Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-06-01

ne EdrI Oh cIuon opposed tho motion, and SAID
that during tho whole of his political life nothing
had given him such pain as to see so many noble
Lords prepared to ovcrturn a constitution which
had been tho theme Of admiration to the greatest
men whom this country had ever produced.
Lord Tendcrton also opposed the second reading
The Bishop OF Rochester said, the supporters of
the bill were acting on popular Glamour. He had
heard OF the madness but never of the prudence of
the people.
The Bishop of Gloucester said, hc had formerly
opposed the bill because il tended to overthrow the
constitution; and on the ground he should
still oppose 1t. lie believed that it would not salts
iy the people. The intelligence and wealth of the
country were against it, the rabble were for it, and
it was supported too by radicals.
The Lord Chancellor in long and able speech
supported the bill.
Lord Lyndhurst followed in an able speech A.
ganst the second reading.
Earl Grey rose to reply. He maintained that the
feeling of the public in favor of reform had been cx
pressed long before Inc attained power. The feeling
on the subject indeed, was strong, that reform
was inevitable. The only question then was as to
the nature of that reform-( fIear) This feeling
had been sometimes dormant, sometimes loudly
expressed, hut it ceased to exist 1t equal
y necessary for the peace of the country, that the
measure of reform should have been salts factory-
and that it should have been speedily produced.
He denied that the production of the measure had
produced the agitation in the country. The poll
tical unions had bcch i'm existence before he had
! come into power. Something like an attack had
been made him by the noble and learned Lord.
In ausion to the speech of the Bishop of Exeter,
he said-"l have been congratulated by learned
and Right Rev. Prclatc, that have rejected with
scorn and indignation the stigma of revolution
The charity of that snecr and of that insDuation
is not lost upon me-(mmenso chccring;) but tell
that Righ; Rev. Prclate that have long life to
appeal TO, which even those who know Inc not in
private will think sufficient TO justify me in the
opinion ofmy countrymen from the foul and ma
l,gnant charges which he, in his christian charity,
| has thought proper to produce against me. Greet
cheering) have stake also in the country, per-
haps as large one as he has. l nave also given
pledges to my country-pledgcs which must prove
my SINCERE desire to transmit to my posterity the
property which received from my ancestors
pledges which ought to satisfy the country that
shall not, with my eyes open, undertake any thing
that is dangerous to the constitution. The Right
Rev. Prclate threw out insnuations about my am
bition. Let me tell him calmly, that the pulses of
ambition may beat as strongly under sleeves of lawn
as under ordinary habit Immense cheering)
wish not to pursue farther n subject which l
| feel strongly but n speech more unbccoming the
situation of a christian bishop,-a speech moro in
consistent with the love of pcace,-(cncers)-a
speech more remote from the charity which ought
to distinguish Il clergyman of his Order-(cheers)-
speech more replete with insinuatioEs s. charges
calculated to promote disunion and dscord in the
| community, never uttered within the walls of
this any other House of Parliamcnt."-(C ontinu-
ed cheerng)
The noble and learned Lord said, that he earl
Grey would not consent TO any alteration in the
BILL To that assertion he would make the same
answer as he had in October-that it did not de.
pend upon him, for that it depended upon their
lordships. When the bill went into the committee
he should certainly feel it his duty to resist any al
terations which he might think inconsistent with
the main object which! the bill proposed to carry
into effect. But if it could be shown that any in.
justice had inadvertently crep into any of the schc
dulcs-ifit could be shown that any qualification,
not so small as El0 would be less open to fraud
" abusc-he would not resist the correction of such
circumstances. 1t was at the same time perfectly
tue, That he should strongly oppose any dminuton
OF the number of fifty six boroughs which it was
proposed to dis.ranchise, and any increase of flO
which II was proposed to fix the minimum of
qualification. His lordship alluded to the probable
creation OF Peers. All the best constitutional wri.
tcrs had admitted that although the creation of n
large number of PEERS for particular object was
measure which should rarely be resorted to, vet
that In some cases, such as to avoid collision be-
tween the two Houses, it might be absolutely ne
cessary. 1t was true that he Lord Grey) was for
many reasons exceedingly averse to such course:
but he believed it would be found that in cases of
necessity, such he had stated creation of Peers
would be perfectly justiiable, and in accordance
with the best and most acknowledged principles of
the constitution.-(Hea hear, hear, bcar)
Having said this much, he would remind those
who charged him with upholding revolutionary doc
trlnes, that he was merely aboring to carry into ef
feet that system which MIR. Pitt had maintained to
he the just and the honest one, during the period
that he appeared as the champion of the people,
and he E, Guild add than last and most
earnest entreaty that thoy would allow the bill to
go to second reading that day, that the country
might have some prospect of the passing of such
bill as would prove ultimately satisfactory to all
classes of the peoplc.-(Ch
Their lordships divided at 25 minutes to o'clock
The numbers were-
For the motion-Present 1873
Proxies &c
Total --lS4
Against t-Prescnt l26
Proxies DO