The Sun.
London, England, 1818-06-18 00:00:00

FOR THE SUN.

[PART I.]

It were idle to imagine that constituents would
send a servant to Parliament for their Represen-
(alive, as they would to a Play-house to keep
places for them. The name implies an inferior.
Were there any distinction, the latter would be
more deserving of the name of master than the
former, who choose him not only because of the
inconvenience of their sitting in Parliament them•
selves, but because they think him better qualified
than they Care to to serve their country • but there
is no distinction ; all the Representatives'
Commons assembled, being all the Electors in the
Realm, whose Parliamentary existence would be
perpetual, but for the power of the King, who
may put an end to it at will, or for. the law in
desttoying it at stated times.
To admit the responsibility of a Representative
would reduce him below a Broker or a Factor,
and tvtry restless and half-witted constituent
would, as his caprice suggested, claim a right to
call him to account. Instead ot- leaving him to
judge for himself and thettrof the national inte-
rest, partial and busy Electors would break in
upon him, and make bin a conduit pipe in Part
liament, of all their rude, indigested, and selfish
doctrines.

A CONSTITUTIONALIST.
(To be continued in Part IL)

FREE TRADE IN BEER.—Yesterday, in pur•
seance of an advertisement, a Meeting was held
at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, in the Strand,
to receive die Report from Mr. BARBER BEAD..
MONT of the result of the Petition to the House
of Commons against the Monopoly in the TrAde
of Beer. A Gentleman, whose name we could
not learn, took the Chair; but as the Meeting did
not consist of more than twelve persons out of
tire 14,000 who signed the Petition to the house
of Commons, Mr. Barber Beaumotit moved an
adjournmeg4 for three weeks, which was curried,
unanimoopit,

- -
.TllB NEW CHURCH IN THE PARISH os STEP..
NEY.—Yesterday the ceremony of laying the first
stone of-this Church by his Royal Highness the
Duke of YORK. assisted by the Bishop o: LON-
DON, took place. About two o'clock his Royal
highness arrived at the London hospital, in the
Committeeekrom of which an elegant cold colla-
tion was 'proiritted;' ab. ut half past three, his
Royal Ilighoess; the Bishop, the Trustees, the
Stewards. &e. proceeded from the hospital in
grand procesaion to- the site of ;be intended new
Church. The Bishop of LoNntiti said a prayer,
after whieir about 2000 c‘iiidr.n joined in .inking
the 100 h Psalm. His Royal Flightless then. with
the usual ceremony, laid the first stone V the
Church. The children 'ben jwited iu sioeing a
hymn, composed for the ore. sion. The Bishop
then gave his blessing, and .the procession, a little
after four, returned to. the LotittosA hpspital,

OF RESPONSIBILITY IN MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT.
It has long been the fashion to complain of
public grievances ; yet, not to join in the general
cry, or vociferate in the clamours of vulgar,
who seldom think right, except by accident, it is
my intention to expose the sophistry of designing
men, who bold out an argument which degrades
the character of ,a Representative, and reflects

contempt on his constituents.
The Republicans, of all men the most into-
lerant of each other, contend that a Representa-
rive is the servant of his constituents ; while, on
the contrary, he holds, that the moment he is
elected be is as perfectly his own master as before,
and no ways bound to follow the direction of those
who chose hint. The sticklers for responsibility
contend, that because constituents send a At pre-
sentative to Parliament to serve them, he louses
his equality in his election ; and from being their
equal when candidate for their voice, he becomes
' their inferior the instant 4 determines in his
favour ;‘ but the free and generous minded Repre-
sentative condemns this debasing doctrine, as Vx-
travagant and unjust; and insists that it abso-
lutely defeats itself. He defends the propriety
and consistency of remainin,, to all intents and
purposes his own master, and as amply after his
election as when he offered himself as a fit person
for a Representative.
' If Election to Parliament were merely the
hiring a man as a domestic servant, whatever
might be his qualities and qualifications, the person
elected would he a servile character ; even as a
servant in Livery would be to his Lord or Lady,
who hires him on stipulated wages. The igno-
rance and misapplication of terms, abundantly
usual in all controversies where they would other-
wise vanish, have long misled the lovers of this
argument ; because. formerly, when attendance in
Parliament was expensive, Representative 3 re-
ceived of their constituents a compensation.
Without eneptiring..into the origin of hullo.'
ment, which is coeval with the KAVorn, it was
very wisely contrived that, to prevent'rumultuous
and disorderly deliberations, the people should do
that' by their Representatives which it was im-
possible they could do for themselves in person.
Their Representatives are not a deputation. They
are the constituents to a legislative intent, as
much so as if present in Parliament. Thy are
not the Agents or Attornies of those who constia
tote them. To say they were, would involve a
contradiction, by making them revocable at the
will of their constituents, and accountable to
them for their conduct. In Parliament they are
itahre
district,
ist
: t, he
constituents,; andser
serve thoughfr
the whole chosen
ifeorreaan, trotplazrticu
for their advantage in particular, but the Corn"
munity in general; and therefore they are not
bound, like deputies of the united Provinces, to
....„.„...t. ..4,1., 0,. r...n..... .4.. ...;•-iee ur 'Heil- cows
stituents, unless they think it proper to do so,
Not being a Deputy, Attorney, or Agent, but
the aggregate figures of their constituents, they
are responsible only to their country at large in its
general Parliament. Their election makes them a
part of the Legislature, which, as it cannot be
revoked by their Electors, is only revocable by the
King, who has power to convene or dissolve it at
pleasure.