The Sun.
London, England, 1841-07-07 00:00:00

in 1837, but perhaps they were not inclined to hear him in
1841. (No, no.) well, just as you please, Gentlemen.
—( Another pause.) I have riot the power, even if I had the
will, to halloo, you down..--(Cries of " Go on, but tell no
lies.") Be bad heard a good deal about corrupt Government,
but a Government more corrupt than the present—a Govern-
ment more profligate; and one that bad broken more, pledges
and.promises he had never known. They promised peace, and
made many remonstrances against war ; but from the in-
capacity of these men this country had been involved in
not fewer than four wars since they came into office. They
promised economy, but they had enormously increased the debt
and burdens of the country.—(Another pause for silence, when
a person called out, " Take off your bat," which Mr. Colqu-
houn did, bowing most profoundly.) Mr. Johnston was an ad-
vocate for the ballot. He.was not; but he was assured that if
twelie men were to be drawn by ballot from the House of
Coinmons, they would manage the affairs of the country with
more honesty, economy, and integrity, than the present Go-
verninent had done. He rejoiced, however, to think that they
would very soon be sent to the right-about, into that obscurity
which their misdeeds deserved.—( Cries of " So will you," fol-
lowed by ariother lung pause.) He saw Lord James Stuart
present. He did not know whether he was a Member for the
Ayr burghs or not, but he should be very glad if he was.
Mr: Colquhoun said they had got a great many promises from
his opponent, and he would now give them one promise also.
He would do all in his power to overturn the most profligate
Government that ever held the reins of office.—( Great disap-
probation, and cries of Off, off.") He would support a Go-
vernment which would not talk so much about trade, but
would nevertheless do much more for trade than their present
Government hid ever done. Mr. Colquhoun withdrew amid
a storm of hisses from the audience, which were drowned in a
tremendous cheer on
Mr. JOHNSTON coming forward. When the applause had
subsided, he spoke to . the following effect—Gentlemen of
Kilmarnock, you have heard a long speech from my opponent,
Mr. Colquhouri,blarning the Whig Government for extra-
vagance, increasing their own salaries, and increasing your bur-
dens: 'Now,f gentlemen, what have the Whig Government really
done?' Was it not the Whig Government that passed the Re-
form Bill, and gave to Kilmarnock the privilege of sending a
Member to Parliament ?—( Cheers.) Was it not the Whigs
who abolished the East and West India monopolies?—(Great
cheering.) Was it not to the Whig Government that we owed
'the Municipal Corporations Bill, by which the people now have
the appointment of their own municipal government?—(Re-
newed cheers:) Did the Tories ever do that ? or have they not
rather opposed every measure to give popular rights, or to give
the public in geheral a voice or share in the legislation of the
country. Now, Gentlemen, where'are the•wars the Whig Go-
vernment have plunged you into? There was the civil war in
Canada ; but that was the consequence of previous Tory mis-
rule. • A spirit had been engendered in Canada by that party
ihich• it was necessary that the Whig Government should
control, and I am Kapp) to say that they have controlled it.—
(Tremendous cheering.) 'there was war raging in China, but
that war had been the result of necessity, arising from the
overbettring and insolent conduct of Lin, the Chinese Commis-
sioner, who had insulted our representative. This, then, was
not the result of Whig mismanagement, but the result of ty-
ranny on the part of the Chinese Government. Again, there
Was a war in Syria, but the Government of this country had
in no way whatever been' the cause of it.—(Hear, hear.) It
had been the result of •the policy of M. Thiers and the French
Ministry, in order to embroil Europe in a general war, but
which had been promptly and successfully met and defeated by
the masterly policy of Lord Palmerston, and the energy
and sagacity of Sir Charles Napier, and which would re-
dound both to the honour and advantage of this country.
—( Hear, hear, and great cheering.) Now, gentlemen,
although I approve of the general policy of the Go-
vdrnment, I am not prepared to vindicate or agree with all its
acts. I blame them, because they have not gone far enough
in those reforms—particularly those commercial reforms which
are for the benefit of the community generally—( Hear)—and
some time ago, when attending a great demonstration in favour
of the abolition of the Corn-laws in Glasgow, I then stated
that if the Government did not go forward with measures to
carry the country out of its difficulties, the sooner Lord Mel-
bourne, Lord J. Russell, and the Hon. Mr. Labouchere were
out of office the better.—(Cheers.) But now they had come
forward uith those.measures which, if adopted, would go far to
relieve the embarrassed and oppressed operations of trade and
commerce in such towns as Glasgow and Kilmarnock.
Now, gentlemen, we have heard a great deal of Colquhoun
upon the promises—( Cheers and laughter)—but ithe had kept
his promises, I would not have been here to do him honour.
Mr. Colquhoun went into Parliament for the county of Dum-
barton, where he hoisted the flag of reform, and having got
himself returned under false colours, he voted- in every case
against the principles which he had professed. But wnen his
time was done, did he go back to claim their suffrages? He
did;not. .He dared.not. He knew he had been watched, and
that he would not again be trusted. Instead, therefore, of
going back to the county of Dumbarton, he came to Kilmar-
nock under the same flag of liberality. —( Great disapprobation. )
Gentlemen, I find that in his address to you in 1837, he
speaks thus :—" I have declared my attachment to the cause
of Reform, by which I do not mean the name and gene-
ral profession of Reform, but a searching inquiry into
every department of . Government, and the firm correc-
tion, of every abuse. I have professed, no les; openly, my at-
tachment to popular rights. I never can• regard the privileges
of any one class of equal importance with the rights of all
classes of the people, nor will I be induced to abandon the in-
terests of the great body of the people, in order to promote the
views of.a limited party. I regard with indifference the strug-
gles of party, and can take no interest in any measures whirl
do not promote the welfare of the people; the measures which
have this tendency alone are entitled to my support, and they
shall receive it, from whatever party they originate." These
are promises, Gentlemen, beautiful promisee ; and he comes
now and . tells you- that he has performed what he pro-
mised. Let us see bow he did so. Mr. Colquhoun
ratted against the abolition of Negro Apprentice-
ship ; thus showing himself a friend to popular
rights.—(Great cheering.) He ratted against the repeal
of the duty on soap, although he had promised not to abandon
the interests of the great body of the people, in order to pro-
mote the limited ly.—(Renewed cheering. )
What we, a comes and tells you he
will reform ;land ; but what does
the man y, he ratted against the
reform of although universally ad-
mitted to a far greater number of
abuses th; this country.—(" Oh ! the
hypocrite What faith, then, could
they plat ach a man ? Here is the
friend of He voted against the hill for
relieving from paying Church-rates ;
he voted motion for Scotch law re-
form, which. the number of Judges in
the Supra try. Here is a friend of
economy ' td cheering.) He pledged
himself to se to correct abuses. Here
is the "man, you see how he has per-
formed thetn,—Lureat aprause.) Last of all, the Ministry
bring in the;s• Bill for the:Tv-pose of doing away with all re-
strictions, :al order that tkie sugar, and coffee, and corn might
be cheapened, and Made more abundant in this country.
And what floes jive friend of• the trade and commerce of Kil-
marnock and. the other burghs do ? Why, he votes against
the measure?. -Nay, mere, this enemy of all monopoly, who
is pledged to support ill measures of reform, along with the
other opponents of the Ministry, voted want of confidence in
those men who had brought forward the measure.—( Renewed
cheers, followed by groans of detestation at the Torycandidate.)
Mr. Johnston concluded amidst a burst of approbation. ,
The Sheriff then took a show of hands for the respective can-
didates, when not above 1 in 500 was held up for Mr. Coign-
houn. The poll was fixed for Monday.

views of a limited part:
re his prom ks raw? He
•m the Chutch of -.Eng
de in Parlime- ? Wh:
f the English hr.rch,
)b- encumbere with
an the est. ' , et:tt in tl
;" laughter, .- , leers.)
.e in the rr ,• - .'• of s'
the equal ugh, ~ all. H
Dissenters m E • gland ft
againstopl va' allace's u
ich. pr to ;diminish
eme Coves of tthis count
for. yoA.—c Long, continue
i do eNbrything in his powe
2LII, akd his proraises, and
'