The Sun.
London, England, 1835-08-03 00:00:00

refractory Peers they and their " order" must in future
be content to succumb. It will be their wisdom to
submit with a good grace, for submit they must.
On the decision of this night the Most momentous
results depend. The more moderate of the Tory party,
with the Duke of WELLINGTON at their head,
intend, it is said, to oppose the course proposed by the
ultra portion of the faction, whom they cannot control.

, .. ........
They see the dreadful consequences of bringing the
House of Peers into collision with the people, and they
are, we trust, willing to avert them. May their endea-
vours be successful !

Jf the Lords do not throw out the Bill this evening,
nut endeavour to strangle it by delay, the best course
for the Commons to pursue, is to adjourn over for a
few weeks, till the Lords have accomplished their
object, and thus lit the eyes of the coun-
try be exclusively bent upon the proceedings of
their Lordships. If the House of Peers really wish
to precipitate a crisis, throwing out the Corporation
Reform Bill is a sure means of accomplishing their
object. But let them beware.

We have heard it very confidently announced that
Earl SPENCER is about to join the Ministry as
First Lord of the Admiralty. This announcement
must give very great satisfaction to the country gene-
rally, and to the friends of liberal institutions in par-
ticular.

It will be recollected that his Lordship's father, the
venerable Earl SPENCER, was First Lord of the Ad-
miralty at a very critical period of our naval history.

In the declaration of Lord MELBOURNE in the
House of Lords, and in that of Lord JOHN RUSSELL
at the Fishmonger's Hall, on Saturday, we have at
length proof-Oocitive. as. Holy Writ, that Ministers
will go through the Work of Reform in an upright, in-
trepid, and unwavering spirit. Let the Crown protest
—let the Lords threaten—let the Court intrigue—let
the Conservatives throughout the country, subscribe,
confederate, and attempt to put down by bluster what
they cannot affect by argue,ent ;—no matter, Govern-
ment will still do its duty ; still stand at its post, " like
TENEDOS or ATLAS unremoved." Lord J. Rus-
s ELL'S speech at Fishmonger's Hall is particularly ex-
plicit and satisfactory on this point. It is calm, for
high moral courage is always calm, and never more so
than when most beset by peril ; but resolute as
patriotism, and straight-forward as the march of
the seasons. " For our Church," says the Noble
Lord, " and for our institutions, our ancestors
suffered martyrdom ; these institutions we are bound
to respect and revere ; but we are bound also
to make such corrections in them as the spirit of
the age demands ; such corrections as are consistent
at once with the peace of the country, and the im-
provement of its institutions. And having well ascer-
tained how these corrections can best be made, our duty
is to go calmly,
,steadily, and resolutely forward, fearing
not any obstacles that may be interposed in our way."
Language like this stirs the heart like the sound of
the trumpet—quickens the pulses like a glass of gene-
rous champagne.- It is a gleam of sunshine bursting
in on us amid storm and tempest—a breath of fresh
air making its way to our very heart of heartS, amid the
stifling vapors of a dungeon. Let the Lords now do
their worst. We are prepared for them. With Go-
vermnent and the people on our side, we set them at
utter defiance. We say this from no feeling of dis-
respect to their Lordships. It is wrung from us by a
stern sense of what we owe to truth, to justice, and
the cause of the people. This is no time for mincing
matters. If ever there was a period when the truth
should be spoken—and spoken, too, in such a way as
there should be no misapprehending—the present is
that one. The House of Lords is now the only bar-
rier built up k)etvtieen the people and Reform. Arc
we, then, to halt in our march, and say we dare ven-
ture no further ; or are we to remove the barricade,
and push forward ? Their Lordships can best answer
this question, for they are far more interested in it
than we are. We have the power to remove the ob-
stacle, and it remains with them, and them only, to say
whether we shall exert it. Report says, that to-night
they intend to dispose of the Corporation Bill—to sub-
ject it, not to a lingering, but a sudden, violent death.
Be it so. But have they no fear of its resurrection ?
Have they no dread that when they have shrouded—
coffined—and consigned it to the tomb, the Spirit shall
burst its ceretnents, and start up before them more for-
midable than ever ? Reform is a subtle, immottal
Being, unamenable to the laws of mortality. You
cannot deal with it, as you would with a material sub-
stance. You cannot lay siege to it—batter it down
with cannon—confine it within the walls of a dungeon
—or put the halter about its neck. It mocks your
energy ; it eludes your grasp, as Ariel eluded the grasp
of Caliban. Wherefore then this frantic endeavour
on the part of the House of Lords to stay the pro-
gress of Reform ? It can have but one result, their
own overthrow, as an integral portion of , the Constitu-
tion. The people are prepared to respect their privi-
leges, but only so long as they do not militate against
their own. Again, then we say to their Lordships--
be warned—be discreet—take a hint in time. Do
not kick against the pricks. Boldness without physical
means, perseverance without moral influence to sanc-
tion i:—what are these in critical seasons, when Le-
.;islators should see every inch or their road before
them, and be gifted with a far-sighted vision, but
crimes of the deepest, the blackest die ? Should
their Lordships unfortunately persist in their de-
termination to assassinate the Corporation Bill, we
predict that within eight-and-forty hours from the time
when their determination shall have been made public,
the country,, from. one extremity to_ the other, will be
in a state of ferment, such as it has_
__ not known since
the stormiest period of the Reform Bill I The move

went will not be boisterous. It will not show itself i

any sudden outbreak of popular violence. Far other.

wise. It will be silent, steady, continuous, gathering
strength as it goes on, like some gigantic polar wave,
till, at length, having reached the only barrier which

presumes to cheek its progress, it bursts over, and

dashes it into a thousand fragments.

The French journals of Friday and Saturday, re-
ceived this morning, devote nearly the whole of their
columns to repetitions of the several rumours afloat re-
specting the attempt upon the King's life. No new
facts have been discovered ; and although the Govern-
ment is exceedingly anxious to connect the act of
GIRARD with the conspiracy of April and the secret
societies established by the Republicans, it does not
appear that any evidence will be found to substantiate
such a charge. GIRARD is a Carlist ; and _admits
having accomplices, but resolutely refuses to divulge
their names, or any circumstance which might lead to
their discovery. Dr. MONTAZBAI' who examined
the infernal machine, has addressed a letter to the
Gazelle des Tribunaux, stating that the machine was
constructed on a principle by which it was intended
that the person firing it should be killed on
the spot, and, therefore, that GIRARD could not
have had any hand in its construction, especially
he expresses surprise that he should have been
wounded. It is very possible that the object of this
letter is to throw GIRARD off his guar }awakening
suspicions in his mind of the fidelity o ~is associates.
The KING has addressed the following letter to the
Archbishops and Bishops of France on the subject of