Star.
London, England, 1831-03-28 00:00:00

ROXBURGH ANTI-REFORM MEETING.

A numerous meeting of the Freeholders, Justices, and Commis.
stoners of Supply having met on Monday last, to consider the pro.
priety of petitioning Parliament against the general measure of Reform,
Sir WALTER SCOTT, in reply to some arguments adduced in favour of
Reform, spoke to the following effect:

Sir WALTER SCOTT—He had no intention of intruding himself
upon the Meeting, as his voice was nearly gone, and be was not
otherwise (well; but the present was so important an occasion, that
entertaining the clear opinions that he did upon the subject, if
he were to lose his life in consequence of his appearance at the
Meeting, he would willingly yield his last breath in opposition to
the measure now before Parliament. He would tell those who were dia.
posed to indulge in hissing, which they bad no title to do at that meet-
ing, that it did not affect him more than the hissing of a number of
geese. His friend, Mr. Bell, bad afforded him several instances of the
dangers to be apprehended from the intended measure. He disliked
the moment in which the measure was brought forward--he disliked the
feelings that spurred on its supporters. They knew of the last Re.
volution in France—how it happened he would not atop to enquire : all
that he would say was, that the persons who climbed to the democratic
part of the Constitution had obtained the advantage which they dc-
' sired, and they obtained their own Government in the way which they
thought best. This has set fire to a train over the land that has
burned far and wide. France for ages has been imitating our Con-
stitution, but not fairly. She has been always trying to add some-
thing to it, to render it more exquisite, but in this she constantly
failed. There were to less that 13 different Constitution. and this he
believed was the fourteenth within lour recollection, and in every one of
them France had made a Constitution that in the course of a year was
found inapplicable. And was it from France that Britain was to
imitate a Constitution, and to depart from its own, which had given
happiness and victory to the country, and had carried its glory
to a height France had never been able to attain ? He was
moreover, convinced that we would have war with the French—
that they would never cease to be hostile to us as long as the remem-
brance of the battle of Waterloo remained impressed upon their minds;
and that this country could not be considered in a state of safety as long
as they could do us any harm without imminent danger to themselves.
He had himselt seen a little of the extreme degree of the ingenuity of
the French in imitating our devices. They wished to introduce from
this country an iron bridge. They sent to an engineer of this country
to have such a bridge placed over the Seine near 11Iarly. The first
thing that the French engineers did was to examine the drawings ;
and they declared that the bridge intended would not do—that it was not
elegant enough—that it was altogether English, and, as such, they set
about altering all those counterpoises which were necessary to give
it stability ; but they no wooer set it up in this condition than it turned
upside-down. It was quite the same thing with regard to their consti-
tution ; they tried to make it better, and we now saw the end of it. In
repairing an old edifice that has withstood the floods and winds of ages,
we should be captious not to fiestroy its symmetry • we should " let
well abide well." The tree under which we and our fathers have slum.
bered for ages we should not be rash in cutting down. He had heard
much of the success of the Union. How long was it in being success.
ful ? More than fifty years: men's bairn had turned grey before this
success made its appearance ; and they now had their hopes realised.
Although the worst of miseries were brought into our country by an
innovation so much to be deprecated, it would in the government of the
world be brought round. The crop came in GOD Almighty's time;
but we should not be rash enough to sanction changes which were very
likely to occasion evils of no ordinary kind, instead of continuing to
live quietly and peaceably, as we have done hitherto. He should take
leave of them with the adage of the gladiators to the Emperor of old,
inorituri is salviata ; If we pass this we shall be undone.

Mr. WILLIAM BELL having observed that no man could believe
some change was not required, and that it ought to be a change of ex.
tension ; and having added that although the similes which the Ho.
nourable Baronet used were good in themselves, and the theories raised
on them magnificent, they had no application to the question.
Sir WALTER SCOTT again said, God forbid that I should be
against all Reform. We have occasion no doubt for Reform, but
it ought to begin first in our own bosoms. What I am against is
proceeding incautiously. With regard to the Constitution of
this country (continued Sir Walter) he might say of it, possdere
librat tea—her own powers balance each other. It was very sel-
dom that these powers came into violent contact with each other.
If they were to destroy any of those powers they would destroy
the balance of the Constitution, by extending the power of the
people, and deprive themselves of the means of mending it. He
could only compare the present measure to a watch placed in the hands
of an unskilful person, who by turning the regulator backwards and
forwards, without a knowledge of its machinery, broke it in pieces; and
now we have got a repeater in the hands of children, and GOD knew'
that is to become of it.

The Petition against Reform was then adopted by a majority of 47
to 23.