The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-02-10 00:00:00

fottkert.obserrationsi during witich he strongly enforced
Ir the necessity of Reform concluded by seconding the
motion.
Lord DACRE said the subject which was before the
meeting for its consideration, great and important as
they all knew he considered it, namely, that of reform,
did, in his humble opinion, sink to nothing when com-
pared with the questions just submitted for their consi.
&ration. Constitutions were instituted for the p
yation of liberty, and the security of property ; and atm-
ion* as he bad invariably shown himself to be for a
reform in Perliement, he had hoped on this occasion to
have abstained from pressing on their attention : are had
hoped that the good feelings of every Hertfordshire man
worthd have led di n can.atteon•ly to support the fair and
candid measures which lied been first proposed to them.
—His feelings had hurried him to speak first to
this point, which he had intended to have noticed
later, and he would now revert to a question of form
which, friendly as he was to public meetings, he con-
sidered of importance. He was one of those who signed
the requisition to the High Sheriff for convening the
meeting, and as he was alwayis enxions that not only
freeholders who were represented, but those who were
not, should meet to state their rights, he had inserted
the word " inhabitants" in the requisition. His
Honourable Friend the High Sheriff had fairly stated to
• them his objections, and he (Lord Dacre) wily. non
wished to submit his objection to the generalizattOn of
such a practice. He doubted whether his honourable
friend considered county meetings as he (Lord Dacre)
tied tAll;gislature considered them. In one of the Six
Acts fur regulating public meetings), in the 4th
semi t was enacted that not freeholders only, but
that- olden, copyholders, and inhabitants, should
ai
not able to any of the penalties by that act imposed
when summoned by the High Sheriff. If he (Lord
Deere) were right in his construction, the legislature II
differed from his Hon. friend the High Sheriff; but he
was content to wave the point, though he believed be I
spoke the sense of all present, that inhabitants should
form part of every county meeting when the re-
quisition was so framed. (Cries of " All, all.") He
, would not now enter iwo the merits of the general
question. and repeat what he had stated in that place on '
former occasions. It was remarked by a great writer,
by Identesquieu,that the most dangerous government
was that which had the forms of a free with the spirit
of an arbitrary government : whether that were applica-
ble to our Government, he thought he need not lose time
io arguing, for whether they looked to the mode of
election of the members of the House of Com
mons, or to their conduct when elected, to the
constant anti invariable support which every
Administration was sure to meet with, he thought
sufficient was observable to jnstify them in doubting
whether we might not have, with the forms of a free
government, the spirit of an arbitrary one. These were
the grounds on which lie had originally been, and still
was, the zealous friend of reform : add to which, without i

reform he much doubted if taxation would be reduced ;
and on that account it was peculiarly proper that the
meeting should petition for a fair and adequate repre-
sentation of the people in the Commons House of Par-
liament. If he were asked what reform he would wish,
be Could give a very detailed answer; but his opinions
on that subject had been fully delivered in the House of
Common', and were on record : it would ill become him,
therefore, to occupy their time on the system of reform
which he had advocated. He was not vain enough to
suppose that it was such as would meet every one's
ideas. No single individual could be capable of pro-
posing a system full and effective in all its parts. The
question was, what reform was necessary to that sys
tem which, when reformed, would be worthy of the ad-
miration of the world ; and he certainly would not be
vain enough to say what he thought requisite to make
. it a perfect system. He should blush for himself if he
were to do so : but what at mild be say to the pro-
position which had been addressed to that nume-
rous and respectable meeting, as an amendment'
to a petition for reform ?—to reform.; why it
was to create a House of Commons (loud ap-
plause), who were to enact a law for the sale of all
public properly, and under that head the property of the
priesthood was included. By this they would not reform
the House of Commons, but would constitute thein•
selves a House of Commons: they had announced prin-
ciples in the face of the country to which he would for-
bear applying the proper epithets. He gave the gentle-
men who made the proposition every credit for good in-
tentions, and though he had concurred with them gene-'
rally on political subjects, his Lordship continued with
much energy—" I cannot, however, remain silent when
I hear a proposition made for the application of the
public property, accompanied by so unequivocal an ex.
planation of what that property is. What the amend- 11
meat proposes is nothing less than that a vast mass of
property belonging to individuals, and lawfully belong-
ing to them, should be confiscated. I speak, I assure
you, with pain upon this part of the subject, because I
am compelled to differ from men twhom I really value :
but I feel that the greatest injury must be done to that
great cause which I have always advocated by sueb pro-
ceedings. I have witnessed in other counties, with sor-
row and disgust; the adoption of the measure now sub-
mitted to you ; but it was always a consolation to me to
reflect, that the freeholders of Hertford—the consistent,
the warm, and the rational friends of reform—
Would, when the time should arrive, display a different
temper, and pursue their object by becoming
and dignified means. The mischief which is done
to the cause by any other course is incalculable. The
particular sort of reform which we should like must be
matter of opinion. If we were asked to propose a plan,
you would offer your's, I should offer mine,and England
would most probably adopt neither, but some alteration
which should be suggested by the assembled wisdom of
others ; hut when that is proposed which it would be
impossible to grant—when the public money is no longer
to be held sacred, there can be no hesitation in rejecting
it altogether. lam notparticularly fond of church pro.
perty, as you all know : I have no great veneration for
enormous church revenues, particularly for the over-
grown possessions of the Irish hierarchy; but we must
not forget, that the interest held in these possessions by
the present proprietors, is held under the same law,
which, if once_ infringed upon, might, and probably
would, shake the foundation upon which your own pro-
perty revs. I may be told that I ant too bold, in thus
censuring the proposition that has been made. I may
again have to bear the taunts of my friends on the left,
and be told that I don't feel the pressure. Gentlemen,
this is not a time to talk of one's self; but you will be-
lirve me, when I am fully convinced that the interests of
landlord and tenant are so inseparably connected, that
I should be a fool, even if I was not a knave, to prefer
in any respect my own interest to theirs, or to sacrifice
them to anyself.—(Hear.) 1 am aware that I speak
with sonic warmth; I know I have not kept close to the
question of reform, which, indeed, ought alone to oc-
copy us here; but I feel for the honour of the county,
as well, as fur the cane, which I have seen datnage.t
elsewhere by amendments similar to those now proposed.
I feel the danger of adopting them so strongly, that I
call upon you earnestly to reject by acclamation the
proposition of confiscating property over which you
neither have, nor can have, any control. I may regret
that I have suffered myself to he betrayed into warmth,
but I can never blame myself for having endeavoured
to carivkagat you that by sending forth the amended pe-
tition, you would Ming dishonour upon yourselves, dis
grace upon the county, and destruction to the cause
which you mud I are resolved firmly to maintain. if I
,gain your universal rejection of this amendment, I shall