Star.
London, England, 1831-05-14 00:00:00

There are a race of babbling hypocrites, who, as a last
argument, enquire, with mighty self-conceit—what an im-
proved Parliament can do, or what a Reformed Parliament
can do ? In this affected anxiety, we give them credit for
no virtue, but the honesty with which, by such questions,
they confess their own ignorance, or proclaim their wilful
blindness. A Parliament, freed from the shackles imposed
by exclusive interests, and selfish monopolies, can do a
thousand good things, which have always been strangled
in the birth, reviled, aid trampled upon, by Gentlemen sent
to Parliament, to advocate certain principles, which protect
and confer plausibility on certain monopolies, at utter vari-
ance with the general public interests. For example, the
Boroughmongers have common interests as a body, and
what public interest hitherto has been able to contend
against them ? So we have had Landed Interests, Commer-
cial Interests, East and West India Interests—and if each
of these were not strong enough to protect its own interest,
it was rendered so, by convention, and by the bartering of
votes. " Oblige me with your vote for this object, and I'll
give you mine for any thing," has been the daily language
of Parliament-men for a century. Which of them would, if
he could, think and act for the country ? Hence, a single-
hearted straight-forward friend to his country, has always
been a rara avis in the House of Commons, and a butt for
all parties. It has never been a conflict for the country;
but a conflict, and juggling of interests at the cost of the
country ! A Reformed Parliament, consisting of Members
chosen by the average of public intelligence, and by free
polls, concentrated from every social interest, is not likely,
therefore, to exhibit this caballing and jockeyship of single
interests, and every question will stand on its own bottom,
and be fairly tried by its beneficial relations, to the whole
community. Truth and the public welfare will then, at
least, have a fair chance, or the fairest chance which the
fallibility of human institutions can confer, instead of no
chance, as of late years. But we will come closer still to
the point, and will lay before the Public and Parliament a
consecutive series of FIFTY or more of undeniable plans
for the public good, at once practicably reasonable, and
desirable; not one of which could have had any chance of
adoption in our past Parliaments; and then leave it to these
babbling hypocrites to determine, whether an honest public-
spirited, and broad-bottomed Parliament, may not, and will
not, do much good ?

The following following are extracts from the Lisbon and German
papers, received this day. Their importance is neutralized
by the other more interesting news which we communicate
in our preceding columns.

LISBON, Mean. 28.
ROYAL BOARD Or COMMERCIG

The Royal Board of the Trade, Agriculture, Manufactures, and
Navigation of there Kingdoms, publishes the following notice:

MOOT ILLIISTIIOIIII AIM EXCILLEINT 811,

The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs of His Most Catholic
Majesty, having communicated to the Minister of the King our Sore-
reign, at Madrid, that to secure tranquillity and good order, in the
city of Cadiz, no person can land at that port, without the formality
of presenting a certificate, from a respectable person, who is to answer
for the person, to whom his surety is given, and for his political con-
duct. The Xing, our Sovereign, orders the Board of Commerce,
to cause the necessary publicity to be given to this measure, which
I communicate to your Excellency, to be signified to the Board.

God preserve your Escelleney.
Palace of Queltss, April 23, 1831.