Star.
London, England, 1831-02-28 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PA LIAM

The House met on Saturday for the purpose of receiving the num e
rous petitions for reform in Par;iament which it was consideted essen•
tial be presented previous to the ictroduction of the reform Lill,
on Tuesday next.
The SPEAKER was enabled to take the Chair at twelve o'clock.
An immense number of Members were present.
Lord ALTHORP presented an immense number of petitions,
observing, that without reform, there would be no security for
His Majesty's present Government. (Loud cheers.) When he and his
colleagues took office, it was on the express understanding that
they would not continue in office unless a reform were granted,
which would give the people a full and fair representation. But as a
measure had been preferred by government, and was soon to be pro-
posed, he would not make further comment, lest he should provoke
discussion. He then proceeded in presenting petitions from Manche s.
ter,Bristol, Monr•outh, &c.

Mr. O'CONNELL, Mr. PORT MAN, &c. supported the prayers
of the Petitioners, expressing their conviction, that without Reform no
real benefit or security could revult to the people.
Lord A LTHORP also presented petitions for Reform and Vote by
Ballot, from Ludlow, Leamington and about fifty other places.
Mr. H. DAVIS presented a petition from Bristol against reform.—
He regretted that in the present state of the country, this question was
to be agitated. lie agreed with the petitioners, that the reform sought
was little less than revolution, and was calculated to destroy the fabric
of the British Constitution.

Mr. HUNT said the hon. member had no right to call reformer%
revolutionists. The petition was not that of merchants, bankers, &e.
it was a hole and corner one. It was then sent to parishes within 14
miles of Bristol, and they had got the four to sign it.
' Mr. S. DAVIES declared there were 5,000 signatures, all residing,
except about 700 in Bristol.
Petitions, praying for Reform, were presented by Sir H. Bux Durex,
' from two places in Suffolk ; by Mr. TRULL, from Bury St. Ed-
mund's ; by Sir WILLIAM FAWKES. from Cambridge ; by Lord STAN.
LEY, from Liverpool ; by Aid. WarrumAN from three parishes in
' London; by Sir JOHN SEBEIGHT, from Hitchin and Bishop's Start.
ford ; by Mr. DOUGLAS, from the county of Lanark ; by Mr. PHII.L.
POTTS, from Gloucester; by Aid. THOMPSON, from the Merchants,
Bankers, and others of the City of London ; by Mr. KENNEDY, iron'
the City of Edinburgh, signed by 21.700 individuals; and also front
Glasgow, signed by 35,175 individuals, and from four other places in
Seetland ; by the LORD ADVOCATE, front Cupar, and two other
places ; by Sir RONALD FuousoN, from Dundee, and several other
places.
Mr. HUM E, in reply to an observation from a member (Sir G.W,r.
render), said he considered, that if upon enquiry it was found that the
church property was improperly applied. the State, by interfering
therewith, was only assuming a prerogative which they had a right
to do.

Mr. O'CONNI;LL concurred in the opi:,:ons of the Hon. blember
for Middle ex.

Mr. HUME then presented petitions from various parishes of the
metropolis, from Manchester, from the incorporated trades of Leith,
from Galway. Durham. &c. &c.
Mr. C. 110BHOUSE presented a numerously signed petition from
the parish of St. Ann's, praying for parliamentary reform, a: el vo:e ty
ballot. The lion. member, in alluding to the state of the cauntry, said
that it had been hinted by some, that it the house repelled reform, it
would bring the house into discredit—el:se-nein indeed He could say
that the rejection would render the house powerless. The tittle was
now come :hat the Government must grapple with a new question.
Lord G. BE RESFORD, Sir F. BURDETT, and Lord ERRING-
TON, presented a great many petitions for reform.
Mr. O'CONNELL, at the request of his constituents, rose to sup.
port the petition.
Sir F. DURDETT presented about 20 petitions front various parts
of England fur reform.
Lord MORPETH presented petitions from Leeds, praying for vote
by ballot, and that all the elections in the country should take place in
one day ; also from Sheffield, Borough bridge, County of York, Ike.
Sir W. INGLEBY expressed 'egret that the rich pauper' would nor
do as the poor laws compelled the farmers and others to. support the poor
relations. He also coLdentned the Tythe system as grievous, vexatious,
and injurious, and declared that the Church was tottering to its fall.
He spoke this as a good churchman, and from the wish that timely
warning would be given. •
Sir H. HERON was for Parliamentary Reform, also the Vote by
Ballot—only he wished that subject to be discussed separately.
Mr. O'CONNELL. presented a petition from two inhabitants of
Carlow, for Reform ; also from Wicklow. Ile then presented three
similar petitions (fur the Noble Member for Woodstock), from Chip.
penham, freemen of Oxford, &c.
Mr. HUGHES HUGHES said this was the first time that he had
heard of any of his enlightened constituents having petitioned for Re.
form—a subject to which he should attend.
Mr. HUNT then presented 24 petitions for parliamentary reform
and vote by ballot ; (the first of which had been presented by Lord
Radnor to the House of Lords, and received., He spoke of the im-
possibility of duly attending to the petition. He observed if the Bir-
mingham Political Union petitioners could have seen how their petition
was presented by an Hon. Bart, not even mentioning the number of
petitioners till asked, it would hare made them resolve never to petition
that house again ; it was enough to drive the people to desperation and
revolt. He then presented pinion.. from Ashton-tinder-Line, Worts.
ter, Bolton, and severally praying that if they had rot the protection of
the ballot, they wished not to base what would be to them a curve.
He also presented petitions front Manchester and Peterafield, the peti-
tioners describing he said in glorious terms, the rascally business which
went on in that celebrated borough at elections there. Also petitions
from the Paisley Reform Society, from the limunda Meeting at Black-
friar', from Radford, Newark, trisherough, Rumford, and Mr. Jones,
of Gloucester. He declared that he most unequivocally concurred in
the prayer of the petitions. He should be prepared to meet the enemies
of the vote by ballot. At Bristol, 400 eersons who voted for hint ?ix-
teen years ago, and 1,200 who voted for him at Preston at a former
election, had their names placarded, and they were persecuted to the at.
most possible extent. At Bolton, the young men had signed a declara-
tion, that unless they had a share in the representation, they would tot
in gaol rather than serve in the Militi
Upwards of 100 additional petitions from all parts of the country
were presented by various other members. Each of these petitions
pointed out the necessity of reform, but they differed as to the nature
and extent of the required measure. The house adjourned to Monday.
It was impossible to ascertain the exact number of petitions that were
presented, but we might in moderation compute them at 800—ail
of
them in favour of reform—three-fourths of them for vote by ballot—
more than half of the number prayed for universal suffrage. and a great
rrof them for short parliaments. It is also remarkable, that a ma.
trof the boo. members who expressed their opinions were In favour
of the vote by ballot.

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