The Sun.
London, England, 1822-12-20 00:00:00

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1822.

was read, and, on the motion of his Lordship, referred to the
Coal and Corn Committee, for them to consider and report.
Alderman VENABLES'pTesented similar petitions from the
merchants, brewers, maltsters, and others, of the towns of Read-
ing, Great Marlow, and Henley-upon-Thames, which were se-
verally read.
Alderman VENABLES, in moving that these petitions be re-
ferred to the same Committee with the preceding, begged to
observe, that there was no member OF the Corporation who felt
more anxious than himself that the valuable and industrious
class of freemen affected by these petitions should recoilte the
full benefit of their unquestionable rihts ; but he‘was satisfied
that such regulations might be made` as would materially serve
all the parties interested ; and nothing, he apprehended, was
more indisputable than
that it was highly impolitic in the Cor-
poration of London, by a pertinacious adherence to obsolete
principles, inapplicable to the present state of commerce, to en.'
danger the loss of that commerce to our port. The petitioners
were a most-respectable body of men, and highly important to
the city of London. ,

The Petitions were referred to the Committee--
Mr. FAVELL brought up the report of the Finance Commit-
tee upon the question of borrowing the sum of 23,000/. from
the Commissioners under the Exchequer Loan Act.—lt was
read, and agreed to.

PA RLIAMENTA RY REFORM.
Mr. FavEaa brought up the report of theitefor7LCOPl' rait-
tee, which was read. It recommended-tfiattaConinron
eilrishould petition the House of Commons early in the ensuing
Session to adopt measures calculated to ensure a more adequate
representation of the people in Parliament. The Hon. Mem-
ber observed, that often as he had had occasion to address the
Court upon the subject to which the petition referred, he had
never before felt so confident of -receiving their support. It
would, indeed, be almost an insult, to the Court if he were to
say much to induce then, to entertain the great and important
question of Parliamentary Reform, because they could pot
avoid doing so, unless they were prepared to act in opposition to
the sentiments of the great body of their fellow citizens assem-
bled in Common Hall, and were determined to expunge from
their own records all the declarations they had made in favour of
reform. The Court would perceive that the result of the report
was merely a recommendation to take the subject into considera-
tion at an early period of the next Session. Ile trusted that the
members of the Court would act upon the recommendation of
the Committee, and 'would, in the conscientious discharge of
their duty to their constituents, come, forward in the present
distressed state of agriculture, and co-operate with the counties
pf England in demanding a reform of the present state of the
representation of the people. It was unnecessary for him to
repeat all the reasons which he had formerly urged to prove
the necessity of reform ; but he might observe, that an addi-
tional ground was to be found in the late official returns of the
population of the country, from which it appeared that a large
addition had been made to the numbers of the unrepresented
part of the population. Smile peculiar circumstances had re-
cently occurred in the _House of Commons, which bare upon
the question of reform. The House of Commons, which al.
ti affected to be extremely jealous Of its purity, and indig-
nantly repelled any imputations of bribery and corruption, had
.not long since punished certain electors who had been convicted
of bribery. But how did the House punish them ! By ex-
tading the elective franchise—thus adopting the very principle
for which the reformers contended. He could not see why the
House should stop with Grampound, and not extend the prin-
ciple farther; but, at all events, it was necessary that the man-
ner in. which the people were represented in the House of
Commons should be made the subject of inquiry. In his
opinion, no fair objection could be made to inquiry. He
recollected, that when it was alleged that the patronage of
that Court had been sold; every member was anxious that
a Committee should be appointed to inquire into the subject ;
this was the conduct of a body that felt strong in the conscious-
ness of their rectitude. The enemies of reform were only those
persons who were interested in the support of corruption.—
There might probably be a few sin ere persons who entertained
doubts on the subject, but the grelt body Odle enemies of re-
form were deeply intrenched in corruption. Mr. Reeves had
formerly been prosecuted for saying; that the 'King and the
House of Lords could carry on the Government very well with-
out a House of Commons ; and really, if the present system
were allowed to go on, Mr. Reeves's opinion would not appear
very preposterous. It appeared on the face of a Parliamentary
document, that the influence of the Crown extended over about
90 placemen and pensioners who sat in the House of Commons.
Many Peers procured the return of their friends and dependents
to the House of Commons, and thus the majority of the House
.was under the influence of the Crown, and of a part of the
House of Lords. He believed that the country did not consi-
der the important subject of reform as a party question, but,
on the contrary, as one founded in justice, and the principles
of British Constitution. If the people would continue true to
themselves, refrain from perplexing discussions as to the best
remedy, and make a powerful and united effort to expose the
grievance, they would, indeed, obtain the Pilot that would
weather the storm. He concluded by moving that the Court do
agree with the Committee in their report.—(Bear!)
Mr. SLADE rose to second the motion. lie observed, that
the adoption of a plan
,of reform in this country could not fail
to produce a powerful and beneficial effect on the moral condi-
tion of Europe in general, and particularly with respect to Spain
and Portugal.—(Hear!)
Mr. GALLOWAY said he would vote for the motion with
great pleasure, because he considered it very important that the
Court should pledge itself to take the question into considera-
tion early in the next Session of Parliament. He for one was
of opinion, that the reformers in that Court had, to use a vul-
gar expression, been lying on their oars during the last year,
because it afforded an opportunity for the agriculturists to speak
their own unbiassed opinions oil the subject of reform, and it
deprived the enemies of the cause of the pretence for saying
that the class to which he bad alluded had been made the tools
of a party, and did not act upon their own conviction. It now
appeared to be the wish of the agriculturists, in common with
the rest of the community, that the question of reform should'
undergo a full and dispassionate discussion.. The re.commen-
dation of the Committee, confirmed by the opinion of the Court,
as he was sure it would, could not fail to produce the most sa-
tist'actory result, not only in England, but over the whole of
Europe. The great struggle which was now going on in the,
world, was respecting the question whether there, should Or
should not be a representative form of Government. England.
who had so long advocated that system of Government, could
not shrink from the contest which agitated the world, but mils;
stand forward to advocate it.

Mr. WELCH gave his hearty support to the motion, and
pledged himself to advocate the question of reform whenever,
it should be brought under the consideration of the Court.
Mr. JAMES was of opinion that this question had been
brought forward at the present moment, under the idea that it
might by,possibility have some influence upon the approaching
elections of Common Councilmen. No selfish considerations,
however, should deter him from declaring, that as long as ha
stood in his present situation, he would, to the utmost of his
power, oppose the, wild and visionary schemes of reform which
some gentlemen advocated in that Court. If he should lose
his election by expressing himself in this manner, he did not
care : he acted according to his sense of duty.
Mr. TAYLOR denied that there was any foundation for the
insinuation which had been made by the Hon. Gentleman who
had last spoken. If the persons who had brought the question .
before the Court had done so with a view to influence the elec-
tions, they would best have effected their object by calling for a
division, which was not now intended.

Mr. O.I.DHAM supported the motion, because it did not pledge
the Court to any specific plan of reform. Feeling as he did
that some kind of reform was indispensably necessary to the
safety of the Constitution, he could not let that opportunity
pass without tendering his thanks to his Honourable Friend
for having brought the subject before the Court, and declaring
that he would be always ready to vote for any constitutional
plan of reform.
Mr. Alderman 'WASTHMAN, in allusion to what had fallen
from an Honourable Gentleman in the course of the debate,
said he was not aware that any Member of that Court had ever
advocated a plan of reform which merited the designation of
wild and visionary.—(Hear !)—lt was impossible that men
could advocate any subject•, with success unless they felt strong-
ly ; but because they were, in earnest they ought not to be con-
sidered violent. The same Gentlemen who talked about wild
and visionary schemes had frequently entertained the Court
about the advantages of a moderate reform, but they never
would state what their moderate plan was.—(Hear ! )—Until
they did this, they had no right to call the proposition of others
wild and visionary.—(Hear!)
After a few words from Mr. DixoN and Mr. HuncomnE,
the question was put to the vote. The show of hands was un-
usually large in its favour, and only six vas held up against it.
After disposing of some unimportant :business, the Court
broke up.