Star.
London, England, 1830-05-21 00:00:00

FRIDAY EVENING, MAY 21, 1830..

DECLARATION of the BIRMINGHAM POLI-
TICAL COUNCIL, on the MARQUIS of BLAND.
FORD'S BILL.

At a Meeting of the Political Council of the town of
Birmingham, held by adjournment at the Globe Tavern,
in Temple-street, this 16th day of March, 1830, and
made special, for the purpose of discussing, re-considering,
and finally deciding upon the merits of a Bill lately pre-
sented to the House of Commons by the Marquis of
Blandford, entitled " A Bill to restore the Constitu-
tional Influence of the Commons in the Parliament of
England :"
THOMAS Arrwoon, Esq. in the Chair,
A correct copy of the above Bill having been read to
this Council, and all its parts and provisions having been
fully discussed and considered—
And this Council considering that in the question of
reform it is not merely the abstract merit of any parti-
cular plan which ought to be attended to, but that due
regard must necessarily be had to its practicability, and
to the means of exciting or conciliating all classes of the
community to its support, without which there can be no
security for any class ; and considering, also, that
it is of the highest importance to the cause of the
people that some general and effectual plan of reform
should be laid down which the people may claim as
their constitutional and legal right, and which, whilst it
restores the just rights and interests of the lower and
middle classes of the community, may protect alike the
just privileges and immunities of the upper classes, and
may, in fact, serve as a common rallying point for all ;
and considering further that, in the selection of such
general and effectual plan of reform, it is desirable that
no novel or dubious claims should be advanced, and that
it would weaken the cause of reform to mix up any dis-
putable questions of political improvement, to which the
people have no constitutional right, with those
ancient, sacred, and undeniable constitutional rights of
which they have been unjustly and wrongfully deprived;
and considering also that, under the present urgent cir-
cumstances of the country, it is expedient that such
plan of reform should be so undeniably just, rightful, and
conservatory, as to hold out the prospect of being carried
speedily into effect for the relief of the national dis-
tress, and for the prevention of those tremendous cala-
mities which a continuance in the present measures
of the Government cannot fail shortly to produce;—and
this Council further considering that the Marquis of
Blandford's Bill does, in fact, unite and secure all these
great objects in one common bond of union together ; con-
sidering that it seeks the happiness of the people through
the broad, beaten, well-tried road through which our fa-
thers travelled to liberty, prosperity, and glory ; that it
launches not out into the ocean of novelties, doubts, dif-
ferences, and discords, but casts anchor, as it were, on
the rock of the Constitution, which never failed our fa-
thers, and, under Gobs grace, can never fail us; consi-
dering also that, under the present state of things, it is
necessary to the interests of all that all should make mu-
tual concessions to each other, and forget their common
rivalries, and unite together for the common safety ; and
considering also that universal suffrage, in its full extent,
is not a clear, defined, and acknowledged constitutional
right, and that only some few traces of it remain in the
elections of Knights of the Shire 400 years ago, and
scarce any traces of it remain in the election of citizens
and burgesses ; and considering also that annual Parlia-
ments are not a clear, acknowledged, and indisputable,
constitutional right, and that it may be doubted whether
they would work better for the people than their unde-
niable constitutional rights to triennial Parliaments, of
which they have been wrongfully and unconstitutionally
deprived; and considering also that vote by ballot is not
known to the Constitution, that it cannot be claimed as
a constitutional right of the people, and that however
excellent it may be in itself, it may be calculated to
weaken the cause of reform, by mixing up a novel and
disputable question of political improvement with ancient,
undeniable, and constitutional rights ; and considering
further, that the doctrines of universal suffrage, and
annual Parliaments, and vote by ballot, may be calcu-
lated to weaken the cause of reform, by creating di-
visions in the upper and middle classes of the com-
munity, without producing any greater unanimity or
additional zeal among the lower classes, or any other
equivalent advantage whatever ;—and this Council con-
sidering, further, that the Marquis of Blandford's
Bill does, in fact, restore to the people all those great
constitutional rights, privileges, and protections,
which their forefathers possessed, but of which they have
themselves been wrongfully deprived, and more espe-
cially that it, Ist—Dismisses all placemen from the
House of Commons, agreeably to the great Constitu-
tional Act of Settlement, which placed the present Fa-
mily upon the throne ; 2d—That it repeals the Septen-
nial Act, and gives back to the people their ancient and
undeniable right to triennial, or more frequent Parlia-
ments, recognised and secured by the great Constitu-
tional Act, the 6th of William and Mary, cap. 2 : 3d
That it abolishes the qualification of property, as fixed
unconstitutionally by the Act of 9th of Queen Anne,
cap. 5, and restores the ancient and undeniable right of
sitting and voting as a citizen or burgess in the Com-
mons House of Parliament to every individual among the
common people who may be lawfully chosen a member of
that body : 4th—That, agreeably to the ancient and un-
deniable laws of the land, it renders it imperative on the
citizens and burgesses of the House of Commons to be
in general real citizens and burgesses resident within the
places which they represent, and consequently acquainted
and identified with their wants, feelings, and interests :
sthly—That it secures the fidelity of such citizens and
burgesses, by putting in force the ancient constitutional
law which provides that all of them shall receive a cer-
tain, known, definite, and reasonable payment from their
constituents, for good purposes, instead of an uncertain,
unknown, and enonnous payment for bad purposes, from
the Government : 6th—That it makes effectual provision
for breaking up the rotten boroughs, and transferring the
elective franchise to the great towns and districts now
not represented, or inefficiently represented : 7th—That
it makes provision for greatly diminishing the enormous
expenses with which elections of Members of Parliament
' are now generally attended : Bth—That it makes provision
for securing the elective franchise to every householder
in the United Kingdom who may be willing to contribute

Pnici: 7D.

to the poor-rates, which every householder is in fact now
liable to by law; and that, by the general prosperity
which it must naturally produce, it must so diatinish the
magnitude of the poor-rates on the one hand, and so in-
crease the means of the lower classes on the other, as to
render the attainment of the elective franchise a matter
of comparative facility to all, the difficulty in the way of
such attainment being so far reduced as to serve rather
as a stimulus to virtue than as a denial of justice ;---and
this Council considering further that these great and in-
valuable privileges are not advanced as disputable points
in the Marquis of Blandford's Bill, but that they are
claimed, insisted upon, and demanded, as the ancient and
undeniable constitutional right of the people ; and con-
sidering, finally, that it is of the highest importance to
success in this great cause that the people should make
their stand on this just, legal, righteous, and unassailable
ground ;—considering, all these things, the Political
Council of the Town of Birmingham
Unanimously resolve,
Ist. That the Bill of 'Reform proposed to the House of Com. I
mons by the Marquis of Blandford rs admirably calcalated to ac-
complish Its great object, that of " restoring the constitutional in-
fluence of the Commons in the Parliament of England."
2d. That it is calculated to effect this great object thoroughly
and radically ; at the same time that it is strictly conservatory of
all the just and constitutional rights and hninunities of the privi.
lcged classes.
3d. That by strictly confining itself to the ancient, well-known,
and undeniable rights of the Constitution, it marks nut and defines
a specific plan of Radical Reform, in support of which all opinions
can unite, and all Interests combine ; a plan of Rulical Monti, in
the obtainment of which the middle classes may co-operate cordially
with the lower classes, without exciting the alarm of any portion of
the upper classes, who arc not associated in the national plunder
and oppression.
4th. That It cuts up by the roots all the abuses and corruptions
which the supineness of the people has allowed to grow up and de-
form the fare of the Constitution, and does, in fact, reform and re-
construct the fair fabric of English liberty, as it existed in the best
and happiest periods of English history.
sth. That, therefore, this Council is of opinion that the Marquis
of Blandford's Bill ought to be adopted as the common rallying
point of the people, subject only to such alterations and additions as
may be requisite for carrying its great provisions into effect.
6th. That this Council strongly recommend to all their fellow-
countrymen throughout the United Kingdom to devote their anxious
attention to this most important subject, to consult together with
their friends and neighbours, and to spare neither time nor labour
in every just, legal, and constitutional effort to procure the passing
of the Marquis of Blandford's Bill into a law; and, above all
things, this Council recommend to their fellow-countrymen, that, in
any elections for Members of Parliament which may take place,
they will on no account vote for sny candidate, whatever may be his
other merits, who will not unequivocally pledge hituself to support
all the great provisions contained in this Bill.
7th. That the cordial and grateful thanks of this Council be pre.
tented to the Marquis of Blandford for the distinguished patriotism,
the powerful intellect, the unwearied industry, and the manly
courage, which he has exerted on behalf of the people in bringing
forward his invaluable Bill, and in supporting the cause of the peo-
ple upon every occasion.
Bth. That this Council earnestly invite their fellow.countrymen
of the:Public Press to give circulation to these resolutions, and to
draw the national attention generally to the only effectual and per-
tnanent remedy for the national disttess, a thorough and effectual
reform in the representation of the people In the Commons House
of Parliament.

THOMAS ATTWOOD, Chainsum,
By order of the Political Council,
THOMAS CLUTTOW SALT, Secretary.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF COMMONS-THURSDAY.

Mr. FITZGIBBON presented a petition from Limerick, and
Lord CASTLEREAGH one from Belfast, against any increased
duty on spirits.—Ordered to be printed.
Lord CASTLEREAGH presented a petition from a parish in
dip county of Down, against the adoption of a compulsory provision
for the poor.—Ordered to be printed.
Mr. H. DOUGLAS presented petitions from Annan and Dum-
fries, against the East India monopoly.—Referred to the Committee.
Sir J. NEWPORT presented a petition from Waterford against
the proposed increase of the stamp duties; and a similar petition
from St. Michael's, Dublin.—Ordered to be printed.
Mr. O'CONNELL supported the latter petition. The Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer had effected a miracle in Ireland; he had
united all parties against him.
Petitions ordered to be printed.
Lord ALTHORP presented a petition from certain owners of
carts with metal springs, complaining of the 43 Geo. 3. and praying
a revision of the law respecting the duty on spring carts and wag-
gons.—Ordered to be printed.
Sir H. PARNELL presented a report from the Holyhead Roads
Committee—Ordered to be printed.
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE presented petitions from certain residents
in York, complaining of distress.—Ordered to be printed. He also
presented a petition from individuals in the West Riding of York.
shire, praying that Assizes might Le held at Wakefield. (Hear.)
Ordered to be printed.
Mr. LEICEST.ER presented s petition from Poole against the
sixpenny duty for the Greenwich box.
Sir AI. W. RIDLEY postponed, till June 3, his motion regard.
the merchants' seamen's fund, as he saw no chance of being able to
bring it on to-night.
Mr. SYKES observed that the subject was one of great impor-
tante ; the duty might he fair enough in time of war, but it was now
most oppressive.— Petition ordered to be printed.
Mr. O'CONNELL presented petitions from Banden Bridge,
Cork, and three other places in Ireland, against the Vestries Act.—
Ordered to be printed. lie then presented a petition from Mr.
Blake Foster, a magistrate of Clare and Galway, complaining of the
state of the representation ; the disfranchisement of the forty shilling.
freeholders, &c.—Ordered to be printed.