The National Register. — London, England, 1809-08-27 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGIS No. 87. POLITICAL DISQUISITION. a lIIMBER EIUNTY-FIVE. TO WILLIAM COBBETT. Diruit, edVcat, mutat quadrate rotundis. sl2,—ln my last Letter.l promised, if leisure permitted, to examine the effects likely to be produced by the plans that have been proposed by the Reformers of the present day—viz. To address his MAJErry not to direct writs fur Members of Parliament to what are called Rotten Bo roughs: and 2dly, To exclude all placemen and pensioners from the .House of Commons. ih„. ; With regard to the first proposition, I shall • have but little to say, because no man of understanding, or even of . common sense has ventured to assert, that the Kixo has the power of doing what they ask. It is no answer.to say that you Sir, or MajorCanTwniunr, have suggested such a measure. Whatever the Major may be you are certainly capable of advising, or actively promoting any meaSure . that may reduce your Sovereign to the dreadful alternative of forfeiting the affection of his people, or of haz3rding the safety of his crown. Crush the wretch, is quite a; much the motto of the BURDETTITER (of whom you are only the tool and the dtipe) as it was of the blasphemous illu minati of the Continent. •We shall see if infatua tion, leading to a similar conduct, does not bring some of you to a similar end. But to return—the Kt so has no. , power to remedy any abuses he may be taught, or, per suadetl, to believe, exist in the other branches of the Sove reign Legislature, of which he is only one of the consti- tnent parts. Sz:ch an idea would soon put an end to the Constitution, by destroying the free agency of the other parts. A power of controui, such as this proposition sup poses would reveler the very exercise of the power of the House of Commons, precarious and impracticable. When ever the law expresses distrust of abuse of power, it always vests a superior coercive influence in some other hand to correct it; but this destroys the very idea of sovereignty. Now, are you and the Reformers so fond, so attached to the scheme of altering our .representative system, that sooner than let it alone, you would maintain a right in the KING to intermeddle with the construction of the house of Commons; and you base no .alternative, but either of do ing this, or of admitting that your designs in addressing the KING for this purpose are base and insidions, if not ac tual!y treasonable. The argument of Bt. A CRSTON r upon this point, which he had stated hypothetically for the purpose of illustration only, cannot be too forcibly, or too often impressed. He says (Vol. 1. B. i. c. if (for example) the two Rouses of Parliament, or. either of them, had avowedly a right to animadvert- on the Kind, or each other; or, if the iCtsd had a right to arnendwert on either of the Houses, that branch of the Legislature, so snbit'ct to animaiver• lion, would instantly cease to be part of the supreme power, the halaucc of the Coneitotion wol:lit be ovegurned, and 110-4Vv. LXXYriI, eur hum eromititution, anb Eanno. SU NDAY, AUGUST 27, 1809. that branch or branches, in wh would be completely sovereign, therefore, is, that neither the K liament (collectively taken) is since in such case the law feels any adequate remedy." Since the Act of Union, the direct new 'Writs; has not mere with the consent of all the bran , were parties to that contract, !Med. The KIND cannot even origii, tion in any statute whatever—h any alterations that are propo' branches of the Legislature, ni of Parliament may irropose wh rally leads to au examination the Reformers, viz. The exc pensioners of every description ions. We do not believe th thought of by any other than poiuted ambitious demagogues, .experiment was tried, in what call " good old tunes," and yk in the way you wish, a Parliam pensioner belonging to it, acts Law, and opened the doors of pensioners to sit atnong the that such a Pnr!lament as you upon themselvei, and may ev, of the Constitution, or what was right and proper. I do as noLlo liave been aware of th muse, therefore, conclude that proposition more than meets tiL have already given you full cred respect of the nation towards t: act, unconstitutionally ; and I of wishing to destroy the con . ()Id established institutions of pare them for the introduction in which such tiler' as von at tnay, during the fertnentat. other scum, of rising to the this country will only col good cease they possess in ex; of such a plan, the impracticab vious, for theca to be imposed for some time in the habit o the dark s;de of politics, beta. your own ambition and avarice, us with evils which have no e: aeration of others which are . cond It' nOf roan or society, A. of dopnatism to the drudgery teni.cd yoN4rlclivith assertion!' nors, and in the people. Sir, is neither creditable to y carries ~i t!L it wither ttie pi • • , sT ER 4.slis&O; • ' I =l4l • 1 ;1 !ittvl - Pi ict 94. • hich this jurisdiction resided, n. The supposition of law s KING or either house of Pal 4 ;capable of doing any wrong s I itself incapable of furnishing • - • prerogrative of the King to 7cly fallen into desuetude, but inches of the Legislature who it was given up and anuilii• inate the most trifling alters- -he may assent or dissent to used by either of the other and his Ministers, as Members hat they please. This natua. ti of th 2econtl proposition of 4, 4 ..41 :lusion of all placemen and pn from the Hou s e of Coin- r; iat such an idea is seriously visionary theorists or elissp- es, out of Parliament. The you and the other Reforrnert Fet a Parliament, constituted 'neat without a placcznan or a tna,ly repealed this disabLug ' the House for placemen and 'ern. it follows, therefore ) :A waat imarelp4lntt****t. e'en destroy the very essence it they did in this instance not suppose you so ignorant the force of this argument; I t you have some view in this the eye in the terms of it. I redit for wishin,,u; to lesson the the KING by inducing him to .. • give you the further credit utidence of the people in the . Parliament, in order to p re ‘ .t n of a " Rabble Convention," ind dour brother Reformers ition, have a chance, kke top. But if the people of :ondescend 'to employ the tamining the probable erects cability of it, will be too ob d upon. You, Sir, have been of directing our attention to ause it suited the purpose of ice. You have been scaring existence, and with the exag. inseparable from the pteent fit i ! And prefering the haughtine ss !ry of proof, you have cow. D9 . of depravity in our Goner. e. But this kind of language, • . your bead or your heart. it r lausibility of them, nor the