Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1831-05-03


course of argument which my n"alr freud adopted.
md III the fair and candid speech which no made, 1
cannot desire tn discover more absolute contrast
he doctrines maintained by those with whom he is
Cagued. Ny noble friend admitted. in the course
'f his address t" your hordshps, that whatever may
have been his former opinions this subject, and |
whatever may b. his own feelings wishes On the !
question: iic cou!I nv logger deny the necessity of
reform lie admitted that the people Of this COUNTRY
had expressed themselves plainly and loudly and With
unanimty, in favor of this nrca, |
question He allowed that the voice OF The people
had been raised IN penccable, but h" acknowledged,
IN Nh irresistible. manner for par!,mcn;a ~ reform
Therefore my Noble Friend, making all those ol-
missions, u obliged 10 acknowledge that rcur must
be gran cd aud {" certain degree ny Noble Friend
must still fur thor admit, That only must reform
be granted but that 10 yield 10 that unanimous wish,
to obey that irresistible VOICE and TO satisfy he pco-
pic, the rei,rm which is to be granted must be no,
OF nominal, but of an ef-c'ua description ftIear.
~ all events, my noble friend has admitted the
necessity of some measure OF reform But wha. did
the Noble Duke lWc!lng'on) say on this subject
III ever have heard declaration which has more
ttnn another mortified me- the declaration which
has been made by the Noble Duke; # ever have
been more grevcd by orc thing than another in the
course of my life, II is by the Inc o. conduct which
has been taken this subject by one who has
rendered so great services Ia the q, the head
OF her nrn'ics-who has rendered equal great scr
wees Mt The head of the Kings Councis-scrviccs
which shall be forward to Acknowledged ard
which With my latest breath, shall be m IS, anxious
to proeiaim-If ever, repeat, have been mortified
and chilled with disappointment, it was by tho dc.
ciaration which that Noble Duke made at the COM
mencemsnt Of the present session. on the subject Of
reform had expected, and had fondy hoDec that
that Noble Duke would have yielded "a what he mus,
nave seen wa, the general desire Of The country and
That with The boldness of public man, and of a cap
tain, he would not have hcsitated in adopting those
measures. and pursuing that which could alone
satisfy the just expectations "a! the people of this
Empire. But that fatal declaration which the noble
Duke made against all REFORM at the comrnc
OF the present session, dssipaed all those hopes and
now alter several others have changed their ,inurs
and yielded to that side which they sas il was van Il,
resist, have heard tina, noble Duke sgsin with
manly consistency declare tina, his opinion remained
unchanged. While that noble Duke saw those, who
had heretofore stood with him fairly hacksldnc from,
the Cause becomIg the victims Cf cxpedicncy-aud
all, one by one dropping from his sdc-to hear that
noble Suke, under such circumstances, in manly
strong and honest terms, tell your Lordships that his
opinion remained unchanged the subject, while
the voloe OF the public had been raised agans, ito
hear him say that, far from exciting my as,onsl-
men', may add my Acknowledgements exactly what
had expected from that noble person. am reatly TO
award ITS business Of praise TO the noble Dukes con-
ss,ency, but I feel that the noble Duke may be
perfectly consistent, and still be in the wrong fee
that the noble Duke may be perfectly cousiscn, him
self, and yet that he may have been able 10 pre-
serve the consistency of every one else employcd for
him. will warn him that he has mates on board who
DO not pull the vessel up the stream; that, stationed
Al either end, they work IN opposite directions that
while there are those with him who arc against all
reform, and for having things as they arc and wko
agree with the noble dukc himself that the cuns;it;
ton IS most perfect one, and tina, If were leG, 20
'hem TO create Il over again, hes could call into
existence single perfection in it, nor hone 10
add star to that galaxy If rotten boroughs which
excite their admiration and demand their respect
that uhilc there those who thus go with the NobIc
Duke, there are those his side, and arraycd with
HIM against the present measures of reform who an
like him, are ready to admit the absolute necessity of
some species of reform. BY Noble Friend wbo
brought forward this notion though leagued with the
Noble Duke against the present measure of reform ,
ohers moch more on the general question Of reform
from that Noble Duke than he does from his Nesy,s
Ministers: he only differs from them i'll degree tLey
gong to an extent 10 which he come up and
there are IN fact but few points of variance between
US. can now ti.>refr.e, think, successfully rotor,
upon the enemies Of reform that charge which IN for
mer times they eveed at the heads of the advocates
OF reform can tell them that 10 two of them seem
TO agree IN their mode Of opposing or obectinr to
THIS measure. In bringing forward the settlement of
snch an important question as this IL is nothing won
dertul that those who propose TIE plan should find diff
Gculties IN determining the course witch should he
adopted; out that those who have only mere neEa>
1--WE 10 support, and to deny what the others ask for
and to rebut what the others propose-th,t thcy
ahoud differ SO much amongst themselves-i look
upon as singular feature in the discussion Of tins
great question: and Of the strongest and most in
conrover,ibie proofs that the pressure o; argument,
and OF public opinion that side of the question
which IS espoused by me and my Noble Colleagues
nave no desire to deian your Lordships by abiding
unitY VIII arise for the discussion Of it; but can.
not avoid observing upon the ssou as will call
~ winch has been made by my Noble Friend who has
opened tins debate. There is ayow,l, there is no
adm'ss'on' which ever heard made Upon sny great
popular question, which comes up to the acknowIed,
mont which has been made by my Noble Friend as 10
the unanimous acceptance Of this great measure by
all classes all ranks and all descriptions Of persons in
ths country. Men Of every sect, party and class
who may hitherto have eniert,in.d life renee Of
OPINION on the question Of reform have, with mrac-
uous unanimIty, abandoned all their differences and
cordially united III favor Of the pre- plan of reform
n ths - not the most extraordinary fact connected
WIN the present nPasure.lhey who will be injured
by h-they whose franchise will be virtually taken
from them, with but few miserable ceptions-tbc
majority OF that class who will be srtualy di,Gr,n-
ch'ed by this measure-join the country and yield TO
the torrent of opinion which has become quite ire
ssl'bie, IN favor OF the But her, am re.
minded OF question which heard put from the cross
oenches-tlat quarter eminent for sagacity-a-d
winch mo u may have escaped their EorJslps un
acquainted as they with the subtetes of The law
d'd not pass uncbserycd by | have heard II said
from the cross benches, that they ought be furnish
ed with The dates OF the petitions, we'll az with the
prayers which they contained I know To Vba, tho,