Litchfield enquirer., 1831-05-12

Bridgap0rt Farmer :-
 From the tenor Of the English papers, it l would seem that the Ministry have full cOnR- dencs in the success Of the Reform Bin in the House of Commons, notwithstanding the small majority On the sec0ud reading, and the numerous and powerful interests leagued a. Sainst tt. There is large, bigOtted and Op- ulent aVistOeTacy-a naughty. bold and well organized OppOsitiOn-alsO l9O members for bOFoughs, 90 of which tt proposes to disfran- chise: all these are arrayed in determined
 hostility to the project of the Ministry; and though some own they have no dislike to moderate reform, they are utterly opposed to the revolutionary spirit of this bill.
 Looking at this distance from the scene Of contention, we should predict its rejectiOO.-| However, the Cabinet and its friends are very
 Sanguine, and speak tn a bold and determined ~pirit. Lord Grey declares he will adhere to
 the measure to the last-it was the condition
 On which he accepted Ofice-if it cannot be
 accomplished he will resign. We have seen
 no estimate of the Ministerial ranks in the
 House of Lords; but we presume they have
 eonntea the cost, and, relying on the Grown
 and their own influence, united with that of the old and long tried friends of Reform, will have majority. In the event of the bills be-
 ing thr0wn out in the Lower House, the Min
 UGtSEUbbttIe\4
 ment. We can very well understand how a
 majority can thus be secured in the Lower HGiIse; but the same measure is menaced 1.-the
 hill passes &Ae Commons and is thrown out by the Peers and unless the Cabinet calculate .On bringing the bill through the new House " Commons by triumphant majority. and
 thus play upon the fears of the Upper House
 to drive them into compliance, we cannot sec
 what wiIl be gained by a dissolution.
 A few instances of disinterestedness in the
 holders of bor0ughs are worthy of recOrd.-
 Sir Sanford Graham gave vote wticl, tend
 ed to deprive. him of E35, ,OOO, the sum he paid
 for the borough of Lndgershall.
 1t is astonishing to see men like Peel con
 tending for every iOta of this abominable sys-
 tem of rotten boroughs, and as Lord BrOugh.
 was to be created for England, not one star of the galaxy of boroughs and corporations should be omitted. A large body of the old
 tory party agree with Sir Robert Peel in pre- serving the whole Constitution untouched.
 end to disffahchise for Improvement and
 sefOrmatiOn-not to infuse new portions of health and vigor in the body polite, but as 9 punishment en conviction of bribery or cor ruptiOn. The Reformers go together as a man-they are perfectly united, and march on in unbroken ranks to the conflict which truth and justice are called on to suffer- We know nothing more creditabIe to the in- tegrity and patriotism of that party. or that contrasts more agreeably with the disunion and changeableness, and distraction, which | have marked all previous attempts at refor- mation. Of the bOroughs proposed to be [ disfranchised, we find that tn IA of them, which send 27 members, there are only G47 | voters. Two have only 12 voters one only 2, the other only 5; and two other bOfUughs, entitled to members each have no VOterS.-I We have seen 1t stated on good authority, that majority of the House of Commons was sent there by about 800 vOters--that is, the legislative body of great empire, con. taining more than 16,O0O.O0O of people, is made, governed, and controlled by less than one t,centy thonsandth part of that people, This is liberty with vengeance. This is a fact that speaks enough on the necessity of reused to sense of their rights and are clam Orous to possess and exercise them. Ut is no longer inst," said Lord Broughman. in a most able speech he made in, the House of Lords, "it is no longer expedient, no, nor any longer safe. that the great mass of the honest and industrious people of this great kingdom should continue longer nnrepresented. We are not slow in calling upon the people for of loyalty-we are not slow tn calling upon the people 10 contribute mil lions of taxes-we never forget to enlist the people in our ranks when we drained the peo- ple of their blood in warfare, as we drain l them of their money in peace but the only | point upon which we never appealed to the l people, the only point in which the people had been grossly ill treated by us was, that no representation had been given to the people | to tho extent which their worth, their services and their character give them right to have. = Having thus shortly laid before your Lordships the grounds on which the measure has nay concurrence, | shall not hesitate to say. that as have no doubt of the expedien l cy and justice of the measure. so have as little of its ultimate success"
 On the 18th of April the bill was to have 1 been called up, and we anticipate a terrible ! and most violent debate. The slumbering ] genius 0R reform has been reused. aud she | stalks through the land like Fame of old, &C., quiTing strength and potency and vigor at ev- cry step If hnP advence. No human sagaci- | ty can 10Fssse the issues of all these things, | whsthsr seed or evil.
 Restea BpFsagAS--Much is said of these | in the public jo0rnals. It may bs well tO un- cerstAnd aheir nature and connexi0n with the l Constitution Of England. otherwise the object of the preaAnk gefem bill cannot be appreci- | ased. BosOnnh strictly implies village or town repreasnl2N u Parliament. Originally | these contained considerable number of in- habitants, and very properly sent two or more members to the Lower House. But in the | uroceas of time many of thesa hOr0uRha ds,