The Sun.
London, England, 1814-07-09 00:00:00

REVERSIONARY GRANTS BILL.

Earl GROSVENOR, pursuant to his notice, rose
to move the second reading of this Bill. Atter
adverting to some
.points which had elicited in a
former discussion, he expressed his regret that a
reforming measure of so temperate and modera,e
a nature had lost the' support of a Noble awl
Learned Lord. The period of peace was the
fittest for entertaining measures of this kind. The
system of, Reversionary Grants was, in his mind,
every way objectionable, even pecuniary
point of view. It was to be regretted that no
person more competent than hinistif ha i
forward, at a period peculiarly auspicious, when
joy triumphant reigned throu:,hout the land. The
measure in question was, he -repeated, one of
temperate, moderate, and distiti.l reform. There
were some, however, wit.' appeared to be no
friends to any reform at all : those were the truest
friends t, the fabric of the Constitution who en-
deavoured to repair the holding—who Wished to
replace the columns and ornaments, instead of
seeing them moulder away. He trusted that. the
Noble and Learned Lord would- reconsider his
opinion, and yield his support to such a wise and
salutary measure as that before theta, _which hail
been properly adOpted by the other House, and
respecting which great expectations were enter-
tained in the country. The Noble Earl then
moved, that, this Bill be now read a' 2d time.
The .LORD CHANCELLOR Could not, consistent-
ly with his 'sense and conviction of public duty,
consent to the proposition before their. Lordships.
The Noble Earl seemed to suppose him to he ini-
mical to all reforth. lf he had said that he (Lord
E.) was an enemy to all these ill-advised or ill-di-
gested measures which might be sent up or brought
into that House under the specious oi• alleged pre-
text of reform, then his observation would be
right. With respect to the idea of being swayed
by popular opinion, he would observe, that when
he'felt popular opinion to be just, he wished to
have the benefit of it in his favour ; but if it an,-
peared to hint to be ill founded, he would go on,
as he had hitherto done, to look to what was
right, without any reference to what the popular
sentiment may be.—(Hear, hear !).--and he be-
lieved they would hear a little less of what were.
called projects of reform, if every one acted
upon the same principle.—(Hear, hear !).—At
would be neither wise nor consistent on the part
of that House, if after deeming it its duty to re-
ject aa-lermanent Bill for the abolition of the grants
in question, to countenance that which would
baye the same effect, namely, bills sent tip year
after year for suspending the grants of offices in
reversion for an annual period. This was a prin-
ciple -which he had repeatedly advanced. On an
inspection of the Journals he found, that such a
Bill had been five times rejected on the
.question
fOr a second. reading, and six times upon that for
a third reading, and he thought it full' time to put
an end to the question. Whether they should go
on from year to year or from two ye'ars to two
years, legislating upon what they had on the gene-
ral qUestion decided- to be an objectionable prin-
ciple. They should not suffer to be accomplished
by the means of Annual Bills that which they had
deliberately decided against as a general or per-
' manent measure ; and no consideration should
deter them from pursuing that course which best
duty dicinted.
"Earl GROSVENOR, in a -short reply., re-urged
some of his former positions.
On the question, .the present second reading of
the Bill was negatived without a division. After
which,
Oa the motion of the Lord Chancellor, the Bill

tvas oil' ereqi to be red t second tirne ilmt L3l
three hwinths.

I,ivoree Bill received sdrne Amendments in a
Coll:!eitter The Report to he n-ceived on Monthly; to which
(lay, after forwarding the other BUN upon the Tablei their
Lbrd4hips iisjourned.