The Sun.
London, England, 1831-02-12 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARY REFORM.

(From the Glasgow Chronicle.)
The rumours that run on the subject of Parlia-
mentary Reform in Scotland, are an unfavourable
far a rational system. The Sheriff Clerks have re-
ceived orders from Government, to make a return
of all the properties in Scotland of 101. and upwards
of valued rent. We know not to whose genius the
country is indebted to the idea of founding the
franchise on valued rent. Every one knows that
the valued rent is no criterion of the real rent. Near
large towns there are many properties worth 100/
a-year, whose valued rent is not a shilling. On an
average of Scotland, one pound Scots of valued rent
is equal to 255. sterling of real rent. But observe
the discrepancies in the unties
Val Rent

Real Rent

Scots. Sterling.
Ayrshire
Lanarkshire 162,000
Renfrewshire
Dumbartonshire .. • 33,000

£455,000 £BlB,ooo
Here the Pound Scots is equal to 36x. sterling.
Fife...... £363,000
Nairn ............... 15,000
Orkney ............ 57,000
Roxburgh
Selkirk

£829,000 £624,500
Here the Pound Scots is equal only to about 15s.
So that a qualification of 10/. of valued rent in one
cage would be worth 18/. sterling, and the other
wily 71. 10s.; while on the average of Scotland it
wou'd be 121. 10s. Such is the absurdity on which
the i inovating and revolutionary tribe endeavour to
force the enlightened Ministers. Let us consider
this notion of 10/. of valued rent and upwards in
another light. How many voters would it give for
all Scotland ? According to the accounts made up
for Sir John Sinclair, the total number of valued
private estates in Scotland is 7595. All are not
above 101.; but assume them to be so, and say if
this be any improvement upon the freehold system
worth a straw ! Take the county of Renfrew. Mr.
Wilson has given a detailed statement of the pro-
perties; and the number at 101. and upwards is
350/. The number of freeholders is above 140.
Could a change so paltry as this be called Reform ?
Mr. Mill, in his discourse on Government, quoted
in another part of this paper, scientifically demonstrates
the injurious effects of any mode of representation
which includes only a minority of the people. If we had
recollected this argument, we should have called the
attention of the Westminster Review to it, when
e noticed the paltry scheme of Reform which that
avowedly Radical Journal proposed. We object to
the change of one sort of oligarchy for another, not
merely because it was iniqulious, but because it
would establish a definite line between the privileged
and disfranchised, and necessarily lead to heart-
buntings that would never be quenched till there
was an absolute revolution, or such compulsory con-
cessions as would amount to revolution. We
showed that the pecuniary qualification of an assess-
ment of 10/. rent, would array the people into two
distinct classes—

The persons who would have the privilege
of making laws fur the community £450,000
The bulk of the people who would have
nothing to do with the laws but obey
them
And we said that of the two sorts of Oligarchies,
we should prefer the old. Mr. Mill, by a different
process of reasoning, had arrived at the same con-
clusion. He distinguishes between an Aristocracy
and an Oligarchy; meaning by Aristocracy a more
numerous Oligarchy (such as the 101. qualification
would create), and broadly lays it down that the
more numerous is the worse. It behoves every
man who has the interest of his country at heart,
carefully to ventilate such changes as may be pro-
po,ed. If they be just and consistent with the Con-
stitution, a greater or less extension of them to
practice is of little consequence. A Reform upon
equitable principles once begun, will in no long
time be perfected. On the other hand, if the
changes proceed on iniquitous assumptions, and
merely substitute one abuse for another, they ought
to be called not Reform, but progression in cor-
ruption. The authors of such a scheme calculate
on a quiet lapse to oligarchical despotism. This
hope they will riot find verified. Whatever they
may fondly imagine, the schoolmaster is not con-
fined to houses rented above 101.; nor whatever
they who write in the Courier may say, is intellect
identical with the being able to occupy three rooms
and a kitchen. Let them not deceive themselves.
The five-sixths of the people, whom by syste-
matic disfranchisement they would reduce to the
state of slaves, have enough of intellect and infor-
mation to know that they ought to have a share
in making the laws which they are bound to obey.
One of the most remarkable features in the case is,
that the class which it is proposed to privilege, is
not that which has been zealous in asking for Re-
form. They who would bag the game, are not they
who hunted it. The five-sixths who would remain
disfranchised, have never, till now, been aided by
any thing but a minority of the sixth which would
be privileged. A poignant aggravation would, there-
fore, be superadded to the former sense of injury,
should they, by whose exertions Reform has been
chiefly advanced, be excluded from the franchise, at
the very time that the persons, a great majority of
whom used to be indifferent or averse to it, were
privileged. Their disappointment would be marked
by such agitation, as would compel the Government
to resort not only to a large increase of the standing
army, but to a general arming of the Ten-Pounds.
Class against the Nine Pounds and under. If any
Government could have afforded to carry on such
a war against five-sixths of the people, it is
not probably one loaded with 800,000,0004 of debt.
Let us suppose, however, that by still increasing the
debt, the Government could find means of assuring
themselves against insurrection, a contemporaneous
step would be the re-enactment of the Six Acts,
and the enactment of six more; one of which would
be to prevent any man renting a house under 101
from ever uttering the word Reform. The five-
sixths being prevented from attempting to obtain
their rights by the constitutional course,—public
meetings and petitions—would not all remain
quiescent under their enthralment. Whatever
the more virtuous portion might do, it would
be besotted to imagine that persons not averse
to what Hums calls robust crimes would not arise,
or be unaccompanied by thieves. Whenever one of
those stagnations, which periodically prevail where
there is a surplus both of workmen and capital, oc-
curred, the perpetration of crime would commence
on a large scale. Assassination of such persons as
were active on the side of Government would be
accompanied by conflagration of farms and public
works, and by the pillage of private houses. The
country would become uninhabitable. The manu-
facturers would emigrate in a mass, and the land-
holders, with rents reduced a half, would be left to
the whole weight of the taxes. Happily to avert
the probability of such calamities is easy. It, id
only necessary to adopt the plan of Reform proposed
In 1797 by Earl Grey.

On Thursday the term of imprisonment ex-
pired to which Mr. ALExANDEa was sentenced by the
Court of King's Bench, for three political libels on mem-
bers of the late Administration.

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na
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Life of Sir HUMPHRY DAVY, with a POrtlr)rai.,Pfrom „
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S. The Turf, a Satirical Novel, in 2 vols. small Svo._.
4. Mothers and Daughters, a Tale of the Year of --
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in 3 vols. post Svo.—•Norancore's Life of TITIAN, in
2 vole. Svo. with a fine Portrait of TITIAN-6. Humus's
Travels in Greece and Albania, in 2 vols Svo. with nume-
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ings and Doings, in 3 vols. post Svo.—S. KOTZEBUE'S
New Voyage Round the World, in 1823, 24,, 25, and 26,
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PROM THE GAZETTE OF LAST NIGHT.

Lord Chamberlain's Office, Jan. 21, 1831.
Notice is hereby given, that the King will hold a levee at St.
James's Palace on Wednesday, the 23cl of February next, at
two o'clock, and that his Majesty's levees in future will be held
on every succeeding Wednesday, till further orders.
REGULATIONS TO BE OBSERVED AT THE RING'S LEVEE, AT
ST. JAMES'S PALACE.

The noblemen and gentlemen who propose to attend the levee
to be held on Wednesday, the 23cl of February, are requested to
bring with them two cards with their names thereon written ;
one to be left with the King's Page in attendance in the Presence-
chamber, and the other to be delivered to the Lord in Waiting,
wh will announce the name to his Majesty. And those gentle-
men who are to be presented are hereby informed, it is abso-
lutely necessary that their names, with the names of the gentle..
man who is to present them (not the Lord in waiting), should be
sent in to the Lord Chamberlain's Office, before twelve o'clock on
Monday, the 21st of February, in order that they may be sub.
mitted for the King's approbation, it being his Majesty's com-
mand that no presentation shall hereafter be made at the levee
but in conformity with the above regulations; and further, that
no person shall be admitted, on any pretence whatever, who has
not been so presented.

It is partiCularly requested that gentlemen who are to be pre.
senteci at the levee will have their names distinctly written upon
the card to be delivered to the Lord in waiting, in order that there
may be no mistake in announcing them to the King.
The state apartments will not be open for the reception of
company coming to Court until half-past one o'clock.

Commissions signed by the Lord Lieutenant of the County
of Perth.
R. Robertson, Esq. to be Deputy Lieutenant, dated Nov. 20.
J. Pitcairn, Esq. to be ditto, Nov. 20.
A. Macduff, Esq. to be ditto, Nov. 20.
M. Murray, Esq. to be ditto, Jan. 24.
D. Beatson, Esq. to be ditto, Jan. 26.
Royal Perthshife Militia.
Capt. W. Murray, half-pay, to be Lieut.-Colonel, vice Oliphant,
resigned, Feb. 1.
Capt. P. M. Threipland tobe Major, vice Craigie, resigned, Jan. 22.
G. C. Craigie,_ Esq. to be Captain, vice Menzies, dec. Jan. 14.
A. Butter, Esq. to be ditto, vice Threipland, promoted, Feb. 2.
Commissions signed by the Lord Lieutenant of the County of Flint.
Sir S. R. Glynne, Bart. to be Deputy Lieutenant, Feb. 2.
Sir J. Williams, Bart. to be ditto, Feb. 2.
Sir H. Browne, Knt. to be ditto, 2.
J. W. Eyton, Esq. to be ditto, Feb. 2.

Maylor Corps of Yeomanry Cavalry.
F. R. Price, Esq. to be Major-Commandant, Jan. 5.
The Hon. L. Kenyon to be Captain, Jan. 5.
Sir J. Hanmer, Bart, to be ditto, Jan. 5.
T. W. Eyton, Esq. to be ditto, Jan. 5.
E. Edwards, Esq. to be ditto, Jan. 5.
R. B. Phillipson, Gent, to be Lieutenant, Jan. 5.
H. Kenrick, Gent. to be ditto, Jan. 5.
J. Smith, Gent. to be ditto, Jan. 5. •
T. Maddocks, Gent, to be ditto, Jan. 5.
T. Kelly, Gent, to be Cornet, Jan. 5.
W. Roberts, Gent. to be ditto, Jan. 5.
R. Bateman, Gent. to be ditto, Jan. 5.
H. Crane, Gent, to be ditto, Jan. 5.
J. B. Lane, Gent. to be Adjutant, Jan. 5.
J. Barnett, Gent, to be Surgeon, Jan. 5.
Flintshire Corps of Yeomanry Cavalry.
R. Viscount Belgrave to be Major-Commandant, Jan. 31,
The Right Hon. R. Grosvenor to be Captain, Jan. 31.
J. W. Eyton, Esq. to be ditto, Jan. 31.
T. 0. Jones, Esq., to be ditto, Jan. 31.
Sir S. R. Glynne, Bart., to be ditto, Feb. 5.
Commissions signed by the Lord Lieutenant of the County of
Somerset.
North Somerset Regiment of Yeomanry Cavalry.
J. Bailward, Esq. to be Captain, Jan. 19.
J. Talbot, jun., Esq. to be Captain, Jan. 20,
H. Messiter, Gent. to be Lieutenant, Jan. 19.

West Somerset Regiment of Yeomanry Cavalry.
J. Trevor, Gent. to be Lieutenant, Jan. 18,
T. H. Watson, Gent to be Cornet, Jan. N.
M. Paramore, Gent. to be ditto, Jan. 18.

Crown-Office, Feb. 11, 1831.

MEMBER RETURNED TO SERVE IN THIS PRESENT PARLIAMENT.
BOROUGH or BEAUMARlS.—Siritichard Bulkeley Williams Bul-
keley, of Baron-hill, in the county of Anglesea, Bart, in the
room of Sir Robert Williams, Bart. deceased.

BANKRUPTCIES SUPERSEDED,

•
Richard Bacon, Fenchurch-street, tea broker.
James Brown, Wednesbury, Staffordshire, dealer.
BANKRUPTS.

SAMUEL BREEDEN, Birmingham, draper, to surrender
Feb. 22, at twelve, 23, at one, and March 25, at ten, at the Union
Inn, Birmingham. Bartlett, Birmingham; Holme, Frampton,
and Loftus, New Inn, London.
ANTHONY REED, Bishopmiddleham, Durham, brewer,
March 7,8, and 25, at eleven, at the City Tavern, Durham. Tay-
lor, Clement's-Inn, London ; Marshall, jun , Durham.
WILLIAM L A NDR AY, Lime Regis, Dorset, printer,
March 1,2, and 25, at eleven, at the George Inn, Axminster,
Devonshire. Hinge,ton, Lyme Regis ; Walton, Andros and
Westwood, Warnford-court, Throgmorton-street, London.
THOMAS LAZENBY, York, grocer, March 2,3, and 25, at
eleven, at the White Swan Inn, York. Pearce, Phillips, and
Bolger, Swithin's-lane : Richardson and Gold, York.
JAMES GRAY and WILLIAM POSTHUMOUS MORRIS,
Bristol, wine-merchants, March 2,4, and 25, at twelve, at the
Commercial Room., Bristol. Cook and Hunter, New-inn,
London ; Gillard, Bristol.
CHARLES YOUNG, Craig's-court, Charing-cross, picture
dealer, Feb. 22, at three, 25, at one, and March 25, at two, at the
Court of Commissioners. Stratton and Overton, Shoreditch.
JAMES BENSON, sen., and JAMES BENSON, jun., Man-
chester, commission-agents, March 1,3, and 25, at nine, at the
Star Inn, Manchester. Adlington and Faulkner, Bedford-row,
London ; Makinson, Manchester.
WILLIAM COOK, Darlington-place, Southwark. bridge-
road, coach-maker, Feb. 18, at eleven, 22, and March 25, at
twelve, at the Court of Commissioners. Smith, Great East Cheap.