Star.
London, England, 1830-02-06 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARY REFORM.

The Marquis of BLANDYORD.—The amendment which
I sow feel It to be my duty to offer to the House relates, as I con-
°Ave, Sir, to matters which more vitally affect our interests than
the affairs of Don Miguel or Dan Pedro, Greece, Cuba, or Mexico,
on all which topics we have heard so much this evening. Dot, Sir,
having given notice for an early day of a motion on the question
which involves the whole principle of my amendment, I will not
vow offer any arguments in support dt it beyond those I addressed
tattle House last night. And, indeed, Sir, I think that the speeches
of the Honourable Member for CaMinton (Attwood), and
of the Honourable and Learned Member for Clare, might
be received by the Howie as sufficient introduction to the
amendment I am about to propose. Of the speech of the hon.
and learned moan for Clare, I seise this opportunity to declare
my cordial approbation, and to say how entirely I concur is every
word which fell from the honourable and learned gentleman, and
to assure him how proud I shall be to co-operate with him in the
noble and patriotic work he proposes to himself. I will now, sir,
sa►mit my amendment : it turns upon no " verbal quibble," but
goes at mice to add to t►e address some wislawor adanessitiois for
ale Arum I know not what fate it may experience—l know not
if Isbell find any honourable member disposed to second it. If
it, meets with no response is these walls, I cannot help it—but If
it does, I pledge myself to carry it to a division. I now, sir, move
that at the end of the address which has now been read a second
lime to the boom, these words be added—

" That this home feels itself calkd upon, is the awful and alum-
idg state of universal distrait into which the landed, commercial,
iod all the great productive interests of the country are at this me-
ant plunged. to take care that your Majesty shall not be the onlj
person in your dominions ignorant of such an astouading fact, es
*ell as of the consequent impending danger to the throne, and
other great national !saltation, established by the wisdom of our
daemon, for the protection and benefit of the people over whom
Agar Majesty has ben called to preslde.
" That this house is at no km to indicate the real cause of this
Mom unnatural state or tidop ; and, in justice to your Majesty and
the whole nation, it can no longer hesitate to proclaim t►at met
to the world.

" It is a fact already too notorious that this haute, which was
intended by our ancient and admirable coestitudos to be she
guardian of the nation's purse, has, from causes now souweemary
to be detailed, been nominated far the greater part by a few pro.
prietors of close and decayed boroughs, and by a few other Indi-
tiduals, who, by the mere power of money employed is means ah.
*only and positively forbidden by the Mole have obtained a
dominadoo; also expressly forbidden by ass of parliament over
certain other boroughs and sides in the united kingdom.
'4 That in consequence of this departure from the wisdom of our
auceston the nation has been depthed of its natural puritan, and
has, in consequence, become so burdened In the expeosire estab-
Sehnients of all kinds, that, to a much shorter than the life of
man, the taxation haalncreased =De miaow to Nearly sixty
millions a-year ; and the poor•rates, or parochial aewassesitots,
during the same period, have augmented frost one and a half
aoU-
Sons to eight millions annually.
"That to nuke such a mans of tandem so dispropertiosate so
the whole wealth of the kingdom. In any degree supportable, re.
eoune has been bad, either from ignorance or demise, to the most
Monstrous schemes, in tampering with the curresey. or circulating
Mosey of the country ; at one time by greatly dinduishing the value
of the some, and at another time by greatly augmisting each value;
and at each and 'eery of such changes, which have beat bet too
(ten repeated, sae claw of the community after anotherhas been
nosed into poverty, misery, and ruins•while the mffaten withal*
bey fault or foUyof dwelr own, have been hardly able to passive
from what band these calamities have ceme upon them.
" That seder such circumstances, and with this knowledge be-
bre its eyes, this House would madder itself lost to every maw of
'ditty towards your majesty, and guilty of tresses towards the
people, if it did not seise this opportunity of declaring to your ma-1
,e jest* in solemn conviction that the State is at this moment is the
,Most imminent danger, and that no effectual nwasates;of salvation
will, or can, be adopted, until the people shall be restored to their
tightlyl share in the legislation of the country—that is, to their un-
doubted right, according so the true meaning of the Constitution,
Of choosing the members of this house."
Mr. O'CONNELL 'evaded the amendment.
Sir F. BURDETT saki that he believed every Gentleman pro-
nto knew his sentiments upon the subject of the amendment which
bad been just proposed by the noble lord. He bad tang thought
toziously upon it, and was still as unshaken as ever in his at-
tachment to, and approbation of it. Friend as he was. therefore,
this interposition et this moment would DOI be misinterpreted when
he addressed himself respectfully to the noble lord, entreating bins
not to hazard the success of his proposition, by putting it at a season
when the mind of the House were so little prepared for it. He as.
send him, that by so doing, It must, of necessity, lack the support
Of very many Gentlemen well affected to it. It was a question of
ibo much magnitude to be taken up without suflicient consideration.
At the same time he must congratulate the country upon having
this question taken up by the noble bid ; it was t 1 'wooled In-
dication of the extent of the evil when such men came forward to
Rowdy it. His conduct did honour to the noble lord's hamar mad
spirit is an lieglishman, and credit to his understanding and seal
a a member of this house. With all respect for him, however, it
must be said that an amendment embracing all the questions in the
address—questions of much more importance than the address
itself—ought not, in justice to half, be pressed at such a moment as
this. Ile felt the force of the amendment, and it was because he felt
its force that he recommended its being withdrawn, He felt the
necessity of a reform in this house, and no small alarm
when he recollected what bad taken place last night in another
place—when he caw the Prime Minister so deaf to the difileukke
of thew he country, as, instead of meeting those difficulties by inquiry,
to sa dispositioe to stifle all Inquiry in the embryo, and to
persuade the country that the dreadful, general. and universal dis-
tress which was every where felt was but partial, temporary,
and unworthy the attention of the Legislature—(Hear, bear.)—
Under these circumstances, though much entitled to the best coo-
ukicration of the house for his talents and patriotism, he (Sir F.)
hoped the Noble Lord would not do himself and his motion the
kijunice now to press it to a divisien—(Hear, hear.) When
he (Sir Francis) saw the distresses of the count) y attributed to
the improvements in machinery—improvements which all scien-
tific men had agreed were the source of all its prosperity
*hen he saw this, and that it was so high a personage as the prime
minister of England who published suck opinions, be most say that,
with all the respect which be bad for the noble duke, who was so
much admired for hisgreat talents in the field. be could not help agreeing with him in what he himself expressed some short time
before he was appointed to high place, that, had he taken it upon
him, it would be little short of insanity. When he heard such
sie4s promulgated from such a quarter, be (Sir Francis Burdett)
bad too deep an intermit in the manse of this mention to suffer
in being placed In hazard by unseasonably putting.—(Seven
bur.) He would not anticipate the debate epos the currency
peewee. The distresses of the country bad reached a dreadful
extent. They were not to be got rid of as a modes of reform, or
my other abstract quenion, might be. The misers could not be
home much longer : it was called temporary, bet for the last
Sheen years it had been going by the same same, and was ad*
"iltiettiog. As to she statement that the drculatkig oaedisun was
treater now than it had been before, it was mach the saesp-
POW to build an argument epos it. It wan est new; it was
elspossible—(hear ;)—aod who, that ever looked into • book open
the subject, could believe that there were 26 millious of gold io
sirsulatioa now in AiDallad y All dame coesideratiews wen
WIDOW for postponing this ameadasent. The noble duke had
already met with a great deal of heihiiisech frau this aid* of

the house, principally because he had achieved a measure— I
and he was the only man who could do It—which would for ever
command the approbation of ail liberal men. That measure of
justice to oar Catholic countrymen ought to have passed half a
century before; and the delay of it had brought things to such a
pass in Ireland, that thfi alternative was either concession or civil
contention. The noble duke had the merit of choosing the former
alternative, and a great merit it was indeed. For this conduct the
noble duke bad had confidence reposed in him, but there were
now other things to he done, and the noble duke ought to re-
collect what was expected from hint by the country. Looking at
all these things, be (Sir F.) should do all that be could to pre-
vent this house front continuing to be what it now was—a
mere tool in the hands of the minister.—(Cheers.) They all
blew the use which a minister could make of a corrupt House of
Commons ; and who that knew any thing of the condition of things
within these walls, and how the members, instead of representing
the Commons of England, were but the representatives of a number
of peers, could say that reform, and the moat effectual reform, was
not wanted? The state of this house wanted no proof; it was ob-
vious to the whole world; " id acids, et quod vat sdtb, sates
sciunt." He assured the noble lord that he was not Jammed by
any personal motives, but only concern for the cause; and upon
the ground that this would be prejudiced, and the noble lord's pa-
tronage of k thrown away, he hoped he would not prep the amend-
ment now to a division.

The Marquis of BLANDFORD—Sir, by this amendment.
I call upon this House to tell their King that the state is in imme-
diate danger—by this amendment, I call upon this house to tell
their King that no measures of salvation can, or will be adopted,
until the people are restored to their rightful share in the legislation
of the country. Now, Sir, notwith tanding the deference I must
feel for the opinion of the born baronet—notwithstanding the
deference I must feel for his superior judgment and powers of de-
bating, the honest and unalterable conviction of my mind being as I
have stated, I have that confidence in the plain common sense with
which GOD has blessed me, which assures me that I should betray
my duty towards my country, were I to acquiesce in the boo.
baronet's suggestions. I therefore, Sir, shall feel it my duty to press
the question to a division.

Mr. W. SMITH depretated the pressing she motion at that
moment as injudicious. He spoke as a friend to the principle.
Mr. Secretary PEEL said that he did not rise as a friend to the
measure, to deprecate its being brought forward now, lest it
should be prejudiced, but as an avowed and decided enemy to It,
and solely from the disposition to give it fair play. Upon a subject
of such particular important:Ow thought the expediency veryduubt-
ful of a discussion at this moment—(hear). His principal reason,
however, for rising was, not so much to influence the course of the
amendment by any thing he might say, as to ewer bit protest
against a practice which seemed to be now growing general, of
referring constantly to the proceedings of the other House of
Parliament. The boo. baronet's observations had just proved,
more than ever, the justice of that rule which precluded this House
Irons alluding to the proceedings of the other, bccasse it could not
be done without great danger of dotes Injustice to those who were
absent, and who, of consequence, could nut protect themselves
against misrepresentation. He (Mr. P.) was never more sathfied
of any tact than this—that the hon. baronet had misrepresented the
observations of his noble friend (the Duke of Wellington,) in the
allusions which he made to what was supposed to take place else.
where last night. He was sure his noble friend never meant to
impute the distresses of the country to the improvements in ma-
chinery, or to the more diffused application of steam to machinery.
What he said, it was probable, was (fur his noble friend had been
often before karma to hold the same opinions,) that a past et the
distress bad berm occasioned by the very circumstances
which were the elements of the prosperity of the century. He
dared to say that what Isis noble friend particularly referred to
was the power-loom, which, though it was ao undoubted improve-
nest in 'mesh:wry, and was a great means of enabling out mane.
facteren to undersell thou abroad, was yet the cause of kiereting
the prices of labour at home, and of (bowing numbers out of eat-
plcsent.
Mr. PROTHEROE joined in the recommendation to the noble
lord a withdraw his anseachnent. It was natural to every man to
have an affection foe his ewe offspring; but as be (Mr. P.) bad last
night..eaceilled his parental feelings, be had some claim epos the
noble lord to Mew kis example.
Mr. WESTERN argued against putting the amendment. Though
friendly to the principle, yes be should vote against the motion. it
it was pressed.
Mr. E. DAVENPORT said he agreed entirely with the noble
lord. and should vote with him on the 15th In favour of that reform
which he bad fur many years advocated. But be thought that just
cause injured by introducing it without giving doe notice to its
Maids, and thus shewiog the world a small instead of a considera-
ble 'blearily. This was not doing justice to the question, and
sites the declared intends@ of many other friends to the cause of
opposing the noble lords motion, he had declined voting at all, or
lending himself to any proceeding of such doubtful expediency
to the cause he supported.
The house divided; when there appeared to be—
For the amendment it
Against it
Majority against the amendment .—IIS
The house then resumed, and the adduce was agreed tea—Ad-
journed, at Et ams. o'Clock, to Monday.

THE EVENING STAR.

by Honourable Members—as if wry excuse at elf
could palliate their abandonment of public principle,
and their desertion of the People, whose Representatives
they affect to be. We must diamise this matter for
the present, congratulating the noble MARQUIS on the
attitude which he has assumed in the House : by di-
viding which, be has at least shown to the pubic how
largely the rotten materials preponderate in it over the
sound and healthy.
CITY, TwaLve ()Twat.
MAILS ARRIVED AND DUE THIS MORNING.

A. S.
O Dublin .. 0
o Waterford ..... 0
O Oars. dc Jersey 0
O Leeward Weed. I

•. a.
2 Prance . 1
0 Flaaderd 0
1 Holland 0
4 Hamburg li

a. • a.
O Lisboa ... •
o Jamaica a
O Swedes •
O Brasil

The Conant Market, which left of yesterday very heavy at 91,
for the account. opened this morning in a very agitated state at
931, went down to 9111, afterwards were done to 911, and at pre-
sent stay be quoted 911 j for the account, and 91 for money.
The care of this decline is not exactly known.

The agitated state of the Funds in the early part of the morning,
wawa Comb were dose at el j for the account, has subsided, sod
the market rather improved. Console may be quoted at present
at 911 to tot the account, and for stoney Oil 9t. &me business
has bees dose, but no speculation of amplitude, as the capitalists
ate waiting to see what the Ministers will do in regard to the
Snakes, as well as for the trite, of the present distressed state g
t►e country.
in the Foreign Market little or nothing doing, and tie prices
continue much the sank as yesterday.

HALF-PAST ONE.
The accounts received from Paris by the French Mail
this morning, state, that if the German Journals a e to be
credited, the treaty of Adrianople is fu• from having the
result that was earected, as numerous obstacles have
started from the late war in the East, which might be the
cause of a new war. It appears that Russia has sent
orders through the empire to hasten her recruiting, and
that her military attitude in Persia will not be relaxed.—
The accounts from ConstantinoVe say, that the Reis
Effendi has had some serious explanations with the Eng-
lish Ambassador, in regard of having compromistd
the Porte.

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