The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-09 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY
_EVENING, JULY 9, 1846.

twenty. six years that I have been the servant of the public,
I have not, in one single instance, given a vote in contra-
diction to the principles which one of :hose gentlemen says
I laid down at the commencement of my career. He has
charged me with having said that I would advocate an ex-
tension of the suffrage. Have I not done so ?—(Applause,
and cries of "No, no.") Was I not one of those who not
only advocated the extension of the suffrage, but assisted in
carrying it—(A voice : " Finality ")—not only in cities and
boroughs, but in counties? and which 1 take the liberty to
say the Hon. Gentleman himself ought not to forget, as by
that Act of Parliament, of which I may boast that I was one
of the authors, and mainly assisted in carrying—l mean the
Reform Act--he is new an elector of Nottingham.—(Cheers.)
And now, after this explanation, I hope I may be allowed to
call the Honourable Gentleman my friend, and if I may not
call him mine, I am his friend, as I have endued him with
the privilege he so justly enjoys, and which is dear to every
Englishman. I will now proceed to vindicate myself against
the charge which has been made against me by my oppo-
nents.—(Hear, hear.) Having said that it is my boast to
be one of those who long before reform was popular, long
before reform was the watchword of Ministers, long before
reform was the faVourite word and sentiment with monarchs,
I now declare that I and my much lamented friend, Sir
Francis Burdett—(Uproar)—and Mr. O'Connor can tell you
it is a fact—that we belonged to the persecuted band who
moved onward and carried reform.—(A voice, "`What are
you now?") lam twenty-four years older than I was then
—(Laughter, and a voice, "Older and worse.") But lam
telling you what I was at my first setting out, and the prin-
ciples I then espoused I have never ceased for a moment to
act upon since.—( Hear, hear.) I have been accused of
being what is called a party man • it is perfectly true, as my
Honourable friend, the seconder of Mr. O'Connor, has said, I
did blame the Whigs, and I would now if they were to do as
they did then. But I beg leave to say I did not go to the
Whigs, but the Whigs came to me.—( Applause, and " Hear,
hear.") When I went into Parliament in 1819-1820,
then the 'Whigs were not friends to Parliamentary
reform ; but when they proposed to bring that great
measure forward, I became incorporated with that party, and
I have never seen any reason to desert them.—(" Hear, hear,"
and applause.) My friend also said I scarcely had come
into Parliament before I became a placeman. I went into
Parliament in 1820, and I remained on the Opposition side
of the House till 1832, which is a period of twelve years,
and I continued till many of those with whom I had acted
went over to the Minister on the opposite side of the House.
I maintained my place, however, until the Reform Bill was
brought on, and I never walked across the House until the
party I was acting with were fulfilling their promises by
carrying the Reform Bill.—(Applause.) The Reform Bill of
1831 was far beyond their promises, and I found they were
not ni rely as good as their word, but a great deal better.—
(Groans and applause.) I find they proposed an Act of
Parliament, of which I did n know the full value till I
found it had made a free citizen of my Hon. Friend.—
(Applause.) I should like to know whether, beside that
measure, the party with whom I had acted did nothing
else for the country ?—(A voice, "Not a deal.") To
whom do we mainly owe Catholic Emancipation ? Who
were they that repealed the Corporation and Tests Act ? Who,
I should like to know, gave you the municipal franchise ?
Who, I should like to know, mitigated the criminal
code ? Who were the beginners of the great commer-
cial reform which has now passed into a law by, the instru
mentality of the late Administration? Who originated the
penny postage, which, although insignificant in sound, had
carried real comfort and consolation into every home
throughout the country ?—(Applause.) I could give a de-
tail of many other important Acts passed during the Admi-
nistration of Lord Melbourne—(A Voice—" Dorchester
labourers")—but it would ill become me to he the panegyrist
of a Government in which I bore a part. The Right Hon.
Baronet then proceeded to say—He wished to put a fact to
the electors, showing that Government had confidence in
appealing to the people of this courdry ; and he wished to
impress this important fact upon their minds.—( Hear, hear.)
When the Government was formed by Lord John Russell,
his Lordship and colleagues did not recommend an appeal
to insignificant boroughs and small communities, but they
determined upon an appeal to the largest constituencies.
If he (Sir John Hobhouse) had not been certain of his re-
turn, as far as human probability could lead him to judge,
did they think he would now have appealed to them ?
Being one of those who had accepted office in the new
Cabinet, be might be expected to say a few words as
to what might fairly be expected from them.—(Hear, hear.)
They well knew the circumstances under which the Admi-
nistration of Sir Robert Peel had retired from office. They
had retired, not on account of any failure in their efforts to
carry on commercial reform. The circumstances which led
to their destruction was the introduction of the infamous
Irish Coercion Bill. He might say that there was no incli-
nation on the part of Lord J. Russell to throw difficulties in
the way of the Peel Administration; but when the Irish
Coercion Bill was proposed, they could not support it. He
himself never voted for it, not even on the first reading.
Some of his friends did; they
,were anxious to see what it
was; but he knew something of the monster, and he was
anxious to keep it out of the House altogether. When,
however, after some delay, that Bill came on for reading the
second time, the Whigs resolutely and effectually opposed it.
—(Hear, hear.) The present Administration looked for the
general support of the country in carrying out constitutional
measures. The Right Hon. Baronet, after some further re-
marks, retired amidst the warm cheers of his friends and the
groans of his opponents.
Mr. FEARGUS O'Coawox then rose, and after the Chartists
had given him several rounds of applause, he delivered an
address occupying nearly two hours, in which he dwelt in
strong language upon the acts of ie Whig Administration
in imprisoning and transporting the Chartists, not forgetting
to refer to his own imprisonment. He then declined going
to the poll, but he wished for a show of hands.
The SHERIFF took a show of hands for Sir John Hob-
house, and very few were held up in the body of the hall,
but the majority on the hustings were for Sir John Hob-
house.
The SHERIFF declared the show of hands to be in favour
of Mr. O'Connor, but as he withdrew from the contest, he
declared Sir John Cam Hobhouse duly el"cted.
The proceedings did not terminate till one o'clock at noon

REPRESENTATION OF MARY-

LITERATURE

LEBONE.

Last evening a very numerous public meeting, convened by
the newly-established Borough Registration Association,
took place at the Load-of-Hay Tavern, Paddington, for the
purpose of considering matters in connection with the re-
presentation of the borough, consequent on the probability
of an immediate election.
Mr. Longhorn, of Connaught-terrace, presided, and Messrs.
H. C. Wilson, Savage, Cooke, &c., and Messrs. Howarth,
Douglas, Alldis, Vince, and other geutlemei, attended as
deputations from St. Marylebone and St. Pancras.
e CHAIRMAN having briefly opened the business of the

VOICES FROM THE CROWD. By Charles

Mackay, LL.D.
So many spurious efferts at poetry are thurst upon
our attention that we must acknowledge ourselves some-
what difficult to please in that loftiest description of
literature. Nor is this circumstance surprising when
it is remembered that every Englishman has been ren-
dered especially fastidious in regard to metrical compo
sitions by the profuse and extraordinary excellence of
his native bards. Despite, however, this predisposition
to detect even the minutest blemishes in a new aspirant
for the bay garland, wherever we can discover the un-
forced melody and the spontaneous thoughtfulness
which is not only to be desiderated for, but which is an
essential concomitant of, true poesy, we are prepared to
welcome the writer with an open heart and an unstinted
cordiality. In Charles Mackay we reognise more than
an ordinary rhymer, and to Charles Mackay, therefore,
we tender our sympathies in all sincerity. Inasmuch
as his metrical productions have an originality of senti-
ment, a terseness of expression, and a remarkable me-
lodiousness of rhythm, he is considerably more than a
mere poetaster. If the hippocrcne in his instance be
somewhat diluted, its flavour i 3 still sufficiently ap-
preciable; if many of his verses be nothing more than
the glittering of tinsel, the tinsel is more substantial
than usual, and is wrought into very beautiful and fan-
tastic devices. In selecting ballad literature as the me-
dium of conveying his ideas Dr. Mackay has acted
judiciously and not unambitiously, for our ballad writers
may be classed very little, if at all below our epic or
tragic writers. As the intellectual motors of a people,
ballads have, indeed, an indefinable superiority over any
more elaborate and stupendous kind of poems : what
Milton has been to the twos and threes Burns has been
to the myriads. One has been conned by the student's
night-lamp, the other has been carolled by the swine-
herd under the hedges. Without doubt the more
solemn and sublime glory is the one reserved for such
a bard as Milton, but the memory of your ballad-
monger lives not so much on the bookshelf or the studio
as in the people's hearts. When Sir Philip Sidney first
perused the MSS. of the " Fairie Queene," on reading
the first stanza he ordered his attendant to give to the
person who had brought the poem fifty pounds ; on
reading the second, one hundred ; on reading the third,
two hundred ; and, perceiving the servitor to hesitate in
performing so princely a commission, Sir Philip recom-
mended him to fly quickly, or he should soon be order-
ing bim to bestow upon the author more than he pos-
sessed. Such was the effect of a continuous and inimi-
table poem like that of Spencer; while Sir Philip Sidney
declared that the ballad of " Chevy Chase" stirred his
heart like the sound of a trumpet. One loosened his
purse strings, the other stirred his heart like the sound
of a trumpet! Dr. Mackay has acted wisely, therefore,
in eschewing any lofter flight. He would have failed, in
all likelihood, in producing any poem of more ambitious
dimensions; but in selecting the simple and effective
strain of a ballad-maker he has succeeded. What we
particularly deem worthy of approval in these "Voices
from the Crowd" is the noble and moral tone which they
inculcate. Not only will many of the verses prove
sources of pleasure to the multitude, but through them
it will be materially benefited. Is not this a wholesome
sentiment to instill into the popular heart?
There's a good time coming, boys,
A good time coming:
We may not live to see the day,
But earth shall glisten in the ray
Of the good time coming.
Cannon balls may aid the truth,
But thought's a weapon stronger;
We'll win our battle by its aid;
Wait a little Longer.

meeting,
Mr. H. C. WlLsoil addressed the meeting, and concluded
by moving a resolution in support of the objects of the
association, which was seconded by Mr. SAVAGE.
Mr. HOWARTII supported the resolution, which was carried.
Mr. ALLDIS said, he had a subject to bring before that
meeting which he thought it was peculiarly their pro-
vince to entertain, as it affected the franchise of no less than
1,500 or 1,600 electors of that borough.—( Hear, hear.)
They were all aware that under the provisions of the Reform
Bill all poor- rates and assessed taxes must be paid, to qualify
the voter, before the 20th of July. Now the assessed tax-
collector of one of the most populous and radical districts
of St. Pancras had recently died; and although the assessed
tax commissioners had appointed his successor, yet
through neglect, the party so appointed would not have his
books placed in his possession until the 17th or 18th, thus
leaving him but two days to collect the taxes of so large a
number of people.—(Shame, shame.) The number of
electors in this position varied from 1,500 to 1,700, and he
regretted to say that he (Mr. Alldis) was one of them. He
had tendered his rates, and he had no doubt but many
hundreds had done the same, but there was no one ap-
pointed to receive them. He considered this extremely
hard upon the voter, who, having been on the register
for eight or ten years, was now, at the very time an
election was inevitable. to be deprived of his franchise,
through no act or omission of his own.—( Hear, hear.) He
had brought forward the subject in order to ascertain what
course was proper to be pursued under the circumstances.
Mr. HAIsTAFORD considered this a subject of importance
to the entire constituency of the borough. Fifteen hundred
votes were sufficient to turn any election, and not a moment
ought to be lost in seeking some remedy. If he remembered
rightly, a similar case took place a year or two ago in the
parish of Hackney, and the case was carried under the Re-
gistration Act into the Court of Common Pleas, when it was
decided that a tender of the taxes was a sufficient ground of
qualification. Would not, therefore the proper course be to
serve every elector with a notice calling upon him to tender
his rates ? _ _ .

Mr. DOUGLAS thought they should go to the fountain-
head at once, either to Lord John Russell or to the Secretary
of State, to show them these gross anomalies of the Refbrm
Bill.—(Hear, hear.) There could be no better time than the
present, and be had no doubt but that they would succeed.
Mr. Tiiouri considered there were two great defects in
the Reform Bill. These ratepaying clauses and the 50/.
clause.—(ll ear, hear.)
Mr. CooKE said if these votes were lost, it would be the
most serious thing to the Liberal portion of the constituency.
He .pproved of going to tle Prime Minister at once, who
would see the necessity of the Bill introduced into Parlia-
ment the other day by General Evans.—(Hear, hear.) He
considered there was not a moment to be lost. _ _

Mr. \Vxi.sore admitted that the subject was not merely of
local, but national importance, and thought the vestry of
St. Pancras ought to take the matter up.
Mr. Aums said a memorial would be presented to the ves-
try at their next meeting, and he had no doubt they would
take a decisive step in the matter.—(Hear, hear.) The fact
was, that the party appointed collector had declared if he did
not get the books before the 17th, he would refuse to act at
all, as he was determined not to incur the responsibility and
odium attendant on the disfranchisement of so many hun-
dreds of his fellow ratepayers.
On the motion of ➢lr. P. B. St. Jon`, a committee was
ultimately appointed to wait either upon Lord John Russell,
or the Secretary of State, with power to take any other
prompt and energetic measures in the matter which they
might deem expedient.
A vote of thanks having been passed to the chairman, the
meeting separated.

There are two national songs, moreover, in the'collec-
tion—one American, the other French—worthy of
emphatic mention; one is addressed to John Quincy
Adams," the other is entitled " England and France."
And if more poetry of that description were circulated
among mankind it would tend more than the most
adroitly balanced treaty to extend the spirit-of peace-
fulness and brotherly love throughout nations. Charles
Mackay will gain the affection of his countrymen if he
continue to write with such generous impulses, and for
the attainment of so exquisite an object. As a specimen
of how daintily he can embellish a theme like the ad-
vancement of society and the perfectibility of the human
race, by his imagination, we shall encroach upon our
space for the quotation of a poem entitled " The 'Watcher
on the Tower. '

"What dost thou see, lone watcher on the tower?
Is the day breaking! comes the wished-for hour !
Tell us the signs, and stretch abroad thy hand,
If the bright morning dawns upon the load."

" 'I he stars are clear above me, scarcely one
Has dimmed its rays in reverence to the sun;
But yet I see on the horizon's verge,
Some fair, faint streaks, as if the light would surge."
"Look forth again, oh watcher on the tower—
The people wake, and languish for the hour;
Long have they dwelt in darkness, and they pine
For the full daylight that they know must shine."
"I see not well—the morn is cloudy still;
There is a radiance on the distant hill.
Elen as I watch the glory seems to grow
But the stars blink, and the night breezes blow."
" Abd is that all, oh, watcher on the tower?
Look forth again; it must be near the hour.
Dost thou not see the snowy mountain copes,
And the green woods beneath them on the slopes?"

" A mist envelops them ; I cannot trace
Their outline; but the day comes on apace.
The clouds roll up in gold and amber flakes,
And all the stars grow dim. The morning breaks."

" We thank thee, lonely watcher on the tower;
But look again ; and tell us, hour by hour,
All thou beholdest; many of us die
Ere the day comes ; oh, give them a reply."
" I see the hill-tops now; and Chanticleer
Crows his prophetic carol on mine ear;
I see the distant woods and fields of corn,
And ocean gleaning in the light of morn."

" Again—again—oh, watcher on the tower—
We thirst for daylight, and we bide the hour,
Patient, but longing. Tell us, shall it be
A bright, calm, glorious daylight for the free ?"

" I hope, but cannot tell. I hear a song,
Vivid as day itself; and clear and strong;
As of a lark—young prophet of the noon—
Pouring in sunlight his seraphic tune."
" What doth he say—oh, watcher on the tower?
Is he a prophet? both the dawning hour
Inspire his music? Is his chant sublime
With the full glories of the Coming Time ?"
" He prophesies ;—his heart is full ;—his lay
Tells of the brightness of a peaceful day—
A day not cloudless, nor devoid of storm,
But sunny for the most, and clear and warm."
"We thank thee, watcher on the lonely tower,
For all thou tellest. Sings he of an hour
When Error shall decay, and Truth grow strong,
And Right shall rule supreme and vanquish Wrong?

" lie sings of brotherhood, and joy, and peace,
Of day 5 when jealousies and hate shall cease :
When war shall die, and man's progressive mind
Soar as unfettered as its God designed."

" Well done ! thou watcher on the lonely tower ;
Is the day breaking ? dawns the happy hour ?
We pine to see it :—tell us, yet again,
If the broad daylight breaks upon the plain?"
"It breaks—it comes—the misty shaAows fly :
A rosy radiance gleams upon the sky;
The mountain tops reflect it calm and clear;
The plain is yet in shade ; but day is near."

In this beautiful allegory there exists a profoundity of
moral truth and of political hopefulness. To his " Sala-
mandrine" and his " Legends of the Isles," Dr. Mackay
has added a most commendable vclume in his " Voices
from the Crowd." It will tend to assure him the regard
and the affection of the people.

PORT OF LIVERPOOL.—We are agreeably surprised
by being able to announce that the Customs' revenue of this
port, for the quarter last ended, exceeds that of the corres-
ponding quarter of last year. The following is, in round
numbers, a statement of the receipts of the two years
1845. 1846.
April £238,668 April £240,007
May 274,866 May 279,785
-June 303,745 June.......... 424,704

Total ... 817,279 Total ... 944,496
Total, 1845 ... 817,279

Increase on the Quarter £127,217
Considering the great depression which has prevailed during
the past month or two, in nearly every branch of commerce,
it is gratifying to find that Liverpool continues to progress
towards the first port in the empire. We ought to remark,
however, that the receipts of the month of June are swelled
this year by the duties just paid upon foreign grain under the
new law. These, we believe, have amounted to about
120,000/. There is, therefore, an increase independently of
the receipts from this source. We ought also to bear in mind,
when contrasting the two periods, that considerable sums
would be paid in 1845 under the old scale.—Liverpool
Standard.

SERIOUS ACCIDENT.—On Friday morning last, a
number of persons assembled in Bartholomew-yard, Exeter,
to celebrate the passing of the Corn Bill, by a cannonade.
They had eight cannons, weighing about 81b. each, and 41b.
of gunpowder, and had fired four rounds, when the last
cannon burst on being discharged, from being overloaded.
One of the fragments struck John Gill, the town-crier, in
the knee, completely smashing the bones, portions of which
were by himself picked out of the wound. He was removed
to the hospital and will have to lose his leg. Another frag-
ment struck another young man, named Webber, in the face,
knocking out some of his teeth and cutting off his nose; he
was removed to his own house. A third fragment struck a
person, named Teed, in his side, and has rendered his arm
useless for the present. A portion of the cannon was blown
across the yard and struck a window, the glass and frame-
work of which were much broken.—Devonport Telegraph.
STEAD' NAVIGATION.— The competition amongst the
steam-boat companies on the Thames, particularly above
London-bridge, seems to increase. On Sunday was wit- '
nessed the novelty of the boats of one company running for
one halfpenny per head from the city to the west-end. A
splendid new boat, started by this company, seemed to at-
tract great notice on account of her extraordinary speed.
This boat, which is double-headed, having a steering-wheel
at each end, is named the New Cricket, and is intended to
take the place of a boat called the Cricket, built some time
ago for this company by Messrs. Ditchburn and Mare, of
Blackwall, but which, from some defect in her build, was
not considered fit to run on this station. The New Cricket
and her engines were built and manufactured by Messrs. W.
Joyce and Co., of the Greenwich Ironworks, who, we learn,
are acquiring great celebrity on account of the very small
consumption of fuel required for their engines, and which, no
doubt, must enable the company to carry the public at the
unprecedented low rate they do. They are vibrating en-
gines, and seemed to be universally admired for the style in
which they were turned out, combiniis great strength with
beauty and excellence of workmanship. They were appa-
rently objects of great interest among the engineering pro-
fession ; and, judging from the great speed of the boat,
must reflect the highest credit on the architect and =nu-
, facturep