Star.
London, England, 1821-05-11 00:00:00

GRAMPOUND DISTRANCHISENIENT BILL.

The Earl of CARNARVON rose to move the se-
cond reading of this Bill, and at the same time should
take the opportunity of making some few remarks
-upon it. Their Lordships had already recognized
the principle, that when a measure of this kind was
sent up to them from the other House of l'arliament.
they thought fit to enter into the examination of evi-
dence upon it, in the understanding that it w,as to
receive their Lordships sanction in case that evidence
should appear to be sufficient. The first question
then was, whether the evidence taken at their Bar
could justify this proceeding ? The next was, whe-
ther this was a measure which ought to be adopted?
And after having in one instance admitted the prin-
ciple, it was for them to say whether the case made
out did not call for some legislative provision. The
House of Commons had not thought it necessary to
bring forward any evidence respecting the last elec-
tion, but had completely established the existence of
bribery and corruption at a former one ; and there.
fore, upon that ground, had thought fit to pass the
Bill. The Noble Earl now quoted several parts of
the evidence that had been already taken by their
Lordships, in order to shew that the grossest bribery
had taken place it the Election of ISIS for this Bo-
rough ; and that venality was the leading principle
of all its electors. He contended that those elec-
tors had forfeited their right to exercise the elective
franchise ; and the object of the Bill was to deprive
them of a tight which they had abused in a way that
brought disgrace on the country, and to transfer the
right of voting to a more populous place. This Bill
would, besides, serve to bring about a salutary change
in the Representation of the country ; and would
even lead to the extinction of corrupt practices in
many Boroughs,where such practices had hitherto pre-
vailed. If the right of Election here woe to be thrown
into the adjacent Hundred, that Hundred included
several other corrupt Boroulhs in Cornwall; therefore'
no public benefit could result from such a regulation.
—He was never friendly to any extended system of
Parliamentary, Reform, from which infinite mischief
might arise ; but when gross instances of abuse had
occurred, it was necessary to suppress the same, to
put a stop to a scandalous system of perjury and ve-
nality. But he would rather leave Grampound to its
fate, than throw it into the Hundred. This Bill pro•
posed to disfranchise Grampound altogether. He
should be far from depriving a place of its franchise,
because some electors had acted corruptly ; but here
the whole Corporation had always betrayed the trust
reposed in it. A majority of electors here could not
be brought to act according to the charter ; the Whole
body of the Corporation had proved itself unworthy
of the privilege it possessed ; and it could no longer
be safely trusted with the elective franchise. He
would be the last man to try rash experiments ; but
this was a measure which the general voice called
for, and on which their Lordships were bound to le-
gislate. The more disposition they shewed to conci-
liate the feelings of the people, the more would the
people be satisfied with and attached to the Govern-
ment. He anxiously wished to see direct Represen-
tation extended to the great, populous, and opulent
towns of the kingdom, which were now excluded
from the right of voting for Members of Parliament;
and he anxiously hoped this principle would be -re-
cognised by their Lordships, in agreeing to the second
reading.of this Bill. The town of Leeds was selected
by the other House, in preference to Birmingham or
Manchester ; and one reason was, that, the town al-
ready had a Mayor and a municipal machinery. But
their Lordships might transfer the franchise to any
other place which might appear to them to be pre-
ferable to Leeds. The Noble Earl concluded by
moving that the Bill be read a second time.

The LORD CHANCELLOR said, he should have
no objection to the Bill going into a Committee,
where it would, no doubt, receive some alterations ;
but he hoped the ultimate decision of their Lordships
would be, that of saying Non-content.
The Earl of WESTMORLAND objected to the
Bill, as tending to give an indemnity to every trans-
action of the kind which was set forth in it; tor after
it had passed, it would not be possible ever to punish
any persons concerned in such transactions; because,
the. moment a man who had acted honestly attempted
to bring others who had acted corruptly to punish-
/neat, lie was then to be involved in punishment him-
self, by a genial disfranchisement, that punished the

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