The Sun.
London, England, 1840-07-21 00:00:00

PRICE sd.

1 selves her very best friends, by putting their veto upon
, their recurrence for tine future.. Am I not right, then,
as a Churchman, am I not justified as a clergyman of the
Church, in -calling upon you to put forth your best
energies and exertions to perpetuate the exile from
f office of a party who, ever affecting a wonderful regard,
[ above all others, for religion, have yet ever been found
ready to prostitute its holy name to subs:rve the worst
purposes of faction ?—( Loud and continued cheering.)
And now a word—it shall Le a short one—with those
who think that enough has been done for the cause o!
Reform._ "0 ! " say persons of this class, " all the re-
forms fur which we once struggled are HOW enrolled
amongst the lags of, the land. Fenced and hedged
round, then, by that security, we will henceforth repose
upon the easy chair of indifference, calm spectators of the
scene, by whatever party they may be administcrcd." No
more fatal error than this could possibly be indulged.
The same laws, administered by different -heeds, can
hardly be recognised to be the same. Look, for instance,
at Ireland. Why does peace now rest upon her green
hills and fertile valleys? Why? Because justice new
rules where bigotry formerly sat enthroneu, and her 1
children know and feel that, under the benignant and '
impartial government of the much-maligned Marquis of
Normanby, -and his successor, Lord Ebrington, they have
been treated no longer as " aliens" and outcasts, but
as inhabitants of an integral part and portion of the
British empire.—( Much applause.) Yes I at last, the
Irish, as well as the negroes, have been emancipated.
From the one have been wrenched the material fetters
of iron, from the other " that iron which enters more
deeply into the soul," the moral fetters of individual
inferiority and national degradation. But are v. e quite
sure that the Tories, if again in power, would limit the
exercise of their mischievous propensities to the malad-
ministration of the laws ? Already, for months and
months, has the cry for the repeal of the Catholic Eman-
cipation Bill been striking upon our ears, borne upon every
wind that Wows, ana edetimeesitl.lapw-soon that cry would
include withint its demands all our reform acts? Besides,
if no bills for such objects were directly and orenly brought
forward, we must, indeed, be very babes in the art and
mysteries of legislation, if we do not know that it is quite
possible to effect a marvellous tieverence for a principle,
and yet fritter a, ay all its strength in the working out of
details. Thus, with the Tories again installed in office,
we should, doubtless, have measures in abundance, pur-
porting, like Lord Stanley's famous Bill of the present ses-
sion—peace to its memory—(Laughter)—may its grave
never be disturbed—like it, I say, purporting to be fot the
amendment of the several reform acts ; and, as their wily
framers can led them through Parliament, they would,
to throw dust into the eyes of the people, first take one
step forward, and then they would qualify it by taking two,
or three, or four, or five steps backward ; here they would
infuse a little white, and there they would add not a little
black ; and thus the political patchwork would go on until
either the yoke of tyranny would be again riveted about
our necks, or the people be once more roused to put forth
their power, and the lightning of public indignation smite
the fabric of Toryism to the ground, rent and riven from
its topmost pinnacle to its lowest foundation, and scatter
its ruins to the four winds of heaven.—(Loud and general
cheering.) Let us hope, then, that, with so much at
stake, Reformers of all shades of opinion will be once more
induced to fall back upon that union which has before carried
them on to victory. On this point let us take a leaf out of the
book of our political opponents. Look at their Ultra-
Orangemen on the one hand, and their expediency-mongers
on the other. Watch their Peels, their Robys, and their
Bradshaws. They seem to take different roads, but they are
all journeying towards one point; they apparently adopt
different means, but they are all labouring far the same
end, namely, as the Examiner once wittily expressed it,
to make our gracious Queen their servant of all work,
with a proviso that she shall not complain, however dis-
agreeable they may render her situation to her.—( Hear,
hear, and laughter.) Let us borrow this lesson of una-
nimity for our higher and nobler objects. No more let
us retire each, as it has been said, into the citadel of
hi 3 own little crotchet, thence issuing forth only to be
overwhelmed in detail, but let us henceforth combine
our common strength against our common enemies, so
that, whenever the struggle comes, we may be found
resistless alike in the might of our numbers, and the
goodness of our cause. Gentlemen, I have detained you
long—(No, no)--as I have touched upon many points
besides the immediate object of our meeting. But, with
such an opportunity in my hands, I could not resist the
temptation to speak out my sentiments. Especially I
felt and yielded to the inclination to do so in these times
of peculiar interest and importance, when the least apathy,
or the least schism amongst Reformers, may help to afflict
the country with all the mischiefs and all the evils which
would inevitably result from a Tory Government, however
shut might be the petiod of its duration. But now, to
return to the subject which has brought us together,—as
I accept this substantial and splendid memento of your
kindness, so shall I treasure it, and hand it down, as a
sacred heirloom, to those who come after me, Belicve
me, my been is full of acknowledgment, full of gratitude,
although I find no words to express its feelings, but those
which are contained in the simple phrase—l thank ycu,
and, indeed, most sinters ly and most earnestly, I do thank
you.—(Loud and continued cheering.)
The speech of the reverend gentleman, which was de-
livered with much feeling and eloquence, was listened
to with great attention, and at different parts warmly ap-
plauded. _ .

- About five and twenty gentlemen remmined to partake
of a very elegant collation, Mr. Mulleneux in the chair,
and at the foot of the table Mr. Alderman Shell. After
the health of the reverend gentleman, and of the chairman,
and the toast of " The Town Council and Mr. Alderman
Shell," and the liberty of the press, had been proposed
and acknowledged in appropriate speeches, the party dis-
persed.