The Sun.
London, England, 1848-06-21 00:00:00

tde Reform Bill, speaking to an American of distinguished s
18e14i, ''tst Who then represented his country at our Court, and
to at° him, " I cannot but ;eel very anxious on proposing
~
make an alteration in a constitution which has lasted soon~o
He said, " Yes, at long and so strong." And that,
i
contact, s the light in which I regard the constitution of this
tontrY; it has been very long—it has been very strong;
We should therefore apply ourselves with the utmost care,
tilih
ethe utmost deliberation, and I will say with the greatest
tiv4J, tYt to any plan which proposes to alter the representa-
oody in this House. Then, taking it in that point of view,
alndabot with regard to the question of right, let us see whether
y elected by all the householders and all the lodgers would
a better Parliament, a better representation, than the pre-
/71711 House of Commons. If you look to really household
out,age; the objection applies to which the Hon. Gentleman
an ed, that you get a representation of brick and mortar,
,"
that those who have been the advocates of the Charter
h„have a fair right to complain when they see the smallest
gseholders admitted to the right of voting, while many
tonne superior in property and in intelligence to the
bot'n householders are excluded.—( Hear, hear.) I do
think that that is an objection which can be fairly
ii!tertained against the present systent of suffrage, because
hat mode makes a choice among the householders ; it does
411: a right to property ; it takes property of a certain
i4ht; it takes the rating combined with that property,
y_ Lien tixes the franchise If we admitted the whole ot
householders without any other qualification than
tat of being householders, it would be open to the ob-
'."1311 that we admitted men of inferior intelligence. It
are to make the suffrage more general—if you are to
ae it universal, I do not see that having universal suffrage
' could well act upon the plan proposed by the Hon.
'Peman, by keeping up the present cities and all but the
Iler boroughs of the country; I do not see that you could
avoid that division into equal districts and into equal
°ha, which it is the proposal of the advocates of the
ter to introduce.—( Hear, hear.) If lam asked whether
ision into equal districts, and universal suffrage to every
person of full age, would give a better representation
people at large than the present system does, and
be more conducive to the interests of the people, I
deny that such would be the result. You would
Y have a great number of representatives for the large
some fifty representatives for this metropolis ;
ten or twenty for other large towns; each
itative imbued with the spirit and the ex-
dings of the populations of these towns. You would
3 *he feelings of the smaller boroughs and middle-
rns represented ; you would have representatives of
'ultural classes of totally a different character, firmly
to existing institutions, but unwilling to adopt the
of reform which this House and others formed under
m Act, have been willing to adopt. I fear that
oresentation so composed, totally differing in their
lewa—one ton much influenced with views of exten-
oration ; the other, adverse to progress and im-
s—you would have a collision and a contest which
angerous in its operation, and, above all, the Par-
composed would not fairly represent the country
iuld affect to represent. As far as his arithmetic
tn. Gentleman the Member for Montrose was right
her; he said that a million of people, in some
id no greater representation than a few hundreds.
tic was perfectly clear; but when you examine
and the reason of these differences you will
; representation, on the whole, is better from
a large variety of that kind than if you had
of representation, and that the representation of
hen we were discussing the Reform Bill, a
hose loss we had afterwards to deplore, be-
e. promise of great talents in political life,
litical views totally differed front mine—l
ed, who wished to give two Members to the
sedule B—men of great science, he thought,
tat talent and information would be sent by
Ighs, though not persons of property in the
as those who were likely to be sent to
a division of the country, and not being
I of those stirring habits such as th.ose who
ent by great towns. The Right. Hon. Baronet
ramworth, made a similar proposition. The
quoting a few observations which the Right
de in support of these views on the occa-
ing a Jury Bill, proceeded by saying—l
rgdments were founded on sound and just
it I conceive that, in giving forty Members
I sixty Members to other small boroughs,
'ding sufficiently for that class of repro-
as in it not only men of commercial and
dge, and. men of every kind of informa-
in it men who have studied the consti-
y—men in active and men not in ac-
lligence fits them to be representatives,
o not qualify them for county repro-
the representation of such places as
mingham. If this is the case, and if
hat view, it disposes very much of the
its that have been put forth, that a
s, that a small place returns as many
lace, that there are a thousand voters
here are only 300 voters in another
in saying that these Members ought
ain basis of the constitution, that we
House of Commons like the country
ions professions and various occupa-
sat, then the whole of the arguments
em founded on the disparity of the
at once to the ground. The Hon.
rid of disparity; like the rest of his
vague and undefined. Then what
were to adopt his resolution? He
se existing boroughs, with the ex-
would throw Horsham, with three
be county of Kent; but would he
erbury, Guildford—such towns as
heir present situation? If he did he
numbers ; and I say, how would
a bit better satisfied than they are
till there would be 20,000 electors
in another? They would then
Id effectual reform instead of a
hich you have given us. The
the end of his speech, wished for
; very much in the same lan-
reproached with having used
tot know how he can have a
Or the advocates of the Charter,
;an his adherents, would still
tint. They ask for a vote for
Honourable Gentleman does
cts, which he does not pretend
at any length on the question
that under that system there
how an elector voted as well
eetings lately held, there was
a gentleman from America
file in the United States to
of in itself was not security,
tame in England. Though
France were elected by
net revolution. With re-
that the duration of Par-
rears, if I agreed with the
a thinking that we should
stituencies, I should hold
im that it was a matter
Id have annual or trien-
that annual Parliaments
want is not the power of
behave themseves, as he
Bristol, not for ill-be-
ivil religious liberty.
tentation that you ought
eve in view the mainte-
presentatives and their
Jollity in the policy of
had triennial Parlia-
be unsettled, you would
le to consider that they
annual election, either
sort of renewal of the
id willing to make.
change, that annual
finial Parliaments, and
t proposition of all.—
on in favour of five
sent duration of Par-
my vote for an alte-
tat there is a very
n between Members
eves though Mem-
for five years, I do
s has a great influ-
res.—( Hear, hear.)
ich the Hon. Gen-
, I do not think he
nent took place in
that period shown
to be the mere
•ely bigots who
rn, indifferent to
people? I think
de in that time,
een adopted by
as clearly ascer-
sponded quickly
nil. The new
slavery was en-
nmense change
e of the people,
cl before by any
Shortly after
t open to the
reat commer-
tr two after,
a, measure
Ily interested,
iculty that it
' Mr. Pitt
ssenters com-
elebration of
and deaths.
y remedied.
ins were en-
; were sub-
constitution
urse of late
sores from
but which
in. Member
tar, hear.)
ie number
er of ex-
, and one
ch surely
ieculiarly
acy—the
measure
; others
3untry ;
tore was
igs held
'or the
ning to
a asked
h have
arried,
nny.—
much
thesis
great
great
Bence
may
the
ehen
ch it
t it
ink,
.lia-
Seat
hat
Isi-
res
b-
is
a-
n.
is