The Sun.
London, England, 1832-06-14 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

We yesterday noticed that Sir Robert Peel,
who plays fast and loose with the Tories as best
suits his ultimate views and purposes, although
an absentee at the Pitt dinner, came out in
strong force on the " entertainment" in Mer-
chant Taylors Hall. The Right Hon. Baronet,
affecting to maintain neutrality on the subject of
politics, grossly maligned the reforming spirit of
the age, and spoke of the Reformers as " de-
stroyers of all ancient institutions." We are
provoked to examine the claims of this puffed
up " Statesman" to the good opinion or con-
fidence of 'any party in the state. A few re-
trospective touches on his past political conduct
will sufficiently portray his real character. We
inquire, what has the Right Hon. Baronet done,
and what he has left undone, in his too long
political career ? What have been his " prin-
ciples," what his consistencies, ignorance, and
bigotry ? We charge to the account of Sir R.
Peel the perpetuation of most of our existing
evils. Prematurely taken from College, and
launched into public life under the auspices of
Tory patronage and prejudices, he soon ac-
quired an unjust and meretricions reputation.
In 1812 he became Chief Secretary of Ireland,
and was a principal and chosen fomenter of every
species of political party error, and religious
animosity. In that department of official power,
he originated no one principle, and adopted no
one practical political improvement ; he upheld
every monopoly, and every species of Irish mis-
government. The seven years of his continu-
ance in Irish office may be described as the po-
litical curse of that unhappy country—adored by
the corporations of Church and State—hated by
the people, despised by every liberal and en-
lightened mind. From 1822 to 1827, Sir R.
Peel was Secretary of State for the Home De-
par ment, and in 1829 again resumed his office.
We boldly ask in what did the Right Hon.
Baronet distinguish himself? A new Metro-
politan Police, and a little consolidation and
improvement of the old Jury and Turnpike and
Felony Acts, constitute his sole claims to pub-
lic favour and confidence. Utterly unknown in
the republic of letters, or for any contribution to
the science of Jurisprudence or Political Econo-
my, are we look at the Parliamentary career of
the Right Hon. Baronet for specimens of his
wisdom and patriotism ? Good God ! what
a retrospect ! For upwards of twenty years this
mock-legislator and miscalled " statesman" has
been bolstering up every sort of political ignorance,
bigotry,and corruption. He has been the destroyer
of every project of national improvement—the ene-
my of the diffusion of knowledge and of popular
education. In 1827, after opposing every pro-
posal for amelioration of the penal code, and for
codification of our confused heaps of law, he
artfully acquired a bastard reputation by five
little Bills, " for amending, the criminal laws,"
and forthwith opposed the repeal of capital
punishments for crimes of forgery. After being
upwards of twenty years the violent sincere or
insincere advocate of the Catholic disabilities,
lie sacrificed in 1829 all his long-cherished
opisions, without displaying an atom of can-
dour towards the Whigs, whose sentiments
he adopted—claiming credit for his old bigotries
of opinion, and affecting only to yield to po-
litical necessity. Subsequently he yielded the
question of a repeal of the Test and Corporation
Acts, after having been, till all hope of resist-
ance vanished, the deadly enemy of religious
liberty and freedom of opinion. On the ques-
tions of the monetary system, and the transfer
of the elective franchise of corrupt East Ret-
ford to Birmingham—which require and shall
receive a separate and precise retrospective re-
view—Sir Robert Peel has proved himself
equally inconsistent and politically corrupt.
When utterly and palpably ignorant ofthe elemen-
tary principles of currency and finance, he agreed
with the sapient Legislators, who voted
that a pound note and one shilling
were equal to a guinea, then worth eight-
and-twenty shillings in the market ; he defended
the virtues of an inconvertible circulating me-
dium ; lie was then the main manufacturer of
" Peel's Bill," which, by returning to conver-
tibility without any alteration of the standard,
robbed every debtor in the kingdom, and broke
down every existing contract. He was party to
those ministerial majorities which subsequently
refused to inquire into the causes of national
distress. He alternately attributed the evils of
his own wilful and ignorant measures to over-
trading, over-production, a superabundant popu•
lation, to good and bad harvests, and the want
of proper floodgates of emigration (we do not
mean to deny the influence to a certain extent of
some of these causes). He was an active party
in those various schemes " for sweating down
John Bull so as to bring his person and pro-
perty within the limits alternately of a paper
and metallic currency." He always encouraged
the adulterous connexion between the Govern-
ment and the Bank of England. He was one
of those ignorant Legislators who tried to force
a gold currency into Scotland, where it was neither
used nor needed, and when scotched by the active
people beyond the Tweed, gravely contended that
a small-note currency, though poison for Eng-
land, was manna for Scotland. Sir Robert
Peel now contends, that the currency is " finally
settled," when we have a monopoly of banking,
Usury Laws in abundance, and public burdens
prodigiously augmented by those " tricks of
trade" played off- by the Right Honourable Ba-
ronet. So much for money-legislation, to which
we shall return. Now for the Right Honour-
able Baronet's achievements on the subject of
Parliamentary Reform. The artful opponent
of the East Retford Bill, and affecting, not-
withstanding, the greatest alacrity to enfranchise
the large unrepresented towns—this cunning and
blind Legislator opposed Lord John Russell's
motion. Although entreated to influence the
Duke of Wellington (subsequent to the French
Revolution of July, 1830) to concede a small
portion of the popular claims for an amended
representation, he was party to the King's
speech, and to the Duke of Wellington's de-
claration that no Reform was needed ; and
throughout the debates on the English, Scotch,
and Irish Reform Bills, he has never dared to
define what alteration in the elective system he
would tolerate or recommend. His foreign policy
needs no commentary ; how is it crumbling to
dust ! We further appeal to the whole of Han-
sard's reco• d of the Parliamentary debates,
whether this " puffed-up Legislator" ever ut-
tered a speech containing one passage for fu-
turity—one new principle—one new illustration
of a principle ? But the Right Hon. Baronet
is the last " Leader " of the last unreformed
House of Commons. His expert and artificial
style of Parliamentary discourse, among the re-
presentatives of schedules A and B, will expire
with this Session ; in a reformed Parliament he
will be tossed in a political blanket ; there will
be no respect of persons—commonplace and
exploded fallacies, cunningly devised Parlia-
trient-irY Hill lose their vii toe and efficacy„

Totals of the 38 not Metro_
Titan

•
1,578,1701 289,995

?3,916

294,70 4

Thus it appears that the 4 metropolitan bo-
roughs contain of the population more than
4-7ths of an amount equal to all the other 38
boroughs.
Houses, very nearly half as many as the 38
boroughs.
Houses, 101. and upwards, 1,542 more than
all the 38 boroughs.
Assessed taxes twice the sum, and 78,0401.
more than twice the sum paid by all the 38
boroughs.

The 42 new boroughs will return 64 Mem-
bers thus :-
22 new boroughs, each 2 44
20 new boroughs, each 1 2O-64
The 4 new metropolitan boroughs, 2 each 8
The 38 new boroughs not metropolitan will return —56
If, then, the 38 new boroughs, not metropo-
litan, having 56 Members, the 4 new metropo-
litan boroughs should have,
For population 32
Houses 27 instead of 8.
Houses worth 101. and upwards 64
Assessed taxes

Comparison of the Mel
Boroughs in England
to Parliament.

:ropolitan Boroughs with the whole of
and Wales, which are to send Members

.£lO
Popula- Houses A
es.
Houses.
tion. and up- Taxes.
wards.
The 4 new Metropolitan - ---
Boroughs 916,265 144,279 84,488 667,148
London City 122,395 17,315 14,564 205,476
Westminster City and
Liberty....
Southwark 210234:416i47)
22.e1:4892,2 197:9,2.6814 30 ,5,,412.3.21
- ---
Totals of the 7 Mettopo
litan Boroughs 1,374,967 205,969 126,65 A 1 ,•227 ,607
- -
Totals of all the 80.
roughs in England
anti Wales which
are to send Mem-
bers to the House
of Commons 193 4,748,809 999,965 332,510 2,081,105
Totals of the Metro-
politan Boroughs 7 1,374,907 205,969 126,656 1,227,607
- ----
Totals of all the Bo- -
roughs, omitting
the 7 Metropoli-
tan Boroughs lO6 3,373,842 792,996 205,854 850,498
Times.

Much, perhaps
ionstrances and

;, canna

:olicitati

be added to the re-
ma which have been

already addressed to the reformers of England.
Ind most of all to those of the metropolitan dis-
tricts, upon the necessity of securing, by active
and immediate efforts, the return of Alembers to
the pew Parliament who shall not betray their
trust. It is known on all sides, that the Con-
servatives have long been in the field. They have
have the balance of tact and dexterity in their
favour , let it not be said that they have that el
zeal and energy also. We are sure that the
miserable Portuguese or Spaniards never were
charged with any thing more disgraceful,—with
any vice or weakness which appeared to the
eyes of Englishmen more unnatural,—than
their alleged indifference to the means of
freedom which the Constitutions established
in their respective countries had actually
placed in their hands. Will Englishmen fol-
low that ignominious example ? Will they
let it be said they clamoured for Reform with-
out having sense enough to appreciate what they
called for ? Or that, having gained their play-
thing prize, they flung it, like spoiled children,
into the fire ? If the Reformers do not at once
buckle on their armour, and manfully take up
the ultra-Tory gauntlet, they will prove to the
world, that it is they, and not the enemies of all
Reform, who may fairly be accounted " hypo-
crites ;" because the Tories were in earnest in
their opposition to the Bill, while the professed
Liberals have not been so in their support of it.
We have received an hundred letters on the con-
temptible and criminal apathy displayed in this
respect by a large portion of the new electors
throughout Great Britain.--Times.

SECOND EDITION.

SUN OFFICE, Seven o'Clock.

IM PERIA LPAR LIAMENT

THIS EVENING.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

Lord DENBIGH presented two petitions, one from
Innley, praying for the abolition of the punishment of
death in cases of forgery, and the other from Chelsea,
praying for measures for the better observance of the
Lord's Day.
Lord RADNOR presented two petitions from Ireland,
praying for the abolition of the punishment of death in
cvses of felony, where there was no personal violence.
Lord KING presented a petition from Lincoln, pray-
ing for the abolition of punishment by death in cases of
felony where there was no personal violence.
The Marquess of LANSDOWNE presented a petition
from Weymouth, in favour of the system of education in-
troduced into Ireland by his Majesty's Government.

The Earl of WICKLOW ireseuted a petition agaiusi
that system of education.

The Archbishop of CANTERBURY presented a peti-
tion from the Presbytery of Edinburgh to the same
effect.

Lord RADNOR presented a petition from a parish iu
the county of Mayo, in favour of the system.
Lord RADNOR presented a petition from the Drawford-
street Political Union, Manchester, praying the Bouse not
to throw any obstacles in the way of his Majesty's Mi-
nisters caerying into effect the Irish system of education.
Lord MELBOURNE presented a petition from Poole,
praying for a revision of the Criminal Laws.

Lord KING, in rising to present a petition which he
held in his hand, had a few observations to make. The
petition was on the subject of tithes. On the last occasion
on which lie presented a similar petition, he was asked
a question by a Rev. Prelate on the subject. He would
now take the liberty of putting the question to the Right
Rev. Prelate—" Was the Church and tithe property
originally the gift of pious persons for the support of
religious worship ?" If it bed the use of it had
been grossly perverted. If it was not but an impost laid
on property by the State for the support of the public ser-
vants, then it was a tax imposed by the Crown, and
liable to be interfered with by the Crown, or by the
Legislature at pleasure. It had been interfered with
on various occasions. It was a tax not on the land
itself, but on theproduce of the land—a tix of the
worst nature; and suppose the Bishops were to forsake
their religious duties, and become political prelates, and
suppose upon some great question, they were to render
themselves in the vote they gave so odious to the public as
to be unable to chew themselves in the street—
suppose that his Majesty's Government might
find it expedient of depriving the Bishops of a seat in that
House—nay, even to alter the Church, and convert
it into a Presbyterian institution altogether—would
the Bishops not either have to alter their princi-
ples, or to give up their claims entirely to tithes ?
His Lordship then laid upon the table a petition from
Beaminster against tithes.

The Bishop of LONDON thought it inconvenient to
raise incidental discussions upon the presentment of peti-
tions when the whole subject of tithes would probably
soon come before them. He should, therefore, simply
content himself with denying that he ever asserted that
the Legis atute had not a right to interfere for the regula-
tion of Church property, or to take care that the holders
of it did their duty.

SENTENCE OF DEATH BILL.

At the earnest request of Lord TENTERDEN, the second
reading of Sentence of Death Bill was postponed till this
day se'nnight.
NORWICH ASSIZES REMOVAL BILL.

Lord SUFFIELD moved the second reading of the
above Bill, and entered at length into the advantages Nor-
wich possessed over Thetford.

(LYFT SITTING.)

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Mr. PALMER. was introduced, and took the oaths and
his seat as Member for the county of Berks.
Mr. D. W. HARVEY was instructed to present a do-
cument somewhat unusual in its style. It was not a peti-
tion, fur it prayed for nothing; it was not a remonstrance,
for it was filled with gratitude. It was an address from
Worcester, and signed by a Magistrate as Chairman of the
Meeting, expresNing their gratitude at the course pursued
by this House in regard to the Reform Bill, but it contained
no prayer.
The SPEAKER said he was afraid the House could
not receive it.—The address was withdrawn.

Mr. STRUTT presented a petitiou from Derby, signed
by 1,100 persons in favour of the Government plan of
Education in Ireland. The petitioners would have been
content to have left the subject in the hands of the House,
but for the fact that four petitions had been presented from
the same town against the measure. Upon looking at those
petitions, he found the whole of the signatures amounted to
but 300, and lie trusted that the present petition would be
an answer to the attempts that were making throughout
the country to raise a cry against the plan proposed by the
Government. The most unfounded allegations bad been
made, and even the pulpit was used for the purpose of
creating an opposition.
Mr. GORDON having been the person who presented
the petitions for Derby against the measure, said they were
signed by more than 300 persons, and no person who was
not an adult and a parisioner was allowed to sign them. In
getting up the petition now before the House, a good deal
of political feeling had manifested itself; and the signatures
to it were almost exclusively those of Dissenters.
Mr. STRUTT said he had counted the signatures to
the four petitions, and found they amounted to 292.
Whether the present petition was signed chiefly by Dissen-
ters or not he could not say ; but he saw the names of
two Magistrates amongst them.
The petition was ordered to be printed.
Mr. STRICKLAND presented a petition from the
to Arnshipof Elland, in the parish of Halifax, praying for
an extension of the franchise for the borough of Wake-
field under the Boundaries Bill. This was the eleventh
petition upon the same subject from that neighbourhood.
The parish of Wakefield consisted of seven or eight
townships. The township of Elland consisted of 6,000
inhabitants, and the whole parish contained about 110,000
inhabitants. If the borough of Halifax extended to all
the townships it would take in a constituency of upwards
of 3,000 beyond what was proposed by the present Bill.
He could not agree with the argument that such an exten-
sion would interfere too touch with the county representa-
tion, for that argument could nut apply to such a district
as Yorkshire.
Sir G. MURRAY resented a petition from the
occupiers of lands in the neighbourhood of Perth
against the Scotch Boundaries' ; also a petition
Irons the members of a society for a due observ-
ance of the Lord's day at Chelsea, praying fur an alteration
in the law, in order to compel a proper obedience to the
sanctity of that day.
Loi d AIORPETH supplied the petition, and regretted

,he laxity of observing the Sabbath in other classes beside-
4iopkeepers.

Mr. GORDON said that very early a proposition would
be made to the House to alter the law regarding the ob-
•crvance of the Sabbath. The present laxity in obsceKing
that day was chiefly attributable to the neglect of the offi-
cial authorities.

The RIGHT HON. BARONET also presented a petition
from the proprietors of farming-stock in Perth, praying
!or the repeal of the stamp duties on fire insurances.
Mr. BLACKNEY presented a petition from 'Jacket's-
Town, in the county of Carlow, praying for the total
abolition of the tithe system ; also a petition from Borris,
in the county of Carlow, praying that an equal measure
(4' Reform might be granted to Ireland as to England and
Scotland. The Hon. Member, in moving the reading of
the petition, took occasion to complain of the inconveni-
ence attending the registry of votes in Ireland.
Mr. O'CONNELL observed that if the present system
of registry went on, it would take the Learned Recorder
of Dublin 208 days, at 12 hours a day, to complete the
task assigned to him.—(Laughter.)
Mr. SHAW said it would require the year to contain
374 days, at eight hours a day, to accomplish the work.
Mr. HUNT congratulated the Learned Recorder upon
the beneficial nature of the office he was likely to enjoy.
Dr. LUSHINGTON presented a petition from the
Grand Jury of Londonderry against the punishment of
death in cases of forgery. Also, similar petitions from
Portarlington, Cavan, Carlow, and several other places.
Mr. LENNARD said that the feeling of the country
was very strong on the subject, so much so that he, and
he had no doubt other Hon. Members, had innumerable
petitions to present on the subject ; but owing to the
regulation which had lately been made as to the presenta-
tion of petitions, he had not been able to present them.
Mr. WILKS bore testimony to the feeling that existed
throughout the country on the subject.
Dr. LUSHINGTON presented a petition from Maiden-
head in favour of the Factories' Bill. Also a petition from
the inhabitant householders of St. Margaret's and St.
John's, Westminster, in favour of Reform.

Mr. BROWNLOW presented petitions from different
parishes in Armagh in favour of Reform and against tithes.
Also a petition from the city of Armagh, praying for the
introduction of Poor Laws into Ireland. Also a petition
from the Conference Presbytery of Bangor in favour of the
new plan of Education in Ireland.

Lord MORPETH presented a petition from Dewsbury,
lamenting that the Reform Bill for Ireland did not extend
to the people of that country the benefits which the
English Reform Bill gave to the people of England, and
praying that the House would so amend the Irish Bill as
that every inhabitant of that country might enjoy the
same benefits as the people of England.
Mr. O'CONNELL was sure that a petition like the
present, coming from enlightened Englishmen, would be
received with heartfelt gratitude by the people of Ireland.
Mr. STRICKLAND congratulated the House on the
alteration of the tone of the Hon. Member for Kerry
from that which he took last night, and denied that the
people of England were indifferent to the interests of Ire-
land. The wishes of the people of this country were to
see Ireland prosperous and happy.
After some observations from Mr. BLACKNEY, the peti-
tion was read.

Dr. LUSHINGTON then presented peti•ions from
Thirk and Denby, for a modification of the penal code.
After some observations from Air. HUNT, the petitions
were ordered to be printed.