The Sun. — London, England, 1820-05-15 00:00:00

_ . extrbitanCies . ,or a Quo TT'urranto so, that the Elect ing lliirroiwlis may have their privileges and im secured, trom the Judgment of a cor rpi n ! who deriveß his Biont!', and holdS hi s Judicial Breath only ad mit:nit:tem Domini. If this Grievance be not obviated by o rie good Law, a King may as %%ell destroy all the old 11,,r f otighs, .s e reiq ne w ones, to the inevitable oseribrow of our Laws and Government. In the next place_ i conceive it may become the Prudence of THIS Parlitiment prom whip t we may expert the Found-a lions of our happiness Will be so laid, as to become impregnable against all the future Assaults of an invading Tyrranny) to look into the Consii twions, litid Customs of such, Burtonghs which have right to Elect, and wit ch in several portico lars,"seems to requite a touch of the Supreme Au thority to set them Right. The first inconveni ence they labour under, is the variety of their re spective Title s ; sntue elaiming to Elect by PJe scription, others by Grant ; some again by a select Number, others by the Populacy ; some by the Magistrate and Burgesses, (Pliers by the Mit. gistra e, Burgesses and Freemen, others again by the Magistrate, Burgesses, F l ee /n en, an d C om - Mondry, and some a'so in respect of their ancient Bitrrough, II cruses only; the test of the Town, which i s the touch more cou-iderable part, being excluded. '1 lie Grievance which grows from this.difference of Title in several Burroughs, is often ambiguity and nocettaintv of Title in the same Burrough ; for sometimes the select Number contends -with she Commonity, nue Burrough House with another, And from hence it is, that we ba;ve usually ao many Petitioners in each Parliament, the Ma gistrate not knowing which of right ought to be Returned. Nor can w Committee of Lire ions ev•r settle their respective Titles, bye final deter minative Judgment ; for we find it often giving an Opinion upon one and the same Title, and in the ~arne Burrongh, differently, as farour and power can mike the stronger interest. All this may be remedied by on Act, which should give one and the some new Title to all the Electing Burroughs in E;:glaral and :Tales, by which alone, they should all for the future. claim to send Members to Parlitmeni thereby set ling the Electing - power in such per sons, (whrtl , er they he a select Number, or the whole. Populace), as in prudence should he thought Wrist COnvenitnt. The design of choosing the Members of Parlia ment by he People, was, that no Laws shoi,ld be matle, no Monies raised, not any tonrse pursued,' by those who sir at the Helm, but with the Steer age and Direction of tire People, by their Repre sentatives. Now by all the Laws and Rules of Representation, no 'Town, City, or Body of Peo ple, can be represented without a Vote in the Choice of their Representative. That the Parlia 'new as now Constituted, is no equal leepeseizta tive of the People, is notorious ; 'in that several Eurrooghs, so inconsiderable, that they contain not above three or four Hooses, sent) each of them ton R. presentatives to Parliament, whilst others (et lath con!ain an hundred times their Number of }looses, People, Trade and ‘Vraith) have no Re csenta‘ive at ell in the 111 inagement of Priblick Atlaits. Softilso the County of Cornwall scuds no less than forty-three Alembers to Partiament, ‘ehil‘t the City, and whole Comity of Chester seods but four, and the twelve Counties of Wales but kventy-foor amongst them all. nom this inequality of Representation it fol lows, thir Acts are often made w inch redound to the , prejtokce of the whole Body of th e rc o pl c , merely toativance the Gain and Advantage of's:yule patticulai places; as was ilott which Prohibited tie I tuporiatiom tt Irish Cattle, being carried. priocip.itly by the supetnumerary Votes- of some which have more Electing Wirt Oughs, than upon a just and equal Devidend, do tall to their ; and these being generally of a dry anti harreo Soil are thereby chiefly adapted toibe breeding ot Cattle ; which benefit would havc been diminished by an inlet of 'Beasts from Ireland r:is incoilv , titence may he easily re moved by depriving Towns of less note of this Franchise, and best owing it upon otheis of greater Consideration in the same, or in other Counties, which most want it, as do thoSe of • Catubri:fge, Bedford, Hartford, Huntingdon, &c. %Vlu to the Electing Right . is committed to a select _Number, 1 think were desirable, that the Electors stn old be chase annually, and not be Tenants for Life in their Electorate ; this would in a great degree prevent pre-engagement, and corruption, which often happens where a power by long continuance in one person, is - apt to stagnate and putrifie. The great number of Electors in Popular fur rong,hs, and in choosing Knights of the Shire, sec t tires to be regulated and notice:, and the power of Election to be fixed in the Optiniaey.— My Reasons for this are, that amongst the Elect ing Crowd, the Majority i s ,generally of a mean and abject Fortune iii the World, and thereby subject not only to disorders and quarrels, but to he misguided also by their ignorance, and total want of that discerning faculty, which Electors in inch .weighty concerns ought to have: they are moreover tinder the temptation of bciog Corrupted and Seduced by !be - inveiglements of a little Mony, or a Pot of Ale : whilst those whose Circumstances are more enlarged, have their thoughts so like wise, being thereby raised beyond such low alure ments, and rendered more cateful bow, and into whose Hands they dispose of this great Trust, the breach whereof might at once Rob and deprive them of that their substance, which has been the acquisition perhaps of sonic Ages. It was for these and several other Reasons mentioned in elle Pieamble, that by the Statute of the 8. of H. 6. c. 7. it was enticed that tin Knight of the Shire should be cliose by any, who had not a Freehold of the dual- yearly value of 40s. per annum, which Was then as m.,ch in value as 40i. per an num is 1 1 0 or has been, since the finding out of the American 'Treasure, and the enlarqement cif our Trade. And I think it but rea.onable that as the valise of Mony falls, so the Wealth of the should rise, arid that Ejecting Votes' iii the County should. again he limitted to such only, tvh now have Lands and Tcoeme!,ts to that valve, which 40t. f,er anumo bore it: thwe limes hen this Act war rn-,de, 11 this paitictil4r tette thus regu lated, the. itumbei sit the Crow( y Elections would be reduced, probably to a foul th part of vrhat they now are, and thereby the unreasonable expence in entertaining SO great a Crowd, and tbe. great dangers which may accrue from such an nogover imbie Multitude, wthild be in a great degree avoid ed and prevented. As the Yet - sons Electing%ong,ht to be Men of Substance, so in a proportioned degree ought also the Members Elected. Jr is not safe to make over the Estates of the. People in Trust, to:Men who have none of their own, lest their Domestick Indigeiteies, in Conjunction with a Foreign Temptation, should warp them to a cOntrary interest, witic'h in former Parlia ments we have sometimes felt to our sotrow.— Wealth and Substance will also give a Lustre and Reputation to our great Council, and a se curity to the People for their _Estates are then pawned, as-so many pledges for their good be haviour, becoming thereby equal sharers them seises in the benefit or disadvantage which shall result front their own Acts and Councils. Thus a good Estate may he a good scenery to engage Faith and Honesty ; but he who sits at the Helm of Government, ought not only to be a Graduate in Fortune, but in Prudence anti Experience also. To' me it seems extreaudy irre gulsr, to see the unfledged Yooth make los first .advances into the Wolin, in the quality of a Bur gess for Parliament, chosen upon no other ac count but because it was his Fortune, by his Fa.- they's early death, to become the Landlord of a Neighbouring Burrough, or is perhaps it , best Cus• tomer, deriving front thence the necessaries of a numerous Family. Forty years (whereof twenty five are generally spent in Childhood and vanity) seem to be few enough to entitle any one to the Grandeur and Gravity of an Eoglislt Senator, and why so many, who seem by their greenness to he as yet but a Novelty to the Woild, should he ad mitted a place in this Great Council, whilst those of greats,. Age Wisdom, and Experience must be excluded, I do not. understand. By the H. 5. ch. 1. It is Enacted that every Knight of the Shire should be chosen out of such who are Resident in the Coonty, and every Citiz•n and Burgess, from amongst the Citizens and Burgesses of the. Cities and Bur roughs Electiug. How far this Act one ht to he observed, will be worth consideration; tar a eoo finement In this Case, seems to be an abridge ment Oa free Choice, and it often happt ns, , hat Men of the greatest Knowledge and Experience in the Affairs of the Kingdom, haveilreit Abode principally in the Metropolis, especially such of the long Robe, who by their Vtofesioo are obliged to it. But the Non-observance of Ibis Act on the other side, has been ()Heil the occasion that Courtiers have holted into Cotoory 13 rrougha, and by the . strength of their Purse, and Baits, have so seduced these poor Rurvrl Animals. as to obtain an Election front them,, botign to the ruin and overthrow of their own vs aid Liberties. The choosisag of such Men to sere-e to Pat liament,.inight probably he obviated. by an Act, Prohibiting the Expence of any Mony Treats or otherwise, in order to be Elected, it being only to these indirect Methods, that such persons usually owe their success. But when all is done, it will be found difficult ('hough with the greatest Art) 'o bring an old irregular 'Structure into a convenient .[Joifor ;pity, otherwise than by r.szing it to the Ground, and erecting a new Pile by some better con trived design. For although all the defects amid irregularities in the Election of Members for Parliament before-mentioned, should he remov ed and altered, yet there still remains something in the very Constitution of this parr of our Go: vernment, which is not.so agreeable to a curious thought. A True and Perfect Model to build by, is what I dare not pretend to give, yet that which follows may afford some hints and Assistance to a better Fancy and Judgment. In respect then, that every individual person in the Nation, has a Natural Right to Vote in this Great Council ; but this being impracticable, they are forced to do it by proxy (that is) by devolv ing this Right upon certain Common Representa- • tives indiffet'ently chosen, for certain Select Num bers and Communities of 'Men, in which the whole Body of the People is, or ought to be com preheuded ; And whereas, every Pater-Pawl lias, or House-Keeper, is a Natural Prince, and is invested with au Absolute Power over his Family, and has by necessary Conse qtrence, the Votes of all his Family, Man, Woman, and Child included in his ; Let then the Sberiffs' Precepts be directed to every Palish within his County, which the next Sunday following the Receipt thereof, may be publickly Read after the Forenoon Sermon in Church ;.• Thereby giving notice to all the House-keepers its. the Parish, to meet at a convenient place, and certain hour the day following, in order to choose an Elector for the County. Let also the Church- Wardens of each Parish prepare a List of eight or ten of the most eminent Persons for Wealth, Gra vity, and Wisdom in their Parish ; this List to be brought the next day to the place of Election, to this purpose, that 'every House• keeper do, by a dot with a I'en, adjoined to the person's name whom he enclines to Elect, declare his Choice; and that by the plurality of dots, the Elector be returned by the Churchwardens to the Sheriff.— This done in each Parish, let the Sheriff prepare a List in the same manner, of the names of all the Gentry in the County, who are each worth in Lands and moveables at least 10,01)01. all Debts paid, and not under forty years of Age ; which being in readiness, let all the Representatives of Parishes, chosen as atoresaid, repair to the Comi ty Town the very next day after the Parish Elec tion is over, and there proceed to Elect out of the Sheriffs List, seven, nine, or eleven Members to serve in Parliament, or so many as upon a just di vidend, shall be thought expedient to . complete the Number of Members, which are to Act in this great Council. • • Before the Electors proceed to choose for the County, it might prohallly be convenient to Ad minister an Oath to this purpose, That their Vote is no troay pre-engaged, and that they %%6;1 .choose without Favour or Affection, such lUembers as in their Conscience they do believe most fit to serve in Parktment, And that to the Members Elected, upon their admission to the kloose, this Oath, together with tie others in use, be Adminitored, viz. That they ate worth 10,0001. all their Debts paid, end that directly, or indirecti.; they did nut expend any Monet, or Gratuity whatsoever, in order to their Election, at►tl that they neither have, nor will receive any Gratuity whatsoever, upon the account of their Vote in Parliament, but that they will in all Matters•t hat shall come before them, act uprightly according to limit Conscience and Understanding, without any pri vate Design, Favour, or Affection to any. That, to prevent the inconvenieucies of Fear and Favour in Electing, the Method be such, that none navy know on whom the Electors Votes were confet red ; and it may be thus performed. Sup pose a Room with two opposite Doors, and a Table in the middle, on which the List shall be spread. Alt - the Electors being at one Door, let them go in one by one, each Writing down his dots, and going Out of the Room at tl►e other Door before another comes in ; or if this may prove tedious, it is only placing mote Tables in the Ronn► With every one a List on it, and so many may then be admitted in at once, as there are Lists, which t% ill make greater dispatch, and yet no discovery, in that- every List is upon a se parate Table. To relent also all fraud and in direct practice, it will he convenient that the Ot• (jeers concerned in the Elections, both in Parishes, and in the County, be upon their Oaths. It is also fit that a litnitted allowance be made for the expence'of the day, which is to be in Parishes, at the Parish Charge, and in the County Town, at the Charge of the County. If any Controversie arise about Elections, either in the Parishes or Counties (which in this Method can scarcely be supposed) it may be dec►ded by the Votes' of the remaining Persons upon the List, who pretend to no .Elf'etion If tieveral Persons happen to have an i:go,1! - number of Votes, it shall he determin'd by Li. f. If any Person trout any part of England, shall send his Name to an y par ticular County, to be inserted its heir List, as a Person qualified to serve in Parlian►ent ; it may be done ; but none to stand Candidate, in snore than one List at a time, lest he should be chosen in boil► Counties, and so occasion the trouble of a h-w Election. That the same List of Candidates shall coutint:e till the dissolution of the Parlia ment, if it st's not above three h ears ; and upon the intermedial death nr removal ot ally of the Members for the County, then he who had the next Majority of Votes upon 111,. List, to succeed in his place, Without further , trouble or charge ot Election. By this Method the Parliament will he a perfect Representative of the whole 'Body of the People, and Also of every numerical Person in the dom. 'Here can be no partial (and consequently prejudicial) Acts Wade by separate Interests anti Factious : None will sit in this Great Council hut Men of Gravity, Wisdom, Integrity anti Sub stance ; no pensionary Niembeis ; no unfair Elec tions ;no told Returns; Petitioners Ikevt its Attyidance till a Dissolution ; no Quo Warralos to destrdy the natural fundamental High— of the People ; no room for Corrup , ion, Bribery and Debauchery, either in the Electors or the Mem bers elected ; no Patrimonies wasted in ,the Ex• traragancies of ,•an Election; No Bankrupts shrowding themselves tinder .the shelter of a Par liamentary Privilege ; No unruly Rabtilet.., Tu mults, Factions and Disorders in Election, amongst the Commonalty ; No Heats and Ani mosities amongst tie Gently, often caused by their violent Competitions : 130 all will he managed with that evenness, Justice and Temper, that no thing can more effectually conduce to the securing of our Liberties and Properties, the Grandcur of our Government, and cite Honour of our Nation, titan such an Establishment. LAW INTELLIGENCIL COURT OF KING'S BENCH, MAT 13. THE. KING V. HENRY HUNT AND OTHERS. It was near 12 o'clock before the Chief Justice took,his seat... His Lordship then asked the At torney-General if .he had any motion to make? , The ATTORN BY -GEN BRAL..--My Lord, I move the judgment of the Court against, Henry Esq. and the other defendants. - The defendants were immediateiyialle_d, but not appearing at the momentin Court, The CHIEF JusTica observed, that perhaps the defendants were ,waiting for letters by post from Manchester, and it would be better to•-wait until later in the day. • The SOLICITOR-GENERAL said the defendants were in.the hall. They were accordingly called there, and Mr. Hunt, accompanied by Joseph Healey and Samuel,l3-imford, entered the Court. CHIEF JUSTICE—Have-you any afiidavits, Mr. Hunt? Mr. HUNT—My Lord, Mr. Johnson is gone to Manchester for affidavits, and we have now a messenger waiting r for.the post, in expectation of receiving them. The CHIEF JusTicF—Then we shall wait a little. JUDGMENTS. The SOLICITOR-GENERAL moved the judgment of the Court against John 11/ray, the master of the ship New Minerva, .who was convicted for not bringing home, according tiro the statute of William, a carpenter, named Roy,.who was left at Pernambuco by the defendant, although the latter was bound to bring him•home from Ame rica. The defenalant put in an affidavit as to. character, and was then sentenced to three months' imprisonment in the ,King's Bench Prison. THE KIND V. LYDDIAPD AND AN,OTHER. This was an indictment against the two de-. fendants for a nuisance. .Tite.:defendatit,S,...Bre proprietors of a manufactory at Slepney, for the mantiractore of bleaching-poWder and muriatic acid. The defendants having. been convicted, were this-day, on the motion of Mr. Denman, brought up to receive judgment. At the. trial it was stated and .proved that- an sirtyile -was the vapour which arose from the materialt, used in .the process for making the bleaching -powders that the huits and trees, flowers.Ankvegetebles, growing in the gardens in the 'neighbourhood were destroyed, and rendered barren and even linen, when hung out to dry, Ott."' being washed, if within the influence of the vapour, were burnt by it to such a degree,. that tiiey. dropped_int-o pieces. The defendanis now pitt in affidavits, snort) by„,sunic ot the most eminent cheMists in Landon, stating that it was impossible the evils complained of could be produced by the manna facts►re carried on by the defendants. Mr. Sear.. left addressed the Court in mitigation, and said, so fully convinced were the defendants that no injurious effect could be produced from the gas which escaped from their manufactory, even at the distance of ten yards, that they were ready to submit any experiment on the subject ; and if they should be mistaken. they were ready to sub.. mit to any judgment which the Court should proo nounce, even - though it should extend to their utter ruin. The CHIEF JUSTICE observed the ohjeetiori was not confined to the burning of the lit►en. It was also stated by several witnesses that their` health was affected by it. i" We were thinking of proposing that the defendants, for the present) should pay the costs, and that, at a convenient opportunity, some gentleman at the bar, to be appointed by the Court, should make any expe' diluent he thought fit, to prove whether the Va.' pour would affect linen in the manner 'st a ted. it should turn out that this part of the evidence was not true, the Court would not order the Qui.. sauce to he abated, as it must be taken that this evidence had great weight with the Jury in the verdict Which they gave. The Court would name Mr. Alderson, who Would make the experiment, and report to the Court on that or any other cir cumstance which might present itself to his mind." This proposition being acceded to by the parties, the Court made an order accordingly. THE KING V. HUNT AND OTHERS. At half-past three o'clock Mr. Hunt, acentripa.: nied by Healey and Bamford, came into Court again, when The CHIEF JUSTICE asked him whether the ex.! pected affidavits had yet arrived ? Mr. HUNT—" My Lord, they are not. Mr Johnson went down to Manchester the same day this case was laid before the Court, to procure atfi.. davits for himself and the other defendants, and he is not yet retur7ied." The CHIEF JUSTICE—"You have an affidavit that he is gone down for that purpose Mr. HUNT—" I have, my Lord." An affidavit was then pot in by Mr. Hunt, de.. posing that on Motway twernoon last, ahnnt three o'clock, Mr. Joseph Johnson .et off for Manches.. ter by the coach, for the purpose of procuring affidavits on behalf of himself and the other de fendants, in explanation of some circitmstakces the case; that he promised to return by he ear liest conveyance as soon as he rrocured hitch OR. , davits, and that cleptinen , heitel;e4l the saint Mr. Jultllsoti would make all pu,sible speed, 'ha he would arrive in London totnot tow Nlr Hunt said, !hat his co-defendants teutthl have been pre• pared with these 4fidavits long anise, in ref I , ,et not confidently r‘xp-ct , d a new trial, and ds tutir finances ware extremaly low, they had no , go eta the expence.of procuring affidavits, upon the - mere suppo.lit ion that tire motion for a new trial woulni have been refused. He (Mr. Ilan itad xvaiteti the last moment before he had - made this-affidavit, butt he thought it tigt!t to state, that since he !,„a sworn it, he had received a letter from Mr. Joun.. son, stating that he would be in town to•morrnw. It ueces!‘ary, be would make a further affidavit of that fact. The CHIEF JUST/CR—There is no occasion. Let the delLodaios appear,on Monday morning. Mr. HUNT—Your Lordship will take tills case the first thing on Monday Meriting ? The CHIEF JUSTICE—Yes, the first thing, Mr: Hunt. CHARLES TsYtoß,Na, and BRoADHURsT, Rre gone dokvn to With to perform In Lore in a Filo loge, for .the benefit, of Mrs, BaaKt+a, who is a near relation of the former. TAYLon is a native 'of that City, and it is 17 years since he appeared there. • A Court Martial was held a few days ago at • Portsmouth, on James Moore, ,seanitto jetty's ship Severn, tor having, struck Mr. Fitz. gerald, midshipman, an - d behaved to him in a moat Outrageous manner, '. ben he was sentenced to suffer death ; which sentence has been since trans.. muted to seven years' tr,ipspovmion. SHOCKING ACC/DENT. AT THE CARNARYOrt THEATRE.—A few nights back, during 11, v et fortnance of the Melodrame called The Miller. anJ his Men, at the Carnarvon Theatre, a most dread' NI accident occurred In the scene where Grind* the miller, throwsoir tt•e actor , rli° performed tfliit part unfortunately got his pistol* entangles! in in the folds of his cloak, by which 00 0 of them. %vent otf i and the wadding penetrated hi , belly!: 14e Immediately fell as it dead ; stitgeon, were called,in, and, the Wound was dressed, bolt distant hopes are entertained of his recovery. CHILD MU/IDE/I.—At/ow half•past tour o 'clocg on Saturday morning, as some brick-makers were going to their 'work, they found the hotly of . el female. infant in a ditch adjoining the fo. , ip.th the public road, near Edward's-place, Kvnsing' ton ; it was naked and dead, With its throat across in a shocking manner ; the body was con veyed to the Poor-house fur the inspection 01 Coroner's Jury. Two mice were caught by the neck by an oysre r : on Monday last, in the larder of . the Black Fai° l ., Inn, at Vhitehaven, and held sr) tight between t . h" ihell, that site little animals were both strange° HS. of At Halifia, Yorkshire, o B n IRT tht• 20th of April, the Ladi ' George Mateliath Tarleton, Esq. 6th iteginient, of a son. In Portritan-place, Mrs: W. J. Bruce, of a - MARRID. At St. :John's eatiretiral;6ocu E tta; on the 29th of Noreol,be4 last,,Captain Hervey,. of the 7th regiment Of Boni,...ies Native Infantry, : . and Barracli-Master, N.11G., to Ila r ; r if Ann, younieit daughter of. William Bat nfield, Esq., for of Pentonville. • Ile ° On th . e• 12th inst.. tit flicester, Mary, widOw of the •Dr. l'age, late Heal Master of Westminster.SchooL .„,,,,ora Ou-t Ine 6th inst. in the 30th year of his age , Mr. •DY'' Carr Webb, late of the Bank of England. Po, On the Vali inst. at Clarham-rise, in his 63d year , e or Newman, Esq. of Fininere- house, Oxon, upwar ds of io Y,,' of one of his Majesty's Justices of Peace f or the Count Bucks. i La r/e On the sth inst., at Honfleur - Calradoe, France, Sal'al • brecht,.wile of -COlotrel Latuhrecht, of the•Royalies. .....,,--,—,—.—,—,---.-----. o 'o 6 LONDON,: Printed by,,J... B. CARSTAIRS, of No. td , W, Ormond-street, Queen-square; and rablished 11r • . 4 :4 SCRIPPS, of No. 7, South Nloiton -street, at 1",t00-0, Office, No. 112, Strand ; whereAdreitiscruenti, ti Lettirs, sc. (post-paitl) must be aldresseti. 4