The National Register.
London, England, 1822-04-29 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REG ISTEIt

" constitutional confitsion."—( laugh).—The petitioners
had heretofore been contented with their lot, but seeing
themselves surrounded with menacing distress, they were
driven to look at the cause of such threatening ruin.—
They saw it was in the present representation of the
people. They bad seen that house turning a deaf ear to
the complaints, and scornfully rejecting propodtious for
relief, soil they now thought that there was no bops but
in a reliirm in the Commons' House.
_ .

Mr. JODDItEL approved of the petition, and bore
testinuniy to the respectability of the meeting that had
adopted it.—Petition ordered to be printed.
Lord EURINGTON presented a similar petition from
Crediton, Devonshire.
Mr. HUME moved for returns of all patents granted
for printing, fur supply of stationary, &C. or Alderman
King's supplies of stationary in Ireland.—Ordered-
Mr. G. BENNET gave notice, that on May 8, lie should
move for the printing of the evidence taken in the opthal.
min committee.

The Marquis of TAVISTOCK presented the Bedford
petition for reform. The petitioners did not expert that
their petition would have any effect, but they felt it due
to themselves once more to implore that house to set in
motion, in some way or another, the pi ineiples of refit' m.
It was not to be expected that any party would willingly
resign powei....but lie felt reamed, that without reform
there was no hope that the countrs's difficulties would be
relieved. A right hon. gent. (Mr. Canning), who had
just gone to his seat (a laugh), had said that the country
was not favourable to. reform. It by the country were
meant those who were interested in the present system.
then, indeed, the statement might he correct, but if
allusion were tussle to the mass, and to the intelligence of
the people, the statement was moat incorrect. He wished
the tight hon. gent. and those who thought with him,
would only meet ally one county meeting. He thought
such persons would come away with a very different opt-
pion.—(Hear, heat I )
Mr. M'QUEEN observed, that he was informed that
constables were placed at the hall door to prevent persons
from entering who were unfriendly to the objects of the
uneetine.—(Hear.)
Mr. F. PALMER said, lie was placed near the door,
and that such statement was not founded in truth, a more
respectable meeting lie never attended in his life. When
the hail was opened, there was no want of " constimiional
confusion;" but no one was refused admission.--(Hear.)
Petition ordered to be printed.
Mr. COKE presented a similar petition from the Hundred of
Garrow, in the county of Norfolk.—Ordered to be printed.

REFORM OF PARLIAMENT.
Lord J. RUSSELL rose, pursuant to his notice to move a
resolution. that the Rouse would take into consideration the state
of the Representation of the people. He deemed it of great im-
portance. If he succeeded in establishing the importance of
enquiry into the state of the representation, he should then apply
for leave to bring in a Bill to amend the representation. l'he
question was of the greatest consequence. Parliamentary Reform,
according to some, involved the ruin of the country ; according
to what he deemed the majority of the nation—and he numbered
himself amongst them—on it depended its salvation.—(Hear.)
As lie had served an apprenticeship to the cause of Reform, and
therefore to whatever other charge he might be exposed, he
could not now truly be taxed with rashness. Some of the
greatest men produced by this country had supported the ne-
cessity of Reform, and many counties in England had petitioned
for it during this Session. He thought the time was peculiarly
favourable. There was external and internal tranquillity—the
period was most favourable to the calm examination and decision
of the question of Reform. lie thought too it was most satis-
factory to know that none of the petitioners asked for any ex-
clusive plans. There were not now general demands for annual
Parliaments and universal suffrage. But all these schemes and
theories he !eected at once ; he asked tor what the Constitution
said the people ought to have. Above all, he rejected a theory
that had been avowed even in that House, that the Commons'
House ought to contain representatives of the Lords and the
Crown asmell as of the people. 'fins was wholly theory. It
was calculated to give to the King and to the Peas a majority in
the House that professed to be exclusively the people's. If this
, were to be, what would become of the balance of the Constitu-
tion that was to protect the people ? The noble Lord then pro-
ceeded to argue, that most dangerous abuses had crept into the
system of the people's representation. They had arisen front a
variety of causes—the change in the state of the country, in the
increase and employment of property, in the. growth of manu-
facture, and in the great and general dissemination of know-
ledge. This latter change and improvement could net but be
apparent to all. Such was the extension of learning, and the
encouragement given to literature, that one author alone was raid
to have made 80.0001. by his works. There was, too, one pub.
biker that annually sold ‘.500,n0u copies ; that employed 6i%
dials ; that expended &Stall. for advertisements; and that gave
employnisnt to eft) bookbinders. Such was the trade of one
house. There were upwards of text circulating libraries in
London : there were many all over the country; id besides
those there were Book clubs. There were many reviews and
scientific works, and the most valuable standard works were in
numbers, though such sale bail been limited by one of the S x
Acts for the Suppression of Knowledge. Political knawlalge
had also been gteatly increased by means of newspapers, &e.—
According to the last returns there were annually alum. twenty-
three utillions of newspapers, eleven millions of wlitch were
London daily newspapers. Those papers had doubled within
the last 20 years. Had the government kept pace with the in-
telligence of the people ?—fur no government could be stable
Met did not do so. He submitted that it had not. The noble
Lord then went into an extended argument, to show that the in-
crease of wealth, and the progress of manufactures, like the ad-
vancement of knowledge amongst the Ilittsb of the people, called
for a tension of the representation of the people. Tory writers
and Tory Statesmen opposed the principle, but it was found
supported by the history as well as the constitution of this country
Amording to the present state of the Representation, it could
not be said that there was the requsite sympathy between that
House and the people. It was known that the aristocracy had
great influence in the return of members; it was also known
that the government controuled many returns ; and as that was
not the representation contemplated by the Constitution, and as
he aintalet4 that Hefomi alone could save the country, he felt
the more earnest in ptessing this motion on the serious attention
of !the House. He concluded, amidst loud cheering, with
moving, as a resolution, " That it was expedient w take into
consideration the state of the represents:ion.'
Mr. TW ISS followed, opposing the motion.
Lord FOLKSTON E supported the motion, and entered at
length into a review and refutation of the arednients contained
in the celebrated speech of Mr. Canning, delivered by him to his
Constituents at Liverpool, some note ago. He treated the doe
time of balancing the three estates of King, Lords, and Com-
mons, in the House of Continuos, as most aosurd.
Mr. Wynn, Mr. F. Robinson, and Mr. Canning, of course,
op weed the motion, after which,
larrd JOHN RUSSELL shortly replied. The want of agree.
inent in a specific plan had been objeete4. The same objection,
it valid, ut ght to have beet, fatal si the neyttiution ; for there
had not been two members who would have agreed in the object
fur which ;he !Tinge of Ur.....gs was to be ceLeel over.

131

Mr. PEEL rose, not to explain away or retract what he said
last night, but to repeat, that he would not be the instrument of
a measure which he did not conscientiously approve of. It was
not from disrespect to the House, but tiorn a conscienti.,as o.u-
viction that Mr. Hunt was not a proper object for the royal
mercy.
The House divided—

Ayee, 166 I Noes, 269 I Majority against the motion, ins.
This result was received with loud and repeated cheering by
the opposition.—Adjourned.

•
FRIDAY, ♦PRIL 26.
The gallery was crowded, in con eptence of the ex-
pectation that the agricultural question would be bronght
forward ; but the further consideration of the Repot tun
Agriculture was postponed, last night, during the absence
of strangers flow the gallery on the division, tall 111onefly
next. _ _ .

Petitions complaining of agricnltural distress were pre-
sented from Cork, Waterford, and South Ethertou, in
Sontersetshire.—The two tormer were re (erred to the
committee, and the latter ordered to be printed.
Mr. WILLIAMS (the barrister) took the 04111$ and his
seat for Lincoln.

Mr. M A. TAYLOR gave notice, that on the 27th May
he should submit a motion respecting the appellant jilt is-
diction of the Court of Chancery and the House of I.ord•.
He also gave notice, that in the course of the next session
he should propose to introduce a grand jury into the cri.
urinal proceedings of Scotland.
A petition was pi eseuted from the tanners of Glamor-
gan, praying for the repeal of the leather dirty.
Mr. BYNG presented the Middlesex reform petition.
—Ordered to be printed.
Dr. LUSHINGION presented ■ petition front Mr.
Clark, the publisher of " Queen Mab," complaining of the
conduct of the Vice Suppression Society in conducting
the prosecution against hint, and of the proceedings res-
pecting the recognisances.—Ordered to lie on the table. •
LUSHINGTON moved, that the house at its tieing
do adjourn to Monday next.
Mr. FIUME moved,tlint various papers illustrative of
the expenditure of 51,0001. be referred to a committee.
The items were varied—charges for printing, for clerics of
the Lord Lieutenant, &e.—Ordered.
Mr. S. RICE presented a petition from Limerick against
the Irish window tax.
The further consideration of the reports of the Re-
ceivers' General bill, and the Superannuation bill, was
' postponed.
Mr. 0. BENNET asked, if the agricultural question
were not brought forward on Monday next, whether the
committee of supply would be proceeded with?
Mr. LUSHING lON did not doubt that his noble friend
(the Marquis of Londonderry) would be enabled to attend
in his place on Monday.
Mr. HUME asked whether the Government had given
any orders respecting the supply or non-supply of gun-
! powder or aminimition to Greece or Constantinople, diet
whether Sir T. !Maitland had issued any proclamation oil
the subject ? He knew of some shipments.
Mr. WILNIOT replied, that a proclamation had been
issued, and that the shipments wet e made in igitoratire of
each regulation ; but they had been stopped, or AMAIN be
stopped.
The Committee of Supply, the Silk Lace bill, &c. were
postponed till blotp
LONDON BRIDGE.
I Sir W. CURTIS moved the second reading of the Lon-
' don Bridge Water-works bill.
Sir W. DE CIIESPIGNY trusted that the proprietors
would be protected; speaking for 1i i 11l self, lie wan pre-
pared to acquiesce in the pi °position that lied been made.
He, however, spoke only as an individual. All lie cum-
tended for was a fair and equitable compensations when
that was promised, he should withdraw his oppositiou.
He understood 10,01:01. only had been odered.
Mr. H. SUMNER observed, that the dtlapidations of
London Bridge had been frequently complained of. The
committee had been of the tumultuous opinion that there
were no means of removing the dangerous obstructions of
the river without taking down LOlll.lOll Bii•lge. An to the
present bill, all lie had to desire was, that the reports
about the bridge, as well us the Southwark petrinn,
should be referred to the committee on the bill; lie then
should have no doubt that such proceedieg I,,gai ding the
bridge would he recommended as were advisable.
Mr. DENISON concur red in this mode of proceeding
with the bid. The present bi idge had been must pro-
perly complained of.
Mr. Ald. tt 001.) would oppose the bill, if lie thought
it would prevent the building of a trew leidge. It would
not. It was tiecessary, at all events, that the water-work
should be tenioved, whether or nut their was to be a ne w
bridge.
'Elie bill was read a second time, and ordered to be re •
ferred to a committee abuse %Nit •, to which tile reports
respecting Liolooll Ilridge were tete' red.
Mr. H. SUMNER nova that the Southwark petition
be referred to toe committee.—Motion aq,ecJ to.
Tine I*nm/tiling orders having been alas u.se.l of,
Mr. B ‘ICHAM moved tor it eturne of 'lei...ices granted
to eictivellers And of applicati 111 l 3 refused, since I..st 1, 1,7
the magi/orates of the lune', Finsbury, and other urvi•
sion,—Ordered.
The house then adjuiel tied to Monday.

It is expecte3 that some notice will b^ taken in
Parliament of the state of the aro:aunts of the trea-
surer of the County of Middlesex, for it is a very
great hardship that the county should be obliged to
make up any deficiency that might have arisen by
the misconduct of taiii.rs. The latter ought to be
investigated to the utmost, for never was a country
that has suffered so much as England by public d....-
faulters. There should parochial meetings held
immediately to petition Padiameut on the sub;t.ct,
to institute an imitiiry into recent proiteiL:igs.

A tenant of a gallant Baronet, residing in ti .•
neighbourhood of Bary St. Edmund's, lately applied
to his landlord to inform him that he could not go
longer, and wished the latter to enter upon thei,r,.,
rinses and pay himself for two years rent .
were then due. The landlord insisted thiti he
should not leave his tarot ; gave him a receipt in
fail for his reut; and reduced it, in future, to £Oa.
an acre!