The Sun.
London, England, 1828-05-20 00:00:00

Punishment on the greatest guilt, and rice rasa, On that
ground, therefore, he could not adopt the proposition of
the Hon. Member for Hertfordshire. He ever was, and
ever would be. an enemy to Parliamentary. Reform, but he
thought he should be the beet friend to his own cause by
'taking away a franchise when it was notoriously only a
t for corruption.—(Question, question.)
Lard SA:VON would vote most cordially in support of
th_
original motion.
Mt. Secretary HUSKISSON could not admit the prin-
"lPic that the franchise should always in future be trans-
cecrred to a great town whenever any borough might be
"'franeloinel. The House might make a bad selection,
itt'l as what his Right Hon. Friend near him (Mr. Peel)
"ids telated only to a choice between two towns, so his
4'iun had been that it would be better to extend the
Iraochise to the neighbourhood of the town which had for-
-:`!erlY enjoyed it, rather than to a distant part of the
'..lttg!loto, Now, as to the present, which his Noble Friend
-,Rtdered a strange course, it should he recollected, that
when. the House first took upon itself to punish for cor-
tearltsen, it did not disfranchise any borough, but consi-
:N that a correction was applied by throwing the liberty
to the vicinage ; and that had been done in the cases
at Shoreham, &c. ; and the argument in favour of that
"urse was strengthened when there were numbers in any
Place who had not vitiated their franchise by using it for
aftropt purposes. In such cases Parliament had no
take away the franchise and thus punish innocent oper-
ant", fur guilt incurred by others. The proposition, how-
!ver, of the Hon. 'Member for Hertfordshire, was not to
15111,40 fresh blood into the borough by letting in the free-
holders of the vicinage, but to deal with East Retford as
they had with Grampound ; and then, by giving the fran-
chise to the neighbourhood, to create a new representation.
Mr. N. CALVERT said, that his object was to give
the franchise to the freeholders of the hundred in which
Last Retford stood, and who were about 2,000 in number;
4tl also to continue it to such of the freemen of Retford as
!'era
rated at 20/. a-year for the poor rates.
Mr. see.. HUSKISSON—That did however go, in
tact, to annihilate the Borough, as in the case of Gram-
Pound, inasmuch as it transferred the right of the voters
to East Retford, and created altogether a new right in the
Borough. He did therefore wish that further time should
he given, because he thought the Member for Hertford-
',hire's motion was entirely different from the instruction to
the Committee, which was in these terms :—" In order
to prevent all unlawful proceedings, and that the borough
be duly represented." He maintained, however, that it
*ould no longer be represented if this motion were agreed
too and that the motion called on the House to transfer the
franchise to the neighbouring Hundred. Under those cir-
cumstances, he unaffectedly must say, he felt a great diffi-
'uity, and wished that the decision on this question should
(postponed.B As to the insertion of Manchester in this
it would be irregular, because there was another Bill
":o:tt top to the Lords, which might pass, and in which
Blanchester WAS also inserted. The better way, there-
fore, was to postpone the decision.—(Loud cries of
" Question !")
Lord W. PekULET said, that the Hon. Member for
ie • • •
lertturdstoore wished still to preserve the franchise to those
freemen who were rated at 201. a year, although those ap-
peared to be the most corrupt persons in the borough, and
4,nong them was a Clergyman of the Established Church.
if ever there was a case of the grossest corruption, it was
the one of this particular borough, and he would therefore
''ate for the original motion.
Me. Secretary PEEL said, as reference had been made
to what had fallen from him in the debate on a former
°ccaeioro, with respect to his having held out the promise of
tit compromise, and as that was an affair which involved
It 3 personal character, which he held in higher estimation
toau any question, as the House was in Committee he
''7ould beg to say a few words. He denied the assertion
that he bad held out any thing like a pledge. In his
sPeech he said, that he would give no opinion ou either
ease until it was known what was to he done in the
'4se, of Penryn, because his views would be governed by
circumstances, and he would refrain from giving an opinion
tntillie should learn what the House should have to deal
`vith. He denied, therefore, that he had given any pledge
as bad been stated. If the franchise was only to be taken
away from one of the boroughs, he claimed the most
Perfect liberty to do as he thought proper. He had never
P.,te!ettl on the Bill ; he bad left the Honourable into °-
queer of it at perfect liberty, neither had he had any coon-
alunitation with his Hon. Friend, Mr. Calvert, with re-
'Peet to the motion he had brought forward ; and when he
had done so, the House could not fail to knew, that he
(air. P.) load objected to the preamble as nut providing for
the object it professed. He attended that debate, as others
who were taking part that evening did not ; but the Hon.
Member (Mr. Calvert) was well aware that he had ob-
.'" eted to the introduction of his new principle, with respect
t
Persons rated at twenty pounds. The Hon. Gentleman
Tennyson) of his own mere motion brought ue the
'bate, with the result of which he bad been taunted and
'cello:id of breach of compromise, because the Peers had
abandoned a part of another Bill. But he did not belong
to their Lordships House, nor had he any influence in
what was done there. He therefore again denied that he
had violated any pledge, because he had given none. If
t4t Bill had been postponed until it was known what the
Lords
is should do with Penryn, or if it had been known that
renryn was to be thrown open to the adjacent hundred,
!lieu the Hon. Member (Mr. Tennyson) might have said,
You spoke of giving one to the hundreds and one to the
Manufacturing interetts—here is one given to the hundreds,
kt the other be given to the manufacturers." The Ho-
nourable Member for Preston had said that the cases were
vet's' different ; that East Retford ought to be given to a
treat town, and that Penryn ought to go to the hun-
ed. That was open to any gentleman to propose at the
tOae, but it was disapproved of by the House. He (Mr.
etary Peel) had made a proposition, that Penryn
4lould he thrown open to the hundred ; but they were
16satisfied ; for in the Committee there were two to one
tgainst it; and, on the third reading, by a majority of
°,sur to one, the Bill actually and entirely disfranchised
'euryn. The Hon. Member (Mr. Stanley) said that this
as a miserable compromise, hut lie (Mr. Peel) said, that
tf there were two places under consideration, he never
would lay down, as an invariable rule, that the franchise
ta.u't go either to a manufacturing town or to the hundred.
If
this were a miserable compromise it was one in which
eulons who took a part regarded with respect. In the
tL'e of Grampound, where the franchise was forfeited,
€anning voted for the transfer to the hundred, and in
the case of Penryn, he voted in the same way. He did
tat know what crime there was in it, or why the course
he pursued should be considered monlessatcrou, he
monstrous and unconsti-
tutional wish
nlconsti-
'utional ; but where there were two places,
tas give one to a great commercial town and another to the
hundred. The Right Hon. Gentleman concluded
it was oneneludedbys fayo.
1n?, that if it was a miserable compromise
which he was not ashamed.
Mr. STANLEY found no fault with Mr. Peel, in being
Jealous of his personal character, particularly as he set so
than
a value on it as to say it was of more consequence
a constitutional question.
Mr. Secretary PEEL said it was of more consequence
to himself individually, though he should not set it in coon-
vetition with a constitutional question.
Mr. STANLEY allowed the great consequence of per-
%°aal character, and did not wish to impugn that of the
Ri
Honourable' Gentleman ; but if that Right
"nourable Gentleman would go farther and say
that his practice was consistent with his promises
t
the Present question, he certainly could not agree with
100, If he did not mean to pledge himself by anything he
Zid is any case, of what avail was it to wait ? Why did
4, "Y. let us see if there be one or two questions? He
r. Peel) said, that there were different grounds on
irh the House should go, but be (Mr. Stanley) said, let
; here he no compromise, bet go on on Constitutional prin-
t?'". Mr. Canning's vote was no compromise. He
bOught that the evidence against Penryn was not sufficient;
st: voted accordingly, and the Lords were of the same
e
eution..
Si,"fr. Secretary PEEL meant to deny that lie ever uttered
Nerds from which an inference could be drawn that he
13Posed there would be only one franchise to be disposed of.
44. C. W. WYNN agreed with his Right Hon. Friend
%vitt.' Sec. Peel) when he said that he had no intention, in
atever fell from him, that an inference such us had been
~`et should be drawn, but he (Mr. Wpm) was hound as
dgottest man, to declare that, loowever erroneously, lie load
\vo that inference from what he (Mr. Secretary Peel)
aad
He did not remember the particular expressions
fkititel by hint, but he certainly had falleu into the mistake, and
the b. into it honestly and sincerely. • He begged to remind
th 'tight Hon. Gent. that he understood distinctly from him
tatat if there were only one case, he (Mr. Sec. Peel) would
te4iad it should go to a large -town. It must be well
tee, _ that there was not the slightest probability that
closetZ4chiee would be transferred from Penryn to Man-
that or that the Lords would seed down any Bill for
ProZPose. What impression then would the present
tools Wong make upon the public mind. That the House
and et, Case of Penryn because they knew it to be weak,
..pop_4l:_aged that its franchise should be transferred to a
• to etri,i7. Place—whereas that borough. which it was next
the be 11 Would be the one disfranchised, they secured for
kilt of the landed interest. Upon these grounds, be