REPRESENTATION OF SHEFFIELD.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SPECTATOR.
Sheffield, 5th September 1836. Sia—If I and the class to which I belong, which comprises a considerable majority of the middle and lower ranks in this town—if we have a political oracle, it is your able, honest, and (in general) unprejudiced journal. It has, therefore, been with no small regret, and with something like indignation, that we have remarked your disparaging and contumelious notices of the character and abilities of our Member, BUCKINGHAM, whom we have twice returned at a very great sacrifice of labour and expense. Now let me ask you this : is it not better, in order to preserve the freedom of election, that the mass, in open resistance to all undue influence, should he enabled to return to Parliament a man of even inferior ability, provided that he be an honest nim. and one that faithfully acts up to his pledges, than that they should, at the dictation of two noblemen's agents and a coterie of NS'hig Magistrates and bankers, be com- pelled to give their votes fur a man of perhaps superior talent, but who conies forward supported by those who take no pains to conceal their utter contempt of those whose independence they cannot overawe, and whom the Whig news- papers politely denominated " blackguards?"
Sheffield is essentially a Whig-ridden town ; and that party carries itself so far aloof of the Radicals, that the two are as distinct and as opposed to each other as are the Tories and Reformers in other places. The Whigs, by their moneyed influence, return Mr. PARKER ; and if they were allowed to return Mr. BAILEY, this town would become little better than a nomination borough of the Duke of NORFOLK and Earl FITZWILLIA M. As to the few Tories there are here, they uniformly give their support to PARKER and BA I I. E Y. Au reste : Mr. BAILEY, from the haughty reserve of his disposition, and the character which he bears for something the very opposite to liberality in money matters, can never become popular with the mass. Their sympathies have, on th t contrary, been strong roused in favour of BUCKINGHAM,, from the unmanly and assassin-like attacks made on his private character by the Tory journal the Mercury, supported and countenanced by the leading Whigs. Remember then, that when you ridicule the Sheffield electors for choosing BUCKINGHAM as their Representative, you are, in reality, assailing Radicalism and serving the put pose of Toryism and Whiggism in its most offensive form. From the high opinion I entertain of your honesty and sincerity in the Liberal cause, I feel assured that you will be far from being offended, or even annoyed by the freedom of some of my remarks. I can readily imagine that, from your ignorance of our local circumstances, you believe that the Radicals of our town are blameworthy ; but were you on the spot, lam persuaded you would
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