The Sun.
London, England, 1810-05-22 00:00:00

of the proprietors of those horoUghs to compensa-
tion. In point ,Of right they had no claim upon 'the '
public. He, however, would vote for their re-
ceiving compensation. It would be best- so to 'do ;
for in such instances a -seeming prodigality
was the severest economy, as it would remove
a number Of impediments which bad hither-
to stood in the--way of a Reform. This idea, -he -
was aware, would not meet with the entire appro-
eetien et many who had expressed themselves to be
.
favourable to a he;„..” -; butaeon consideration, he
- 7 :•
thought they -would be reconciled to and that
they would feel the taxes raised for such a purpose •
were more essential to the goed of the-country than
any that ever were levied. He would now speak
as to. the, appointing of representatives to tholeplaces which had hitherto been unrepresented. The
first step he would propose should be the giving of a
eepee„e:^tiye to eines the most populous. There
were 400,000 persons reerarng severe pe.
ford Road, who were wholly unrepresented, while
in the west of England members were returned for
places where there was no population at all. What
claims could such places as Gatton, Old SaruM, and
St. Mawes, have to be represenfed In Parliament,
while those of whom we had spoken -wanted a re...
presentative ? He would give as many Members as.
Were let loose by the reduction of such places to po. .
pnlous -towns like Birmingham,. Manchester, &c.
In ancient -times there were repeated instances of
places which had been ever unrepresented having
received representatives in consequence of their in-
creasing opulence, as he proposed the towns he bad
mentioned should now do. For the evils of Scotch
representation, he- was less competent to propose a
remedy, -than for those of his own country, but lie
thought there could be no great difficulty in assitni
lating the mode of eleding Members of Parliament
there, to that established in England. If, however,
that could not be accomplished--if they could, not
,bring about a Reform as extensive and comprehen-
siveas could be wished, they ought to-do as much as
lay in their power, at least, they-should reform them-
selves. With the state .of the Representation of Ire.-
land ale was still less acquainted than With that of
Scotland, but that could be laid -before the Com-
Mittee.' He understood there were, as-in England,
boroughs in the nomination of a rich and powerful
aristocracy. In consequence. of such nomination,
that House became an oligarchy, a secondary oli-
garchy. This ought not-to be: What was there -
Worse than a State blending the forms of e free with
the spirit of an arbitrary Government ? He now
came to speak of theduration of Parliaments. - This
he regarded as -being a question of .enormous diffi-
culty and immense importance. If Parliaments were
too limited, the representatives of-the people would
be too little acquainted with Parliamentary business,
and unfit to answer the purposes for w filch, they
were returned.. Inconveniences and complaints
arose from their being too long. Thus objecting
to annual and septennial Parliaments,- he felt dis 7
posed to go between, and give his voice in 11aour
triennial Parliaments. 1f such an arrangeMent
were made, some difficulties might arise if the
eledions were continued to be conducted on the pree
sent plan. If triennial Parliaments were restored,
he thpught it would be advisable to vote, by districts'
but was totally averse to the,princ'ple of returning
by, districts, as much -confusion most necessarily
, thence arise: .He would suppose this pl en adopt-
ed in the county with which he was,best acqueitited
--Hertford. In such a case,- divided into tour dis-
tricts, the'
,greatest must - necessarily predominate
over the others, and the richest resieent would
'be returned. Thus he „could not approve of the
principle of returning a Member by distriat ; but to
vote by distrid would have many advantages, and
no- material objection could be urged against it.—
The Sheriff might easily collect the votes of each
diStrid, and thus save the candidate an immense
exFence. Unless some reform was made to the
mode of polling, it .was impossible to make Par-
liaments triennial, without apprehending the most
dangerous consequences would result from such a
change. Having now shortly gime, through the
various parts of the question, he should at that
time say little more, reserving himself to reply
to.such observations as might be made on his
plan. He would not anticipate the objections
that might be made to it, but to prevent any
misapprehension, he would briefly re-state what
were his ideas on the sdbjett; and 'what were
the objects he . had in view. 'The Hon. Gentle.
- man here recapitulated the changes he proposed to
effect. There was one other subject to which he
had intended to 'allude, which lie would mention
before be sat down. He thought the number
of persons holding places under the Crown who
sat in that House ought to be reduced. The
Huuse could not, in his Opinion., be too inde-
, pendent -of the Crown. He hoped it would not
be long before a Bill was brought' in to pre.
vent any person from holding a situation who did
not discharge the duties of it. The state of the coun-
try had'become Ouch 'that ,reform was indispensably
necessary, No alternative remained to us but a mo-
derate reform, or a military government. Without
a reform the sun of England's glory would set for
ever; but if one were effected, emerging from a
gloomy horizon, it would again-shine forth in all its
original splendour. He concluded by moving that a
Committee should be appointed to iliquire into the
. state of the repiesernation of the people, and to con-
sider of the most efficacious means of making it more
• complete, to report their opinitin from time to, time
to the House.

Mr. D. GIDDY complimented the last speaker in
high terms on the manner in which he had brought
the question forward. Of all the plans he had ever
heard for Retort!), the plan of the Hoti. Gent. was
the most moderate, and .the most rational. Hethen
spoke at some length
,on theadVahtageS of our happy
Constitution. The King presidtid over all. The
House of Lords he contended felt their interests
blended 'with those of the People, atr advantage
which was peculiar, to this country. Another pe-
culiarity of.t he Constitution was the Constitution of
that House. It was net_ entirely composed of the
delegates-of the People if it were ever so yielding
to the caprices and flattering the preludices of the
Multitude, it would 'Concentrate in itself the Whole
power. of the nation, and render it impossible for any
other Body in the kingdom to exist with them. In
support of thiS assertion, he directed the attention of
the'House to what had occurred in a neighbnurifig
country, as also what took phice under. suety cilcutn-
stances at one period of on; own history, and thence