Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1831-05-05


give themselves tho trouble vi looking the history
OF reform, they would find tina, it was always mnsi
ilourish'ng when their was either a pressure of
great difficulty the country, or sun,e revolution
on the continent which mlsled the people Of Eng
land Ichccrs from the opposition by the delusive
hopes which it held To them of the attainment
of greater liberty than that which thcy then enjoy
cd. hear, boar. Iook at the question of Reform
look at the Parliamentary debates, aud they would
sec that whenever the question Of reform was fro
qucntly agita'cd, eomc dire misfortune lurked be
hind. IL was brought forward with great pomp OF
circumstance I'D the year OF the rebellion of lII5;
was brough, prominently forward during the Amcrl-
can wal; It was brought forward at the commence
ment OF the French war; and to come own
times, 1t was brought prominently forward in Tho
years 1917. 1919. and l8e2--in word, at every
period, when there either great commercial Or
great agricultural distress in the country. Then
was reform brought cnnsp,cuously torward-then
was certain to find favor IN the oil the people
lhcar IL was brought forward, 100. at periods
when the excitement Of foreign revolutions mslcd
the judgment of the British public, and, dcludng
them with false love liberty, rendered them DIS
contented with the modera'c freedom which they
enjoyed thear, hear Mr. Pitt was It's advocate and
champion IN 1850, when the establishment of Amer
ican Independence, after successful struggle with
thus country, had deudcd the enthusiastic lovers Of
freedom IN this country with notions Of liberty which
II was difficult 10 comprehend From the year i785
TO the year 1920, the question of reform slept in e
thargy like that of the grave; but the later year
the appalling events OF the French revolution again
u intO llie anu inspired III WIN new powers
OF existence. Nor was 1t surprising that the
| of reform acquired energy from that revolution.
which Mr. Fox had designated in his place IN that
House as the most stupendous fabric of liberty
which the ingenuity OF man had raised In
the year $780, Mr. Flood brough, forward motion
on the subject of reform and in The course of his
speech upon referred TO the Of Franco. One
of his arguments was thus expressed 'If France
improves her Government. you must restore yours.
Again, What Is your situation to external danger
France the great object of external danger To Eng
land, can no longer give alarm; during her disur-
Dances she cannot have the power and after her lib
erty rs established she will not have The inclination
TO make ambitious The better her Govern
ment is, the more rational will be her counsels the
more rational her counsels, the more pacific they
Will be Kings may hope for glory, and their minis.
tiers and minlons may hope for piunder Ecm warfare;
but what can the people expect from ambi.
tious war, Nothing but accumulation Of
taxes and efuson Of blood" Again in
! the year 1921, when the question Of reform was
brought forward by the Honorable Member for
the county of Durham, now Lord Durham, he also
appealed to the events which had Just before taken
place upon The continent, and hailed them as the
auspiclous dawn OF liberty upon this country. HIS
| language follows: Where It's power and
justice acknowledged in Spain the prospect is
most cheering We see dlsaffccton instantaneously
neutrality-suspicious. cradica' ed-and the monarch
and the people united under = constitution which
alike secures the privileges OF the one, and the ber
ties Of the other. May not then consistently hail
the rising OF this star, IN what was once the most
gloomy portion OF the European horizon, as n light
to show US the way through all our dangers and
dificutes-as splendid memorial Of the all
conquering power of public opinonl" Was that star
oil liberty, he would ask, which then appeared in
Spa'n steady light to show the people Of England
the way to an improved state of freedom, or it
the periodical return OF eccentric comet, which
sheds disastrous light and perpexes nations with fear
OF changer (hear) Again, with the events of the
french revolution fresh in the recollection of the
country, he had no hesitation in saying that the same
experiment was again in agitation, and the country
was again expecting that it could improve it's own lib
erty from the example of what had recently passed
IN France. "Oh! let wait Continued the right
hon. gentleman until we more of The results of
that experiment. for it is proper that should pause
before we make 1t in our own happy country (hearl
Detore we venture upon it, let US feel assured that
the liberty, which exists in France if il be the
offspring OF just revolution, is that liberty which
mas Justice and virtue as its companions, and peace
and prosperity as its attendants (hear, hear) see
at present no reasons for expecting to such con-
sequences emansting from the late revolutisn in
france, and deprecate above all things making tho
revolution in France a precedent for a revolution in
this country. Bet therefore remain Content win
the well tempered freedom which we now enioy and
which we have the of securing If we set with
ordinary discretion. lament exceedingly that Gov
ernment should have determined to agitate such :,
question as that of reform this particular crisis IL
woud nave been wiser, IN my opinion, to have avoi-
dsd these new causes of excitement, for depend
upon that by this process throughout this land the
hrst seeds OF discomfort and dsunion are sown Loud
cheers from the Opposition In every town Their.
WIZ be conflict moral conflict, mean-betwecn
me 2ossessors of existing authority and existing pri
yiieg"s' and those to whom the existing authority and
me existing privileges to be transferred oil siy
lament: beyond measure, that Government had not
the prudence to adhere to that temperate course of
p"hcy which they have pursued elsewhere lament
that, they did think it necessary 10 propose Man
OF reform in this excited state Of The public mind
t;ey ud not co"fne it within these narr,w limits
wncn are consistent with the safety Of the country
and The dignity Of their characters (Hest hear
ihey have thought proper, however, to adopt ano-
ther course they have sent through the land the rc
band OF agitation Cheers from the opposi,ionl-aud
IS easy so tar to initiate tho giant enemy of the
piIsnes,a to send three hundred hrebanAs thrsuph
the country, carrying danger and dsInay in all quar-
ters but 1t not easy, when the mischief Is done to
hnd remedy for It. In the present difficulties Of
your situation, Jou should have the powers of s,n
mot'ng all the energies of life and should tax. car,
tha' you do not signaiige your own destruction by
oowing down the pillars Of the edice of ynur liberty
winch with all its imperfectlon still contains the no
olost society OF freemen known to the habitabls
World" Great cheering
BHrOnchco q ri digs.