The Sun.
London, England, 1832-02-20 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR,-The day approaches when the great battle of
constitutional liberty is once more to be fought in the
House of Peers ; the day approaches when the Peers of
England must once more deride on the most important
t ,pic ever yet submitted to their attention. This, then,
may not he an inopportune nor improper time to consider a
few of the leading points of the question, and to impress
a:whicl,hythtehedeAc:atsraotfioWn iltlhiaattn i inthdeApleitirpyle t:
them again on public attention. And, first, let me allude
to the great, the fundarro Mal principle on which the whole
ques, ion rests. It is simply this—thatit is the undoubted
right and privilege of the people of England to be taxed
only by their representatives ; that taxation rind re•
presentationjf:ah: att:hti
Int,
ehgeeb s:t:
or
aoumnag
d(hiu
.roughs
at
are
affords
inod
cp. i
prahil
evas
private
tod:nr t
righti
an which
(hi hand.
ccaoahnnndei.s
lt
uhpse
irs
va,T,eypv,h,eaihrnsft::::vrei;sseo,tsr,hiut
ebhti
yon_,
the arguments of our opponerndigetsch.ltareoTarhfieprysrto
boast of the excellent " working" of the systerr ; but
individuals
has h been property tty;in e
that
Great
howi.epr e can
st. n ,
a ti any
o
oCphpaornt eern,tsand e
e next
that
be the sole right of the people of England ? Do not our
England have a right to be fully, freely, and fairly repre-
sented," is a full and decisive bar to the claims which any
individuals may advance ? Do they not see that all claims
to property in boroughs must be advanced in the teeth of
the first principles of the Constitution, and the express de-
clarations of the statute law ? And what strange incon-
sistency is it that the advocates of the Constitution, the
defend, rs of our lows against innovation, should themselves
advance doctrines at variance with the principles of the
Constitution, and in contradiction to the laws of the
realm ! Again, we are told, that the system " works
Well ;" but the question is not, " Does the system work
well?" but "is this the system of the Constitution of
England ?" That is the real question. I will not stop
to inquire whether the system has worked well ; I will
not here discuss whether it
of F worked welmany other l, when the
kindred
talents
of Chatham, of Burke,
spirits were lost to their country because they had not
borough-interest; when this borough-interest had grown
into a fourth estate too powerful for the Crown to contend
against ; too strong for any honest Minister to combat. I
will not stop to inquire whether this " working" be de-
serving of approbation, but I maintain that, let it be con•
sidered good or bad• it was not the " working" of the
Constitution of Great Britain; and highly eulogizing as I
do the signal prowesseuonftwroiouurmrthpyflhesseotnst h andeof
in
his
tncioi ~8,
splendid,vi
nagrwm;l
to
admiring as I do the noble and heroic spirit with which
they have so often baffled the enemies of England, 'et
xshclpitaie,nergis
victories the most gloir,intubse,
manior the
w
hprinciples
buoafnrttEre)r- lo.noer
v i libertywouldoul II
do nPosteorei!

fitrnnoa,w.ctuhteti)eo:ensur,laolyi,kf,rfeoi,ogftuhhohrutearssac
bravest
arsndattseivtoieetsduat ti
brilliant
i;s,
nctoodhn a l i nd e !
These p : n
trophiesle n c for
weret ro p h
indeed, obtained by the borough system ; that system,
me
hnlailseaantl bre
ory
commanders.
c cut
oitonns
hadt
ao nf
tthe
evo
be
rrseyt
va de-
partmentecrl
se
es
been the case, had it contributed to as much as
it impeded their success, had things triumphed, not in
despite or; but in consequence of this borough system,
what would it prove ? That the system might have been
productive of glory, of power, of honour ; hut it would
be a system that Britons never would recognise—for what
glory, power, or honour, could compensate them for
the loss of their constitutional rights? Let, then, the
advocates of the system point to our standards of victory ;
let them appeal to the records of our glory ; from them I
turn to the chirters of our liberties and the records of our
rights ; and turn with no unfriendly feeling, for God be
praised ! our liberties and our victories, our rights and our
glories, have been proved to be inseparable ! It was not
till the free spirit of Chatham shook off the yoke of the
borough faction at home, that he was enabled to make the
powers of his country respected abroad. It was not till
sympathy with Spanish freedom had kindled the popular
fervour here, that the energies of the country were fully
displayed in the last war ; it was not till the decision arid
firmness of the Duke of Wellington had confirmed the fal-

tering resolution of the borough-heroes at home, that any
prospect appeared of a successful termination of the COl/-
test. But if such were the " working" of the system in
war, what shall we say of its effects in peace '1 What shall
we say of its effects on the trade, the commerce, the agri-
cultural interests of this mighty empire? Shall Ibe told
that these great interests have flourished and prospered in
consequence of this system ? Shall I be told that it is not
to our Watts, our Arkwrights, our spirit of enterprise, our
national character for honesty, but to Old Sarum and Gat-
ton, that Manchester, Birmingham, and Glasgow owe their
prospe,ity anti affluence? Oh for the pen of Cervantes to
lash such folly ? N., ! It is to the march of human in-
tellect; it is to that stirring spirit of our countrymen, '
which no form of Government could ever repress; it is to
these master-s,irits of the age, whose inventive mints have
wrought for their country such advantage, for themselves
immortal fame, that these results are attrittutable ; and
it is to preserve the effects of their exertions ; it is to in
corporate with the Government the wealth and talent
which has arisen, that Reform is now required. Who
can contemplate the changes that constantly occur, who
can consider those alt rations which in the social as in the
physical world are daily occurring, and yet maintain that
law, which should regulate the action, and direct the course
of these changes, should alone remain stationary and un-
moved ? Toe excellence of laws depends on their change,
and their gradual adoption to the circumstances of the
tunes; and the wise 'egislater will precede the course of
even's. It is for weak minds to waste their strength in im-
potent efforts against the tide of time; the wise man will
mak its progress, and float triumphant on the torrent
which would overwhelm others—thus acted th it wise
Queen Elia shed' ; she was not, perhaps, any great friend
of the liberties of the people ; hut she knew the power of
public opinion, and instead of being driven to concession,
she With far foresight give as a boon to the people what
they might always have demanded as a right. Such was
not the conduct of her unfortunate successors; and
whilst Elizabeth by provident gifts maintained her power
undisputed, they by 'obstinate opposition to the wisi,es of
the nation, lost the one his life, the other his crown.
But what are the dangers, what the frightful perils,
which await us if this Reform Bill be carried ? Will any
privilege of the aristocracy, any prerogative of the crown,