The Sun.
London, England, 1838-08-08 00:00:00

ment worse than those who, after it was proved to them by the late
Member for Oldham, that the stamp duties were so partial and
unjust as to cause a poor man to pay, in some cases, forty per centum
more than a rich man, and in other cases a thousand times more than
a rich man, and who, after having promised to bring in a Bill to remedy
the evil, have never done anything to remove this crying, this flagrant
abuse! It is not to be believed that they would send men to Parlia-
ment, to represent them, who would do worse than those who so manage
the Crown estates (which ought to produce to the national revenue
some five or six millions of pounds sterlieg a year), that they
only yield to the Treasury about one-thirtieth part of that
sum, whilst they divide the rest amongA theinselveq ! They
will not—they cannet (for on the face of this earth they cannot find
them), send men to your Honourable House worse than those who passed
a Pcor Law Amcndm(nt Act for the declared purpose of preventing the
estates of the rich from being swallowed up by the pools rates, while
113 retired Privy Councillors receive as much annually, in pensions, as
the amount of the pours' rates of eighteen counties—while the Peers and
their families have, in places and pensions, more than the amount of the
poors, rates of thirty.eight, out of the fifty-two, counties of England and
Wates, besides what they possess of the plunder of the Church and of tl,e
poor, of which one family receive more annually than the amount of the
poor,' rates of twenty counties; and many others have vast portions of
the same and of other kinds of property belonging to the public. Your
petitioners hope that, when you reflect on these things, your Honourable
House will not allow your hearts to be disquieted within you, nor your
spirits to be any longer so sorely depressed by the fear that Universal
suffhige will at all deteriorate the respectability of Parliament ; or that
it can, by any, possibility, cause men to be sent to make laws, possessing
less talent and integrity than were possessed by those men whose acts have
made it necessary for your petitioners to pray for such an extension
of the elective franchise, as will cause such men to be sent to your Hon.
House as will be what you call yourselves—Representatives of the people
--such as will renovate the institutions of the country and make them to
be once more the envy of surrounding nations and the admiration of the
world.
10. Your petitioners arc further of opinion that if the Members of Par-
liament be paid by their constituents for their services, they will not be
under the temptation to do that which has destroyed so many Members
of former Parliaments, and produced so much demoralization and misery
among the people; that is, to remunerate themselves by selling their
constituents ; and, as payment of Members was provided for by a law,
passed in the reign of Edward 111., which law as your petitioners believe,
is still unrepealed, though fallen into disuctude, they, therefore, hope to
see that wise and just law again in force.
1 I. Having, thus briefly, stated the nature of the reform which we
deem necessary to preserve from destruction the freedom and happiness
of this country, and having given a few of the reasons that present them-
selves to our minds in support of our statement,
We, therefore, pray your Honourable House that you will be pleased
to take into your immediate consideration the state of the representa.
tion of this country, with a view to the causing such a reform as will
give to the people—
_ _

First. Annual Parliaments.
Second. Universal Suffrage.
Third. Vote by Ballot.

Fourth. Repeal of Qualification for Members.
Fifth. That Members be paid for their services.

12. With nothing short of the possession of these constitutional
rights will your petitioners be ever satisfied; and they are confident
that your Honourable House will not object to saw.tion them, especially
when you recollect that several of them are in accordance with the an-
cient practicespi of of
our
re
Constitution.co u nt? y , and
A all of them are strictly conformable
t o then
your petitioners will ever pray.
(Signed on behalf of the Meeting by)
JAMES WILKINSON, Chairman.
July 4, 1838.