The Sun.
London, England, 1834-12-02 00:00:00

GENERAL ELECTION.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SlR,—The Tories of this place are already actively en-
gaged in preparing for an election, and arc resorting to their
old base tricks. Men known to be leaders of the Church
and Tory interest here, have hot hesitated to offer persons
money, or its equivalent, for their votes.
The persons thus insulted are, as might be supposed, in
humble circumstances, such as little shop-keepers, car-
riers, &c.
A man who is a carrier, and lives in a village not
far from the town has lost a horse by death, on which one
of the Tory party said to him, "If you will vote for
us we will give you another horse." It is thought fcm he
man's firmness hitherto that he not accent ot

bribe.
A shopkeeper in the town was appliel to ty a leading
man whose pinciples and whose electian-motives can scarcely
be doubtel. Upon t shopkeeper seeing this person, and
another, a profess'onal mar, coming to his house, and
knowing that they Ind been coin; about the town to
solicit votes, purpose!! went into a room helow the shop,
where, however, he could hear the conversation which should
take 1.--Lqce. The person addressed himself to the wife to
this effect—" would find a few pounds very useful in
" The w0n....71 nobly replied, "If you mean
your business.
in ~
l would reference to the election, thol. the money wouldcompro be
-
useful to us, I don't think that my hus Jant.
mise his vote."

It may be useful to hold up these mAiefactors in terroMr,
and to intimate that their dish onourabl.e and practices,
will be nurowly watched.
Another circumstance may be addel to slow their mode
of proceeding. At several of the public-louses in this
town the lower classes are treated when they choose to
come, at least once a week, and rec&ve a sliding each in
audition, there being an evident understanding that ti e
wish of their benefactors is that they should vote for tle
Tory candidate.
I remain, Sir, your obelicnt servant,
Maidstone, Dec. 1,1834. OESERVER.

" UNION IS STRENGTH."

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sin,—Never was there a period when it was more ne-
cessary not only to preach, but to practise the doctrine in-
culcated by our motto. Let us, then, no longer dwell upon
the failings of the late Ministers ; (for who among us is
without fault ?) but proceed, heart and hand, in the great
work they have begun, and, above all, defend ourselves and
our rights from Tory encroachment and spoliation. We are
on the eve of great events. In all likelihood, a general
election is at hand. Without questioning the right or the
propriety of constituents, freely and unreservedly to canvass
the acts of their representatives (for I admit the principle
in its fullest extent), I yet may be allowed to doubt both
the wisdom and the policy of wasting our time in splitting
straws, and quarrelling with this or that vote, merely be-
cause it does not happen to square with our own opinions,
when the enemy is at our very gate ; and when all depends
on our showing him a bold, determined, and united front,
for remember, " UNION IS STRENGTH !"
All we have now to -do, is to beat the Tories ; and squab-
bling amongst ourselves is the very • worst way to set
about this. For one body of Reformers to set itself •
against another, is, of all mad schemes, the maddest. It is
to play directly in the hands of our opponents ; in fact their
only hope of success. But, say some, the late ministers
have disappointed the people ; they have not done all they
might have done ; and the House of Commons, by the large
majorities with which they have supported ministers, have
forfeited our confidence. lam not apt to lose my temper,
but I am free to confess, that when I look to all that has
been done, in the very teeth too of a bigotted and unre-
formed House of Lords, Ido feel surprise,-not that so little
but that so much has been accomplished, and sentiments,
not of anger, but of gratitude are the natural, the inevitable
result. 'What Administration ever did so much for the
people as the last ? And under what adverse circumstances
too ? Little do the people know the obstacles with which
they were met at every turn, and the difficulties which at-
tended the attainment of even the most trivial measure of
reform. Would to goodness these difficulties were duly ap-
preciated ! then, and not till, shall we set a proper value on
what has been done. But my object is not so much to eulo-
gise the late ministry, as to show the unreasonableness and
impolicy of quarrelling with them just now, when we ought
to be buckling on cur armour for the fight :with their
opponents. Again, therefore, I say, let UNION be ±he
watchword among all classes of Reforme rs. Let there
be no lukewarm:less in supporting candidates of avowedly
Reform principles, even though they may not on some
points come up to your standard of political virtue.
" Half a loaf is better than no bread." Above all, let the
sticklers for ultra-Liberalism bear in. mind, that it is worse
than useless for them to expect more than was accomplished
by the late Ministers. They, I firmly believe, Would have
gone farther if they could. Their very dismissal is a proof
of the truth of this ; for had they not attempted • further
reform, they might have been in power at this day. Let
then all shades of political difference amongst Reformers
be merged in the one great design to keep down the Tories ;
and above all, to oust the Duke. That contemptible re-
negade " the Times," tells us " the Duke has said he will
reform, and we are bound to believe him ! " The assertion
is false : the reasoning from it absurd. When and where
has the Duke ever said one word in favour of reform ? On
all and every occasion, he has inveighed against it as unne-
cessary and mischievous. But even if he did'promise us
reform, we are not bound to believe him. For his own
credit's sake, we are bound to disbelieva, at all events, to
distrust so disgraceful and profligate an avowal of departure
from political principles.
Electors of England I be not deceived by any promises
from this quarter. " They will not, cannot come to good."
Trust a Tory with reform measures ! Good Heavens !
Just as wise would it be to try a footpad by a jury of high-
waymen.

Stoke, Dec. 1, 1834. AN OLD REFORMER.
P.S. I cannot help contrasting the conduct of O'Con-
nell and Cobbett in the present posture of affairs. The
former is practically illustrating the doctrine I have so feebly
endeavoured to enforce. The other is, as usual, doing mis-
chief, by vituperating the late government, instead of at-
tracting the attention of his hearers to the evils of the pre-
sent one. When will this man devote his talents to any
good, practical purpose ?