The Sun.
London, England, 1832-06-29 00:00:00

DINNER AT NORTHAMPTON TO LORDS

ALTHORP AND MILTON.

Yesterday was the day fixed upon by the Reformers of
this great county to celebrate the triumph of Reform
by a dinner to their representatives. From an early hour
-the gentry of the neighbourhood began to arrive, and great
enthusiasm prevailed. The dinner was given in the great
room of the George Hotel a little before four. The Noble
Lords, on their arrival, were most rapturously bailed by a
large concourse of people who had assembled round the
hotel. From the balcony of the George appeared several
flags with Althorp, Milton, and Reform upon them. The
church bells kept ringing a merry peal ; and about half-
past four the Noble Lords were conducted by the stewards
to the great room, which was crowded to suffocation.
Upwards of 500 gentlemen sat down to dinner. This
splendid room was tastefully ornamented. Sir William
Wake, Baronet, took the chair. The Noble Guests sat on
the right and left of the chair.
Amongst the company we observed Earl Pomfret, R. I .
Smyth, Esq., M.P., the Hon. and Rev. M. Dundas, Lord
James Fitzroy, Wm. Hanbury, Esq. Lord Lilford, Hon.
Captain Frederick Spencer, ALP., the Hon. Wentworth
Fitzwilliam, Edward Bouverie, Esq., Lewis Lloyd, Esq ,
the Hon. Richard Calton, Sir Peter Payne, Bart. M.P.,
&c. &c. After the cloth was removed, the health of his
Majesty was given with three times three, accompanied by
every demonstration of enthusiastic loyalty. " God save
the King" was sung by Messrs. Fitzwilliam, Atkins, and
Hobbs. The health of her Majesty was then drunk. On the
health of his Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex and the
rest of the Royal Family being announced, the cheers were
almost deafening for several minutes, and nothing could
exceed it, except the announcement of the next toast,
which was, " The Glorious Triumph of Parliamentary
Reform," which was cheered for several minutes.
The CHAIRMAN rose and said, he would yield to no
man in his attachment to the great cause of Reform.—
(Cheers.) He had strenuously supported that measure
through his long life. It was a great blessing conferred
on the nation, and would descend to future generations.
For the achievement of that measure to no person was the
country more indebted than his Noble Friend Lord Al-
thorp—(Great cheers)—and also to the honest and intel-
ligent Ministry of which he was a member, who pos-
sessed the confidence of the country, and who not only so
ably:projected the measure, but brought it to a happy issue.
—(Cheers.) But, as he said before, the success of that
measure was greatly accelerated by the ability, firmness,
and integrity of Lord Althorp, who, by his urbanity and
good temper, had surmounted many difficulties in its way.
—(Great cheers.) Even his political enemies did not
deny that no man but Lord Althorp could have so speedily
and successfully brought that measure to a triumphant
conclusion.—(lmmense cheers.) He would give the
healths of their patriotic County Members, Lords Althorp
and Milton.

There was the most extravagant display of enthusiasm
exhibited we ever witnessed. The healths of the Noble
Lords were drunk amidst the greatest cheering.
Lord ALTHORY had not only to return thanks for the
honour they had done him, but also for the expression of
kindness with which his name had been introduced by his
esteemed friend the Chairman, and for the manner in which
they had received it.—(Cheers.) He was proud to be
thought to have rendered such service to the cause ; and
to receive from them the renewed expressions of approba-
tion and attachment which he that day received, afforded
him the supremest gratification..—(Cheers.) There was
one circumstance to which he must allude, with pain,—
the present occasion would be the last that he would have
the honour of addressing them as the representative of the
whole county, because, under the new Act of Parliament,
the people would have a free representation—(Cheers)—
and the county would have an accession of Members.—
(Hear.) Under the measure of Reform the people would
have the power of choosing represet.tatives who would not
make laws or vote away their money against their consent.
—(Cheers.) The county of Northampton, as well as many
others, would be divided. He felt regret at being obliged
to be separated from so many friends, but the consolation
he had was the conviction of the advantages which would
result from the present measure.—(Cheers.) He had been
the representative of the whole county for twenty-six
years. It was impossible for him to forget through such a
number of years the support and the personal kindness he
had received at their hands.—(Cheers.) When first he had
the honour to represent them he was young and an untried
man ; but encouraged by their confidence, he was deter-
mined to make the best exertions in his power to serve
them. And so sincere and determined was he that, though
then but a boy, he had resolved to do the duties of a man.
to deserve their favour and approbation was the highest
reward be sought in the performance of his duties, and
having been honoured with that he was determined, to
the utmost of his power, to attend the duties which, as
their representative, he had to perform ; he did so, and he
bailed the consummation of the measure of Reform as the
most glorious which had marked the political career of any
man.—(Cheers.) There were three great measures to
which he was devotedly attached, and all of which were
based upon the great one of civil and religious liberty, and
in the completion of which, by their kindness and confi-
dence, as their representative, he bad the honour of aid-
ing.--(Cheers.) Without religious liberty there could be
no true liberty.—(Cheers.) They had met to celebrate the
triumph of principle, and it was a matter of peculiar grati-
fication to meet such an assembly as he had the honour of
addressing.—(Cheers.) With regard to the great measure
of Reform, though the most beneficial results may be an-
ticipated, yet it cannot be expected that it will immediately
produce miracles—it cannot all at once cure the defects
of former long misgovernment, but it will prevent mis-
government for the future.—(Cheers.) The people had
now the power of choosing their own representatives, and
it was their duty to have men who would attend to their
interests. Let them but look to themselves, and he firmly
_ believed that they would, and then indeed the beneficial
effects of the great measure would be felt.—(Cheers.)—
He had the greatest reliance on the intelligence of the
country, that they will scrupulously examine the qualifi-
cations of every candidate, who aspires to the honour of
representing them, and he was sure that at the next
general election they would do credit to the new act
of regeneration..--(Continued cheering.) With regard
to the general question, he had a few words to offer.—
Connected as be was with the county, be thought it
his duty to take the earliest opportunity of stating
what his intentions were. Every gentleman must know,
that under the provisions of the Reform Bill its machinery
could not be perfected for some months.—(Hear, hear.)
They were aware of the division of the county, and he felt
it his duty to declare which division he aspired to the
honour of representing. Althorp was situated in the
southern division, and he begged to assure them that he
felt the greatest possible difficulty in making a choice.
He had the honour of being supported by both divisions,
he had a majority in both.—(Cheers.) But looking at
all the circumstances, he felt it his bounden duty to
choose the southern division. It was with the deepest
feeling of regret he separated himself from the nor.hern,
yet if he acted otherwise, it would be thought that he
quitted his immediate ground.—(Cheers.)
Lord MILTON rose for the same purpose as his Noble
Friend and Colleague, and to return them his thanks for
the honour they had done him. To be so associated
with his Noble Friend was to him the greatest satisfac-
tion.—(Cheers.) tie came into that great county but
little known, and be bad been the object of their
choice. He was so unsolicited, and if they gave him their
unsolicited suffrages they did so from principle.—
(Cheers.) He owed the honour of representing that
great extensive county to public opinion.—(Loud cheer-
ing ) He rejoic-d that he did so, as it afforded him an
opportunity of supporting that most glorious measure, the
Reform Bill.—(Cheers.) He had been many years a
Reformer, though he was not bred one ; he became one
from experience, he became one when he saw the manner
in which the House of Commons acted; and an accurate
analysis of the materials of which it was composed, led
him to a deliberate conviction that a portion of the House
was unsound, and that unsoundness he traced to the
smaller boroughs—(Loud and continued cheering).—
and from that time he had determined to give his best
i-ffirts to eradicate them from the system.—(Cheers.)
He agreed with his Noble Friend, that miracles were not
to be expected from the Reform Bill, and he was sure
that the people had too much good sense to think so.
There were twiny opinions as to popular governments,
for his part he thought popular government was not less
disposed to war than any other government- But it was
not in the recoil ,ction of any living man that a popular
governme,,t went to war, except their object was to oppose
the maintenance of arbitrary power.—(Cheers.) With
a popular government there was less facility to go to war.
But let the people not flatter themselves with the delusion
that the temple of Janus was always to be shut. With
regard to the commerce of the country he would give them
the opinion of one of the greatest patriots and statesmen,
that ever had existed. It was the opinion of Frank-
lin, who, in talking of commerce said, that a senate
when they meddled with commerce were tree greatest
pack of fools on earth.—(Cheers and laughter.) That
championogzfureaaartacnotueendtrmybe
of liberty who tore the lightning from
should
hewen, and sceptres from the hands of tyrants, always
declared that the regulation of the commerce and finance
principles which
utual benefits..— ( governed
C bee those
The opinion of
so great a man was not to be treated with disrespect. He
bad stated before the grounds upon which he became a