Clinton BISHOP. Chichester TELLER. PROXIES. Fortescue VISCOUNTS. Lake. LORDS. Carleton (Shannon) Before I proceed further with a history of this memorable week, let me offer to my readers some remarks upon the debate. It was, throughout, distinguished by infinitely greater talent than had been displayed upon the same subject in the other House. Every thing that could be said against the bill was said against it by the opposing Lords. But the opposition to it had assumed an entirely new tone since the subject first made its appearance in the House of Commons; for then it had been reprobated as revolutionary to the last degree; all reform was represented as totally unnecessary; the people were represented as not wishing for any re 66 66 66 form at all; and the petitions for re-"had a more improved or more satisfacform were ascribed to a sort of tempo- tory representation than this country rary excitation, produced by the French" enjoys at this moment. I do not mean Revolution of July, 1830. Now, how-" to enter upon that subject now, as it ever, there was no Peer who spoke a- "it is probable we shall have abundant gainst the bill, who did not readily con- opportunities to consider it afterfess that a reform to some extent and wards; but I do say that this couneven a considerable extent was become try has now a Legislature more calcunecessary. The people had produced "lated to answer all the purposes of a· this change by their excellent conduct" good Legislature than any other that at the last election, when, in answer to can well be devised-that it possesses, the appeal made to them by the King," and deservedly possesses, the confi they, by exertions such as never were" dence of the country, and that its made by any people upon the face of" discussions have a powerful influence › the earth, sent him back a majority of" in the country. And I will say fur- more than a hundred for the bill instead "ther, that if I had to form a Legisla of a majority of one. Besides this, the " ture, I would create one-not equal people, led by the spirited inhabitants" in excellence to the present, for that I of Marybonne, had now showed their" could not expect to be able to do, but determination to have reform or to re-" something as nearly of the same desist the payment of taxes; and, an inci-"scription as possible. I should form dent arising in that parish, from the" it of men possessed of a very large usurpations of a Select Vestry, had af-" proportion of the property of the forded, several days before the debate" country, in which the landholders began, a practical illustration of the "should have a great preponderance. working of the effect of such resistance, "I, therefore, am not prepared with with regard to which it is justice to" any measure of Parliamentary Reform, mention the names of Mesrrs. Potter" nor shall any measure of the kind be and Savage, two tradesmen of that pa- proposed BY THE GOVERNMENT rish, who set the example of that resist-" AS LONG AS I HOLD MY PREance. The conduct of the people upon "SENT POSITION." this occasion had been so resolute, and at the same time so cool and so peaceable, that the Lords in opposition to the bill, dropped their opposition to all reform, and only contended that this was not the sort of reform that ought to be adopted. 66 This speech was made on the 2nd of November, during a debate on the King's speech at the opening of the Parliament. Who, after this, would have expected to hear this same Duke, in a debate on the 4th of October, 1831, speaking in favour of some change in Even the Duke of Wellington, who, the representation; some change in in November of last year had declared that, the excellence of which no human that no reform at all was wanted; that, skill could invent any-thing to equal ! if he had to make a representative Go-Yet, such was now the nature of his vernment **** but it will be best declarations. His words, uttered on the to take the whole of the speech that I 4th of October, were, according to the refer to, which was as follows:-" But report, as follows:-"I have referred "the noble Earl had recommended the" (says his Grace) to that which was expedient of Parliamentary Reform, "the state of the country at the mo"and remarked that he did not think "ment when the King declared from "that the Government was as yet pre"the throne his intention to dissolve pared with any plan on the subject. "the Parliament. I must say, that "The noble Earl was right, for certain-" since that time the question has ma ly the Government was not prepared" terially changed its aspect, and that "with any plan for Parliamentary Re-" change has been effected chiefly by "form. I will go further, and that say the course which his Majesty's Minis "I never heard that any country ever" ters thought proper to adopt. It is 66 quite obvious also to me, that whatever |mination against going into the Com "may come of this measure, not much mittee, though every one saw that that "time will elapse before the subject will was the natural way of giving that some "be brought again under your consi- reform, of the necessity of giving "deration; and though I earnestly which they talked so much. The truth 66 recommend to your Lordships to vote is this: they intended to destroy this "against the second reading of this bill; to prevail upon the King to give "bill, yet I would intreat that your de-up his Minister; to bring in another "cision be so given as not to pledge you bill, if they found the popular storm too "to any other question or proposition strong for them; and if they found the "connected with Reform which may storm blowing over, to bring in no bill "hereafter be proposed by any noble at all; and, as one of them proposed, "Lord, whether in public or in private; to postpone the discussion for two years. your Lordships will, by thus refrain-This would have got rid of the Minister, "ing from pledging yourselves, be who had distinctly declared that the enabled, when the question is regu- passing of the bill should be the sole larly brought before you, to form a condition upon which he would retain "correct judgment, and to render great his office. "service to the country. (Cheers.)" 664 * Such was the character of the debate Thus it is evident that the plan of on the part of the opposition, to which the opposition was immediately to bring may be added, that, while their mouths in a bill of their own for a Parliamen- were full of professions in favour of tary Reform; to turn out Lord GREY, some reform, they made use of scarcely and to put the Duke at the head of a an argument that was not levelled new Ministry; or, at least, to make a against all reform whatsoever; for every new Ministry of which he should be a part. man of them contended for the utility The Ministers therefore pinned him down of the rotten, boroughs. This did not to his declaration of November, 1830; escape the observation of the quickwhen, after he was out of office, he had sighted public, who, therefore, saw that said that he had resigned purposely be- there was no hope of a peaceable tercause he would not entertain a proposi-mination of the contest unless the peotion for reform. He tried to escape ple resolutely set their faces against from this charge, but it was so firmly every attempt to displace Lord Grey; stuck upon him by Lord Plunkett, that against every attempt to induce them his attempt to escape was in vain. These to place trust in any-body else. attempts were made on the Tuesday On the part of the Ministers, the deand Wednesday; so that, before the bate was conducted in a very laudable termination of the debate, the people and able manner, till we came, at nearly clearly saw the views of the opposition; the close of it, to the speech of the Lord and though this opposition promised Chancellor, of the very equivocal chathem a reform, and perhaps, as in the racter of which I shall speak by-and-by. case of Catholic Emancipation, would Lord Holland did not speak at any have brought in a bill as good or better length; but what he did say on two or than the present bill, the people, to their three occasions during the debate was eternal honour, said, "No: we will not most excellent. The speeches of Lords "trust you: we will have the bill of Melbourne and Goderich were frank "Lord GREY, who we know will not and sensible. They had both been all play us false." So that these profes-their lives bitter enemies of parliamentsions in favour of reform had not the ary reform in any and in every degree. smallest tendency to quiet the minds of Both of them confessed this very disthe people, or to slacken their exertions tinctly; and while this did them great in favour of the bill, and in support of credit; while they attempted none of its author. Besides this, while they all that shuffling to make out consistency, professed their readiness to give some which is resorted to in so many cases, reform, they all expressed their deter- and by which men become wholly use However, these two lords acted, upon less to the cause to which they have serving amongst the unthinking millions been converted; while, by their frank- the appearance of opposition to them. ness, they entitled themselves to the Now, this is what was never seen in apology of St. Paul, for change of opi- Lord GREY, who never upon any occanion, they might, if they had so pleased, sion uttered a word to keep in countegone a little further with the same great nance those of whom he saw the main apostle, and confessed themselves to object was to crush reformers and rehave been persecutors of reform, as he form. The people know all this, and had been of the church of Christ; for therefore it is no wonder that they cling they both voted for the dungeoning and to Lord GREY. and gagging bills brought in by Sidmouth and Castlereagh in 1817; they this occasion, a manly and straight-forboth voted for those cruel bills, and ward part. The speech of the Lord Lord Melbourne stood forward, nay, Chancellor was very long. I never quitted his party to stand forward, as the read a good one of his making, and this defender of those bills, founded on re- was the worst that I ever read as comports, in refutation of the statements of ing from his lips. There was a great which they would hear no evidence, deal of very low and even second-hand though tendered at their bar. "I," wit, containing no severity against the says St. Paul, "am the least of all the opponents of the bill. The story about apostles, for I persecuted the church the cooks and the tavern bill must have "of Christ;" I do not wish these two disgusted a man in the state of anxiety Lords to be thought ill of on account of in which Lord GREY must have been. their conduct upon that occasion; but The high-flown compliments bestowed when these things are remembered, an on HARROWBY, and the calling of that acknowledgment of nere error is not old and inveterate enemy of reform quite enough. However, as St. Paul his "noble friend," was very ominous; founded his hope of forgiveness solely but, there was something a great deal on the redeeming merits of his MASTER, more suspicious than this, and a great so these noble Lords must rely, I fancy, deal more offensive to me; namely, an upon the merits of Lord GREY, who has expressed readiness to make the ten been the founder of reform, never the pound suffrage a subject of discussion, persecutor of reformers, but always their with a broad hint of a readiness, on his defender, upon every occasion that they part, to give up that most important have been assailed in the course of his part of the bill. I will not be charged life since he became a man. Never shall with misrepresentation here. I allude I forget his speech against the conduct to two passages, in particular, of the of the Manchester magistrates in 1819; speech, and I will take those two parts but it has been the same with him upon without any garbling, and then ask the every occasion when the people have reader what he thinks they can possibly been cruelly treated. In Brougham, in mean, other than that the Lord ChanMacintosh, in Plunkett; in almost every cellor was ready, if necessary, to some Whig, except Lord Holland, we have purpose or other that he might have in seen an affected condemnation of the view, to give up this part of the bill, or harsh measures towards the reformers; so to modify it as to make it no longer but always accompanied (pray mark a thing which the people would receive. it) with ridicule, sarcasm, if not bitter The first passage, taken from the Morncalumny, on the conduct of the re-ing Chronicle, was as follows: formers. We have seen a speaking and "I have listened with profound ata voting against the harsh measures; "tention to the debate, of which this, I but a speaking in such a sort as to cause "believe, will be the last night, and the main part of the nation to believe" which has already occupied five days, that the harsh measures were necessary; "and having heard a vast variety of oband a voting in such a sort as to insure "jections, having weighed the arguments the carrying of the measures, and pre- on both sides, and careless whether I |