The Sun.
London, England, 1851-02-03 00:00:00

THE MAYOR'S DINNER Ar

T

SIR kieet.i.edaT PEEL'S MAI.DEI.‘I. SeEECII.
(From the Bimingham Journal.)
This annual gathering of the " men of rank and
likelihood" of the ancient borough of Tamworth took
place at the Town-hall on Wednesday evening last,
when upwards of 70 sat down to partake of the
bounteous feast provided by their worthy chief magis-
trate, Mr. Job C. Righton. A usual, the host pre-
eid:al as chairrn,o, his right band guest behg she
lord of Drayton Manor, who, as our readers will
doubtless recollect, succeeded his much-lamented
father in the representation of the borough. This
was Sir Robert Peel's first public appearance among
his constituents, and his reception was most en-
thusiastic.
After the routine toasts had been duly honoured,
Mr. W. Kellam. proposed, " Toe health of the
Members for the borough of Tam worth."
Sir R. PEEL then rose and said—Gentlemen, it is
with feelings of the deepest emotion that I rice to
return my very sincere and cordial thanks for the
kind and flattering manner in which you have re-
sponded to the last toast. I regret extremely that
my lion. Colleague is not present to participate in the
pleasure arising from the manner in which the men-
tion of our names has been received, and I am sure
you all lament the circumstances which detain him
elsewhere.—(Hear, hear.) You will bear with me, I
trust, in the expression of my feelings and opinions
on the present occasion, from the consideration that
this is the first time—not only the first opportunity
upon which I have had the gratification of meeting
any of the constituents publicly, as it were—although
I admit, thanks to the kind and courteous hospitality
of our Mayor, in a most agreeable manner—far less
such an influential body as here present, amongst
whom I recognise with pleasure, and 1 may add, as
a source of encouragement, so many friends linked
together with me in the social ties of mutual
intercourse, but,of addressing publicly any as-
sembly whatever. Let us call to mind the cir-
cumstances under which I now appear before you,
and what melancholy reminiscences they bring back
to our recollection. I now stand in the very place
where at a like period last year (and how often in
former years) surrounded by those whom he was
wont to call his friends, he, the highest political or-
nament of his time, your honoured representative,
my father stood. How often has his eloquence
charmed you, his sentiments elevated you to a consi-
deration, that in addressing you, his friends, his
neighbours, his constituents, and in making public
mention of his views on political subjects, his voice
would have a far wider range than the limits of this
constituency, and that from the walls of this ancient
and honoured hall they would be caught up to be re-
peated from one end of the country to the other, as
our guide and encouragement in seasons of despon-
dency, to be borne aloft in our recollection in the
springtide of our prosperity !—(Cheers.) But a
change has come over the scene. Let us improve the
melancholy bereavement we have sustained by recog-
nising in it one of the inscrutable dispensations of an
all- wise Providence. Hitherto, but more particularly
during the last eight years, the pursuits of my life
and the aim of my ambition have been directed
in a very different channel to that in which,
from the unforeseen circumstances referred to, they
appear destined to flow. Consequently, although I have
errived at that period of life when many of my own stand-
ing are not only thoroughly conversant with, but have
already taken an active part in the discussions of most
questions affecting the social and political condition of
this country, and have, moreover, by practice, over-
come in the public expression of their opinions that
timidity naturally resulting at the outset from a want
of sufficient confidence in one's own resources, I feel,
gentlemen, that from long residence abroad and totally
different pursuits I have much to learn to fit me for
the adequate discharge of those duties my present
position entails.—(Cheers.) There are occasions, and
this is one, when it may not be altogether inadvisable
to go a little further than the mere interchange of
complimentary remarks, and, with your permission,
I will refer briefly to the position to which your con-
fidence has elevated me. In a few days, and for the
first time at the commencement of a Parliamentary
session, I shall take my seat in the House of Com-
mons. It is true that towards the close of the last
session I took the oaths qualifying me for a
seat in Parliament ; but I took no part in the
deliberations of the House, and therefore it is
that I am desirous of dating the commencement of
my Parliamentary career from the approaching ses-
sion. I look upon it as a very important epoch in
my life, and I assure you I am deeply sensible of the
responsibility not only attached to the name I bear,
but to the political associations I have the honour of
enjoying.—(Hear.) I have hitherto made no pro-
fession of political faith, and I have given no pledges,
as you required none of me ; and I take this opportu-
nity of thanking the constituency for the courteous
delicacy they showed towards me in this matter, and
which increases the responsibility of my position, and
renders it doubly incumbent upon me to prove my
sense of gratitude by continued devotion to your in-
terests.—(Cheers.) But thus far I am now prepared
to state that as a loyal subject of the Crown, a true
Protestant of the Church of England—(Cheers)—and
a Liberal Conservative in politics, I hope so to shape
the course of my public life that as long as I shall
have the honour of enjoying a seat in Parliament I
may succeed in meriting the confidence and esteem
of my constituents, enjoying the satisfaction
that I may not have been altogether use-
less in my generation.—(Great applause.) I
hope to discharge the duties which will
devolve upon me in a right manner. Certainly I
enter Parliament not with the vain, insipid gratifica-
tion of a personal vanity, but with the determination
of devoting the best faculties I possess to the study of
political questions. I have already hinted that my
political convictions are of a liberal tendency, but
permit me to enlarge on the point, in order that no
misconstruction may apply to me, or that you may
give me credit for more than I profess. lam for con-
serving sacredly all that the wisdom of our ances-
tors and the prudence of modern statesmen have se-
cured for our enjoyment, in so far as they are conso-
nant with the present and permanent interests and
welfare of society.—(Hear.) I am equally for eradi-
cating and remodelling, but with prudence and dis-
cretion, whatever may be shown to be incompatible
with those present interests, whatever may be con-
demned as unjust and obnoxious by an expression of
public opinion—that safest criterion by which we
can form accurate appreciations on political subjects,
the rudder by which the statesman ought, by antici-
pation if possible, to guide the vessel of State; but
mark the difference I am desirous of establishing be-
tween the calm and loyally dispassionate expression of
public opinion and the wild ebullition of popular pre-
judice which sometimes calls itself public opinion. W ith
the former I will endeavour to keep pace, but as regards
the latter I shall always endeavour to be proof against it.
From these considerations it is natural to infer that I
make my appearance on the political stage rather as
a partisan of progress than ai an advocate of that
stationary school of policy which would stifle the in-
troduction of questions, or impede changes, which
might at first sight appear uncalled for or inexpedient.
But when I talk of progress, I allude not to the ficti-
tious progress which is based upon vain, senseless
theories, which, by appeals to the masses, might cause
great injury to the cause of constitutional liberty, but
I speak of that progress which has its foundations
laid upon the industry, intelligence, and good sense
of society—of the progress which, uniting all classes
of the community in one common bond of reciprocal
interests, interferes not with, but rather encourages
a gradual advance in the science of government, social
and political, suitable to the development of ideas, and
consequently to advanced moral and political advan-
tages.—(Cheers.) Before .1 sit down I would refer
to two subjects, one of which has produced, and
continues to excite, more than ordinary interest—l
refer to the introduction and complete establishment
of a Roman Catholic hierarchy in England. The
other is the subject of taxation with reference to our
financial arrangements. As regards the latter, lam
decidedly in favour of the maintenance of a wise and
prudent economy in all the various branches of the
public administration; at the same time I would be
disposed to resist all sweeping measures of financial
reform which, under the pretext of alleviating the
burdens weighing upon the industrious classes, may
appear plausible and expedient, but which unques-
tionably would afford only temporary and dubitable
advantage, inasmuch asithey:might produce a reaction
which would be far more prejudicial than an unin-
terrupted continuance of the former measures.—
(Hear, hear.) lam also not a very sturdy advocate
of the cry raised for alleviation of taxation the mo-
ment that it is known that there is a surplus in the
Exchequer ;—not that I would not willingly see the
repeal of all taxation weighing upon the industry of
the country, or interfering with the sanitary condi-
tion of the masses, particularly if in their uncondi-
tional surrender increased impetus could be given to
the development of our financial concerns, and at the
same time no very material injury be inflicted upon
the revenue of our country ; but recollecting that
we expect the Government to be conducted in an
efficient manner, while all enjoy an honest pride in
witnessing the power which our political and com-
mercial importance insures us over the whole world,
we must take care to be prepared f'or those contingen.
cies which are within the limits of probability. Con-
sequently, without referring to what party may have
the administration of affairs, we must be prepared
cheerfully to make every sacrifice in favour of the
public good.—(Cheers.) Now, as regards the reli-
gious zeal, I believe I may add the religious anitnosi.
ties, which unfortunately the recent organization of a
Roman Catholic hierarchy in England has excited
throughout the whole country, I em not quite pre-
pared upon an immature consideration of the question I
to commit myself in any definite manner by an ex-