The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1848-05-06

government, is the expression Of the
will of the whole male adult population,
through the untrammelled agency Of
the franchise.
That your petitioners regard the re-
presentation in Parliament Of every
man Of sound mind as = right compati.
bic with, and sustained by, the laws Of
nature and Of God, and that mans pri.
vation by his fellow creatures Of such
right is an act which, If tolerated, evi.
dences the existence Of tyranny and in
justice upon the one hand, and severity
and degradation upon the other.
That your petitioners regard the Re.
form bill as unjust, as it restricts the
right Of citizenship TO one.seventh Of
the male adult community, and stamps
the other six:h.scvenihs with the stig-
ma Of political inferiority.
That the system which your petition.
ers arraign before the judgment Of your
honorable house, render seven men
subservient 10 the will, caprice, and do.
minance Of one; that it not only estab-
fishes the ascendency Of q small minor.
ity Of the empire, but it invests a mi.
nority Of the small enfranchised fraction
with the power Of returning majority
Of your honorable house.
That your petitioners have never yet
heard valid reason. urged for main.
tanning the present representative sys.
tenn, ard that the arguments pleaded
agains, the admission of the people to
the immunilies which the social con.
tract should guarantee, are based upon
gross selfshness, prejudices, and con-
tracted views Of humanity.
That your petitioners hold the cleo
tive franchise not to be trust, as has
been absurdly represented, but a right
inherent in every man for the preserva
ton Of his person, liberty and proper
ty, which is 10 be exercised 10 the best
Of tho possessor's judgment, without let
or hindrancs from his neighbcr.
That your petitioners, believing the
principal OF universal suffrage 10 be
based upon the eternal rights o! man,
which, although kept in obedience, can
be neither aliepated nor destroyed, ap.
peal to your honorable house to make
such organic reforms in our represen.
tative system as will make that princi-
pal the foundation upon which shall
stand the Commons House Of ParIia.
ment OF Great Britain.
That your petitioners, in order that
the eiector may possess perfect securi.
ty in the exercise Of his franchise, pray
that the voting at election for members
Of Parliamen. be taken by ballot. Your
petitioners, aware Of the great, coer.
Give, and corrupted power possessed
by wealth and station over the poor
elector, see no hope Of securing purity
of election and genuineness Of reprcsen.
talion, but in throwing the protective
mantle Of the ballot over the electoral
body.
That your petitioners regard the pre-
sent inequality Of representation to be
opposed to common sense. and inimical
to a genuine representation Of the peo.
pie They therefore appeal to your
honorable house to remedy the defect
in the legislative machinery, BY the di.
vision Of the country into eqaal electo.
raj districts, assigning to each district
one representative.
That your petitioners hold the legis-
lature. equally with the execu'ive,to be
the servants Of the people, and conse.
quently entitled to remuneration at the
public expense; and, believing that the
House of Commons should he the min.
lister and not The master of The people,
call upon you. TO establish their just re-
la,ive positions by fixing an equitable
salary for the service Of its members.
That your petitioners consider sep.
tennial Pariaments unjust, as they pre-
vent, for six years out Of seven, those
who are annually arriving at maturity,
from exercising the righ, Of suffrage.
Your petitioners also consider that
seven years is to long term for the ex-
stence Of Parliament; period that
affords an opportunity to venal and
lime. serving men to promote their sci.
fish interests nt the expense Of those
whose welfare should be the ultimate
aim Of all their labors. Your petition.
ers, therefore, entreat your honorable
house to create between the represen.
la,ive and the represented. that salu.
Iary responsibility indispensable to
good government, BY the restoration Of
The ancient wholesome practice OF an.
nual Parliaments. &
That your petitioners complain that
seat in the Commons House Of Par.
lament should be contingent upon The
possession Of property Of any descrlp-
ion, as they have yet to learn that leg