The Sun.
London, England, 1823-04-07 00:00:00

' any man say that these Conveyances would have been valid
vaunt the creditors ? I believe there is no doubt as to the
answer which must be given. The Conveyances .were fieti,
tious and colourable; and as against the creditors they'
were void ; for they conveyed no property. But Can they be
void as against creditors, and valid as against the King ?
for . the King has -a -right to have two Members returned to
Parliament, elected by a majority of the owners of freehold
interests in the several Burgages within the Borough. But
if the two Members returned are not elected by owners of
freehold interests, they .wash in Parliament only by the no.
initiation of the noble Peer himself.
I believe there are about silty Membere of the House of
Commons,-who thus sit in Parliament by the nomination of
proprietors of Burgage-tenement Boroughs. A more number sit there by the nomination of Patrons of
Boroughs. In these Boroughs the Right of Election is various.
Sometimes in close Corporations '; sometimes in Free Men ;
sometimes in the payers of Scot and Lot; sometime* in Pot-
boilers, with other various qualifications. The Patron's Merit
with the Minister is, that he can supply him with the nominas,
tion to these seats.
It will be asked, what mischief arises from all. this ? The
answer is obvious. The 111inister having thus obtained a
command over a majority, of the House of Commons, -the
people are deprived of that protection against immoderate
taxation, which the principles of our Constitution had seem-
.ed. to them. Should it be asked, did the house of Cominolis
ever, in fact, protect the people against immoderate tarts P I •
'answer, Yes. From the accession of the Tudors, to-the both-.
.menceinent of the great rebellion, in the reign of Charlet", t..
the people were protected from immoderate taxation
,by, the
finuse of Commons. Take, for example, the reign of -BennyVlll. in disposition the most tyrannical of all-eur MoriarrhS.
Though they yielded to every other of his wishes, they would
not grant him the people's money. In vain did they urge them
to these grants ; he told them repeatedly that they cheated
him ; and in this he told them the truth ; for,. by Feoiliddits
to Uses, the profits which he was entitled to from estates
held of him in capite, were withheld from him. It WO
not until the 27th year of his reigns that lie could 'pre-
vail on them to pass the Statute of Uses, by which the =
frauds which had been practised on him were prrevented:
although he had been for many years urging the •Hthise
of Commons to pass this statute. I know it tray bit said,
that the house of Commons consented to let him confis-
cate the property of the Convents ; but that property' was
not under . their protection. They permitted Queen %lary /
to re-establish the Roman Catholic religion ; but when she
asked them to consent that the confiscated proPertyof the con-
vents should be restored, they refused it; far that propertywas then
become the property of laymen, and was under their protection.
At the commencement of the great rebellion in the time, ef
Charlet' I. perhaps there was hardly any Nation. in Etiroye
in which taxes were more immoderate than in England. On bne
occasion during that reign, an unusual number of subsides i
was de
anded n a message from the Crown. • The House was
startled at the novelty ; but a Member reconciled th'eni to'
the proposal by showing them bow very small a sam he, who
was reputed a very rich man, should pay. Mr. Hampden had
an estate of 2,0001, s.year ; the ship-money demanded from hint
was only twenty shillings ; he resisted -it ; not on account
of the amount, but on account of the injustice.of the demand.
In the time of Charles I. Members were sent to the. ]`louse
of Commons fMni those Counties,' Cities, and Borougli4,
which sent them now. Chester and Durham, il. believe, did
not send Members till the reign of Charles 1.1. The Zoe-
tion, however, as to the' places which have a right to send
MemberS to Parliament, has been very little. But the Mi.
nisterhad not then discovered the means of influencing Elec-
tions, I have attributed immoderate taxation to the manner
in which Members are returned to the Heim of commons....._
It is not the Members returned who are alone to be corrupt.
ed, but every man who contributes to the Election of the
Members is to be influenced ; and the present system renders
it necessary that the 'Crown should have great patronage.—
Men call for retrenchment in the expenditure I but if retrench-
ment were carried to a beneficial extent, the Crown would he
hit under Me power of an Oligarchy, themost oppressive of all
Governments.
I have thus stated the mischief. What is the remedy ? My
answer is, a House of Cointtions interested to keep clown
tares. And to secure that the House of Commons should be
interested to keep 'down taxes, the Members thould not only
be men of property thentselves, but should be elected by men
who bare that degree of property which inay make them soli-.
citons to keep taxes moderate. Retrenelimencmust be preceded
by Reform. • .
While Members are returned to Parliathent by, those Cities
and Boroughs which now send them, is it practicable to se.
Cure that they shall be elected by men of property ? I think
ft is. For instance,. in the. Burgage tenement Boroughs, Its
every Elector swear, not only that he is proprietor of the
Bur gage tenement for which he claims to vote, and hos heel
.to fbr a twelvemonth pi reeding the election, but let him also
swear that he has a landed estate of a moderate value., say ;,?fit.,
a-year, in that county in which the IlOrough is situate; and
if the Electors are 'found to be below 'a 'certain 'number,
suppose lON let a concurrent right of voting be given to
Freeholder within the County, who is owner of 1001 a.year.s...
Apply the same remedy of a landed qUalification to other
Cities and Boroughs, varying the eircuinstanceit ateording to
Me direvent Right. of Election.
I think it would be also. advisable that the qualifications of
Electors for COunties should be raised from 40 Shillings to
201. a year. This would preclude the necessity 'of Fleeter's
being carried to the Poll at the expence of the Oindiciates. . I
know that the remedy which I suggest, is the reverse of what
is recommended by the advocates for Universal Sufflitge ; but
the mischief against which- I wish to protect the people, is
immoderate taxation.
The Members returned to the French National Asserntiy
art elected by men, each of whom must have property to the
value of lOot!!, sterling. • I think this. a good Right of Ekes
Lion : for the Electors have an interest to elect those who
Will keep taxes moderate. 1 know it may be said, that there
are other articles which require to be defended as well as the
subject's property; such as his life and liberty. This is true;
but it is the property of the subject which the Minister wants,
and it is, therefore, the property which we ought meat sslici,
lough), to.guard ; and let it be remembered, that the Repres
sentative who has an„interest to gpard. my property, because
he is at the same time gtiarding his p\vn will, for the tuntie
reason, be interested .to guard my life and liberty.
' I have heard it said, that Reform in the House of Como-wipe
would prevent those men who have abilities, but tire withoett
property, tram being Members of that 'Moe, aiiii and:these(
men are very useful. lamof a difF,rent opinion, I think they
are rather mischievous then useful.. I wish the House of Coin.
mons not tecontinue to exercise that share in the Estleeritive
. Ciovernntent which it has lately acquired. The Minister a1w144
wishes the House of Commors to vote a previous epprobation
of that measure which he is about to adopt. By tins means,
he is protected from subsequent erimination. But-the Nation •
is, deprived of one of the most important advantages which it'
is entitled to expect from a House of Commons ; viz. An As-
sembly watchful-over the conduct of Ministers, and punishing
them for acts injurious to their Country.
1 have given my opinion thus fully on the subject of Re.
form i because I takeced, that either Rofonn or ReVo.
lution must soon place. I wish for Reforin, and depres,
cate Revolution.
I have thus.ventured to give my opinion on the probability
that a Reform 'of the House of Commons will take place
in
(heat Britain. I have expressed my wish that a Reform may
take place as being the only means: y which Revolution may
be avoided. I have also expressed my opinionae to the manner
in which Return maybe maybe effected. Most certainly mere regulas
tions than those which I hay esuggested will be necesstu-y.
Itfembers of the House of Commons were first suriononed to
Parliament to protect the King against his great NoLles ; they
are now wanted 'to protect the people ageinst imnioderate noes.
tion. To induce them, to atimd this protection,.! they must
themselves be interested, and to secure.that
,they shill he in-
terested, they must be elected by men who are piiyere of:the
taxes. With this view, the right of electing Aferobers must be
taken from many of the small towns and transferred to time in.
habitants of large towns.
Some men have thought that Triino;alParliaments rn'ght I e
t•likfibeerhgriiiiaanit.o4.amybigreincuieeilaefisitt,:cdottact:iii,tsnnisettmelliisrigs7is:.:e.fitihieletonnidi cooly
iist)eilintimits:tto.ortrohatihslwiwscabotioinniemilio:ttlt,agre,
it:oiii..tit,,
zutuvee.:fdaeriett techt)liotsvtoototb....!ivenmimmaigtl.eicAsentibwitht tialltipailtbey!...
benefit
nefit : 'Or while the House of' Common* continue to possess
that share in the Executive (loyetoment which they have been
allowed to usurp,: they are disqualified' to watch over the 'een-
duct of the Executive Government, per*" the most uftful
duty which they have to discharge.

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