Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-10-21

1ue ~ IN SuIO THAT SOuic Oi.tncnl ContfiSS, Oy
selling ayes and noes, to carry on a pretty
profitable commerce. Perhaps, two thirds
oil them are Itacemen or pensioners, OF orc |
kind or anothcr--at least majority Of the |
attending members are calculated to be SO. |
1t is we'll known that seats in the British house |
OF commons are disposed of with as little ce-
rcmony as bags of wool and that the minis
tcrs dictate to the electors, as well as the e.
lected. I'm many cases. Proofs of these things,
and Of plain, positive, palpable bribery. have
been. Frequently offered tn be laid before the
house, but always potcd do-vn without a hear
irs. It's possible Il majority of the members
have q .ftHogo-f feeling on all such subjects and
would not care to establish precedent that
might bring themselves into difficulty
n person may be a member Of parliament
and hold any Office in the gift of the crown,
those belonging to the Judiciary * the church
eXccpted.-.icace the corruption of th9t,bo-
d.. a man may alsobe a n ember and have
employment il Potany bay or .Nova Scotia
There are from so to 60 members &C parlia-
ment with the British armies at this time in
Spain and Portugal,
Further, and completely, 10 Skew the ma
tnre of the representation OF the people in the
British parliament, let us pursue the sub
ject: ,sie .t
The county Of Coru.saR (yec the table page
London, comprehendng the city, with
I?cSt,hiiStcr, and what is called Southzuark,
&c. the same year contained 864,8 35 inhabi-
tants-
Yorkshire, (Which is divided into three dis
| tricts in the table page ~ called "Riiings,"
the same year had a population Of $50 1922
souls
Co,n7vaN sends forty four members to par
| liament-to svit for the county 2; and two
for each of the following borougis Botlmyn,
| Bossiney, Callington, CameIfmtl, East Looe,
Fowery, st. Germans, Grampound, Helle-
stone, St. Ives, Launceston, LcSkeard, Lest
withiel, St. Msrwcs, St. Michael Newport.
Penryn, Salash, Tregony, Truro, West Looe
ID 7gn
London Gas above) sends eight members
to wit: the city (proper) !; for Westmin-
ster, 2; for Southwark Ga borough) 3 to
| tai 8.
Yorkshire sends sixteen members 10 parlia-
| ment; 10 zcn for the county 2; for the CITY
of York, 2; and two.for each of the follow
ing boroughs; Aldborough, Beverly, Be-
| roughbrdge, Heydon Kingston upon Hull,
| knaresborough, Nation, Northallerton. Rich
! mond, Ripon, Scarborough, ThrisS-total 16
| The town of Manchester, with 100, OOe in
habitaats, does not send enc member. The
| borough of Old Sarum, Consisting OF the ruins
] of one old house, standing OH private estate,
and uninha6iico,* sends two members!
Mr.. BHrgh gives a list of % boroughs in
which the majority of the electors is below
20-these boroughs send So members to par
Lament.
According to his statement, and there is
every reason to believe it correct, .354 men,
bers arc returned by 1922 voters.
! e.4yfes6urg, one Of the boroughs, was roy
| al manor ofWiliiam the conqueror he gave
tito one Of hisfayorites provided he should find
litter and straw for the kings bed chamber,
and furnish him with three eeis inthe winter,
SotToo greer geese in the summer, whenever
his majesty came into the neighborllood. For
these suhfdeS, though We have not heard Of
Their being latterly demanded, one person
has the right OF sending two lnembersto. par
liamelhzD ~
It's tiSpraetice, when amember becomes
troublesome to the ministry for his Talents, to
attempt to corrupt his vb-tue. The famous
Edmund Burke affords a memorable instance
OF this-but 1t is useless to particularise cases;
they arc ''as plenty as blackberries." IN
dregv Marvel was the last of the British re-
representatives. that was paid by his constitu-
ents--he lived about $50 years ago, and was
a man ofgreat talents and probity. The mi
mister of the day (the Duke of Newcastle, If
my memory serves me correctly visited him
at his lodgings, in ga back garnet, up three
pair OF stairs, ''-and after little prelude of
fered him, in the name. of the king, pension
Worth several thousand pounds her annun,
Instead ofreplying to the Duke, tie rctrcse,,-
taffUe Of the heofiie called his housekeeper
(thc only servant he kcpt) and asked her,
what he had had for his dinner yesterday ~
she said ga neck Of mutton.' " And what
am Ito have for my dinner to-day ?" deman-
ded MrUci- The remainder Of the piece
You had Yesterday, haslied," was the reply.
Then turning to the Duke, who stood con-
founded and astonished at the procedure, he
said in firm tone" You see how live
tell the king, that, at ali times, when he acts
TOR the good Of his country, he shall have my
support, withont a pension-but i'm any other
case the wealth of the Indies shall not pur-
chase il" Such traits are honorable to hu-
manlty--the anecdoteis quoted from memory
but substantially true.
Though such is the general corruption,
there are some members in parliament whose
talents and virtues save It from a total con-
domination and prevent il from becoming
silent non-rcsisting automaton in che hand of
the minister, as is the icgislaffue bodg of
France. But truth, mighty and powerful as
II IS, clothed IN the most elegant language,
and told in all the majesty that belongs TO IT,
avails but littlc-the majority look tor the
nod Of the person WHO dispenses the "Ioaves