The Sun.
London, England, 1859-03-28 00:00:00

THE BALLOT SOCIETY AND MR.
WYLD, M.P. I OR BODMIN.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE MORNING ADVERTISER.
Sir,—The letter of Mr. Bontems in the .Morning
Advertiser of March 26, 1859, is a justification, and
complete justification, of the course I and the
friends of the Ballot who support my addition to Lord
John Russell's resolutions, intend pursuing. My amend-
ment is to add to the resolution, "And that at any election
of a member or members to serve in Parliament the votes
shall be taken by Ballot;" and Mr. Bontems writes "that
the course proposed to be taken by Mr. Wyld is quite in
accordance with the opinions of most, if not all, the mem-
bers of the committee who are not in Parliament, including.
the Vice-President himself; and that they were only in-
duced to give way in consequence of the strongest remon-
strances from their leading Parliamentary friends, who in-
sisted upon it that irremediable damage would be done to
the cause unless they did so." Is this so ?
The Committee of the Ballot Society, who are well in-
formed of the public feeling—who represent public opinion
uponthis greatquestion—who have friends, correspondents,
and branch societies in all parts of England—who are in
daily communication with those who advocate the Ballot
throughout the empire—these intelligent and well-informed
gentlemen have determined that the course I propose
"is in accordance with their opinions," and yet
they abandon • their opinions, and the opinions of
those they represent, "in consequence of the remon-
strances of their leading Parliamentary friends." Re-
spectfully, may I ask, who are these "leading Parlia-
mentary friends ?" The voters now on the register—the
citizen who seeks to be enfranchised by the Reform Bill—
all those who ask for the protection of the Ballot, and who
are looking to Lord John Russell's necessity as their oppor-
timity—demand, in the name of justice and of freedom,
who compose this phalanx of "leading Parliamentary
friends ?" What is their number ? Are they the veterans
of the Ballot army; or are they the unwilling conscripts,
who serve in our ranks, not because they like our banner or
our cause, but because they are compelled to redeem their
election pledges. Or are they unreal mockeries, conjured
up before the eyes of the committee of the Ballot Society
by some clever whip of party—by some office-seeker and
would-be supporter of a future Government who wisl, to
assume office without other pledges than mere vague gene-
ralities ?
Mr. Bontems will find that he has rendered great service
to the cause of the Ballot. He has informed the "leading
Parliamentary friends" that the opinions of nearly all, if
not all, the members of the committee of the Ballot Society
are in accordance with the course I propose; and ho has
warned our "leading Parliamentary friends" that if any
miscarriage should occur to my amendment the blame will
be on their heads, and not upon the committee of the Ballot
Society. And the unanimous approval of the recognised
organ of the Ballot opinions leaves to me no other course
but to persevere with my addition to Lord John Russell's
resolutions, and to demand the support of the " leading
Parliamentary friends" of the Ballot Society.—l have the
honour to be, sir, yours, Br.c., JAMES WYLD.
Gloucester-road, Regent's Park.

THE BALLOT SOCIETY AND THE
MEMBER FOR BODMIN.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE MORNING ADVERTISER.

Sir,—l am sure your sense of fairness in matters affect-
ing personal and public character, and both are somewhat
concerned in the case I refer to, will render it a pleasure to
you to insert a few lines in reference to your leader of the
25th, so far as it relates to the Vice-chairman of the Ballot
Society. 1 agree entirely with you it the opinion that the
motion for the Ballot ought to be brought forward in con-
nection with Lord John Russell's amendment ; and I en-
close you, in confidence, satisfactory evidence, that I have
even very strong feelings on this point. When, therefore,
I add that I am an honorary member of the Executive
Committee of the Ballot Society, and frequently attend the
meetings in stirring times like these, you will believe that I
am a fair witness on the points I refer to.
Though a dissentient member from the majority
of the committee on the subject of Mr. Wyld's
motion, and though I so decidedly think the se-
cond reading of the bill is the time when a motion
for the ballot should be made, I can yet assure you
that the vice-chairman of the Ballot Society is, in that
society, the very reverse of what you describe him to be.
His position there is entirely due to his services. It has
indeed been "promotion by merit." I never, in any lead-
ing official in any society—and I have been connected with
many—saw such watchful, untiring diligence in a cause
before. It is this which gives his opinion weight in com-
mittee meetings, and would give it weight in any meet-
ing of gentlemen. I have never seen anything but the
reverse of wishing to be the "Lord Paramount" or " Ba-
shaw" among us ; nor indeed are the stiff and ardent Re-
formers with whom Mr. Whitehurst has to do, the men
who would tolerate dictation for a moment. What I in-
close you in confidence will, I am sure, convince you that
we are anything but "the veriest ciphers" in Mr. White-
hurst's hands. As to his "status in the political world,"
his " abilities," and so forth, that of course is purely matter
of opinion. I -would only remark that to the one object of
the ballot he devotes his entire political energies. It is in-
deed enough for one man ; and 1 must say that amongst a
tolerably extensive acquaintance with Reformers, I do not
know one so versed in all that relates to the object of his
political efforts. His vote for Lord John Russell may
of course be fairly challenged. I happened, how-
ever, to be present at a meeting in London of
gentlemen from all parts of the kingdom on behalf
of the ball6t, when he was asked his intention ; he
avowed it, with the condition that if Lord John failed them
in this Parliament on the Ballot, he should never vote for
him again. I heard not one objecting voice raised. I
think, sir, these few remarks on behalf of Mr. Whitehurst
arc due from, as you perceive, an independent
MEMBER OF THE BALLOT SOCIETY COMMITTEE.

[We have allowed our Correspondent to go much farther
in praise of the Vice-President of the Ballot Society than
we could have been expected to do from our remarks in
Friday's impression of the Morning Advertiser. Perhaps
his friend and admirer will, at his leisure, reconcile the
Vice-President's fitness for his position and eminent ser-
vices to the Society, with his sending the details of the
more interesting-proceedings of the Society to a newly-
started paper, do the exclusion of journals which for twenty-
five long yeari had strenuously advocated the Ballot, when
that mode of voting was far from being so popular as it
now is. But probably our Correspondent may think this
also onlyanother and striking proof of the matchless merits
of the Society's Vice-President.—Ed. M.A.]