Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-06-06
lssp
HOUSE OF ColIAIONS-MoNpAY Arn1I 49,
REFORM DEBATE


REFORM DEBATE.
lord j. R,SsnLL moved the order of the day the
Reform Bill There were alterations to which hc
~ it necessary to alludc. lie could not help
frastiuG his situation with that in which he
s,ood the LIST of March, when he brought the med
sire forward Wiutevcr anxiety he might fCcl
'pon TIC subject mixed with pride and satisfaction,
that the tho proposed by his Alaestys minister's
h.d since bcen stamped and sealed by the appreciation
Of the people, for whose advantage it solely inci
dyd. (Iear, hcar.1 lie heard with pleasure the men,
her FOR Preston say that thcpubic press unani
NOUS in support OF tho measure because otherwise the
newspapers would be left without readers. That prov
Il tho public feeling in favor OF tho bill Another cir
clnsanco OF qualification the addresses
and petitions in favor of it presented from all parts OF
country both to the Crown and to both Houses of Par
lament He you'd not say what the number of peti- ,
lions both sides was, but those III favor or IL from
corporations and borougs which they we're told were
TO be robbed numerous than those against
IT, At the head of the corporations favor of the bill
,.sre London Canterbury Portsmouth Gloucester Lin
coin, Derby, and Bedford. They we'll aware that
they held their privileges by law but they thought they
would not be uctug for the good ofthe country cy
posed the and they ready 70 give up
exclusive power when they saw it to be cornnun
Gated to their fellow subjects He had also the
nyot Sir X. Peel in his favor The hon. baronet,
former OCCASION said, that taking counties
and twenty-five towns in favor ola proof
rs its general popularity Ofseventoen counties, twen
members voted in favor of and only nine against
tii second reading of the bill; twenty-five cities and
give thirty-votcs III favor Of and only against
The measure. Thus, sixty out 0fcighty members
80" for, not reform merely, but for this particular
sure. Now to the alterations. In principle there were
Anon boroughs; the principle held involable 1t
had been objected that they had taken the population
returns of 1921 instead of obtaining accurate return
OF the number Of houses of I0i. 4 year. Now must
b. remembered that the only that they could get
be made up from the tax assessors, books general
= vague and rrcgular They had found that the popu-
lnon themselves very def ctivc, and they
had been obliged make alterations in the schedules
otho places that would be altogether partially dis
ttnchiscd by this act. In Bridgcwater the borough
was co-oXtcnsivc with tho paris others, the par
;sh not cocxtensivc with the Observation-Disclosures
from tho in which the OF the population
made stood IT only 739 inhabitants, and was there
fore placed in schedule 4; but it had in reality
'lau 1000 inhabitants, and therefore it would return
rncnlber Buckingham had 3,465 inhabitants,
MIlmcsbury, >, l46: Okchampon, 2,023: and Rcigatc
aud Town, 1851 All of these places WOULD consequent
=" be allowed to retain member. Icominstcr
ouud contain 1915 inhabitants: Mcrpcth contained
1902 Northallcrton, 4,430, Tamworth, 1000; Truro
t!Ian G000; Wcstbury, $685. and Wigan. In all
questions of this sort line must be drawn and there
you'd always he found some places that
10 tha. line appear act of great hardship, and in
deed injustice, subject them to the rue but there
Wis no avoiding doing so. There were some boroughs
0isop!Iced in very similar situation to towns which
were built partly in parish aud partly in another,
and which rendered 1t matter of no small difficulty to
s1y 10 which they actually belonged. There 9th
ors. too like Clithero and Beeralson that situa
sd in large parishes but which did not form any part
ofthat parsh for instance, tho parish i'll which these
borOughs contained more than three thousand in
labitlns while in the actual borough of BcCrnlstcn
there only house that paid l0l year. II was
considered ucXpcdicnt to extend the sutragos to the
parish, and therefore these borogs ought be disran
Tho parish, and it would therefore have been exceeding
" unjust have dcprivcdit of either OF its members.
II he thought th!t by sacrificing CaDe it would satisfy
members on the other side OF the House and ncuralZe
thcr opposition to this bill, he thought there would lie
little difficulty in doing But what it after all
that they attempting achieve? It the abo
;ton of personal nomination Il not tho extinction
Ftc influence, the natural and proper influence, of
the arstocracy; chat impossible The Dukes Of De-
volsre and Bedford and the Marquis of fhnsdownc
must and ever would enjoy very greet and extended
iilfuoIice Ill whatsoever waymcmbers might be returned
TO that House This bill merely prevented these noble.
nicn from nominating whom they pleased. y great
Zeal 1d been sail Of the property held in Canc by
the Marquis of Iansdowuc
Now the fact was, that far property wtnt, the
influence of that nobIcman in that borough very j.
nitcd indeed, as he believed lie had only three
houses there whcn paid lOl. yearren They propo;,
one TO Roc!;da!e 10 separate the townships of Man
chester and Stafford, and to give Manchester two mem
b3rs Stafford TO Stoke and adjoining parish
they gave one member; to Wakefield, Hal
iiaY aud Witty which n very important
port. Fhey proposed to add member to Berkshire
BucfngillIhshiro, Cambrdeshrc, OXfordsiiire Hart
:,rdsliirr Hcrcfordshrc and Glamorgaushre. 'fhe
whole effect ofs would therefore be to make
he reduction of the number of members in that House
lIch less ahon it was before proposed The total
now arranged would be six hundred and twenty-iinc
tor the United Kingdom only thirty one less than
what constituted their present number. Many COM
paints had been made that lease holders who md paid
considerable for their leases should DO allow
cd the privilege those who paid annuc rent
"i 1Ji year Now he proposed 10 give vote to ali
osos ho!ipg leases ofl0L per annum for sixty years.
Ia the voters for towns actual cccupion of the pre-
Hl:yes wold te The test of residence 1t would also
be yefy unG,ir especially III Of the large towns,
Ike Bristol 10. not the holders Of warehouses
sd couitiahouscs 10 be allowed to vote. (IIcar.)
lie could objection to such extension of the
tfonccisc and clause to lt effect would therefore
introduced into the bill 1t had been said that as
5aTnan 10 be allowed the enjoyment of their pr-
rcgea during their lives, the oughtto be granted
their and apprentices. 1t therefore pro
nosci TO extend that privilege TO all those who were
articlcd to rcCnCu, and to the 81 .rcencu
s'i':h may be born at the passage Of this bill. In
i:e places difficulty had found to fix upon proper
fvidAls to ac returning officers, oui was there
re proposed -t the 18th OF htarch every year tho
slsriif nfthc county should nominate ld,.idual for
art Office TO for that ycdrIhc registry voters
rts coutain c:r christiln and sur-nauc. place Of
rsicHco, e.. and the entry in such book The u,I.lo
for the right 10 This registry be made
tad Preserved by tie churclwards and ovorsccrs who
so be authority 10 pay the expenses attending
rom the parish rates 'fhc polling, it arranged
souid take place at different pa to be appointed by
roper occrs-an arrangement, which, it would pre-
t"n such immense asscmblagcs ofpeoplc, and divert
atrnt:on, would no imagined be attended with very
Doucfcil consequences. The only other clasc which
= ,,f,4, r