Star.
London, England, 1820-05-27 00:00:00

Chat this Court will not yield to any 'class of their fellow-
subje.t; in loyalty to the king, in obedience to the Laws, and
in attachment to the Constitution; but when they reflect on the
distressed state of the Agriculture, Manufactures, and Com-
merce; the state of the Finance ; together with the daily and
overwhelming increase of I'auperism, they conceive that such
misfortunes, to have fallen upon a nation enligetened, honour-
able, and enterprising, possessed of such vast resources, must
have arisen in sonic measure from miuule and bad policy, OCCII.
skilled by the People not having a due share in the choice of
Heir Representatives.
That the freedom and purity of Election is an essential prin-
ciple of the Constitutiot., as appeals from many of our most
sacred laws, passed in various periods of our history, especially
the third of Edward the First, the Bill of Rights, the second
and eighth of Georg_ the Second; in which it is declared, that
the Election of Men:Sers ought to be free—that the Election of
3:embers of Pathentect should be freely and indifferently made,
without charge or e2;pcose--and that the freedom of Election of
:Mt mbers to sorve in Parliament is of the uttnast consequence to
the preservation of the Rights and Liberties of the Kingdo.n.
That it has been declared by the Ilotise of Cniumons to be a
high intringtment of the Liberties and Privileges of the Com-
mons of emat ihritain for any Lord of Parliament to concern
himself in the Electicn of .11embers to serve for the Commons
in Parliament.

Thst nevertheless, by various changes which have gradually
crept mto the system of flepresentatioll, it has become such as to
pr....ace a notorious violation of thew essential laws; as it ap.
pets L.y a Petition presented to the I-louse of Osmmons by the
Ilan. Charks Grey, in the year 1793, in which it was offered to
be proved that 160 :Members of the House are teturned by
about hly voters each ; seventy others by voters not exceeding
100 e.,:is; sixty ethers by voters net exceeding WO or 250 each;
that Si Members were returned by Peers possessing Burgage
tenures, and 130 more by the interference of Peers.
That chile the right of electing so considerable a number of
31enilwrs of the house of Commons remains vested in such
sui..: And inconsiderable '.ioclies of men, 211 attempts to secure
pur.:y of Eiection inuAt be rain ; and the puni:lment of a few
det:ettd niftuders win only be stlavenive of respect for the
law., and rubes tend to the concealment than the prevention of
sue:. Wrencc4.

thlt:zh this ••s:t•rn of Government, which has been by
degrees substituted for the ancient and leg.ll Constitution of Par-
liament, has been openly defended by persons high •in office,
under tkr specious apeilation of the Constitution as it exists in
practice, it is quite evident that the present practice inclpdes
the viuiation of the Laws of the svlich has been rally
exemplified by the dliekssures of Bribery and Corruption, under
yrosecatio:3 ordered by the House of Commons; while the
moral and inspressive sentences pronounced by. the Learned
Judges on the offenders must convince the most incredulous of
tile nveessity of revising the preient system; especially when it
is said that persons of high rank bargain and pay large sums for
Seats in the House of Commons.

Acd although this Court are of opinion that the extension and-
better regulation of the Right of Voting, with shortening the
duration of Parliaments, would be a great and effective neform,l
they will not presume to dictate any plan to the house of RM.
mons, but earnestly implore a full and fair inquiry into the sub-
j:et, which will tend to allay the present discontents, secure the
stability of the Government, and promote the prosperity of the
Coentry.
Itrsos.ven, That a Petition be presented to the Honourable
House of Commons, praying for an immediate Inquiry into
the State of the Representation of the People in Parliament,
funded on the foregoing Resolutions.