The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-08-25
FOR TIE ENQUIRER.
ENGLISH rAnI1AmESrARy REFORM.

ENGLISH PARLIAMENTARY REFORM.
The late incidents in England have pro-
duced a strong Torment in the minds of the
people. Tie result of the investigation
respecting the D. Of YORK, the rejection of
the Reversion Bill. and the vote in favor of
Lord Castlereagh,' have diffused general
spirit OF disgust and a loud cry for Pariia-
mentary Reform. Many OF the counties
have passed votes of thaaks to Colonel War
ule, and resolutions i'm favor of reform.
4 has spirit has even penetrated into the re-
ccsses of Cornwall.
itis impossible to foresee what fate will
attend these exertions. Every art Is used
by the Ministry, to rouse clamorous suspi-
cion against the Refonmists. and to enshroud
themselves behind the mists OF prejudice-.
Where corruption is SO fragrant, that it can
neither be shroaded or denied, the minions
OF government dc, not blush to justifv il by
arguments OF Precedent or. Necessity.--
~ striking eXampH, ofsythe use of these
two sorts of appeals is furnished in the De-
bate in the House of Commons on the 11th
May. on the Charges of Mr.. Madocks against
Mr.. Perceval and Lord Castlereagh. The
facts turn out to be, thar aaMr.. Dick, who
had purchased a seat for the borough of Cas-
hel, through the agency of the Hon Henry
Wellesley, in behalf Of the Treasury, had
on most important occasion determined to
vote according to his conscience ; & that Lord
Castiereagh intimated to him the ueces-
sity OF either his voting with the government
or resigniug his seat" Mr.. ID. vacated his
seat-and Mr. Percival connived at the
transaction. MIR. Madocks moved for an En-
lquiry into the case. And how did the min
istry rebut this allegation? Mr. :Percival
,ntreated the House to pause, before they
lent their sanction to such mode of intro
ducing the entering wedge of parliamenta-
ry reform, and of feeding the popular appe-
lite upon attacks Oh public men, f" at time
when individuals were hohored with crow
ded tributes of the nations gratitude and
applause Tor prosecuting such chargcs'-
Mr.. Canning touched upon the same string,
called uponthe House that night to make a
stand against the Entertainments of the
tactious--and to remember that if the mmo-
lation OF these two gentlemen upon his side
OF the House was successful now, they would
be summoned ON the morrow to sacrifice two
stately victims from the other. Mr.. WInd-
lam at once unblushngly avowed, that
- Gentlemen seemed TO forget that those
corrupuons, as they 7vere called, formed
1iart OF the theory of the Constitution, for
they were to be found co-existing with it i'm
all times, even in the best of times-even in
the days OF the great Chatham. as he was
termed--that he, no doubt made use of
this,species of traffic Tin Consciences) and
epon the principles stated, as part of the
0efcnce OF govcrnment--that he mast have
made use OF corruption-thari in fact, there
was CORFU. ton in the country from toh to
bottom, differing only in this respect, that
1t was more dense at bottom, and became
purer as you advanced to the top-that am
bition had its full operation on public men,
and sort Of corruption qcas sometimes
necessary TO CRAFTY it' See Debate in
London Morning Chronicle Of May 10, 1909.
What we ask must be the state of com,
try IN which such sentiments are unblush-
ingly avowed by the ministers-without
their being Immediately hurled from their
scatss
rs to the great question of Parliamentary
reiorm7-it is plain to those, who have exa-
mined II, that until it succeeds, "that boas-
ted monument OF human invention, the Bri
fish constitution" must be viewed as a mo-
nument only OF corruption, and the British
parliament only as pageant of ministerial
influence Let hose who have not looked at
this subject, turn only the rotten boroughs
Each OF those nozv returns members to
the House of Commons. This privilege was
only granted TO them, because .'they were at
the time, places of the greatest trade in the
Kingdom. but many Of them have now dwin-
died into miserable villages or hamlets'' O
ther towns, ON the contrary, which have since
grown into prosperity and numbers, are now
unrepresented What must we think of
system which clothes Cation or Old Sarum
with the elective franchise, and denies it to
Manchester AS 4 specimen of these rotten
boroughs, we subjoin the following extract
from MIR. Madock's Speech.
"The nature of that influence branched out
into so MANY and various ways of misapply.
ing the money taken out of the pockets of
the people. that it was impossible to have
an adequate idea of les magnitude and dam
ger, or TO be too vigI.ant in retrenching the
one and guarding against the other. He had
already signifed his intention of taking an
early opportunity of submitting TO the con
sideration Of the House the present state of
certain borouShs in England. He trusted
that the statement, he should then submit to
the House, would induce them TO revision
OF the entire system of boroughs. He should
take the liberty Of adverting at present to
one or two instances of this Borough infiu
ence. The first was the Borough Of Has
tings, which consisted of only fourteen vo. |
ters. The right of election being III the Cor
poration, this borough was the property of
Mr.. Millwood and his Son, who were agents |
for Government, and were the mayor of the |
Town alternately. The younger Mr.. Mill |
wood was comptroller of the excise, with n |
salary of 1926. per annum place which |
was nearly, il not quite, sinecure, though |
by the 9Th OF William and Mary. chapter
the 30th, collectors and officers in the excise |
were interdicted from any interference i'm !
elections. If the SUN Of 1425l. be multiplied |
by seven. it would be found that IL cnst tbe |