and who suffer the bill to fall without the people to keep you there because, falling themselves; that is to say, fall, while you are there, while · Lord in their sense of the word; but fall in GREY is there, and while the peoreality they will in the estimation of ple can be prevailed upon to indulge every just man in the world, if they but hopes from his being there, all is safe whisper a proposition of any thing short with the boroughmongers; the people of this bill. All over the country the will, of course, hardly refuse to pay hooks are out for addresses to the King, taxes to Lord GREY, while they are to declare to him the confidence that the calling upon his Majesty to keep Lord people have in his present advisers; GREY, the first Lord of his Treasury: which, I think, is really the most bare-never was there a neater and deeper faced, the most profligate hoax upon the contrivance in the world, except that of people that ever was attempted to be a woman, who, seeing her rough husband practised. The people, however, seem coming with a broomstick to beat her, generally to have bit at the hook; ran to the cradle, and, catching the some busy slave, or some credulous child up in her arms, exclaimed, “Ah! good man, is every-where found to aid there, kill the child; do, you murderer!" in cheating them. Even at Birming. This is precisely what the boroughham, where one ought to expect to see mongers are saying to the people; and, good sense prevail, the following para- as those who, like the Birminghamites, graph will show that the hook has are beseeching the King to keep Lord taken; that the bait has been swallow- Grey in his bosom, will, of course, abed: A requisition to the High Bailiff stain from violence of every sort, all the is in course of signature, requesting purposes of both the parties are answered. "that he will convene a Town's Meet"ing for the purpose of expressing to "his Majesty, by address, the deep re"gret and bitter disappointment felt by "the inhabitants at the rejection of the Reform Bill by the House of Lords, "and declaring their unabated confidence in the enlightened patriotism, "wisdom and firmness of his Majesty's confidential advisers. The meeting " will, in all probability, take place in "the middle of the week." And now, my Lord Chancellor, I have shown you that, however difficult it might be to see to the bottom of this muddy pool, I see to the bottom of it; and I venture to assure you that the public will not be far behind me. Wat, COBBETT. CREATION OF NEW PEERS. I BEG my readers to read the follow I have no doubt that the leading mening, taken from a pamphlet, just pubof Birmingham have been grossly im-lished by Mr. Ridgway, entitled a Letter posed upon; but if they have a mind to to Lord Grey, on an Adjustment of the retain their influence over the people, House of Peers. let them take care how they become, wittingly or not, the tools of the Government. What! hear from the Ministers themselves that they will not fall with the bill, and still call upon the King to repose confidence in them!! However, now we see all the motives for the motion so nicely got up by Lord EBRINGTONE DOW we see that there was a firm resolution not to fall with the bill, even before the bill fell. The enemies of reform like, of all things, that you should not fall with the bill they like that you should remain there, and that theKing should be called uponby The question which at this moment agitates the country from side to side, is whether a system of governing by means of the fictitious constituencies technically called rotten boroughs, shall be continued or not. Those who are interested in them say Ayeg and every body else says No. The case has been brought before the peers, and the peers bave given a majority of their voices to the former. The inquiry consequently set on foot, is, What are the descriptions of peers that constituted this majority, and in what degree does justice demand 3 1 stay 212- constitution which never have been exwon 10m ercised; from which a strong argument might be derived against their exercise at the present time. But this is not one of them, for it has been exercised, and exercised one way, viz. against the 99 158 people. There is no reason therefore, Groin the outset, why it should not in turn Bity of decay 1935 te It is not intended to as-and capabilities in support of one side of sert, that, though they undoubtedly the great question now at issue, and gratified their own inherent notions by whether they can in honour aver, tha bogortunity the bo- In this light they are fair referees for falling in with the opportunity the borough system offered them, they were the English people, without an equa the creatures of the Ministry for the time number being ng but in on the other side It may, in the actual circumstances of country, be avowedly proper and expe dient that the decision of a questior be referred to the ancient mag should b nates of the land. But it never can b fair, that it should be referred to a por tion of them selected by the "influenc for direct or indirect of one of the parties a any such purpose, and that the mode issue, without the other party having th and instrument through which the opportunity at all events to put in a Constitution provided against their equivalent. It would be like deciding being ever applied to such an end, was by a jury where a known portion of th the authority lodged in the King to neu-jurymen had been nominated, it matter Satralize their power by making peers in not how many years ago, by one of th ob the event of the case arising. If at the parties to the case. If this portion can period of the Union with Scotland, the not be removed, let the other side put i question had been asked of the English an equal number in its turn, and the people or Government, Do you, then, there will be a chance that the remainder intend, if ever the sixteen peers of who were neither put in by one side no "Scotland, or a majority of them, the other, will effect a fair decision. Bu (7198 To sail li whether the proper banen be, that it was bringing it to an even keel Andes e Pit is evident that if the opponents push Ji bezogonged tarb The claim, therefore, on the part of for this particular improvement, it will the people of the portion of the United, be conceded. at noin 91 10 20001 Kingdom called England, is for the un- No hurtful precedent can be derived mediate neutralization of the Spiritual bato ve blizoda from such an adjustment any more Scotch, and Irish Lords, by the than from that created by a legal award. tion of forty-two more peers and The precedent cannot take place, withbestos 10 181059 when this of naked, abstract just out the previous circumstances being tice has been performed, it will be time repeated; and if it it ought. To to debate expediency or non-ex-resist such an on the ground pediency of creating new Peers to carry a of the inconvenience of increasing the particular bill if required. There can be number of the House of Peers, would no mistake. What is advanced is, that till be a sacrifice of the the greater interest to myslake cognithis is done, the English people labour the less, like under a denial of justice and and that where zance of a majority in House, to justice ends, and not before, the question save the trouble of writing down the of expediency begins, There is another names names. If the reasonable, united, and Claim of smaller magnitude, but still of moderate demand for an adjustment is Some; and that ar for an adjustment of not acceded to, the people of England the promotions in the Peerage since must sit down under the e Consciousness 1792 The balance consists of 2 Mar- that their reform has las Been withheld be901 190 197 yo enorion quesses to be raised to Dukes, 3 Earls cause it displeased the Bishops and the Julijodo smind because to Marquesses adde 5 Viscounts to Earls, Scotch and Irish peers known and 3 Barons to Viscounts, due to the the Whig Ministry, for reasons popular side. The people have there to itself, refused to go forward after fore a right to expect, th that promotion to being lifted to the top o of the rampart this amount should be held P over the on the shoulders of the people, and heads of the peerage s $ to be conferred declined advising the e exertion the after the passing of the Bill If constitutional Y power provided for the the peerage is inaccessible consi-case. Why an Administration which derations of this nature, there is no has hitherto fed gallantly and been JBIT more this manthe people gallantly followed, should in 4 suggest itself to some, is that if the it be stipulated that one is, that there Bishops and Scotch and Irish Peers shall be no ill-will against the people would agree not to vote, the necessity for believing, that as sure as man ever for creating Peers would be removed or cheated woman, they are going to be reduced to something of "inconsiderable deceived. The perils of delay are great amount; while any number of indivi- and manifest! "There never was dual recusants might be balanced by British sovereign to whom the people creations as before. And it is not clear, would more gladly say, "O King live that when we are told to shut our eyes for ever;"-but the King will not live and open our mouths and see what hea- for ever, and if he should die now, i ven will send us, some expectation would be hard that the nation should be of this nature is not at the bottom of deprived of the legacy of his good-will the advice. To such a plan the objec-The cholera may come, and put the tions are,-First, That there is no rea-people beside attending to their tem son why the Whigs, who though not poral concerns; which would be a per the abstract idols of the people's wor- fect god-send to the opponents of th ship, are undoubtedly more the friends bill. The test is, of the people than the opponents of the be anchored in. If it is not bill,-should lose the advantage of per- the plan is clearly that it shall be cas manently establishing a battery of forty- adrift. two peers upon the breach. "Hei mihi! rusticitas, non pudor ille fuit." C Secondly, That such arrangements are sure to end in discontent and charges of misconduct on one side or the other; and, therefore, the wisest way is to use the power in hand, and court no arrangement for the comfort of the enemy. -Thirdly, That it would cut off the effect the creation of peers would 'produce in foreign countries; where the character of the English nation is at this moment traduced and vilified, in a way which nothing but a vigorous movement can put an end to.-Fourthly, which is of vastly more importance than all the others together, That if it is not done, and that without delay, the people of England will conduct themselves as on the certainty of final disappointment, with all those evils to the country which are the necessary consequences. Give us our forty-two Peers, and then Ministers may take a month or two of recreation without danger; and the nation Will be content to have reform when it can get it. The pretence that the Peers would reject the bill in revenge for their numbers being increased, is an invention of the enemy;-they would no more do it, than they would jump overboard to revenge being crowded in a steam-packet. Refuse it, and whatever may be the consequences, let the bill'shal There may be plain' speaking in al this, but no man has ever suspecte your Lordship of any of the qualities t which plain speaking is abhorrent. N apology therefore is required, in sayin I am, my Lord," Your Lordship's most obedient. #humble servant. October 19, 1831 BOWER, G., Chipping Barnet, Hertfordshir COATES, W., Saint Martin's-lane, Charin TAYLOR, J. F., Cecil-st. Strand, wine-mercl UNDERWOOD, W. R., Coaley-mills, Glo cestershire, wrought iron and edge to manufacturer. |