The National Register.
London, England, 1809-06-04 00:00:00

TO MR. WILLIAM COBBEIT.

LETTER I.

:JUNE 4.

It is ileithc,r an approbation of your principles, nor
an acliniration of your abilities which induces mo to address
you thus publicly, for I dittst the former, and 1. colisider
the latter as only furnishing you with the means of being
inofe extensively misch'evous. In my eitimination of your
letters, I shall endeavour to folltyi;: the sort of plan 3on
have proposdd, and take 3 our paragraphs one after the
other, both because this'arrangement suits a nvidtrate
parity, and because it will assist to drive ingenuity from
that refuge which it seldom fails to discover in the laby-
rinth cif desultory argument. But as I do not propose to
rely upon the ini•aric.ble practice rf your' politic.zt
(credat Judanis) and trust to you for the circulation of opi-
nions, from your own, so I shall not consider my-
self bound to confine my replies to Your para;raphs
others, not (.rcecding in any instance double the tcngih (f
those which they profess to answer. If you should assert,
" There is no God," (and what is there however absurd,
treasonable, or even impious that yo may not be sup-
posed capable of asserting) is the angrier to be confined
only to eight words? It is true, that None bu 4 a fool
would erike the assertion, perhaps, the only answer teat
can with propriety be given.
The object of your letters is to contineo the inde-
pendent People of Hampshire, " That it would be ex.;
pedient for them to meet on a future day, to consider of
the propriety of a petition to the King, praying his Majesty
to be graciously pleased to afford his royal countenance
and support in obtaining a Reformation in the Commons
House of Parliament." Are you prepared to assert that
meeting for such a purpose is legal or constitutional? Are
you prepared to assert that the King has a right to let
about a reformation ofthc Commone House of Parliament?'
! Would not such an attempt amount to an endeavour to sub-
vert the constitution?

Has the King d right of himself even to begin an alteration
of any mie law of the land ? Are not his powers merely
confined to rejecting what is proposed by the other
branches of the legislature, and of preventing wrong from
being done ? What is the alternative to which the King
would be reduced, if the other counties of England should
follow the example which you propose the county of Hamp-
shire should set them, and petition the King to afford his
royal countenance to a reformation of the House of Com-
mons? He must either appear in the ungracious light of
refusing the prayers of the petitioners, or of involving him-
self in a dispute with the House of Commons; by interfer-
ing, in an illegal and uuconstitutional manner, with their
undoubted privileges.
I cannot persuade myself that yott are either blind te
the possibility, or indifferent to the probability, of such
an event. It would bely the confidence yet: entertain of
your own powers not to hive calculated upon this ; for
upon your own priaciplest and upon your own reLsoningi
the present House of Commons are net likely to vu:e.
themselves corrupt; or toy commit a suicidal act upon their
OM power. ("refers the exteutive can h prevail-ad