The Sun.
London, England, 1834-09-17 00:00:00

solicited on his part, selected as their Chairman, constituted
. the proudest distinction to which he could possibly aspire.—
(Cheers.) He attributed the circumstance to the humble
but steady support which he had always given to the cause
and principles of his Noble Friend.__( Cheers.) No form of
expression could adequately convey the warm and sincere feel-
ings with which he returned thanks for the honour they had
done him.—( Cheers. )
The LORD ADVOCATE proposed—" The Lord Provost,
Magistrates, and Town Council, and Prosperity to the City of
Edinburgh." In doing so the learned lord forcibly contrasted
the former close borough magisterial government of Edin-
burgh with its present magistracy, elected by the popular
voice, and in whom the popular confidence was reposed. The
city f Edinburgh, he said, had prospered in spite of its former
close government, and that there had been a manifest increase
in its prosperity in the last and in the former year, since their
just rights had been granted to the people.
The LORD PROVOST returned thanks, and concluded by
giving, " The City of Glasgow and the Commerce of
Scotland."

The LORD PROVOST of Glasgow returned thanks, and gave
the healths of " the Marquis of Breadalbane, and the liberal
Peers of Scotland." _ _ _

The Marquis of BREADALBANE returned thanks. He thanked
them for the compliment they had paid to that portion of the
peerage of Scotland who, in their public conduct, had acted
upon liberal principles. It was the portion of the peer
i peerage of.
Scotland that acted most in accordance with the pub he opi-
nion of the day, with the circumstances of the times n which
they lived, and that was most inclined to satisfy the wants and
wishes of the people.--(Cheers.) He had only to regret that
they were so few in numbers.—( Hear.) In fact, that room,
with a few exceptions. contained the whole of them. He
looked forward, however, to better things. Would it be be-
lies ed, that of the 16 representative peers of Scotland, only
one (Lord Elphinetone) was present here that day ?—( Cries
of " Hear, hear.") He was happy, however, to see many
Scotch peers who sat in the House of British Peers were
there.--( Cheers.) The noble Marquis. after pronouncing a
touching eulogy upon the private and domestic virtues of the
great man they had that day assembled to honour, proposed
the health of the " Countess Grey."
The toast was drunk amidst rapturous cheers.
Earl GREY briefly returned thanks. In thus receiving the
the name of a person, the dearest to his affections, the com-
pany had added to the mark of public approbation which
they had already bestowed upon him a testimony of private
esteem, which must have arisen out of a feeling of kindness
to him and his, which he never could too highly appreciate.
He was sure that the party to whom this compliment was
paid would feel grateful for it, and, on her part, he now
tendered them thanks. He then begged leave to propose a
toast, which he was sure would be received with universal
enthusiasm. He proposed the health of the worthy repre-
sentative of the county of Edinburgh, Sir John Dalrymple
( Cheers)—one of the most distinguished and effective sup-
porters of Parliamentary reforms--(Cheers)—and the steady
advocate on all occasions ofthe measures best calculated to pro-
mote civil and religious liberty.—( Cheers.) With his name
would be connected the names of the liberal members of Scot-
land, who showed by irrefragable proof the falsehood of the
prediction that persons would be returned to Parliament by
the reformed constituency, unworthy of that high distinction.
—( Cheers.) Many distinguished persons had been returned
to the House of Commons by that new constituency, which had
done itself great honour by returning persons who had so ho-
nestly, ably, and effectively performed that duty.--( Cheers. )
Sir 1011 N DALRYMPLE, in returning thanks in the name of
the liberal members for Scotland, passed a high eulogy on
Earl Grey for having granted to Scotland a magna charta
which would enable her representatives not only to maintain
their own liberties, but also to maintain those of their fellow-
subjects in England.—( Cheers.) He concluded by proposing
the health of the Lord Advocate.—( Cheers. )
The LORD ADVOCATE returned thanks, and briefly proposed
the health of the Earl of Durham and the Reformers of Eng-
land.—( Immense cheering.) He asked, when had there ever
been a case of grievance or oppression, in which the voice and
aid of •that Noble Earl had not been raised in support of the
aggrieved and oppressed ? In him the people had a firm, a
true, an independent, and a fearless advocate.—( Cheers.) No
frown of power had ever prevented him from espousing the
cause of the oppressed ; no consideration had ever led him
to swerve from the strict course of public duty ; and when the
question of reform was started, was there any man more un-
compromising in supporting the rights and interests of the
people ?—( Cheers.)
The Earl of DURBAN! came forward amid the most raptu-
rous cheering. "It is impossible for me," he said, "to ex-
press adequately the gratification which I have derived, the
heartfelt pleasure which I have experienced, from witnessing
the splendid, indeed I must say, the most splendid, scene of
to-day.--( Cheers.) It was a noble tribute to my illustrious
relative—(cheers)--one of which he may be justly proud, but
on which I need say,nothing more, for he has acknowledged
it in terms which do honour to his heart, and justice to his re-
putation for eloquence.--( Cheers.) But highly as I estimate
this great act of national justice rendered to an illustrious
statesman, much as my feelings have been excited by my near
connexion with him, I still agree in thinking that this meeting
is
.more valuable to us all on public grounds.—( Cheers.)
How often have we been told by our Tory opponents—for you
must allow me to use an expression which they are ashamed of,
and have therefore 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 ourselves for
it by reflecting that we have here present the Provosts and
Magistrates of all the large towns in Scotland. ( Cheers.)—
That 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.)—lt is true that we no longer make the
same exertions which we did when we were struggling for the
Reform Bill ; but no one will tell me that the feelings which
actuate us are not the same now as they were then. How
foolish, then, is it to tell me that the tide of improvement,
irresistible as it has recently proved itself to be, is now at
last arrested !—( Cheers.) The obstacles which impeded its
course and created its rage have been removed, and its waves
now flow with a more tranquil surface, and a smoother cur-
rent. The tumult has ceased, but the all-conquering energy
still remains, exhibiting itself more rarely and more quietly,
but if raised into action, equally omnipotent.-- (Cheers.)
Such an indication as the present of your dormant strength,
and of your continued steadiness of purpose, I hold to be most
valuable, and to be most certainly productive of good. And
now, gentlemen, I ought to apologize for having intruded on
your attention so long.—(Loud cries of " No," and " Go on.")
I beg you to accept my best thanks for the cordial reception
which you have given me this day, and for the honour which
you have done me in connecting my name with that of the
Reformers of England. I have no such claim upon your at-
tention as my two illustrious friends have. Their great
and glorious talents give them a claim to be heard wherever they
appear. I acknowledge their immeasurable superiority over me in
eloquence and genius; but in one respect I will not yield to
them one inch—l mean in my attachment to the liberties of my
country, and in my firm and uncompromising determination
ever to support them. My learned friend (the Lord Advo-
cate) has been kind enough to refer, in very flattering
terms, to my public services. I have now been 20 years
in public life, and during that time I have felt it both my duty
and my pleasure to act with my noble relative, differing from
him, occasionally, as all men of independence must occasionally
differ from one another, but following him steadily and firmly
in all the great objects of his political life—(cheers)—and I
now tell you what I believe him to be—an unflinching but safe
and practical reformer—a determined corrector of all abuses,
upholding the legitimate influence of the Crown and the due
privileges of the nobility, but at the same time advocating the
extension of the liberties of the people, and their adaptation to
the increased and increasing intelligence of the age. I know
very well that there are some conscientious men who differ
from me on this point ; but these are, in my opinion, the only
measures by which can be attained safety to the property of the
rich, expansion to the industrious energies of the poor,
and security for those institutions of the country which
are all essential to good government—( Cheers.) I know
that there are many persons who think that there is ground
of apprehension from the increased privileges recently given
to those who did not previously possess them. lam not one
who entertains any such distrust. They have proportionally
as much at stake as we have—they are equally interested in
the preservation of order ; and when I look to their industry
and intelligence, I am confident that the privileges with which
they are now invested will not be abused.—( Cheers.) Be
that, however, as it may, it was necessary that the expe-
riment should be made. First of all, Government went on
with the people, next it went on in spite of the people, and
now the experiment must be tried whether it cannot go on
with the people.—(Great cheers.) I sincerely and honestly
believe that it can so go on, and that you may depend on
the co-operation of the people in support of all the insti-
tutions of the country which you deem most valuable.
(Cheers. ) One word more, and I have done.--( Cries of ' No,
no,' `Goon.') on. My Noble and Learned Friend ( Lord Brougham)
has been pleased to give some advice, which I have no doubt
he deems very sound to some classes of persons—l know none
such—who evince too strong a desire to get rid of ancient
abuses, and fretful impatience in awaiting the remedies of
them. Now I frankly confess that lam one of those persons
who see with regret every hour which passes over the exist-
ence of recognized and unreformed abuses.—( Immense
cheering.) I am, however, perfectly willing to accept the cor-
rection of them as deliberately as our rulers, and my Noble
Friend among them, can wish ; but on one condition, and
on on one condition alone—that every measure should be pro-
posed in conformity with those principles for which we all
contend.--( Cheers.) I object to the compromise of opinions,
not to the deliberation of what they should be.—( Cheers.) I
object to the clipping, and paring, and mutilating which must
inevitably follow any attempt to conciliate enemies who are
not to be conciliated—(cheers)—and who thus obtain an ad-
vantage, by pointing out the inconsistencies of which you are
_..
guilty in abandoning your friends and your veinciples, and s
tribute the discontent felt on tti4 WON to deep.; or dearth