Star.
London, England, 1809-06-16 00:00:00

r

31 OF I.OIMS, mons.
was notified, by Coinvnission, ts'aboni th/rty
lino. Among the former were, the Irish
le English and Irish Spirits Bill, &c.
%Weft, She Lord Chancyllor, the Duke of
Walsingham:
Waibrought up from the Commons,

stiil nod • irst
MrCSURGII PEERAGE.
:ihe LORD CHANCELLOR, in '1 speech of considerable
entetlefl into a comparison of a variety of cases which bad
anult:lgy to the claims now under cmsideration ; hut interrupted
•hit speech., in order to proceed to the public business of the day;
if that,-howcver, should not occupy much time, he should resume
his observations after the public business should have been dia-
PPAdqr;
• SALE OF SEATS IN PARLiADIENT.
Lord joIVERPQOL moved the Order of thnpay'
fni the House to resolve itself into a Committee n
the Bill for preventicg the Sale of Seats in •Pylia-
mine Ile should not detain their Lordships ivt
afig detailed argument upon the sobject of thr B
biii should contenthimseif with a few observations,
which he conceived the nature of the measure and
Are temper of the times would require. In recom-
mending the Bill to the attention and approbation of
aeir Lordships, he must beg leave to observe, that
he ...did not .Consider it in any respect as connected
with a viestiosi so often and loudly discussed, he
meant thit of Parliamentary Retain. His semi-
:neaps upon that flues';ioE; he believed, vivre-not an:
..Pusisig.the coarse of his. Pasiiisenatary life
he had often occasim forcibly to express them ; and
they were uniformly 'directed againjt all, those thee.
ratio -aitapipts to amend the Representation of the
teople. in Parliament, attempts which he was fully
CO7viiiced.coid never be beneficially reduced to prat ;-j
et* . 'the present Bill
.bad no such alio, otherwise it
shotild not-have his support. Its great object was to
comet tertain abuses,- or corrupt practices, which
had, by itengtis of time, insensibly crept into the
l'4lP3Tr-4 returning- Mclptteri to pit in Parliament
fur certain places, and who obtained their seats by
dint of money.. This practice had, however, long
p4raile&Anni-trould it be an easy Metier Oa trace it
bait to its origin. Of late years, indeed, It had been
carried on with less concealment and management',
and had begun to obtrude itself with little or no rea
serve upon the observation of the public. It was not,
however, till the present period that it was openly ac-
knowledged and distinctly avowedeveit in Parliament.
But havingnow been so acknowledzed andso avowed,
it-Seas-impossible to pass it over unnoticed, or with-
out Some endeavour to correct such practices and re-,
dress such abtisei. This the present Bill bad. in view.
13ot while it was directed to the correction of these
abus-s, it would not encroach upon an of the rights
otitlection. Their Lordships uriqhesjonably were
by no means prepared to see all elections reduced to
the standard of alliddlesex or a Westminster elec-
tion:. It could escape no man with what crying
abuses- such' elections were accompanied. What
temptationsihey held out to perjury, and to subor-
namen--to perjury What enormities of every sort
tlAey midst naturally give rise to ! Yet :t was by no
means his wish to impede the usual march of such
elections. - Neither would he permit any infringement
of the deed** franchises of those boroughs where the
numbei of electors w.is very small. The nature of
our :representative system was essentially a mixed
one ;, and it was from this variety in the mode of
ction that resulted that mixture. Witb.ut such a
trilitiire, Siv'e should• not see in the House of Com-
Mons such a happy combination of •the different ta-
lents and degrees, and sorts of information so neces-
sary for completely carrying on the complicated busi-
ness of so vast and various a body as that of the /hi-
tinpiri. Neither was it the intention of the Bill
t•i''suppress the operation of that influence, which
:tiling from property, rank, consideration, and fa-
mily Connection, must and ought to have its full
wisight in the state of the representation--its drift was
ta,prevent sordid trafficking in seats; not to frustrate
the effect of influence, when properly, honourably,
slid constitutionally exercised. In this point of view
be hoped their Lordships would consider the Bill,
and when so. co•siLlavd, he doubted not but it would
meet with their full approbation. He should not
now trespass linger on their attention, deferring what
he might have to observe on the particular claus:s of
she Bill. until it went into the 'Committee.

'Lord'GROSVENOR could not subscribe to all
the sentiments of the Noble Earl who preceded him.
Adl, in his mind, could not at all be attended
with she beneficial effects which the Noble Secretary
s!emed disposed to ascribe to it. On the contrary,
he was of opinion it would be productive of no good,
and alight be attended with much mischief. It had
indeed a very imposing title--a.very Specious man..
ble; but hi this respect it appeared to resemble those
ni'odeiri.rons:mces, m the binding of which there was
ailentationi display of morocco and gold ; but the
contents of which too often proved destructive of vir-
tue-an& morality. It would weigh heavily on the
lighter offences ; but 'touched very tenderly on the
heavier ones.. Above alt, he must object to the clausG
here the word express" had been so fatally i-tro-
dticed. Thli.and other alterations in the framing of
the bill made it wholly difkrent from that which was
nfi finally introduCed. But the attempt at such a
I:.l!..fortnation ul the measure would not go down
t:::e pul.l;c. Ministers in so alteriog thr: Bill,
y hive out witted the Honourable and Independent
GiNnienian whO brought in the Bill ; hut they could
...it succeed in outwitting the nation. The stvo*ed
.Llll.l glaring existence of these abuser had made a deep
and wide impres,ion upon the people. and it was now
necessary to adopt some effectual measure to correct
them. Indeed be anxiously hoped the day had ar-
rived when some successful endeavour would be nuclei
at the attainment of a temperate reform ; such a re-
form as that great statesman (Mr. Pitt) had projected,
altd,,.stltich it was his wish to see carried into execti-
•;ian. Beyond that he was not prepared to go.
lord Vittount SIDMOUTH approved of the prin.
cip'W of the. Bill, and was desirous to see it go into a
The Bill he could not however but re-.
Tart; as defective, and he trusted that in the Commit.
e.O, might receive such ainendments as would render
gager
,tllyvalatrible to their 'Lordships' House. He
he )iorey• to p:upose airy thing that would en-
. .
ovger its passing inns a law. For much, very much
Serts.uld isir abgaineci by having a Bill with such
':-.l.e4isf•itnser tr preamboie recorded in the Journals
riTatriesit it would afford a ground upon which:,
Intaif dpi for further improvement, for

P.11a714W2
Ile Raid /Went an
Public and Private Bi
• Glebe-House+ Bill, the
Tbit-Comaziaakeiata
Noeireee aied Lori V
.The 'w ipe-Salaries