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read his three refolutions, which were, in fubftance, as follow:

1.

"That it was the opinion, of that "Houfe, That measures were highly ne"ceffary to be taken for the prevention "of bribery and expence at elections.

2. "That, for the future, when the "majority of voters for any borough "fhould be convicted of grofs and noto"rious corruption before a felect com"mittee of that Houfe, appointed to try B"the merits of any election, fuch borough "fhould be disfranchifed, and the mino"rity of voters, not fo convicted, fhould "be entitled to vote for the county in "which fuch borough is fituated.

3. "That an addition of the knights "of the fhire, and of reprefentatives of "the metropolis, fhould be added to the "prefent ftate of representation."

Mr. Pitt faid, if he fhould be fo happy as to fucceed in carrying thefe refolu tions, his intention was, to bring in a bill upon their refpective principles, in which the number of knights, and all fuch other regulations as to the Houfe fhould appear neceffary, might be inferted.

Mr. Duncombe feconded the motion, on Dthe ground that the refolutions of the right hon. mover met the wishes of the county [York] which he had the honour to reprefent; and therefore it fhould have his fupport.

this Houfe, he had heard principally of three. One was, to extend the right of voting for members to all the inhabitants of the kingdom, without diftinction. This he utterly rejected and difclaimed. Another expedient he had heard of, was, to abolith the franchises of thofe places commonly diftinguished by the popular aprellation of Rotten Boroughs. He confelfed there was fomething very plaufible in this idea; but ftill he could not readily adopt it. It muft, he faid, be admitted, from a variety of circumstances, which it was unneceffary for him to explain, that borough members, confidered in the abftract, were more liable to the operation of that influence than those members who were returned by the counties; and therefore, though he was afraid to cut up the roots of that influence by disfranchifing the boroughs, because he was afraid of doing more harm than good, ftill he thought it his duty to counteract, if poffible, the malady, by applying a fpecific. This brought him naturally to the third expedient that he had often heard mentioned, which was, to add a certain number of members, to be chofen by the counties and the metropolis. This expedient appeared to him the fitteft to be adopted, because it was the leaft objectionable. It had the merit of promifing an effectual counterbalance to the weight of the boroughs, without being Mr. Powys rofe next, and after coman innovation on the form of the confti- plimenting the right hon. Gent. on the tution. He would not then fay what tranfcendent powers of elocution with number of members ought to be added which he had introduced his three refoto the counties; he would leave that to lutions, obferved that, though they were be inferted in a bill he intended to bring a dreadful phalanx to combat, yet he in if the refolutions he fhould move were would not wholly defert the field. He carried; but ftill, in his opinion, the num- had his doubts. He had another opinion ber ought not to be less than a hundred. to give; he doubted, he faid, if the evil It was true the Houfe would then be of which the Right Honourable Genmore numerous than he could wifh; but tleman complained, really exifted; and, F even for this he would fuggeft a remedy, if it did exift, his opinion was, that the which was, that whenever the majority remedy propofed was not adequate to reof electors in any borough should become move it. As to the exiflence of the evil, fo notoriously corrupt as to be bribed to which alone could juftify the intended fend members to that Houfe, the borough innovation (for fo he must call it, howhould lofe its franchife, and the honeft ever varnished,) how could it be proved? electors be permitted to vote for knights If proved, would the people be fatisfied G of the fhire. By this expedient, the bo-with the remedy? The Hon. Gent. who roughs would either be preferved free feconded the motion had faid, it met the from corruption, or their number would wishes of his conftituents; but, if he gradually diminish. And in that cafe could judge from the refolutions of the they would have no right to complain, York Afiociation (then in his hand)," because the crime would fanctify the pu- four things must be done before the free nishment. After amplifying and illuf. holders of that county would be fatis trating his fubject with an infinite variety fied; one, that the rotten boroughs be aboof arguments, and infifting on the neceflifhed; another, that a certain number of fity of fomething being done in compli- knights mould be added to the counties ance with the wishes of the people, he a third, that the Septennial Act fhould be

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repealed

[graphic]

View of the Cathedral of Lifieux in Normandy.

Froman original Drawing communicated by a Correspondent.

repealed; and the fourth, that the right trade, wealth, and happinefs? fThis of election should be enlarged. Hence he well-pointed irony fet the Houfe in a was led to think that the prefent expe- roar.] The freeholders of the county dient, if adopted, would not fatisfy the and city of London were not fo neglicounty of York. He thought it furprif- gent. Their grievances are most patheing that he had not heard the petitions Atically fet forth: their cafe was hard inread and compared, so as to ascertain deed! The citizens of Westminster too, what it was the fubfcribers wanted; and their cafe indeed did not fo forcibly strike it feemed to him equally ftrange that the his mind as the others, because the powfignatures were not counted, fo as to fhew erful abilities of their reprefentatives how they food, in point of comparison, made them ample amends for the defect with the great body of electors through- in their right of election. It had been B out the kingdom. He knew, he faid, noticed how happy, how virtuous, how that miffionaries had been active in chafte, we were once in our reprefentafpreading doctrines, which, becaufe ad- tion, and thefe halcyon days had been dreffed to the paffions, had gained many dwelt on and decorated with all the profelytes, who would not be contented flowers of oratory. His memory, he with any thing lefs than having the right faid, was none of the beft, and he should of election extended to all the men in be glad to be reminded in what reign, England. To thefe, he faid, he fhould Cand at what period, that virtuous repreadd a noble and refpectable character, of fentation, fo much admired, had raised high rank and great talents, who was a England to the higheft pinnacle of greatmafter-mover, and one of the main pil- nefs and glory. The rights of election, lars of this bafelefs fabric of equal repre- he knew, were of long ftanding. And fentation; one who over-looked the nar- rights annexed to property were a ferious row bounds of practice, and dealt in the matter of confideration; and before those more wide and ample field of theory; a rights could be altered, or that property letter from whom (Duke of Richmond] invaded, fomething culpable fhould be D to the York Committee he read; on fuggefted, fome delinquency made out to which he remarked, as well as on fome juftify the ufurpation. He confidered the refolutions of the Quintuple Alliance, in political and moral world in the fame a ftyle of farcaftic irony that fet the point of view; and that, in each, men House in a roar. He faid, the county of were free agents, and accountable only York was a great county; it had four to thofe from whom they derived their heads, and, in confequence, was entitled E exiftence. He did not, he faid, recollect to a quadruple degree of respect. An any augmentation of members before the increafe of its rights would itrengthen reign of Charles I.; nor could he think its aristocracy; no wonder then that York the difeafe that had infected Parliament was anxious for the total deftruction of fo inveterate as fame doctors affected to the boroughs, as that destruction would have it believed. Parliament, in its most add weight to the counties. But there debilitated ftate, had brought about the were reafons; reafons which did not FRevolution; it had established the preftrike him fo forcibly as they might other fent royal family upon the throne; and perfons. Manchester, Birmingham, and of late it had done all that it was necefSheffield, he should be glad to hear. fary for the moft virtuous Parliament to They were great trading towns, and effect. He was therefore fo well fatisfied their petitions ought not to be paffed with what it had done, that he was far over in the ufual manner of reading the from wifhing to fee it new modelled. To title and prayer. He therefore defired mend a conftitution that wanted no rethe clerk to read them. [The clerk turn-pair, put him in mind of a man with ed over and over again, but could find none.] Find none! faid Mr. Powys; what a misfortune! The numerous inhabitants of Manchefter, Birmingham, and Sheffield, to neglect this important bufinefs! What could they mean? Did they not feel a decay of their trade, a de-Hwalk, run, or ride; he could perform cline of their manufactures? a fpirit of difcontent and murmuring among their ftarving workmen?. How could they an fwer it to their confciences, to neglect the only means of restoring them to

lame leg, who, walking along the street, was accofted by a phyficiam, who faid he could cure him. The lame man an fwered, he wanted no cure-the defe&t was natural-it was born with him; he felt no inconvenience from it; he could

all his duties as a citizen, a husband, and a father; and as it anfwered all the purpofes for which it was intended, he was perfectly well fath fied. An over-officious readiness to cure a political evil that

exilted

exifted only in fpeculation, Mr. Powys looked upon in the light of the physician, who certainly had fome felfish end in view, or he would not have prefied his remedy upon one who wanted none of his affiftance. As to the petitioners, he looked upon most of them as unacquainted with the principles of the conftitution, and therefore acting an under-part, to promote the views of those who hoped to profit by a change, by the popular name of reform. He was an enemy to all fuch reforms, and therefore fhould put his negative upon the prefent refolutions; and, in refpect to the great character by whom they were introduced, he should do it in the leaft offenfive manner, by moving the order of the day.

into committee till the number was reftrained; and that, if the order of the day was negatived, and that refolution should come before them, if no body else did it, he would take the liberty to offer an amendment, by inferting the words “an "augmentation of one member to each A" county in England and Wales;" and

that he was determined to take the fenfe of the Houfe on that amendment. That there was a fpirit of discontent and innovation abroad, that deferved to be taken into confideration upon the prefent queftion, could not be denied. For his own B part, he was bred up in a veneration for the principles of a well-balanced, limited, and mitigated monarchy, which he had always thought to be the effence of the British conftitution; and that as, on the one hand, he should dread a minister who Cfhould dare to own an intention of throwing all poffible power into the scale of the Crown, fo he should carefully feparate himself from one who avowed his -intention of throwing all power into the fcale of the people. He was not to learn, he faid, that the external forms of government might remain, though an artful minifter fhould abufe the confidence of his prince, and find means, through the factions and corruptions of the times, to establish his authority against the fenfe of all mankind, and the experience of the calamities which his mal-adminiftration E might draw upon his country. In fuch a cafe, he should not hesitate to pronounce fuch a government, while it lafted, an abfolute monarchy; perhaps the more fo, as wearing the mask of freedom. On the other hand, if in fuch a government as Fours, the force of cabal and faction should fo far prevail as to feize upon the execu tive power against the fenfe of the prince upon the throne; if the titular monarch fhould be fo far reduced as to have no choice in the appointment of his minifters; no free-will as to granting or withGholding the graces and favours of the crown; he should not fcruple to call fuch a government a republic, and a republic of the worst fort. But if the causes of fuch extremes were temporary, the mifchiefs would be temporary also. They would be no more than the excentricbrations of a pendulum, which, being put in diforder by fome external force, would foon recover its true place, when it was no longer acted upon by the tranfient cir cumftances by which it had been affected; whereas, were its central pofition to be changed, the whole economy of the machine it was intended to regulate would

Mr. T. Pitt obferved, that the refolutions now propofed by his hon. friend were extremely different from the propofition he had felt himfelf, on a former occafion, under the neceflity of oppofing, for reafons which he now brought to the recollection of the Houfe (fee p. 59): that though he was averfe to a propofition by which the conftitution was to be fubmitted, in a great degree, to a Com-D mittee, to be new modelled at their difcretion, yet he was by no means an ene my to all reform or alteration that might be propoled to meliorate the reprefentation on fafe, moderate, and conftitutional principles; that he had therefore called for fpecitic propofitions; nay, that he had actually alluded to one fpecific propofition [Ld. Chatham's], which, as far as he then flood informed, feemed liable to none of the objections he had formerly stated, and would, he believed, be entitled to his hearty concurrence. That the plan of reform contained in the refolutions now under confideration held forth fpecific remedies upon practical not fpeculative grounds, he was ready to allow; yet he must think that fo large an augmentation of county members as had been fuggefted would exceed the limits that caution and prudence would dictate. That, however plaufible and specious the expectations from fuch an acceffion of independent members to the caufe of freedom, they ought not to forget the ftate of facts, almoft within their own memory, when the liberties, and probably the religion, of the country was rescued from the influence of the county members, by that part of the reprefentation which is now reprobated as the rotten part of the conftitution. That he would, therefore, on no account recommend it to the Houfe to fend that refolution of his hon. friend

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