarch
better understood than herself.— (Cheers.) But they,
the 1-Zeforrners of Middlesex, should be proud to show,
on that and other occasions, that theirs was no time•
serving loyalty— (Cheers) —no divided allegiance.—
(C4ers.) 1-10 was quite certain he spoke the sentiments
u'tevery man who heard him, when he said, that by Ro
member or section of that party, would ever be mani-
fested a want of that dutiful respect which was owing to
her Majesty, and which was not only due to her as the
Sovereign, but as the first lady of the realth.--(Cheers.)
With these few words of preface, he would propose the
health of her Majesty the Queen.—(Cheers, and three
times three.)

Air—" God save the Queen."
The CHAIRMAN then proposed " The health of Prince
Albert," and afterwards "The Duke of Sussex, and the
rest of the Royal Family in England," which toasts were
drunk with three times three, and longeontinued cheering.
The CHAIRMAN then said he would call their attention
to that toast which had more immediate reference to the
object of their assembling that day—he had to propose
the health of George Byng, Esq., their venerable repre-
sentative.—(Loud and long-continued cheering.) He
had anticipated that a cordial welcome would
greet the toast, and he was quite sure that
their approbation of his Hon. Friend—the appro-
bation of. his conduct which was manifested by their
cheers, was entertained by them iu common, not only
with he electors of Middlesex, but also with those of
the United Kingdom.—(Loud cheers.) - Where was the
public man who had better deserved the approbation of
his fellow-citizens ?—(Cheers.) Where was the Member
of Parliament who had discharged with greater fidelity
the arduous duties of a representative of the people ?
(Cheers.) Others might have manifested as true a de-
votion to Liberal principles—others might have been as
consistent in their public conduct—but to what other man
had Providence given'the opportunity to display those qua-
lities through so long a career ? If he mistook not,
it was now more than half a century since his Hon.
Friend first entered upon public life; and now, after the
lapse of that long period, they still found him support-
ing Lord John Russell—(Tremendous cheering)—with
the same steadiness—even with the youthful energy—
which he displayed in following the banners of Mr. Fox.
—(Loud cheers.) And during that long career could
one single instance be cited in which he had been found
leagued
.with the enemies of popular rights?—(Loud
cheers)—in which he had not shown himself a steady
friend of civil and religious liberty?—in which he had nut
shown himself ready to defend, confirm, and extend the
rights and privileges of the people ?----(Cheers.) Firm
and temperate, prudent and uncompromising, just as he
was in the outset, such he was—he would not say in the
close, but in the latter portion of his career.—(Cheers.)
In his youth he was not rash, in honoured age he had
not shown himself timid —(Cheers.) As in the early
portion of his public life he did not by his advocacy of
rash doctrines alarm the • prudent and alienate the wise
and good from the cause of Reform, so also in the later
portion of his career he had shown no disposition to go
over to. the•:Tories.—(Lond cheers.) He (the Chair-
men) did not think that even during the
excitement of the Reform Bill, his Honourable
Friend was one of those who preposed to swamp the
House of Lords—(Cheers)--but, on the other hand,
neither had he deserted the cause of the people.—
(Cheers.) It appeared to him that 'the consistency of
his lien. Friend was of that order which constituted the
merit of public men.—(Hear.) Of this he was certain,
that among•those qualities that best procured for public
men that confidence on the part of the people, which
was absolutely necessary for the healthy working of the
political system—that high amongst them must be reck-
oned that honourable consistency of public conduct, of
which the career of his Honourable Friend had
offered so bright an example.—(Cheers.) On such a
man, it appeared to him the public should, for their own
sake, be anxious to heap every honour which it was
in their power to oMr.—(Cheers.) It appeared to Min
they should raise the name of such a man to that emi-
nence which the public estimation —which the approbation
of a free people—..could alone confer, and where it would
operate as an incentive to honourable ambition, and
shine with steady splendour as a beacon light to cheer
the patriot in discharge of his arduous, and not unfre-
quently, thankless task.—(Loud cheers.) He would
not detain them by giving film proofs of what he
had asserted respecting his Honourable Friend.
To those whom he addressed, such proofs were
unnecessary; yet he could not avoid referring to a
late instance, in which he had proved his devotion to
the cause of the people.—(Cheers.) What had been his
conduct on the last great question which had agitated
the minds of the people ? —a question on which he might
have been expected to falter—a question on which he
must have felt great difficulty, considering his peculiar
position. But what had been Mr. Byng's conduct re-
specting the Corn-laws ?—(Loud cheers.) He had se-
parated himself from his class, and differed from the
men whom he loved—being himself among the most
eminent landowners of the kingdom, and had shown
that he
.could form a judgment of his own on the
greatest of all political questions, unswayed by
bias even by that unconscious bias by which
minds of the best men were -but too apt to be af-
fected.—(Cheers.) He had separated himself from his
class, and had joined himself to that small but. illustrious
band of statesmen and patriots, the Bedfords, Fitzwil-
hams, and Spencers—(Cheers)—men already dear to
• their country, and whose conduct in this matter would
endear them to their country still more—(Cheers)—
men too wise to believe.the interests of the landowners
could be separated from the interests of the whole com-
munity ; or, it it were so, too patriotic to seek for exclu-
sive advantages to be enjoyed at the expense of the rest
of their fellow-citizens.—(Cheers.) He believed his
Honourable Friend had not been less diligent in giv-
ing practical effect,' to his principles. He appealed to
his lion. Friends around him if they had ever
known him absent from a division.—(Cheers.) lie,
the father of the House of Commonsand, as he (Sir
W. Clay) had called him, so he would express the wish,
that his family were more like him—(Hear)—that they
had more of a family likeness.—(Hear.) He had set
an example of diligence and zeal which the youngest of
them might be proud to imitate. However tedious the
debate—at whetever hour it terminated, no man could
say that he had not found Mr. Byng at his post.—
(Cheers.) With these few words of preface, in which
he had indulged rather to satisfy hiS- own feelings than
from any impression that it was necessary to explain his
merits, or to excite their enthusiastn, he would propose to
'them the health of George- Byng, Esq., their long-tried
and consistent Member for Middlesex.—(Loud cheers.)
Mr. BYNG, who was received with great enthusiasm,
said lie rose to return them his most heartfelt thanks.for
the honour they had done him in drinking his health,
but it was impossible for him to find terms sufficiently
strong to express his feelings. He was very certain, that
if lie had represented any common place in this country,
he never should have accepted the trust without having
made up his mind never to betray his trust. He never
could. Perfidy was not in hig nature. What could.
they think of the man who accepted of a trust, and who
afterwards converted the power the constituency had
given him to gratify his own vanity di ambition, and
nothing-else ?—((:lieers.) He felt particularly obliged
•to those gentlemen who had done him the honour of in-
viting him to meet his brother Reformers. It was time
that Reformers should meet—(Cheers)—and he hoped
that their example would be followed,in every part of
the country. The cause of Reform, they must ac-
knowledge, did not then stand as it had done. Ten years
.oisnliseosio.tfhetliineoasiti
ago they were able to carry reforms beyond the expecta-
tions
a' n thete
rCr Crown.--(Cries
situationlt•t aristocracy,'
;tong iclyt Raenfdo rrgearbsi,s
against
againsttheet
Iheet avowed
o(aeltreiersed ?of A‘‘i
teturm .Ministry
11-
,/h.liceivi
had m done
(At, ten times more, than any other Ministry
ever did for the people of this' country, and which was
backed most faithful' by the boverwrn— •-
pealed to the wo le Y the (Cs)---aP-
hem.
lie
had
d ,t7inedrefn,cioslie
,Ministry
had declared
in the House of Commons than any other ri nad d'(,)tnre,mo.r,e
e which ver (lid, and he said that the last act of theirs
ti
been the cause of their dismissal, was worth an • acta
they could Possibly name.—(Cheers.) There was 3
Reform which had done the same good to the peopleno this country as that Reform, if they had been allowed ofto
carry it.—(Cheers.) And what was theirpro-
posal ? Great expense had been incurred,
and
bow was it to be met ? Common Ministers would
have met it by additional taxation, but they found out a
much better method, which, instead of adding to taxa-
don, would add to the revenue, and at the same time
open the trade of the country to the whole universe.—
(Cheers.) He (Mr. Byng) believed that there never
was such distress as that which existed at the p:esent
moment ; and if they could have given employment to
our manufacturing labourers, they would have made

• them not only hapey lee er.efel subjects.—(Hear, hear.) f
If employed, :.hey' AVOItH have addiel to the -Wealth end
stability of the country ; bin,as it was, their poor fellow.
countrymen were absolutely iii. a • state of starvation,,
(Hear, and cries of " Shame.") They had heard of such
scenes of misery as had never before been experienced in
this . country. They had hefted of them from. a person
well informed, and much to be:believed in everything he
said, that men were willing to give not only their labour
but their skill ; and he had always reckoned that in ad-
dition to their labour men should be paid for their skill ;
and yet men of that description had been known to
pawn their clothes at night to obtain bedding, and again
to pawn their bedding in the morning to obtain clothes.
—(Cries of " Shame, shame.") The aristocracy Of the
country had overpowered them.—(Hear, hear.) lie had
always hoped to live under a Government of King,
Lords, and Commons, but he found himself living under
an erietocreey—(Cheers)—the worst of all Governments,
because, with some iew exceptions, he believed they had
lees feeling :ear their- fellow-countrymen than any
ther inen.-!--(Clicers.) , They indulged in their love of
power, of wealth, and luxury ; not caring fur the std.-
ferings of their fellow creatures. Now,- he contended.
that if they knew their real interests, they would think
01 their follow countrymen, and not thiele only of there-
selves.---(Hear, hear.) He was certain that if they opened
the trade Of this' country to all the world, and made all
the corn and foed of the world one common stock, they
would be able to send out additional manufactures to the
amount of many millions, and would be repaid in food
by those who could not afford to repay in any other .way.
lie was certain that if all . the corn in the world was
made into one common stock, it ' would raise the price
acorn all over the world, and would also, of course,
raise the price of food, which, with • the addition
of Ete. duty, which, the manufacturers willingly offered,
would certainly be a fair compensation to the agricultu-
rist.—(Cheers.) They never ought to hear of the agri-
cultural interest, and the fanded'interest, and the manu-
facturing interest ; there should be but one.commOn in-
terest—(Cheers)—and then the population of this coun-
try, which had increased so wonderfully, would add to
their strength instead of adding to their weakness.—
(Loud Cheers.) At that moment corn was selling at
nearly 10s. a bushel. He had known the,same corn un-
der the present law, which he'' was now convinced was
thoroughly injurious, selling at es. 3d.. and yet they
were told that one great excellence of die law was, that
it afforded bread eta certain fixed price:- AnOther effect
that would result from the proposed alteration would be
that it would reduce rents ; and if every thing became
cheaper they could afford to do it ; and if they could not
afford it, they were bound to do it. If they did not
think of their fellow-creatures, • how could they think
that Almighty- God would think, of them.—(Cheers.)
There °tight to be unanimity c:g in their seve-
ral stations of landlord, tenant, and labourer. The
landlord should' Wel 14411 is tenants as for his own faMily.
lie should render ihein 'ereev sort 'of assistance in his
power, and !he would then have a right to call upon
the tenant to love and 'cherish his labourers. It I,•a's
most sAtisfiietory to him (Mr. B.) to know that thriSe
when ho was best acquainted with, were most kind and
liberal . to those etnployed under them. But that was
not the ease in the greater part of England. In the
greater part of England the agricultural labourer was
treated almost as bed!), as the manufacturing labourer.
And what folly it was. How was it possible that a man
who was not well feel and taken care of could give a
farmer a good day's Work.—(Hear, hßar.) It was' im-
possible. He was sorry for an instant to compare his
fellow man to a horse, or a cow; but where was the nein
who expected a cow to give milk, or a horse to work, if
it was not then taken care of ?—(llear, hear.) It Was
shocking to compare the two things together, but he was
obliged to do'so' to. express his feelings on the -subject.
He begged pardon for detaining them so long. ,It was
impossible lie could ever be. too. anxious to stand well in
their good opinion, and when their connexion ceased, he
should wish that they might all say, " We might have
had a more eminent representative, but one of more
honesty, consistency, and principle, we could not have
had." (The Hon. Gentleman sat down amid loud cheers.)
Mr. U7HomAS DUNCoMBE then rose to propose
" The rights of the people, and may they have the zeal
to protect, and the firmness to defend them." The Hon.
Gentleman, in the course of an able speech, which We re-
gret we have not room to insert, said that the majority
in the present House of Commons had been obtained by
the grossest bribery ; that it was the spawn of corrup-
tion and intimidation which- `was encouraged by that
clause in the Reform Bill, called the Chandos clause,
and no wonder therefore they had a Chandos Parlia-
ment.—(Cheers.) Persons went about saying, " Give the
Tories a fair trial," but it could result only in one thing,
foul play to the people.—(Hear, hear.) The time was
come when they must meet monopoly and oppression.
and fight them hand to hand and foot to foot. The people
must not only meet, but speak out, on occasions like the
present. Not only intolerance, but ignorance was dis-
played by the present Cabinet. Let them look to the
late speech of the Duke of Wellington. He (Mr. D.)
was sorry that he was not better ' acquainted with the
condition of the people to who;n he was so much
.in-
debted ; for he had stated that this was the only coun-
try lie had visited where the poor man, so long as he
was sober and industrious, was quite certain of obtaining
a competency.—(oh, oh.) Could any 'thing display
greater ignorance than that ? It could only be equalled
by the declaration of the Same individual, that
the old boroughmongering Parliament was the, perfec-
tion of the Constitution.—(Cheers.) They had
.now
an " expediency!' Cabinet, but expediency meant only
that men's conduct could .be influenced by their fears,
and when they knew this to be so it was for the millions
in the country to speak out and to extort from the fears
of a Tory Parliament that which they could never obtain
from flu i r sense of justice.—(Cheers.) e '
The CHAIRMAN then proposed " The Army and
Navy." . . ~
Sir DE LAcv Evares briefly returned thanks, and pro-
posed the health of their late Member, Mr. UAW, on
whom he pronounced a very high eulogi u Or, .and valid'
was drank with much cheering. e , ' • . e!'
Mr. WARD, M.P., in an eloquent speech, proposed,
" Extension of the suffrage, and vote by. • ballot," which
was drank with loud cheers.
Mr. VILLIERS, M.P., in proposing " Peace and free
trade with all the w old," said that the principles of
peace and free trade were intimately connected, since
every person engaged in connnered must be opposed to
the barbarous policy of war, which was too much in
favour among smile of the rulers of this country. That
their honoured guest would live to see the triumph of
both principles was not only his hope but his expectation.
The opponents of free trade had been justly said to
stand between God's providence and man's necessities.
He did not expect to be defeated, but he saw no cause
for despair ; on the contrary, he believed that time pre-
sent . crisis would end in a very general and decided
reaction in favour of the principles he advocated.—
(Hear, hear.) . With respect to the present Ministry.
he had no reason to believe them faithless, and
he had therefore every reason to believe them
mischievous.—(Cheers.) A struggle between them there
must be, and the sooner they, cleared time stage for it time
better. Let King Rent ge on the one side, and the
Queen and the people on the other—the world would
look on, and God speed the right.—(Cheers.) lie
would back the people against the Peers.—(Cheers.)
They always had succeeded when they' had been right
—and he said free-trade was the natural right of
man, and that it ought not to be controlled,
unless some great and general good was the consequence.
No landholder had the right to deprive the industrious
people of the fruits of their indUstry, any more than he
had, in feudal times, to rob them of their property, or to
violate the honour of their homes, lie was not suffered
to inflict the one injury now, and he (Mr. V.) did not
see why he should be permitted to do the other.—
(Hear, hear.) Free trade would be an antidote to war,
and the best practical promotion of the Christian pur-
pose of peace and good will amongst men. Down,
therefore, with the Monopolists, who were the foes of
the common weal, and who opposed every object which
reason and religion prompted them to pursue.—(Cheers.)
Mr. HonuousE peopesed" Lord John Russell and time
Liberal Members of time House of Commens,", which was
drank with greet enthusiasm.

Sir Tuoni-As WILD}, M.P., returned thanks in a long
and able speech, in which he reviewed the conduct of
the Whig Ministry, and contrasted it with that of their
opponents. They had done much, and if they had not
done more, it was because they were not better sup-
ported by the people. The people had little to expect
from the present Government, time, like the Gallant Candi,
date for a certain borough, who had been twice before_ a
ttili%th:swejpvard as was
Court-inertial, Sir Robert Peel had been, “.twicg.p,j,(ar'
and had been found wanting., The iionQijr,q,bie And
Learned Gentleman then adverted to the contingt pc,,the
Tories out of power, and asserted that thit,y.flad.,no
right to force themselves into power, without.making
known the principles on which they were about to
govern. He hoped that the Opposition would be
conducted on the great principles they had advo-
caled when in office, and that they would persevere
political life should
jell: cease itrhseur mightort;
that evening beStowed on their , rgyieTpkir
0 honoured
Member for his upright and consisteqem p
ritcl.dactililae receiven
6t7—namely,
the grateful approbation of an erdightolopeork,.
Mr. OTWAY CAvi3 proposed `` The 4bcral Adminis-
tration of Ireland."

Viscount EBRINGTO'N, AI.P., briefly returned thanks.
Sir JOHN EAsmok, in proposing the toast of "Civil
and religious liberty,v said, that after the eloquence they
had heard that evening, it was not his intention to oc-
cupy them at any length of time,: but he could not pro-
pose the toast without glancing at the good fortune woieh
he had experienced in haying .11;131,9 praetapill,,an Dias-
theiN,, eiirei:able
illus-
tration of its aim and meapiagibarn
and respected representativeAo, just oil hori jr,w4he
uniforM and steady advocate of ein ItnA ren.gipiwilgoixty.,
lie begged leave to thank him very sincerely,ffir,Ale,x-
pressions of his benevolent sympatby with hAsAyessed
fellow countrymen,, who were suaerinw under privations
far beyond his power to describe, and which he IVas-
satisfied nothing but the exercise of t4p, ,principles he
had so well advocated that evening Ivould be abfe to
alleviate.—<Cheers.)
Mr. Ew.tia, M.P., proposed, "Freedom of trade,
commerce, and manufactures," which was drank with
loud clicer.,.

After several other apprOpriate toasts, ►chich werere-
spondedto with enthusiasm, the meeting separated.

A ' lecture on Idolatry was delivered at the
Old . Ilill chapel, Brighton, on Monday afternoon,
by Gurney, Esq., to a crowded assembly. The 'co-
ot." Gods," consisting of
I
a black stone
with a hole through the • centre, in the crevices of which
tltiterceersp of
o. c
wood of
a nv
aiious assortmentompe
and
sizes,
zes,
he stated the natives considered a God to reside and that
proper persons were employed to pour water through to
heep him cool in that hot climate, (India), a large shell,
bunch of feathers, &c. The feathers are supposed to
pOssess the power of healing wounds when placed on the
injured parts. The Gods of• Images were those con-
stantly worshiped by the inhabitants of those countries.
—Brighton Guardian, •

ti'..tdul 0-1 211011,. ~:1:

btt).:e4:13.2::