The Statesman.
London, England, 1810-05-22 00:00:00

•

iss the agitati,l4.44.4e question, and .Iba sir. I
cunastancep iu which lusfoited himsclf in beinging it
for Wird at this &ref; 'M. an eavty faeririal of the.
Scuba 4* lasi'a44".to have, submitted to
the Souse t motion rritittlar to the present. On. ,
thrixdorning.pkevioua to the adjournment, whil
tat:4'l4434c 'the debate pa the great question ,u
•
the ' Nrakbereti 'Mont—the decisima upon
which had been inch as to thin that feeling of
jtt-
`dignaWon which prevailed in the .pOblie *Mud
against the Ministers—upon the Muse '
had th'en dem-64116d to have brought this subject •
forWaid. But his llotneirable Friend beliimi him
had stated mingy reasons to shew that that walnut ,
tho molt eeptedient and Proper time .for suck a
prowasltlon.i The arguments then used, appeared
to hitt pa cogelit; that 10 was induced to postpone
his notice; though he bad not.
.droliptl the Ws of
calting,the attention 'ut.the Rouse. to the. subject
soiie tithe this Sespion: The reason. why, he had
thought it right to mention this runner determind-
tion was; thatit might be au answer to ,whatever
calumny might be circulated against him, with
regard ttilhe particular time.at which he brought
this question tinder discussion. It might; perhaps,
'be said; that
,HeisPd khoseo this time. to press
the subject; .hecausse Mt' Honourahle Baronet rho
had rendered himself so'eonipiceuus in, thesause of
Reform wit ahaitit, :When he 'stated,. howehr,
that his ' det§tmination. had been formed before
the, illsetiee of. that Hotiorirable .Baronet, ha
trusted lie should hi eitusipted from ady such in-
sinuation. Besiilei; those whom lie had the ho.
rrsour tti represent, :had reason to look for such a
proceeding at his hinds. They had heen taught
to expect it, and he now only discharged his duty
id hie Codstituents. , In the events which had
taken place, in the irritatiod which hid been,pro-
dureil it, the public initial alines (he Period to which
he had ativerte,l; he saw no reasOis to Visi;t from
his intention ; but c4ery • iisai'dit *ld 'erseVere in
and, to accelerate-frit.,Pitriloi. 'the question had
beeri.disdussed'all °vet. the 'outftty ; the violent
had deMaeded lteforin ; the pilideot and. dispel'.
sionate approved ofl :Intl encouraged it. Teo re.
vive sinking confidence; to allay discontent ; to
conciliate the public mind you must bring
about a Refortn in the Representation ; you
must identify yourselves more with the *pie; It
was unnecessary fiir him to enter at large into the
actual state of the Representation. The object
had often been discussed both here and in other
places. Every one was aware that there were in
that House aboveseveuty persons who were merely
the nominees of certain Borough Proprietors, who
were not the Representatives of the People, but
of individuals who seat to Parliament whom they
pleased, by their interest in places in which the
right of returning Members to that House was at
present vested,Places fortherly populous, and there.
fore, in full consistencywith the spirit of the Consti
I Whin, vested with that right; brit now ralitious, and
therefore improperly, and in opposition to the spirit
of the Constitaition, exercising the power in ques-
tion. The consequeuces that must arise from such
a-state of things, all risen knew; and these con.
sequences he need not trespass Upon the patience
of the House by detailing. Evidence to prove
them had been tendered at their Bar; they were
recorded on their Journals; it would be a waste
of time add labour in him to cater-into the proof
of that.which was known to all. The evilOvhich
in his opinion called aloud for at reinedy, was two.
fold:-=First, that many decayed places which had
been called Rotten Boroughs, places Without po.l
potation, withoet wealth, without political con.
sequence of any kind, returned Members to
Parliament, and thereby in effect disfranchised
a considerable portion of the people of this
country. Sii,Cond; that many rich; large; and
populous places scot do Members to Parlia.
uncut. These were the two great leading evils.
Many more might be enumerated to which he
would afterwards advert; hut'the principal evils
were comprehended under these two general
heads, and to them he would confinb himself for
the present. Before he entered into i detailed ac.
count of the evils which be had mentioned gene.
rally, and stated the remedy which; in his opi-
Mott, ought to be applied, he would, with the per.
mission of the House, say a feW words ota the,
mode of proceeding, which he wad inclined to
propose. The grievance itself bad been aduilt.
ted almost by all...the necessity of a remedy was
no less generally felt and admitted ; but he
hoped that all would dread the consequences that
'l. might result from violence and precipitation—he
hoped all would agree that ha a matter of this
' magnitude it was proper to proeeed with all
due caution and 'deliberation. Such was his
opinion, and hoWeier partial he might be to
his own plan, it *as his intention to propose that
the isteattct I,l<usall' tic re Committer, dist
,liither his plan might be seriously considered, ap.
proved of in hole or In part, or some other sub.
stituted, which might be regarded is more esinape.
tent to remedy the evil of 'Which the country had
felt the baneful effects. He would therefore move
for the.appoititcnent of a Committee.. In the
mean time, how ever, he thought:ll incumbent on
him to state the plats which appeireal to him best
calculated to meet the ail/alley of the cise; and he
hoped that in 36 doing he would 'hate the concur-.
renee of mania his friendi—of all of them to
a certain extent, iss all must be anxious that the
necessity Of peuve Parliamentary Reform shonid
he soleinnfy recognited by the House.—Another
most important ithjeet fOr the mature considera.
Goal oftkcoui4 lee, Would he that respecting the
greatabibwef tlfE right of election, by the nomi.
nation exercised by the proprietors of certain bo-
roughs. To the system of borough representation
in general; he was altogether adverse, bud he could
not help thinking that objectionable as must ever
be the mode of purchasing seats in that House,
fry purchasing a borough, he still thought that the
Member who sat there iu right of his own money,
Was necessarily more indeperidl nt than the man.
who was introduced amongst theiia by the boodua-
tion of some Lord, who must have selected him as
'his passive instrument*, to do hii will, however re.
pugnant to the real interests of the counta.),. If.
he should be fortunate enough to succeed
in getting the Committee, he
,presumed that
they ivould suggest the propriety of disfranchia.;
.

Trtr, STATESMAN

F

-.Ur • .
log Vick borongik. ' • Ire -Priaerled ici—
consinent on• tiro oodect acrd •... inequable pro-
portion tat, etedieriling to the, present system,
prey:silts! :bet weessiftho. privileged:of actual re-
preseutation, . and4e4ialtus of tiroperty Rad po-
potation to elect..4:3l* 'Wed, that there weronot
,lessaliaii thirty platees,. each. minding two Members
.to Parliament, ,tit One of Which contained abote
fifty .. voten3. T.het two great foundations upon
pritich the basis of a fair, free, and full represents.
lion of the people rested, he conceived to be pro.
• putty and population; They both had their respec.
tive,protensions, arid each, to form a just system
,of representation, must be allowed their due share
of weight and influence; but in a-system that in-
vested 30. or 40 men *ith the privilege of sending i
Members to that House, while it withheld the
same privilege from large and opulent towns, sus.
taming a flourishing trade, and an extensive pope-
Jation, in such a preposterens system, it could
nut be expected that the just claims either of pro-
perty 9r popdlation should be commensurably an.
sviered. They were, in fact, not only not so
answered, but seriously entrenched upoii. The pri-
tittle so vested, was an abuse of the right of elec.
lion in injury to the due influence of property, as tho
nomination in the case of boroughs was an equal
;butte of the rightlis injoryto the just claims of popu-
lation. This joist abuse was old, it had gradual.
ly grown out of the original system, but was
by no means originally a part of tat system, or at
all Sanctioned as necessary to it. . Our ancestors
had put •their intentions beyond dispute or suspi-
cion, as they evinced 0. jealous care, that in the
different towns the right of voting should be more
especially extended to the resident freeholders ;
and that the right of representation should be in
an adequate proportion to the property and pope.
lation of each place. How far that principle had
been departed from by the present inefficient mode of
representation; could not but be obvious,' and must
genie, to the satisfaction of every candid person,
that propositions of reform were not therefore.
propositions of itio oration. They had not in effect
a tendency so. to itmovate as to restore. Our
ancestors had originally deSigned, that in such
towns or places the right of voting should be
lodged personally in every •resident householder.
Ile was for reverting to this principle, and restoring
to that class of the people that 'share in the right of
el&titigsand the adtaistages of actual representation,
which our ancestors Intended they should have en.
joyed. With respect to property, nothing was farther
from his wishes; than to lessen or confine the fair
operation of its due influence. Property will, and
must have its due weight. (hear, hear i) A tem.
pet ate reform in the present mode of represente.
tion, instead of detracting from that weight,
Would add to it by generalizing the influence that
was now confined to few and narrow channels. It
*isnot; therefore, his intention to propose all. al-
teration in the right of voting in the counties, as es.
erclsed by the resident freeholders, but suggest the
propriety of widely Mending that right, by giving
it to the ceipyholdersin the rich and populous coun:
ties, anti with that view he should propose that all
persons holding copyholifs should be enfranchised;
should be entitled to vote at elections for Members
of Parliament in populous districts. He would
vest the right of Voting in the resident householder,
thinking it unjust to svithhold the right of Jcpre.
sentation from persons paying in such proportion
the parochial and other taxes; this was no vision.:
ary plan, no fanciful theory, the principle upon
Which it was founded, that of giving those who.
contributed to the support of Government their:
virtual and proportionate Share iu the legislation,
in leillng the money which they themselves con-
tributed---such a principle was in the spirit of and
as old as the Constitution-.:and was of right Eng-
lish growth...it would be in furtherance of thii.
principle he would pro vase extendift the right of;
franchise considerably throughout..lliii:North of
England, by enfranehising the number of per.
sons holding copyholtls in that part of the country.,
The objections which in • the Cones of the Feudal.
System would have been allowed is conclusive.
against the propriety of granting the tight et
franchise to copyliolders, could nut in these dart
be considered as at all admissible. Formerly the
cOpyholders, who were the ancient villeins, being
then actually tenants at will, were in such a state of
abject dependence upon their liOrdit, that the giving
Such persons the right of franchise would hare beeo
.but eventually. throwing an undue influence into
the hands of the aristocracy of the country. Such
a ground of apprehension could not now be
gravely started, as the copy holders of the present
,day, though tenants at will, were but nominally
so, and were not in a condition to' be affected by
such an intinence. •So far he was not aware that
any thing ha had as yet suggested, could be juStly
said to amount 16 'innovation. :The prollotition,
however, which hi bad now to 'make, was, hp
admitted,. liable to that objettion. It was
with respect to the altering the mode of elec-
tion in the northern- parts of the island. The
Modes of election, as carried on in thii country
'Ain! in Scotland, were materially
.different. Ile
should propose that, as far as it could be d bush
should be assimilated. Ile thought this practicable'
to a considerable extent, and very desirable, And
• though it could not be denied that It wits an limo,
vation as far as it related to Siotland,;yet he knew I
not why the Legislature, if they. thonglit itolllll.
usable so to do, should not fuel theinseiveb per-
Jectly competent to make any' illetatitto iu Oath
*laws of Scotland which they thought iktheir
dam calculated to promote the general interests uQI
the Empire. pear, hear !] it wat not his ills
tention to confine the right of voting to titatao
alone holding their landS of (he Crown; but cite**
It tea well to the actual occupants of the land as.
:to the real Proprietors-under whom they, hold.
Solnuch for n hot he had to oiler respecting the right of vot—
hp". Ile now r:Iille to the important tpteStion of lioritn,,,,bs—
and here he could not see mach to d/ti upon the Score Of ins
noratiou, for the fact was, thdt the,itygtent of Itorumets was,
ititelfan innovation which had been for n, Ong -period.progres-s
sive, and n hirb, of course, it couldeetbe rolled Inuovatlon tbn
remove. The most material &Welty that he tae! In Ifircotislier-
ntion of this part of the subject ism, th eye* neestiou bf£eta.,
peusation— Whether it would he advnabfs 140 give-pecuniary ,
compensation to thepropeiletiostif the liordughs to benholist-
ed ? to point of right there was—there rebid be, to to
The great share taken in, the RepreseSuition by those 134‘;
roughs was the people's property. They had been for son 4:,
t me di :seized of the. pommeled, but nut of the title ;
usquestionettlyrac• rigtd of uncooditadtad re-entry:l—

,f-,771Fcr."

-7111P1111F-""

.orrros- --mos - -
:dadno clains to ,cqmpensonoa, yet, in polo"; of totoity, qe
4buirght they wereetultled to roomier-Mints; and hp was fully
Amtisfied that the Pitollet oit.ht nut to hisitate to purchase up
,such pretensio.fi,sand porChase Oleos, liberally too; fur
. re were instasices, :Wallis was openf them, where a Lt.•
•atrh Orottigatity proved. tit erect, the-severest ecotiono-..-:..•
[Moe, hear!)—Li4erat eumpethation would altar the
dileontouis, obviate the dillicoltics, and prevent the ferments
siturriots to he apprehended from a jar: log of contending Mies
rests and prejudices; inaiinport of Avowal/es so great, alai
sanctioned by such long prescription. -lie was fuity aware, •
that what he had just oilvaoced was tar nom being csinimaut
to the fedingo and wishes or unnuy of those who were most
• zealous and eoustoot iu the pursuit of a Reform in Parliauseut.
But. owes as be regretted this, be felt conscious, that to. the
application of that part of the tares to be raised in order in
ply utf that eampeusatioa, the people would eventually Cal
toot moo; tworey hid been roost ls,Wely appropriated, and toat
it would prove one of the cheapest purcuase. that ever ha./
been made for the public. The obtoition of the Bitrooons
would necessarily reduce the .monber of MetubeN in 4114
House, consequently the tie:a object for their cousiderotont
would be tOe application of the ;limiters so redoccd,
those be would tat/pose to apply inthe first itistatweto Aces
towns, and populous districts,, hitherto unreprergotea, sefi
if any remained misapplied he would propose to, apply tae
surplus to the most populotas and opu.ent cotintiei: As the
represeistation now stood, nothing could be imagismd more
unjust than the preposterous aisaroportion betweim lac fe.
presentation otud the population. lie assured the' noise'
that there were in the neigOtiourhitoit of the' usetrOptila, is
the direction of Oxford-street, anuve :400;t10J pereotts who •
were in every rerpect utirepreseuted ; and if they were,
to exalt:Mc into the state of the representation (brought:
nut the ,West of England; they would met with many
and striking libtunCes of the same deplorable. deficteory,
lie would ask w bat clakii to the right ot represent, tom could
be ndvanced in behalf of such places as Garton, St. i.lawe.
and Old Sarum? [Hear! hear.) Or how tar mid the claims
of property or population been attended to, when such
places as he hail Just. meutioned scut each two Meunier), to
that House; while Shoffielcl, flioninghain, and altiorhesfci
remained v. 'Clout a Representative? ulcer! hear I) Ilt
should propose, therefore, by traosferring the right or n sera .
seittation, to apply tile Members taken float toe one class of
towns to the other class, giving the rikift of vratiag to evert
resident householder is suck towns paying parorhoil or utior •
taxes. Thus, he trusted, by such a trans.er, to remedy tee
evils that had groon out oldie Bortnigli.Optetn, and to iestote
the House to the confidence of thepeople by restoring the
people to their, right of elee:ing that !faux, .it the
proposed
sultstomion of rich mai populous towns id the place of untnita.
hired borOughs. He was not indulOng iu any wild or favourite
theory of hit own; in ancient tirties.t.asy had repeated exam_
pies of places, on theirgrowing populous, at-tibia ing toe rapt
of representation. W heft a town organ to tlourismourarteesiory
generally took care that it should not want a repreSeiftattve
tan that House to watch its ittlerepts. We should not be up.
prehensive of any danger from acting up to so jest o principle,
With respect to the heritett tteoreseutat wo, ne repeated that
'the, right of voting ought to be assimilated to that of nag
country, anti justifed the interposition of the Ligishoure 10
that purpose. They might be told, that they should hart fe-
form theinselees before they procee.ied to reforat others; but
be,concelveil that the proposed eilitage woutd be but a part of
the stone great work. With respect to !ream', be was the
less $v Ming to make any proposition of chattor in the state of
repr.•esti/MO(1a • itt that part of Inc United hiugdoal, hi Cod-
trottence tf the iecea regulatimo adopted there; upon
OW transfer of her Legislature; but He wort, however, be
permitted to observe, that inert mere lu that counay
lame instances respecting the kit/roughs, which were irreg.
want With all the mischiefs apd abuses to which 6110 o
-system was :so sttaject, particularly us to that injarlitut
'erect, of vesting• the aristocracy with 80 dioilBollB at I*l.
portion of power, by vesting in so many Noblemeta 'Mut
,ally the right of utintinatioo. 'fhis was tae Inure to lit
dreaded in a country where certstO restrictions were
lowed to debar a greitt portion of hei population from tot
lan benefits of the Gonetitutirso under %smelt they hied t foe
it was nut within the limits of man's itnaginatim, to coucgrt
the iikalchlable mischiefs resulting' from a state of things;
Which come:llad; water the forats.of a free, the spirit of an
;arbitrary , Goverment. t klaJr, hear!) lle had. thus. en-
deavoured to draw a general. (Manic of tile principles of MS
iprimosed plan. With respect to the Representation, he held
Veed himself by •awo. leodiag • points.—The one was
places baying no population, and but a few inhahl- . '
Wilts, aught to cease to return Members to Parliament ; and
the other was, that ocsgreat, opulent, and populous toon cr .
district should remain amrepreseuted. Hosink dwelt upon •
these, there were yet other poiuts which called for mirk- „
lion. And here, the first that naturally preseded itself was
tent of the ddratian.of Parliatnenti. rn this- subjert he had
'llireeted his beeteottentlion, lull he confessed that it did appehi t
'to him to be one of as difficulty, and equal importance.
-Septennial Parliaments liadoi tentleoey, from the length of -
'heir term, to Weaken the relation between the Elector and 't
ithea,spresentative,ancl t 3 shake the dependeoce of the mate undo'
the other. While annual Parliaments would be found not less
riceptiolia.blea from the shortness of the period, said the too
frequetu oectirreoce to the troubles and coutestsof Parlininei4
tory Electioos. The one term was too long to plcoe the •
people, bud the other too short to satisfy the Members. lie
ithouldt propose to. take the ineditlin, and Wore Triennial Kr- • 4
liamentse its making corresponding concessions to the pemile '
dad the members, and thereby The best calculated tla. create • q •
'and perpetuate mutual satisfaction. There watt Otte ,point
spoil which be wits itazioit.to be dearly eatferotiod, and coil:. •
corning. vihicla there had been many arid various opinions ; It •
Was with respect to the part which was to be allotted- to the
districts in the reformed representation—whether their were
to rent* by districti, or to. vote .by districts? These two
thiugs were materially ditlerent ; returniog by districts he Ol-
'together disapproved of, as being productive dill eourequences
Ot likely.to be so; but voting by districts he 'hod& to be'
very convenient, amid free from many Of the objections too Inch
other modes acre liable; on the other band, returning by di*
leach (though so favourite a plan with some Refoimists)
wean iu.etfett to falsify the virtual re,prescutatlit of 'het-Mott, •
itself. As he oas Inure intimately acquit/wed with, theenteto
'of Hertford, if be were permitted he %could riteinfOrly Aso
*waning by supposing that county ditided into • four distritio,.
and returning by districts, the respective districts would op •
turn some one leading resident in each town, who would lent
to their several interests,
_and neat to OW of the 'chum v
:taken together, so that it would have the misclilevons &ea'
'pf converting a county represeutat ipu into a borough declaim ; • r
btlt to vote hy districts was very different, and haul many ad-
vatitages attendant on it, with respect to the owing of time.
trouble, and expense to the crtionciate, and to the elector',
as the Sheriff au ht collect the votes witn sd much mons
dispatch and facility. Toe lion. Gentleman co: clivlrd by
moving, " That a Committee be appointed hr impure hod
the state of the Representation iu Wit Nugse, sod.te,rniati-
gate the most effectual measures of reforming the ritii.e.".
[We lament we cannot give the remainder of air. Wand's
Speech till to-Immo-ow. The hlimion was supported by Mr.
N oel, Sir J. Newport) Colonel Wardle, her. Whitbread,
Mr. Tierney, Mr. Wm. Santa, and Mr. Ponsonby ; and op-
posed by Mr. Ot Giddy, Lord Milton, Sir J. POlteirey, 31r,
Alderman Jacob, Mr. Sturges Bourne, Mr. Calming, Mr.
Vi•yare, and Lord Poreliester.—TOe motion *as negsAldlea 00
a ditrision, the Ayes tieing 115, and the Noes Si 4-1

.........,_ . ____._:7-757:-or-rik,-- •
l'uNij°N.2 . - ..:*l7‘‘',)esusot zio
iiiEsnAt 1 s,sAir. 24. 1810... _1 .: 1.% .
Itr• aricinupelled, Ily the length otr'the iteport,;.rii.' ,
.ot tire City ilroccedings, to postpone dill du-put: ,• oi
...1)1V the greater part tif like Dabate in. tb.e house,,
fast eight. We arc sorry fur this, especially that
We 'cannot inttediatc.ly gratify onr Readers with .
the dot:Omit speech of Mr. WU I T *it EAU,. '4114 0
i, • •
dne of the l'eopic'b best friends. Alt. Bittros'i . .
1!4 • lotion terminate.(terminate.(ES-E'C'eti.sillall of continuo seissU
foresaw.. ' The Ministers will not save, titlivr the .
people or theinselves,,aild therefore the people
must look to thethselles ooly for 4elit ria hoi'c;
and the ott(y constitutional 'weans 11pir71.44. t" 11143
ppiple is, to Ri.foriii, Parliament ,theinselvt.s, by •
electing such tispid, and such only, as Will take the
new veil' Ot ALLEGIANCE to the PEOPLE, that 13
1.0 say, the oaths nut to imprison, -not to Mews
;their :Waiters *fi. . .
F ' Yesterday, Ilse AiTOILICY GENERAL ,iii the •
'Court of Xing's liiineli,', obtained a Rule to show
„.Conte
*hy a Crintinal`lnformallott "should not be
t.,
sued 'against . MATT. UM CANTER, and several
1 ilh'.. fur rioting, in the Theatre of Li•verpnol.
.1-4
tAtlttitON,i •Pcs...ied duct Published by 1). Loy NIA.; at die.
, ' ' -Siai ys Si .0-0 i erica Ks•• ineet-g"'d• . - •
_
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