The Sun.
London, England, 1850-08-20 00:00:00

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LONDON, TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 1850.

It is at all times satisfactory to witness the ex-
istence of a thorough understanding and warm cor-
diality between a popular representative and his
constituents. Such feelings are alike honourable to
all parties—to " the one," as showing that he has
justly merited the confidence reposed in him by faith-
NU and efficiently discharging the arduous duties
incidental to his high position—to " the many," as
proving that they duly appreciate the exer-
tions which have been made on their behalf,
and that they feel grateful to the man who
has truly represented their wants and wishes
in tie Imperial Parliament, who, while he has
taken just and enlightened views on those questions
of general policy that affect the entire community,
has been peculiarly diligent in all matters relating to
the locality in which he is (vecially interested.
In the present elite of parties it seldom falls to the
lot of any munber to saisfy all classes among his
conatituency. He may be well contented if be can
maintain his hold upon former allies, if he has for-
feited no perti.on of the support he had previously ob-
tained. But it must indeed be a subject of no ordi-
nary pride and self-gratulation if he should have con-
ciliated opponents without alienating friends—if he
should have won golden opinions from those who met
him at the hustings with a manly and straightforward
opposition, when iporant of his high qualifications
for the legislatorial functions, while he has more
firmly 'cemented the bonds by which be was son.

THE

nected with those to whose suffrages he was indebted
for his seat in the House of Commons, and if he
should have achieved these triumphs without any sa-
crifice of his own convictions and his own indepen-
dence. Such a person will have little to fear from a
dissolution. A general election will carry with it no
terrors to induce him to vote contrary to his real
opinions, in order to avert the much-dreaded " ap-
peal to the country." He can, therefore, be
far more useful than another of equal competence,
who has not the assurance that under any possible
circumstances his seat is safe," that he holds dum
se bene gesserit.

We have recently perused with great pleasure the
accounts contained in many of our Irish contempo-
raries, of a magnificent entertainment given to the
Hon. Gentleman the Member for Athlone by his
constituents. On the termination of his Parliamentary
labours, Mr. Khociu, before availing himself
of the welcome relaxation—the pleasing vaca-
tion, that is as anxiously coveted by le-
gislators as by schoolboys, had not hesitated
to render an account of his stewardship, and to in-
quire whether he had not fulfilled the expectations
that had been formed of his conduct—whether his
performance in any degree fell short of his promises
and undertakings ? The answer to these interroga-
tories was the banquet to which he alluded, in which
men of all creeds and parties,Protestant and Catholic,
Whig and Tory, Conservative and Radical vied with
each other in friendly rivalry to do honour to their
tried and faithful representative.
The chair was filled by the Protestant Rector, one
who, to use his own language, had " early seen the fit-
ness of Mr. KEOGH, to whose return he was mainly
instrumental," while the vice-chair was occupied by
the respected parish priest, once the most strenuous
opponent, but now one of the fastest friends of the
Honourable Gentleman. Along the festive board
were seated the most respectable inhabitants of the
town, those who took active parts at either side during
the election, and those who, trying to maintain poli-
tical neutrality, had formerly abstained from regis-
tering their votes, but who then pledged themselves
to do so, in order to ensure the return of Mr. KEOGH
on all future occasions.

The speech of the Hon. Gentleman, on returning
thanks for the high compliment that had been paid to
him, was characterised by the ready wit, the grace
and eloquence for which he is so distinguished in Par-
liament, and which has given him the well-merited
reputation of being one of the most skilful rdebaters
and rising aspirants for legislatorial laurels in the
House of Commons. He alluded in a peculiarly fe-
licitous manner to his conduct on questions of
local interest, and the relationship between a
Member and his constituents. The moment
he was returned as representative for Athlone
he buried in oblivion the opposition he had received ;
he only remembered that his constituents, whether
friends or enemies, had the first claim on his services
and these services were freely placed at their disposal,,
and he spared no exertions to benefit the borough.
These exertions were truly valuable, and the electors,
even those who differed on minor points, discovered
the importance of securing such a representative.
It is unnecessary to dwell on the topics of local
interest so happily alluded to by the Honourable
Gentleman in his eloquent address..
.But there are
points of general interest which every Irish
—every British constituency—must consider of
vital importance to the welfare and prosperity of the
community at large. The " profession of faith" on
these deeply interesting topics may serve as a model for
other Members. Our space will not permit us to do
more than touch upon the great cause of " legal
reform," to which Mr. KEOGH has proved so effi-
cient an auxiliary ; but we cannot refrain from
dwelling at greater length upon his views and
opinions on free trade, tenant-right, extension of the
franchise, and the foreign policy of the country—a
policy which was so unfairly attacked and so nobly
vindicated in the popular branch of the Legislature.
On the first of these subjects—" the great question,
whether man who has been ordained to eat bread in
the sweat of his brow," shall eat that bread taxed or
untaxed, he stated, speaking of the time when he
came to the hustings—

" I then believed, and I still believe, that this great
country was by the timely carrying of those free-trade
measures saved from those political convulsions which
have swept Europe. I saw nothing in three years of
famine to alter my opinions. Great as was the devasta-
tion caused by that !'amine, believe me, your miseries
would have been more deeply felt, had there been in
operation a code of laws, frsteed, I say, with the direct
purpose of increasing artificially the incomes of the
higher classes at the expense of the toiling, struggling
artisans in every gradation throughout this great com-
munity. Have I any reason to change my opinion
now ?"

And he pertinently asked—
" Who is the man daring—nay, I will use a stronger
expression—audacious enough to ask the Parliament of
England to tax the food of the people ? Protection
indeed I Protection to keep up rents which were created
by war prices, in those sanguinary conflicts which we
maintained in Europe at the expense of those hundreds
of millions of debt, which are now pressing down the
energies of the country. I say the first protection we
shall all demand is, protection for the lives of the people.
I value:the life of a fellow-creature far more than all
their incomes. I will first guard with a jealous eye the
food of the millions, and then if there is to be protection,
let it be for the industry and capital of the tenant, who
wilt never improve the soil so long as
the fruit of his exertions is not guaranteed by
some legislative enactments. I say that God and nature
intended that the soil should grow and increase in culti-
vation, and that the man. who, by his labour and by his
capital, increased the value of the soil, should have a
property in that increased value. That is the inalienable
right of the tenant, that is 6 tenant-right,' and that I
premise you I will labour to obtain for him."
These are just and liberal sentiments, honourable
alike to him by whom they were promulgated, and
to those by whom they were received with rapturous
and enthusiastic applause. His opinions on the ex-
tension of the Parliamentary franchise and the
foreign policy, which induced him to lend a disinte-
rested and independent support to Lord PALMERSTON,
on the recent question of " confidence," were alike
laudable. To other Liberal Members we shall now
only say, " Go ye and do likewise," and you will
reap similar rewards in the approbation of your own
consciences, and the continued support and confi-
dence of your respective constituencies.

Although the intelligence brought by the last Over-
land Mail from our Indian empire is not of the nature
which is commonly called interesting, yet it cannot
but be considered as of great importance, as showing
a defective working of the machinery of Government
in that country, which may, one day or other, occa-
sion us much loss and much trouble, if not speedily re-
medied, but for the remedying of which we shall fortu-
nately have an opportunity afforded us in the course
of the next session of Parliament, when the question
of the renewal of the charter of the East India Com-
pany shall come to be discussed. The retirement of
Sir Cnsauss NAPIEZ from the command of the
Indian army, brought about as that retirement
has been, by a conflict with the Governor-General
with regard to the extent of their respective
jurisdictions, is one of the indications of the
defects to which we have alluded. Had the
respective poivers and Jurisdictions of the Governor-
General and the Commander-in-Chief been
accurately defined, such a conflict as this
(a conflict which in the event of a sudden attack from
the Afreedees, or of a sudden outbreak in the ?un-
j sub, may jeopardise the safety of our empire in the
East) could scarcely by possibility have arisen.
It would be well that on the renewal of
the charter the respective jurisdictions of
these two high officers should be so accurately
defined as to render such a collision for the future
impossible, or, better still, that recourse should be had
to the old nractice of consolidating the two offices,
and that every future head of the Indian Government
should be, as the Marquis of IlAsruics was, " Gover-
nor-General and Commander-in-Chief."
We recommend the attentive study of that portion
of the intelligence which relates to the murderous
plans of the Atieedees to the members of the
Peace Society, whom we advise to reduce
their theory to practice, by holding their
next meeting in the passes between Peshawur and
Kobat, and converting the Afreedees to the doctrines
of peace.

The escape of the Seikh prisoners is a circum-
stance calling for the strictest investigation, and
for the condign punishment of those who could
dispatch such -dmperate men, so slightly guarded.
How came it that the persons on board the steamer
were unarmed ? How came it that the steamer her-
self had not a pivot gun on her deck loaded with cards-
► ter or grape ? Thr. .e discharges from such a gun as this