The Sun.
London, England, 1834-09-18 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

We lay before our readers a report of the proceed-
ings at the dinner given at Edinburgh to Earl Grey,
on Monday, down to one o'clock on Tuesday morn-
ing, when our express left Edinburgh, as the company
were on the point of breaking up. The report which
appeared in the second edition of a morning contem-
porary (the Times) only came down to between ten
and eleven o'clock, after which period sveeral speeches
were delivered, some of which, those of Sir John C.
Hobhouse, Mr. E. Ellice, and Mr. Abercrombie for
instance, were well received. Before noticing the pro-
ceedings at Edinburgh, we may observe that the previous
meeting of Earl Grey and Lord Brougham, at Oxen-
ford, completely proves, to use the language of the Ca-
ledonian Mercury of Monday last, " that there is
not the slightest ground for the ill-natured insinuation
of the Times, that Lords Grey and Brougham had
been dissatisfied with and had been plotting against
one another. The contrary is now apparent ; on
Sunday in private, and to-day in public, those noble
peers met on the most amicable terms." The dinner
to Earl Grey was worthy of a grave and reflecting, and
at the same time ardent people, which the Scotch con-
fessedly are. The services rendered by an upright
Statesman to the cause of Reform, during a long
political life, are acknowledged at the close, of that life
in a manner which while it affords a cheering encourage-
ment to Statesmen who pursue the same elevated
course, must at the same time satisfy the most sceptical,
that neither force nor fraud can overpower a nation in-
tensely alive to its rights, and determined to uphold them.
" How often have we been told (said Lord Durham in an
admirable speech) by our Tory opponents—for you must
allow me to use an expression which they are ashamed of,
and have therefo-e dropped—how often have we been told by
our Tory opponents that the spirit of reform was dying away,
that liberal feelings were no longer predominant, and that the
day was fast approaching when the people of England would
return like repentant sinners to their Tory homes to be re-
ceived with forgivenness by their Tory masters.—( Cheers and
laughter.) Do the proceedings of to-day indicate any such
absurd and wanton abandonment of your hardly won and in-
estimable privileges? ( Cheers. )--No, no ; the gathering of
this day—to use a Scottish phrase (cheers)—the gathering
of this day, at which are the wisest, the best, .and the most
influential persons in Scotland, proves the contrary. We may
not have a majority of the Nobility of the country—invitations
• were, I understand, sent to them, and, perhaps, if their tickets
had not been countermanded at Dunbar, they might have
come. (Cheers and laughter, and cries of " Give. it to
Lauderdale.")—Much as we may regret their absence, and
that of their veteran leader, we must console ourselve9 for
it by reflecting that we have here present the Provosts and
Magistrates of all the large towns in Scotland. ( Cheers.)--
This tells a different tale from that trumpeted forth by
our Tory adversaries ; and my mind is therefore full of
happy anticipations for the free and independent, the liberal
and patriotic. ( Cheers. )—As it is here, so it would be in
every part of the empire, if an occasion were afforded for such
a display.—( Cheers.) " '
Viewed as an exhibition of the moral force of a
nation, the gathering of the Scotch Reformers, too
much importance cannot be attached to the dinner to
Earl Grey at Edinburgh. The speech of Earl Grey
was worthy of his reputation. His ,allusion to the oc-
casion when the honour was paid to him was pecu-
liarly happy :
" This most gratifying of all honours is not paid to
a Minister newly raised to power, in the vigour of his
age, with a long career of active and useful services
before him, and holding out an expectation to others of
official benefits, not yet conferred—( Hear)—no, gentlemen
this proud mark of distinction has been given to a Minister
who has descended, I will not say has fallen, from power—
( Loud cheers)—whose official life has ended, whose long Par-
liamentary career is hastening to a final close.---( General
cries of " No, no.")—to one whom the balance has been
struck between his promises and his performances—to one
where the past is before his country for its judgment, and
the future, as far as he is concerned, presents no
object either for hope or for fear."
The Tories and the Reformers naturally enough
view the Reform Bill in different lights, and with re-
ference to different ends. The Reformers view it as a
• means by- which all the institutions of the state may
be perfected, all abuses may in time be remedied, all
impediments to the happiness and prosperity of the
nation removed. The Tories, on the other hand,
viewing the Reform Bill as an obstacle in the way of
their great object, the making the resources of the
many the prey of the few, labour not only to prevent
the improvements which ought to follow it, but gra-
dually to render the House of Commons less and less
a representative of the property and intelligence of the
country, by the application of the arts of. corruption,
and by having recourse to intimidation. The House of
Lords, they conceive, will enable them to. prevent the
improvements in our institutions and the remedy of
abuses, for the sake of which reform was desired by
the people ; and as this, they suppose, will deaden the
hopes of benefit from the Reform Bill, their task of
regaining power under it will, they think, be thereby
facilitated. Meetings like that of Monday certainly
go to prove that their task will not be a light one.
Earl Grey observed, with reference to the advent of
this millenium so ardently desired by the Tories—
of the restoration of that happy state of things
when. corruption flourished, and when liberty was
oppressed—that if they were to look at any part of
the country, and take any meeting, great or small, as a
sample, they will find no symptons that any rational
man will regard as proof of a reaction in the public
mind. That point of reaction, may, we trust, be con-
sidered as disposed of for a time. The millennium of
the Tories may be safely classed with the millenium of
the Rev. Mr. Irving. The point which now agitates
Reformers is the manner in which effect ought to be
given to the Reform Bill. This is a question of more
difficulty than that of the possibility of Tory reaction.
And here the differences among Reformers displayed
themselves at the Edinburgh dinner. Earl Grey is a
thoroughly honest man ; but he evidently confounds
two things, caution and deliberation in measures of Re-
form, that we may not be mistaken in the means by
which we look for advantage—and hesitating to ad-
nance because there are obstructions in the way, which
must be removed before any progress can be made.
" In no part of the kingdom was that support, which enabled me
to carry that great work through, more effectually or cordially
given than in Scotland, and in no part of Scotland was there
greater firmness, zeal, and moderation, more beneficially and
usefully exerted, than in the city in which we are now assembled.
—( Loud cheers.) Proceeding on the same principles as those
on which Parliamentary Reform was founded, namely—the
principles of strengthening and preserving the settled insti-
tutions of the State,—proceeding, I say, upon those princi-
ples, we shall have the power of effecting such further im-
provements as the necessities of the times may render
expedient, and in doing that I am sure that I need not
say to such a meeting as this that we should care-
fully abstain from pressing any extreme or violent changes._
(Loud cheers.) I have the assurance that we shall not do so,
from the response made by you to the expression of that senti-
ment—(Cheers)—and from everything I have seen and heard
in my progress to attend an invitation sent in so flattering a
manner to me to meet you here this day—throughout that
progress I have found, here and everywhere else I have passed
through in Scotland, not only a zealous attachment to the
cause of liberty, but also a firm attachment to the true princi-
ples of our mixed government."
Nothing should be done rashly—disorder should be
cautiously guarded against. But if one branch of the
Legislature, having interests directly at variance with
those of the nation, have the power to neutralise the
action of the other branch which reflects the nation,
and chuses to exercise that power—for Earl Grey him-
self admitted that his opponents had at command a
large majority, and obstinately refused to listen to the
spirit of the age—ought not this master-evil to be
grappled with, that necessary improvements may be
made with caution and safety ? If we wish the peo-
ple to be cautious and to be impressed with the para-
mount importance of guarding against disorder, the
best means of securing that object is to remove out of
the way whatever tends to foment the angry passions.
The stream, if suffered to flow on without -impediment,
exhibits a smooth and equable current ; but let its course
be impeded by obstacles, and it bursts its bounds; and
its progress is marked by devastation. The action of
the constitution cannot be considered safe while the
Lords are at variance with the nation. The people
have, it is true, power in their own hands to compel a
change ; but the power must be exercised before the
change can take place. When the obstacles to the
regular action of the Legislature are removed, the ma-
chine may be safely confided in. No man, when he
hears the creaking of his carriage-wheels supposes
there is any wisdom in proceeding farther without ap:
plying the means to enable the vehicle to be moved
with ease. The Lord Chancellor took nearly the. same
line of argument with Earl Grey. This last statesman,
however, has seldom, except when hard pressed, al-
luded pointedly to the circumstances which render the
House of Lords hostile to the nation. But the Lord
z- clia-liopor has on many occasions endeavoured to
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