Star.
London, England, 1831-04-19 00:00:00

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ton would be immediately girt up to the house in favour of the ma-
tore. A meeting, for the purpo.e of agreeing upon the terms of the pe-
titi )n. and of signing it, had boon called. One of the placards calling
it he held in his hand, and it stated that the object was, among other
things, 4` to celebrate the triumph of the glorious cause in the
hands of our beloved Sovereign and his enlightened Alinisters."—
(Loud cheers.)

Mr. HUNT said that in the first place. as to what had fallen
bran the honourable member for Middlesex, he should perhaps in
rnessure confirm his statement. In regard to what had
f din from the honourable member respecting Darleton, he had
fit ray that he had been at a meeting that took place there. He
W. 1.1 at Birmingham on his way to Preston, and at Birmingham
wit. invited to attend a meeting in Warwickshire. In reply he
eaitl he had no property there, and he should not go. but would
;end the day in Birmingham. Two members of the Birmingham
Union (nne a Mr. Western, a most respectable man) waited on him,
red invited him to attend a meeting at Derision, saying, if he would
go, he should have a seat there and back in their carriage, and this
a es the way in which he had got among the honourable member's con-
stituents opposite. In consequence, he ( Mr. H.) believed of his being
I resent on that occasion, instead of there being 50 to dine when diuncr
lied been prepared, there were nearly 300. He wart invited to address the
persons assembled. and the discussion arose upon the present measure of
reform. Ile certainly did put two or three questions to them. They
were mostly working men, and not of the class which he should call
101. householders. In answer to what was elated in the house the other
day, with respect to putting leading questions, he admitted that he had
put leading questions; and he would appeal to any honourable and
amed member in that house whether, in a court of justice, leading
questions were not permitted for the purpose of eliciting Outh, and the
whole truth. (Hear, hear.) He asked those present whether they
would be likely to come within the class of those who would have a
vote in the representation? A great portion of them said they were
not. Ile then *eked them whether they would choose to delegate to
the 101. inhabitants ouch as were proposed by the bill their right to
vote, and their answer in the room was—certainly not. After dinner
he was invited to go to a multitude, no doubt partly to bear the leaders
of the Birmingham Union, and partly that he might be heard himself.
He was told that he then addressed 10,000 people, and to whom be re-
peated his questions, and from whom he got similar answers. The
honourable members for Staffordshire and Middlesex stated that meet-
ings bad been held all over the country, and that the people were una-
nimous for the measure. He (Mr. H.) had stated the same thing, and
that the people were running mad for it The honourable member for
Boroughbritlge had called it " Russell's Purge Bill." (Hear.) It
might bz entitled to that epithet from those who were to be scoured
out of Parliament by its operations, but lie should apply some other
term to it. It was a Bill to disfranchise 60 boroughs, and to knock off
120 members. Now, it seemed the noble lord had put them altogether
into an oven': be had pounded them, and blinded the eyes of the people
of England with the powder in the shape of "love's powder, or bre.
roughnionger's powdtr." People had begun now to see the effect of it.
They were recovering from their blindness. The house heel been lustily
told that all people approved of the measure. Why, so they did ap-
prove of it—they npprovcd of it as fur as it wet:, but many, and
particularly those in Lancaeltiee, did not epprove of it in consequence
of its not going far enough. He (Mr. H.) Itlr his own part, &p-
-roved of the kr.oeking.off system—he approved of the measure,
and he should give it his support. At the sane_ time he had always
contended for the right of the whole people, and this was certainly
not a measure calculated to give to the whole the Ti'cjit of voting. Ile
had stated on a former night what he tepeated now, that when the Bill
was in the Committee he bh )tild move, that those who were exempted
from the right of voting, should be excused from paying taxes and
serving in the militia (hear). He had stated this, too, to the persons at
the meetings he had attended, and asked them if they expected any
thing from the measure? They then stated that they expected nothine
whatever. The hon. member for Middlesex bad stated, that at the
dinners he (Mr. Hunt) had attended, certain toasts had been drunk.—
Now that lion, member must have been entirely mistaken, because he'
had dined welt no one ! He knew what the hon. member meant, it
was this, that he ( Mr. blunt) had been invited to nn evening party—
(laughter)—at which there was nothing to ea t-e(repeeoed laughter)—at
ail, and at the meeting the health of his Majesty's ministers was drunk.
(Much laughter.) As to the feelings of the electors of Preston, he had
a petition from them, in %bleb they all ceee urred in his representations.
He also had letters to show that Scotland was not very uuanimuusly in
favour of the bill. A letter from Paisley said, that not one in ten and
a half householders would have votes. Would that satisfy the people ?
No. He rejoiced that the bon. member for 31 (Mews had spoken out
for universal suffrage; btu unfortunately he was not now so useful as
a ministerial member (a laugh) as he was an oppositionist. His (51r.
Hunt's) speech on a former occasion seemed to have delighted the oppo..
sition, they had even had it extensively printed ; but since ha: period his
(Mr. Hunt's) health was not drunk in the way it had been (a laugh), and
he was denounced by the press, which, in face, was in.' conspiracy for this
bill. (Cheers.) Not unfair conspiracy ;—but such was the popularity
of the measure, that had not they supported the bill, they could not
have sold their papers (cheers.) As to buying him, the Tories had
nothing to give; and but one price only would buy hitn, that of giving
the people the protection of the ballot (hear). When he had spoken
of the people, he meant those who wet e not to be represented even b
this bill ; and he must again declare that they were not satisfied with
the bill. When others spoke of the people, they meant those who
were to be represented by this bill ; they only were the people in the
estimation to the press and that house. In confirmation of his opinion,
he said, at Leeds and elsewhere, it had been declared that "Mr. Hunt
had done justice to the working classes." He did not complain of the
press for their attacks upon him, and this was not the first time that
he had been attacked by the whole Fees of England. He repeated, he
denied that, with the exception cf the metropolis, this bill was popu.
lar ; it was not, with such exception, and with exception of the press
(cries of question, and confhtion.) He hoped he should always be
allowed to defend ; if not, he should make his bow, retire, and
resign his trust to Preston, and snap his fingers at the house—(cheers,
and laughter.)

Mr. Alder man IV A ITH MAN read the resolution of the sil k-weavers
of Spiraltields di flying that Mr. Hunt had truly represented their feel. I
ings. They were not 101. householders, hut operative journeymen
weavers. H. bad put thc question to them about cheap bread and
clothes ; still they were in favour of the bill. The hon. member for
Pteston was charged with being the greatest enemy of reform ; but,
(and no thanks to him) he was one of its best friends : for such opposi-
thin had done more than any thing else to open the eyes of the people.
Sonic said the measure w.ts too sweeping—others declared that it did
not go far enough ; that hi his opinion showed that the ministers had
hit on the just medium. The country was satisfied with the bill, and I
the reople were justly indignant at having been stated to be dissatis.
tied with it. From Spitalfields he had a petition, signed by 3,500 per. I
sons, and they had authorised hint to make the statement he now had
made.
Lord STANLEY asked the Member for Preston whether he had
used the language attributed to him in a country paper regarding the
elections at Wigan, squeezing the electors to vote for popular candi-
dates, thus exercising a little " Constitutional influence" over them P
( Hear, hear.) It had been partially hut not wholly denied by the hon.
member ; and was that language that ought to be used ? (Hear.) And
what had that bon. member said in the country about laying Manches-
ter in ashes or spilling its blood rather titan return particular persons ?
Was not such language most reprehensible ? He would not ask whe-
ther the particular language was used ; but if he had said any thing
like it, he had disgraced himself. (Cheers.)
Mr. HUNT replied, that thc reports the Noble Lord had quoted were
grossly exaggerated. lie had advised the voters to be led, and to have
their arms squeezed a little, if they were slow to go to Wigan to vote
for popular candidates, by way of exeicising constitutional influence;
but he had said nothing about pulling their arms off: (much laughter.)
He denied that he had ever cut any imputations on his hon. colleague:
(question.)
Mr. P. THOMPSON moved for a new writ for Bramber, in the
room of V. Stuart, Esq. who had accepted the Chiltern Hundreds.
—Ordered.

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