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

Channel, but even in this country, from men whe would drive
us to a destructive and fatal conflict—from men " who know
not what they do”—( Cheers)—from men who do not see that
even a temporary success on their part (a thing that would be
utterly impossible), would not fail to entail consequences ulti-
mately fatal both to themselves and to the constitution.—
( Cheers.) On what hope is this desperate courage, if courage
it can be called, founded ? lam told that a reaction has taken
place. It is pretended by those persons that a change is at
hand ; and indeed many of them will tell you that such a
change has already taken place in the public opinion—( Laugh-
ter)—that those who had engaged in the cause of reform see
reason now to repent their error, that they have renounced
their former opinions, and that they are ready to regret those
reforms which have already occurred.—( Much laughter.)
" Reaction !" Vain and deluded men !—( Cheers.) In what,
let me ask, is it that they see symptoms of such a state of
things ? Is it in the approbation which has followed me, and
which has been so generously extended to me by my coun-
trymen since my retirement from office 7—( Cheers.) Is it
to be found in those expressions of regard and attachment
which I have met with in every step on my way to this place ?
—( Cheers.) Is it to be found, lastly, in the meeting of this
day, which, whatever the vain imaginations of some men may:
suggest to them as to a pretended reaction in the public
mind, would never have taken place if it was not the result of
a general feeling in favour of reform ?—( Great cheering.)
No, gentlemen, of the good sense and moderation of the
people of England and of Scotland—.of their attachment to
a King who so well deserves all their love—of their sincere
conviction of the wholesomeness of that form of government,
the work of a thousand years, by which a larger share of liberty
is now secured to them than was ever known by any other na-
tion in the world--of a peaceable and orderly disposition amongst
the people—of all these thing Ate may find symptoms enough
everywhere evident to all, except to those persons to whom I
have been alluding, and who are not, or will not be con-
vinced of any thing that runs counter to their prejudices; but
of a " reaction" of the advent of that millennium so ardently
desired by them—of the restoration of that happy state of
things when corruption flourished, and when liberty was op-
pressed—of a reaction of that nature lam sure that if those
persons will look at any part of the country, and take any
meeting, great or small, as a sample, they will find no symp-
toms that any rational man would regard as a proof of a re-
action in the public mind.—( Cheers.) Gentlemen, Ido con-
gratulate myself and the country on the happy termination of
that contest which has given to the people of England and
Scotland the means of all useful improvements, and relying
upon which I am persuaded they never will be misled or
driven into any violent courses.—( Cheers.) There are many
topics which, upon an occasion of this kind, it would give me
pleasure to enter, but it cannot be necessary in an enlightened
assembly like this, for me to suggest what must be anticipated
by all, . and I feel that I have already trespassed upon your
attention longer than the occasion warranted—(" No, no,")—
and certaintly quite as long as my strength will permit. I
take my leave of you, gentlemen, again offering to you the
expression of the deep and lasting gratitude which shall ever
be impressed upon my mind from the reception which I ex-
perienced this day in entering your city, and from the recep-
tion I have met with from this assembly, far exceeding any-
thing that I have ever seen or heard of before.--( Cheers. )
As I have already stated, any merits that I can advance, any
just pretensions that I can'ut forward to entitle me to the
distinguished honour which you have conferred upon me, and
for which a deep sense of gratitude shall remain indelibly im-
pressed upon my mind, consist in my having been the instru-
ment, supported by you all, in carrying a measure which will
be sure to accomplish all that is necessary to the complete en-
joyment of that free system of Government, the essentials of
which you had already possessed. I must offer to my Noble
Friend, who so worthily fills the chair on this occasion, my best
thanks for the too partial manner in which he has introduced
the toast ; and, gentlemen, before I sit down, I beg leave, in
his presence and in yours, to propose a toast peculiarly appro-
priate to this occasion, connected as it is with the creation,
and the beneficial exercise of those powers, which the consti-
tuency of Scotland has gained. I beg to propose to you to
drink—" The new constituency of Scotland."—( Cheers.)
The toast was drunk with enthusiasm.
The Noble PRESIDENT then said,—Gentlemen, the next
toast which I bee to submit to the company is the health of
the Lord Chancellor of Great Britain.—( Immense cheering
and waving of handkerchiefs.) The toast, I say, which I
have next to submit to the company, is the Lord Chancellor of
Great Britain and his Majesty's other Ministers.—( Cheers.)
Gentlemen, in giving the toast of my Noble Friend on my left
hand, I am sure that every one who now hears me will think
that it is utterly unnecessary for me to expatiate on his vast
genius, his comprehensive mind, and his great and unremitting
exertions and industry, all devoted, and I may say during the
whole course of his public life, to improving the condition of
the people,—( Great cheers)—and to advancing their moral
and intellectual knowledge, thinking, I believe, as I think he
does justly, that those qualities are the best basis of their pro-
sperity and happiness. ( Cheers.) Gentlemen, in coupling the
health of my Noble Friend with his Majesty's other Mi-
nisters, I not only do so on account of the great situation he
holds in his Majesty's Councils, but because I feel the most san-
guine hope—nay, more, I have the most confident expectation
that both he and the other Ministers of the King will think,
that in adopting Lord Grey's public principles and character,
--(cheers)—and following the same course of public conduct,
they have received their best inheritance in the Government
—(cheers)—and that by doing so they are taking the most
certain means for securing and perpetuating the confidence
both in their Sovereign and their countrymen.—( Much cheer-
ing,. and the toast drunk with great enthusiasm. )
The LORD CHANCELLOR, Sir J. C. HORHOCSE, and Mr.
ELLICE stood up to acknowledge this compliment, but the
Lord Chancellor only returned thanks. He spoke nearly as
follows : My Lord Roseberry and gentlemen, I am sure that
shall best express my own feelings in beginning to address you
by repeating what my noble friend prefaced his speech with
namely, that I do not use a common phrase, when I tell you
toy
that I want words to express the feelings with which your kind
reception overpowers me at the present moment.—( Cheers.)
I know, however, and that consideration may well stifle within
me any feeling of personal pride or arrogance on this occasion,
—I know that I owe this expression from you not so much by
any manner of means to any personal merits of my own, as
the accidental eircumstance,—but to me the most honourable
circumstance, of my having the pride and gratification to serve
that gracious Prince who lives in the hearts of his people—.
(cheers) who, for all his services to his country, for his
honest, straightforward, undeviating, unflinching, patronage
of the best rights and interests of the country, has well
earned that unparalleled praise bestowed so justly and without
any exaggeration on that monarch by my noble friend in the
chair—namely, that none other of his predecessors has so well
deserved the affection and gratitude of his subjects—( Cheers. )
But, gentlemen, I feel that I also owe your kind reception of
this day to my noble friend having judiciously coupled my name
with those of the rest •f my respected colleagues--His ma_
jaensdt y's
others,who a Ministers,
esomenot
present,of svh
will
m areheahere f
tphree s e
mannernt_ Cheers)
1,1
Which
you have dealt with them, and for all of whom I answer that
they will be penetrated with the same gratitude that I now
feel—(Cheers)----and that they will be influenced by that feel-
ing to promote your wishes and advance your interests, not
looking backwards, save with one exception, and that is, to
take advantage of he example of that colleague whose irrepa-
rable loss we have lately sustained, and to whose unparalleled
services this most splendid and unparalleled testimonial of na-
tional approbation is this day so appropriately paid—( Cheers)
—but, looking forward in all other respects, they will be ani-
mated to exert themselves still more in the service of the people,
and, supported by that confidence on the part of the Crown,
which is only to be earned by their own endeavours, and by
that confidence on the part of the people, which, I trust, they
have never forfeited, will continue to merit the approbation of
the country.—( Cheers.) I have not had before the present
occasion the satisfaction of appearing before you, my fellow-
citizens of Edinburgh, since I had the honour of being clothed
with the attributes of office.—( Cheers.) I have before met
you in great numbers on an occasion when liberal men were
not in elevated stations. From the heights of the state no en-
couraging smiles of royal favour were half so discernible as
were the frowns, the perennial frowns—( Cheers)—under
whose mortifying but harmless shade we then persevered in our
exertions for the people, and flourished notwithstanding—
( Cheers and laughter)—and I remind you of this, gentlemen,
in order to satisfy those who may look with an eye of envy on
the members of this meeting, and who may attribute them to
the favour which men in office now show to the principles
which you profess.—( Cheers.) I remind you, I say, for their
satisfaction, of that occasion when no such misconstruction
could be put upon your motives, celebrated as our meeting then
was under the shade of opposition to those principles which
you are now exulting in the triumph of, in the sun-shine of
success, and under the patronage of power.—(Loud cheers.)
What I then said to you, when out of office, and with littleto
prospect then of ever being in office, I am proud to repeat haveo
you now, when nine years have passed away, of which I
taking
served four in office. ,4 My fellow-citizens of Edinburgh, these
hands are pure."--( Loud and reiterated cheering.) In
office, in holding office, in retaining office, I have sacrificed
in
no
feeling of a public nature, I have deserted no friend, have
I have
abandoned no painciple, I have forfeited no pledge,
done no job, I have promoted no unworthy man, to the best of
my knowledge ; I have stood in the way of no man's fair claim
to promotion, I have not abused the ear of my Royal master, I
have not deceived or deserted the people ; and because I am
one of those Ministers, my Noble Priend near me is another,
who never feared the people, I rejoice and glory and exult,
and am beyond all measure delighted at every opportunity of
meeting the people to give an account to them of my steward-
ship, and to tell them face to face what I think, even when I
think differently from them. For be you well assured, that that
statesman only knows half his duty, and has only learned half of
what belongs to the place of him who would wisely rule man-
kind, if he has only learned to fight for the people against
the frowns of power, and cannot also, when he t
the people ill-advised, make up his mind to do them good,
even in spite of the people themselves.—( Cheers.) Such
would be my opinions, and such would be the course of my
public conduct if unfortunately it happened, but I have never
yet seen the day in which it did happen, that the people and
myself should seriously differ in opinion.—( Cheers.) I
entirely, and in every point, agree in all those wise and
statesmanlike principles, which were so impressively, so
clearly, and I may say so convincingly., expounded to you by
my Noble Friend. Let the Government of the country, strong
in the support of the Crown and of the people, proceed
steadily, firmly, and unflinchingly to discharge their duty by
promoting the progress of liberal opinions—( Cheers)—but let
them not be hurried out of their course, either to the right or
to the left, or onwards, either faster Or further than sound
reflection, mature deliberation, and statesmanlike prudence
entitle them to go.—( Cheers.) There are some men, I know
_nay, a great number,—honest and conscientious men I
have no doubt,—men generally speaking of sound opinions,
. but somewhat unreflecting, who think action and execution