The Sun.
London, England, 1828-05-27 00:00:00

shape or another, into every trade. They talked in
the House of Commons of the principles of free
trade ; for, as he had already said, they talked
much, though they did nothing else 9 • yet, with
all the admissions that had been made of those
principles, there was scarcely any trade which
was not in some way interfered with by a monopoly.
It would 'seem as if that great parent monopoly
produced little monopolies similar to itself.—
(Hear, hear.)—Let them look at the colonies,
at the East and West India trade, and they
would find in it the blighting curse of mono-
poly, grinding and oppressing the honest, ingenious,
and enterprising trader. It was true that our trade
got on in spite of all this; but it would be bad rea-
soning to say, that it was because of these monopo-
lies it was so thriving. It was useless, then, to
think of applying remedies to this, that, or the other
evil, while the great evil of all, the want of reform,
remained without a remedy ; for in the present state
of the House of Commons it would be complete up-
hill, and he would say hopeless work, for any man
to take up a question involving a particular grievance,
where there were so many private interests opposed.
In the parishes of the country, the same spirit of
monopoly was observable.—(Cheers.)--Parishioners
were laughed at by the monopolists of the place,
when they talked of their rights. It was the same
as in the House of Commons, where the question of
rights of any kind was looked upon as a thing
apocryphal. At the present moment, there was a
Bill pending in the House of Commons, which many
=embers looked upon with much anxiety : this was
the Bill for Disfranchising the corrupt Borough of
East Retford. This Bill had already proved a kind
of wedge, which was to separate or break ep the
present Administration. Whether that would be a
good or an evil to the country, time would show ; but
if any good resulted from it in this way, it would be the
only one which the country could expect from the
agitation of that measure. For his own part, he
attached no importance to that bill. It was said,
that the borough of East Retford having, by cor-
ruption, forfeited its franchise, it was important that
that franchise should be transferred to Birmingham
or Manchester. He had no objeetiou to see those
towns adequately represented. He would wish to
gee these, and Liverpool and Glasgow, fully repre-
sented in the House of Commons; but why did not
all those places come forward and advocate their own
eights, and not wait till the corruption of one borough
threw it open for their competition. As a reformer
he felt bound to say, that however much he desired
to see all our large towns fully and fairly represent-
ed, he did not look for any great benefit from the
infusion of the Manchester or Birmingham Members
into our six hundred and fifty-eight Members of
Parliament ; for he owned he did not look upon
those open boroughs, however corrupt, as the worst
part of the .system. When lie looked to the practical
effect, for the principle was not admitted in the
House of Commons, as that would lead they knew
not where, but looking at the practical effect of those
open boroughs, he found that more independent men
came into Parliament in that way, than by contest
in large cities or towns. He would say, that with
tie exception of Westminster, a man could not get
into Parliament without the sacrifice either of larger
sums than the private fortunes of most could afford,
or without a sacrifice of principle. Seeing, then,
that persons could not obtain seats in the Commons
without a ruinous sacrifice, he thought that the open
boroughs, presenting an opportunity for men of inde-
pendent principles to come in, were by no means the
worst part of the system ; and in that view, he
looked with comparative indifference (leaving out
the principle on which the Hou3e would not act).,
on the success of the Bill to which be had alluded.--
The Treasury and the Admiralty bovolighs, and the
boroughs under the ;sefluence of other branches of
the Government, were not open. They were Alc.
ceesible to men of talent, who wanted integrity,— I
who, by these means, had an opportunity of bring-
Ing their talents forward to a maph-et ; and of such
materials were many of our etatosmen corn-
Fixed. Reverting then, to the question of
the leorongh of East Retford, though he would
admit the greatest intelligence and the honest
intention of tr Honourable Gentleman by whom it
was brought forwatl• and dough he had no wish to
damp any exertions of j,iiat kind, he must say, that
he did not look forward to much poet from the
measure. Having said thus mei], lie did 114 koow
what else he had to state to the Meeting'. He MP
anxious to repeat and re-avow the principle; On,
which the electors of Westminster had chosen ant
still supported him. Those principles were still un-
aitered; and if they were not at all times avowed, it
was because he wished to adapt himself to the cir-
cumstances, of the times ; for it would be as absurd
at some moments to endeavour to advance a cause,
when there was no prospect of success, as it would
be culpable to withhold one's exertions when a
proper opportunity offered. In conclusion, the
Hon. Baronet expressed the pleasure he felt in
drinking the healthy of his constituents' and thank-
ing them for the honour they had done him.
Mr. A. DewsoN (ALP. for the county of Louth)
said, a toast had been intrusted to Biro, which he
would give with much pleasure. The toast was,
" The health of that strenuous opponent of public
abuses, our other able,. enlightened, and indefati-
gable representative, John Camifobhouse, Esq."—
(Cheers.)—He proposed this toast to the assembly
with great pleasure, bemuse he was the °id friend of
Sir Benjamin Hoblionse, the father of Mr. ITO-
house. He had known that gentleman thirty-tive
years ago, and he had known him .ac a man of truly
independent spirit and princiPle. Respecting that
individual very highly, it was a source of geetifica-
tiou to him to find that his son filled one of the
highest and most honourable situations an English-
man could respire to—that of an unbought, free, and
independent Member of Parliament, elected to
that honourable situation by the voluntary efforts
of a most numerous body of constituents—
(Applaese.)—Strange as it might appear, it was
o,,e;ing to this circumstance that he was indebted
for a eclat in Parliament. (Applenee.) Such was ab-
solutelythe feet. The example set by Westminster,
a representative free of
,elcpense,—in-
.e_eholders of the county of Loaekto turn
of electing
iort o the same object, He was,, duced the fi
o say, a man of competent far-;
a.teterit
p.ntlern an, but his fortune was,
might allowed
extene:ve enough to entitle hint
tune for a country'
geentest the election.lt
riot, in his opinion) " jeee;iamerit, especially 'fi
to`the honour of a
were necessary that lie
friends, seat
the feetAirelders of Louth',
Ishould
When,therefore, his .
ani. of nit '4,dependent
suit; to him, We are in w
id to
am,
repree.entative," he at once a
_alites.t.ea*rti94
not able to hear the expenge of c
s e v.: of *.
but if you will return ate as the elector
and Mr. ;lob-
minster have eeturned „Air -
stand the poll
house, I will go to the hustings #..
• ere that I
till the last man votes $ but if it be tie:ze:,:
should draw on my private fortune, candi4ii
fess that I am not able to sustaka 'such an expr'o:+
tore."—(Applause.)—llley at owe said, We
will do what the electors of Westminster hawse ))one--
at least we will strive to do it." They promised
,to
t hue, and they fulfilled their promise.--(Applatise.)—
Tee electors of Louth had caught a spark from the
flame kindled in Westminster; they had acted from
the inipulee of high andkneroas feeling, and ,they
had achieved a splendid victor-.
.—(Applause,) —Arid
who were those that had achieved that victory ? The
Roman Cethdlies—
(Applause)—the meu dynounced
passive obedience end
.non-re-
as the friends .4`l
sistancethe MOT vlio were considered, OW he
said it before Englidlintati who.
andmu superstition ; as
men be aware of the
fact) as the slaves of priestho:l
men whose hearts did not beat •with, nor respond to,
those generous feelings which inspired th
hearts of
freemen.—Applause.) But the benefit deeivecdkom
the system adopted in Westminster extended fp*
farther.. Lord Nugent had beeu return,ed for Ayles-
bury on the very same principle. kApplanse.) He
should have the honour on,Wedaesday next to Wo-
ceed to Aylesbury, to celebrate that forttmate,ev,e,rit;
and, if an opportunity were afforded to hiel, be would
describe the ,fine spirit and pine principle which
actuated thosegentlemen whom be now addresse..d,