The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-01-28 00:00:00

inNencing his totes in favour of the intera
of the people. • He would also have the votes at the ;
election taken by ballot, and at the places where the electors
resided. Why not allow every men who paid taxes to have
a tote t lie would not put a man to the trouble of losing
three days in order to give his vote. He would have the
electors at Abingdon and Birmingham to vote in those
places respectively:. By this mesas the scenes of riot, dis-
order, drunkenness, and sometimes of perjury, which they
too frequently witnessed at elections, would be avoided.—
This by oome would be considered *bad plan. So it might.
peas. however, his plan. He had said he was not without
h plan of reform, and now time meeting had heard what it
The worthy Gentleman concluded amidst loed cheering, by
again con4ratulating the friend; of reform on having so nu-
merous and respectable a meeting, and by thanking theca for
data attention with which they bad listened to him.
Mr. 11. Marian (of Reading) next presented himself to
the assembly, and was received with considerable applause.
'After the very able addresses which had been already de-
livered to the meeting.he was unwilling to tresspass long
on their attention. His remarks, therefore, would be
very brief. The subject, it was true, was now a thread-
Imre one ; indeed, it was one of the arguments against
its ititroilliction at all, that it was threadbare; but, as
they admitted that the garment was almost worn out,
let them give them (the reformers) a new one ; let them
shave a change in the system, and they would be saris-
. fled. for they were aware it must 'be for the better.
• )torroold perhaps be said to them, " W bat !do you want
go make reformers of the farmers, now that times are bad,
id that they cannot get a goad price for their corn ?
.14 you want to bring them over by the prospect of high
• lirices ?• De would answer, they wanted to do no such
hings. They did not look to high prices as the result
'of refOrcs. They wanted, however, that removal of
;their burdens which would enable theta to cultivate and
to sell at fair remunerating prices. (Hear.) They were
ietOsh enough to wish, (and they were accused of bring
tellist,) that those who were disposing of the public
should be sent to Parliament, not merely fur, but
hr. people. Clear.) It might be said to them,
vioultitbry do away by their plans of reform with the in-
. Monica of rank and property, in the country ? By no
means t under any reform, property would still have its
`• just weight ; the possession of .great wealth, used as it
ought, would continue to have its proper influence;
but it would he begging the whole question to assume
' that beonuse they must have some, they ought to have
smare than was consistent with the principles of the Con-
stitution. (Hear,) The noble lord who that day ho-
.loured the meetiog with his presence and enlightened
,it by his eloquence, had that influence which might to
attach to Lis rank, stapon and character; but brand his
fuoily bad also borough Influence; hut of that influence
',he watt wilting to nial.e a sacrifice for the public good.
‘Cheers.) His lordship knew full well that a reform in
torliament would not exclude the sons of the nobility
Arcot seattin the House of Commons, if they possessed
• abe talents to make them useful in the service of the
.pithlie. Rut one of the evils arisingfrom the want of
,reform was, that we bad dolts and dandies sent into Par-
li*ment,uerely because they were sprigs of nobility.
`They bad lately heard a great deal about the violation
-of vested rights which would result from a reform:
." Do not tench Old Sarum," cried one—" !elms existed
in its present state during the best days of the country.
It is a• veined right of which you have no rig.htto deprive
the possessor." But who, he asked again, gave the
'vested right in Old Sarmn.which neutralized the votes of
the county of Wilts? But the great cry of the anti.reformers
uttered by the mouth of their apostle, was "The system
"works well," and the country has been carried through
her difficulties under it. It was, indeed. trot., it did
• work well, but how? It enabled the few to work the
Money 'Mout of the pockets of the many.—(Applause.)
It was to hint, as it most be to every reformer present,
tit wares of great satisfactioo to see so numerous and
' • respeetehle an assemblage, quit that day fit the purpose
vif fethlottlng: But St was lot the holding up their
handminsupport of the petitiob of that day which would
lie mitScierft. They must persevere. They bail power.
fnl adversitrieS, to whom circumstances gave many ad-
.vantages.. They had nine points in their favour. they
lad gut possession, aye, p ion of the stolen goods ;
and it 'boobd be the business of reformers to imitate the
oxamote of the poor widow with the unjust Jude—to
worry them until justice was "done.—(('beers.)—They
'should nor cease to worry their adversaries until they
had got the stolen goods out of their possession.
Mr. MoNen (the member for Reading) came forward
and was received with cheers. After what they had al-
ready heard on the important subject before them, he
would not trouble them with many observations. He
would only a,v, in addition to what bad been observed
by the noble lord, that the situation of our represents-
tire system was very different in the present day from
what it was tour centuries back.(the period which some
of the anti reformers compared with the present.) Sines:
she revolution,. we hail two most important changes in
.the Commas !tense of Parliament. The first was the
anion of Scoti-ind with this country. The next, theta
,Ireland. By the lift, forty-five Scottish members were
' sailed to the House of Commons. How the great ma-
jority of members were elected, was well known.
•'.l* he wholeof the elections of the Scotch burghs was
by corporations the members of which, in turn, elected
each other. This system was so general, that an inch
peoderit Member fora Scotch burgh was a rarity which
'hey seldom saw. It was exemplified in what took place
in the borough of Montrose. The abuses there were
• .so great, that a new charter woe given, by which the
• franchise was somewhat extended. The consequence was
that the electors returned an independent mao. They
'sent Mr. Hume to Parliament. From this tbeymight judge
ea I.the effect which a reform would produce in Scotland.
• The union of jrcland was the next great change to which lie
• had alluded. By that Act 100 members were added to the
.11euse of Commons. Bat how were they chosen 7 Some
lands! prowietors had 30,000 or 40,000 persons on their
vstatiekro whom they gape qualifications, in order to vote
as they should be direeted; so that, in fact, It was not an
but a nomination which generally took place in
•thWleat6try. Scotland, and one kindred, such as they
were, ;from Ireland, would it he said that the House of
• Commons had ontiergone no change sizee the revolution 7
• He would not trouble the meeting far on this point.
The petition which bad been read to them was, lie
I lionglit, one of the beat that had ever been presented to
:Parliament. Yet,. notwithstanding that its prayer
would be rejected, still, however, we should not de-
spair. We mould still continue our efforts—still con-
• time to petition ; but we should do more. It was
•necgigarsi that they should not only talk well, but
• act 'Nell, awl let the action be suited to the
word-. Let MI) not ha misunderstood. He did not
recommend the use of physical force. He would not have
the reformers attack the Horse Guards. There the Uo-
. vernmeat was invisible. But be would have them attack'
the system where it was vulnerable. The only chance
the people had of reform was, that the extravagance of
'Government had rendered it dependent upon them for
'its maintenance. The people had thus the means in
•their power of putting an end to the extravagance, and
,the system together. This could be done by assts•
cistiont in different parts of the country agreeing not
to consume certain superiluous articles from which the
Chancellor ofF.xchequer derived his greatest resource.
This was, In his opinion, the only effectual means
within their power. At present he would not develope
sheplan farther. When this petition, as he was certain
it wocildtshottfd be refused by the House, they would
then assemble to deliberate upon what farther steps
were to be taken. At that meeting he would explain
t Lisfiself farther on the subject. He would show histo
really the effects of such a remedy. He would prove-
'that, denying ourselves a few ordinary gratifications.