The National Register.
London, England, 1822-06-30 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER

and the world ; and he trusted the House would reject tie
hon. and learned gentleman's motion, and pass to the order of
the day ; and be would move as an amendment, that the other
orders be read.
Mr. BENN ET supported the original motion; the influence.
of the Crown, he contended, had greatly increased of late
years; there were at present upwards of 18,000 civil officers
in the pay of government.
Mr. S. WORTLEY said, if the hon. member could make
good his charges, he (Mr. W.) must become, strange as it
might appear, a reformer; and the sooner they set aboat it the
better; but the facts was, those hon. gentlemen had misre-
presented facts and assumed false positions. He should op-
pose the motion as uncalled for.
Mr. BROUGHAM briefly replied. It was the doctrine of
the lion. Member for Yorkshire, that it was the duty of the
House of Commons to give its confidence to any ministers till
they had proposed some measures that proved them to be un.
worthy of confidence. This lie denied , it was the duty of the
House of Commons to be satisfied as to the fitness of the per-
sons, before, by their misgovernment, they had led the country
into misfortunes. During the last war, the country was, as it
were, struggling for life, when France was thundering at our
gates, and when the country was torn by civil and religious
dissentious. if it was proper at such a time for the House of
Commons to wait till the country was plunged in utter ruin, he
bad read the Constitution ill—it was s doctrine that bad bees
often departed front, and never More than at the end of the
American war. The noble Lord had said that lie had indirectly
censured the House. He did not know the amount of v itube-
ration which could satisfy the noble Lord. (A laugh.)-11e
thought he had not been open to the charge of being ill under-
stood.—(Lord Londouderry said a few words across the table.)
Then the noble Lord was satisfied, be wits glad of it. (A laugh.)
He had admired the noble Lord's skill ; lie had left all the sore
places untouched, and gently covered them in general pane-
gyric. A more lame and impotent defence than bad been set
up, he had never heard. The question was not merely respec-
ting places and oflices in that House. From that source much
influence arose which was felt in the deliberations and votes of
that House. But there was a large debt : for the payment of
the interest of that debt a large amount of money mus: he
yearly levied. The collection and espenditare of that money
necessarily conferred influence upon the Crown. To meet that
influence, a counterpoise was required. If they would preserve
the balance of the constitution, .hey must introduce changes on
the one side equivalent to the changes created on the other, in
order to prevent any alteration of the system. Changes had
been created by the debt and its machinery; changes were
therefore necessary to be placed on the opposite aide of the
beam, in order to restore the equipoise. The members of that
House must therefore be brought more into contact with their
constituents in order to give to the people the counterpoise re-
quired by the principles of the constitution against the influence
of the crown. He called upon the House, if they valued the
good-will and confidenceof the country, to restore this counter-
poise ; but if they tubed a deaf ear to the voice of the people,
the consequence would be well-founded dissatisfaction, and all
the evils which must arise from all entire derangement of our
boasted constitution. This, be said, was not as a menace, but
he stated it as the precantion which •.xperience dictated. If
they should be olxliirate, it might hereafter be too late to attempt
what might hereafter be an elfectual remedy. It was the part
of sound wisdom to look a little before them, and to act in
unison with the feelings and interests of the people, as many
runner Parliaments had kept every gratification, not of the
people, hut of the ministers of the Crown. (Hear, bear.)
The House then divided. For the motion, 101 ; against i►,
210.—Majority agaivat the motion, 115.—Adjourned at one
o'clock.