The Sun.
London, England, 1835-01-06 00:00:00

TO THE ELECTORS OF THE CITY OF LONDON.
GENTLEMEN,
TN compliance with the request of a numerous and
influential body among you, I announce myself a Candidate
for the honour of representing you in Parliament,
I could have wished that the approaching Election had passed
without interruption to the quiet of the City of London by the ex-
citement of a contest ; but the imprudent activity of the Anti-Re-
formers, have rendered the unopposed re-election of your late
Members impossible.
In soliciting your support, I am aware that, long as my name
au been commercially connected with the City of London, I am
politically unknown to the great majority of the Constituency ; and
it is my duty, as well as my inclination, to lay before you the sen-
timents I profess.
Though not a party man, I am a Whig in principle ; and shall
always be found an unflinching Reformer, being prepared to carry
the spirit of Reform wherever it can be beneficially applied, in
Church and State.
I cordially approved the Reform Bill, and gave to it the best
support in my power. I cannot, however, admit that this ought
to be a final and irrevocable settlement of that great constitutional
question. At the same time, in avowing my opinion that many
and important changes in the Bill may be found to be necessary,
I openly declare myself opposed to Annual Parliaments and Um-
versal Suffrage.
I am decidedly hostile to the policy by which the Tories have been
hitherto influenced ;_ and when I recollect their persevering opposi-
tion to the Reform Bill—a measure for which a debt of gratitude is
due from the nation to Earl Grey and his colleagues—when I con-
sider the component parts of Sir Robert Peel's Administration,
together with the speeches and declarations made at the Mansion-
house, no other course is open tome than to declare my determined
opEosition to the present Ministry.
Being prepared to exact a strict economy in all the depart-
ments of the State, I shall do my utmost to support every practi-
cable retrenchment, consistent with the faith due to the national
creditor.
As a firm friend of the Church of England, I shall be ready to
vote for all measures calculated to remedy the numerous abuses of
that establishment. In the meantime, Ido not forget the just
claims of the Dissenters, and I shall zealously advocate the cause of
Civil and Religious Liberty on behalf of the conscientious Non-
Conformist.
A thorough Reform of the Church of Ireland appears to me to
be necessary and unavoidable.
Among those improvement. which the country has a right to ex-
pect, there are few of greaterimportance than the correction of the
abuses now existing in many of our Municipal Corporations. I
shall willingly support a wise and well digested measure of Munici-
pal Reform, founded on the principle of periodical Election.
Having been all my life connected with the trade of London,.
I feel the strongest interest in its steady advance and prosperity—
' shall esteem it an important branch of my duties to study the
thmeis ans
ty. of
preserving and increasing the commercial eminence of
ci
Confining myself at present to the above short exposition of those
views, according to which my political conduct will be regulated, I
beg to assure you that if by your suffrages I should obtain the dis-
tinguished honour of representing you in Parliament, my best
efforts shall be used to forward both the interests of the country in
general, and the welfare and prosperity of the city of London in
particular.-_.I have the honour to remain Gentlemen,
Your faithful and obedient servant,
JAMES PATTISON.
Old Broad-street, 27th December, 1834