The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-04-08


He was still determined TO adhere to the document
called the peoples charter; and however the honor
able member Tor Montrose might revile and abuse
him for his conduct his motto was and ever should
be,.''the peoples charter. and no surrender"
ton by the government. He thought that it would
be infinitely TO the satisfaction of the House,
il, instead Of her najesty's government so fire.
way Of reform, they would be kind enough to state
what IL they did like. [Hear.l
Mr.. ii. Drummond said that sooner or later every
word Of MIR. Hume's motion would be carried-we
were coming to the reaping time of the seed long
since sown.
Mr.. Roebuck said that Sir G.. Grey talked of the
proposition of Mr.. Hume like nisi pyius lawyer.
He went round it and about it, but he metit-
[hear.l He (Mr. Roebuck) had no desire to force
his opinion on any one, did his honorable friend,
but they should bring forward this subject year after
year, 30 as to make the middle class really under
stand that there was no danger in what was then
proposed 10 the House; namely, TO endow large
section of the laboring classes with the franchise.
He did not doubt the result when the middle classes
been brought together and that the exertions
of the laborng classes which forced from the arsto
cracy the Reform bill-[hear.]
Lord J. Russell defended the conduct of the
Wings with respect to the passing of the Reform
bill la doing this, he defined his reading of the
principle that I" taxation and representation should
GO hand in hand" The maxim implied simply
certain degree Of representation, presumably sufi
which the people were to be called upon to bear.
The literal fulhlment of the principle was never in
tended, and would be more than inconvenient. If
Mr. Hume's motion were carried out, it would be
open to innumerabe frauds. 81 cannot" said the
| noble lord, "myself conceive how means could be
found OF preventing any number OF persons being
placed on the register as rated householders, al
though according to the present law they may
claim right to be so rated. Suppose the owner
or occupier of house in which there six
or seven dodgers; the owner is rated; he pays
the rates for the house; the other occupiers-the
lodgers-are not rated, and they have nothing to do
with the parish rates or with the payment OF the
poor-rate. But according to the honorable gentle
mans bill, they might all be placed on the rate
books of the parish by their own demand, and yet
| they would be under no obligation to pay these
rates. the obligation to pay which and the act Of
paying them still devolving upon the occupier Of
| the house, who would still remain in the same po
| stion in which he at present stands. A measure
conerrg these powers appears TO be as near to uni
versal suffrage one protesting not to be univer
sal suffrage could well be consructed[hear, hear.
The honorable gentleman himself avows that he is
in favor of the peoples charter and he declares it
to be founded upon his own principles In all the
public meetings of which have read or heard
counts, persons of the honorable gentleman views
| and the friends of the honorable member for Not
| tngham, have met together, and they have met
| for the same Objects and avowed they were work
| ing for the same end. If that be SO, how am to
distinguish the proposal of the honorable gentleman
from that which the Chartiss have hitherto made?
| The honorable and learned member for Sheffield
| says should not distrust the people and he asks
why not have full confidence in the whole body of
the people, and admit them to vote for members Of
parliament s-[ Cheers.] Certainly it does seem
it were very ungenerous to say have not full con-
fdence in the great body Of the people, and quite
| agree with the honorable and learned gentleman
when he says that when the working Glasses are
pressed by calamity of one kind and another their
conduct as workingmen deserves all acknowledge
ment; and agree with the gentleman that in every
relation of life in which they have to appear their
general conduct is worthy of every praise and COM
| mendation. But am to reason on from that good
conduct and say, it would therefore follow if they
had, by suffrage almost universal, the power OF
| electing members of Parliament, that their choice
would be a wise one-[hear, hear;] that because
| their conduct deserving, the consequence
would be that they would elect members to this
House, to which all the great questions relating to
the empire itself referred, who would discharge
their duties in manner to preserve either the
stitution OF this country the empire in the rule
over which this House bore 30 great part? Sir, l
candidy say believe they would not Ibelieve they
| would be misled-[hear, hear.l ! have seen in
stances inducing me to think that one man telling
them that 90 or 80 millions of taxes annually
paid for the interest of debt which is national
they would get rid Of these taxes at once by remit
ting that debt, would be very likely to obtain seat
in this House by so saying-[hear, hear believe,
too, that by another person saying to them that the
total repeal Of the pooraw, and resort to the
old poor-law, which would be equivalent to a revo-
luton in this country, would be for the benefit OF
| peOp1e-tndt
a seat in Parliament. do believe that such doc
| trines as these would have great weight with the
classes to whom now proposed give the suffrage.
Such being my opinions, then, cannot agree with
the honorable gentleman in his proposition-[he
hear, hear.l Lord John concluded by saying that
he did look to the e 10 franchise as a limit that
must always and necessarily be adhered to, though
it had been the opinion of himself and his COL
leagues that it not expedient in the present
sion TO reconsider the franchise other matters being
OF more pressing Importance. Pronouncing pan
egyric upon the constitution, asserting that there
was popular demand for alteration in the
| franchise, and reminding the house that If we
weighed our anchors and set our sails during a
| perfect calm we might be driven upon the rocks,
he said that when a new measure of representation
was brought forward, II ought not to be a subeti-
tute for, but q supplement TO, the reform act.
Mr.. Bernal Osborne made witty and clever
speech on behalf of the motion. He afraid that
the government would never find "proper time"
for reform Of the franchise till they were impeled
| by some popular breeze, stimulated by the ap-
proach of general election. The result of that
| debate would be 10 raise a cry throughout the
| country, and enforce that pressure from without
which the ministry required before they would
move Lord j. Russell the real patron and
president of the new reform association The hon.
member then entered into variety of piquant de-
tails concerning the corruptions that infected n
number of our boroughs and counties and even the
House Of Commons. When he (Mr. o. referred to
bribery as n national lcprosy attaching TO con-
stituton, he wished to ask, how were maorities in
that House NADER Was there no other form Of cor
ruption besides money! fHear, hear j II gene.
rally supposed in the country that the emblem Of
Secretary Of the Treasury was whip, but honorable
members Of that house knew that IL was fishing
rod-Gloud laughterl The secretary indeed
| an expert fisher Of men-a parliamentary Izaak
| Walton-tgreat laughterl-who knew how TO bob
for cells and TO angle as skilfully MS any country
| Observation-Disclosures laughter.1 Some nbblcd
at colonial bats, others at empty honors, ribbons
and carriers, but that House seemed 10 have a pccu-
liar fancy for the honors of the bloody hand-troars
Of laughter.l Look at the peers made by Pitt;
and when the Melbourne ministry were in diff
Guilty, who did not remember the miraculous
draught Of baronets that appeared all alive in the
| Gazsffe one morningl-[continued roars Of laugh
| teri He lamented that the days Of chivalry were
gone, but certainly IL much easier for belted
knight TO win his way by succoring minister in
his difficulties, than by breaking ances for dam
| sci in distress-t renewed laughter.l
Mr. II. Berkeley intimated that he had received
answer from the Home Secretary, of his willing
ness 10 meet one section of the motion before the
House, Chat the ballot,) and in definite shape,
| on some future occasion.
| After short but aharn contpat betwacn The A.