The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-04-10


them, ORC Of 'he most singular features q that
go,tentcus revolution which had placed the Prcs-
sidont, he had almost said, on his throne was Aha.
while universal suffrage was TO be established. he
had not heard that a siagle public meeting wa.
held Now, n change Of u tenth part Ok that
magnitude had been effected in England, they
would have had meetings in every county. borongb
or parish through the country, celebrating in a
regular manner, and the minority being guided nv
tho decision OF the majority. The French however
never had any public meetings except the clubs of
Paris; and u minority in that country never knew
what it war TO submit to majority, but preferred
TO an appeal from its decision to that OF arms
What had taken place in that country was in fact.
warning to us that we were not safe if We allowed
4 large lnass Of people to be for q long time ex-
Guided from political power, and then, at the
last moment OF panic admitted them to that to
which they should have been admitted long pre-
yionsfy (Checrs) Then the honorable member
for Surrey. CHR. DrumDnond,) said that he did not
know what tho noble lord meant by the constitu-
ton, and he quite believed that the honorable
member did not az he said that it part of the
stituton to have small poroughs in order to pat
OF talent and intelligence in that house. Amongst
many disadvantages, they had certainly this advan-
tage, but il was quite incidental and no part of
the constitution. But there was no such thing as
abstract rights. But there were such things rs
general principles; and one of the first of these was
have confidence in the people. They might be
obliged to make cxecptions as, for instance, they
might say that education was not sufficiently diff
fused through one class or that another class was
shifting in its habits that it could not be en-
trusted with the franchise. But il was a monstrous
thing to tell him that, in this country, where nol-
gence was 20 much dffused among the masses Of
tho people, the franchise was to be limited TO one
million of persons. CLEAR, hear.) That was n prn-
ciple to which he was not prepared to accele In
this country they had two immense advantages with
respect to their population He had already said
that there were other countries which had to q
greater or less extent adopted the English prn-
nf ha l,sfp
gmshed OF these was Belgium and the people of that
country also possessed in high degree the advan-
tagcs TO which nc referred The first was that the
people well educated in the forms and habits Of
municipal government. The old municipalities Of
Client and Bruges, and other large towns, had
famiiiarized the Belgian people with the principles
of munieipai government, and therefore il tina.
the representative system had succeeded so well with
them. But there another quality which dis
tinguished the people of this country--that they
we're people who deeply valued their religions f,ith
theaf, hear), which was the best security for order
that any government could possess: and the same
thing existed IL high degree in Belgium, which he
was the more anxious TO state, he had shown last
session that b. did not favor that particular faith
IN which their religious feeling expressed (Hear.
hear) lie had now only word or two To say with
ietcrcuce 10 this individual motion. He had now
supported. three different occasions the motion OF
his honorable friend the member for bontrose and
on each occasion he stated that his eupporr was
given from hgotcd preference to this particular
par. but that he wished the government To take ~
the question. anu till they did 20, he (Sir r. Wood
would vote .ci every motion which did not 30 be-
You'd what he thought was safe and proper. IN the
last session Of Parliament tho noble lord the member
Tor London made declaration IL favor Of extending
Tho auchisc. Al lie opening 81 the present session
the subject introduced into her Majesty specch
Y appeared to him, therefore, that il was impossible
for any government long 10 exist. which opposed
Itself T. this essential question. He did not quite
despair q receiving reform at the EanGs Of right
honorable gentlemen opposite, He did not see why.
i. st the next general election the people should de-
inand 4. they might not have q measure OF reform
from ne present government. daughter and chccrs.)
phcy did not yet know what was to be done with
haynocth Cheers; they did not yet know what
was 70 he done with protection (chcers); and so
they did not yet know y hat might be done with re-
FORM 0,enewcd checring.) He believed TINT n,
the no2, election The people Of England would pro
no,nce IN favor Of reform, aud therefore he said he
did not despair Of receiving il al the hands Of right
honorable genflemcn opposite. But, sure he was,
the hands of the succeeding government, be they
VINO they might. Ibeers) That being the ea>e
he did not So TIE object of binding honorable Nom
teis down to specific plan which was likely to
which was likely 10 b carried (Cheers.) There was
certainly one point OF which he agreed with tho
honorable member ur Nontrose- that he would not
be satisfied with any measure which was not accom-
panied ny the halot. clear h.ar.) Ba,. looking
uron This measure that was brought forward
merely Tor discusson-as being III teeli impossible
&c be carried; though he would not against the
measure. yet be would take 10 further part in il
than in having thus stated his opinions and his vicws
The CHANCELLOR OF TIE ExCHEourR-A-
though tbcqucstion does not appear 10 be so inter-
cstiig 10 the houS. n one would think daughter
the ministerial! bcnchcs) he cannot let it 60 to d
vision without tress lassing for q few moments on
your attention and shall endeavor to do that
which, as far as | have been able TO observe has
not yet been done by any gentleman who preceded
me. not even by the mover himself (another laugh
,i,,. ~
self to the motion before the House. have had
from the honorable and learned gentleman who Just
sat down. one of those dissertations which no member
Of thi- house thinks more interesting or more in
structive than / do and we have had several
speeches from several gentlemen on the subject of
parliamentary reform, but it appeared to me that
they We're mainly addressed, not to the motion that
j. On the paper, but rather to that still more celebra
moment excited 50 much interest, but which, with
due regard to the feelings of the noble lord, the
member for London (anotber laugh from the minis
teria benchcs). had not from motives OF dslicacy,
intended to refer to general laughter) were it not
for the speech Of the honorable and learned gentle
man, the member for Oxford who delivered himself of
n very elaborate GRAFTON ministerial laughter) that
was cvidentlypreparcdto promote ministerial propo-
sition and. with a somewhat remarkable incon-
sistcncy. he had terminated by declaring that he
should vote against a proposal which he had for
three years supported.
Sir W. r. WooD--No, 10.
The CHANCELLOR OF THE EAcHEoUET-By not
voting at ala still more interesting dilemma
in favor OF proposition which he had supported for
three years. CLEAR. hear( There were four pro-
positions in the motion before them to extend the
iranchise--to take the votes by way of ballos-to
secure n tricnnial election of Parliamcnt--And 10
change materially the proportion Of representatives
so as to make il more consistent with the amount
Of population and property. The secondcr of the
motion (Sir j. Walmsley) advocated such rc-tlis-
tribution Of the representation rs should diminish
what he called the territorial influence" Clear.
horny
II might he said that he had made out colorado
case by selecting five six important, but still par
tial instances but he had anticipated that objec-
tion, and had tested this important question in
another manner, which he thought the House would
admit to be conclusive. He had before him list Of
the towns in England whose population not less
than 10000. There were II Of those towns, begin
ming with Ashtonundcr-Lyne, and ending with
York, most Of them lar exceeding 2000O and almost
all Of them the seats Of commercial and manufacture
ing industry. The aggregate population of these
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