The Sun.
London, England, 1831-03-09 00:00:00

REFORM.

Mr. PHILPOTTS presented a petition from the city
of Gloucester, in favour of the measure of Reform proposed
by his Majesty's Government. The Hon. Member stated
that all party spirit in that city appeared to be sunk, and
all persons joined in common cause in expressing their
gratitnee to Ministers, and their determination ta do all in
their power to support the measure. The Corporation
were also to a man unanimous in favour of the plan.
Mr. HUGHES HUGHES presented a petition from
the females of Ryde, in the Isle of Wight, praying for the
abolition of Colonial Slavery.
On the motiwn that it be printed, a discussion arose as
to the unnecessary expence it threw upon the country by
printing so great a mumber of petitions on the same sub-
ject. In which discussion Mr. Spring Rice, Sir John
Newport, Mr. Duneombe, Mr. Hurt Davis, Mr. Evans,
and Mr. Nicholson Calvert took a part. _ - .

Mr. HUGHES HUGIIES said this was the first time
any objection to the printing a petition from females was
ever made, he should therefore certainly press his motion
to a division.

The SPEAKER said there certainly was no rule made
by the House respecting printed petitions, bat it was
under stood, to prevent expense, Hon. Member:: would not
press for the printing of many on the same subject.
Mr. S. RICE would not press his objection, but hoped
that those whn toted for the printing would not, when
the estimates were brought forward, Object to their mag-
nitude. Strangers were ordered to withdraw, and .the
House divided, when there appeared—
For printing the petition
Against it
Majority —3l

Petitions were presented from Hythe and Folkestone,
praying for Parliamentary Reform.
Mr: HUNT presented a petition from Stockport, pray-
ing for annuallParhatnents, universal suffrage, and vote by
ballot. It was right he should inform the House that
this petition was agreed to before the plan of Ministers
was known, for•since then the petitioners had agreed to
another petition, in which they expressed their unani-
mous approval of the plan proposed.—(Hear.) The parish
of Christ Church last week voted a petition in favour
o 1 Radical Reform. They had, however, had another
meeting, at which they agreed to abandon their
former petition, and expressed their delight and ap-
probation of the plan proposed by Ministers.—(Hear.)
He (Mr. Hunt) had within the last few days had a great
deal of conversation with the citizens of London, and even
moderate men were bald enough to asset t, that if the
measure were not carred, they were ready to take up arms
and assist his Majesty's Ministers forward in it.—(Heart)
Mr. lIUNT also present d a petition from Lamhrt',,
which stated the peitioners most sincere thanks to Mi-
nisters, and their concurrence in the plan proposed.
The petitioners stated that they trusted afterwards to the
magnanimity of the House to give the protection of the
vote by ballot.—( Hear.)
The HON. MEMBER then presented another petition
from Stockport, stating that the petitioners were ready to
assist Ministers in their glorious struggle, for the purpose
of overthrowing the bareughtnongers.
Mr. BENETT presented a petition from Caine
signed by the corporation and all the respectable inhabit-
ants, who expressed their admiration of the plan of Re-
form, and that they had no doubt it would prevent
anarchy and confusion in the country.
The Hon. Member presented a similar petition from the
householders of Devizes. Ile cordially agreed in the
prayer of the petition.
Lord G. LENNOX presented a petition from Chi-
chester, which expressed the greatest satisfaction that his
Majesty's Ministers had so nobly redeemed the pledge
they had given the country.
• Mr. Kielty and Mr. J. SMITH bore testimony to the
respectability of the petitioners.
Mr. ADEANE presented a petitition from Cambridge,.
in support of the measure of Reform.
Captain BOUVERIE prcsenteda similar one from Salis-
bury. He could bear witness to the satisfaction which
the plan proposed by Ministers had universally diffused
throughout that city.
Colonel TRENCH hoped that the House would not be
bullied into any fanciful measure of Reform—(Hear)
—but that they would decide that question by justice and
common sense. The Hon. Member then alluded to the
speech of Colonel Jones, at the Crown and Anchor, and also
to a speech made by Mr. Hill, an attorney at Salisbury,
' which he describ?d as calculated to promote revolution.
Mr. LITTLETON protested against those who opposed
the measure, using the term "revolution." He knew that
the great county be represented, from one end to the other,
was unanimous in their approbation of the plan proposed
by Ministers.
Sir G. CLERK thought after the speeches of the First
Lord of the Admiralty last night, and of the Lord Advo•
rate on a former day, that no one could look on the pro-
posed measure as one to amend and reform the repre-
sentation of the people, but that it went to alter
all the institutions of the country. He was not afraid the
middling classes had any desire for a revolution, but he
did look on the plan as fraught with danger.
Mr. KENNEDY said that the measure proposed by his
Majesty's Government, had given the most general and
universal satisfaction to the people of this country. There
ought be a few persons found who would object
to it, but if they came forward With an attempt
to oppose it they would find themselves prodigiously
overwhelmed.—(Hear, hear.)—According to the infor-
mation of the Hon. Member, those who denied the greatest
Reform were satisfied with this measure—so much for
the good sense, proper feeling, and wisdom of the people.
—(Long and continued cheering. )--He rejoice! that
this debate had been prolonged to the period ja
bad—he rejoiced to have heard the opinions expressed
in favour of it that had been stated, and he was sure that
those opinions would be re-echoed from one end of the
kingdom to the other. He was confident that when
the resistance to the measure that had been of-
fered to it in that House was made known to
the whole country, the only effect it would have
would•be to lot the country to come forthwith ouch an

Sir CHARLES WETHERELL could only judge of
what the late Mr. ,Huskisson would have done on
the . present occasion, had he been alive, from
what he had heard him from time to time state in that
House, and from what he was reputed to have said ; and
in his opinion unless Mr. Huskisson had thought proper
to capsize himself, and every political view he had ever
entertained or expressed, he must have opposed the measure.
So also stood the case with respect to the late Mr. Canning,
because unless that gentleman had acted directly in
opposition to every thing which he had said on the sub-
ject of Reform, he never could have approved of bringing
forward the present Bill, The very last time Mr. Coi-
ning spoke in that House on the subject of Par-
liamentary Reform, be stated that he never would
agree to a general measure of Reform. Therefore
unless both he and Mr. Huskisson were there, and were
prepared to eat up every syllable they had ever said on the
subject of Reform, nothing could induce him to suppose
but that they would have stood opposed to this jacobi-
nical Reform Bill.—(Roars of laughter.)
Sir G. CLERK said that when the subject of repre-
senting Scotland came regularly before the House, he
should be ready to state what he knew and thought
upon it. Though the Honourable Gentleman opposite
had said Mr. Huskisson was not the helmsman
that would have allowed the ship to have been
struck improperly by a destructive sea, yet he was per-
fectly confident that that gentleman, had he been
alive, and steering at this time, he neither
would have approved of the conduct of the officers
or have assisted the unfortunate crew opposite to
have taken a course calculated to swamp and destroy the
vessel of State altogether.—(Cheers, and laughter.)
Mr. Alderman WAIT [MAN spoke in support of the
petition.
The Order of the Day was then read.

Mr. PERCEVAL rose to offer to :the Bill brougl t
forward by his Majesty's Ministers for Parliamen-
tary Reform, the most determined opposition which
was in his power. If the debate had been deferred for
many nights subsequent to that, and had he been en-
abled to catch the Speaker's eye, he would have persevered,
and would not have allowed the Bill to lie brought into tl.e
House without expressing his honest, determin .d, but
constitutional opposition to it. He rose with the
firmest, the most undoubted, and unwavering con-
fidence, that the moment that this Bill. was
passed• into a law, the death-blow of the Monarchy of
this country was struck.—(Loud cries of hear, hear,
and laughter.) He had not the shadow of wavering on
the subject; that was his honest and firm conviction; and
therefore all his power would be unceasingly employed, in
order to defeat the measure, and to check the progress
of the Bill. Every Hon. Member in that House knowing
the purpose of the Bill, and knowing its tendency, was
called upon . for: the sake of the country, for the sake
of disabusing the public mind itself, to say all in his
power. to counteract this mad and pernicious measure.
He was fully aware that he rose to address the
House under peculiar disadvantages. He dare say that the
Members would believe the truth and honesty of his con-
viction, but still be was aware that he would he looked
upon as the son of a Tory Minister, himself the holder
of a sinecure place, and sitting for a close borough,
but notwithstanding this prejudice he assured every Hon.
Member that his opposition to this measure, however
decided and unequivocal, was founded upon the fullest
conviction which he entertained of the unconstitutionalnese
and impolicy o(this detestable and frightful measure of his
Majesty's Ministers. The Hon. and Learned Member for
Dundee had taken upon himself pretty roundly to
assert that those Members whose seats in that House were
likely to be affected by this measure were in a state
which almost incapacitated them for speaking or voting on
the measure. Thesesentiments were worthless and impotent
in :that House. No man was fool enough to listen to
them, but he would recommend that Hon. and Learned
Member to be more cautious of his language upon such
a subject. He gave the lie direct to such assertions. They
were great unconstitutional falsehoods—(Hear, hear).—
and he dared all the authority, the Honourable Member
believed it was not much himself, but he dared all the au-
thority in the House ehher to justify or prove them
He respected the Hon. Gentleman who lately took his seat
in that House. His high reputation, his age (superior
to his own), and his distinguished station, as an officer
of the Crown, undoubtedly moved him (Mr. Perceval)
to treat that Learned and Hon. Gentleman with the
greatest personal respect, but when he took upon himself
to arlyance in that House positions so untenable and so
unconstitutional, he (Mr. P.) would not spare terms
sa hick he thought ought to be used in such an occasion.
—(hear, hear.)—This measure, so far as be could see,
was to be carried by force.—(Hear, hear, hear.)—The
Right Hon. the Secretary for Ireland bad furnished the
House with a definition of a revolution. It was
that which might be brought about either by force
foreign to the constituted authorities of the country, or by.
what went to subvert the joint leading features of the
Constitution—the King--the Lords—and the • Conte
mons. Now, taking this as a proper definition of
the term, he would say that the measure was
certainly attempted to be carried in that spirit which
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and he also alluded particularly to the present state
of that violent and profligate thing the Daily Press
of England.—(Hear, hear, hear.) He • would repeat it
that corrupt and unprincipled thing the Deily Press of
England. He had been accused of being a blind bigot,
blind as he was, he had still sufficient sight left to
look about him. With the permission of the House, he would
read the language of the Morniny Chroz;iele some years
ago, a paper conducted, he ir.u,t say, with great teeut.
Speaking of the speech of Lord Grey, when he said, he
would stand or fall by his order, the Morning Chronicle said
that the order of Lord Grey was the main stay and
of the Constitution. He would also refer to
aproppaper
lately established—he meant the Ballot, which was
edited by a gentleman of considerable notoriety and great
talent. Speaking of the Reform Bill the Editor said,—
" Oh, but this terrible Reform Bill is to lead to the
full sovereignty of the people, and deprive the
Lords of their great power. And what he would
ask would be meek more to the credit of the peo-
ple?, Why should, there be " one law for the la-
bourer and one for the rich?"--(Loud cries of " Yes,
anyw Honourable
yes.") This Paper went on to say, that "we should
be almost inclined to forsake advocating the cause of
ReforM, if it did not do away with the la of pri
Hew
if there would askknehad
Mem-
berrnogeonfiturteh.a"t
House, not been for
a great length of time a superstitious regard for all its
vested rights. He would ask any one how far
the cause of vested rights should be considered at
the present , day ? For his own part he considered
the throwing down of the vested rights in the manner
proposed by the present measure, as having a great re-
volutionary tendency. The Noble Lord who had brought
forward the measure had talked a great deal of the power
of the Press, and spoke of what they demanded as their
- - •