The Sun.
London, England, 1833-09-27 00:00:00

CAMPBELL.

SEPT. 25.—The borough of Dudley has Leen
visited this week by its first reform represents ye.
The Solicitor-General, Sir John Campbell, on Mon-
day last, intended to enter the town privately,
but intelligence of his visit had been circulated, and
as he entered the town he was recognised, his
horses taken from his carriage, and he was drawn
by the populace to his hotel in the market-place.
Here a large assemblage of the inhabitants of all
classes was speedily collected, and Sir John was
calle.l upon to address them. He mounted the ba-
it:ntie-seat of his carriage, and spoke at great length,
arid was received with much applause. He said he
willingly obeyed the call to address them, for he had
come to render them an account of his conduct as
their representative in Parliament. The inhabitants
of Dudley, after a glorious struggle, having regained
the elective franchise, of which for many centuries
t hey had been most unjustly deprived, had deputed him
to assert their rights and to defend their interests in the
Legislature. He did not consider himself their slave,
liar their mere delegate or agent, to vote as they in-
structed him. When he first offered himself as a
candidate, he had refused to give any specific
pledges, thinking that upon a full exposition of his
political principles, and with his public character, it
was for them to determine whether l►e was worthy
to represent them. But they had now an undoubted
tight to judge whether he had acted upon the prin-
ciples which he professed, and whether he still
merited their confidence. There ought to be the
closest intimacy and the most unreserved interchange
of sentiments between representative and constitu-
ents. The times had gone by when a Member of
the House of Commons never visited the borough
he sat for, from the time the return was sealed, and
he paid the price of his seat to the proprietor. For
himself, he considered it his duty to meet his con-
stituents from time to time, and to be ready to
explain and to defend every vote that he had given,
and every opinion that he had - expressed, and to
learn from his constituents their views both upon
die past and the future proceedings of the legislature.
Sir John then gave a sketch of the part he had taken
in the House of Commons during the last session.
lie took credit to himself for the diligence of his
attendance at the sacrifice of comfort, health, and
professional profit. He explained the various Bills lie
had introduced and carried for the amendment of the

law,particularly those by which men were now quietly
in the possession of their estates after twenty years'
enjoyment; by which a father may now inherit the
estate of his son, and a brother that of his brother,
though of the half blood, instead of its escheating
to the lord of the manor; that the conveyance of
real property was now rendered simple and cheap
by abolishing fines and recoveries; and that the
King may direct the judges, after finishing the
business of the western division of the county.
at Worcester, to transfer the assizes to Dud-
ley, that justice might be brought home to the
doors of the inhabitants. He then took a gene-
ral view of the proceedings of the session. He
particularly congratulated his Quaker constituents,
that by the powerful co-operation of the Society of
Ft tends, negro slavery had been practically abolished.
He hailed this event as a great epoch in the history
of the human race, as there was every reason to

hope that after the glorious example set by this
country, slavery ere long would be abolished
throughout the whole world. He allowed that the
Irish Coercion Bill was justly unpopular, for it was
a most unconstitutional measure, and could only be
defended on the plea of dire necessity; but it had
successfully and leniently worked, and though the
extraordinary powers vested in the Government had
not been enforced, Ireland, from being a scene of
devastation and bloodshed, was now comparatively as
quiet and orderly as any part of the empire. This
period of tranquillity, he hoped, would be employed
in removing many real grievances of which that ill-
governed country had to complain; the patient being
bound, the cure must be effected. In speaking of
the abolition of ves-ry cess in Ireland, he said, as
representative of Dudley, where there were so many
who dissented from the established church, that he
hoped this was an omen of the abolition of church
rates in England. lie considered the payment of
church rates clearly distinguishable from tithes,
church rates being a tax, and tithes property never
purchased by the owner of the land subject to them.
But a Dissenter who contributes a part of his sub-
stance to the repair of the parish church, or the sa-
lary of the organist, is compelled to pay for the
support of a worship of which he does not approve.
But although this law appeared to him to be
unequal, until it was altered it ought to be obeyed.
All resistance to the law, active or passive, he must
unequivocally condemn. Petition Parliament, send
thither thosewho theythought wouldassert their rights;
by legal and constitutional means all grievances would
be redressed, but confusion and anarchy must arise
if individuals, according to their caprice or interest,
set up their private judgments against the law of the
land. Having pointed out the advantages to Ireland
from the Grand Jury Bill, by which so much cor-
rupt jobbing would be prevented, and the Petty
Jury Bill, which would for ever put an end to the
packing of juries, and establish an impartial and un-
suspected tribunal, alike for the Catholic and the
Protestant, he proceeded to show how much had
been done for Scotland by the Scotch Corporation
Bill abolishing the self-elected oligarchies that had
long oppressed and defrauded the cities and towns in
that country, and giving the inhabitants the power
of electing their orvn magistrates and managing
their own affairs. He was glad to hear that the Cor-
poration Bill, laid on the table of die House of Lords
at the close of the session, for the government of the
new boroughs on which the elective franchise had
been recently conferred, was so much approved
of in Dudley ; when passed into a law he had
no doubt that the administration of justice under
it would be pure, impartial, and satisfactory, and
would produce a growing attachment to the insti-
tutions of the country. He said this, and various
other measures for the public good, would be brought
forward as soon as Parliament re-assembled. He
trusted that the House of Peers would be found
more liberal and flexible, and that obstacles which
had hitherto impeded the march of improvement
would be removed, He was glad to think that as
yet there had been no clashing between his futic-

tions as a representative of the people and as an
officer of the Crown. The prerogatives of the
Crown had been established for the good of the
people, arid for the good of the people they ought
to be preserved and enforced. It was under a
a King, the lover of his people, that liberty was
best enjoyed, and it was bare justice to declare that
no Sovereign that ever reigned in England had
given sanction to so many laws for restoring and
extending the r.ghts of the subject as the British
Monarch whom he had the honour to serve.
Mr. HILL and Mr. C. TwAMLEY followed, er:' -
cizing the proceedings of the House of Commons,
but upon the whole warmly approving. The latter
gentleman concluded by putting it to the vote whe-
ther Sir John Campbell and the first session of the
reformed Parliament merited the approbation of the
inhabitants of Dudley. There was a great show of
hands, as upon Sir John Campbell's nomination ;
and when the contrary was put, not a hand was held
up. Three cheers were then proposed for Sir John
Campbell, which were given with enthusiasm, and
the crowd quietly dispersed.
Since then Sir John Campbell has met large bo-
dies of the electors at various taverns in the 10,
and exchanged explanations with them, generally
with mutual satisfaction.

STATISTICAL.
and has had four wives
mention of an old gentleman who is father of 27 chit-
lis:eeliman3ped'aplatesort
dren, and was married to his fifth wife in May last. This
ladies
reminds us of a venerable citizen of a;rehester, whom we
how many children we knuw not. lie says he tried hard
was not worth having.—Roston Mercahtik Journal, he
enough
:Low
iu
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itt:heetgy:_t)ol
ad.
vinery
-o-ufht vatguhese: ,trhumi
ensakdkaeys.