Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-05-06


the Noble IIordss plan' During $50 years the con-
stituton in lie present form in force, and he
would ask any Who heard him to declare whether
the experience of history had produced any form OF
government so calculated 10 promote he happiness
g. the rights g. liberties of free and ehligh
encd people [Cheers Many other experiments
have been tried To ingraft dcmocrstical upon mon
archcal institutions, but how had they succeeded!
In France, in Spain, i'll Portugal in the Netherlands,
in every country the face of the earth of forming
u popular representative Government, and OF uniting
L with monarchy, been tried, and how, he would
again ask, had it succeeded? In America the Ilonse
had been told that The most beneficial effects oil re-
preventative form of government were plainly visible
But he begged 10 remind the House that there was
wide difference, indeed, between the clrcualstan.
oes of this country and of America. In the enited
States the constitution had not been III existence
more than forty years 1t was not till the year 1879
that the representative part of the American system
of Government had been established, and since that
time many important changes, as every body knew,
had been made respecting the mode OF electng their
President. As yet every thing was in uncertainty,
Tor since the first establishment OF the Govern
ment of the United States, it had been undergoing
change. He would not say that 1t had been deteri-
Grating for he wished to avoid all invidious phra-
scs but it had been rapidly undergoing change
from republic to mere democracy. The influence
of the executive Government had been daily becom-
ing less, and more power hod consequently been
vested IN the hands of the people. And yet with
respect to that country where there was land uncu
tvated to extent almost Observation-Disclosures there
was established church-were there were no pr
viledged orders-where property existed on a very
different tenure from that on which 1t WIS
held IN this country-let no the people of En-
gland be deceived-let them not imagine from
the example of the U. States, that because
democracy had succeeded aud trunlphed 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
= ha Iocf ,,,ti~ En- opl hoI
that mixed constitution, she stood the shock of
disputed succession, Of long wars, and of almost
every evil that could bcfall State. During that
period every country in Europe had suffered the c.
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. lift assumed as al undenrable
principle that the people in all countries might be
safely trusted with the enjoyment of power, what
was there to prevent happy experiment of the pow
ers oft the people to form good government from
succeeding in South America. The experiment ha
been made and failed signally [hear). What were
the causes which, according TO the unanimous voice
OF historians, had in all led to the decline of
empress The danger ola successful military chief
tam attaching to himself the affections Of his leglons,
and being mised by vanity 10 turn the arms which
he had first employed for the defence of his country
to his own ambition and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. not
the present constitution of England saved it for more
than century and half of military glory from that
unfortunate accident? The staff of Marlborough,
the greatest chief of his age had been broken in
this country with mpunity; and had the baton of
his ilus.rous friend, the most ustrious commander
ofthe present age. before whose cuImi mating star
even the fortunes of Napoleon had ouBiled-bad not
that baton crumbled into atoms before vote of that
House which he [Sir K. PEEL was then addressing
ehearF Again, he hat been told of the danger
which was likely to accrue o 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 vas
eminenty obedlent and submissive to the laws?
Had he not said, $50 mild is your army in its de-
| meanour, popular is it in all parts of your
EMPIRE SO confident the people In it's Jus.
tfce and modcrat ton, that | iIDpore YOU, when
ever you have occasion to call in force
to queI internal disorders, send in your regular
army and not your yeomanry, for thew alone
will act with temper and discretion" Yhe decara-
ton OF the honorable and learned member for Clare
was sufficient answer to that argument With
regard to the influence ofthe olgarchy, he would ask
houourable gentlemen to point out to him any instance
IN which there had been an attempt TO snbiect the
people of England to the sway of an oligarchy,
or to establish any laws of exclusion or distinction
among them. Up to this time practical Rd
vantage had been held out to the House the natu-
raj consequence of the change now 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 conclatng the
half million electors to the constituency of the coun@
try; but If that we're good way of conciatng pub
lie opinion, then, If another Government wishing to
participate in the popular favou r. should add another
nllloa tn the constituent body, that argument must
be entitled TO the same success thear, hear}. We
used to be promised, that whenever the constitution
Of the House of Commons SHOULD undergo change,
securities shout be taken for preventing it from
engaging US in ruinous wars. All persons who
knew any thing Of history, were well aware
that there was no security against war in any popu
lar Government Mr. Fox had left it upon record,
that upon its commencement, the American war was
highly popular Al a later period it had been pre-
dlctcd 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 al their outset, but that on the appearance
of failure, they had become tiresome and out of ia
your with the people. We used to be told that re-
tIenchment OF the public expenditure would be the
h'sl measure of reformed Parliament But reform
ing government had declared already that all fur
ther retrenehmeLt was impossible, Thear heart We
used also to be told that the influence of the crown
IN mat mouse was so enormous that reform was ne
cesury as check upon it. The influence of the
crown in that house! [Loud cheers.J Would any