The Sun.
London, England, 1834-12-05 00:00:00

ST. SAVIOUR'S, SOUTHWARK.

A very respectable meeting of the inhabitants of this
parish, paying scot and bearing lot, was held at five o'clock
yesterday evening, in the vestry-room of the church, better
known to the public as our " Ladve Chapel," " to take into
consideration the present unusual state of public affairs."
The proceedings commenced soon after five o'clock.
Mr. PARTRIDGE (the senior churchwarden) having been
called to the chair, and the vestry clerk having read the
notice of the meeting,

Mr. LOCK stood there as an independent man to avow
his own sentiments, hoping and believing they would be
in accordance with those of the respectable assembly which
he saw around him. He knew no party but his country,
and had no motive but the public good. The people had
long complained of grievances. Some of those grievances
had been redressed—others still remained behind. They
had the Reform Bill—a measure good in itself, but capable
of considerable improvement. The suffrage it established
was too limited, and its provisions were too exclusive.
Every househelder oughP.;•to have tlae,right. of,ypting •
out the addition of a ayivitialification ; and t' .n-
-nial Parliaments shoal rOvil to in order that their
representatives mig ore under their -tontroul, and
sooner brought to account for their conduct. The odious
and oppressive tithe system still continued to exist—a
fruitful source of heart-burning, discontent and hatred ;
doing more to bring religion into contempt, and alienate
men's minds from its Ministers than all the preachings of
infidels, or attacks of factious demagogues.—(Cheers.) He
(Mr. Lock) asked, was it right, was it just, was it equita-
ble, that men should be taxed for the support of a Church
from whose doctrines they dissented, and of which they
conscientiously disapproved ? But there was the cry of
" The Church is in danger." They were told that if the
Church were reformed, religion would be neglected ; that
if its ministers were less paid, its doctrines would be disre-
garded. Away with such hypocrisy ! Miserable subter-
fuge ! A few mitres might tremble ; lawn sleeves even
might be perhaps dispensed with, and overgrown pluralists
would be stripped of their exorbitant and disproportionate
incomes ; but the meek, pious, working ministers would be
remunerated as they ought ; the labourer was worthy of his
hire, and of his just reward no man would deprive him.—
(Hear.) He confessed he was not an alarmist, and he did
not think they any cause to fear. They were too well ac-
quainted with their rights, and too well aware of the moral
power of their position, again to endure a profligate system
of government.—(Cheers.). lie hoped the country would
shortly tell Sir Robert Peel that the people were not to be
gulled with the mere professions and pretences of those who
would keep the word of promise to the ear but break it to
the sense.—(Cheers.) He now begged to move a series of
three resolutions.

[The resolutions declared the utter want of confidence
of the meeting in any but a reforming Administration, their
distrust and suspicion of the Duke of Wellington, and their
anxiety for the appointment of Ministers whose known po-
litical opinions would be a guarantee for their conduct.]
Mr. SMITH seconded the resolutions.

Mr. SHEARS moved au amendment.

On the question being put, only two hands were held up
for the amendment. The original resolutions were, conse-
quently, carried by a large majority.
Mr. CROSBY moved the fourth resolution, pledging the
meeting to triennial Parliaments, household suffrage without
pecuniary qualification, and the vote by ballot.
Mr. Locx seconded it.

Mr. WILD opposed the resolution.
The resolution was unanimously carried, as was an ad-
dress to the King founded upon the resolutions, which was
moved by Mr. Lock, and signed by the warden on behalf of
the meeting.
Thanks were then voted to the chairman, and the meet-
ing separated.

STATE OF PUBLIC OPINION

IN THE COUNTRY.

DERBY,
ADDRESS TO LORD MELBOURNE.
(From the Derby Mercury of Wednesday.)
On Monday, an Address was presented to Lord Mel-
bourne, from the Reformers at Derby, at Melbourne Hall.
A short time before twelve o'clock, a number of gentlemen
assembled about half a mile from Melbourne, and formed
themselves into a procession, which drew up near the
church, and shortly afterwards Lord Melbourne, in his car-
riage, entered the assembly.
R. F. FORRESTER, Esq., M.D., presented the address,
of which the following is a copy
"

" To the Right Hon. Viscount Melbourne.
" We, the undersigned electors and inhabitants of the bo-
rough of Derby, embrace the present opportunity of express-
ing to your Lordship the sincere respect which we feel for
your Lordship's personal character and public conduct, and
our great satisfaction with the general course of liberal and
enlightened policy pursued by the Government during the
period which yourself and colleagues constituted a part of the
Administration of the venerable and consistent Statesman Earl
Grey ; and more especially we beg emphatically to testify our
gratitude for the great and glorious measures, the reform in
the representation of the people and the abolition of slavery.
Looking also with entire confidence to those further and salu-
tary improvements in Church and State which were expected
from your Lordship's united Administration, it is almost
superfluous for us to say how deeply we regret the late sud-
den dismissal of yourself and colleagues from his Majesty's
Councils, in a manner the most extraordinary, and, as we
believe, nearly unprecedented in the annals of our history, since
the accession of the House of Hanover to the throne of these
realms. In giving utterance to these our sentiments at this
momentous crisis, we venture frankly to confess that we had
felt some degree of disappointment at what appeared to us an
unnecessary delay in the introduction of several measures of
considerable importance, during the last Session of• Parliament.
We now, however, feel ourselves bound in candour to admit
that, surrounded by difficulties not easy to overcome, and
thwarted by the intrigues and opposition of the Tory party, we
clearly perceive the causes to which such delay on the part of
the late Administration ought to be attributed.
" This view of the subject suggests to us to remark that the
circumstance of your having met with impediments in those
quarters where, on the contrary, support might justly have been
expected, entitles your Lordship to the confidence of the peo-
ple; affording, as it does, a decisive proof of the efficiency
of those measures which were generally understood to have
been in active preparation.
" In taking leave of your Lordship, we beg to assure you
that, though disappointed and disgusted by those recent events,
which occupy the mind and the attention of every man, we
entertain the strongest conviction that ultimately the cause of
liberty and good government will triumph over the expiring
efforts of a faction which too long has ruled the destinies of
this great nation, and we trust that, by the combined and
zealous exertion of its constitutional powers and privileges,
a,:d by the brilliant display of public opinion, the dark cloud
which pow hangs over it will, ere long, be happily dispelled
from the polit:.:!al horizon."
Lord MELBonisNE then addressed the assembly to the
following effect :—His Lordship commenced by acknow-
ledging the respectable deputation from Derby, who had
presented him with the address just read, in which his con-
duct as Prime Minister, and his political principles, were so
handsomely noticed. The justice of the important sen-
timents contained in that address it would be impossible
for any candid man to deny. In those sentiments he
heartily concurred ; and he trusted to see them carried
into practical effect, prudently, temperately, and cautiously.
Whatever influence be possessed should be directed to
the furtherance of the great ends contemplated by them.
In reference to the immediate cause of the dissolution
of the late Ministry, to which the address especially
pointed, his Lordship said it was undoubtedly to be attri-
buted to the death of Lord Spencer, which deprived the
Government of their leader in tho House of Commons.
That Government bad been formed mainly on the talents,
character, and manly conduct of Lord Althorp : and the
House of Commons never showed greater appreciation of
character or stronger sagacity than when it attached itself
so prominently to that nobleman, whose simplicity of na-
ture and honesty of purpose are far more valuable than
the possession of those more specious and imposing ta-
lents which were apparent in other men. As an enlight-
ened statesman and incorruptible patriot, he was eminently
conspicuous. The death of Earl Spencer, however, hav-
ing deprived the Government of his services in the lower
House of Parliament, it became his (Lord Melbourne's)
duty to take the pleasure of his Majesty, and make the
requisite arrangements for rfilling up the deficiency. It
was sufficient to say, that in taking thug steps his Ma-
jesty intimated to him that be would not impose upon him
that task ; but that he intended to resort for that purpose
to other counsellors. In saying this, however, he (Lord
Melbourne) did not mean to have it inferred that he
personally a~,rieved by his
Gracious 'Master
had any Wet "1/salito feel
hthise
dKeicnisgiocnouwldas noti
n nobe uset,n,. by ivromq Enotiv9s end
the .44 With,
'se to be. founu ta„.._
could not help saying, notwithstanding, that the dissom- A

tion of the Cabinet had occurred abruptly, and at a time
when the public mind was in a state of especial calm and
quiet. His Lordship then referred to the many reports
that had been put forth by the public press, as it respected
the audience he had on that occasion with the King. These
were full of falsehood. Every rumour had been seized
upon, and, although it was the nature of the press to seize
upon every statement in important cases, and although he
on ordinary occasions did not blame such proceedings, yet.
in the present one, it had undoubtedly far overstepped the
truth, and resorted to the publication of statements none
of which were correct. Circumstances had been stated as
facts which were utterly false, and where any appearance
of truth seemed to be made out, or had any just founda-
tion, it was so perverted as to be calculated to more mis-
lead the public than absolute falsehood itself. His Lord-
ship then proceeded to contradict the -assertion made in
publications, assuming to come from authority, that the late
Cabinet had been dissolved by internal divisions. Nothing
of this sort would at all hare led to its breaking up if the
King had not dissolved it. " I beg," said his Lordship, " to
give a clear, distinct, and emphatic denial to this assump-
tion. That some shades of difference on important mea-
sures did exist, and would always exist, might be the
case ; but that any such variation in sentiment has
caused the event is erroneous and untrue." In re-
ference to other subjects, he (Lord Melbourne) would
speak not in the voice of discontent, but of friendly
caution. Attacks had been made upon the late
Government by those persons to whom they ought
rather to have looked for support. These attacks were
mainly attributable to the strong resolutions put forth by
the Dissenters in reference to the connection between
Church and State. The efforts of this class of the com-
munity had made a great change in many influential quar-
ters, and had encouraged their political opponents—oppo-
nents powerful as a party, in property and opinion, and of
uncompromising character. Reformers were strong in
principles, in the sense and justice of their demands. They
bad the sympathy of a large body of the country, but he
`(Lord ,Melbourne) would ll them that they were not
strong .nougli to ~,13.e.,,disunited: --A- weak party
in point of numhe ", if uniteB,. would be found in the
conflict more powerful than a larger one in disunion.
His Lordship then alluded to the delay on the intro-
duction of measures, as stated in the address. The
excuse there assigned, however, he would. not accept.
He was bound to say that many of the obstacles as-
sumed as reasons did not exist, at least he believed
not. With respect to reforms in Church and State,
and in the Municipal Corporations, these were grave
and important questions. Measures, however, with regard
to the first, had been taken to obtain accurate information,
and in the next session of Parliament it was intended to
have founded a beneficial change. As to the Corporations,
nothing, it was evident, could have been done until the
Commissioners' reports had been published. He would say,
however, that nothing required greater reform than this
question. Corporations were calculated to introduce divi-
sion ; to set one class of men against another, especially in
large towns. To this system might, in a great measure, be
attributed the riots at Bristol, Szc., the Corporations being
by their nature unfitted for populous places. No Govern-
ment could long exist which refused to take this matter
into its serious consideration. His Lordship concluded by
saying, that in attaining these objects his assistance would
be readily given. The people, however, must proceed by
constitutional means, and if there were to be a collision be-
tween the two Houses of Parliament, that party which
should first overstep the bounds of duty and justice would
ultimately fail, and effectually diminish that authority which
it ought to extend. His Lordship was most rapturously
cheered on resuming his seat.
[We have been obliged to give rather an abstract of
Lord Melbourne's address than the address itself, from the
impossibility of being able to report literally, as was our
fate, in a crowd. The sentiments and opinions, however,
of his Lordship are accurately stated.]

SCOTLAND.

PAISLEY.

On Wednesday evening, in terms of public advertisement,
a public meeting of the inhabitants of Paisley was held in
the Low Church.
On the motion of Mr. DAVID WALLACE, Provost Har-
die was called to the chair with acclamation.

Mr. KENNEDY moved the first resolution, which was se-
conded by Mr. JA➢IES FLEMING.
Mr. M'FARLANE moved the remaining resolutions, the
last of which expressed the opinions of that meeting to be,
that the House of Commons should stop the usual Govern-
ment supplies if the Duke of Wellington persisted in re-
taining office.
Mr. JOHN DUNLOP seconded the resolutions, which were
unanimously agreed to.
Mr. HENDERSON moved the Address to the King.
Mr. ROBERT SHAW seconded it.

The Address was then put from the chair, and having
been carried by acclamation, the large assembly, which filled
the church in every quarter, quietly dispersed.

ABERDEEN.

A meeting of the inhabitants generally was held here on
Saturday, the Lord Provost in the chair. It was called
by Mr. Bannerman, that he might give an account of his
stewardship as the city Representative. He addressed the
meeting p.t considerable length. In alluding to his reasons
for believing the probability of a dissolution, he spoke as
follows :—" I have various reasons for thinking so, but one
will suffice—l am convinced the Duke of Wellington has
accepted office on principles diametrically opposed to those
of the late Administration, and to those of a large majority
of the present House of Commons. The Duke of Wel-
lington has repeatedly recorded all his political sentiments
during the late session of Parliament. He is not the man
to chancre his principles. If he is to carry on the Govern-
ment of the country, Parliament will assuredly be dissolved.
Of course I cannot tell whether the Duke or Sir R. Peel
will be the Premier. It is a curious circumstance that
before the dismissal of Lord Melbourne and his colleagues,
it was known in Aberdeen that the Premiership, in the
event of a change of Government, would be offered to Sir
R. Peel by the Duke of Wellington." Mr. Bannerman's
exposition of his Parliamentary conduct met the cordial
approval of the meeting.