The Sun.
London, England, 1834-04-10 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

Mr. Robert Graham, who is now a candi-
date for the representation of Perthshire, has
been appointed one of the Lords Commissioners
of the Treasury, in the room of Ur. Kennedy,
who has resigned office, and retired from Par-
liament, on account of infirm health. Scot-
land will thus have, as usual, a representative
at the Treasury to attend to the fiscal business
of that part of the United Kingdom. The Scotch
liberal journals and private accounts from Perth-
shire supply the most favourable assurances of
the present success of Mr. Graham's canvass,

and afford the most gratifying prognostics of
his ultimate triumph. Political parties all over
Scotland, and particularly the electors of Perth-
shire itself, are fully alive to the importance of
the contest, and to the extent of the influence
which the decision must exercise on public opi-
nion. It may, in fact, be regarded as a trial of
strength between two parties—two systems of
government—two sets of political principles—
on a great stage, and before an attentive country
—deriving additional interest from the nature
of the constituency, and the character or connec-
tions of the candidates. The constituency of
Perthshire amounts now to nearly double of the
whole constituency of Scotland before the pass-
ing of the Reform Bill ; but its varied admix-
ture of persons is more remarkable than its
striking increase of numbers. It includes not
only a curious proportion of very large and very
small proprietors of wealthy farmers and of vil-
lage freeholders (orfeuars,) but nearly an equal
number of Highland and Lowland members.
It may thus be regarded as a fair specimen of
the whole of the kingdom north of the Tweed.
As the farmers entitled to vote hold universally
their land on leases, they may be regarded as
independent of their landlords, and capable of
exercising their elective franchise without being
influenced by threats of ejectment or promises
of protection. Education is universally diffused
among them, and has generally enabled them to
. .

form their own opinions of the claims for which
their support is solicited. So qualified, and in
such circumstances, we can scarcely doubt of
the result of their choice, when we consider the
principles and professions of the rival candi-
dates. Sir George Murray has been known in
the Senate as well as in the field ; but, unfortu-
nately for his present objects, his last labours
(as a legislator) were zealously directed against
the Reform Bill—against
.that very act which
gave the constituency to whom he now addresses
himself their title to his attentions. His occupa-
tion of a place in the Duke'of Wellington's Ca-
binet, however faithfully he may have discharged
its official duties, can be no recommendation to
electors who have expressed their dissent from
the Duke's principles, and who have obtained
their electdral rights only by the overthrow of
the Duke's government. `The other candidate
is less known in the history of the country, but
is known to be an ardent friend of reform, and
has engaged to support those liberal measures in
which the principle of reform will be developed.
Among his claims on the county, besides his
personal respectability and talents, may be
reckoned the services of his venerable relative, 1
Lord Lynedoch, who represented that county
in four parliaments, and to whose estates within
its limits he succeeds. But in a case like this
the question of the relative merits of the candi-
dates is of less consequence than the character'
of their avowed principles, provided these prin-
ciples be personified in honourable, able, and
unexceptionable individuals. The real trial of
strength must lie between the friends and the
enemies of a reform government,—between those
who would stop the progress of political improve-
ment and those who would give it an additional
impulse,—in short, between the supporters
and antagonists of liberal institutions and ex-
tended freedom. The freeholders of Perthshire
saw this at the last general election, and there-
fore gave their zealous suffrages to Lord
Ormelie, to the complete discomfiture of Sir
George Murray, his opponent. The struggle was
then more arduous, and the chances of failure
for the liberal candidate more threatening, than
at present. The county had been for a long
time ruled by a Tory faction. Sir George
Murray was the idol of this faction, while his
eminent military services and his previous pos-
session of the representation were calculated to
overawe some of his timid opponents. Now the
charm is dissolved ; the Tory junta has been
broken up; the county has been opened to
liberal principles by the exertions of Lord Or-
melie and his friends ; and as Mr. Graham will
have in his favour all the engines which
wrought so powerfully for his noble predecessor,
he may calculate on a similar issue. Nobody
knows better than Sir G. Murray the influence
of one victory in securing a second, provided
the same vigilance, activity, and skill are em-
ployed by the victor. And it would, indeed, be
disgraceful to the freeholders of Perthshire to
allow themselves to be defeated by a Tory
junta, who at the last election could not stand
a second day's polling. If anything could add
to that disgrace, it would be the fact that they
sent to Parliament a representative who, as
nominal or paper freehold member for their
e.punty in the last Parliament, did all in his
over to prevent them from enjoying those
glecoral privileges which he has now the
modesty to ask them to exert in his favour.—
Times,

It would seem as if the Queen Regent of I
Spain were resolved to justify the salique law ;
of succession, by making female government
contemptible in the eyes of the Spaniards in
the first experiment which has been made of
Figeenship since the repeal of that law. The
,wetness of her policy all the world has seen.
Her Oitical manifestoes, which disgusted the
„Constitutionalists without conciliating the Car-
lists, showed a want of wisdom as well as of
principle ; but her open violations of propriety
and decorum are still worse. To few of the
rulers of mankind has it pleased the Supreme
Being to grant any considerable share of wis-
dom. But it does not require a very great
reach of intellect to understand the value of
decorum in those whose lot is cast in the high
places of the earth, and upon whose conduct
and behaviour the eyes of society are fixed.
The Queen Regent of Spain, however, has
not that portion of reflection and good sense
which would prevent her from throwing away
the moral advantages of character and good
conduct, while her opponent, Don Carlos, has
the reputation, notwithstanding his bigotry, of
being one of the most estimable private cha-
racters in Spain. If the Queen Regent had
shown herself more liberal in her policy, and
less liberal in some other respects, she would
done better. As it is, she is likely not only
4 ,;,:-: t t the small number of Spaniards that
....Zr. have d her cause, but even to en-
.".q;; 1/4 clan - -'S .‘ ughter's throne. The doubts
.tr4l.- ' * 4kie iier, nents circulated respecting the
le '--. if. 44
,)),
r child cannot but gain strength
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