The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-02-18 00:00:00

REPORN PETITION OP TOE CITY or LONDON.

Tbst Sheriffs of the City of London appeared at the
Bar, and presented a petition prayine fir Reform, from
the Lord 'gayer, Aldermen, and Common Council of the
City of London.
Mr. Alderman WOOD regretted evereilingly the ab-
sence of his Majesty's Ministers at the moment so im-
portant A petition was presented. Itivoidd have been
presented earlier in the Session, were it not that a desire
prevailed to have the opinion of ,olie of his Majesty's
Ministers, who had not till lately taken their seats.—
Though they were not now present,• he hoped they
Mould a lonmake their appearance, and declare whether
any support was to be expected from theOi. The pe,i-
don was certainly not very sparing. in it. ahem of Mi.
sisters. It set forth in foil length all the evils ard
difficulties under which the country laboured, and irn-
Eteti the cause of their existerice to the conduct of
islers, thither*, and the state of representation in that house.
e petition came from as respectable a body of men as
_ _
composed ant Corporation in
No: consisted of 2 prisons ci
whom land been City/fa Wittionl
years. if incontrenienee Wes f
mode of *kenos, Howie h the to
great. The Common Council w
bad so opportunity of %at!

the United Kingdom.—
chosen annually, some of
unt interruption for fifty
found to result from this
lumber of votirs well very tI
tir, re ch4i, n by those who ,;
tcl•ing thur proceeding:, P '
-

.4.

,30.

awl hying frequently brought before the eleaors,
they were obliged 19 be more circumspect in their
enndnct. The petitioners /Omitted the existence Of
ak.riestitor.ci distress, but they also stated 'they wire
equally dist tl. l'hoogli they kept their shojis
open as sinful, yet their prnfi.s were so reduced, as to
Tinder them inrapahle of paying the taxes. The bon.
member concluded by moving that the petition be read
at foil length.
The petition wa.s.then read, (It was given in the•
grareastaN of the 311th of January last.)
Mr. Aldermanl9ool) said that he thought right to
*Awry., thst a' the Veering at which the petition was
aareed to, there•well slew persons, men of talent and
respectability, who opposed it; bat the the division, the
minority who voted against it did not exceed twelve.—
The woolly Alderman added, that • be was happy the
Right Ilon..Secretery for the Ferrier Department had.
been in his place in the house, and had the advantage
of hearing the statements and arguments contained ie
the petition. He moved that the petition lie on tbd
table.
Ml. Secretary CANNING slid, he begged to'disclaim
'limbering derived any information from the reading
of lbteoetition that night, as he hail the advantage
reading it in the public papers about three weeks
back.
. .vh.CREEVY complimented the petitioners on the sla
%%Irate calculations and clear statements set forth in the pe-
tilor. He then adverted to the unequal state of the Ha
resen'at'on, and observed that by the returns which had
t,rrn laid d n the' table of the Honsi from time to time, it
appeared that the population of the country had increas-
ed from five to melte millions While that increase hid
t.icrn place, the &naive franchise remised in the taiete
rate, and iris not extended to correspond with 60 110.
palation, 10. the bonaughs Ate number of elect Ors had
....Italy decreased. In Cornwall alone, it appeared that
th re tr..ro 19(10 electors onlv,and theyreturned to Paella-
..,rut heir as !many Member.eas the whole of the county
population of England. It was impossible to avoid any
longer the consideration of those new and increasing
towns through the country, which bad no representative
at Of, or which had tot representatives to correspond
With ;he increase in the people, while the most worth-
Vas boronghs—(bear, hear)--enjoyed• almost a mono-
poke the. elective franchise. The elective franchise
Wnttltinferred by the prerogaite of the Crown formerly,
/rind he could site periods at which new accessions
of Members were inatle to the number of representatives
in that floteie. Aft the reigns of Henry VIII. and James
1. one linn.latel and ninety Members were added to the
represerratieos of the people. A Committee appointed
lb the reign of Elizabeth to inquire bow tl.ose persons
eo a Ided haf:bren returned, reported that they were
elected by the prerogative of the Crown. Out of so
itiany buroaghs at present io Cornwall, only sin existed
itrior to that time. All the others were created in the
time of Edward: VI., whose reign commerreed at the age
of nine years, and eerminated with his death at the age
of sixtesu. His (Mr. Creevey's) object was to suggest to
the Noble Lord need him, (Lord John Russell), who had
F 9 ably..takeo up the 'object of Reform, that there ought
tube a restirti made to Parliament by the returning uffi-
tees thiceigit the ro intry of the right by which Members
Were returnad, !selecting the partteular charter, the time
when such itcarset was granted, with the number of elec.
tors, who its "each.town and borough enjoyed the elective
ff'l4 it; his.. In sneti• a return, the house would have a
tide and an authority by which they would act.: That
*as the purpose for whictr heflose, feeling titmjastlee of
Bali agaire number of represent dives in that house cot-
re•pouding ,title the popohtion.
Mr. I'. WILSON said he wools snot follow the Ho-
nonrehle Aletubei into the statement be had made. He
lout from his resoeet to the petitioners to say a isi words..
Re was antffinti for economy In the pulalic'expenees, her
bet perl.api V the Same extent as others would meow
mcn A• to the question of reform, be wooldpay at-
tention and proper deference to the opinion of those in the
bons-, who were better able to judge of Ars expediency,
and be would give an opinion on it when itwes brought
before the house.
Lo:d JOHN .RUSSELL sa'd he felt obliged to his
hen. Friend ()r..Creevey) for the suggestion he made,
and be wonlil an-morrow (we understuod) wave for the
apioio.rea.fir fri•a-ttolurniftre for that peep*. Whilst',
was on theambsiett be would beg to =tulle,' that his
wrotionfor.Par anientary Reform• would be the same he
suhs•ance as that Of lair Session, and he would make it
on the 2.lth of April. He could not sit down without
expressing his satisfaction at the interest the enlight-
coed classes of the people in slip arts of the country were
tithing of late in the. 'teat. question of Parliementery
reform. He was gbiti of the able calcnlation and Clear
- ststement that Was presented to the 11 use in the petition
of 11:e Corporation of. London.. The county of York was
1140 alma seedier a petition, which •had the signateres
et more than 10,1160 freeholder., praying for Reforms.
These wide sparks emitted from the dying embers of
Reform. • • • .
The petition was laid 04 the fable.'
POSIIION ENLIST/MINT Bill. 6.
Lord ALTHORP gave notice that on' that day %HI
night, as we anderstoad. he would move fur the repasts
of the Foreiget &Misting's% Bill. •
• • ' coIItINNA.
Sir ROBEAT WILSON wait understood to say, that
be was informed that several applicatiOns had been
made to the office of the Secretary of 'State
.for the OM-,
reign Department to concur ill the establishment of pace
kers hetsseen this country. and Coronas,-or other pers.
in Spain. He was desirous to know whether' the enlis-
tment was corrnt.
Mr. Secretary CANNING replied that that weed's
• tie he heard of it:

best time ..
Here a short conversatjno arose between the Chan.
relbr of the Exchesper, alr.•reel, sad a member whoge
name we could .not learn, on a question' put by thelast,
in a tone Ismailile where we rat. From the answer oft
Mr. Peal, we inferred it to veleta to, the'public seivices
and interment of the late Dr. Joiter. • . I
• sia.PLf—DisTiltup.
On the motion of the Cheoeellor of the excheqnei,
the Order of the day for the House to resolve itself ioto
a Committee of Supply was, read. • •
dirt luesti.ou that the Sp.aker do leive the Chair,
Mr. CR,LEVEY said, he aisbed much the country,
could see the way in which the Ipainess relating to the,
Supplies was carried on in that House. Supplies were
now asked for as matter of course, Now: he would like
to compare this with the way in which sunh a thing was
viewed entimts wh-n Kings add {ameells were more ar-'
bitrary than they are now, and when Ministees.were made
of rn-n far more distinguished, In tho.reig,n of Queen
Elizabeth, svlsen.such men as 4ir Walter Raleigh and
Lord 011C011.Wefe merni.ers of_ the house, the following
was the way in which the,Minister tbought it becoming
to *4 the house to grant a Sitrply - Least tie house
should suppose that the Snpp y granted to her-Majesty
Lye years agn load been sutti. tent for her. to do without
needing to 4,11 c more, 1 -do. assitre. the -home that the
same was not sulfa:tent. St was epoiteN especially
for Ireland by one %tit an!! .lier VakstY has been
obliged tq furnish the rest out of Tier own pocket, shun.
sing, as she does, loans ai:a peitilisitial canker." It was
tifrcJlt.to know which most oo adoitire, whetheithe ge.
n-rosity and justice of the Sovereign, or the wisdom of
toe Mi)nuer characterizing Otos as,pestileptial-caulters.,
He wished to know nowt'` what Such persons would
think why' they 'had one of. their pestilential caulkers
so the extent tie tight or nine bundrest tulllo4e. sterling:
At anot`et •d'altDe. in thll maw mien, Si! 011Ati For-
went, is,sgernding.tile for a supply, spoke in the
fettowing. swirl To!sffhtm her idljesty came to tb,