Star.
London, England, 1831-02-03 00:00:00

PANORAMA OF THE
EMPIR JE.
MANCHESTER AND SALFORD ADVERTISER,
JAL 22.
gin allidavis in this paper proves be weekly sale to be 2,M4 copies,
hums it toe the bee chalk*. me h le, In one nYtdmh. dlbe
OP WAN/Rd PePtil In the Wilk a.
Ms Y. at its report on tbi late important maim -
Oen es bake week in armors with it, and we Mlt
ble, omen tenr. to do jun* to the intake*
hp,'Moll who bold the* Mit rank mobs the ibe
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Serenefter thest:ll==s4me
ll bap* 'An
Oink dis yeepleidemine seem* die' ellirtildmi Mr.
Thomas Potter, *rani Banter, *Hid till than
He read the ad die unit Wall Medved nrW
Friday, • pail lei lassie ihe warii'a hilleagnlber the whole Wye(
the malt:Weds% lel binomial I* he, (the ilbehman) with a very
few others. hid talkm:siyan ihsniadvse the sespecribility of calling the
meeting. Of the impeihnes of lisf as tlen they were met lodhans,
be entertained:net:hayed decided ion, be was casein* that
question was 'holly coition* with beat interests of the a=
arid if the claims of the people in this pentode: were not
granted, it would be dilleult to coleelate the disastrous cooseqten
ten
It had been add that the opinions of the reformers were conflicting. No
doubt there ware diffeent abides of opinion on the subject, but all
were agreed on the point, that reform was necessary. It was impotent
that the country should some forward at this juncture to acmes thole
sentiments on the subject, as, 'Rath* MOWN of reform to be Meath'
forward by government had been granted, If it were not sedate:tory,
they would be taunted with not stepping promptly forward to the sup.
port of ministers, and to obtain what they wanted.
Mr. Richard Potter roes to propose the first sultan. He was
received with great applause, and after this bad sabolast, be spoke
at greater length than we can fallow, but with that elmemeniedo he.
oesty which adds so much force to eloquensesi-I bold in vay MA NM
he, an extract from a deed, bearing date Jean!!, nes, weinepe.
borough of Clitheroe, between the family el MIN amd• the Omen e
the deed states that these two families are mans we propieless of aktely
burgeges, and one half burgage in the bore of endwise. It U_si
that forty-two entire heritages belong to MON. Was, Esq. and the
remainder to the Cursons. The deed goes en so ssess,dims as it la id-
rable to prevent disputes, at every general election, ember she contract-
ing parties shall nominate one member. In another sot of the deed
la an agreement. how a vacancy shall be filled up, Um seam subse-
quent to a general election ; but in the whole document art one weed is
said about the electors : thy are no parties to the conemet.
I understand, at Clitheroe is, that persons living Inhungiphonsos,- held
them and other property at rents below the valets Shwa a re-
fractory burgess occasionally vote against the patron's eishise, he is
and to suffer. At the conclusion of the deed, the contracting parties
solemnly pledge themselves to abide by the enactments, by the words,
.• faith and honour of gentlemen." I make no comments upon this
document; it speaks for itself. The borough of Wigan it another,
and a different specimen of the boroughmongcring system. The inha.
blunts of that spiritedeatrini are nobly struggling to emancipate them.
selves from the and Injury they have so long laboured un
der. The power of deciding which of the iuhabitants of Wigan shill
exercise the elective franchise le invested in a jury, nominated by the
Corporation; something like the lord of the manor's jury, who choose
the boroughreeve and Constables of the town of Manchester. En arse-
bro' in Yorkshire, is a third specimen. The Duke of Devonshire is
what is called the patron of the borough, that is, he nominates the
members,and it is singular and rather novel in the want that none of
the inhabitants of the town have any concern in the election. The
day before the election takes place, a number of the Duke of Devon.
shire's tenants, from Bolton Bridge and other places, come into the
town, and certain burgage houses are surrendered to them, and the next
day hey go into Court and return the persons the duke's agent requests
them to do, and then they are denominated the members for Knave:-
bro'. Speaking of this borough reminds me of en objection to borough
reform, which I have heard some persons make, which is,
—that unless there were these kind of inlets to the House
of Commons, talented and highly connected young men of
slender fortune could not obtain seats; that men like Sheridan, Burke,
T , Mackintosh, and Brougham, might not have been brought
forwarda sbut by close boroughs. Why, if I understand rightly, what
one effect of a reformed parliament will be, it is, that men of talent.—
and above all, of principle, would be preferred, and elected too, without
any expense. There Is only owe more instance which T will adduce. to
show the extraordinary state of the representation of England. This
document which I hold in my hand contains the names of 102 English
boroughs, the entire population of which was, at the census of 11121,
188,370. The population of Manchester, at the same period, was
187,03(; majority in favour of Manchester, 661. Sines 182 r, as most
of you know, a very great increase has taken place in the parish of
Manchester, whilst I believe a put number of the boroughs lave re-
mained nearly stationary. And if the whole population of the king-
dom was now taken, the parish of Manchester would contain. I have DO
doubt, as many, if not more, inhabitants than are in 180 boroughs
that return two hundred and sixty members, fern:in/ad:
majority of the English mambas.—(Shama) But it
be borne In mind how very few of the inhabitants have votes. To
give you some idea of which, I have another list containing the names
of 16 boroughs that return 60 members, and the teed as of
votes are only three hundred and fifty-eight. (Shame.) To the credit
of Mr. Prentice, be it spokes, these lists were, some time ago, pre-
pared and published by him. In Scotland the state of representation
is, if losable, still more shameful, but as that will probably be
commented upon by some native of that country, I will nee occupy
the Name of the Meeting. bat by just speaking of Edinburgh, a
town nearly as large as Mandtester, where Thirty-three persons
elect the Member. who bas actually stated in his place in Par-
liament, that •I no reform is desired in Scotland;" but I rejoice
that that statement is unfounded. I have just received a Inter from
a valuable friend of mine in Scotland. who knows the state of feeling
well. The writer says—" The spirit of parliamentary reform is
spreading far and wide in Scotland, sod in less than a year, we hope
and confidently expect to see *ghosting of a popular election at the
cross of Edinburgh." On the aB-important subject of the ballot, I
have a strong and decided feeling, but I think I have steady occupied
as much of your time tad attendee as I eight to do, rod it will coots
this day under your notice.
Mr. Potter was followed by Mr. Shutdeworth, who, as usual, was
Most eloquent in exposing the monstrous abuses in the reprenotadon,
and he concluded with the followlag peroration :—The House of Com-
moos, as now constituted, is an amemably in which the people, whose
house it ought to be, have no pow. The reform of that house must
be such as will return members who have no interest in misgovern-
ment; members who will act for the benefit of the whole community,
and not, as heretofore, for the sedative benefit of themselves and tie
borough-owners—members who will no longer sacrifice the inmost
of the many to the interest of the few. To secure this result, it
is necessary that they should represent, not as they now do, the
aristocracy, but the people ; they must be intimately and
closely connected with the people at large, and mast have no
other constituents. This purpose can be effected with certainty,
only—by more frequent election—by a general digitate!) of the
franchise—and above all, by complete independence of voting, that is,
by secret voting, or voting by ballot. Under a different system we have
seen the resources of the country—mapificent and splendid es they are
y unequalled, and wooderful as are the great, and almost
1-14:211:biginattual, physical, sod mood foundations on which they rest
—profligately wasted; and we have seen the people, amongst whom the
just and natural &WIWI* of these resources would have sprmd pros-
perity, peace, and jay. reduced, by the dreadfidasposta with which the
same system hos bombes* the Maur of the cottony, to almost the very
extremity of reitheeness, agitators, and hnpatintas But under the
auspices of an enlightened and honest administration, I have sanguine
hopes that at length a brighter prospect is opening before us.
Mr. Gasv then moved another resolution, and among nutty peed-
neat observations, entered insn some details relative to the origin of the
representative system, respecting which, he remarked, moth ignorance
prevailed. From these details, and from several cur. eta which he
read, it appeared that the first enrolment of the parliament took place
in the reign of Edward 111. and that. with some trifling attendees,
this was the origin of the present House of Commons. It was not ern
the reign of Henry VI. that Lancashire sent any representatives to
parliament, and about this period might be dated ibe origin of rotten
boroughs, which were designated by a writer of the reign of Charles 1.
in a work on the records of parliament, poor upstart boroughs,
which without any right, sent members to parliament." Of these 64,
were enumerated, which were called" rotten boroughs." In the reign
of Henry VIII. the country gentlemen became ambitious of being in
parliament, and instead of the members being paid their reasonable ex-
penses, these gentlemen Gowned and feasted the burgesses, to secure
their return as representatives in parliament. During the reigns of
Nary, Elizabeth, and James. mighty more were added to the list of
rotten boroughs, antengst which were most of the boroughs of Corn.
wall, the borough of Newton, in this county. and the respectable
borough of Be. tee.
Mr. Hopkins fin* Mr. they, with great ability; and among other
appals to thelkilmment his mlightenei audia=rtated that she a.
seam of bails. *am tie names of M
other finming eltepther one town, and known by ti aandp.
ofiderniennr, *Main 106,000 inhabitants. And, in the Kee
whisk .1 held la My hand, taken (men the census of MM. there are as
any as 111 places while return 212 members to the Home of Cm.
Min Old the whole edema plane @attained a population of no mem
that MAL Thee a repetition exceeding the cemputed number le
bko4lllllolll by may 292, seek to the Reuse of Grooms, motathme
an. half dib members SOOMIDE by UN whole eilleileeL (Hoar, been)
;frthe people of bkirdwrilse. ban eir petition for
t. of returning two bandsman* lodes numbers to Der-

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