The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-11-19 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTAICY REFORM.

FURTHRR 'EXTRACTS FROII aIIILSH43I.II HISTORY Of
THI RUG% OF OICOROIS TIM THIRD."

" Mr. Grey made his final motion relative to a
liefnrin in Parliament. which he hail so frequently,
at different times, and in various modes. brought
rinder.parliamentary consideration. This able and
zealous advocate of Reform in general, had not.
hosever, yet attempted that great desideratum—
a specific Plan of Reform, at once rational, fer-
ia/le, and beneficial. Such was the object of the
proposition now submitted to the candour and
lodgment of the House. Mr. Grey solemnly af-
firmed, that he sought not to alter any part of the
Constitution, but merely to (Obtain fur the people,
a lull, fair, and free representation in Parliament,
to which they were incontrovertibly entitled,
14e proposed 1114 the county representation should
clutiiiue upon the same footing. only that the num-
ber of county Members should be increased from
Si to 113, the addition to he made to the larger
counties in proportion to their population. In order
to put an end to compromise', counties should be
divided into districts, each of which should return
one Representative; the right of elective franchise
to be extended to leaseholders and cripyholders.
.I.tie rem:rining 400 members to be returned by one
description of persons, viz.—Householders, the first
known and recorded principle in our Constitution,
according to the celebrated Glanville, in all casts,
where no particular right intervened. The poll to
be taken throughout the kingdom at one time, and
the same person not to be permitted to vote for
more than one Member. The duration of Parlia-
ment to be limited to three years. On this plan,
1%.1r. Grey said, the Members would hold their
seats, not indeed on the basis of universal suffrage.
but of universal representation—the qualification
would be so fixed, that no man, however humble,
might not hope, by honest industry and fair CM.
bolo', to raise himself to this distinction.
The motion was seconded by an elaborate and elo-
quent speech of Mr. Erskine, who reverted to the
better days when the liberties of the country were
established by the exercise of the constitutional
lowers of that !louse. We could recollect with
pride and Worn ph the glorious exertions of our fore.
tethers 'titbit' those wall., when tyranny. century
sifter century, was combated and defeated, and the
freedom of Englishmen was asserted and confirmed.
Tl•e only cure far the evils of Government was to
make the House of Commons what it had been in
rot days of our ancestors, when it preserved the li-
berties of the people, and was crowned with their
love and veneration.

Mr: Pitt opuosrd the motion. Was it not
lieuer. he asked, to endure some inconvenience
rather then hazard the annihilation of a sys-
tem under which the country had flourished
in prosperity, had been supported in adver.
ally, and acquired energy and vigour to re.
,noer from the dist which it had endured
It had never been contended that the ineqoalpty of
i• uoresentatian had been attended with any practical
.h.advantage4l; that the interests of Yorkshire bad
1,..en neglected, because it sent only two members
, 4 to Perliament, or that Birmingham or Manchester
I operienced any ill consequences from liming no
iepreleutatives. Afire all, this plan would be far
Irma satisfying the speculative soil democratic par.
tisansof Reform without doors. Mr. Putt, avowed
his total disapprobstino of the plan proposed. Mr.
I int defended the mntiort. and recalled to Mr. Pitt's
recollection the words used by him on bringing
I,rwited hi. own original motion of Reform in 1781
—4, Without it Reform in Porßanient. the notion
cannot he's," This moat (lheiAltsericnn War) snag
. .
Sue ended. bit. whet will pepteet .us wins: as-
. vtittr.? 4s ceriorinly, as the spirit Wick tagerdered
the present, anuses the . secret . Contests of the
• Cruses. we shall. finder the Mil eeeee of II defeetire
representation. Ire invoked in nese wars sad sing:-
'7l, bit ealamitirs." This was be Right Honourable
1,
,If ~ , s.4eistletuau's prophecy. uit. Pare tem ANA* be.
" " 7
-... Z- ...-...._. -....--

been fully accomplished. Another war has tikes
place, equal in diserter, end,: at least equal ,ipt
disgrace. It seemsAl if bill • whole hies kali 14,1
period of his prophecy. had deetined.fivrtlho
illastrsion wel reakultabigr
Mr. Fox observed, that every prediction hatsrded I
by Mr. Pitt,du/ing,tlve coerie of_ the present wee.
had -laded ; every hope, every-expectation. every'
promise, had proved fallacious: yet Parliament coos
tinned to confide in him; and this, the only one of
his predictions which was entitled •to regard, the
auly.oue which had beau yenned in the result, was
that which had been unfortunately slighted Bud
neglected. Mr. Fox appealed to the House, whe-
ther they were the faithful organs of the public
will ? Can we review his administration without
being convinced that the present representatinis is
a shadow and a mockery ? Ministers lied affirmed
the popularity of the present war : the same hail
brew raid of the war with America; and a clamour
had been raised which they culled the Voice of the
Nation ; but whatever had been the case in the out-
set of both, the progress in the public opinion bed
been the same in each, it had iudisputably
changed, though the voice of the people had not
been heard in the choice of Representatives. Had
the representative system been perfect, or its prac-
tice pure, the new Parliament would decidedly
have voted against the comitinance of the war.
Mr. Fox continued :—The best and most advisable
plan of Reform, was to extend the right of election
to housekeepers. In cooclusimi, Mr. Fox expressed
his tLst the nittioo, by adopting wise and
temperate measures of Reform. might yet save the
monarchy rod the people. Let those Ministers
who have plunged u. into the present state, retire
from the post to which they are unequal. Ati Ad-
ministration composed of men who possessed the
',drills of conciliation, must he formed, but of
which he did not wish to form a parr—ambition was
dead within him. Ile sought only the salvation of
the country, and his desire us to himself was retire-
ment. •

On the 30th of May, only four days subsequent,
a motion was made in the Douse of Peers, ably
supported by the Dukes of Bedford and Grafton,
the Lords Guilford and Sussex, the Marquis of
Lansdown, the Earl of Moira, &c. &c. &c. The
Duke of Grafton, whose age, character, and long
experience in public affairs, commanded the re-
spect and attention of the House, declared, that
if the present motion WWI received with the same cold
indifference hitherto s'wwn, lie should not trouble
the House again, but before he retired, hr ftlt it
a duty incumbent upon him to lay bef3re his Sove-
reign in person the reasons of his conduct, flattering
himself that lie should experience the same gra-
cious and attentive hearing which his Majesty had
ever vouchsafed to one who had always spoken the
unbiassed and genuine diCtates of his heart—slid,
the Duke of Leeds, who usu Illy voted with Minis-
ters, remarked, that the Noble Secretary, Lord
Grenville, had made the Constitution d.pend, as
it were, upon the continuation of the present Mi-
nisters in office, which was rather too much to cow
cede to any Administration."

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.