The Sun. — 1837-12-04 (London, England)

THE MINISTRY AND THE PEOPLE.—Supposing Lord John Russell to have delivered the real sentiments of the Ministry on Tuesday evening, we are forced to the unwelcome conclusion that the Tory minority has compelled Ministers to be  Conservative. Whenever we see the House of Commons setting honestly about reducing the present enormous and wasteful expenditure, we shall be disposed to thinksthat farther organic changes may be deferred fur a short period. But if the majority which Ministers commended in last Parliament was too small to enable them to carry out a single extensive economical reform, we may despair of even the attempt being made now, if it be left to the option of the Ministry.—Bolton Free Press. It would have been well if Lord John Russell, who had shown such admirable skill in instructing his Royal Mistress to speak and vet say nothing, had taken a leaf out of the same book. Unfortunately, however, his words were but too pregnant with meaning—with meaning which has,destroyed the hopes of hundreds of thousands of brave and honest men, who put their trust in the Ministry, and were willing to believe that they waited only a favourable opportunity for giving the people all those securities for good government which would result from extended suffrage, a due protection of the voter from the corrupt and corrupting influences of the aristocracy, aed a shortening of the duration of Parliament. "Johnny has upset the coach," said Lord Stanley in his famous note to Sir James Graham when Lord John Russell declared in favour of the appropriation principle of the Irish Church Revenues. " Johnny" has again accomplished the same feat. The Reform Coach, with its present leaders, wheelers, driver, guard, and passengers, is virtually upset by the speech of Lord John Russell on Monday night.—Carlisle Journal. We received yesterday several loners on the offensive attitude which Ministers seem to have assumed towards reformers, and on the connection of Mr. C. P. Thomson with a government disposed to resist the reforms to which he is professedly favourable. Next week, unless in the meantime it appear that Lord John Russell has spoken without the sanction of his colleagues, we shall select one or two of these letters for publication, and advert more particularly ourselves to the representation of the borough.—Manchester Times. The bubble of Whig-Radical patriotism has now burst : it remains only for the Conservative party to temper with prudence their pity for fallen Whiggery ; and to repudiate at an early period any alliance with a body of men whwe public conduct has proved so utterly unworthy of the English cha, ratter. The time is most propitious for a perfect restoration of the sound and wholesome principles of the Constitution ; guided by which whatever ameliorations may appear desirable in its details, will receive the hearty co-operation alike of the aristocratic, the middle, and the industrious operative classes ; and will therefore be worked out in that spirit which alone can render the progress of legislation useful to the State.—Salisbury Herald (a Tory paper. ) SUICIDE OF THE Mr:Beim—With mingled feelings of sorrow and indignation, we call the attention of our readers to the language of Lord John Russell on the subject of the protection of the franchise—with sorrow that he should have brought inevitable destruction upon his Ministry by opposing it to the almost unanimous demands of the suffering people— of indignation at the insulting coldness with which he treated their complaints, denied their grievances, spurned their remedy, and sought refuge from the just reproaches of his friends in the derisive cheers of hit enemies. This unhappy declaration that he would never, under any circumstances, become a party to carrying the Ballot, has changed at once the position of parties. It has, we fear, set a great gulph between the present Ministry and the people, which nothing can close. This sudden desertion by men on whom we, in common with the great body of Reformers, had placed the firmest reliance, has taken us too much by surprise to permit us at once to suggest the line of policy which should be pursued by .the people. We arc willing to pause awhile and wait the tide of events. There is only une query that seems to turn the scale, and that is, whether 11 be not better to have in the Government avowed enemies than treacherous friends?—Serncrset County Cavite. We are afraid that the present Ministry have mistaken to a fatal extent the opinions and wishes of the people. The hateful word " coalition" is striking us as too apparent, and if so, they will be swept away from the Government of this kingdom dived apteeo. value is aLmoirddst joti, ne iexecrations eosf theinsultedt oai,n;d bduetc coifsis the denial of a crafty Minister, when he declares opposition to every measure without which the Reform Bill is merely so much waste paper ? What is there to be gained by courting  the enemies of the people? What influence can the Whigs hope to obtain by playing the game of the Tories?—Cardiff Chronicle. When the Radicals told him (Lord J. Russell) to look to his position in that House, his answer evinced the disdain he felt at the supposition that he would seek to prolong his power as a Minister at the expense of his convictions as a man : he replied, that what he looked to was not his own position in Parliament, but the true interests of the country ; and that, not professing to be anxious to retire into private life, or even to be indifferent to his continuance in office, he would permit no personal considerations to induce him for one moment to take part in forwarding objects which he conscientiously believed would be injurious to the interests of the nation, and fraught with hazard to the stability of its institutions. The Ultra-Radicals now know, therefore, that, in regard to their three great stalking-horses, they have nothing to expect from the Government—they never had any right to expect amyl thing—and let them vote with the Tories, or abstain from voting, if they choose so to do.—Manchester Guardian.