The Sun.
London, England, 1847-05-28 00:00:00

Otfienins .111 A;

LONDON, FRIDAY, MAY 28, 1847.

Preparatory to a general election there is naturally
much uncertainty in every constituency of the United
Kingdoms as to the individuals about to be selected
as representatives to Parliament. This uncertainty
is the inevitable consequence of the perfect liberty of
opinion among a vast majority of the enfranchised
population. Since the destruction of the odious
borough-mongering system the uncertainty attend-
dant upon the dissolution of Parliament has obviously
increased. Candidates come forward on the hustings
under every variety of colour and circumstance. Old
candidates, for example, appear either with the
prestige of long-tried and:duly-appreciated services,
or under the odium of broken engagements and
neglected duties : they have satisfied or displeased
their constituents ; they have remained staunch to
their common principles, or they have modulated the
tone of their political creed with the modulated
tone of the people. New candidates, on the
contrary, press forward, from a solicitude to conci-
liate the voters: their language is sugary with the ap-
parent coincidence of their opinions: their lips
shower down the pearls and precious stones of pro-
mise : they paint a flattering and may-be sincere, or
a specious and may-be delusive, future. The difficulty
is, therefore, to discriminate with caution in a
matter so momentous individually to the local inha-
bitants, and collectively to the general community.
A heavy responsibility indeed presses upon every
separate elector—a responsibility demanding the
calmest exercise of the judgment, and the most unim-
peachable and stoical integrity. Unless this sacred
responsibility is felt and remembered by the consti-
tuent, he is morally answerable before Heaven for its
non-fulfilment. Each polling-booth in the country
is, so to speak, the nucleus of a separate battalion in the
great national army, by which the social and political
victories of seven campaigns are to be obtained ; and
unless each of those battalions, nay, unless each man
in each of those battalions, is true to the sublime
cause of the nation, that cause is perilled by treasonous
inertness.

Long before the actual period of election arrives
there is among every sagacious constituency an
agitation of the subject upon which so many interests
are dependent. That agitation has already com-
menced in Bath. The two Liberal representatives of
that city—long tried, fully proven, and unanimously
applauded by the enfranchised lovers of political
freedom in that locality—the Noble representative,
Lord DUNCAN, and the Hon. and Learned representa-
tive, Mr. ROEBUCK, appeared yesterday evening
before their electors in the Guildhall of Bath, and re-
ceived the approval to which they are eminently
entitled, and which must have equally been to
them a source of the profoundest gratification. The
immediate reason for the sudden appearance of these
two Members before the constituency of the chief
city of Somersetshire was one which we can
not but regret. We mean the announce-
ment of the intention of Lord ASHLEY to
oppose one or other of them at the ensuing elec-
tion. For Lord ASHLEY, as an individual, we have
the deepest respect ; for him, as a politician, we have
the most catholic indulgence; for him, as a practical
philanthropist, we entertain sentiments of lively gra-
titude. But we are very far indeed from wishing to
see the Noble Lord a representative of Bath, either
in the room of Lord DUNCAN or of Mr. ROEBUCK.
We should lament such a decision on the part of the
constituents as a dereliction of duty, as an act of
odious ingratitude, and as a proceeding of the most
egregious inconsistency. We have said that we re-
gard Lord ASHLEY, as a politician, through a medium
of the most catholic indulgence. We do so,
knowing that party is scattered to atoms, that
Whig, and Tory, and Conservative are the mere
names of things that have been, and that the vast
majority of the political million, including private
citizens and statesmen together, are now merged into
one general body of Liberalists, with a petty oppo-
sition of Obstinates to deal with, we can and do
regard Lord ASHLEY, as a politician, with the most
catholic indulgence. But Lord DUNCAN and Mr,
ROEBUCK have been the faithful, and consistent, and
untiring friends of liberality from the very com-
mencement. Mr. ROEBUCK, indeed, has been
the representative for Bath for a period of fifteen
years. Yesterday evening the Honourable :and
Learned Gentleman submitted himself to a severe
test—a test such as but few men could have
borne. He compared his conduct during those fifteen
years of representation in the House of Commons
with the principles and engagements embodied in his
address to the Bath electors, when he for the first
time requested their suffrages, namely as far back as
1832 ; and through that formidable comparison Mr.
RonnucK passed triumphantly—with acclamation.
In 1832 he had pledged himself to struggle for a
municipal reformation ; that reformation had with his
assistance been obtained, and as a proof of its efficacy
the meeting he addressed was then (May 27, 1847)
convened in the Guildhall, from which the consti-
tuency in 1832 had been excluded. In 1832 Mr.
ROEBUCK had advocated the principles of free trade;
those glorious principles were now, in 1847, embodied
upon the statute-book. In 1832 Mr. ROEBUCK had
proclaimed his anxiety to forward a plan of national
education, superintended by the Legislature, without
distinctions of either class or creed; and now, in
1847, his name was numbered amongst the mino-
rity who protested against the exclusive system
adopted by the present Administration. Besides
proving faithful to his original engagements
with the constituents of Bath, Mr. ROEBUCK has re-
flected very considerable honour on that city. In
1832 he was but little known ; and now, in 1847, he
is among the most distinguished Members in the
British Parliament. Up to this period then Mr.
ROEBUCK and his noble colleague, Lord DUNCAN,
have honestly performed their legislative duties; in
gratitude and, in truth, it is incumbent upon the
electors to perform theirs by returning their two
eminent and excellent representatives at the next
general election.

-w_hic.h has occurred on I
The dreadful catastm i.---7"-------p
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the Shrewsbury and Chespteearsseite way, hurrying in I e
aed
an instant numerous
and inflicting, the most seiturss
those who have almost miraculously
upon
thsurvived
the accident, is enough to cause a panic itYi
mind. From the statistics authoritatively fuernPiustil
from time to time, great room was afforded for con.