The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-04-26 00:00:00

:HE I'IIf)CREAs PL'AbLIC OPLAIu..
ow
P RLI AMENTA RY FILTORM.
No. VI.

10,;• 11,1'4 MOTifql loft Till APPOINTAIIV. 01 •
i SUITT. a TO Tali Pia it I.c ',u
••IMA1411•1111ITATION IN TAIIII.I•SIANT.
'I ne points at issue relative to Reform
not only derived a flew importance t 'he dip.-
pile with America, ;thew the covneei..it fete
*:
&nation and Representation. hot were then. ..r the
twst time. rendered %objects of imblic us.iou, nil
fresh arguments and grounds. lot go•netal
Eery had !wen plesiucsly. a% matters ut
• spedienry ; but. from that period, were regarded h)
1... my as founded on natural right. Before the Mor-
td An tv..r, that parriutic catesumn, the Es-I of 4 hat-
i.amo, while loditing upon the condition of the tonotry
au 'unions f.iend and goardian of its liberties. WAS
.Meted wilt the injuries it received through the de-
IA doe state of the Representative Kos4. 11 hen he
s',ewed it. hoorrer, at the sauce time with the coati-
to ration of an experience/I politi• ian, conscious of the
utetaclea and objections which would start at hi% sug-
gestion, suet of the grave awl eitraordinary responsi-
bility he *mild incur for the innovations he utight
propose, he ass content, on first owing the complaint.
t tr.'s', it in a manner mat might at late al run, anti
• all es sa.cci tilde of an ett” eonstitu ional returtly.
It ass in 1;;40, its a debate iti the fluW44l of
Lard% on the State of the Nasiossi this he first advert-
uccol to espres% his opinion on the subjert ; cud that
inderontlent 1,1 it, intrinsic is worthy
spei ial rrw rk, on arconni of its being the first sug-
,;• snots via sprritie reform. nook •lel:brou'ely and in
by a Statesman in a place of soillority.
Ili% ing, in his re% Wir of for state of the Ilaltoll, no-
ti. ..domg the other euilt which time had introdut ed,
the new corruptions that had crept into Parliament,
Atrungh the in:.tletort or money, and espreially through
tLat acquires' by adienturer% from Asia, his Lordship
too!‘ toe u+i to observe. that, •• a !soberer understands
the theory of the IgnigliNis 4 onNtilution, and rimy:in.,
I! With the fact, now Nee ai once hot% widely they dif-
or. V. limo reconcile them,- said he, .• to each

other, if we wi-li t.o•ae the libertii s of this country;
w. 'Lust reduce our pisiitiral practice to our principles.
life Cinistituti intruded that there should be a per-
heaneut relation betneen the Constituent and He-
!Je,entative lludr ur the people. 11 ill tin wan
u, that, as the !louse of 1 winnow. is now tortued,
11.41 relation is in sisy degree preserved? It is not
iireseesell ; it is destroyed. Let us be cautious, how-

bon to have re-swim. to violent expeolieni4."
I:.•ga:.liia and det lathy the bort.ukh% of this VOUO-
II, leurrally, and r•lrrriatlti th...r ul 1 urnu all, uhich
persuniblly hue% to " Ilir rottrii parts of the l•on-

3„ hr• 1,4.1 am tovlei neo. or , at the' *tame

to con Lite than '• 'Ake other intirmitivr, which
iiitot Liar w lila patience," and to rer arm!
i•I " Vlllrther ~.tot :cutler rEtriedy than amputation
I..ay .t be discovered. Since we cannot ture the

~t,...tder (according to the opinion he was disposed to
a.is..tioe). let us then,' ells hos , " I orleoroor to issfiier
lOM ;Nit) the Cussititntior, if
1,14# rookie it to atopport i a swoat imeeterste diseases."
U. then proceeded to suggest, in the folloning
terns•, his spetitic remedy for the complaint he had
out—" The tafti-ion of health, to which I new
sande, would he to per,. it every county to elect one
Member more, iu addition to their present represen-
tation. The knights of the Shire approach nearest to
V..: constitutional reprr‘sentation of the country, he-
they ►epr..r sit the soil. It is not in the little
.tapcndent boroughs, it is in the great cities and roan-
•ics that the streuglit of the Constitution resides; and

'.y them •Lone, if unhappy question should vier
will the I onsii.ution be hunestly and firmly de-

Ended. I would increase that Atrooolt, bevause
think it i 4 the ibnly security we have against the pro-
snowy of the (Mica, the coriuption of she pi ople, and
the aniltition of the true n."
I hese sentiments of Lord Chatham are the more
.!:.erring( motile, uhile considering the pru,..eedings
u,w under view, becanse they funned the basis of Hie
i au which Ii sun contemplated, when, on the 7th of
Ma', 1742, h.• proposed, in the !loose of l'otu ~,,, ns,
•• a.' inquir% into Cie .tare of the representation of the
people in Varlianient." Thi• relebrated motion, though
nut, as will be hereafter sheen, the first that hail h.•ru

_ .
z•Lide, iii or ier of time, n ith a view to Parliamentary
'laden', was ou.loestiosiatoiy the first iu point of ins-
;•ortance ; an I gave weight to preceding impressions
wire in 41soga r of being effaced, and a more
:ham ordinary interest to the po•tular sentiment us the
,ohject. The respectful rousiderations associated with
thc very name of the party is ho proposed th • measure.
fis permnal rlintatio.., hi% promising talent• ; and
,•ern ►is early age---•the spirit of the people at the time
the ibeitsnre was brought forward, and the countenance
bc'stuwed upon its übj. eft, by many of the Ministers of
the day, conrurred in aff attenuation drew to direct
tRr attention of thr pulalic to tie di.cui•iuu and result
.1 the motion.
liming stated in the spirit and almost in the style
a his father, the Jinn-Imre between the theory df the
EagEsh l'tistitution, and the actual frame of the GO*
%eminent, Mr. Pitt ay.:inked it to he the ririerlte of the

t.'onstitittion, that the people bad a share in t►e Ito-
remittent bt means of representation, and that its ex-
eAlenc, and peruigurne) must re.ult front this rept,-
,entatiun being equal, practicable, and complete.
When it 'lt'd to be so When the Representative
4 eased to have connexion with the constituents, and
41/ either dependent un the Crown, or the Arista-
. racy, there was then a defect in the Constitution,---
and im was not innovation, but recovery of Constitution,
ta repair it.
Mr. Piet, then, took °erasion to observe, that it was
hi• intention. to recontutend of himself, any aped-
t:: rented) for ►he detects that might appear, or to de-
t.riniste the particular species of Reform that autdd
irrespetitlent lUilPi congenially with the original
::*nu of .he Constitution. All he intended at that
t. ue w propose. he said. was this appointment of a
committee of such persons as the House should deem
it.st yeslitietl to investigate the •abject, and represent
ltep•tri on the means which they might think twit
cwienlated fro •Eas eying into execution a moderate and
• abstantial Reform in the representation of the people.
but, titosigh be did not press acs pa-.icitlar proposi-