The Sun.
London, England, 1833-06-06 00:00:00

When Lord Althorp and Lord John Russell I
declared that in case bribery were proved at the
last election, the fullest inquiry should be granted,
and when the SoliciPor-General said that if a
scintilla of bribery were provecl4._the inquiry
should proceed, we feel assured that the full
and complete exposure of all the grievances
complained of by the petitioners was inevi-
table. The existence of bribery in numerous
instances has been proved beyond a doubt, and
though the report of the Committee states that
the bribery was neither systematic nor ex-
tensive, yet we have no doubt that it was
extensive enough to secure, and that it did
secure, Lord Sandon's return, and it was as
systematic as the short time for preparation
allowed. No one doubts that bribery and treat-
ing were fully proved against members of
Lord Sandon's own Committee—yes, against
some of those very persons who had the folly (to
say the least of it) to assure the House of Com-
mons, in a petition, that there had been no
bribery ! The habitual and degrading corrup-
tion of the rotten old Tory constituency has
been proved beyond a doubt. The petitioners
say that the magistracy are elected by bribery—
they say they can prove this grave and serious
allegation, and the fear of having this disgraceful
fact proved accounts for the serious opposition
which the Corporation of Liverpool are now
offering to the prayer of the petitioners. The
Magistrates of Liverpool are all of them mem-
bers of the Corporation. This Corporation,
self-elected and deliberating in secret, have a re-
venue of 100,0001. per annum as a Corpora-
tion ; they have also a further revenue of
150,0001. per annum as dock trustees ; conse-
quently, they have immense patronage, the exer-
cise of which is beyond the control of public
opinion. Of course they are Conservative ; that
is, they wish profitable abuse to be imwortal.
In good sooth it is high time to change all this.
The great town of Liverpool must not be al-
lowed to remain in this state, neither must Nor-
wich, nor Bristol, nor any-other of those hives
of industry and enterprize be longer degraded.
If the allegations in the petition be false, it is
due to the community fully to expose their
falsehood—if they be true, then, indeed, is
reform no longer to be resisted in the Corpora-
tion of Liverpool. For ourselves, we believe
the allegations to be true ; and if there were no
other reason, we should discover an ample one
in the fierce resistance which the Corporation
are now offering to Mr. Benett's motion.—
Morning Chronicle.

We call the attention of all who value our old
Constitution to the language in which its enemies
speak of the vote of the House of Lords upon
the Duke of Wellington's motion. " The vote,"
says the Times, "is not important from its in-
dication of any change in the opinions of one
branch of the Legislature ; but it is important
if it opens the eyes of the King and the country
to some legal and constitutional means of
making the House of Peers harmonize with a
Reformed House of Commons." "The two
Houses," says the Morning Chronicle, " are
pulling in different directions, and it is quite
clear that in such a state of things the affairs of
the nation cannot be conducted advantageously.
Ministers must either bring over the House of
Lords to the House of Commons, or they must
bring over the House of Commons to the House
of Lords;" and, after alleging the impossibility
of "bringing the House of Commons over
to the House of Lords," it proceeds in
these remarkably explicit terms :—" The
Lords must, therefore, be broug'zt round
to the Commons, and that can only be by an
extensive creation of Peers." " The Peerage,"
says the Globe," must, for their own sakes as
well as that of the nation, be rendered as a
body, more congenial, not merely with Mi-
nisters, but with the country, and that not simply
in reference to a contemptible Lusitanian
despot, negro slavery, church reform, and various
other isolated points, but as respects the na-
tional course and liberal progression generally."
This is plain language ; and it is our own fault
if we are in any doubt as to the wishes and inten-
tions of the gentlemen who call themselves the
people. Henceforth it is the duty of the Peers
of Great Britain to register in silence the edicts
of Harvey and Hawes, to ratify without a murmur
the blunders of Faithful and Finn. If they pre-
sume to pronounce arguments, to form opinions,
to give votes, they must forthvvith be "made to
harmonize ;" they must he "brought round ;" they
must be " rendered, as a body, more congenial."
There is one considerable absurdity in the reason-
ing of our contemporaries. It is admitted by all
the world, except the Members of the majority
in the House of Commons, that the majority in
the House of Commons does not represent the
present feelings and opinions of the constituen-
cies by which it has been chosen. If, therefore,
after the House of Peers shall have been " made
to harmonize," and "brought round," and ren-
dered congenial," any accident shall occasion a
sudden dissolution of Parliament, we shall in
all probability have a House of Commons dif-
fering in essential points from the House, in
whose wisdom we at present rejoice, and differ
ing of course in the same points from the House
of Lords, which will have been moulded after
its likeness. In this lease we must begin our
task of 6' making to harmonize," and 6' bringing
round," and " rendering congenial," all over
again. There is another considerable absurdity
in the reasoning of our contemporaries. The
present House of Commons, if it were rather less
despised and hated than it is throughout the
country, is undoubtedly a House which
does not very distinctly know its own mind.
That which to day appears to it beneficial,
to-morrow shall seem ruinous ; and that
Which to-day is held true, to-morrow shall
be voted false. We may build our house
where we think fit ; but we shall spend much
in brick and mortar if we pull it down as often
aS it does not front with our weathercock. If,
when the House of Commons takes off a tax,"
we go to the Peers to " make them harmonize,
and " bring them round," and " render them
congenial," how shall we " make them harm-
nize,"and "bring them round," and" render them
Congenial," if the House of Commons, in its
fickle infallibility, shall put the tax on again ?
For the present the suggestions of these learned
Thebans have failed. We do not flatter our-
Selves that the design of destroying the House
of Peers was now conceived, or that it is now
abandoned. Lord Grey has been humiliated by
the House of Peers. He wilt talk, perhaps, as
he has talked before, of his veneration for his
order, and his determination to maintain its in-
ORpendence ; but he will dissemble as bitter a
hatred as, ever detected guilt engendered.
—Morning pod.
The indirect threat of a resignation of Minis-
:ters in case the House of Lords decided against
them having failed of its intended effect in that
assembly, recourse is had to another threat—
that of a creation of Peers, for the purpose of
placing the Upper House of Parliament