Star.
London, England, 1830-02-15 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR Or THE EXANIXER.

68t =—l observed, without the least surprise, in your last Es-
maker, (p. 89) that " Mr. Peel said It was not the proper time "
to enquire whether " the Marquis of Blandford " had justly de-
nounced "the House of Cemmons," as "tot being chosen by the
people, but nominated by the proprietors of boroughs." An Attor-
ney-General, when he snuffs *libel, can follow the scent Into every
place except one. In that privileged place it appears that Sir
Francis Burdett declared in unqualified terms, that " the House,
the root of all the grievances of the nation," and whose " corruption
was known all over the world, was not the House of Commons, but
the representatives of certain Peers and others, contrary to the law
of the land."

' Of this contrariety, Mr. Peel mast have felt an overpowering
conviction, and his meta console could scarcely have failed to place
him among the pseudo-representatives. No wonder that " it was
not the proper time" for inquiry. The Home Secretary, I am
persuaded, with all his Oxford kerning, will never discover (and
the difficulty has been often remarked) • presage tense to the verb
reform, as applied to Parliamentary repreeentaties. A'allwas tempts,
as to " that however Important subject," will rather sank high
among his "golden rules" of state-policy. Nor, indeed, can it L'
expected, that a member for Westbury should be such a Feld do at.
or so regardless of his constituents' interests, as to admit that " the
proper time" can ever have arrived.
' I had occasion to ascertain, many years since, the pretensions of
that borough to appoint two of the 513, who affect to represent all
the Commons of England; those Commons, on whose credulity
Blackstone and other courtJawyers have, from age to age, been int.
posing, while they falsely ascribed to the people an adequate than
in the power of legislation.
In 1792, I was engaged in the Society of " Friends of the Peo-
ple," to assist in preparing that " State of the Representation,"
justly regarded as the text-book of Parliamentary Reformers, and
for which they have been peculiarly indebted to the unwearied at-
tentions of the late Mr. Tierney. We, of course, circulated en.
quirks in every direction,and had among our returns one from West.
bury, which I well remember to have read, and it produced, with
some surprise, ao little amusement.
' The borough, which sent two members, was the property of
the Earl of Abingdon, and consisted of burgage.tenements, let to
about 80 tenants, who thus became voters, bipeds equally at the
Earl's command with the quadrupeds (such as now enable the
Home Secretary to sanction as a senator his own measures as a mi-
nister) in his Lordship's stables. To these worthy electors " a
name" was indispensable, but for " a local habitation" there was a
convenient provision, in case a burgage.tenement had Men into
irrecoverable ruin. A post was setup, on the vacant site, suitably
painted, and by some fiction of law, a voter claimed and was ad-
mitted to be there an inhabitant.

The Marquis of Blandford and Sir Francis Burdett will, no
doubt, find" the proper time," though Mr. Peel should not discover it.
He may then, however, if he pleases, dimmer what are the propor-
don of wooden electors among his "free and independent" constituents.
Cicero, though himself of the sacred college, somewhere expresses
wonder that one augur could meet another without laughing. It
is equally surprising that the Chosen by Old Sarum and Westbury
can preserve their gravity when they find themselves called over
among the Representatives professedly elected by the Commons of
England. J. T. BUTT.

Clapton, Fcb. 8, 1830.'
The Duke of ellington Mr. Secretary Peel
on Saturday, at his residence in Privy-gardens.
The Austrian Ambassador honoured the performance
of the French play, at the English Opera House, on
Friday evening, to see the performance of Mons. Potier in
Antoine and Le Beneficiare.
Mr. Frankland Lewis is appointed to the vacant office
of Treasurer of the Navy.
Mr. Ward, of Holwood -park, was returned for Leo-
minster on Thursday last, without opposition.
Lord William Powlett's name ,was omitted in the list
of the minority who voted for the transfer of the elective
franchise from East Retford to Birmingham, instead of to
Bassetlaw.

In the list of the majority who voted against transfer-
ring the representation of East Retford to Birmingham,
the name of Mr. Fitzgibbon appeared as having voted
with the majority, whereas he voted in the minority, for
transferring the representation to Birmingham.
'Mr. G. R. Robinson, in the division on the East Ret-
ford question, voted in the minority.
Philip Perry, Esq. who died the other day at the house
'of his sister, pi Lower Berkeley-street, left behind him
personal property to the amount of 250,0001. for which
. probate has been granted in the Prerogative\Court to his
executor. Mr. Perry's freehold estates are estimated at
nearly 100,0001. in addition to the above. He Wa4. a
branch of the great shipbuilders at Wickman.
" Tun. WOOLSACK :—ln a French paper of Teesday
last we find the following, referring to our Meeting
el Parliament:—" Apres le lecture. du diatomic!
4 mamma, le Lord Chassidim -rod pis« mar la
Tolle de cotois f"
•