The Sun.
London, England, 1821-02-13 00:00:00

cor,SeqtionCeg bright be occasioned. TMs wit§ lire
first instance of a system of reform of transferring
•the elective franchise from small boroughs to
large and populous parts of the country. His
Hon. Friend (Mr. IVard) had been inconsistent
with himself in deprecating Parliariientary Re-
form and advocating the present Bill. lie (Mr.
Ward) had said on a former occasion, that the
representatives .of. Old 'Sarum were as much re-
presentatives of the people as those who were re-
turned by the most populous places ; and, upon
that' principle, the Bill now before the House
could not be supported as just or. salutary. This,
he admitted, was a stronger case than other Cases
of the same kind, as (3 rampound was in the
:county of Cornwall, and the hundred had other,
boroughs within its compass who returned mem-
bers ; !lt he thought it, notwithstanding, bad in
principle, and dangerous in its consequences, to
•act in the present case differently from all former
instances, and to go beyond all the precedents
before them, in order to hold up Grampound asa
terror to others.
Mr. LEONARD addressed the House in support
of theextension of the Franchise to Leeds. The
true question, he observed, was where could the
House bestow this Fripchise with the greatest
advantage_? The Constitution was formed upon
the -base.of a wide and extended represent9tion ;
and he asked whether it could be believed that
that House would have. sanctioned, the late pro-
!' ceediligs against the Queen- if it were not for the
votes of. those Members who sat for decayed and
rotten Boroughs ?
Mr, LyTTLETnNitoped that the House would
pot meet the glaring abuse, which had been so
clearly established, with any temporary measure,
but visit the Borough of Grampound with im-
mediate condign punishment.. If the House
was anxious to discover palliatives for glariug
cases, it must be expected that persons out of
doors, in their honest zeal, would not fail to
snake it a matter 'of censure and condemnation.
The great body of the people thought justly and
honestly, and the. -Rouse would act wisely to
take the lead in the present instance, and support
its own dignity imthe -eyes of the country. The
present motion shocked no prejudices, and there-
fore it might,- with safety, be adopted. The
large and populous districts were the great scene
of wealth and talent, and 'ought not to remain
unrepresented. lie should therefore support the
motion. • • -

interfere with any of
of the country.
_ _

Mr. Aldermin spoke in suplibtt of
the extension to the Town of Leeds. Ili: Con-
sidered that its adoptidn would give satislaotion
to the country,; aitd Would do more towards si-
lencing the clamorous than ail the measures Which
had been adopted by, Pv.rlianjOlt.
Mr, Ho E SUMNER said, lie was a most deter-
mined enemy to Reform in general ; but at the
same time he would admit that in a case Of gross
corruption, he was an advocate for liberal Reform.
The Hon. Member for Yorkshire (Mr. S. Wortley)
had argued upon the population and intelligence of
the manufacturing districts ; and had stated that
they were not represented ; but it was a well

known fact that the trading and mantifacturing in-
terests of that County invariably prevailed over
filo agricultural interests ; znd that a Member
who should vote against the former, wadi& (7,r-
-tainly lose his seat at the next election. Thu
lion. Member alluded to the case of a Noble
Lord (Lascelles), whog hav►ng °treaded the
manufacturing interest while he represented the
county, lost his seat at the next election. With
respect to the Ifon. Member for Yorkshire's ar-
gument as tothe.dancrer of increasing the County
representation, was there any count•, he would
ask, wherein the representation was more com-
pletely in the bands of the Aristocracy than the
County of York ?

Mr. STUART ‘VORTLEY explained.
Mr. Alderman I nvoGtsrese, amid loud crie
of " Question !" and spoke a )ery few words, NI 1
,believe, in favour of the extension to Leeds.

The House the►► divided on the Amendrnei
proposed by Mr. BEAumoNT, when the numbe
were--

Fer thr Original Motion • 136
For the Amendment
Alajority ---70

The House then resolved itself into a Comini

tee on the Bill, Lord Aurnottr in the Chair.
The Bill was read through by the Chairman,
paragraph by paragraph, and the blanks filled up.
On that Clause, which enacted that the Free-
holders of Grampound should be disqualified
from ever voting for a Representative in Parlia-
ment, being read,
Mr. D. GILBERT suggested that some distinc-

tion should be made with respect to the appli-
cation of this Clause. It would be no more than
justice to those Freeholders who had not been
convicted of corrupt practices,-to allow them to
vote for the electio❑ of a Representative for the
County. Ile was sure there was not a Free-
holder in Cornwall who would not consider him-
self lowered if this distinction were not ad-
mitted.

Sir SCROPE MORLAND spoke a few words un-
der the gallery, not audible; we believe in sup-
port of the motion.

Mr. Alderman. lIEYGATE rose amidst loud cries
of—(Question. question !)—when
Lord JOHN Russutt, rose to reply. Ho said
the argument. for continuing the right of election
to Cornwall was by no means tenable ; it had,
been admitted that only 5 of the 42 Members
that represented the boroughs in thaki.tounty,
were connected with it; the Members therefore
might he said to be' taken out of the common
stock of the Representation. With a single ex-
ception, there was not a Man he believed, who, if
he had to fix the right of election, would confer
it on the county ofCornwall ;. that "county was
already represented by two Members, than
whom none could be more respectable. In answer
to the observations of the President of the Board,
of Control, that if the Bill failed it might form,
the ground for Complaint, and that therefore some-
thing would be gained, he had to observe, that
although the plan he proposed might be novel, it
was not in opposition to the *spirit of the Consti-
tution, and they would establish tt precedent that
might be acted upon with safety. That there were
men in the country whe would make it a matte 4
of accusation he did not deny, but he could assure
the Right Hon. Gentleman that he was not one
of them. All he wished for was, that when in-
stances of abuses like that of Grampound Were
established, that the House should support its
authority, and prove to the country that it valued
a sense of its dignity.
QUEEN'S ANNUITY BILL.
The SPEAKER. then put the question upon the The Order of the Day for the House going
motion. of Mr. DAvits GiLBEnT, for limiting the into a Committee on this Bill having been read,
franchise to the surrounding Hundreds, when the The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved
motion was negatived* witheut'a division. that the above Accounts be referred to the said
Mr: tIEAUMONT said', that although he had but Committee.
small hopes of his proposition being adopted by The House then went into. a Committee on
the House, he thought it his duty to submit it the Bill.
for their consideration, and the House would The CHINCELLOR of the Exult:our:ft proposed
deal with it as they thought fit. The Hon. that the:first blank which related to the Queen's
Member concluded by moving, ." That it be an annual income, be filled up with the words
instruction to the COMmittee, to insert a clause " Fifty Thousand Pounds."
for transferring the right of sending- two Mem- Mr. Alderman SMITH objected to the blank
bers to Parliament to the North and East Rid- being filled up in this way. lie had read over
ings of the county of York." the evidence with respect to her Majesty ,on a
Mr. N. CALVERT seconded the motion. late occasion, and he declared on his conscience
Mr. S. WonTLEr observed, that the,objection that he could not, under tli3 impression he had
urged by the last Speaker against the proposed received from that perusal, assent to this motion.
transfer of the right of returning Representatives He feared that so large a sum in such hands
to Leeds, would operate equally against the pre- would be used for most injurious purposes.—
sent system of Representation for all populous Though the Queen might not accept this sum, as
towns—,for 'Westminster, Bristol, and Liverpool, she had stated in her Message, yet she was in
for instance. He preferred the transfer to Leeds, such hands that he feared she would be prevailed
rather than to the West Riding of 'Yorkshire, on to takeit. He thought also that the present
because, with all his partiality to the Aristo- distressed state of this country was another rea-
cracy, the latter Would serve to give them too son why this sum, ought not to be granted. The
much weight, because Leeds, which had so many farmers were at present suffering to a degree 'they
and important interests to consult, had no direct had never approached before, in the worst
organ of its sentiments in that House, and be- of times. Ile hoped. some Hon. Member would
cause the landed interest .of Yorkshire was suffi- take the matter up, and if he did not obtain a
ciently represented in that House, while the majorityy, he would, at least, be supported .by
manufacturing interest was very differently cir- those who condemned Ministers for their
,extra-
eumstanced. It was to be considered also, that vagance. Whilst he was on the subject, he could
if the amendment • proposed by the Honourable not help adverting to the large income enjoyed
Member for Northumberland were adopted, a by an illustrious individual (the Prince Leopold)
great variety of machinery Must be constructed to which, since a melancholy event, Was certainly
set -such a measure in motion, as Yorkshire more' than it was intended or necessary he should
had at present but one Sheriff and one County• receive. lie alluded to the death of the Princess
Court. Rather, indeed, than accede to the Charlotte, since which, as there was no longer
amendment, he would be an adVocate for the the same establishment to be kept up, a great
proposed transfer to any other large town at pre- difference in the expenditure of his Royal High-
sent unrepresented; to Manchester, for instance. ness must have taken place.
With respect to the observation that from the The words proposed were then inserted into
'very great number of freeholders in Yorkshire, the Bill. It was also_ agreed that the payment
that County ought to have more Representatives, of her Majesty's income should commence from
it should be 'known that Lancashire had many the sth Jan. 1820._
snore freeholders; for there the number was On reading that part of the Bill which enacted
above sixty thousand, while at the last contested that her Majesty should receive the sum of
Election for Yorkshire only twenty-six thousand 50,0001. annually during her lifetime, " barring
were polled. The . lion. Member concluded her dower," . .
with observing, that he was an advocate for the Mr. BARING observed, that it would not be
Noble Lord's measure, because it did not tend to just to bar her dower, at the same time, granting

Lord J. RUSSELL said, he had no objection to
omit this clause altogether. With respect to the
remainder of the clihuses, there were some-blanks
'which he should leave to be filled up to-morrow.
Mr. H. SUMNER thought it would be right to
point out a specific term for the duration of the
election. As in London 10,000 vuters were en-
abled to vote in the space of eight days, he
thought it would be a source of great inconve-
nience to the inhabitants'of Leeds to be occupied
in an election fur even six.

Lord J. RussEt.r. considered the suggestion o
the Hou. Gentleman as extremely useful. Ili
might propose it .o-tnori•o*, so-that.the Bill tnigiv
go through the- Committee then; and be ordered
to be printed.

.The llouse then resumed, the CHAIRMAN re
ported progress, and. asked leave to sit again to
morrow.

Mr. LUSHTNOTON broug-ht up. the Report of
the Committee of Ways and Means, which was
received and agreed to.
On the motion-of the CHANCELLOR of the Ex
CHEQUER,

Mr. ARBUTHNOT brought u? Accounts of the
several sums of money issued for the use of the
Queen since his Majesty's accession.--. Laid on
the table.