The Sun.
London, England, 1833-01-08 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY

TRIUMPH OF REFORM AT DUDLEY.

(From the Birmingham Journal.)

DINNER GIVEN BY THE INDEPENDENT ELECTORS OF THE

BOROUGH OF DUDLEY TO THE SOLICITOR-GENERAL, SIR

JOHN CAMPBELL, AT THE RUSH TAVERN, DUDLEY, ON
THE 27TH DECEMBER.
The return of Sir John Campbell, the first representa-
tive of the borough of Dudley in the Reformed Parliament,
was celebrated by hie constituents in a dinner to the Ho-
wearable Member. Upwards of 80 (tots sat down to
good old English fare. The chair w taken by Michael
Grazebrook, Esq.—Several gentlemen of liberal opinions
from the neighbouring towns were present. Mr Chokes,
the Member for the Eastern Division of Worcestershire,
James Foster. Esq , or Stourbridge, A. F. Gregory, Egg.,
R. Whiteemhe, Esq., of the Oxford circuit, Mr. Bradley,
Mr. Parkes, end others. Letters were read from Lord
Lyttleton, W. C. Russell, Esq., M.P., and E. J. Little-
ton, Esq., M.P., expressing regret that previous engage-
ments and other reasons prevented their attendance at the
dinner.
After the customary toasts, the Chairman gave the health
of " Sir John Campbell, the first independent representa-
tive of the new borough of Dudley."
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL rose to return thanks, and
was loudly and enthusiastically cheered. He spoke as fol-
lows :—Gentlemen,—.l assure you I rise under great ember.
rassment, and I should indeed,be entirely devoid of feeling if
I was not affected by the warm and sincere expressions of
your personal favour, manifested by the Chairman in pro.
posing the toast, and by your reception of it. The good
will, cordiality, and disinterested friendship shown to me
by you in the arduous contest which has terminated in our
complete triumph, has made a grateful impression upon
me, and which will last so long as my heart continues to
beat.—(Loud cheers.) I assure you that these are not
words of course, but the deep-seated feelings of my mind.
Gentlemen, I will with brevity, but sincerity, express to
you my sentiments, though on previous opportunities my
political opinions have been fully declared to you. I was
a candidate for your suffrages on your requisition, before
his Majesty's Government called me to my present official
situation ; and my acceptance of the office of Solicitor-
General was approved by you in the majority of votes re-
corded on the poll. 1 did not hesitate to accept office
under the present justly-popular Government, but I ask
you to place confidence in me as your representative only
so long as that Government deserves support, and so long
only will it enrol me among its members. I believe Lord
Grey's Administration dues deserve, and will continue to
merit. your approbation ; it is based on the opinion of the
people—when it deserts public opinion may it perish.
I hope, and firmly believe, that it will go on, as it has so
proudly commenced, with other great practical reforms—
that our lost privileges will be restored to us, and chat pros•
perity will soon extinguish the many calamities consequent on
misgovernment. We should not forget that to the patriotism
of Lord Grey—to his great measure of Reform—we are
indebted fur the glorious occasion of our assemblage
here ; and the annals of mankind do not present a
single other instance of government working success-
fully such a reform and regeneration of the constitution
of a nation, through its own political agency; it is, I repeat,
a solitary and glorious example of self-reform.—(Cheers.)
Gentlemen, I heartily congratulate you on the triumph
you have achieved at Dudley, which has been exceeded in
no other town, when we consider the combination of in-
fluence and property arrayed against your independence.
when we consider the solicitation and intimidation which
must have overwhelm.d you, had you not been equal to
resist your enemies. But the Tories could not thrust upon
you, a maiden borough, Sir H. Sr. Paul : they could not
prevent Dudley choosing independently an independent re-
presentative. I congratulate you and the country on the
practical success of the amendment of the representation,
which, with some melancholy exceptions, has succeeded,
both in its machinery and results, beyond our most san-
guine expectations. The Tories, it is true, conceited
themselves that, it they failed in defeating the Bill, they
selves that they would defeat its end. But, thank God,
they have been gent rally defeated ; and tin it Consery itive
funds, largely drawn upon, and deputies from their clubs
have been unavailing—in Dudley )ou have discomfited
them. Even mobs and military, their only resource, have
miserably failed them ; perhaps cruelly are they disap-
pointed that no rocket was sent up from the castle; and
that they h .ve not even the consola ion in defeat that the
military galloped up and dcwn the streets and shed a
little blood.—(Cheers.) Not only has Reform, on the
whole, taken root and flourished in England, but in Scot-
land, the country of my birth, to which I owe a deep debt
of gratitude, a popular representation may be said to have
been created, fur none before ever so much as existed. If
England requited its system of representation to be re-
formed, how ought Scotland to rejoice in the national re-
' demption, when its representation was a moelery and
delusion. Three thou•and electors did not exist in all that
kingdom. In Bute, the Member heretofore returned has
been the sole attendant on the day of election—the
returning officer—the only candidate—who proposed,
seconded, and returned himself. —(Loud laughter.)
The paper votes, founded on no property, were publicly
sold at prices from 400/. to 1;600/. a vote; and Edin-
burgh, the capital of my country, was disgraced by 23
close corporators exercising elective rights, now extended
to 10,000 electors; and a glorious use have Scotchmen
made of their restored privileges ; with few exceptions,
they have selected men of liberal opinions and indepen-
dence, who will be true to their country; abuses will no
longer be perpetuated; reform will repair and improve
the institutions of our country.—(Loud cheering.) Gen-
tlemen, I again most sincerely return you my warmest
thanks for your support and confidence. You cannot
now suspect me of canvassing or insincere declarations. I
have, it is true, accepted office, at a present pecuniary sa-
crifice, though it may he the path to honour and station in
my profession; but I declare to the patriotic and indepen
dent electors of Dudley that I will never, by adhering to
it at the sacrifice of political integrity, give them cawe to
regret their choice. I despise place and wealth ; I aspire
to a good name; I value a good name left to my children
above all the wealth of nations, or all the honours the
crown can bestow.—(Loud and continued cheering.)
Sir JOHN CAMPDELL then gave the health of the inde-
pendent electors of Dudley and his Committee.
The Rev. Mr. DAwsoN acknowledged the toast in a
very able and eloquent speech. lie described the distressed
state of the working classes, that the Reform Bills were
of use only as they would promote the happiness and good
government of the people at large, that a 4. something” every
one must see was wanting to improve the physical
ctradition of the poorer orders of society ; and he
impressed upon Sir John Campbell the necessity of prob-
ing to the bottom the political evils oppressing the coun-
try. The Rev. Gentleman then alluded in terms of strong
reprobation to the unworthy arts resorted to by the Con-
servatives, to influence and coerce the electors of Dudley;
he expressed his doubt whether the ballot would alone
effect their deliverence from this unconstitutional domi-
nation.—(Loud cries " Yes it will; the ballot, the ballot.")
He Was an advocate of the ballot: be did not dispute its
general efficacy, but he urged en the Solicitor-General to
mark the signs of the times, and to influence the new Par-
liament to adept such searching measures of general Re- -
feral as should avert the impending catastrophe of popular'
disappointment, if the Reform Bill failed to realise the just
expectations of the people.—(Cheers.)
Sir JOHN CAMPBELL....I now rise to propose the health
of " one of the rabble" as our opponents term us, that of
our excellent, patriotic, and venerable frieud Mr. Twam-
ley, my proposer. Mr. Twamley, Gentlemen, has never
been daunted by Toryism in its most dominant times ; he
is an old and consistedt friend of liberty. I rejoice that
he has his reward in these days. If Mr. Twamley bad
been told years ego, that Dudley would send one Member
to Parliament, and that the Dudley Tories would not
nominate that Member, he would have said it was a vision
too absurd to be realised—a miracle too ridiculous to be

true. But our admirable old friend has lived to enjoy
and to participate in the triumph of those political opi-
nions he has ever so steadily and honourably promoted. I
propose the health of John Twamley, with three times
three._(Loud cheering.)
Mr. TwaattEv—Sir John Campbell and Gentlemen,
my feelings are overcome by the handsome tribute of Sir
John Campbell's good opinion and your kindness. lam
a steady, stanch Reformer. I participate in all the ex-
cellent sentiments so will expressed by Mr. Daw son•
Brother electors, I have shared in your reward ; my heart
has been with you if I could not take so active a part in
your contest as iu earlier years I might have done. Gen-
tlemen, I have never flinched—l elan persevere through
goal And evil report, and maintain my principles ; and I