The Sun.
London, England, 1851-10-31 00:00:00

C 4114-1 ?4 S 14,5T47(Tta -IXI

LONDON, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1851.

Yesterday will not speedily be forgotten. The
spectacle witnessed in the streets of the British capi-
tal was something snore than a tribute of admiration
paid to an august personage. It was a virtual protest
on the part of the people of England against the
crimes of continental absolutism. It was an evidence
of their sympathy for the cause of Hungarian inde-
pendence. It was a demonstration made in the face
of the whole world of the ardour with which the
Anglo-Saxon race is resolved to aid in the diffusion
of the glurious and indestructible principles of De-
mocracy. As such the proceedings of the 30th of
October, 1851, will be cherished in the popular re-
collection. They justified in every particular the
penegy rice recently pronounced by various politi-
cians upon the union of order and liberty percep-
tible in every great gathering of our population.
It was this extraordinary blending together of sobriety
and enthusiasm, moreover, which naturally arrested
the attention of the illustrious man who was the im-
mediate object of the manifestation. " This day,"
said he, addressing himself to the LORD MAYOR and
s Corporationa of the metropolis, " this day, in London,
I saw its ts hundreds of thousands of people rushing
forward in warm enthusiasm, the blood beating high
in their generous hearts for the principles of freedom.
What," he asked inmconttinuation," preserved social
order among those hy masses , Let us see how
many policemen
were mighty
present. I s
these four four—(Loud
cheers and laughter)—andfarrwreasun-
der." Having reminded his hearers thatupon a similarthe Russian
occasion of excitement among the masses, e
CzAR and the Austrian KAISER would have caused the
streets of Vienna and St. Petersburgh to bristle with
bayonets, bordering the causeway with soldiers, he
maintained that with us the best safeguard capable
of
being found for this mighty city was liberty ! Ipe
was right. KOSSUYII was right when he pronounced
that noble eulogium on our institutions. In testi-
mony of this, nothing further need be required than
a reference to the remarkable movement which yes-
terday crowded the principal streets of the capital
with a multitude of ardent enthusiasts ; and this
without in any respect endangering for a single in-
stant the Peace of the metropolis, or causing
a moment's anxiety to the more phlegmatic among its
inhabitants.
memorable
After the spectacle witnessed upon this
occasion,it can no longer be pretended, as
the apologists of
absolutismh have so frequently main-
tamed, thet the sympathies pat nurtured in regard to
are of a miserailel,iyurestricted or purely sup.-
po-iititicus character. l
this
accusation against
ry
those who declared the contrary been correct, the
streets of London would not have been thronged, as
they were yesterday, by so many thousands of its
citizens eager to greet KOSSUTH
in
through the midst of them with eeys,aelaic:orndtansusaoguei
roar of acclamations. Let those h
nessed that great ovation which was accordcdareyw
it
it-
people of the British metropolis to the immortal-
Chieftain of the Hungarians, say whether it was in
any particular a justification of the sneers of his tra-
ducers! Was there apathy in that concourse, the
spatial evinced by wen tie'senaNed merely for the

gratification of an idle inquisitiveness? Was there
not visibly rather on all bands, from Piccadilly to
Cheapside, an earnestness but seldom revealed by our
sober-minded community ? Let those respond to
this inquiry who had themselves the happiness of
beholding this touching : tribute to an illustrious
patriot who had but recently arrived from a remote
country under the ban of expatriation. They must
acknowledge that there was something very affecting
indeed in that spontaneous display of enthusiasm for
the Great Liberator of the Hungarians, when the
workshops poured out their artizans grimy with the
toils from which they were startled by the distant
cheering, eager to see the renowned exile as he passed
by on his way into the City, to grasp him, as many
of them did, by the hand, and to raise their voices
with those of the assembled multitude in hearty and
impassioned acclamations. Long years hence it will
be told by them to their children that they were
among the crowd who were fortunate enough to
witness this extraordinary demonstration.
Everything connected with the proceedings of
yesterday passed off in a manner which justifies the
sincere sympathisers with Hungary in.remembering
the occasion with sentiments of unmingled satisfac-
tion. Nothing could have been in more admirable
taste than the address presented to KOSSITTII in the
Guildhall—an address in which his claims upon the
national admiration were explicitly and decisively
asserted. Still more commendable, in all respects,
was the dignified and eloquent speech in which Kos-
SUTLI responded to the tribute offered to his patriotism
by the LORD MAYOR and the Corporation. It was in
a noble spirit of appreciation that the leader of the
Magyars paid his meed of homage to the grandeur
of the capital in the municipal palace of which
he was then himself receiving such marks of popular
distinction. " London," said he, "is almost the
oldest municipality on the face of the earth—older,
in fact, than the present British nation, because it
derives its municipal institutions from the Romans.
Empires have fallen, mighty peoples have vanished
from the face of the earth, new worlds have been dis-
covered—even here in England dynasties have been
changed, religions have been altered, a mighty revo-
lution has swept over Europe like a :stream, mo-
narchies have been abolished and restored, and during
all these immense changes in history, London stands.
London stands ! No : London grows into an empire—
more than an empire, mightier than a nation. N ow, what
is the keystone of these important features ? It is this, in
my opinion—that the existence of London, is founded
on her municipal institutions." It was in that an-
cient capital of the British empire, by the leaders
of that venerable municipality, by the citizens
of that puissant race of freemen that KOSSUTH.
found himself welcomed yesterday with such cor-
diality and enthusiasm. No wonder that isispired to
new hope by that magnificent demonstration
the glorious chieftain of the Hungarians
avowed the re-animation on the instant of all
his cherished but fading dreams of success,
giving utterance anew to his grand and patriotic
aspirations. Confirmed in all his previous hopes as
to the ultimate triumph of the cause of Hungary, he
closed his remarks with this splendid and im-
passioned peroration :—" I will repeat it again,
I will concentrate , all my few sentiments,
all the blood of my heart and the energy of
my mind, to raise these words high, sad loud, and
solemn, until the almighty echo of public opinion,
in repeating it, shall become like a thundering
trumpet, before the sound of which the genius of
human oppression must fall. And should this feeble
form succumb to the longings of my heart to see my
fatherland—that heart which beats like the chained
lion against his cage—even the grass that grows
upon my grave will cry out to England and
America—Do not forget in your proud security
those who are oppressed. Do not grant a charter to
the CZAR to trample on humanity, or to drown the
liberties of Europe in blood. Be not the guarantees
of such a charter, but resist it, and take the proud
position of being the liberators of the world." No
additional evidence can be required after this
that the people of England and the people
of llungary entirely understood each other
in their love of liberty and their common
determination to [vindicate the principles of national
independence. KOSSUTIi recognises on all hands the
reality of these sympathies between the Magyar and
Anglo-Saxon races, and from that recognition draws
new energy in the carrying out of his remarkable
destinies.

For ourselves we can discover in the events of yes-
terday only additional reason for exulting in the
cause we have hitherto pursued as journalists.
Having from the very outset of the Hungarian struggle
for independence been among the foremost advocates
of that great contest, having raised our voice resolutely
from the first in vindication of that glorious conflict,
having proclaimed the ardour of our sympathy for
the heroic Magyars on the eve of their rise, at the
climax of their victories, and in the day of their
most bitter debasement—a sympathy testified among
other things by a subscription ultimately exceeding
one thousand pounds sterling, originated by ourselves
in the columns of this journal—it was a subject of
profound satisfaction in our regard to witness the
ovation accorded to the immortal leader of the Hun-
garians by the inhabitants of the metropolis, more
particularly as recent events have shown very
clearly that in acting thus the citizens of London are
only expressing the views entertained by the vast
majority of the population of the United King-
dom. Gratified, of course, we could not fail to
be by the recognition accorded to our labours
in the cause of Hungary yesterday afternoon
by Louis Kossura himself in p2rson, when the car-
riage in which he was pafsing paused in front of the
office of this journal, and he uncovered his head in
the midst of the popular acclamations. Yet apart al-
together from even that honourable incident we must
always revert with pleasurable emotions to the day
when the illustrious leader of the Hungarians was
welcomed in the capital of England by the enthusiastic
cheers of its population.

The inquiry now taking place at St. Alban's in
reference to the proceedings at the last, and, if neces-
sary, at any number of former elections for that
ancient borough, promises to be productive of the
most important results. The revelations already
elicited, and those which are still forthcoming, will
not only stimulate Reformers to press their reasonable
demands more energetically, but will also induce
many persons who have hitherto remained neutral, or
who were opposed to any great changes, con-
ceiving that " matters worked very well as
they were," to alter their views. Unanswerable
arguments will be supplied in favour of a considerable
extension of the electoral districts, and the propriety
of " the ballot" may possibly be recognised by many
who have hitherto been sceptical as to the advantages
of " secret voting," not only as affording protection
to the voter, but as giving the death-blow to the
system of bribery and corruption that has been so
loudly condemned in theory, but which has been in
such general, we might almost say universal, practical
operation among the smaller boroughs, which were
not avowedly under the control of an aristocratic
patron. The only difference between the various
classes of these minor constituencies appears to be,
that whereas in 42 districts, returning 69 Members
to
cthe Imperial Parliament, the patron directly re-
ceive: the consideration, and returns Whig or Tory,
Conservative or Radical, Protectionist or Free-trader,
mustachoed dragoon ,
g on or drab-coated member of the
.
Peace Society, without thinking it necessary to go
through the farce of
and independent el,cet otuthosru.sltt ining
ttibi
ee wio
t hs he er s, ofth ethdeeafrleeer
and disposer of
most
some sharp legal practitioner, sweet voices" is
or bustling leader of
and
local politics, who looks out for, negotiates with,
the would-be aspirant for senatorial honours
coolly agrees to give his influence to and bringi and
nthe
candidate:for 2,500/. or 2,7001., as the case may be,
bearing all the expenses, legal or illegal, paving the
" head-money" to the virtuous recipients, and satis-
fying the cupidity of rivals, who, residing in tie
neighbourhood, think they have strong claims to
I participate in the "
6 Wag," and to a fair division of
the booty obtained from one of the representatives of
the people in the Commons House of Parliament.
It is not our intention to hurt the feelings of
individuals, or to punish for past transgressions, bt,t
merely to prevent the repetition of similar proceed-
'lP at future elections. We therefore willingly
acquiesce in the decision of the Commissioners, that
" it is the system that is to be inquired into, and not

the criminality of any individual connected with that
system." It has been deemed politic to insert in the
Act constituting " the Commission" a clause absolv-
ing all persons who shall make full and accurate
disclosures from the penal consequences of
their former tran2actions. Unless such pro-
vision had been made the investigation could
not possibly have been complete or satisfac-
tory. Many, too many, of the witnesses could have
availed themselves of the well• known principle of the
English law, that "no man is bound to criminate
himself," and the Learned Commissioners would
htlve been compelled to allow the plea in every
instance, unless a clear and unequivocal amnesty had
been accorded, which would enable them to extract
the truth from the lips of the most reluctant w it-
nesses. We shall therefore only speak of the
system which occasioned such extraordinary and
deplorable results, and if compelled to mention Eames,
it shall only be when no alternative remains, and the
end and object which we have in view—the promotion
of the great cause of Parliamentary re form—might
be damaged by a different course.
It is, however, necessary to allude to Mr. EDWARDS,
the chief promoter and manager in all these trans-
actions—the virtual patron of St. Alban's. That
gentleman who resolutely set the authority of a Com-
mittee of the House of Commons at defiance—
who, with the courage of a martyr suffered
eighteen weeks' imprisonment, and as he
himself declared would willingly endure a further
incarceration for 18 weeks more, rather than give up
the names of those who accepted bribes at
his hands yielded to the more stringent
powers of the Commissioners, and, no doubt partially
influenced by the amnesty already alluded to, at
length made " a clean breast," and certainly more
extraordinary revelations respecting the art and
mystery of contested elections were never given to
the public.
It appears, then, that this gentleman is not even an
elector in the borough over which he has for more
than a quarter of a century exercised so strange an
influence. He was formerly manager of the St.
Alban's Bank, but is now a farmer in the vicinity. His
powers were fully reccgnised, for on a former occa-
sion a compact had been entered into with him
by the heads of the Conservative party, that in con-
sideration of services there and then rendered by the
witness there should be no contest at the next election.
In consequence of that compact the witness conceived
that the Conservatives were " merged" in the Liberal
party—or, to use his own expressive language, that,
as it was " through his instrumentality that the Tory
candidate was returned it was agreed, in consideration
of that circumstance, that at another election they
would pay him in the same coin." Indeed, to
do Mr. EDWARDS justice, it appeared to him a
matter of the most perfect indifference what were
the particular views of the candidate, provided they
were generally those of his followers, and it seemed
as if he might have turned in any direction without
forfeiting the allegiance of the free and independent
electors.

His and their objects were one and indivisible—
L. S. D. were the Alpha and Omega of their
desires. He wanted from 2,5001. to 2,7001.
—whether there should be a contest or a
walk over—out of which he provided the
head-money to his two hundred and twenty-five
henchmen, who had become so devoted to his inte-
rests that he thinks they would have returned his
candidate even without money. This, then, is
"the system"—this is the mode in which
electors fur boroughs of the " St. Alban's"
and " Eatandswill" class are conducted, and
it is for the English people to say whether it is
one which they desire to perpetuate. If not, the next
point will be to determine the mode by which similar
proceedings may not only be impeded, but rendered
utterly impossible. This, however, will require
greater time and space than we can this day devote to
the subject.