The Sun.
London, England, 1834-12-03 00:00:00

wade through—(Laughter)—and which treats in one part
so aptly and so cleverly of what the writer calls the legal
mosaic, I, for one, know nothing of such an article ; but
I dare say what is said about it is perfectly correct ; though
I shall leave it to the gentlemen of the long-robe to deter-
mine the cause which has thus induced. the Learned Ser-
geant to turn king's-evidence against his own profession.—
(Loud cheers.) I want to know, touching this prerogative
which my Honourable and Learned Friend appears to hold
in such tender affection—the free exercise of which we wish
not to deny, whether advisedly done or capriciously done—
I want to know, when so much fuss is made about the pre-
rogative of another, whether we, my friends, are to aban-
don our own ?—("Bravo—that's the point.") For it really
does appear to me that we have a prerogative of the people,
a prerogative of the King, and a prerogative of the Duke.
—(Hisses of scorn and indignant cheers, which lasted some
time.) The law says that on the demise of the Crown,
which God forbid—(" Pooh, pooh 1" and loud laughter)—
Parliament shall assemble ; but I want to know, if Parlia-
ment did assemble, how could the Commons go on without
one responsible adviser of the Crown being present ?
( Hear.) The people might want information respecting the
colonies—who was to give it ? About foreign matters—they
must send to the Lords, or to Apsley House. About the
state of the finances—who would furnish it ? And about
many important matters, on not one of which could they
obtain anything to satisfy a just and becoming anxiety. If
ever a Prime Minister of this country deserved impeach-
ment, it is the Duke of Wellington ; and this I shall de-
clare in my place in Parliament ?—(Loud cheers.) And
what, forsooth, is the excuse for this state of things ?
They were told to wait, because the Queen had sent after
a stray Tory Baronet, who was at that very moment, per-
haps, feasting with the Pope at Rome ; and so, to gratify
Court caprice, the mighty interests of this great empire
are thus to be kept in abeyance.—(Cheers.) I say, the
people ought not for one instant to endure it.—(Hear,
hear.) But when Sir Robert arrives, will the Court he
gratified by his consenting to accept office ? I doubt it—l
doubt it very much—l doubt if they can form a Tory Ad-
ministration at all.---(Loud cheers.) He k not the man to
be the mere puppet of another ; for be he puppet Peel, or
puppet any one else of the red-iaped gentry, he of the Horse
Guards—the Duke of Wellington—i Fill pull the strings that
work the Administration.(Hear.) all this to gratify
the Duke ? It must not be—it shall not be. No, gentle-
men, if the Reform Act is not to be a that
best charter of our new-born liberties is not to
crushed under the iron-heel of the Duke, or frittered away
by the false play of the wily Sir Robert. If we are to have
an effectual change in the municipal institutions of the coun-
try—if the Dissenters are to be released from the most
galling and most degrading of all oppressions—oppressions
of conscience—if the restrictive and vexatious clauses of
the Reform Bill are to be repealed—(Cheers)—if the Pen-
sion List is to be purified—if flogging in the army is to be
done away with—(Loud cheering)—if impressment in the
navy is no longer to degrade us as a nation—(Continued
cheers)—if the duration of Parliaments is to be shortened
—(Bravo)—if the vote by ballot is to be conceded—(Loud
cheers)—if these things are to be, and you deserve them
not if you will not struggle for them ; but, if they are to be-
then I call upon you, in one voice, and as one man, to de-
clare with me eternal warfare, uncompromising hostility,
with the banded leaguers, the Tory freebooters of England.
—(Great cheering.) The Honourable Gentleman sat
down, amidst long-continued cheers, of the warmest cha-
racter.

- --- -
Mr. ARMSTRONG moved the first resolution.
Mr. COPPOCK seconded the resolution, which was as
follows :
" That the sudden dismissal of his Majesty's late Ministers,
and the immediate recall of Tory advisers, gave great cause for
alarm that the change may diminish the liberties of the people,
lessen the security of their just rights, and that with Tory
Ministers, Tory principles, may, and are intended to be acted
upon."
On the question being put,
Mr. WELLS, a barrister, would move—
" That in the dismissal of the late ungrateful Administration
the people have no cause for regret or immediate alarm, if
their representatives faithfully discharge their duties ; or if,
in the event of a dissolution, the constituency return proper
persons to the House of Commons, and not suffer the prin-
ciples of the Reform Act to be sacrificed at the shrine of sel-
fishness and corruption."
Mr. ROGERS seconded the amendment, which, after a
warm debate, was put and negatived by an immense majority.
The original resolution was then put and carried.
Mr. HEWITT moved the second resolution— _ _

‘‘ That the experience of years has shown the Tories to be
lavish wastets of the public moneys, opponents of Reform in
both Church and State, and friends to all measures for keep-
ing the many under the influence of the few ; and that the re-
turn of a Tory Administration would inflict great evil on the
country by its endeavours to check the progress of Reform, to
-Rgucatioavea.?.itv.alieitdEei,:laub.uisz, and to support tyranny and
Mr. WARDEN seconded the resolution.. •

Mr. BERNARD moved the third resolution, viz. :

" That in order to preserve the rights and liberties which
have been conferred upon us by the Reform Act, and to secure
that improvement in Church and State which we have just
reason to expect from its operation, we deem it our duty to use
every legal means to prevent the forming of a Tory Adminis-
tration, and to obtain to the utmost extent good and cheap go-
vernment."
Mr. HOLT seconded the resolution.
Mr. HEWITT moved, and Mr. BUCK seconded, the fourth
resolution, which was carried amidst acclamations :
" That an extension of the Suffrage, Vote by Ballot, and a
shortening of the duration of Parliament, are absolutely neces-
sary to semi.? to the people that voice in choosing their Re-
presentatives, aid that influence over their conduct when
chosen, which are the just rights of Englishmen."
It was agreed that an Address, embodying the above re-
solutions, should be prepared, and signed by the Chairman
on behalf of the meeting, and that it should be entrusted to
Mr. Duncombe for presentation to the King.
Mr. WAKLEY, being very loudly ca fled for, came forward,
and was received with the most enthusiastic cheering.
What they had to do in the present crisis was simply this,
stick together—return honest mcn to Parliament. After
having well considered all matters—after weighing very
carefully recent circumstances and probable events—view-
ing the country and its wants—his own deliberate and
honest opinion was, that the electors of Finsbury could not
do better in the forthcoming struggle than return Mr. Dun-
combe and himself to Parliament.—(The cheering was of
the most enthusiastic character.) After some arguments
on the present state of affairs, Mr. Wakley concluded thus :
We use no arms—we resort not to physical force ; we
understand our duty too well, and are not to be driven by
a wily antagonist' from an impregnable position. I say, we
desire not these things—we hope they will not be forced on
us.—(Cheers.) But it is said that the use of the arsenals
has been threatened ; it is whispered that the Duke would
not hesitate to plant cannon in our streets. I hope such
things will not be ; but if they must, why they must be, and
woe on them that bring it about ; for let but one musket be
fired in the quiet thoroughfares of this peaceful kingdom,
and in its pealing echo will be heard the funeral knell of
every Tory in England.—(Great cheering.)
Mr. HOME, who arrived during Mr. Wakley's address,
and was received with loud cheers, next addressed the meet-
ing in an able and vigorous speech.
The business concluded a little after ten, when the mass
of the people assembled, all of whom had behaved in the
most decoroiZs manner, quietly and rapidly dispersed.