The Statesman. — London, England, 1823-01-28 00:00:00

,• , 111 r PARLIAMENTARY REFORM. 'EETING OF THZ FREEHOLDERS OF BERK:. • SHIRE PlMalta, to a Illeittitios.eigned t r y Lord Folkestone, Sir F. Burdett, C. F. Palmer, Esq. - J, B. Monk, Esq.,. ils&leteralif the most rearrtabls. Freeholders of .the. county of Betio. the High Slierift Sir Gilbert East, yes terday confined a"Meeting . at Abingdon, " for the .pgr 6pore of taking' Into consideration the present stent inClso flew of Commons, and the necessity of a reform thereof." • • ' *fere twelve o'clock, the. HIGH Sarum eittended t,y Mr. Wino, as •Under Sheriff, entered the Town Hall, *skirls was filled by a very numerous body nfttse - gentey and yeomanry of the county. Lord Folkii .loone. Messrs, Pauper and Monek, the members for Reading. Dundee, T.Goodlake, I'm., H. Marsh, Esq., gysiop,Beq.,Wiliallett, Esq.. and many °the: gentle- Plea.ol tank and consideration in the county, were rasomt._, - Mae Sumer opened the business of the day. . T. Groom mite, Req., proposed that the High Sheriff ;skould take the Chair, which was carried by inch. *nation. - t'• A:: EvivoS, Earl. then proceeded to address the aseem oilije. When-he considered the extreme inclemency of etite•itmsoni It give him great pleasure to see so nutne .rot4 a meeting, more particularly as it was attended by iso Opal *Away of the gentry and yeomanry of the coun ty.--(Appleuse.)—He ever looked neon the independent and sound body of the middle class of society—the yen ' entfluetabsi farmers of the country—as the chief stay and . enieperrA of the state,—(Applause.)—Other nations might ,peemerut the .snitunit and the base of society, bat they • s efatisi BM boast of that which was the pride of English -1 ,bortn—a middle class—(Applause.)-11 had been said,. .aq most teuly, by one of the greatest men this countey . ever produced—it had been observed by Mr. Fox, in his 1 historic4i work. that it was a distinguishing feature of .0 free , liovernment to place the pubic purse in the' ' hands of the people, or under the controul of those who ~wyre their real' representatives.—(Applause.)—There . fore-it ,was that the care of the public purse should be , . -vested in. the.lieese of Commons; because they were, - .__._ • ,peat least osght to he, the true representatives of the, . pip,—(Applause)—and being an elective body, they less likely to be influenced by corrupt or venal . "oat s.—(Applause.)—lie regretted, however, to say -that Parliament bad ceased to be the efficient orgautif ;the pulalic yoke ; it no longer operated as a check on the • • imp: * ever repenilitnre of the national wealth ; and, to ,tiro absence, or to the non-observance of that excellent • f . . '..priociple of the Constitution, by which the people were 7 .etppeoesl to possess a proper controul over their re . preeentatives, they were to trace all the evils and ruisi , . raws by which the country was now overwhelmed. (hear.) Thor, and human corruption, a still more powerful • agent than time itself, had sapped and undermined the • representative system. There were, in the ;present ad • ministration of the government, many abuses so ex . trernely glaring, that it was hardly necessary to point ' them rant to so enlightened an assembly. Seats in Par . , li•lnteet fur rottes, boroughs were as openly 11114 noturi _ ; ~...., -*este mold, as corn was exposed to sale in that town on ''; IL. • market day.—(liear, lsear.);se*Those who celled th is . ; • . -we thiroeming hati.not in view any visionary project. Their • wish was to pnt down a system which was alike hostile , . to their properties and their liberties.—(Cheering.)-- • Let the people of England look to what other nations were doing. Yon behold them looking for safety and • happiness in a representative system—(lean) The • present lie conceived to be the %nom favourable moment • for-bringing forward the great question of reform in :Parliament. —(Hear.)—'Pee different bodies of reformers • • .lappearell to him to .I:resealing towards one common • •I• centre.---(llear.)—The aristocracy began to see the ow• r ihstity of .reforming, aed the great body of the people . laseersed ansionwto 'coalesce With then. The people had • : 'hewn. that ,shoy sesihj., moderate — they had alto itileadd That they . Isteubliee . I. klad Its shwa' abets.** lat • the end, throe 'would procure *restoration of that consti * feline, candled ng of King, Lords, and Commons (a body : of, Cu 11111 l nns ready and truly representing the people), under which, in former times, they bail been a prosper. one and glorious nation, and under the benign influence of which they might again hope to be the envy and admiration of surrounding vonntries.—(Cheers.)—ln the few nbsereations which he had hail the honour of submitting to the meeting, he was not, if he knew his •olirribeitrt, actuated by passion, by prejudice, or by . • party; the sentiments lie had expressed stoic solely f.'m the sincere conviction of his own inind.--;llear, bear) —He worthl now pit the Meeting in possession of rite whole petition which had been prepared for their ennsidefatiob. Waist petition he was not the anther; but ite'entirely concurred in every sentiment whit li it et4etaineel.,-(Near, hear.)—The Hon. Gentleman then read the petition, which was as follows: . "gb TOR natito as nye THE COMNIONS OF THE UNITZO KING- Ron OF GREAT BRITAIN AND sasLanti, IN PiRLIAMINT ARBFAIIILED. • . " Tre petition of the Nobility, Gentry. and Freeholders, of the county of !;eras, in county meeting assembled. • •` Sheweth,—That the only legitimate end of Government • le thalosppiness of the governed. and that the Government : which faits to produce this happin...is is unworthy of support , and ought to be reformed. .' That where no visitations of P:ovidence, such as human . ppwer cannot avert or gcard against, where famine or pes. thence. or hieasion front without, has not occurred, the ob.' Pence of happiness In the people is a sure sign of defects in . " thodass and government of the country. " That there exists at this time, io every part of this coon • try, the greatest distress amongst a very numerous and most ittiportat part of the people, viz.—all those connected with • aorta:ham pursuits; and that the circumstances which have' plunged them in. ruin-are those,which alone have rescued . from equal distress another part, superior in numbers, and 1 . * second on'y to• then in importahce, viz. the manufacturing 1 • classes. ....• 0 That thli errantry . has bees visited by no smarting or • overwhelming dispensations of Proadence ; that all eater • salvors hue ceased for more than seven years; that inter- . . Oat tranquillity has been nuinterrupted ; abundanee has crowned all the labours of the Iturbandtnan ; yet distress and poverty, so far from abating, seem to increase in pro-' 5 .. ...portion as peace and plenty, heretofore reckoned tile surest • foulteatioes end symptoms of happiness and prosperity,have ' bekpedi Peritonea and general. • •• That 'though it appears. therefore, that the Government • . : otitis country has failed to produce its only legitimate pa ' , pine; yet the Constitution is so beautiful in theory, and did in practice produce for so many arras such beneficial effects. • this meeting Anna• but attribute these unhappy results not • to any tpbertpt Or necessary defects, but to abuses grows up in the eefte of time. "not by the theory or the Constitution the House of Corambee onglir lo be the representative of the people. " That, In fact, by far the majority of its members have sesreely any corthaxiou with the people as such ; nominated. • not by their voice, but by persons whose interests are directly oppositit to their's. and in very many eases tbenteelves enriched by their spoils. " That, by-the theory of the constitution. no part of the executive Government of the ouuntry resides in the House of Commons; that their main duty ts to cootroul those who administer the offairs•and direct the powers of the slate: so that the people may receive no damage in their persons. liberties. or properties. " That in practice this dilly has been wholly neglected. and that, on the other hard, almost the whoie Government of the country has been absorbed by the House of Commons. " That, from the period when the country was first mould- 4 ed to its present form, no steps have heel: taken by the Legislative generally to extend and invigorate the po pnlar voice In the elections of members of the House of COMMON.. " That the extension of the elective franchise in particular places, by oceasloaal Acts of Parliament, and in counties by 1.•-_ aft. - 'ry. "- • ~„ . • ' • that betides these ururvolAeble Retirees praurrepte , others of •ai a.lveniltiens mature have not best WWI et, 41 1 311 4 %tin ()LIM mode lettoptod for the administration of the . aulira of the country. amongst which your petitioners wilt oily twintiort isio--vit. the enormous increase of tau awls; amd thmitrodigions augmentation or the peerage- " Tim% while the voice of the people has tits been, in feet. continually less and Less pretlominont, the ople have at the same time become, by increase of inlet /mice; NO formation, and knowledge, more and more caps lerof form. ing.a, right judgment on the conduct of their Representative", enedi , orthy of enjoying a direct control over Mein. - " '7 eat it therefore appears due equally to tho people ,to Rite them a more powerful voice:in umelection of Members of the House of Commons, and to the Crown:sao wtharen that Mouse, which, neglecting their own pecelftet ,duties, have invaded the prerogatives of Royalty and seeped Its power. • " That this meeting is happy to he assur , , I,,st Om desirable a change involves no innovation in Re ip rk of the constitution of the country; that it merely ebrrecte its manifest abuses, and adopts to the change of cironnertances which time has occasioned, recognized and 1 1114Pwiedifed principles. " That your petitioners therefore pray, that Our Hon. House will, without delay, adopt those measures which may be necessary to erect 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 for their lisppinei and for the honour of tine ()tit. -4, '• And your petitioners will ever prig." . , 1..... The petition haring been gone tlrrongh, Mr. Evstosr said, Gentlemen,—This is the: petition which I hope wilt be adopted by the meetinie. If the noble lord by whom the petition was drawn lnp bad pleased, he might easily hare selected a gentler* n better able to propose it with effect, and whose oPinlo would ad Art id inllr -hut this I lied • r have hid 'greater weight and influence; am sure, that an individual more deeply imnpresm, with the justice and importance of the constitutional princi ples laid down in that petition lie could not have found any where. (Applause.) TIIOMA3 Bowen, Esq said he rose for the purpose of seconding the proposition which had just ficen remade. He had carefully examined the petition, and lie)nustlay that it met with his entire approbation, kle . .was ex tremely glad that the terms of. the requisition %vent di rectly to time subject of Parliamentary retorm .(appliuse) ; because he was thoroughly convinced that the repluction of taxes, and the removal of those evils by which the 50 constitution had been assailed for the last pr flo years, conlil never he effected except by a change ig therepre sentation of the people (hear): so long as: the public money was expended on jobs and sinecures; anisettes pensions, so long as the influence of the crown con tinued to he so widely extended that, to use the words of Mr. Wilberforce. "It met us at every corner, and confronted us at.every turn," all hope of the redress of popular grievances was perfectly vain ; beelassommler styli a vicious system, the Minister could command a majority on every question which he wished to bring for ward, and, of course, on every question whichahms wished to put down. (Hear.) lie addressed these observations more particularly to the yeomen of this country, and in dividuals who were engaged in agricultural pursuits;l and he was of opinion, that the counties of Norfolk sad Hereford. who were the first to originate publiemeet ings on this occasion, would have acted more efficiently if instead of petitioning for relief (mom agricultural (Hits tress, they had boldly called for Parliamentaty reform:** (hear), because time latter, iu a very considerable degree( iuchmmled the former. (Cheers.) The manner in whicip that reform should he kffected, was so well, •et froth by Lord Milton, in a speech delivered by, him atthrlate York Meeting;,that he waisldotith.the the assembly, read the passage. [Here the h r it il Arson ;gait . iiiat part of tamed impeecL • Do WreaTrefici It* sloolThiaKitt it at the same time let UN be firm. If we ponce . a moderate and firm rourse,ait reonires, I think, no groats iris of prophecy to declare, that our cause, in spite' of every obstacle, Most he finally successful, (ehrering;) and then %%111 the House of Uonimons again become, what it always ought to be; the efficient organ Oahe feelings and sentin►•nts of the great body of the people. (Cheer• int.) Taking, therefore, all these points into considers. flirt), I think we may fairly pronounce, that" there is something rotten in the state of Denmark," which calls for immediate and effectual reform. (Cheering.) _ .. The limn SIIERIM—If any gentleman Arms to the petition, I am ready to hear his sentiments. Votslil you, geetlempo, wish to have the petition read again ? (" No, no.") No gentleman appears to disapprove of the pe- 1 titiOn in any war. A FREEUOLUER. —It • appears to be unanimously a. greed to. After a short pause, : I Lord FoLgesrons presented himself to the POW 6f+ the meeting', and was received with loud ace ens.— His Lordship said, that as no opposition had oltreil to the motion of his Hon. friend, it might perhaps appear rather a work of supereedgation when he took it on Wm self to address so numerous and respectable a &esti . At the same time, there were one or two things old be wished to notice, before the fleeting separated ; • an - s his honourable friend bad said, in bringing the pet n t i under their view, he would detain them but lot a: sr moments. Before he touched on the matter of tile. , , i. tion, it would perhaps be right to coif plibingt bidn. friend and the meeting on the speech did' which I petition was introduced to their notice.' His how. d prefaced his observations by npologisinp for tali .-• so prominent a part on this occasion. He bad,howeve, s. played so much talent, that when he happened to be t ' malted on to address the county of Berke, apology ' d be quite sdpetlinous. The matt* of ins -epeeetti,na,kl manner in which he delivered it, must always sem to him a patient. anattentive, and a will . pleassed unlit - similar compliment was, he coneeived,tketo the •man who seconded the motion. He must likewise vein meet those who signed the reqnisition for the ut this day,on the number and respectabilltyof the else y which they bad been the means of esdlerdng fog .' When he arrived in Abingdon, be- aris afraid, fen state of the weather, that there would be no inciting au all ; but he was rejoiced to find, in spite of the inelemen cy of the season—and snore inclement weather could n be encountered—that so numerous a body of irentr and yeomanry had attended, for the purpose of dischar& ing a most important 'duty. Intleed,lsef bad never se rf: A more respectable assembly than that width was nag. convened. (Ilear, hear.) He Was the more pleated at thin circumstance, because the wording . of the requisitioq and the purpose for which the meet i ng was called, weed not, perhaps, of that twodier nature Whirls would foul*. the feelings, and come to She bosonaeotithose who wertO, suffering from the distressed state of the agricultural in-' , tercet. If the meeting had been oonvened fur the pur-i pose-of devising some means by tehich the prevailing agricultural distress might hr relieved,* would; perhaps have been more alluring ; but he was cenvineed, that very many gentlemen were of opinions t that the ques tion which they had met to discuss, treat more isnme iliatelv than was generally supposed to the grievanees on which agricultural itistrvas• was Jeally founded. (Hear, hear.) While he agreed with Mr. Bowles, that the prevailing distress was fundamentally connected with the business of the day, Ire felt etweedingly glad that tlsose wham he - now addressed saw beyond the mere surface of things—that they traced the depression agriculture to its true source, the corrupt state of the re intry (hear. Israe)ante 11 that sottelit, not ky jlepeelci . end , hut that the MI could one. be reform in the representation of the -41wi - sisheinefatilpr &fectieo tatiQ't IDP coley, the d eotrupt process by Which the Hotter aft strurfions (no lontc€ the true re. presentativestf - tisepeopie-me 4oreger empressing their wishes, sentiments, and feedings,) ,were elected—them were the cellars 00141 the dietresaapiler which the agri cnltnrists were NW iiifferitig.-44planste.) 8y flir measures which lidiimalliniant• hot pursued, and whirls hail been so welrpnistiesFootlby.his !Immutable friend (Mr. gimlet)) that it Was nnooreesary to recapitulate ' them, had all this mischief been poured upon the na. Lion. If Parliament had islien - earefitl ni (tie peoples money—if it had been true to its,trust —if it least been diligent, arid Netted ferwerd to the probable resalt of the laws which it hid enagted, ( particula r ly that which related to the enrrency)?—if it had adhered to its duty, or if, nottaving done so, it hail been so conitititted that it 'night have been.laistelliately galled to account by tie people. the eonntry would not now he involved in that Labyrinth of difficulties from which it could only he eN trieated by the grealest wisdom, 'prowled by the most persevering virtue.—(ll-ar, hear.) It followed, as a Maitre of course, that to get rid of those difficulties, the pimple mast intrust their interests to other and cleaner bands than those which us - ere instrumental in creating the misery by which they were Oppressed. --(Hear, hear.) Hr would ask any. roar, if be bad steward under whose thistnanagetpent his farm became unproductive, his offices were falling down, and his whole estate bore the appearance of decay and dilapidation—be would ask of hint, whether lie would employ that steward, after he had discovered his criminality —(Hear.) What, then, was the House of Coimnons ? h hat were its duties: Were not the members of that House intended to he the stewards of the people, to take care of their lib.rtis.s, of their lives, of their properties ? (Hear, hear.) Had the House of Commons fulfilled their trust ? Had they, elected as they had been for a long period. so exercised their fun ctions, that the liberties, the lives, and the pro perties of the people of England were perfectly safe and secures! ? (No, no.) If, then they had not done their duty, it was necessary that the people should select some other stewards, who would not betray the interest of those who employed them. (Hear, hear.) How, then, were they to procure such stewards ? (Hear, hear.) The House of Commons, it was true, was elected in n public manner, but still that public election did not give to the people such members as their welfare required. What, then, were they to do? Why thee must adopt some other system, by which they might hope to send members to parliament in wbom they conld place con fidence. (Hear, hear.) He would not now enter into the question, as to what species, or whet extent of re form ought to be adopted. Ile would not say but that his views on this subject might go farther than those disclosed by Mr. Bowles in his speech. He would not deny that lie thought reform, to be effectual, ought to go much deeper, and to a moth greater extent. (Hear.) They would not, how ever, split hairs on this occasion. (Hear.) Whether the rotten boroughs should be done away, or what specific plan should be adopted, was not now the question. 'ley all agreed upon one great point—namely, that some reform was absolutely necessary; and without any conceal:tient of his own,opinion as to the necessity of an extensive reform, by hoped the petition was so drawn op as to conciliate. the unanimous approval of the meet ing, since it c tiled for no particular or definite system ofreform,—(lleac.)—Neither a radical nor a moderate reformel- could dissent from the. petition, because it only prayed for tbat which all felt to be requisite for the well being of the country—a reform in the election of members of the House of Commons. Was it not era sonebtethat such a reform should fake place?—(Hear.) Was it unreasonable that such a return} a . bould be- de =faded ?—(ilear.)-11Aad , ary tieing been 11$ Par- it thiierioil wtOst el v eiiiont tooVphie? et" Claad been passed, withoet end., for regulating the election of mem bers to sit in the House of Commons—for the punish ment of treating and bribery, and for various other pur poses t . but one Act hail been introduced to render the electimi of members of Parliament snore extensively po pular, Indeed, so long ago as the reign of Henry VI., tile right to elect county members was extended to forty I shilling freeholders, and Acts hid subsequently been pissed for the regulation of the elective franchise, with reference to particular places, where great and notorious colmotion was known to have previiled. But this he wold say, that since the first formation of Parliament, -no et had been passed to render the popular voice stif ti ieptly powerful, in the election of uienibers of the House o( Commons. So far from that being the case, I he had a right to contend, that the voice of the people had been of late years rendered less powerful than it formerly was, by a variety of circumstances. But assuming that this was not the ease, he would ask, had not the people a right, in the present age, to a match greater and more powerful control over their represent atives, than they had in former times? One of the argue tnerus to which theopponents of reform adverted with great 1 pleasure, was, that if the House of Commons were badly constituted now, it had been long constituted in the same way, and yet the country had (seen blessed with much happiness and prosperity. Now, in the first place, hr denied the fact that the mode of election had been always the'same as it was at present.Frotn the ordinary infirmity of Imolai' nature, it was clear that undue and corrupt influence must hourly increase. There was a common saying, that money produced money ; so cor ruption begat corruption—power extended power ; and when once it was grasped, those who haul 'waked it never let it go again.—(Hear.)—The improper influence which was exerted in returning a member to Parliament might indeed be lost by an individual, but it was only transferred to some other person, and therefore the peo ple *were not iteaufitted. ilf bad not. perhaps, been able to consider tkis point very deeply, but the justice of ,his opinion hart been confirmed by facts ; for if any per lion looked over the list of rotten boroughs in the noini nitiou of any individual, he would find that the members for those places new originally selected from amongst the gentlemen in the neighbourhood ; but that in modern times the property of those boroug hs, having got into the hands of sonic particular family, the representation was no longer given to persons resident in the neigh bourhood, but to those who were connected with, or dependent on, the family of the patron. As this power ~of nomination, when once obtained, was never given up, the places in which it was exercised were nolouger open and accessible to the people. But there was another ,way in which it was still snore evident that the rights of the people, with respect to elections, haul la-en greatly Ittirroit et!: he alluded to the great increase of peers. .;Suppose a borough, some 50 or CAI years ago, in the pos. Isession of an individual residing in its neie libourhood— ft commoner, being part and portion of the people. Now, although in that cafe it would not be so bentlicial for the interests e of tl e community as he cold I wish, it would be very different, indeed, it it got into tie hands aif a Pier, Who would lice the power which it conferred r his own necessary purposes. Such a man became used to a particular system without being aware o it, and therefore a borough in his hands was a ver y i different thing from a borough in the hands of &gentle . - , mai) who resided in the neighbourhood. The immense molter of Peers who were created in the l a t e Kinu.'s ~ I reign, and who had great borough influence, operated in a considerable degree to keep down the popular voice al elections. The votes of those Peers in the House of Lords, and their influence is the House of Commons, •• . • . • ' • - 7-I, • , 0 - .., - • . . -, - • - - 1 thest r ier;N:is n nothe vitlu of inotoly, has 1 but A ir . , -e t • of o ryci NI Orret,rdirfe tiutel;coiititeiaatetl VA J •'• et o.' ..‘ e - AA w iv e t res. Which - in toe eommoo course of Min.' mu. e . . iiip ziock , o s, lullix i duriog No long a period, have arisen to introduce at cnreil by a wholesome re opt and endue intlaeoea.,' -1. , •:. '... ~• Teeple% ri•n • erelly Miii - .. .t luslaiAr. •6.... itnrinenLin hln aniirr•q of iparrentizse_ : ~ _ • e ... V,l J y allysidril to Ministers the most efficient assistsnce. ile tlig/iitfore contended that the system of election was not in the same state in which it formerly was: hat even if it were, that, in his opinion, was no reason for opposing. reform. Tile pro; le were not now the seine that tiles were 130 years ago. They had more- knowledge, more itarliigenee, more information.—(Dear) They all knew that knowledge had WNW a.eelerated in a, prodissious rotiii, and he would ask whether a people, wilieg„is e m. r informed, and consequently more capable 'of leaking. foe themselves, were to be put on the tame tutting with' their predecessors, ttho were not equally well informed, and were; therefore, less capable of forming a correct . InOment ?—(Hear.) His opinion war, that the mode of eleeting members of theibiuse of Commons otiglit to vats: accortling,to the intelligence and Information of those who elected them, and whom they were to represent. (Ji these grounds !testiestd contend,that it was a most unfelt: argument, even if it were true,and he had medearoered to. prove the contrary; that a reform in the mode of elec- Lion was not wanted now, because the same Epstein et election which hod prevailed in form. r times still eon . . tinned to be acted on. As alterations had 'taken plsee. in the knowledge and information of the pee*, there; for., it was necessary that chmleilA stmutd tilt* place in the mode of electing Members of Parliament. He world suppose that any gentleman present had a son of teml. F. years; he would give to that son a certain degree oß freedom—he would suffer hie; to go a certain d 1 ian'e from home. This might be Very lit while he was of im mature age; hitt when he grew up to manhood, and was able to look after biii fisther's affairs,' would it not be considered very rifficnrons, if his parent continued the same sys t e m or restraint?—(lleac; heir.) Am! wa s ' it not proper that the pebtile, *hots seepaneion of intel lect and increase of knowledgeenahleil tiiiimt•te and to intlge correctly of their owns ants\ should he allowed to decide on the merits of those who were to represent theta in Parliament?—(llear, hear.) It ' had been well observed by Lord nacos. that time was the greatest of all innovators. Time did indeed innovato upon every thing, and upon every body.; and a wise l%e gislature would take measures to keep pace with thy changes made ht- that slow but certain innovator.-- (Hear, hear.) 'there was only one oilier argatuirt r which was used by the opponent of reform, to which II I would revert at present. It hal heels advanced by Mr. Stuart Wartlq, and also by Mr. Canning, that great apostle of autt.reforitters, its the House of Coulinons.—, 'the argument was, that reform would lead to revolutien. Now, if they went to the exact ineanitig of words as laid down in the dictionary revolution want eltatwe, eed that was exactly what the reformers wanted. They want ed &change of the present 'system—(ll , w.) The prop:, were extremely discontented with their present 'theistic-, and they wanted to be made free, happy, and comfort . ble. (Hear, hear.) lint that was taut the nleaninz which the opponents of reform attached to the ward. They wished to promulgate the id-a, that reform would create confusion in society, anal overthrow the emit• property of the country. This was what they meat t when they spoke of revolution. He, however, did not think that it would lead to any such events ; but this he would say, that if it were likely to produce sach consequences, the longer it was put off, and the mare time that was given for the grontis of abuses, the more likely would it be in the end to create that violence and confusion of which some individuals were so apprehen sive. (Hear, hear.) The more glaring the abuse whirls demanded a change, the greater must be the reaction when that Change was accomplished. lint he would ask, on the evidence of these •gentlemen themselves, ivhether any change could create a greater revolution than bad taken place with respect to the tiocernment, and was in progress with respect to the property of the country. As to the change in the Government,' he bad only to dernand how much the House of Commons, in modern times had encroached 'pun theveher branebee eff,the constitution ? On that point be would quote the etc etc Aelicered by Mr. Canning at Liverpoub—a 'ape aus9S. atlitegids,eefs: pet Perliamesalihyy , reforia. here Was one'patagrapY in which he con tended against the assertion, that-the power of the House of Commons was not sufficieat. ' Ile there stated, that the House iof Commons had trenched so exten sively on the powers of the other branches of the Constitution, that,. like Aaron's rod, it had nearly absented both its fellows—useaning the House of Lords and the King,—(Hear.) Could there be a greater revc lusion than this ? 31:. Canning had been the person most prominent in opposing reform in Parliament ; and when he told them teform would produce revolution, lie ought n - t to have forgot the inomitrous revolution to which he (Lord F.) called their attention. He never com plained that the House of Commons was not sufficiently powerful. He agreed with Air. Canning, that it had al. sorbed the authority of its ,fellows—'hat monstrous re volution bad taken place, and front it bits) flowed a ll the grievances of which the people now compluined.—The powers of King, Lords, and Commonsoreire not kept dis tinct; they were all amalgamated in the last branch of the government, by which the balance of the constitution was destroyed. (Hear.) With respect to the revolution of property which was now in erogress. be would as•li, what was the present state of things? All those coy ! nected with the soil were plunged in the deepest dis tress. The landlord could not procure his rents, and the labourer was badly paid, because the farmer was not remunerated. Was not this almost as great a re volution in property as could possibly be made? Did not every gentleman know that there was at present a greater change of property than was ever experienced at any former period ? Were not mortgages daily fore closed, and was not landed property hereby passing from the possession of the country gentlemen sad g et. tine into the hands of jobbers and loan contractors r.— (War, bear.) Was not that a revolutiow? There was in deed no fighting about it, but a silent and gradual transi tion was undoubtedly going on. That revolution affected Ireland still more than it did this country, because they hail less capital in Irelattif, anti the distreuis was much greater than it was here.—(Hiar, hear, hear.) If affsirs went on in • this manner fur a couple of yeses longer, there would ben greater chatty of property than had taken plate daring the ,whole of the French revolution. What was the 'present distress to be attributed to ? It was occasioned by the change in the currency of the country, the .sespenslots of cash payments in I'M, the continuance of that suspension for many years, and the return to a metallic currency without making those rile:rations which the new sta'e of things required. Who pa:sed the laws by which those changes acre effected ? The Moose of Commons. They were responsible to the people for all the miseries they were now suffering-, and therefore they ought to be changed. By the measures which he haul mentioned. they were bringing about a greater revolution of pre. petty titan took place during the civil war in this coun try nearly 200 years ago, and theretore he contended that the specious argument, that reform would produce revolution, fell to the ground. They already had expe• rienced a revolution. Their sufferings were occasioned by it, and that revolution they could trace to the lees entitled by the House of Commons.—(Hear, hear.) — The Noble Lord concluded by expressing his hope that the petition would be unanimously agreed to. - - Mr. HALLETT, in a Speech of consi.ler.rble length. advocated the cause of reform. Ito expressed himself strongly in favour of short Parliaxi.•nts, ;lid a greater extension of the rte.:five franchise. lie weal also have, in his view ut reform, a certain number: of members, a fourth or a fitth of the members go out every year, not by rotation, but by bail° ; by which the chance of beinir called before his constituents at tte end of tl:e year, would operate poiverfully. ir. ,W .., MIN I ' ' 4 j 1 1 :r .