The National Register.
London, England, 1811-05-19 00:00:00

,REFORMERS' IMPROVED CIRCULAR.

The following ludicrous article we have received
by the post. As we think it a just, though perhaps
n severe satire on the views of Modem Reformers,

we give it insertion as it was sent to us.

70 THE EDITOR OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

MR. EDITOR,

By giving the inclosed letterzddressed. to me a place in your
paper, you will much oblige me, and nct entirely lose your la-
bour, as should it be attended with no other Food (fit ct, it will
at least prevent the writer from addressing any more letters of
that kind to Your most obedient servant,
Park-lane, May 11.

WM. NICHOLAS. '

Prior tathe revoUition of Government and downfall of tyran-

ny in the person of Charl;:s the First, notwith,tanClini all the.
• doctrines of liberty in Magna Charta, the wart of a " f:•cct
Lament exposed • the subject to continual evils, restrained •free-
born Englishmen from the glorious rights of man, prevented our
ancestors from judging for themselves, and hindered them from
exercising liberty's best gift, the inestimable p; ivilege of actirg

agreeable to the dictates of their own re.:son, and submitting to

tio other guide : and thritigll by that ever memorable event they
obtained liberty, and freedom from any laves except those of their
own making, yet how soon was that happy period over. Ever
since: that‘ Revolutien, notwithstanding all the public ench-avours
and private.iCteiguesokAptspatriots, the utant of a free Parlia-
meet has prevent Ans fr etc accomplishing oar dearest wish,
that of setting our m ighbours and rivals the exaniple instead of
being copiers of theirs.
A Free Pal Harr cut was the demand of those who called
hither the Prince of Orange ; a free Parliament was that for:.
v.-Lich ab: ve all tiro Pr:tice Ororeuied to come over ; a free Par-
liameet was by the of-Rights dccla! edto he a sacred birth-.
right of the English Feple ; but, el -i ! how far they were from
attaining so desirable an end remit be manifeit to every one
who considers that though -cur prestnt Parliament is called free,
the rich alone are allowed to enter lt, and that without money
the greatest genius and the most tr;.mcendant would
in vain solicit an entrance. A free Parliament open to all
whose ideas of freedom and hberty will not suffer ih,en to yield
obedience to the will of another, to bear submk!ively the'
burd.:ns he is plea-ed to lay on them, reitiains gill to be 03-
tainc.l.
The violation of the primitive rights of nature, althoup,h its
working may be slow, in its fatal results is nevertheless sere ;
the coniplica•ed rest:lts of v:olation acting for ages on those
are now upon the nation—for to speak in the language of
the Hero of Piccadilly, the pupil all— l'--yard heir to his vie-
Ines and patriotistn—f` The source of our evils is an inadequate
derxtive represeetation of the people in Parliament, until that
source be cut t.ff. etc'. the Pat-ll:intent be free, and the neaj:city
composed of disinterested patriots, .bale and corruption will
never cei se to flow in a thousand diffaent channels, and we
sltall stillbeoppressed taxes to support them, and to carryon,
aelestruct've warfare agaiir‘t the w set and most enlight;:ned
tiationon the face of the gle•bi, it being vision ary to expect or to
/Dope for Parliamentary-reform front Parilamentat7 votes, until
Fol. It". tLXX VII.

iejured and off, nand nation shall have the same
Houses of Parliament as it had on King doh*
' Magna Charts, and on King James the Second
etre us the Bill of Rights : sa the best evidence of
- enligittened patriotism at the present juncture
seetas to be, in actively contribtrinA to impress on the minds of
those who at present are blind to the advantages Of reform in
Parliament, the destructive effects of the present system on the
liberty; equality, and interest of Lritous ; and in calling forth
myriads t'Sans Culottes (who are ever ready to second any
change) who may raise a voice which shall not be disregard( d.
The liarors of Runnetnead, and the leaders of the alotes..id
revolution, were compelled to act, and they ac;e:l unergeticalli,
they resisted with effect, they met their sovereign with area id
their hands, and enforced their demands with the point of the
sword, stud in the Litter instaace they slid not return it into the
scabbardiLtin they had dyed it with the blood of their sovereign ;
whereas the virtuous and patrintic, now having more rapid
means of aculating knowledge have'or.l; to speak, and imtantly
with one accord, _the whole nation will obey their yoke, and
profiting by the exatriVe of their forefathers, will, with arms in
their hands, assert the rights that nature Lave us in common
with the beasts . for Why should not man like them rove at
large, f..ee and unrestrained--4ike them seize at their ;.rey wl,at-
ever they could obtain, without fear of punishment : nor would,
this as some pretend, lead to disorkr and confusion, fleas ammg
a herd of beasts, the strongest obtain the surerturity, and the
others are obliged patiently to submit—so tianengst me-, the
craftiest and most plitic would soot 3 gain ascendancy over the
others, and Would keel) them in subjee:ion and eaeletn.As—for as
11111111.014 is &be foriLce initictr,`, so W14(10111 fu we iastar,WW.A;Li.
Alin the dominion and authority (if authority titers most be)
would be then where it aught, that is amongst thase who by
theirdssferior abiiities proved thetuselvt s best deserving of it.—
Thus when the nation shall have r..iseci Its voice, it will 1.44 e
spok6n- w ith effect ; then wiii corruption be dumb to the na-
tion's will; then shalt we taste the bless*.ng 'of liberty and
equality—and the .13,-;ret,•lt Factien Sovereipn.as it now is,
wilt, with the Borought, it represents, be swept away &Ali this
face of an itultgr.:int nation, and in a short time cot:civic:A Ics
oblivion.
rvlagna Charta and the rim a Ripliti, merely trOved despotism,
li. and for a while mitigated oppression, it was reserved for a mere
,i enlist-aimed age to accern; ';kft such a reform of the ,:onsiitet: st
lias would lead to the afcresaid h.tppy effect—Partionentary R.,-
ll form can aione accomplish this. Magna Charta end the Bill of
i R 'via, tell us indeed w hat our ri,,,ht and liberties were ; het a
Ref.): m of Parliament on our p!uu would bestow on us a tar
greater .degree of liberty,'-and Ltive ns tights and privileges
i';,4delt even the Earons of Ruxuemead :Ind the indepeedeuts
never dreamt Or. •
'1 hose whose guide is truth, are the enliOtetted ; whose ap-
peal is to r.rtson,are. the tenVeratt ; and whose -claim for their
itjured country is bare justice for the future, with obliviOefor
the pest, Nee surely moderate ; but thole who are, ready to sa-
crifice thi.ir reputations and their lives in order to bcistorr on•
their country the blessings of trater&zarian in correilizatien
are tha truly patriotic, Anti to those (tissue must we look for the
reformation of the government, and the. Oeseovery of the way of
tranquility a• id happiness. Fal. eh( -oil, fraud, force, ruct ui,pres-
sican, thoul;ls they lead in the first instance to villence. cone ede
4 sio:4, and miserly in the end laruntJte good order and. 644veria.

~+

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