The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-24 00:00:00

of defrauding the revenue by forging stamps—a•
most fraudulent felony—and yet these men were
only condemned to banish themselves from Scot-
land, and in a short time received a free pardon.
The sentence pronounced on Muir so astonished the
jury, that they met immediately after leaving the
court, and unanimously resolved to state to the judges.
their opinion, that it was greatly beyond the crime of'
which they had found him guilty; but some hot-
headed zealot having sent a letter to Mr. Gilbert
Innes, the chancellor of the jury, threatening hint
with assassination for having concurred in the verdict.,
it was impossible for the jury to proceed further. Of
this I was informed at the time by a near relation,
who was one of the jury, and a man of the most per-
fect truthfulness and character.—(Hear, hear.) The
extreme severity of the sentences made the deepest im-
pression on the public mind—induced a scrutiny
into the forms, proceedings, and powers of the Court
of Justiciary, and established a deep-rooted con-
viction of the necessity of genuine reform ; and
this has been attended with the happiest effects.—
(Cheers.) At the time of these trials every jury was
packed. The sheriff returned what persons lie thought
proper as jurymen. The presiding judge selected
at his pleasure those who were to try the case. No
peremptory challenge of jurymen was permitted.
.I'he Court of Justiciary had the power to sentence
every person, convicted of sedition, to any punish-
ment short of death. The Legislature has now done
away these vices of the system, under which the
martyrs were tried. Juries cannot cannot now be
packed. The presiding judge cannot select the
jurymen who are to try the case. Peremptory
challenge of jurymen is permitted. The Court of
Justiciary cannot inflict a heavier punishment for
sedition than six months' imprisonment. And the
Legislature has determined that reform, to the
strenuous advocacy of which the martyrs fell victims,
is the law of the land.—(Cheers.) It is thus esta-
blished, that no such trials as those in which our
friends suffered, can take place. Acts of similar
character, but greatly more offensive than those
they committed, are every day committed with
impunity. The liberty and rights of the
subject are now secured on a basis in-
finitely stronger than before, and every-
thing that has since taken place, proves the general
conviction that the sentences pronounced against them
were unjust, and the punishment inflicted most cruel
and indefensible.—(Great cheering.) We have now
determined to erect a monument in this city, which
shall proclaim to the world our conviction of these
truths—that we entertain profound respect for the
memories of the martyrs—and gratitude for the
benefits their patriotic zeal and sufferings have secured
to the country; and particularly shall proclaim our
anxious desire to impress upon all judges and jury-
men, that if they regard their oaths or their cha-
racter, if they wish the law to be respected, and the
people to be satisfied with it, they will never allow
themselves to be swayed by fanciful theoriei of ex-
pediency, or of a supposed necessity of acting on a
" wholesome vigour beyond the law," but that in the
exercise of the sacred duties committed to them, they
will be guided by the law, and by nothing but the
law.—(Great cheering.)
The CHAIRMAN next gave "The Memory of Charles
James Fox." Every one who knew the services that
illustrious statesman had given to the liberties of the
people—all he did was for their interest. -He (Sir
J. Craig) did not, however, propose his health on
account of his general exertions, but because of his
kind and strenuous exertions in support of those
martyrs which they were met to commemorate.
The CHAIRMAN said—l have now to propose to
you the health of our guest, Mr. Hume.—(Great
cheering.) All men know the public service he has
rendered to the country during a long parliamentary
career—that he, while others wasted the valuable
time of the House of Commons with declamatory
harangues, spoken to no purpose, exerted himself most
laboriously, and at a time when no wen would have
undertaken it—in the system of finance. No man
who knows anything of the state of the country in
those days can be ignorant of the great and important
services which he rendered, and which far exceeded
those of any other Member of the House of Commons.
—(Cheers.) I cannot doubt but he has been the
saviour of millions to this country, and that had his
exertions been countenanced as they ought, it would
have greatly increased the number of those millions.
I do not on the present occasion confine his services
to what he did in that respect; it is particularly on
account of his having been the instigator of the
monuments which are in the course of being erected
here and in London.—(Cheers.) And in acknow-
ledgment of which, I think, one cannot do better than
now pass a resolution similar to what we passed at
the first meeting for the erection of the monument—
" Thanks to the originator of the movement for
erecting monuments to the martyrs in the cause of
parliamentary reform."—(Loud cheers.)
Mr. Hume, on rising to return thanks, was re-
ceived with loud cheers. He said—l can assure you
that I feel strongly the compliment you have novo'
paid me, but I feel it the more in as far as it marks at
union with that opinion which I have all along en-
tertained. When I see so many men with whore r
have had little or no intercourse concurring in an
opinion which I singly and at first entertained and
ventured to express, I cannot but feel myself flat:.
tered at having that opinion, isolated and uncon-
nected with party as it originally was, reciprocated by
those present, and that the efforts which I so early'
made should at this time of day meet with your com-
plete approbation.—(Cheers.) Your Chairman has.
stated well the case of these unfortunate men, and stated.
facts which bring together certain links which ap-
peared to have been lost. It is with peculiar pleasure
that I have the honour of your invitation on this
occasion. It will be recollected that, more than
twenty years ago, I was favoured with the opi-
nion of a large majority of the inhabitants of this city
in favour of the efforts I had made in the public
cause.—(Cheers.) It is with great satisfaction that I
look back to the period that intervened since that
time, and challenge any one to say where I for a
moment in my life did anything which showed a
retrograde movement.—(Cheers.) The zeal with
which I was influenced may have perhaps overborne
prudence on some occasions, but never in all my
attempts have I had any other object in view save the
general prosperity of the country.—(Great cheering.)
No doubt there are some who blame my opinions as
exceeding the bounds of prudence, but those persons
were not acquainted with the extent of the evil which
daily came before me.—(Cheers.) No man who has
not had the opportunities which I have had, and who
has availed himself thereof, can form an esti -
mate of the misery and wretchedness which is pro-
duced by misgovernment. It is upon these principle.s
I have stood ; aloof and independent of party, yet ire
strict accordance with principle—putting down all
selfish motives—setting aside all party spirit—and
looking alone to those great principles which lead to
the happiness of the whole people.—(Cheers.) Your
Chairman has alluded to the matter of finance. The
great evil of government is finance. Pounds, shil-
lings, and pence, is the ;paramount evil of those is
office—it is the whole source of misgovernment and
abuse. It is the object of obtaining by taxes the pro-
perty of the people that has rendered the man, other-
wise estimable, the basest of citizens.—(Sear, hear.)
It is by minute attention to the motives of individuals,
that we areinduced to form this opinion, harsh though
it may be to the persons themselves. It is the result of
experience, and I have no hesitation in saying, that
could I place those whose character I have
often impugned in a situation where they
would not be so influenced, I can have no
doubt their opinions would have been in accordance
with my own. But it is pounds, shillings, and pence,
which induces them to obtain the power of taxing the
people,:and which constitutes the evil and great mis•
chief existing at the present day. If that is the
fundamental error of the present day, you need not
wonder though the reformers of earlier times resolved
to strike at the root of the evil. These are the prin.,
ciples which induced me to attack the stronghold of
dTeoarvyolus mr tthue to r
turn
strongholds t
roef a cmosr r uf
rpot
mi on
t—heanpoed
ktoetsende
those who were solely taken up about what they could
obtain, regardless of the evils which they entailed. I
concur with Lord Brougham, that we are driven to s
course of action by conscientious motives which we
cannot control, and happy is the man who in hisexerss
bons looks straightforward to one great object—
that which leads to the maintenance of the rights of
the people. If I have a merit, it is of having,
whether under Whig or Tory ruler, taken that
course which I thought likely to result 'in th se
beneficial objects which I always advocated and.
desired. This may be all very selfish, and so it is.
I have no hesitation in saving, that in acting 'thus I
pleased myself.—(Great laughter.) All calumny has
be en fruitless in attempting to divert me from my
aim, though I have been frequently set up-as the
target which all parties assailed. Notwithstanding, r
did all in my power to stop those rills which flowed
into the pockets of the sinecurists ; and as I inedd:ed
with a nest of hornets, I could not but expect they
would assail me about the ears; and I • may add„
that, whether in the civil service, or the Church, or
both, I always found ample field for reform,.
(Cheers.) But my opponents did not hate me as
saJoysenpohthHingummeo,rbeuotfasfinaa
the feet,
that seven millions of the public money is to this
reformer.—(Hear.)
excepterretTion. I 844
day detained by the heads of several departments to
pay themselves, handing over the balance to Govern..
ment instead of detailing the various payments by
which that balance is made out. The Hon. Gentle.
man, after some further remarks, concluded
_by
" Peace with France, America, and all the World."

Mr. MONTGOMERY BELL gave " The present
Judges of our Supreme Courts."
The CROUPIER proposed the health of the Chair•
man, which was briefly acknowledged by Sir Jamey
Gibson Craig.
Among the other toasts which followed, were Ow
" Health of Earl Grey," by Mr. Muir—" The Lord