Star.
London, England, 1830-12-01 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF TUB JOURNALS.

Ttass.—Scotland begins already to make herself heard on behalf e!
Parliamentary Reform. Edinburgh, Forfar, Kirkaldy, Air. Kinghon.
Auchtermuty, have all been signing requisitions, and proposing mole-
time, foe an extension of the elective franchise. We observe dint ill
Lord Provost of Edinburgh has declined presiding at the meeting to be
held there, on the ground that the question of reform is now in the
bands of his Majesty's Ministers. This may, no doubt, hare ap-
pealed to the worthy Provost an appropriate and sufficient
reason for his refusal to countenance a refonn meeting ; but
to us it appears there ought to be no motive so weighty. with
the real supporters of reform for pushing strenuously torwarti
every pistil* means of completing that great measure, as the fact that
them now exists a government wise enough sad bold enough to aeknow•
ledge themselves its advocates. They are little acquainted with the
dangerous workbag of many sordid and powerful interests in this coun•
try, who the most honest minister has nothing to do but to say
" Let the et be reformed." The enemy Is ever watchful, and
may prove en overmatch fee the most virtuous governm entiG
or at least may expose the public cause to a very d
iieult and needless stru by leaving it to be 10'en4ed,
by the unaustained and- dints of its aerial .ftennt
Now is the time to cooperate with the bovernment fat an object whim
is equally valuable to it and to the people. When the old retainers of
the close borough and creporadon system see—though we trust they are
net destined to rejoice at such a spectocle—but if they should disco"'
the Wet symptom of apparent apathy I. the mind of the nation towards
refeni, we may be sure that a fatal nee will be made by them M
circumstance is Magessoolid to the coteatry. Yon ars volunteer',
they say to Minima " you are may, meddling, Anima in•
upon this meseloa. 'What pros( an you bring
that the Kings subjects are desirous of an change in the
constitution of Parliament t Where are your public 'metier
it
whore your petitions ? Why IS Dot the tibia loaded. as
would be, If the people felt the slightest consent in this matter ? The,
neither meet, nor murmur, nor remenstrase sethst the Doted Wei'
was right after all, when be said there must be no reform"
tgaand note whit lees ontagesos then this, will be the orochaiona
of the virtual -representative party, against the existence of say
fee reform, unless the speak mat, and show that
eopie
die Minions
who have pledged them-eaves to acceesplisit it, ham but sehood the

public voice, while the supporten of abuse, which has themerit of
being inveterate, were in utter discord with it. We trust there is not
a county, town, or village in the United Kingdom, which will not meet
and petition for a reform in Parliament. The defeat or triumph of the
catt.e may turn upon the national unanimity and energy.

CtittoxlCLZ.—Of all the attempts at mystification ever made in this
credulous country, we know of none more glaringly absurd than that
which has been again and again made in both Houses of Parliament,
namely, the attempt to persuade the world that the peasantry of the
land. o Sir E. Knatchbull termed them, have nothing to do with the
tires throughout the country. We can easily conceive that the Country
Gentlemen of England, who have made it their constant boast, that
to their residence on their estates we are indebted for advantages
possessed by no other country ; and who have even urged in
Parliament as a reason for continuing the Game Laws,
that without them England could not expect to possess this
inestimable advantage—should feel somewhat mortified at so irrefraga-
hie a proof of the rancorous feelings of the labouring classes in the coun-
try towards their superiors. Again and again have we heard from them
that the town population might be disaffected, but the agricultural po-
pulation was sound. The Rev. Mr. Brereton, Rector of Little Mas-
singliam, in Norfolk, first drew attention, in a pointed manner, to the
falsity of the opinion, that the rural population were generally better
affected than the town population. He soon learned from experience,
that the population of the country were almost universally dia.
contented, and that the contrast between them and the inhabitants of
towns in respect :of morals, was greatly in favour of the latter.
The delusion, however, is now confined to those who take their ideas
of rural life from old romances. Magisterial interference has been the
cause of most of the demoralization of our agricultural population.
Without the interference of busy, meddling Magistrates, we cannot
conceive how the population should have become so redundant in most
of the agricultural districts. Generally speaking, wages have always
been considerably higher in England than in Scotland. At present, even
In Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Wiltshire, Sussex, the very worst coun-
ties of England, wages are higher than in Scotland. But the Scotchman
is* free agent, and the Englishman is a slave. Ile has been so constantly
interfered with by all manner of functionaries, that he attributes all the
evils he suffers to his superiors. The attempt to raise wages where.
ever the population is redundant will assuredly fail. It is impossible
to make a farmer employ more hands than he requires. That the
outrages are the fruit of the hatred borne by the labourers to their
superiors cannot be doubted. This is a lamentable state of things,
no doubt; but the truth must be told. The Insurance Offices,
which have such a deep interest in getting at the truth, are quite satis-
fied that the fires are the work of the peasantry.

Totes.—lt will be seen that the choice of President of the Royal
Society, by a small majority, has fallen upon the Duke of sussex.—
We shall not now say more upon this subject than that the first scientific
establishment in the empire has obtained a Prince, and missed a Philo-
sopher, for its President. With every disposition to repudiate the dis-
creditable stories which have been circulated, of unfair influence—nay,
bullying letters—having been employed to restrain the admirers of dlr.
Ilerschell and the friends of independence from voting as their judgment
and feelings would have directed,—with the most profound con.
tenipt, likewise, for the calumnious falsehood that an exalted indi-
vidual had threatened to regard henceforth as his personal enemies
all those who might not think tit to promote the accomplishment of his
views in the present instance,.-utterly disavowing our belief in the pos-
sibility of such rumours having any shadow of foundation,—we never-
theless deem it bad in principle, that any weight or power, except that
of scientific fame, should be brought to bear down the pretensions of a
candidate who has no such extrinsic or illegitimate superiority to sup-
port him. A Royal personage cannot, under a monarchy like this,
otter/air/sr, into contest with any unconnected citizens, where the decision
must in great part rest on men who, from their several stations or pro-
fessions, find their fortunes influenced by the Royal frown or favour. It
has been hinted that the Duke of Sussex would probably resign the invi.
dious honour acquired under such singular circumstances, but for that
we have no authority.