The Sun.
London, England, 1832-02-02 00:00:00

NATIONAL POLITICAL UNION.

The Council of this Union held their weekly meeting
last evening, at their rooms in Leicester-square.—H. B.
CHURCHILL, Esq., in the Chair.
The SECRETARY inf. rrmed the Council of the addition
of many hooks presented to the library of their reading-
room, and also of several donations .ind subscriptions re-
ceived since their last meeting. He ;11.0 Averted to several
alterations made or proposed to be made in the internal
rules of the Union, Council, and Committee.
Mr. DANIEL WAKEFIELD, jun., then rose to propose
the reception of a petition by the Council, previous to its
being laid before the appointed general mr wing. The
petition details with great minuteness and energy the feel-
ings of the people at the time of the late Ministry, with
regard to a Reform in the representation of the people in
the House of Commons—glances at the pleasing alteration
made in the political world, and prospects of the people on
the accession of the present Ministers to the Administra-
tion, who were pledged to support and carry forward, as
far and as soon as possible, the all-important subject of
Reform—proceeds to remark on the introduction and fate
of the first Bill of Reform, and of the almost unanimous
responses of the people, at the time of the dissolution of
Parliament, to the calls of the Government—glides cur-

gorily over the fate of that introduced in the last Session—
yet laments warmly that Ministers have seemed more de-
termined to harken and adhere to the suggestion of their
foes rather than of their friends. It then strongly depre-
cates the delay of the measure for Reform, and the dilatori-
ness of the Ministers, which have produced not only danger
to the measure, but the liability of its defeat—prays
the House of Commons will interfere to excite to greater
energy and determination the Ministers in the Reform mea-
sure, and glances covertly and delicately at their connivance
(and imprudence and impolicy at least in conniving) at
the snail-like progress of the Bill, which might have been

long since carried, had Ministers shown greater capacity
and courage, and less courtesy, and which might therefore
have prevented tie various and varied ills enumerated.
Mr. THOMAS MURPHY, in adverting to a proposed
amendment of the petition, considering the delay of the
Bill was justly and fairly attributable to the dilatoriness of
the Ministers.
On another clause of the petition, charging Ministers
with unnecessary delay—
Mr. Fox SMITH having endeavoured to exonerate. M-
inisters from any concerted or willing delay._.
Mr. NV...Kerma said that their actions showed unne-
cessary delay ; their conduct was, therefore, to be charged
with unnecessary delay.
Mr. TAYLOR wished rather to attribute the delay to
the apathy of the nominal friends of the measure than to
the willing acquiescence of the Ministers.
Mr. MURPHY was yet to learn that the House of Com-
mons had the power to reject what the people had the pri-
vilege to assert, or when the people chuse to use that pri-
vilege in a proper manner, of censuring any portion of
the community or Government, within or without the
House, for a neglect or breach of duty. Many have ad-
dressed the House in expressions charging them fairly with
corruption—with not being the the immediate or proper
representatives of the people, but the nominees of Lords,
&c. ; and dare the House reject such petitions because sues
expressions of censure, courteously though warmly ex-
pressed, were embodied in such petitions? And shall not the
vacillating or temporising conduct of the Government of the
country be similarly animadverted on? To carry any measure
calculated to deprive the people of their rights, or rob them
of their wealth, a few days or hours only are necessary ; but
to restore, or to put in a state of restoration, their privi-
leges and properties, so many months or years are found
necessary. Not to urge forward the measure with greater
energy and spirit (where the power existed, as in the pre-
sent instance), was tacitly or indirectly to encourage or
sanction delay ; and for this encouragement or sanction the
Ministers are justly culpable. They might, if they would,
have carried the measure. Its delay is justly attributable
to their vacillation or apathy, if not worse. After a vote
they had lately given in the House, he had very little con-
fidence in them.

Mr. GEORGE ROGERS proposed to soften the expres-
sion, by saying that the want or absence of energy in the
Ministers invigorated, not encouraged, opposition, and
thereby occasioned the unnecessary delay.
Major REVELL severely reprobated the delay, which
was almost equivalent to a defeat. He considered the mea-
sure in which the Government had properly any considera-
tion ; and yet they flew from it in a tangent to any mea-
sure, however trivial or unimportant ; they sought rather
to settle the balance of power i❑ Europe, and interfere
concerning the propriety of dismantling a few forts in
foreign lands, while they neglected the all•absorbing ques-
tion of Reform at home. The seeds of foreign war they
seemed blindly to be sowing, while they as negligently
seemed, by their delay, to vegetate the germs of domestic
strife. The Ministers should throw overboard all topics and
considerations of foreign policy till they have amicably ad-
justed the measures of domestic policy. He continued
further at considerable length, and amidst loud cheering.
Mr. Hicirsow objected to the petition in toto.
Mr. C. THOMAS again considered the petition inex-
pedient and impolitic, in which opinion be seemed to be
supported by Mr. Bowyer.
Mr. J. H. POWELL warmly advocated its adoption;
for there was full and sufficient ground for censure from the
delay of Ministers.
Mr. THOMAS Muarnr had misgivings with regard to
Ministers, and thought that the confidence given them was
misplaced, and he intended to have their conduct subjected
to a direct ♦ote of censure at the next meeting in his own

parish.
Several verbal alterations were made in the clauses of
the petition as they were read seriatim; and then
Mr. WAKEFIELD vindicated in an animated manner its
principles, and amidst loud and general cheering proposed
its adoption.
This was carried almost nem. con.

We left Mr. J. H. POWELL discussing the propriety of
calling on Ministers not to resign, however outvoted on
any question, till they had finally carried the grcat mea-
sure of Reform.

Sir CHARLES F- received a serious fall,
one day, in stepping into his cabriolet. " Whereabouts
were you hurt, Sir CHARLES, ?" said Sir PETER L— ;
" was it near the vertebrae ?"--" No, no," answered the
Baronet, " it was near the Monument !" The Parrot.
ANCIENT ENGLISH DANDIES.--Varied and
ridiculous modes of dress were much in vogue. What could
exhibit a more fantastical appearance than the English
beau of the 14th century. He wore long pointed shoes,
fastened to his knees by gold or silver chains ; a stocking
of one colour on one leg, and of another colour on the
other ; short breeches, which scarcely reached to the middle
of the thighs; a coat, one half white, the other half blue
or other colour ; a long beard ; a silk hood, buttoned under
his chin, embroidered with grotesque figures of animals,
and ornamented with gold and precious stones.—lnce's
English History.

ELOPEMENT.—Some time before day-break,
yesterday morning, a travelling chariot and four horses
were observed to draw up in the Uxbridge-road, oppo-
site to Connaught-terrace, where they remained for a con-
siderable time, waiting in evident readiness to start at a
moment's notice. At last a horse and gig, in which were
two persons, in travelling cloaks, was seen coming along
Park-lane at full speed ; the animal was white with
foam, and appeared to have been driven a long distance.
The persons, a lady and gentleman, alighted, took their
seats in the chariot, the word " go on" was given, and
the crack of the post-boys' whips, and the rattle of the
chariot whet's, was heard only for a second or two, ere
they were whirled out of sight, in the direction of the
north road. It is said that the fair fugitive is the daughter
of a wealthy resident in the neighbourhood of Clapham
Common, and her companion a cavalry officer of some
distinction, who will eventually succeed to titled honours,
and an immense estate. The young lady was not missed
until four hours after she had taken her departure. An
instant pursuit was commenced, wbich will, in all proba-
bility, be unsuccessful, as the party in advance is said to
have relays of horses in readiness all along the road. The
sister of the young lady made a similar hasty visit to the
hymeneal altar about 15 months ago, and started from
the same spot as the parties did yesterday morning.
AN ECCENTRIC CHARACTER.—An inquest
was taken yesterday (Tuesday), before S. WALKEy, Esq.,
Coroner, at the Plume of Feathers Inn, Exeter, on the
body of ANN FERRIS, a mendicant, about 50 years of age,
who had that morning been found dead in her room, on
St. David's-hill. In one part of the room there appeared
a heap of rags, of a quantity it is computed to have hall
filled a cart, under which the deceased was laid, quite
dead, and had been so for several hours. There were no
marks of any violence having been offered, but the whole
appearance of the body was that of a person in an extreme
state of emaciation and filth. On taking an inventory,
however, of the articles found in the room, there were dis-
covered in a box, fifteen good gowns, besides shawls and
bonnets, and, wrapped in several inclosures, a bank-book
of the Savings' Bank, interest notes, and other securities
for money, to the amount of 1331., besides some loose
silver and pence in a tea caddy. The Coroner addressee
the Jury on the nature of the singular case before them.
and after some consideration., they returned a verdict o.
,‘ Found dead, from denying herself the
:common neces-
saries of Cornubian.

LITERATURE.

STANDARD NOVELS. No. 12.
LONDON. 1832.

The " Canterbury Tales," by the two Misses
Lee, which have long enjoyed an enviable and not
unmerited popularity, are now far the first time re-
vised and republished in this standard collection of
fiction.. The tales are all of them good, and one
or two, " The Two Emilies," for instance, and
" Kruitzner," are of a superior class, and in point of
spirit and invention may vie with some of the most
popular fictions of the day. Miss Harriette Lee,
!he only surviving sister, has prefixed a brief intro-
duction to these tales, which is distinguished by a
modest propriety. The vo'ume is embellished with
two engravings from designs by Stothard.

PIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

The incessant persecution of the Press of

France, ever since the elevation of Louis Phi-

lippe to the throne, but more especially since
the accession of Casimir Perier to the head of
the Ministry, proves.that no experience can en-
lighten the understandings of the Bourbons and
their chosen advisers. The moral power of a
Government must be very weak which relies for
its support upon crushing public opinion. It is,
indeed, a consistent and necessary part of the
policy of a despotic Government to enchain the
Press—for a despotism and a free Press cannot
co-exist : nor can a constitutional Government
prosper where the Press is enslaved. No ho-
nest chief of a free Government ever feared that