Star. — London, England, 1831-03-09 00:00:00

ministry to propose a searching measure of reform. But lie (Mr. few) helieved.from statements 'mole in another plaee,that his 'Majesty heal e 'othing to do with the origin of the measure, which had emanated . I ,l y f ro m the ministers. He, however, gave them the credit of hav wish to subvert the constitution. H e wou ld not di scuss t h e ',, e ; tem whether the elective franchi se oug h t to b e cons id ere d pure l y :public trust ; but if it were 30 considered, the power of that house with the franchise was also a public wow, which should be m ot ceutiottsly exercised. (Hear, hear.) Was the proposed measure L e , ta ble to the constitution ? If not, it should be regarded with the J ei r ee t jealousy by the house. Now he called the attention of hon. o relentee to that part of the measure which went to the disfranchise. o f the. boroughs. By the constitution, that house was composed k n i g hts, burgesses. and citizens ; an d h e contended that it was not l ecordiee to the principles of the constituti o n t o di stur b that balance. * Besides: if the balance in that house were destroyed, the next step wo uld be to &tern) , the balance of the whole legislator—(hear)—and thee the proposed innovation would lead to the annihilation of the 'l eve e of Lords. We understood the honourable gentleman to say, that it cerritption existed, there were already existing legal means to remove it, without having recourse to the proposed measure, and die tuthing the shale sys tem o f t h e constitution.—{The hon. gentleman continued to address the house for some time, but the hoarseness with which he eta s afflicted, and the noise in the house, which induced the epee •o several dines to obtain silence, prevented us from hearing any • etox of his oh:ere-I'o°ml Sir J. YOIIKE said he owed it in gratitude to the house, for per. etteine him to address them after having been occupied for six nights is discueeitig the important measure before them, to be as brief as pos sible in stating a few objections to it. He felt that it required no small % ere to rise atter the hoe. and learned member for Waterford, who said 7 1e represented 7,(100,01)0 of stout able.hodied Irishmen, (a laugh), and the first Lord of the Admiralty, whom lie might consider his coin. Ile had always possessed a certain portion of modest o ettranec, hut undo existing circumstances he certainly felt consider able difficelty in addressing the Commons of England. He could not admit that the house ought not to be considered the sepresen. wives of the people of England, when no longer ago than at the .ettlenient of King William, in the preamble to the Bill of Rights, they were declared to be the full and free representatives af the people of England. (Hear, hear, hear.) After having had a seat in the house for 40 year s , h e s h ou l d not like to part with it, he could not consent to commit parliamentary suicide, by cutting his par. liamentatty throat. (A laugh.) Ministers had undertaken to guide the thin) of the state in times of considerable difficulty, and up to the pre- , sent period he had been inclined to give them his support. They had eche) with zeal and ability, and he was satisfied that they had the good of the country at heart. The measure before the house, however, was of such a nature as prevented him from giving it his support. It was singular that a Whig Administration framed the Bill of Rights which declared the House of Commons to be the true representatives of the people, and it was a Whir Administration which now proposed to re model the house—he would nut say to revolutionize it. (Hear, hear.) That there were defects in the presene state of the representation he tvas not prepared to deny. He thought it highly unfit that :tee or six peers, who had representatives in the House of Cenanons, should, by combining together, have it in their power to exercise an undue influence over the Government tau, hear) ; but he could never consent to disfranchise sixty boroughs, hee..use they did not happen to full within the noble paymaster's line of march. (A laugh.) The honourable member for Wareham had stated the other night, that if he had had only nine month's warning, he would have undertaken to supply the deficiency of population in his borough. (A laugh) Ile believed that the borough which he represented would net come within the line of march. and although he did not possess the same Malthusian power as the honourable member for Wareham—.(a iaugh)—though he was not gifted in the same extraordinary way, yet he :led his worthy colleague would have done their best to enable their con. stituents to send representatives to Parliament. (Great laughter.)— It was an awkward thing that some doubts were entertained as ta the im partiality of tile present measure. He did not wish to accuse ministers of partiality, but it had got abroad that there was a little leaning towards the borough of Tavistock. He hoped that it was not so, but such an opinion was entertained. The hon. member for Preston had on a former even. big, taken offence at some observations which he had - made, and applied to diem the de s ign a ti on o f bil ge water . H e ( S i r J. Yorke) had lately itheereed that technical naval language was often resorted to. It was introduced into the very best and genteelesi society. Perhaps this was oe leg to our having a naval King. In parliamentary tactics it was now quite common to talk of throwing a member's arguments overboard.— Nothing could be more completely allied to Davy Jones's Locker than that. Adopting the same phraseology, lie might be allowed to say of the ship launched by the noble lord opposite (Lord John Russell,) that it was a clumsy-built vessel, with such amazing large bows in front, and such a clumsy run aft, that the first time she should put to sea, she would tun bump ashore. The First Lord of the Admiralty had illus trated his arguments by some nautical allusions. His language I might be bilge-water, but it did not stink in the nostrils. The right lion, baronet, however. had not been very successful, for he not only upset his vessel. but nearly capsised his argument. (Hear, and laughter.) He supposed that in consequence of the right hon. baronet presiding at a naval board, and having none but naval men about him, he thought that he might launch his little bark, freighted with his cargo of nautical knowledge. Ile begged the right hon. baronet to rememe bet, that the vessel might be upset by a single pull of the fall more than was necessary. About half a century ago the Royal George, at Shithead, went down from this cause. He trusted that the good ship William the Fourth would not be upset in the same manner. (Hear, hear.) He concluded by stating, that he would vote against the measure. Mr. BETHELL said, that the hon. member for Boroughbridge hail called upon those members who had numerous constituents to tree torward boldly and express their opinions with respect to the measure under consideration, and said that unless they should do so, they would be unworthy the confidence their constituents placed in them. He assented wily to that proposition, but he was called upon to address the house by a still more powerful motive— namely, the great number of petitions ;inlet' had been sent to the house from his constituents. It had been said. that the cry for reform which had been raised by the people upon the present occasion had been produced by recent events which had oc eurreel non the continent. He. appealed to his noble colleague (Lord Merpeth) whether the desire fur reform had not been expressed in York shire before those events had occurred. The demand for reform had been produced by the conduct of that house. When the house refused to transfer the Irani:Mee of East Retford to Birmingham, they dee %noted all the hopes and confidence which the country had up to that meennt repesed in them. Could it be wondered at that a strong feel ing it: favour of refotni should exist in a county like Yorkshire, which was teeming with population, with wealth, a nd i nte ll ect ? I n the coarse of the present discussion reference had frequently been made to the period or the [evolution ; but he would ask, did the present wealth and population of the country exist at the period of the revolu tion ? Did the present degree of knowledge exist ? Was there the same intense attention paid to every public debate ? Were the means of etitentunication so generally established ? In all those particulars no patella would hold between the period of the revolution and the present time. At the period of the revolution the great body of the people and the gentry were opposed to the arrangements which were then made.— .1: the present moment the feeling which existed in favour of reform wets not confirm] to the lower classes, but pervaded all the middle class, which was the best and most intelligent portion of the community.— Olear. hear.) In his opinion the house had loot the confidence of glue OUJIIFYI and however pure the motives of its members might be —hosterer they might be prepared to give up their time and their labour to the setvice of the country—yet he thought it right to state, that they were not looked to with that degree of tmndtlenot vine!' would alone enable them to do their duty. But though he was prepared to go a great war in remedying this evil, still he wished that that great measure row before the house had been pro duced with more caution. (Loud cheers from the opposition.) He could not but know, that in dealing with a question in a hick such vast interests were involved, they ought to proceed with great caution, and he eould not but see and feel deeply, nett however ill the system worked in regard to the public welfare, still, when a great and untried change was about to he introduced, like that now before the house. it might be fellowed by consequences which the moat clear-sighted men could not eireeee. (Cheers Icon) the opposition.) He admitted that there might instances too great and too palpable of that influence which was cxer. :'seal by certain persons in that house; and when that influence was ;oared in the hands of individuals who were vas: proprietors, it might in a nicely poised question. turn the scale, and even bias government ; anti tet ass prepared to ase the pruning knife, but no: the axe. (Cheers :c tin the opposition.) He did not suppose that noble families would te: had their way into that home. by fence of rank and character; nor "as lit afraid that persons in the humble ranks of life, who were en. towed with gnat abilities, would not be able, by their own buoyancy, w tied their proper places: but he wished to learn whether the measure ? - IQ, in its present shape, be carried into effect, without affecting a le , ly of gent l emen of talent and knowledge,—petsons connected with etmanufacturin g and mercantile interests, w h o cou ld now readily find their way into the house. But how were such men, who might be well eaten in a metropolis, to make their character known in a borough ? there were able men, too, who shrunk from publicity. He was not ;et. convinced that even the government itself—he meant the me a n s te emed for the conduct of it—might not be materially diminished if this assure were carried into execution to the extent which was proposed: ;lea, hear.) 'lite house must be prepared to legislate not merely tof du sunshine but for the storm and the tempest (hear) ; inj great and wise measures might be introduced, for which the coun ey might be highly indebted to the minister who brought it forward, at that minister might not dare to present himself as a candidate for a Alter place, evens euivereity which lie adorned in his youth, and ho. 'wired in his m a nh oo d ; and the King's Government might be left t tb o tan important officer in that house. These were serious objet. teen in his mind to the measure. He admitted, and would join in any Sap to break down and diminish, that influence which was so odious IFeW ed so noxious to the public welfare. He was not one of those who' that the resumption of trusts granted for the public benefit, if they no longer produced that benefit, although the trustees might not be cor. 9:. , was unjust : he held th at the public had a r i g h t to resume t h em, no act of robbery was committed. Under these circumstances, va ' Prepared to vote fur every stage of the bill till it carman .the ..01 I committee. There such modifications might be introduced as might re move his objections; but he despaired of their being removed to that degree that wool' justify him in giving it his support. In such a case he should nu et l.'s constituents with the assurance of having performed his duty. (Hear.) Mr. PRA FD said, that after six nights of protracted debate on this Sieben, lie should not have risen but for the consideration that although men of long standing in the house, of known character and in. tegrhy, might remain silent on this subject without any degree of mis trust or misinterpretation, a young man like himself, without those ad. vantages, could not safely pursue such a course. This was a question on which the peace, not only of England, but of E urope m i g h t de peed. (Hear, hear .) There was one consideration which appeared to him very important, in which this question differed from any other, which was, that whatever error in principle might be contained in this measure would be perpetuated, and the legislature would be precluded from after revision. (Hear.) He would first look to the constitution we had, before he would consider the new constitution that was to be given to us. He believed there never was a deliberative body better entitled to the gratitude of the country over whose destinies they were called upon to preside, than that house. (Hear, hear, hear.) Probably no man of ordinary habits bed not been, at one time of his life, a Parliamentary reformer : but these w ere on l y t h e h a bi t' of youth: the refection of manhoood led us to contrast the theoretical defects with the result of the system. In parliamentary reform, it was aeknowedged by the other side to be difficult to show how a large pot. tion of talent, rank, and opulence, could gain admittance into that house. The hon. and learned member for Caine had spoken of lucky accidents, and had said that if we took 100 of the tallest men, some might prove men of talent. He (Mr. Praed) would say, that if this system had gone on for a long series of years, and the same effects had regularly and unifonnally arisen, he should be disposed to remain as we were. The hon. and learned gent. said, that even under a despotic government a people might be well governed ; if so, he should say, he would not change iri s despotic government f or the hon. member's con stitutional goverment. (Hear, on both sides.) His (Mr. Praed's) objections to this measure were so many and strong, that he despaired of their removal in committee. (Hear, hear, hear.) His first objection was to the general plan of the bill, which includ ed a number of monstrous anomalies. Whilst it was said that mem bers were to be returned by population, and that votes were to be governed by pro pe rty, it was clear that there would be many instances of capital towns in a county, containing houses the inhabitants of which were rated at the proper rate, but the population of which might be infinitely inferior to that of a town where the houses were worse and the voters consequently fewer. This anomaly would create great discontent, It was an anomaly by which the basis of representation was narrowed. With respect to chartered rights, a great and paramount necessity was !the only ground for tearing off the seal of a charter - but none had j been shown. It had been said th a t t h e measure wo uld admit of all interests being represented in tha House of Commons; but where should we find representatives in the West India and the Rut India interests ? The learned Judge-Advocate's argument last night on this point was an urgument in favour of virtual representation, though he contended for an actual represen tation. The representatives for Buckingham and Dumfries were to represent those places ' and not any o th er I n t erests. It was said that those who opposed this measure objected to all reform, but he (Mr. Praed) objected only to a reform that went entirely to re model that house (hear) ; and his apprehension respecting such a change was much greater than that of the hon. the First Lord of the Admi. salty. He had said that there was no danger to be apprehended to the Hesse of Peers ; but he (Mr. Praed) had seen for a series of years a g desire to pull down that res p ect f or t h e H ouse of Peers in which ought to be held in the country. He knew that the sovereign of ibis country had once been endowed with a veto. lie knew what bad be. come of that veto,--that it had become obsolete. Ile looked with se., thous apprehension to this bill, and if it were passed by that house, they I would carry reform beyond that house, and place their foot on the threshold of the House of Peers. He might be asked to what reform he was friendly He was friendly to a gradual reform of such grievances as should be proved to exist. (Hear.) Cases of this kind often occurred... East Retford was one. A noble lord had said that there would be one thing gained by this measure—that the public would be no longer mocked by the loathsome hypocrisy exhibited in the East Retford case. He might live to see the day when a member in the place of the noble lord, would say to the then House of Commons, one thing has beets gained by this bill—the public will no more be mocked by the loath some hypocrisy of the discussions of 1831. He (Mr. Praed)said that that this was not a final measure. (Hear, hear.) Sweeping as the bill was, sufficiently so, as the noble lord said, to satisfy all modems men—it did not go far enough for some ; and a bill might be looked for which would go as far beyond the bill of the moderate men as the bill of the moderate men went beyond the state of the constitution that satisfied high toner. (Hear.) It had been urged as an argument by the advocates of the present measure, that the house slowly followed Is ,the wake, instead of leading in the van of public opinion. It was the case, and he rejoiced that it was so; for otherwise they would have been the victims of all the evils of democracy. But the house changed its policy when it was expedien t that it should do so—when the measures which called for the change were sufficiently ripened in the estimation of the public ; except perhaps in one instance with re. spect to a great question, which he need not more distinctly specify._ It had been said also that if the house had a few years ago passed a bill for enfranchising Birmingham and the other large unrepresented towns there would be no excitement of the popular mind now on the subject of reform ; but that argument was fully refuted by the statement of the right hon. member (Croker) for Aldborough, that the endowment of franchise had not constituted the prayer of the few petitions presented to that house on the subject of reform for the last few years. Besides, if the argument was good for anything, it led to this conclusion—that if such a proposition now emanated from ministers, it would be assented to without a division, showing that a moderate refonn only would be in harmony with the feelings and opinions of the large majority of that house, and not a measure like the present, th at went to pull down about th eir ears the fabric of our time-honoured constitution.— Then, with reference to the diminution of the numbers of that house by sixty-two seats, which would he the result of the noble lord's bill, they had been told that the house was Inconveniently numerous, and that the public business could be better managed by fewer members. Ho denied the assertion, and contended that, whether they looked to the magnitude and variety of the subjects discussed there and in the COW. mitten above stairs, there was hardly a sufficient number of represen. tidives in that house. (Hear, hear.) He trusted that for these and et vend other equally cogent reasons, the bill would be thoroughly revised in all its provisions before it was next brought before the house. He should prefer, instead of the great disfranchising clause, to see one in. troduced for restoring the franchise to those towns which had lost their right of returning representatives, or, if this proposition should not meet favour in the eyes of ministers. he should prefer seeing the franchise extended to several districts at present unrepresented, and which he thought possessed at least equal claims to representation with those towns on which it was intended to bestow the right of returning a mem ber to that house. He saw no reason why the several interests of the empire should not be directly represented there,—why Jamaica, or the island of Barbadoes, should not have their hon. members,....which web not less objectionable than the present measure. He should like to ask the noble representative of the University of Cambridge, what objection , he could advance ageinst—by way of balancing the great democracy in. fusion tendency of the bill—doubling the number of the members for the two universities ? Such an arrangement would, he could attune him, be calculated to allay the well-founded apprehensions of his! ecclesiastical constituents. It had been said that the bill was but a just ! concession of the demands of the people, whose excitement it would thus abate. it was not, he maintained, what the people , asked for, judging by their petitions. They prayed for, in I some instances, universal suffrage ; in ethers. fur the vote by ! ballot; and in others for a reduction of the public burdet.s quite incompatible with the public service—desiring the dif. fercnce to be made good from the revenues of the church; but in no in. stance did they pray for such a measure as the present. They therefore would not be satisfied by it; neither would Mr. Benthatn and his nu merous disciples; nor would that large class, of whom the honourable member for Preston might be considered the representative. All, it was true, openly approved of it. But why did th e y ? Because they contd. dere:l it the first step towards further changes. (Hear, and a laugh.)— The reforming public was told by its leaders, " Accept of this for the present, that we may the more readily wrest more by-and-by. Put this in your pocket as the first instalment of the debt to lung due to us. The bill of ministers will enable us to shake off the old man of the moun tains: all tie rest in good time." This was the reason that the bill was received with open arms out of doors. (Hear, from the ministerial! benches) and not that it went to satisfy the democratic cravings of the " public. [From this point of the honourable member's speech, to the conclusion, he was bat occasionally audible, in consequence of the mur murs and impatience of the house.] He begged pardon of the house: he felt he was trespassing on its indulgence, but he would be brief. (Hear.) He did not mean to deny that some of the petitioners who had approached that house on the subject of reform were respectable and intelligent individuals ; but he would maintain that, take them as a body, they were not those persons to whose opinions he would refer on a great legislative measure. He should have preferred more of the intel ligence and wealth of the community as a guide of their decisions. There was another point on which he begged leave to offer a few ob servations—namely, the real cause of the present excitement on the sub lact of reform. He believed that the distrese u nd er w hi c h t h e country laboured contributed in degree to this excitement, but looked to the re viving industry and employment of all classes for the remedy. It had been said that the excitement had been brought forward by ministers themselves, to favour the progress of their reform measure. He did not credit this assertion—he should " as soon believe, with kind Sir Roger, That old Aloll White took wing with cat and broomstick, And raised the last night's thunder," as that the right honourable gentleman opposite had raised the present excitement. (" Oh," and laughter.) What, then, was the cause of all this clamour about reform 1 The cause, in his mind, had been wholly overlooked by all those who bad preceded him in the debate, and would be found, he believed, in the excitement consequent upon the car rying of the Catholic Question. (Great laughter, and cries of " Oh, oh.") If the Constituti‘'n were to be pulled down, and c painful change were made in it by the substitution of new influ ences for those which had hitherto worked an well, and if a change were to be made which would ruin ti.e aristocracy, sully the splendour of the crow n , an d d estroy the monarchy. he would leave it to the noblv member ft r Higham Ferrer, to perform the obsequies of rational It her He could endeavour, if he could. to throw out this bill (hear, hear,)' for he ass sure that whatever oti;:ht arise front it, the gentlemen of England never would regret that thin had conscientiously performed their ditty to themselves and their country. (Hear, bear.) Sir F. BITRDETT and Mr. S l'Eser.var. rose together to address the house, amid the cries of their respective friends ; but Sir F. Bur dett observing Mr. S. Pereeval's anxiety to speak, gave way. Oa Mr. Perceval's persisting in his right to proceed, the cries of "Adjourn" were trenknilous. After attempting, but in vain, to obtain a hearing. the hon. m em b er move d the adjournment of the debate, and then sat down. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER suggested that they had better premed, and finish the ditcusdoa that night. (Cries of 'go on.' and adjourn.' Mr. BEA U ONT proposed that the adjournment should be till five o'clock on Thursday. and added that there was great inconvenience in sitting on Wednesdays. (Cries of adjourn.') The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, that as it seemed to be the pleasure of the house to adjourn the debate at this period of the evening, he would implore the house not to lose a day in bringing this discussion to a close. It would be indecent on a question like this to let their personal convenience interfere with the performance of their duty. He then suggested the propriety of adjourning till to. morrow. Mr. BEAUMONT said that, out of deference to the noble lord, he would withdraw his proposition, but the friends of the measure could receive nothing but benefit from the delay which he had suggested. The debate was then adjourned till to-morrow, at L o'clock. On the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the EZCHFQI'ES, the calico duties repeal bill paned through a committee, with the under. standing that the policy of the measure should be fully di•cusacd upon a future stage. The house resumed, the report was brought up, received, and ordered to be taken into further consideration (this day.) Tie other orders having been disposed of, the house adjourned at half after one, SUPPORT OF MINISTERS. What a glorious display of public spirit is evinced in every part of the country in support of the Reform Bill ! What a glorious victory of reason, justice, and liberty, is in pro gress over the sordid wretches who, availing themselves of antiquated rights, have enriched and exalted themselves by their abuses of power ! What a glorious recovery from ruin and perdition will attend the future prospects and condition of this empire ! Author of a petition on this subject so long since as 1790, and of scores of hopeless petitions since the writer of this paragraph is disposed, with the PROP H E r to exclaim—" Lo RD, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation." How many thousands have not been so blessed, as he has been ! They died in the belief that the evil would work its own cure ;—but they never hoped that a day would arise when a PATRIOT KING, seeing that it was wiser to rule over the reason and affections of the people, than to at tempt to satisfy the avarice and insatiable cravings of a Par liamentary majority of Boroughmongers, would range HIM SELF on the side of the people ; and that, by their united power, the reptiles would be expelled from the lodgment they had made in our Constitutional fortress. The STAR has lived through the entire period of this struggle—it re views many of its volumes with pleasure—and it hopes to be in at the DEATH of the Boroughmongering system ! The whole country is absolutely rising in one spirit. The Marquis of Chandos, with all his anxiety for hurrying through the second reading, will not be able to outrun the people. Let the opponents of the bill take warning in time. It is not wise to provoke attention to such contrasts as that now presented. However, we repeat, let the people, for the sake of peace, make such demonstrations as will cure them of their insanity. The following public meetings, to support his Ma jesty's Ministers in their reform of the Commons' House of Parliament, were held yesterday: THE BOROUGH OF SOUTHWARK, the High Bailiff, in the Chair.—The Rev. Dr. Kenney, Rector of St. Olaves ; Mr. Calvert, Sir Robert Wilson, Messrs. Ellis, Walker, Davies, Blackett, Arpthorp, B. Wood, and several other Gentlemen, addressed the meeting, and proposed resolutions, which were carried by general acclamation. Petitions to both Houses of Parliament were also carried by acclama tion; that to the Lords to be intrusted to Lord Durham, and that to the Commons to Sir Robert Wilson and Mr. Calvert, who, in the course of his address, said he had, fur one or two Sessions, sat in Parliament for the boroa u gh of CJtton, and never was so ashamed of himself in his life. ST. Luli PARISH, an extremely crowded meeting, at the workhouse in the City-road; Mr. Walker, the church -1 warden, in the chair. The Rev. Dr. Rice, minister of the parish; John Wilks, Fig, M.P. and several other speakers, addressed the assembled parishioners ; and addresses in sup port of the Government were carried with only oue dissenting voice—that of a decent-looking man, who objected to the Government plan of reform " because it did not extend the elective franchise to the order of working-men to which he belonged ;" and thereupon he moved an amendment, insisting upon " universal suffrage," which, being put from the chair, was lost by an immense majority, only six hands, out of several thousands, being held up in its favour. ST. JAMES, CLERKEN WELL, a numerous and highly respectable meeting, held in the parish church; Mr. Key, the senior churchwarden, in the chair. Petitions to both houses were carried unanimously, and intrusted respectively to Lord King and Mr. Hume. ST. PANCRAS PAR,bII MEETING, held at Fairlie's spacious premises, Augustus-street, Cumberland-market; N. Stalwood, Esq. in the chair. At this meeting an attempt was made to introduce a prayer for the vote by ballot, but it was eventually negatived, and the original petitions, praying 'the Government measure might be passed into a law, were carried by a great majority. BROAD-STREET WARD; held at the New York Tavern, Royal Exchange ; the Alderman of the Ward in the Chair.— This meeting was the more remarkable, inasmuch as the in habitant; have not been called together to discuss political subjects but once within the last forty years. Mr. Jupp proposed the resolutions, and Mr. Grote (the banker;, and several other gentlemen, addressed the meeting, and ad dresses to both Houses were carried tnanimously. CRIPPLED ATE WARD ; Mr. Ald. Wood in the Chair.— Addresses to the King and to both Houses, expressive of gratitude and confidence in the King and his Ministers, and praying that the measure might pass into a law, were car ried sac voce. At Birmingham, on Monday, pursuant to a resolution of the Council of the Political Union, a meeting of the inha bitants took place, at Mr. Beardsworth's Repository, for the purpose of expressing their deep and sincere gratitude to the King for the proposed measures of parliamentary reform, and their determination zealously to support government in car rying them into effect. The members of the Union, deco rated with their medals, met at the Globe Tavern, and from thence proceeded in a procession to the place of meeting.— fhe Union banner led the way—that glorious Bag —the red cross of St. George, which, to borrow a quotation aptly used by Sir R. Pcel in his late speech, has braved a thousand years The battle and the !mese. "On arrival at the Repository, the place was immediately crowded in the great area of the building. Not less than ~,, 15,000 pertions were present. Tlimpas Attwood, Esq. was called to the chair. Tire p.oceedim.. 4 co:z•mented by the hand p:aying •• Gun s ave th e King." w! the petition, which lei]: be found in another part of our Pap..i, car ried by acelaniati.m, the band again playing ‘• (;on save the King," and fir. immense multitude einp;ing tl;u entire anthem in chorus. On Monday alsl the inhabitants of Sheffield were con vened i,y a :equisition to the Master Cutler, to meet at the 'fov.n-hall, for the pa Nose of expressing their approbation of the plan of reform submitted to Parliament by Lord Jol:a Hassell, and to p-:- that the Bill may pass into a law. At tire. sour apnoin“d the hall was crov.-ded to excess, and, on the :%iastcr-Cutler ttking the Chair, the meeting was adimrned to Paradise-agorae. I'hi.3 large open space, u Licit rises in the form of an amphitheatre, and is capable of containing many thousand persons, was soon nearly tilled, and pres2uted as animating an appearance as when Lord Brougham addressed the inhabitants of in July last, as a candidate for the representation of YorkAire, Ofiiey Shore. Esq. (banker) and many other gentlemen ad dressed the assembly, and an Address to his M:.jestv, and petitions to both flouses, were carried amidst shouts of applause. - The parishioners of St. Margaret, Westminster, St. Pau!, Covent•garden, and St. Leonard, Shorediteh, met to-day express their entire confidence in his Majesty's Governmmt and petition parliament in favour of the proposed of reform. A requisition is handing about the City, addressed to the Lord Mayor, to call a meeting of the merchants and I,aniters in support of the reform question now before parliament. \V understand that the Lord Mayor is ready to grant the use of the Egyptian Hall, and will feel the highest gratification in presiding at the meeting. The Lord Mayor has called a meeting of the Ward of Langbourn, of which his Lordship is Alderman, for Friday next, to petition both Houses of Parliament to support the reform measure introduced by Ministers. The Lord Mayor is about to call upon all the parishes : the City to meet for the support of his Majesty's Ministe: The enthusiasm with which the reform measure has b►e:. met in the City is beyond all former pre:eleut. Mr. William Theobald, Mr. Byles, and Mr. Shaw, waited on the Lord Chancellor yesterday afternoon, as the depart • tion, to request his lordship to present the petition of tb..! students of the four inns of court to the House of Lords, which his lordship kindly consented to do. Mr. Theobald stated, that many of the law students were desirous of ad dressing the King ; but a doubt was entertained of its pro priety, and he wished to know front his lordship, whether there was any insuperable objection to such a step. To which his lordship briefly replied there was none ; and, in answer to a further inquiry as to the opportunity of present ing it, it was understoo►l. there would be an opportunity oh, Thursday. An address to the King was therefore intn►e diately prefixed for signature. The great measure of reform is at last before the public. How will it be received ? Beyond all doubt with admiration, gratitude, and unbounded satisfaction, by the people. It is based on principle; it is comprehensive, safe, equitable ; and liberal and popular beyond expectation ! The Ministers de serve the highest credit for their courage, as well as their sense of justice. In bringing forward such a measure they have bearded the oligarchy, to which all their predecessors have been compelled to bow. They have perilled place and character as statesmen ; they have thrown themselves fear lessly on the confidence of the people ; and if the people do not unite as one man, and rally round them with heart and hand, they will be traitors to their own cause, and de serve to be trodden under the feet of tax-eaters and borough- mongers for ever.—Scotsman. The fi:et striking feature of the Ministerial plan, is the at tempt, for the first time since the foundation of the monarchy, to connect the Parliament in strict and intimate union with the great mass of the intelligence and property of the king dom—to give stability to the Constitution, not by a mere widening of the bases on which it rests, but by substituting for the rotten and unequal piles by which it has hitherto been propped rather than supported, the good sound heart of oak ' of Old England—the man of sense and substance, from the decent, thrifty shopkeeper and fanner, up to the merchant and landowner, of a hundred thousand a year. It is a plan which must succeed. The second striking feature of the plan is its simplicity. Instead of the thousand confused, unintelligible, often unknown, always undetermined fran chises at present existing, it offers an easily understood test for the voters iu towns and in counties respectively, all over the kingdom. The consequences will be, the reduction of expense, the abolition of vexatious and harassing disputes, the removal of riots, drunkenness, and tumults, the intro duci►:g into the election of a member of the Legislature ad that decency and deliberation, which are so fitting in au act of so high importance.—Speet.ttor. The contents of the German and Italian Journals received yesterday, being of far less interest than what we had ex clusively presented to cur readers, we delayed the pub lication of them till this day. Th9y are as follow : FRONTIERS OF ITALY, PLR. 24. According to letters from Rome of the fil t h, tile city WAS still ran. quil ; but the news of the taking o f A ncon.t, and of the spreading of the triunes-don in Unde, Perugia, Spoleto, Foligno, Ferni, and Narhi, had already given cause of great consternation. An attempt to r:to7.r Spoleto, by sending a detachment of troops, had tailed. Tee Pope reduced, by one half, the unpopular tax on flour. and that on salt, ..id had also greatly modifiod the tariff: At the date of the latest accuents from Naples, tranquillity also prevailed there ; but Al. lneua,i , or.: of the Ministers of: tote, was gone on a mission to Viluna. On the 22d, ('Sr. dinal Benvenuti was brought to Bologna as a prisoner. The insurgents had seized him at Ostmo, of which place hc is bishop, and accurcil him of having been sent from lloine with large sums of money, and insta.c. lions to organise a counter revolution in the insurgent provinces. FRONTIERS OF ITALY, FEs. 25. Travellers who conic boas Rome say that the Van Guard of the surgeries, commanded by a Farrell ex• General, was at the tinit of their departure only 15 leagues from tie capital. Great consternat prevailed there, and titre was a report of Cie departure of Pope, and of the sacred college: ntnamaiute complaints were made that the public treasury was empty. T.:e new Government at Bologna is said to have sent deputations w Paris and London (snore a.:tl to Vienna ahoy. Austrian army in Italy reedves a rcinforcem•:a. of forty thousand inert. VIENNA, FEB. 24. Since the insurrection in Modena, Mete is a general fermentation in emtral Italy, and clubs tile every where busy in exciting the people,— It is affirmed that the Government of .3loolona Eta rec• ived very impo.t. ant information on this subject, and is in possession of documents which. if duty should be publishod, would cause an extraordinify semation, and opt n the eyes of all Gavtrtintents, witdout exception, to the dangers which dire. ten them, should certain vans L e carr i e d into t :roc:. In Podnient, the most sui•abte measures arc adopted. and the Government thinks it m a y d epen d on its wolfrorganistrd military force. It is conjectured that Austrian mops will shortly enter dlnt7ena and at Last, Baron Fri:tient. the Cominar.der.in.Chit.f, has ordsrs to r.fferd assistance of every kind in the two Duchies, if he is asktst foe it. It has beta reported for some days on 'Charg:, that the Government is negotiating a loan of 80 millions with the prinelpol houses here ; ant' it :is supposed that it will be oft'ected. In the clam of the Auli: Council of War, as well as in all branches of' the Military Department. the greatest activity prevails, and the army is to be placed on the War Establishment. It is said to be inter.ded to convert the town of Lens into an impottant military position, and to strengthen it by the erection of towers at suitable pLeer, according to a plan proposed by the Archduke TU ?trans. Fag. 23-4 pee tent. Metalliquta, 72. Bank Shares, 967. 24. Ditto 71a. Ditto 961. 25. Ditto 691. Ditto 948. Ationsteitte Zei luny March 3. GENOA, Feb. 19. Her Majesty Queen Maria Thetas returned to this city on Thun. M, with the Pnneess M af i a Christina, bet daught t r.—G assena di ano, Feb. 22. !• A I A