The National Register. — London, England, 1823-02-03 00:00:00

1 111- 14 PARLIAMENTARY REFOR, --...- MISTING OF THE FRF.EHOLDERS OF BERKSHIRE. Pursuant to a teijuisition sigovit by Lord Folkes . ime, Sir F. Burdett, C. 1.. Palmer, E.q. J. li. Alolick, Esq. and several of the most respvctatile Frechi.lilvi• of the of the county of Berke, the High Sheriff, Sir G. Etc, on Monday convened a meeting at Abingdon, " for the p irritate of taking 11110 consideration the press nt state of the !louse of CJnloious, and the necessity of a reform therof." A little before 12 o'clock the High Sheriff, attended by 11,. Ward, as Clllirr Sheriff, entered itieTown wh.ch was filled by a very nunierons body of the gentry and yeomanry of the comity. Lord Folkestone, Messrs. Palmer and biloack, the members for herding, Loni Dooria,s T. Goudlake, Eq. H. Marsh, Eq. C. Eynon, Esq. NV. lisllett, Esq. and many oilier gentlemen of rank and consideration in the county were resent. The High She'd opened the bissiless of the day, by stating that a requisition had been handed to him, the signatures to which were so highly respectable, that he felt it to be his duty w accede to it, by calling the pre s-lit meeting. T. Goormaza, E-q proposed that the High Sheriff shou!il take the chair, which was carried by dCCIJIIIiI. 11011. C. EYSTON, Esq. then proceeded to address the assembly. He cu tttttt eticed by stating, that he most unaffectedly apologised to the gentlemen pros .it fur pre mot for pleat g himself thus conspicuously and pro suiliessily Its their notice. Unacc :red as he was to public speaking, and having little claim to their attention he hilt it peculiarly necessary to request their indulgence, which he trusted they would extend to him for a very few minutes, since he could assure thelll that lie would tint imerpoke longer between them sod some of the most respectable inch% iduals in the county, whom he saw around bins, and who would doubtless dela er their ern thorn's MI this occasion. The worthy freeholder con chided thus aristocracy began to see the necessity of relorming, and the great body cif the people seemed ! anxious to coalesce with them. Acting under the bait. nets of men who were able and willing to lead them— marching towards th.a worthy, that great and desirable object s an amelioration of representative system, brut pleas, t. nspx r, awl moderation, were the great ponds to be stetinted to. (Hear, hear.) The people hail shoo that they would be moderate—they had also shown that they would be finis ; and he trusted that, in the rod, they would procure a restoration of that Constitution, consisting of Lords, and Commons (a hotly of Commons really and truly representing the people), wider .vlsico, in former shoes, they had been a proslte elms and glorious nation, and under the benign hides ei.ce of which they might again bore to he the envy and admiration of surrounding countries. (Cheers.) — Its the few observations which he had had the honour I of submitting to the meeting, he was not, if lie knew his own heart, actuated by passion, by prejudice, or by peaty; the sentiments he had expressed arose solely Irons the sincere conviction of his own mind. (Hear, hear.) He woold now put the meeting in possesaitni of the whole Petition which had been prepar. el for their conisideration. 01 that petition lie was not the author; but he entirely concurred its every sentiment which it contained. (Hear, hear.) Th.: lion. gent. then read the petition, which WO as follows : " To the Honourable Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, in Parliament assembled. " The Petition of the Nobility. Gentry, and Freeholders of the County of Berks., in County . Meeting assembled. " Showeth,—That the only legitimate end of Government is the happiness of the governed, and that the Government which fails to produce this happiness is unworthy of support and ought to be reformed. " That where no visitations of Providence, such as human power cannot avert or guard against, where fa mine or pestilence • or invasion from without, has nut occurred, the absence of hap piness in the people is a sure sign of detects in the Laws and Government of the Country. ou That there exists at this time, in every part of this Country, the greatest distress amongst a very numerous and must important part of the people, all those connected with agricultural pursuits; and that the circumstances which have plunged diens in ruin are those which alone have rescued from equal distress another part, superior in number, and second only to them in importance, via. —the manufacturing classes. That this country has been Visited by oo *acting or over. wlielrning dispensations of Providence ; and that all external • wars have ceased for more than seven years that internal tran quillity lute beep unintarruptal i abundance has crowned all the labours of the husbandman yet distress and poverty, so far from abating, satin to increase in proportion as peace and plenty. here• tofore reckoned the surest foundations and symptoms of happiness and prosperity, have become penuanent and general. " That though it appears, therefore, that the Government of this country has failed to produce its only legitimate purpose, yet the Constitution is so beautiful in theory, and did in practice pro duce for so massy ages such beneficial elLets, this meeting cannot but a ttribute the4e unhappy results not to any inherent or neces sary defects, but to abuses grown up in the comae. of time. That by the theory of the Constitution the House of Com mune ought to be the Representative* of the People. o That, in fact, by tar the majinity of its members have scarcely any connection with the people as such ; nominated, not by their voice, but by ',tritons whose intereae are directly oppo sae to theirs, sod in very many Coals themselves enriched lay their spoils. .."1 hat by the theory of the Constitution no pert of die Exe artier Government of the country resides in the House of Com mons; that their main duty is to controul those who administer the a/fan and direct the powers of the state, so that the people m .y receive no damage in their persons, liberties, or propetties. o Tout in practice this ditty has been wholly neglected, and Olin on the other hand. almost die whole Government of the tountey leas been absorbed by the House of Commons. •"rtud, fmm the petted when the country was diet moulded to its present f ,no steps have been taken by the Legislature generally to extend and invigorate the popular voice in the elec tions of Members of the House of Commons. Tbat Lilt extension of the elective franchise in particular places, by occasional Acts of Parliament, and in counues by the depreciation of the value of money, has had but a very partial effect, more than counteracted by a variety of circumstances. %solicit in the common course of things must necessarily, during so loin g a period, have art en to Introduce an undue influence. Tbat besides these unavoidable MPLITL*S of corruption, others s.f an adventitious nature hove out been smiting, arising out of the mole adopted tor the administration of the affairs of the counti!, amongst which Tout Petitioners- vied.enly dneetion.too, . • • IP‘ mrimai•dl ••••• 1 1•Nt „h Al itik b. 411L1. 0 T isE REGISTER —viz. the moment Immo of tazadon• and the prodigious arts mvntation of the That while fluidise of the people bas been, in fact, con tinually less and less Meant, the people have at the seine time become, by increase of intelligence, information, and know ledge, more and more capable of donning • right judgment on the conduct of their Representatives, and worthy of enjoying a dnect controul over them. " That it therefore appears due equally to the people to give them a more powerful voice in the election of Members of the olCommons, and to the Crown, to reform diet House, hick, neglecting their own peculiar duties, have invaded the prerogatives of Royalty, and usurped its power. " That this Meeting is happy to be assured, that so desirable change involves no innovation in the spirit of the Constitution of the country t that it merely corrects its manifest abuses, and adapts to the change of circumstances which time has occasioned, recognised and ac kn owledged principles. " 'I hat yow Petitioners therefore pray, that your Honourable House will, without delay, adopt those measures which may be necessary to effect such a change in the Constitution of the House of Commons as will render it the real and efficient Representative of the People, able and willing to redress their grievances, to maintain their rights, and to provide alike fur their biippiuois and for the honour of the Crown. " And your Petitioning will ever pray." The Petition having been gone through, Mr. ELSTON seconded the motion, that the Petition be adopted. Lord FOLKIITOWS, in a speech of considerede length, supported the Petition and the cause of Pali .nientary Reform. His Lordship was followed by Mr. flatlet, Mr. Marsh, and Mr. Mouck, all of whom pressed the necessity of reform. The question was then put and agreed to; there being only two bands held up against it. Considerable applause followed the declaration that • the Petition was carried with only two dissentients. Mr. Erarnx said, that those individuals who thus expressed their dissent by their rote, acted in a fair and manly manner. lie then moved that the Petition he signed by the High Sheriff, on behalf of the Meeting.-- This was pin and carried.—He next moved that the Pe i titiou be declared—" A Petition, agreed to, with only two dissentients, at a !Sleeting of the county of Berks.' --Agreed to. Mr. F. PALMER said he did not mean to contradict the assertion of his hon. colleagde (Mr. )louck), that the Petition, however strong and powerful, and strong and powerful he admitted it to be, would be unattended to by the house of Co tttttt ons. 'Coe utmost they could expect was, that alter giving tile to some discussion, it t would he ordered to lie on the table, and then be braid of no more.—(Hear.)—The question now was, by whom should this Petition be presented I He thought it could not be in better hands than in those of the county members, and therefore lie would move that it be pre sented by their two representatives. This being pot and agreed in, Mr. l)ustoata cause forward. He said he always made it a practice to attend county meetings, in order to learn the sense of the people. He had attended at the celebrated York meeting for reform, in t7H4, and since that time he hail nut been present at one which gave him more pleasure than the meeting of this day. He had listened with great ,satisfaetion to the speeches of the mover and seconder, and also to the very able one of his noble trim, the author of ►he Petition, , ,which did equal honour to himself and his country. The motion which had just been agreed to ;ailed him up, and lie could assure the Meeting that be would with great pleasure present the Petition, and support it by every means in hi s power. Mr. HaLLerr next moved the thanks of the Meeting to Lord Folkestone, for his unwearied zeal in the cause of the people, and for his exertions in bringing about the present meeting.—Carried. On the motion of the same gentleman, thanks were voted to the mover and seconder of the petition ; also to the High Sheriff, for his readiness in calling the meeting, and likewise for his impartial conduct in the Chair. His Lordship and the High Sheriff having returned thanks, the latter declared the meeting dissolved, and the asaeu►hly separated after giving three cheers. ..t political feelings of the country; it was nothing less than to sepperil the democratic privileges of the people. The regal privileges, and those of the aristocracy, existed, but where were the democratic privileges ? where were the franchises of the people ? Hail they not been pur loined? Had they not beets sunk In the aristocracy ?— Thu people were looked to as the source of power and Indrstrl ? And were they to be deprived of that plower, and of due controuil over the fruits of their helsistly Awl for chit were they to he so deprived ? He would nut advert to the dark periods of the history of our re. presentation: and as to what was called the Constitretlen of 1688, he was afraid to examine it too closely. The boroughs whirls then existed had been bought up, and such was the slide of the representation, that they could not declare snore than 171 moinhers to be returnable, in dependent of borough-moisgeriese influence. Such a dread fel preponderance had produced calarnituns couse. quences! thousands were thereby enabled to live in laziness and luxury, independeM of any popular con. trout. The American war had cost the country a hundred millions; but the second war hnd cost the country a thousand millions; and how the., could it be surprising that inch calamities every where surronnded them ? lt was time to look about then); and sure as etlect followed cause, the country would be involved in complete rubs, except a remedy were provided. That remedy was, that the people should take their democratic station in the Constitution; that the purse strings of the people shbuld be kept close and that there should be a real watchful. near over the interests of all classes. _ _ The resolutions having been put by the High Sherif, Mr. Horn' appeared for the parpose of moving an amendment. Mr. Sandford had surprised him by the propositions which were submitted to the meeting ; they, forsooth, were called upon to adopt the fatand of what was agreed at the York Meeting. He thought there was not a mail or woman amongst them, not one Somerset. shire heart, that would not reject one proposition, He did not differ from what had tallest from Dr. Ringlake. however he diffehred from Dr.Kinglake's conclusive—the necessity of supporting t h e Yorkshire resolutions. He conclude., with moving " The Petition of the Freeholders and other Inhabitants of the county of Somerset, shewelli— " That your Petitioner* have for a great number of yews contributed large sums of money annually towards defraying the expenses of lung and bloody wars, and (or the support of a system of Gosertiment, which they were taught to believe by the public Prtilo, by the Parliament, and by the great landed and monied proprietors of the country, were absolutely necessary for the protection of the throne, and fur the safety. happiness, and welfare of the people of England.—Your Petitioners wow lament to fiud that their confidence was grmaly abused, that they have been deceived, duped, and cajoled by the above named parties, who conspired together to oppress end plunder your Petitioners, to carry on wicked, unjust, and unnecessary wars, entered into and continued, your Peti tioners to their sorrow now find, solely for the purpose of it pholdieg and perpetuating a corrupt state of represent. ation in the Commons House of Parliament. " Your Pctitionei a now plainly see that the cause of all this wanton, wicked, cruel, and unprincipled sacrifice of the oceans of blood which were so unfeelingly spilled ; that the protllgate waste of the wealth and prosperity of the nation, which were wrung from the 'unship of a suf fering. patient, and confiding people, and which were so lavishly squandered away, that all the king and cruel past sufferings of the manufacturing and fabouring part of the community; and that all the present insupportable suf ferings of your Petitioners have their origin, and are solely to be attributed to the want of • fair, a free, and an equal representation of the people in the CuaLtions House of Perliameut. . . _ " Your Petitioners now very plainly perceive that the seats in Parliament have all along been filled with rela tives, the hangers-on, and dependents, of certain great aristocratical families, by means of borough and other corrupt influence; which persons, hawing no interest or feeling in common with the people, have contrived, by their packed and corrupt majorities in Parliament, to ap propriate all the crown and church lauds, the undoubted property of the public, amongst themselves, and by the same corrupt and unjust means they have contrived to obtain large grants of the public money, arising from the sweat of the industrious labourer's brow, which they have annually divided and apportioned among themselves in pension', sinecures, and pay, fur useleu mid unnecessary places.. " Your Petitioners therefore most tly and most confidently pray that your Honourable House will forth with pass an Act to ensure such au immediate and com plete Reform in the Commons Howse of Parliasnet:: ms will give to every Englishman, Scolchinan, and Irishman, a vole for the Representative., who are to sit there; and your Petitioners further pray, that to enable every man to give his vote honestly and rouseitutiosnly, that they may be protected he the ballot; these, your Petitioners firmly believe, are the only sate and effectual remedies for their present sufferings, and that without these your Petition ers can hope for no security in future for their lives, their liberties, or their property. When such a reform is ef lected, your Petitioners will have full confidence that such freely. equitably, and crwn, utiously chosen Parlia ment will, without loss of time, adopt such measures in Church mot State as will secure the future freedom and happiness of the people, the safety and honour of the throne, and the peace and prosperity of the comitry. " And your petitioneas !driller pray your Houourable House to lake into your serious consideration, mid attend so the prayer of those numerous petitions %Welt were pi r %toted to your Honourable House in the year 1817, pray ing for Reform; wltich petitions, although signed by upwards of one million and a halt of Englishmen, %vete totally disiegarded, and thrown under the able of your lion. House. Mid your Petitioners will ever pi ay." lies. H. CR LIMY ELL seconded the amendment. He trusted that Hefts in would he peacefully accomplished; but if a Swim arose, he should befoundthe w Hirai n et hand. and The SHERIF/ then pn afterwards declared Mr. HOlll%l petition to have beta carried by a csonsiderable majority. The niertit.g was dissolved at flow o'clock. Accounts from South America, dated August 27, state, that the royal army in the vicinity of Limu is 16,000 strong, and that the Patriot troops arc much dissatisfied. Lord Cochrane has arrived at Valpa raiso, having retired from the Cltiliau service fur a short time. •- - • COUNTY OP SOMMRSET MEETING. On Tuesday the Freeholders of the Connty of Somerset assembled ■t Wells, pursuant to the second requisition, to take into consideration the propriety of petiii g the Legislature for a Reform of the Commons House of Par liament. The Under Sheriff having read the requisition, Mr.Sarroun,sen.prrsented liiineelf to the meeting. The question which they had to discus wags of the most vital and momentous character , lie however should not have had to address them so prominently, but for the absence of Mr. Oen. Langton. With respect to their difficulties, he would not blink the question. Previously to 1792, before we entet ell into that Noel war, this country was happy surf prosperous—than we fished in troubled wateis —to fret, we combated against the liberties of mankind. —He thought the Amerizan war might have tang:d ns esiough of such contexts. The Earl of Chatham had de • clared "No representation, no taxation ;" and idioms words were proclaimed throughout Am rica. The con sequences were such as not to be combated by arms.— France Pent La Fayette to aid in giving liberty to Ame. rice, and lie returned to France, and again resisted in promoting the cause of freedom. Till* tumult ry hail ex pended millions of money, and oceans of blood, in resist• iag the great sentiment embodied in the language of Lord Chatham ; failure hail attended the etfotts, and Clllll was now the tesult to this country. It gave his heal I great eatisfaction to behold this Reform Meeting, by adopting the resolutions agreed to at that meeting. Mr. S. con cluded with moving the six resolutions adopted at the York Meeting. Dr. Mune seconded the resolntions. 'the conduct of various adminiatrattons hail induced trim to support the cause of reform. The long protracted warfare against Ami rice and France, undertaken (parliculaily in the latter instance), in defiance of the just principles of na tions, displayed a ',went of government that required correction. Dr. Ks NGL4LE Said, that it was with unfeigned plea sure be met th-en on this great oreasiun, when they hail -to -cousitlef as istoperlasi •u subject •is •eoer•sgigecvl'tlle -Z - . ..... • a; f' , , i , 14 I s I a k i L- ‘1 1- N _ I