The Sun.
London, England, 1831-03-04 00:00:00

civil to those who had so characterized it, but be really
did not think that though they said so they entertained
any such belief.—(Laughter.) If they had entertained
this idea, why did they not oppose the very idea
of it in the first instance, and why did they not mean ;to
show their strength against it on the present occasio; ?
Why did they not, as the Hon. Member for Waterford, a
few nights ago, in allusion to another subject, had said
—why did they not shew they would rather die . in
the first ditch than submit to the introduction of
such a measure into Parliament.—( Hear and laughter.)—
The conduct of Ministers had been objected to also on
the gound that there had been no deduction or com-
paratively no deduction made by them in the finance de-
partment, or in the taxes upon the people. It had been said
there had been ne deduction made, but that of lopping off 62
Members from the number of representatives in the
House of Commons. Considering the little use that some
Members were of, he (Mr. G.) was not at all satisfied
that the announcement of that deduction ought not to
have been received with something like a shew of gra-
titude.—(Hear, hear, hear, and laughter.) In re-
gard to the Finance, there was a very wide defference,
between the state of the Funds now and when the last
Government were in office. The Funds were now some-
where about 70, and at that that time they were about 90•
If they had been as high now as then, he entertained not
a single doubt that:a considerable retrenchment would have
been made by the present Government. Again the House
had been told that this measure was to bring forward an
Operation of nobelty—that they who supported it
were novelists. Tuba however, had been to'erably
set at rest last night by the Hon. Member
for Westminster. Hai the Hon. and Learned igen.ber
for Boroughbridge been in his:place, he should have asked
him what set of men could base had the power
to have made a law for the regula•ing all future
ages as the then Parliamentary Representatives ? He was
prepared to deny that any s •t of men, at any period, could
have been, •or 'could be found ; and if there were to be
novelty in the operation of the present measure, he
voluntarily enrolled himself as au accessary to the
failure if the fact that such a law as he had al-
luded to could at any time have been or be made.
One of the benefits which would result from the proposed
measure was one which ought to recommend it more than
any other to the favour of the country—namely that the
power of becoming a Member of Parliament was placed
within the reach of every man in a respectable station of
society. He was determined to take. his stand by
this plan, because he thought it a full and effectual mea-
sure. He was not one of those who wished for an
annual change of Parliament, nor for any experimental
changes in the Constitution of the country. But when
experience taught that the establisbei forms of the legis-
lature were far behind public intelligence; then he changes
ought t i take place, and that too upon such v large scale,
as would p.event popular excitement.—(Continued
cheers.)—Although he approved of this change, he
was free to apmit, that if at any future occasion
the measure of the ballot should be introduced, he should
oppose that and all other measures which might
induce excitement and agitation. To those who
said tb it there was more danger in going on than
in st .nding still, lie would say in the words of Lord
Bacon—" Time is the great innovator." Time, of course
changes things for the want of wisdom, and canot, will
not change them for the better, whatever be the end.

LEFT SPEAKING.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

The LORD CHANCELLOR rose to presont 31 peti-
tions from different parts of the country on that subject
which now occupied the attention of the whole nation—
Reform in Parliament." It was his intention to follow
the excellent example which had been adopted by Noble
Lords, and retrain from entering into the discussion of
this . most important subject till the matter came
regularly before the House. He did so because he was
convinced the subject would meet elsewhere the calm and
deliberate discussion which a subject of such magnitnde
and importance deserved.

The Duke of BUCKINGHAM wished to know whe-
ther any of the petitions were in favour of the ballot.
The LORD CHANCELLOR thought the Noble Puke
was imposing an arduous. task upon him, but he }reeved
very few of these were for the balot, being general* poor
Scotch burghs, end he did not understand the subject of
the ballot had made very great progres, in do. t part
of the county, he would, however, read over the
names of the petitiot s, by which the Noble Lord
would probably be able to see what were in
favour of the ballot and what not. His Lordship tl en
read over the petitions, which were from St. Pancras,
Detv,hury. Fife, Ludlow, Lyme Regis, St. Lukes, Rox-
borough, and twenty other places. Nhe Noble Lord
apologised et a considerable length to the petitioner! for
reading over the names of their petitions, in such a b ad-
roll sort of way, but he did so from an anxiety not to oc-
cupy the valuable tima of the House by reading them one
by one.
The Duke of NORFOLK rose to express the great
gratitude he felt towards his M tjesty's Government for
having brought forward so effectual a plan of Reform
as was now under discussion in another place. He
felt confident that would give general satisfact.on
to the whole country. As a proof of that he need only advert
to the meeting that had taken place of the Common
Council of London and Westminster to express to his Ma-
jesty their high gratitude for what had been done. He was
persuaded the measure would tend to allay those troubles
the country had been labouring,—(Hear,)—and that
when it was passed into a law, England would again
see golden days. As an individual he might be supposed to
sustain some loss from this measure on that score, he had
no regret—(hear, hear)—if it were ten times as much he
should glory in the sacrifice, if it tended to the liberties
and happiness of the people.—(Hear, hear.)
(LEFT SITTING.)