The Sun.
London, England, 1834-12-13 00:00:00

tions. He has gained the approbation and the
confidence of the nation, and when we consi-
der the weight of character which he now joins to
alents of the first order, we are persuaded that at no
distant day he will hold the first place in those coun-
cils, in which he feels he cannot, in the present state
of things, participate without dishonour.

When, doubtless for some good reason, the nick-
name of Tory got into mauvaise odeur the Tories, like
good tacticians as they are, deemed it judicious to
apply to their principles the more euphonious designa-
tion of Conservatism. The word was certainly a feli-
citous " hit," so nicely did it suggest the pure and
patriotic motives which they would fain make people
suppose actuated them. Their ostensible object—and
therefore the new title—was the conservation of all our
venerable institutions—institutions ingenerately per-
fect, and made still further sacred by antiquity, to
touch any one of which with the profane fingers of
Reform were to endanger and dislocate the blessed
Constitution itself !

The " Doubtfuls"—a larger political body in the
country than is generally imagined—at once turned a
kindly smile upon the party and wondered how it was
that they never before regarded the Tories from so
amiable a point of view. Conservatism was a term
that no constitutional man, surely, need be ashamed to
pin to his button-hole ; it was discumbered of the
sneering satire which usually invests nick-name, and
even a Tory-liberal (equivalent in distinctness of sig-
nification, to whity-black) might write himself down
Conservative, without reproach to his own conscience,
or just offence to others. It was really a pretty con-
ceit though it cajoled none but the " doubtfuls." The
exact value of the word as expressive of a meaning,
has, however, been at length tested by a fact tolerably
significant, the ugliness of which may in a little time
excite unpleasant emotions in tertain bosoms—perhaps.
When the Tories (beg pardon, when the Conser-
vatives) were royally called, or rather had intrigued
themselves (it does not much matter which) again
into power, what was the very first act of Tory-Con-
servatism ? Why, nothing less, forsooth, than the
positive subversion of one of the elements of " our
blessed Constitution" by the Tory Chieftain himself.
In his own person he had the temerity to arrogate a
plurality of State offices in direct contravention to con-
stitutional law, and for weeks together to retain such
unparalleled power. It is nonsense for his friends to
attempt to sneer or laugh down this indiscreet pro-
ceeding ; bills of impeachment or of indemnity have
been sought for less ministerial errors, and we should
not be overwhelmed with surprise if one or the other
were introduced at the next session of Parliament.

If this be Conservatism, the term means more
than we can interpret. That a conservation of some-
thing is implied no one can doubt, but what can it be?
Surely John Bull's money-bags can have nothing to
do with the signification.

The Birmingham Reformers, including the liberal
Churchmen, united with the active Dissenters, have
aimed and planted a deadly blow against the scanda-
lous imposition of Church Rates. The "
Flyers" would have done well to accept the 10(!.
subscription, so handsomely offered by Mr. SCHOLE-
FIELD, as the nest-egg of a voluntary subscription to
defray the expenditure of the Birmingham churches,
than to have driven the spirited R ate-payers to the
alternative of a practical abolition of any present or
fute levy. On Thursday evening, the majority of
Rate-payers against the Rate was 4,555. The poll
ought then to have been closed, the Rector (Mr.
MOSELEY) having so honourably arranged. But, it
appears, that the bigots had not " enough," and
the Rector took upon him to prolong the
contest two more days. Last night the sixth day's
poll closed, with 108 persons for, and 294 against, the
rate—leaving a gross majority of 4,741 in favour of
the Dissenters. This day will probably terminate one
of the most remarkable religious contests in the re-
cords of the Church Establishment of this coun-
try. It will teach the blind partizans of the
Church a wholesome and corrective lesson ; and
will signally defeat the political plot of some of the
Rate Agitators, who slily intended to divide the Re-
formers, by the notable device of religious dissensions.
Too much praise cannot be given to Mr. CHARLES
STURGE, the active Chairman of the Anti-rate Com-
mittee, a member of the Society of Friends, who,
with the Committee, and other active local Reformers,
have thus so triumphantly defeated the machinations of
the common enemies of religious liberty.

Whatever measures of Reform the New Admini-
stration may he disposed to concede, the nation seems
by no means inclined to accept them with any feel-
ings of gratitude. It has been said in very intelligible
language, reforms we want, and reforms we will have ;
you may grant them if you please, but more shame to
you if you do ; the concessions will be but acts decla-
ratory of your own apostacy. This epithet appears to
have been mightily galling ; and great pains have been
taken to expose the fallacy of such an aspersive notion.

It is a fundamental doctrine of the Tory creed to
maintain, by all permissible means, whole and unim-
paired, a dominating power over the people and the
people's purse. Now, in what solitary instance bavc
they, the Tories, proved renegades to this their creed ?
To relinquish what they cannot retain is surely no
apostacy ; to yield what is on the point of being
forcibly wrested from their grasp cannot be apostacy ;
to give up a little that they may keep what remains—
to volunteer sacrifices of what is about to be reclaimed
by no -very gentle means—to promise a fraction that
they may better guard the greater bulk for their own
uses—this is hardly apostacy. No, the Tories are no
renegades, and never will be.

In resuming our observations on the subject of the
pamphlet entitled " England, France, Russia, and
Turkey," upon which we gave an article in The Sun
of Thursday, we cannot withhold the expression of
our regret that our domestic affairs so press upon the
attention of the people of the United Kingdom, as to
allow them no room for the consideration of questions
of foreign policy. The occupation of the Black Sea
by a Russian squadron, and the preparations to seize
the Dardanelles by a Russian army and fleet, are mat-
ters which are presumed to affect us merely in common
with France, and therefore the danger cannot be im-
minent, or if it be, why let France lead the way—it
will be time enough for us to take the field when a na-
tion, equally interested with us in preserving
the Ottoman Empire, shall have levelled the
musket. 'We fear there is very little use, just now, in
attempting to remove this unworthy impression. John
Bull is an old gentleman whose head is proverbial for
never receiving more than one idea at a time ; and at
this moment the all-engrossing one is the Liberal and
Conservative struggle to grasp the reins of Govern-