The Sun.
London, England, 1835-05-07 00:00:00

THE BALLOT.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Sin-_I have long been an advocate for the ballot, and the
result of the first day's polling for South Devon has strength-
ened my opinion that without it we cannot have a fair repre-
sentation. The following may not, at the present time, be
altogether out of place. One of the arguments used by the
opposers of the ballot is that it will be the means of introduc-
ing lying and deceit. Being a decided enemy to immorality,
I should give some credit to Mr. Tory's opinion if he could
convince me of the purity of the present system of voting.
Without entering into the detail of his argument, I will briefly
contrast voting by ballot with open voting. It is generally
agreed that a conscientious politician believes his views of
politics to be the best for the country, and his posterity. Upon
this supposition I will proceed. A man in open voting is
asked by his patron and sole employers for his vote for a cer-
tain candidate, to whose principles he is directly opposed : he,
to keep his footing in society, and out of regard to his help-
less family, whose support rests on his situation, complies, in
opposition to his conscientious views of politics. In this
there is one present good, that of supporting his family, and
one present evil, deceit and lying in voting against his con-
science—and one ulterior evil, that he, in supporting a man
whom he believes to be an enemy to his country, is enslaving
his posterity. In the ballot voting a man's vote is also de-
manded of him by his patron or landlord, for a candidate to
whose views of politics he is inimical ; he promises, for the
previously stated reasons in open votitg; but when he comes
to the poll he gives it according to his conscience. Here is
also one present evil, deceit and lying, and one present good,
his continuance in his situation and supporting his family,
and one ulterior good, that be is not basely injuring his poste-
rity, but, on the contrary, supporting a man who, according to
his views of politics, will be a friend to his country. By this
we see two good effects against one evil in ballot voting,
and two evil effects to one good in open voting. The cases
here stated, with their results, are applicable to the case of
either Whig or Tory—applicable to any party that may be
base enough to tempt a dependent to degrade himself so far
as to vote against his conscience. If ballot voting is neces-
sary in club-houses and chartered companies, where all are
nearly equal, how much more so where wealth and power are
brought in direct opposition with a tax and rate-burthened
population ?

Your constant Reader,
AN ELECTOR OF LAMBETH.

SOUTH DEVON ELECTION.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sir—l yesterday recorded my vote at Kingsbridge, in fa-
vour of Lord John Russell, and soon afterwards took my de-
parture for Loudon. From what I have seen and heard I
have no doubt but that the Tory candidate will prove suc-
cessful.
Throughout the county the walls were marked with " No
Russell," " No Popery," and similar epithets ; and bills charg-
ing Lord John with almost everything that is evil, were ex-
tensively circulated.
Reports were also afloat calculated to frighten the electors
of South Devon, and induce them to believe that Lord John
would establish Popery, with all its train of persecuting hor-
rors ; but this bugbear to frighten the good people of South
Devon is nothing compared to the tyranny exercised by the
Tory landholders and parish priests over their tenants and pa-
rishioners.
It is notorious that multitudes of landlords gave their
tenants the option of voting contrary to conscience, or the
sacrifice of their families, by quitting their estates. Hundreds,
it is supposed, yielded to the claims of their families, and large
numbers, known to be decided Liberals, voted for the Tory
candidate, to save their families from ruin.
A farmer, with tears in his eyes, came to solicit my advice
under these circumstances. I hesitated as to the advice I
should give, when he paused, and then exclaimed in an agony
of desperation—" I am determined to do my duty and await
the consequences." I could not but admire his patriotism.
Is it right that men and their families should be placed in
this dilemma ? I have ever been opposed to the ballot, but
unless some other remedy can be found, from what the last few
days have shewn me, I am convinced of its utility.
I have seen flocks of poor tenants driven to the polling place
like negro slaves to the market ; the squire and parish priest
in their carriages, leading ; the poor tenants of the parish fol-
lowing ; and livery servants bringing ,up the cavalcade, like
whippers-in, to see that none escaped.
Is this freedom of election ? Can it be endured much
longer ? Either let the country be given up to the aristocracy
and parsons, or protect the tenants from worse than slavery.
I hope the defeat in Devon will produce a remedy for this
horrible evil. _

......___.....
I am, Sir, yours respectfully,
Eastcheap, Tuesday Evening, May 5. R. PEEK.

SWANSEA.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR,—I beg to inform you that a public meeting has been
held in Swansea, convened by our Portreeve, in compliance
with a very numerous and respectable requisition, at which an
Address was carried unanimously, to the following effect :
" Town Hall, Swansea, May 5, 1835.
" To John Henry Vivian, Esq., M.P.
" Sir,—ln the present state of public affairs, when a power-
ful party are straining every nerve to perpetuate various abuses
and corruptions in our social institutions, it becomes the duty
of constituents to encourage, by expressions of their approba-
tion, those Representatives who have steadily acted in the
spirit of Reform. With this conviction, and with a desire on
our part instantly to disavow, and utterly to repudiate, the
sentiments of an Address lately presented to Sir R. Peel, the
secret contrivance of a party here, small in number, but pur-
porting to be the sentiments generally entertained in these
towns,—We, a large body of your constituents, have, in the
most open and public manner, this day assembled, to thank
you for your manly and liberal votes in the present Parliament,
and particularly for your support of Lord John Russell's mo-
tion for appropriating any proved surplus of the revenues of
the Irish Protestant Church, after liberally providing for its
spiritual wants, to defraying the charge of giving a moral and
religious education to the poor.
" Nor can we, Sir, permit this opportunity to escape us, of
reiterating our thanks to you for the constant and watchful
attention you have paid, to whatever would contribute to the
advantage of this district of boroughs, or to the interests of
your constituents.
"It is not then, Sir, in the studied language of a compli-
mentary address, but in the sincerity of our hearts, that we
offer you this tribute of our thanks, and express our ardent
hopes that you may long continue the Representative, in the
Commons House of Parliament, of the electors of the united
boroughs of Neath, Lougher, Aberavon, Kenfic, and Swan-
sea.—Signed by the unanimous desire of the meeting,
" THOMAS LEYSON, Chairman."