The Sun.
London, England, 1834-11-24 00:00:00

MEETING OF THE PARISH OF ST. MARTIN'S

IN TIIE FIELDS

A meeting was called of the inhabitants of the above parish for I
this morning, to consider the measures proper to be taken in conse-
quence of the present crisis in the political affairs of the country.
By half-past ten, o'clock the Vestry-h 11 was crowded by the most
respectable tradesmen in the parith,
Mr. SIMPSON, ehe of the churchwardens, was unanimously
voted into the chair. After thanking the meeting for the honour
done him, he said the subject they had met to discuss required a
little delicacy, and brit very little. It Was **ll knotVn that his
Majesty hs.a the undoubted right to choose Es Ministers froal ttllat
class he pleased; but there could be as little question but that the
people had the same right to say whether they were willing to put
confidence in the men so chosen.—(Loud and continued
cheers.) He called upon all Reformer§ to join -min the present
crisis—to lay aside en their little differences—and do all in their
power to carry forward their mutual wishes, so far as their grand
object was concerned. Some people said they cared not for the
men who formed the Government, whether they were Whigs or
Tories ; but it ought to be remembered that the Tories had in all
former times been bad—even in the last Session of Parliament,
their speeches and votes had been all against the people—while, on
the other hand, the Whigs had given them the Reform Bill—cer-
tainly not a perfect one ; for by the rate and tax-paying clauses,
and the shilling for registration, in that parish alone, 800 persons
had been disfranchised in the present year, so that by their folly in
that instance, they had punished themselves.
Mr. CHAMBRRS came forward to propose the first resolution.
He said, as a very old reformer, he might by sonte persons
be called lukewarm in the cause, for not having come forward
sooner. He had waited with patience as long as he had any
hope, but now he considered it was time for all to be up
and be doing, or their liberties would be once more at stake. In
speaking of the late Government, he would abolish the name of
Whig:---he would call them the Reform Government--( Great
cheering)—for they had in reality in many things deserved the
thanks of the country. He was not afraid that even one of his fel-
low-parishioners would be led away by the aulacious lies of the turn-
ing Times. The proprietors of that time-serving paper had upon
this occasion acted in the same way as they had always done on all
great oicasions—they had met upon the present one and . decided
upon their cause by vote, in the same manner as they did when the
question of our late most unfortunate Queen came before the public
—it was a fact that their course was then decided by one vote.—
(The allusion to the Times was received with hissing and every
mark of disapprobation.) The Reform Government had done
much for the people—they had given them the Reform Bill, with-
out which they would on the present occasion have been com-
paratively powerless, with it they were as giants—Cheers. )
The immediate fruits of that Bill was the reduction of five millions
of taxes--(Cheers)—which had been taken from the burdens of
the people by the same Reform Government—( Great cheering)—
and though they had not done all that he and they might have
wished, still the country ouht to be grateful ; and it ought to be
borne 'sa mind tblt they had' difficulties to contend with, as proved
by late occurrences, much greater 'than the public had ever known.
Why, it was well known that when Lords Grey and Brougham
went to Court, even the ladies of the bed-chamber received them
with such expressions as " There go the beasts of Reformers,"
and that also countenanced by a power behind the Throne; taking
that as an example, and remembering also the open opposition they
had—though they had not gone with the power of steam--they,
the people, ought to remember, that the railroad had not been
smooth. (Loud cheers.) That parish had been fre-
quently called " The King's parish, and a Loyal parish"—
they were loyal, and would prove it—to be loyal they were not to
be mean and servile to the person who happened to fill the throne,
and to change their opinions to suit his. The word was derived
fromthe French, and meant " laws," therefore they would be loyal
and do nothing against their laws; but they would also show their
determination to have them improved as much as was in their
power. Let them look at who it was they were now called upon to
put confidence in—it was the Duke of Wellington.—( Cries of We
wont have him.) The same consistent Duke who employed tl:e
Rev. Dr. Philpots to write against the claims of the Catholics, and
rewarded him with a golden prebend in Durham—and the same
Duke who, being afraid of the people, once more employedthe same
Rev. Doctor to write another- pamphlet, but this time in favour of
the same class of men whom he had formerly libelled; the
duty this time being harder, the scribbling Doctor was raised
to the bench of Bishops in the House of Lords, there to do, on
all occasions the bidding of his master. That was the man whom
his Majesty had now put in power, to carry into effect the princi-
ples of the Reform Bill—a man who, upon every occasion, had
done all in h s power to crush the liberties of the people. Yet,
for all that, he (Mr. C. ) firmly believed that, would it put a penny
in their pockets, the Tories would even now turn round and sup-
port annual Parliaments and universal suffrage.—(Laughter.) But
were such men as these to be trusted by the people of England?—
(" No, no.") The Duke's ally, the Times—(Hisses)—tried to
make it appear clear that the late dismissal was not a pre-concerted
thing. But if it was not, it would be difficult to account for the
late commotion among the continental despots. It was a pre-con-
certed affair. That was proved by the arrival of the destroyer of the
Poles at Berlin at the very moment, where he was joined by the Prince
of Orange, and other tyrants. Among others who had been sent for,
the last, though not the least, was the Illustrious Duke of Cumber-
land.--(Laughter.) Let him come, and if they were going. to,
form another Holy Alliance, they could not appoint a more fitting
Secretary—if not, then in God's name if they were determined to
unfurl the standard of "No Reform," make him generalissimo of
their army, and then the battle was safe to be in the hands of the
people.—(Cheers.) He called upon all Reformers to lay aside
their differences, and unite uqt lat least they were safe. As the
(he was most sorry to say) late Lord Chancellor—( Great cheer-
ing)—said—" The people of England are omnipotent--they are
the all-ruling power in the country—they have but to wish for any
good thing, and if they are united, who can keep it from them ?''
That was said before the Reform Bill was passed, then how much more
apt was it now. After again impressir°s upon the Meeting the ne-
cessity of uniting to oust the Tories, and praising the good works of
the late government, he moved. That the parisb-of St. Martin in the
Fields had no confidence in a government composed of individuals
who have ever been the avowed and determined opponents of Re-
form, and the enemies of every moral and intellectual improvement,
which alone can render man that social, independent, and happy
being which a beneficent Creator intended him to be."
The resolution 1y,,-;nt; been seconded,
Mr. Rowan]) said he could not allow any merit to the Whigs
for the Reform Bill. It had been carried by the people of England.
As to praise bestowed upon the mountebank Chancellor—( Great.
hissing for some time)—
The CHAIRMAN said, on being appealed to, that Mr. HOWard,
had a perfect right to go on, but whether he would consider it pru-
dent or not was another matter.

Mr. HOWARD attempted to continue in the same strain of abuse,
but was obliged to sit down.

Mr. FENN said he had an amendment to propose. He could
not join in the eulogium passed upon the late Ministry nor in those
passed upon Lord Brougham, who had a short time ago, in the
House of Lords, said that a Peer had a perfect right to interfere in
all elections, a statement which had perfectly astounded almost all
men, especially as it came from so unexpected a quarter. After
abusing the Poor Law Bill and Miss Martineau, during which he
met with frequent interruptions, the great majority of the meeting
hissing at many of his statements, he moved a long resolution to the
effect that the meeting would give their support to any Government
who professed economy and impartial justice, and would pledge
themselves to do all in their power to send to Parliament only men
ft orn the middle class of sod. tv.

_ ..j.
Mr. SMITH seconded the amendment. He considered Whigs
and Tories both bad, though he was bound to say that the
Tories deserved the most intense hate.—(Long continued cheering).
while to the Whigs he could only attribute some blame. He
likened the people to beasts of burden, and so long as they were
driven by either " Tom Whig or Jack Tory," they would continue
as at present, and never have their load lessened.--( Cries of " You
forget the five millions.") He supported the amendment because
many more taxes ought to have been reduced.
Mr. WILSON was sorry that such topics had been introduced,
for it was likely to lead their minds away from the main object.
The real question before them was, would they give their support
to a Tory Government, composed of men from whom they had no-
thing to expect ?—( Cheers.) Some people might call their con-
duct dictation—it might be so, but he would ask what it was
that put the present line of Kings on the throne ?—( Cheers.) Was
it not the dictation of the people that drove the Stuarts from the
throne. He would say, as had been said by a good man, that the
Whigs and Tories were the two thieves between whom the Consti-
tution had been crucified but he would also say, that now the
Whigs were much better than they were formerly—they had pro-
fitted much by their last lessons.
The amendment was then put, andlost by a great majority, there
being only about 20 hands held up for it.
The original motion was then carried, with only one dissentient,
amidst great cheering.
Dr. BaiNnainGe proposed the second resolution, which was as
follows :—" That the meeting is of opinion that any and every
admistration which refuses the Vote by Ballot, Triennial Parlia-
ments, and a further extension of the franchise, at least by abrogating
the rate and tax-paying clauses of the Reform Bill, is not entitled
to its support." He said the mover of the first resolution had eulo-
gized the Whigs, but he (Dr. B.) could not forget that their first
measure after the Reform Bill was the Coercion Bill, and their last
the Poor Law Amendment Bill, both of which were worthy of the
Tories, and them only. Nor could he forget that they had not
only refused inquiry into the Pension List, but had even defended
it. Yet notwithstanding all that, he could not but allow them
some praise ; and though he must also blame, he was not prepared
to throw himself into the arms of their enemies the Tories—
( Cheers)—who had created the enormous debt, to pay the interest
of which the country was enormously burdened, and the hands of
the Whigs in a great measure tied up from reducing the taxation.
—( Great cheering.) He considered the present as a very proper
time for putting forward a political creed, which he had done in the
resolution he then proposed.
Mr. WEBB seconded the motion, because of two evils he liked
the leastone, and because he considered half a loaf better than no
bread.
Mr. FENN again tried to promulgate his own sentiments, but
was called to order as he was not speaking to the question.
The Resolution passed unanimously.
On the motion of Mr. WEBB, a parochial association was formed,
for the purpose of carrying out the principles of the Reform Bill.
The thanks of the Meeting were most cordially voted to the
Chairman, who returned thanks, and itwas dissolved most peaceably.