Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1831-05-05
che constitutional a2abf1,
BRITISH HOUSE OF COMMONS
Sir Robert Pscrs Speech concluded.


All this proved that the tendency and not the mere
accident OF the close borough system CHI, ate
the entrance of mcn OF sbiIty who otherwise could
not obtain a scat IN that House liicar, hear. And
was this system thus working advantageously for
the general weal-so fostering Of talent and s,ates
lnanikc ahllity-to be destroyed in obedeIcc To
the Noble Lords's plun' During $50 years the con
stl'ution in ne present form was in force. and he
would ask ony who heard him to declare whether
the experience of history had produced any form of
government calculated to promote the happiness
q secure the rights & liberties Of free and enlight-
ened people. [chocrs Many other experiments
archical Instt utons, but how had they ccedrd'
In France, in Spain, i'll Portugal in the Netherlands.
IN every country the face of the earth, OF forming
a popular representative Government, and Of uniting
II with monarchy, been tried, and how, no would
again ask. had It succeeded In America the Honsc
had been told that he most beneficial effects Of re-
preventative form Of government plainly visible.
But he begged TO remind the House that there was
wne difference, indeed. between the circumstan.
ees Of this country and of America. In the United
States the constitution had been in existence
more than forty years. II not I'LL the year 1879
that tie representative part of the American system
of Government had been established and since tina,
time many important changes, cvory body knew,
had been made respecting the mode of elcctipg their
President. As yet every thing was in uncertainty,
for since the first establishment Of the Govern
ment Of the United States, it had been undergoing
change. He would not say that it had been dcter-
Grating, for he wished to avoid all invdious phra-
ses. but 1t had been rapidly undergoing a change
from republic to mere democracy. The influence
of the executive Government had been daily becom-
ing less, and more power had consequently been
vested in tho hands of the people. And yet with
respect to that country where there land uncul
t,vated 10 extent almost blc-when there
was no established church-werc there no pri.
viiedged orders-where property existed on q very
different tenure from that which it was
held IN this country-let no the people of Ed
gland be deceived-lct them not imagine from
no nD1o Of ho hat
democracy had succeeded and triumphed there.
it would also succeed and triumph hear (Hear. J
With the solitary exception OF the United States,
there was not another country on the face Of the
globe TO be found, in which mixed constitution
like that Of England had succeeded During
the last $50 years, in which England had enjoyed
that mixed constitution, she stood the shock Of
disputed succession Of long wars, and of almost
every EVIL that could befa State. During that
period every country in Europe had suffered the e.
wills OF invasion, from which alone had been freed
during that period every country in Europe but
our own had submitted TO change of dynasty, or
had been rendered subject to foreign power. Look
from the nations of Europe TO those of South Amer
lea, which had lately indicated themselves into
dependence Fit were assumed unden' BILE
principle that the people in all countries might be
safely trusted with the enjoyment Of power, VIVA,
was there to prevent happy experiment of the pow
ere OF the people to form good government from
succeeding IN 8 nth America. The ey pertinent ha
been made and failed signally theur) Wha, were
OF historians, had in oil led to the decline of
empires? The danger ola successful military chief
tain attaching to himself the affections of his egIons
and beng msled by vanity 10 turn the which
he had first employed for the defence of his country
TO his own ambition and aggrandzement. not
the present constitution OF England saved it for
than century and half Of military glory from that
unfortunate accident The staff of Marlborough,
the greatest chefialn Of his age had been broken
this country with impuny and had not the batsn of
his iiustrous friend, the most ustrious commander
ofthe present age, before whose cuini mating star
even the fortunes of Napoleon had qupiled-had not
that baton crumblcd into atoms before vote Of that
House which he [Sir r. Peel was then addressing
ehearlf Again. he had been told Of the danger
which was likely to accrue 10 the liberties of Eng
land from the employment of standing army. Had
he not been told recently by the honorable and learn
ed member for Clare, that the army of England was
eminentiy obedient and submissive to the laws:
Had he not said, $50 mild is your army in its de-
nIeanour, SO popular Is 1t IN all parts Of your
empire, confident arc the people in its JUS
tice and moderation, that I nnplore you, when
ever you have occasion 10 call in force
TO quell internal disorders, send in your regular
army, and not your yeomanry, for they alone
will act with temper and discretion" The decara-
ton of the honorable and learned member for Clare
was sufficient to that argument With
regard to the influence Of the oligarchy he would ask
houourabe gentlemen TO point out him any instance
in which there had been an nttemptto subject the
people Of England to the sway of an oligarchy,
or to establish any laws of exclusion or distinction
among them. Up 20 this time one practical ad
vantage had been held out to the House as the nau-
raj consequence Of the change proposed All the
reasons which had been urged TO them FOR making
that change were that it necessary to concate
public opinion No better way Of concllating The
public will had been devised than thst If adding
hall million electors to the constituency afthe coUn-
Try but u That we're good way Of cODeiating pub
tic opinion, then, If another Government wishing 10
participate in the popular avou ebould add ansthcr
million to tho constituent body, that argument mus,
be entitled TO the same SUCCESS (hear. hear) We
used to be promised, that whenever the constitution
Of the House Of Commons SHOULD undergo n change
securities shout d be taken for preventing It from
engaging Us in ruinous wars. All persons who
knew any thing Of history, we're well aware
that there was security against in any popu.
lar Government. Dir Fox had left it upon record
that upon its commencement the American war was
highly popular. At later period il had been pre-
dicted by other statesmen, only inferior to Mr. Fox
that at their commencement all the wars IN which
we had been subsequently engaged had been highly
popular at their outset, but that, on the appearance
OF failure, they had become tiresomc and out of ia
your with the people. We used to be told TINT re-