The Sun.
London, England, 1851-04-18 00:00:00

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LONDON, FRIDAY, APRIL 18, 1851.

It is rather unusual for
face a public meeting of Popular representative to
render an account of ilia st.bil constituents, and to
y session. He is then
IP
during the con-
tinuance of a Parliament:
supposed to be engaged in the business
his time is fully occupied in considering of legislation ;
the details of
the various measures that have been brought under
f the course
i
the notice of Parliament, and daterm
that he should pursue in reference to each
Particular
question. The explanations afforded to thoses vbosev
position
suffrages placed him in the honourable p 0
being enabled to take a place in the national councils
are generally reserved until the termination of the
Parliamentary campaign affords full leisure for a
calm and dispassionate investigation into his entire
conduct. A single trial will then dispose of the pro-
ceedings of the entire year, and he will be dismissed
to the enjoyment of his holidays, with either the ap.
probation of his constituents, strongly and unequi-
vocally expressed, or with a few gentle hints as to
future amendment. That may be considered the
only alternative ; for a Member who is conscious of his
own backsliding, and that any inquiry into his con-
duct must necessarily, or even probably, terminate ;
in an adverse verdict, will not voluntarily submit I

himself to the ordeal, and there is no power to
compel him to do se—withol&his own free will and
assent.

We cannot, however, regret the departure from the
ordinary routine by the Hon. Gentlemen the M. mbers
for Manchester on the present occasion. The admi-
rable speeches of Messrs. MILNER GIBSON and BRIGHT
were not addressed merely to the crowded assembly
who listened to their voices, or even to the numerous
and influential constituency of the " Manufacturing
Metropolis" of England. They will obtain more than
a local circulation, for even within the week in which
they were delivered they will be wafted on the wings
of the press throughout the length and breadth of the
land. Others, who have not discharged the important
trust confided to their hands as honestly and
impartially as the men of Manchester, may receive a
valuable lesson from the proceedings ; for they will

perceive that if they are actuated by corrupt motives
in the exercise of the franchise, they cannot demand
explanations from their representatives. If they
suffer themselves to be purchased, they must expect
to be sold in due course. The man who will apply a
large sum of money to bribing the " free and inde-
pendent electors," must have some object relating
to his own personal aggrandisement to carry
out. He will make the most of his situation
for his own individual benefit, and will not look to
the benefit of the community at large, or of the cor-
rupt and venal constituency that returned him.
They bartered their consciences for gold, or what
was, perhaps, more debasing, the indulgence of glut-
tony and drunkenness—of eating and drinking to
excess, at the expense of the immaculate candidate for
their most sweet voices. He, in turn, will
give his vote for the gratification of his
vanity, or avarice, for obtaining some personal ho-
nour or distinction (alas ! that honours or distinctions

may be so gained), or some place of profit and emo-
lument. To such constituencies we would say,
follow the example of your Manchester brethren,

exercise your franchise with equal honesty and jute

Fity, and you may look for political honesty and inte-
grity on the part of your chosen representatives ;
while to the select few who are elected as legislators,
we would say, act up to your professions
as consistently as Messrs. BRIGHT and GIBSON, pur-
sue as independent and straightforward a course as
they have done on all occasions, and you will have
nothing to dread in meeting those who voted for your
election. You will have no dereliction from the
path of duty to extenuate, no absolution to de-
mand. Your votes will have invariably been given
in pursuance cf your former pledges. They
may have been erroneous—no mortal is infal-
lible ; but they will have been faithfully and honestly
given, and even those who may dissent from the par-
ticular vote cannot and will not condemn or censure

the conscientious voter.
We shall not now enter into the various matters
alluded to by the Eton. Gentlemen in the course of
their respective speeches, altough we do not concur
with either in every point. Although we re-
cognise the propriety of vindicating the
royal prerogative, and the national independence from
the unprovoked aggression of a foreign potentate, and
consider that proper legislation on the subject would
be an act of self-defence against an unwarrantable
attack, and that it could not justly be stigmatized as
in any degree verging on intolerance, we fully concede
the right of private judgment to the Hon. Gentlemen,
and shall only say, that they most eloquently vindicated
the conclusions they arrived at. We have greater
satisfaction, however, in alluding to the clear and dis-
tinct expression of their views on Parliamentary re-
form. Who is there who will not agree with Mr. Gin-

SON, th it "England can have no little reform ?"
must be something to excite the enthusiasm and gra-
tify the reasonable anticipations of the people, or it
should not be introduced. If the contem-

plated measure of Lord JOHN RUSSELL be
of a limited or petty character, it would
be far better for his own reputation that it should be
altogLther withdrawn. It must comprise a large ex-
tension of the suffrage—the vote by ballot—more
equal distribution of the electoral districts, and a
considerable reduction in the duration of Parliament,
or it will not be accepted by the people.

After a storm, according to the adage, comes a
calm. The proceedings at the meeting of the Eastern
Counties shareholders held yesterday afforded a gra-
tifying and commendable contrast to those scenes of
much admired disorder, by the most overwhelming
of which the 18th day of last month was signalized at
the London Tavern. Then
" Loud the din of battle brayed."

Now, mirabile dictu, all maybe said to have been
peace, love, and harmony among the worshipful pro-
prietary. The room resounded not with the wrath-
ful ebullitions of reproach and recrimination. Greek
met not Greek, nor came the tug of war. The Se-
cretary had not to assume the functions of court
crier, nor, elevating his sonorous voice, strive to
make his appeal for " Order for the Chair" heard
above the fierce and threatening hurlyburly of the
many-throated constituency. On this auspicious oc-
casion even stereotyped malcontents were mute.
The GYM and CLOANTHI of turbulence took heart of
grace, and, it is devoutly to be wished, a final farewell
withal to their noisome and boisterous vocation. Any
little differences of opinion which aroser were merely
as the ruffle on the bosom of the clear and flowing
stream, raised by the gently puffing breeze. One
solitary shareholder, indeed, contrived to call down
upon his unlucky head a sibilant expression of im-
patience and disapprobation, having most infelicit-
ously essayed to introduce some stale and
shabby personalities directed against the Ho-
nourable Gentleman who occupied the chair.
But, with this miserable exception, nothing could
have been more orderly or correct than the conduct
of the assembly throughout. Truly it became high
time that the Demon of Alisrule should be exorcised,
and the influence of discipline a,nd unanimity recog-
nised and acted on. The name of the line had come
to stink in the nostrils of the public—not that popu-
lar opinion is always infallibly correct, but, never-
theless, in the case in question, such was the indis-
putable fact—as synonimous with discord, mismanage-
ment, unpunctuality, and peril. Amendment, how-
ever, comes better late than never. Brighter days
now appear to be in store for this long..
ricketty firm, and we are willing to augur the best
from the development of the directorial policy
which proceeded from the lips of Mr. WADDINGTON.
There seems to be every reasonable prospect that a
generous confidence in the present board will be found
merited by an energetic and candid system of proce-
dure on the part of that body. Internal peace is the
first desideratum, and so long as there is neither on
the one side of the table the " vultus instantis tyranni,"
nor on the other the "civium ardor prava jubentium,"
it may fairly be anticipated, taking into considera-
tion the rich and extensive field which lies open for
due culture, that public confidence will be speedily
and completely won, and the interests of the ungua-
ranteedS n
a beneficialpr a a
Asound and
shareholders materially improved.
several lines practical
harmoniousicalmove
inthecroingshotlidatn
directionio
towards
of
the
which reticulate the Eastern Penin-
sula of England, has been at length effected by the
arrangement with the Newmarket Company, which
the meeting all but unanimously sanctioned. Indeed,
where but four hands could be discovered as held up
in support of an ill-advised amendment proposing the
rejection of the measure, the original motion may be
considered as actually carried by the unanimous voice
of the holders of Eastern Counties stock. There is
no doubt but that this scheme will prove not merely
of no loss to the larger company, but highly important
to the protection and value of its property, as con-
tiimpregnable bulwark
inimical
against any
measures, should such be attempted by the
to an
competing lines. It was very judiciously determined
not to view this important measure in the narrow
ling hat
likeo f a
spirit mere
apfoonnnadns'imshitly the directors and peace question.
directors were armed
With powers to carry out the agreement, suggested in
1845, with the Eastern Union for constructing a
branch line from Manningtree to Harwich. Let any
one "0 a map embracing both sides of the North
Sea, and look over the pages
of a compilation
prepared by Mr. B.I.GSHAW, the Hon:3lember for
Harwich, and the prospective advantages of this ex-
tension will be f,ufiicienlobvious.
won-
derful that an earnest stir
It is only
arnest stir in so manifestly eligible a
matter has been so long delayel Harwich would at
once become the mail and
passenger packet station
for Hamburgh,_llollAnd, wad Belgium,
that is to say