The National Register.
London, England, 1822-04-28 00:00:00

REFORM OF PARLIAMENT.

Lord J. RUSSELL rose. pursuant to his notice to move n
resolution, that the House would take into consideration the state
of the Representation of the potpie. Ile deemed it of great im-
muse- If he succeeded in establishing the importance of
enquiry into the state of the representation, he should then apply
for Lave to bring in a Bill to amend the representation. Ihe
question was of the greatest consequence. l'arhamentary Reform,
according to sonic, invalved the ruin of the country ; according
to what he deemed the majority of the nation—and he numbered
himself amongst thcm—on it depended its salvation.—(Hear.)
As he had served an upprenticesnip to the cause of Reform, and
therefore to whatever other charge he might be exposed, be
could not now truly be taxed with rashness. Some of the
greatest men produced by this wormy had supported the ne-
cessity of Reform, and many counties in England had petitioned
fur it during this Session. He thought the time was peculiarly
favourable. There was external and internal tranquillity—the
period was most favouralila to the calm exablination and decis ell
of the qutaiiun of lieform. lie thought too it was most suds-
factory to kiwis, 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 rejected at once ; he asked for what the Constitution
said the people ought to have. Above all, he rejected a theory
that bud bhen avowed even in that House, that the Common '
House ought to contain representatives of the Lords and the
Crown Orwell as of the people. This was wholly theory. It
we.; calculated to give to the King aad to the Peers a majority in
the House that professed to be exclusively the people's. li this
were to be, what would become of the balance of the Constitu-
tion that was to protect the people ? Tile indite Lord then pro-
ceeded to argue, that most dangerous abuses had crept into the
systein of the people's representation. They had arisen from a
variety of causes—the change in the state of the country, in the
incre..se and employment of property, in the growth of manu-
facture, and in the great and general dissemination of know-
ledge. This latter catenate and improvement could not but be
apparent to till. Such was the extension of learning, and the
encouragement given to literature, that one author alone was
to have tuade nu,oisol. by his works. 'l'here was, too, one pub.
usher that annually sold 3,enthcoho copies ; that employed brio
derks ; that expended 5,1001. for adveruseinents ; and that gave
employment to itiki bookbinders. shell was the trade of one
house. There were upwards of too circulating libraries in
London : there were many all over the country ; and beside:
those there were Book clubs. There were many reviews and
scientific works, and the most valuable standsad works were in
numbers, though suhli sale had been limited by one of the S,x
Acts for the Suppression of Knowledge. Pi lineal knowledge
had also bee) *tatty increased by means of neaspapers,
According to the last acturns there were annually about twenty-
three millions of newspapers, eleven millions of which were
London daily newspapers. Those papers had doubled within
the last 20 years. Had the government kept pace with the in.
telligenee of the people ?—for no govenmient could be stable
Nut did not du so. lie submitted that it had not. The noble
Lord then went onto an extended argument, to show that the in-
crease of wealth, and the progress of nianuractures, like the ad.
vancement 01 knowledge amongst the mass of the people, called
for e revision of the representation of die 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
According to the present state of die 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 goveinnient eontrouled many return, ; and as dial was
hot the repreentatioss eontempLeted by the Constitution, and as
he contended that Befoul' alone could save the country, he felt
the mon earnest in pressing this motion on the serious attention
of Ithe House. lie concluded, amidst loud cheering, with
moving, as a rtsolution, "'!'hat it was e:pedient to take into
consideration the state of the reptueenteeion."
Mr. TW ISS followed, opposing the motion.
Lord FOLKSTONI?, supported the motion, and entered at
length into a review and refutation of the argumuns corium-el
in the celebaed speech of Mr. Canning, delivered by him to
Constituents at Liverpool, wane time ago. lie treated the doe
trine as balancing the three estates of King. Lords, and Curti-
nna,!„ in die Ilouse of Commons, as MUM alssurtl.
r• sa you, .Me. F. linbm •nn, veal Me. (;arming, of cont.:,
opposod the umotion. after which,
Lund JULIA ItUS!"1.:1.1. hill.rtly replied. TilV want of egret:
meat inn hst milk plan had been objectul. I%w stone objection,
if vhlid, ought to nave been ilitsh w the Rcvautaat ; for
Inad not been two members whim would boar asoersl in the uhi•ct
tar w Lela the Paha,- in it.atiit. wt... to 1)... col'OLI 4.0,1 .

1111

Mr. l'E El, 11..4 nut to expl..in iiw.iy or retract what he sibil
last night, hut to repeat, that lu would not be the instrument of
a measure which he did not rur.ci ntiuu.ly approve of. It was
not from disrespect to the lionw, but from ranxientioui con-
viaion that Mr. Hunt was not a proper object for the royal
mercy.
The House divided—
Ayes, 164 I Noes, '469 I Majority against the motion, 103.
This result was received with loud und repeated cheering by
the opposition.—Aeljuumed.

VRIDAY, APRIL 26.
The gallery seas crowded, ce.u.ritit ore of the ex-
pectation that the agliculluiai que,tiou would be brought
forward ; but the farther consideration of the Report on
Agricillture was postponed, last night, during the absence
of strangers trout the gallery on the dtvisivu, till Monday
next.

Petitions complaining of agricultural distress were pre-
sented Prow Cork, Waterford, and South Ethertoo, in
Suntersetblaire.—The two termer were referred to the
owntittee, and the latter ordered to be printed.
Mr. WILLIAMS (the barrister) took the oaths and his
‘eat for Lincoln.

Mr. M A. TAYLOR gave notice, that on the 47th May
lie should submit a motion respecting the appellant jai is-
diction of the Conn of Chancery and the House of Lords.
lie also gave notice, that in the course of the next session
he should propose to introlloce a grand jury into the cri-
minal proceedings of Scotland.
A petition was presented from the tanners of Glamor-
gen, praying for the repeal of the leather duty.
Mr. YNG presented the Middlesex reform petition.
—Ordered to be printed.
Dr. LIJSIIINGION presented a petition from Mr.
Clark, the publisher of " Queen Mob," complaining of the
conduct of the Vice Suppression society in conducting
tile prosecution against him, and of the proceedings res-
pecting the recogniz.inces.—Oidered to lie on the table.
Mr. LUSHINGTON moved, that the house at its rising
do adjourn to Monday next.
Mr. HUNII'. !sieved, that various papers illustrative of
the expenditure of 51,0001. be referred to • committee.
The items were varied—charges for printing, for clerks of
the Lord Lieutenant, drc.—Ordered.
.......

Mr. S. RICE presented a petition from Limerick against
the Irish window tax.

The to. Cher consideration of the reports of the Re-
ceivers' General bill, and the Superannuation bill, was
pustponi d.
l(ir. G. BENNET asked, if the agricultural question
were nut brought forward on Monday next, whether the
committee of supply would be proceeded with ?
Mr. LUS HMG lON did not doubt that his noble friend
(the Marquis of Londonderry) would be enabled to attend
in his place on 111..itilay.
Mr. HUME ask, d whether the Government had given
any orders respecting the supply or non-supply of gun.
powder or aniniunition to Greece or Constantinople, and
liether sir T. Maitland had issued any proelaniatiou 01
the subject ? He knew or sonic shipments.
51r. WILMOT replied, that a proclamation had been
issued, and that the shipments were made in ignorance of
rush regulation ; but they bad been stopped, or should be
stopped.
The Committee of Supply, the Silk Lace bill, &c. were
postponed till Monday.