The National Register.
London, England, 1819-10-31 00:00:00

CLY THE BRITISH CONSTITUTIOA:•

The annexed observations on the question of Reform
are extracted hostess micron little work tecently petit shed,
entitled" .4 Ceeteue curl Impartial Easy ors the UMW rim-
at4lntire." The author is, as we can collect from his title-
page, a Solicitor, and he has shewn wt his book
very extensive legal readlug. His object seems to have
been to prreient to the public a clear Insturical statement of
the letWs affeCiillK the presogatives of the Crown, amid the
privileges of the people, conceiving, in Use present 'state
of the country, that nothing could more effectually con-
tribute towards removing erroneous impressions, nod
leading the public mind to form cot reel clews of what
should be consideted public rights, than a familiar and
perspicuous exposition of the principal laws on whirl, the
Nide of our political system is erected. In this under-
taking he has shewn diligence and research, turd his book
cannot fad of proving useful to those who would wish to
snake that branch of legal learning their study. To his
legal tract lie has annexed some general remarks upon
election., the borough system. and the expediency of
Kr-
fermi Mat although the author earnestly desires a Reform,
his is not that scheme of Reform which would captivate
the visionary politirians of the present clay. So far is be
from advocating Universal Suffrage, that he seems to
think the light of Sulfa age is already too gene rally ex-
tended. 'Ube I.lll4litif alio,' of forty shillings Is eehold pro-
perty, in his ()einem, ought no longer to be observed, "as
It opens a door to the tide of corruption at contested
election..." He, however, advocates the expediency of
limning the duration of Pediment to lice term of three
years. The following renta,ks on the question of a re
form its the mode of electing Aleinhers to serve in Parlia-
ment, will also sheer the genteel style of the work :
The purity of our Constitution many enlightened
men have conceived has been contaminated, and there-
fore a radical Reform should take place, first by a mole
equal representation of tile people in tile I louse of Coin-
Wall., and lastly by an immediate reform in the domes-
tic economy, by the abolition of all sinecures, useless
offices, and unmerited pensions, &c. " Cheque nation
dolt se aouverncr scion le fesoin de sea :allies et la con-
servation du bleu poblique
Thu idea also coincides with the popular sentiment
that has prevailed utany years past winch has by some
been deemed indispensable to our national welfare, and
particularly as our taxes at this present time are necessa-
rily very heavy. It is therefore hoped hat the Con:ruiners
of the House of Coalitions will be productive of much
good. Every candid person most admit, that when
Alinisters themselves acknowledge (,by certain newspa-
pers). that the sale of seats in Parliament has been the
• practice and established custom of their predecessors, as
w.:11 known, &c. as that the sun doth shine at noon
day, it is time for such a subject to be again and again
discussed (if necessary) by their delegates its Parliament;
for when an innovation of this dangerous complexion
begins to foul the spring of purity, we know not to what
extent the stream may be tainted with it, in process of
.time, if a remedy be not soon applied to the bleeding
wounJ. hloniesqvieu.says, " When once a republic is
corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of
the rising evils but by removing the corruption and re.
storing lost principles : every other correcti..n is either
useless or a new evil." And again he says, " When
mime the principles of governmein are corrupted, the
very best laws become laid and turn against the state."
Wi'hatever veneration the people of the present day
might have fur the practice and precedents of their an-
cestors, yet when the former is bail and rite latter thap-
pUeable, measures acid 'ebullitions founded on them
cannot he justified. As to precedents, both statesmen
and lawyers in my humble conception, pay too much
deference to them : and certain it c., th I one precedent
can rarely be found to be completely applicable to two
cases at remote periods; therefore, though precedents
might assist and be useful, implicit deference ought not
to be paid to them ; for if we do (after a titre,) we shall
become mere mechanics, and be apt to adopt precedents
for principles, and thereby never exercise our owit judg-
nietit sufficiently, ;lad common sense would be snout-
dared out of the question.
If a critical and important case of national moment
conic before our present M misters, 1 stiould hope and
believe th:y are fully adequate to display as much wis-
dotn in their ineasiircs or resoles us any of their psede-
cessors : and why should we doubt its lam not con-
vinced that tnen of toe ;,rearm Jge (lake them generally)
are inferior in capacity to their forelathers : then cer-
tainly the exigencies of the dates should uc fir.' cOnsi.
demi before precedents.
iiy wey of strengthening my ergo:nein, I will now
take the liberty of gaoling a sentiment front Jir Thomas
Torton's speed' use the question of the Regency : he said,
the absurdity of acting implicitly upon precedents
loronht to his recolieentail some Mies he bad learned
at school : . .

" Here stands a precedent,
itu ;;,it it there:
A better man than you.
'roach it if piu (tar..."
Bat to return to my positton on the subject of Reform.
The cry of ititiora• ion, and these are the times, by
Lie opponents MIL-form, st etas absurd when the canker
is supposed to tie std I cotistmitog the very dials of our
constitipion ; an.l I belLee no natioaal consieriettecs
can arise sty taking away certain prtvilees, the loaves
and fishes, from a few close cringing ministerial bomitglis
and rich monopolizing ci;rimatious, (with reveet to
returning 'Members mil Parleinieni), and granting and
distributin,; time same pri% i:eges and traticliises rlsewttere
upon popular and swim, constitutional princilhes.
Niany geutlt let W 14,1 Cli,,Ose to attach t,lt'illsels es to
the Cause o'..lleiollll, ate ilitiottly surturt zeal %%1111 the
odious elm nets of levellers ;..111(1 j.ICOLIIIIS, Wilt deservedly
merit the tunic of filar pallitAS, and the vet
best friends and protcci,r, mil' ate cut,slllUn it ,sad ++hu
would, ni my Mauna, he the first and foremost 5,.) rally
round and ertstrve tile sacred edifice ol our constitution
inviolate from die shuck mil Lew u, and ow insidious
attacks of lurking corruption.
The fear or retonition in accomplistiliti: this great
am of Reform, e'en at tins juncture, is, I presume,