The Sun.
London, England, 1834-12-24 00:00:00

SIR FRANCIS BURDETTS ANSWER TO HIS

CONSTITUENTS.

GENTLEMEN,—In answer to a resolution come to by a Meet-
ing of the Electors of Westminster, at the Crown and Anchor,
Dec. 12th, wishing to know my opinion on the late change of
Administration, I reply, that as to the transaction itself— that
is, how far it was compelled by necessity, or admits of justifi-
cation, or what explanation may be given of it—l can form at
present no opinion at all ; but that it is a circumstance deeply
to be lamented I have no hesitation in saying ; and since the
list of the new Administration which is to replace it is published,
I cannot say but I lament it the more. There is nothing in
that list either to console or invite confidence, or to encourage
hope. And with every disposition to unprejudiced candour
with regard to public men, and my extreme dislike to party
acrimony and injustice, I cannot but say, on looking it over, as
my Lord Chatham is reported to have said on looking over a
list of English Generals, which was presented to him for em-
ployment at the breaking out of his famous American war—
" I don't know," said Lord Chatham, " what effect the reading
it over may have upon the enemy, but I confess it makes me
tremble. ' As to my support or opposition to the present Mi-
nisters, on my part, in case I should be placed in a situation of
affording them either the one or the other, that must depend
solely and entirely on the measures they propose—measures
and not men was a doctrine I ever professed, and when Mr.
Canning, thinking to cast ridicule upon that doctrine by one
of his seeming witticisms, exclaimed against the cant, as he
called it, of measures and not men—" As if it were the har-
ness," said Mr. Canning, " that drew the carriage and not the
horses ;" to that I replied, that notwithstanding the gingle of
words, and apparent smartness of the expression, like many
flashes from the same quarter, there was really nothing in it ;
for though it were true that the harness could not draw the
carriage without the horses, it was equally true that the horses
could not draw the carriage without the harness. I recall this
little circumstance to mind, Gentlemen, merely to show that
this is no new doctrine of mine, but, like every other opinion,
sentiment, and principle I ever professed, the same now as it
ever was ; and with a view, in some respects, shortly to answer
a question put at the meeting by a worthy elector—viz.,
w}:ether I was the same man as I was twenty years ago ? I
boldly and unhesitatingly answer, " Ay ;" and, much more,
thirty-four or thirty-five years ago, the very same man as ever.
Gentlemen, your faithful and very humble servant,
FRANCIS BURDETT.
St. James's-place, Dec. 22.

WINCHESTER ELECTION.

NORTH HANTS DIVISION.

The battle has commenced for this division. Mr. Edward
Knight, jun., of Chanton Park, near Alton, has had the
temerity to step forward as the champion of the High Tory
party, in hopes that the men of Hampshire have forgotten the
glorious victory they achieved, not four years ago, over the
faction who had held them in bondage for forty years. If
&Lich be that gentleman's expectations he will be bitterly mis-
taken. At the last election Messrs. Lefevre and Scot, the
present Members, polled over their opponents, the Marquis of
Douro and Mr. Long, above six hundred votes, and the ma-
jority would have been much larger had the polling lasted
another day ; hut the Conservative Candidates finding they had
no chance, sent in their resignt tion at the end of the first day.
Mr. Knight yesterday canvassed Alton, his own immediate
neighbourhood, but met with very indifferent success. The
return of the present Members may be considered certain.