The National Register.
London, England, 1819-06-06 00:00:00

THE PITT CLUBS.

The societies which call themselves -" Pitt
Clubs," have just held their customary meet-
ings in celebration of the birth-day of hint
whose name they have borrowed as a sanction. 'ln
the few observations we have to offer on such a sub-
ject, we must begin by stating that we neither
claim the right, nor feel the inclination to object to
any man, or body of men, shewing by such means
their veneration for what they deem to be splemlid
virtues, or their respect for the names and 'rumor:As
of those who possessed and displayed them. Nor,
again, are we disposed to question their full liberty
to adopt whatever public principle:; they may ho-
nestly deem in their hearts and consciences to be
best. Still, however, we have.both the right, awl
feel it to be our duty, whon we see a set of persons,
professing one object. but in Eget pursuing another,
plunging themselves, and trying to draw others after
them, into the grossest inconsistencies, both to dis-
cuss the value of the principles thus acted on, and
to expose the folly of such a conduct. No ooe is ig-
norant, or even labours to conceal that the reai
diject of the Pitt (Jabs is simply the support of his
Majesty's present Ministers and all their measures,
it is, therefitre, perfectly open to us to compare the
public policy of the.:e Ministers, and the political
tenets of the Pitt Clubs, with the avowed opinions
end political conduct of that distinguished individual
ander the banner of whom they profess themselves
enlisted, and to whose name they pretend an anxiety
to du honour. When, however, we are about to
prefer this charge of inconsistency, it may be neces-
Miry to premise that we do so upon the assumed
ground that he was an honest man, that he really
errant what he said, and sincerely wished that
whatever principles he professed should be fairly
acted on, mid that whatever measures he advocated
should he curried. Aid this assumption, we hope,
w:11 be readily allowed ns, because otherwise the
members of the Pitt Clubs would have to confess that
they celebrated the birth-day of a monstrous and
guilty hypocrite, and paid their adoration at the
shrine of Reliel, rather than in the temple of virtue.

In the first place, then, Mr. Pitt commenced his
pDlitical life as a bold and strenuous a.sscrtor of the
rights and liLt rties of the people. His first speech in
Parliainent nos in favour of Mr. Burke's bill for re-
trenchment in the civil list. He resolutely opposed
both the principle, the conduct, and the continuance
of the American war. In the first session, also, he
lent his already powerful aid to a bill for parlia-
mentary reform, and subsequently, whilst a private
member, either supported or originated again and
agaiin the same important question. Even his ac-
ceptance of office did rot induce him to abandon it.
In 1783, he brought forward himself, as a Minister,
an express and specific bill, for adding 100 members
to the counties, and abolishing a proportionate
number of small and obnoxious borou;hs;for admit-
ting the copyholders to an equality with the free-
Isniders, anti for extending the elective franchise in
populous towns to the whole body of householders.
This bill failed, but still he did not despair. In
1 785, when he thought his strength augmented, he
again pressed upon the Ilouse of Commons the pro-
priety, the expediency, and the justice of a r.dhrm
in its representation, but was again destined to feel,
with how little chance of being listened to, a txtr-
rupt hotly can be exhorted to cleanse and purify
itself. The trial of Hastings, the King's illness, anti
the stormy period of the French revolution, which
filled up, with very• little interval, Mr. l'itt's eventfid
life, gave both to the public mind, and to his, other
of of still more commanding importance, and
sufficient to absorb the whole energies of his soul ;
but tha' Mr. Pitt's original ideas of tile justice and
necessity of reform were ever changed, we believe
no authority whatever can be found; and it' honotar,
and canscience, and consistency, had any share .in
his character, it is not unreasonable to presume
that, if now alive, his place would be amongst the
forernnxt of its supporters. The next great measure
of his life was the establishment of a sinking fund,