The Sun.
London, England, 1834-10-11 00:00:00

only safe but conducive to the security of our mixed mo-
narchy that public men should from time to time frequent
public meetings. I have mentioned, gentlemen, and mention
it not as a form, but really because it is the plain truth, how
much of your regard I owe to the just popularity of the
King whom I serve, and to the affection you have for yo,:r
excellent neighbour, whose guest I am.—(Cheers, \I I say
so, because every one must perceive it to be tl:ie fact. The
only thing said by the worthy Alderman in which I differ
from him is his expression of regret at the accident which
procures me the pleasure of meeting you all here. Ido not
wish to dwell upon it, but perhaps it may be regarded as a
ple,ilj,*-thal come folks at least view me and my colleagues
as of a disposition prone to reform certain abuses. How-
ever, 1 will only add on this matter that I rejoice in the cir-
cumstance, be it owing to whatever cause, which gives me
the gratification of meeting so many more of my fellow-ci-
tizens than I could have seen in the Council Chamber.
But it would be affectation in me to conceal from myself
that you are also disposed to view with favour the great
principles which have undeviatingly directed my own public
conduct without (I can say conidently and plainly) one
moment's interruption, whether in office or in opposition,
and which you are justly pleased to say have been by me at
all times maintained. Those principles are the result of
long and deliberate reflection—of an attention patiently be-
stowed on our mixed constitution, rewarded by a discovery
of its advantages, and also of the improvements required—
to remove the defects that have grown up in it, and to adapt its
excellent institutions to the advanced state of society in which
we live. While no man is more determined to resist every
effort of ae x destructive
sna
faettuyr et,o ahnadz
atrod, avoid
abuse—
id
eihsamngorees
and in actively and unflinchingly applying all
readyt( hca
(Cheers)--and
e emr
tsa
—y
needful, all wholesome remedies. While I say this, I can
only express my sincere pity for a few vain and misguided
persons, who, in some parts of the country, would repre-
sent every one as the enemy of improvement who clings to
any one part, however useful, of the existing order of
things ; and another still less considerable set of persons, who
cannot perceive any difference between taking time to pre-
pare and mature great measures of reform, and being re-
luctant to reform at all—persons who actually think, that
because his Majesty's Ministers are resolved never to bring
forward any plan that is crude and undigested, therefore
they are putting off the day for preparing those plans. I
bad thought every one knew that the most active exertions
have, for above twelve months, been making to mature some
of the greatest and most necessary improvements in several
large branches of the ihternal economy and administration
of the country.—(Cheers.) These preparations, I should
have thought even the persons I allude to were aware, re-
quired much time ; and that even they could not prefer a
more groundless charge against the Government than that
which accuses us of delaying to begin our work of im-
provement. It has, you all know, been begun—(Cheers)
—the preparatory proceedings have been long since not
only begun, but carried on, and are now nearly com-
pleted. Not one moment of time—l will not say months,
which the objectors speak of—but no minute has been suf-
fered to pass unemployed in maturing the requisite mea-
sures of amendment. But we shall not be hurried on by
those unthinking persons—we shall go our own pace—we shall
act for the good of all, as our duty requires, to the best of
our abilities—neither driven to the right hand nor to the
left by any interruption—neither going further nor faster
than sound principles and practical wisdom, the result of
reflection and experience, will fully warrant ; and we will
throw ourselves fearlessly and confidently upon the judg-
ment of our fellow countrymen for their approval, with-
otheutstehe shadow of a doubt that their verdict will be pro-
nounced in our favour. We shall also hope to hear in
Parliament some who patronize impatience, and join in
cavils, if they chance to have seats there—it is there
we hope to meet their criticisms—some in the Upper and
some in the Lower House. Gentlemen, you have done
me the justice to mention my conduct as marked by unde-
viating consistency, and shown that you are not to be mis-
led by a mere sound or rather a noise, and that you know
what consistency really is. Thus you and those who met
on Monday have the sense to see that there is no kind of
inconsistency in a person being friendly to the people's
part of our mixed monarchy, the democratic part, the
base of the pyramid, and also willing to preserve the
other two branches, the Crown and the Lords. You are
not of those thoughtless creatures who call it inconsistent
in a person to venerate and love the reformed House of
Commons, where your worthy representatives speak your
sense, and yet to hold that the vast mass of business there
transacted makes it unavoidable that errors should, from
time to time, find their way into bills there passed. You
do not perceive the least inconsistency between a person
avowing his hatred of corruption, and his determination to
cleanse all bribery away from elections, and all undue in-
fluence, and yet voting, as Lord Radnor and I did, against
any measure for disfranchising a borough, against which
there was no evidence, any more than a jurytnan 4 inecm-
sistent who hates murder, anci y 0 acquits a prisoner erro-
neo4sly put upon his trial for that dreadful offence, In
like manner you do net think one in the least degree in-
consistent, who desires to see the Established Church pre.
served, and who would both remedy any abuses which had
crept within her walls, and hold out the hand of fellowship