The Sun.
London, England, 1835-08-21 00:00:00

TAUNTON.

The Lords have now set themselves completely at variance
with the people. They have declared war against Reform—
against liberty—against the Commons of England. Let us
stand by our order. We reject the mutilated Bill, and prefer
to wait the course of events. The Commons will be false to
themselves and to us if they do not reject this mockery of a
Reform. The following handbill, and petition, will best de-
scribe the state of feeling in this town :
" Inhabitants of Taunton,—Disregarding the prayer of your
petition and that of the millions of your fellow citizens who
have, like yourselves, entreated the House of Lords to grant
to the people of England their ancient and undoubted privilege
of electing their own municipal officers, and managing the
affairs of their own towns, the peers have. so mutilated the
Corporation Reform Bill, as to make it utterly worthless.
" They have introduced a clause providing that only a
sixth part of the rate payers, having the greatest property,
shall be eligible to any municipal office, thus insulting the
middle and working classes by declaring that they shall never
hold any office, however competent they may be for it, from
honesty, from talent, or from industry. Men of Taunton, was
ever such an insult offered to a free and intelligent people ?
" Again, the Lords have declared that all the present cor-
rupt Aldermen, and members of the rotten Corporations shall,
without election, be members of the new ones for the rest of
their lives.

" Lastly, they have decided that instead of the Common
Council being responsible to the people of the town for their
acts, that one-fourth of them shall be chosen for life.
" By these insulting amendments all that made the Bill va-
luable is destroyed. Come forward then, without delay, and
sign the Address to the House of Commons, which now lies
at the London Inn for signature, praying the Commons of
Great Britain to reject this tyrannical and insulting Bill, and
promising to support the people's House in any measures which
they may deem necessary for securing the rights and liberties
of the people, from the attacks of the hereditary and irrespon-
sible Peers.

Remember, that this is but the first step of the 450 Lords
to thwart the wishes and oppose the just demands of the
twenty-three millions of the people. If you submit tamely to
to this, they will not only put an entire stop to future Reform,
but they will take away from you the liberties you have already
This is the to;:xt-icin, to .how your tleierroniatioo. Cooie
forward to support the House of Commons, your corn House,

the people's am', declare your solemn resolution Whoa,
the full fruits of liefotrit,
The following is a copy he thq Petition :
" To the Honourable the Common% of Great Britain and -Ire'
land in Parliament assembled.
" The bumble petition of the undersigned electors and
inhabitants of the Town and neighbourhood of '
ton, in the county of Somerset,
" Sneweth—That your Petitioners have witnessed with in."
dignation and dismay the attempts now being made to thwart
the just wishes and oppose the just demands of the people of
this Empire.
" That your petitioners feel the profoundest gratitude
Mito
your Honourable House for passing, and to his Majesty's
nisters for proposing, the great measure of Corporation

Reform. - -
" That your petitioners cannot too strongly express to your
Honourable House the disgust and alarm with which the,
should view the introduction into that great measure of jestie_
any clauses for establishing an invidious and useless qtlab'_,
cation for Municipal Offices, or for continuing any portion 0!
the present corrupt bodies in any office without Election,
by
for destroying the responsibility of the Corporate bOdY
extending the term of the existence of any of its arelober
beyond the term established by your Honourable House.
" And your petitioners pray your Honourable House in
stantly and indignantly to reject any measure of CORN)."
RATION REFORM which may come to your Honourable,
House thus mutilated and thus pregnant with insult 804
wrong to a free and intelligent people.
" And your petitioners pledge themselves to stand by Y°llr
Honourable House, and to support your Honourable Hous us
any measures which may appear to your Honourable Hoa
best adapted to secure to your petitioners their just rights ao
privileges, and to maintain the honour and dignity of tle
Commons of Great Britain and Ireland."

LINCOLN, AUGUST 19, 1835.
MY LORD,—In the Standard Newspaper of Tuesday it
recorded that your Lordship had been informed that a counted
Petition from Lincoln in favour of Corporation Reform ha
I,
received the signatures of children of six and seven Year!
age. As I presume that your Lordship has been grossly 01'
posed upon by some person unscrupulous of truth, I think 16_
a duty I owe to my fellow townsmen to declare, that such
statement is utterly devoid of foundation. The Petitionswere signed by the adult population in the course of one daY'
and many hundreds more came for the purpose of affixing.
their names after the petitions had been dispatched.
I am, my Lord, your obedient servant,
WM. WRIGLE S WORTH, Alderman.
To the Right Hon. the Earl of Winchelsea.