The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-01-15 00:00:00

colt RESPORTDE

THE REFORM BIL

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPO,

SlR,—The time is not far distant, when
from the inconvenience and evils of the

what questions are there that can constituti
by the reformed House, that could not ha

by the unreformed House of Commons ? 1

questions of late years, entertained and si

meat, were Catholic Emancipation and th,
poration and Test Acts, notwithstanding u
lieved are the most clamorous in the call
and " equal laws." These measures, althc
carried in opposition to the wishes of the m
of England, were carried in a constitution
concurrence of King, Lords and Comm(
stone says, " these are the constituent par
the King, the Lords spiritual and temporal,
parts of which, each is so necessary, that
three is required to make any new law that
ject:" admitting by this rule, that the al
carried in a constitutional manner, we MILE
Reform Bid was carried by violence, and

nature, that the precedent is fraught with th
sequences to the British Constitution. If t
be a necessary check on the House of Comm
of Commons be a necessary check on the 1
the King; if the King be a necessary cheek
Commons, why overcome any of these by b
beg into being a power unknown before to tl
political unions of the people, I presume, of I
excelled only by the method of the great foe
Cromwell himself, who made use of a body of
Why did the Ministers call forth this power I
out a case of necessity, under covert of whi,
strain the Lords and King to pander to th
said by the great Lord Burieigh, that Eagle
ruined but by a Parliament!" From the pos
event ever taking place, how necessary was
the three estates should act in unison; and,
it is considered an act of common politenes
spect to the opinions and scruples of others, I
was deference due to the second branch of the
called upon in its legislative capacity to deli
oil a matter of such vast importance to the
country ;—but the deference which was paid
was withheld by the Commons, who, backeC
and deluded multitude, were, prepared, fron
sacrifice the constitution. The King was
the aristocracy abused for doing, what cense:
God and their country, they conceived to be
the aristocracy of the laud been a body which
opposed to the liberty of the people, of which
there would have been some justice in the con,
mons and the " people" towards them. But ie
and progress of British freedom, we shall find
from the reign of John and his successor, fr
whom they obtained the great charter of our li
served it in the reign of the latter, up to the
the second, when they were found fighting side
Commons, up to the reign of James the second,
spiritual and temporal, made such a stand for
of civil and religious liberty—that liberty, foe
nobly fought and resignedly suffered, has by it
brilliant halo around the house of Peers. N
it eve they collectively been found sacrificing tl
people to the prerogative of the Crown; and if
' found individually fighting on the side of the S,
have done it with an eye to the permanent Jibe
ject, as secured by the Constitution, they co
the chief corner stone—nor have they shrunk f
When they have thought their lives of service to
the bleeding wounds of their country. And be
lately, with; a patriotism worthy of their form
themselves between the king and the " popul
the preservation of constitutional liberty, they
Popular odium for the purpose of popular d
would be a libel on the house of Peers, to say, I
question of Reform, they were opposed to the
People. The Lords were convinced that a meae
was necessary, as was Mr. Huskisson, when I
last Retford question, and, they were prepare
With the Government in giving a constitutiona
sure of Reform. Mr. Stanley himself, is evid,
With the idea that Ministers have overstepped
Prudence, and admits that Reform to be saf
been gradual only; he says it should has
twenty years ago ; of course, as an excuse
try, for their imprudent precipitancy, and w
obstinate and rash in the passing of this f
,sure of Reform than was the Duke of We
uncalled-for declaration. Could the sensitiv
the Duke of Wellington have brooked the pe
liuskisson, and have adhered to his counsel, tt
t't things would most certainly have been averted
Plan of reform, and not a revolution, would ha,
Which, while it would have satisfied one party, '
tlaruied the other; and the country would not
langered by the contention of adverse parties.
Lords would not, by the present ministry and i
4ve been degraded; its voice would not have be
/id its constitutional functions abased. If the
IPirit of the unreformed House of Commons was
ill act of violence, of what may not the spirit o
itbich it has given birth be capable ? Hume i
*kilo raved the most against their sovereign and
' 4 seated with their satellites around them, and m
' Methmeasures the very mooting of which will c
401
in the Parliament, and a shock throughot
;III:- as is only felt at the commencement of trou
1 b... e are mauy gentlemen, too, who have pledg
"`'ode what may, to party measures ; and will ti
r k t as the deliberative guardians of the people's
, l'ests, but as the agents of their will. Besides tl
,L
"le thorough-going Whigs, and a few Tories.
!''t Commons composed of such discordant mate]
41'e a high-pitched " Dutch concert;" and th
!i misters themselves, if we can form any opi
t'sches, individually made in different parts of
i,,‘h

9 so little in unison, that they will render the
Nsting and effective. Is it that the Ministers
iltelty that they will strike up for themselves
h4l4eY, by allowing the popular feeling to rise by o
House of Commons, give ear to all opinions
4ta
ut, and with which one or other of them wi
5 chime in : if so, we may expect some very pc)
1.
4Yed off in double quick time, and which will
4.d rejected by, the House of Lords, as not bei
:[ll their taste. Then will the House of Commi
on of its predecessor, compel its sovereign i
l'ity in
the House of Peers, or call up the poli
drown the voice of lords and king, to abuse au
[Press, if possible, the patriotic disposition o
''et us speak fairly out," said Mr. Canning,
111
Unreformed House of Lords to continue in
uteract the will of the reformed House of Co.,
LI is the use of reform ? or is the reformed 1
i to act upon the House of Lords by intimida

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