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concurred with the right honourable gentleman who made the motion , that the constitution required some reform , aodso far from its being absurd to make any innovation on it , he was certain that the n at a re of our
constitution required innovation and renovation \ for the beauty of the constitution did not consist , a » some people imagined in theory , but in practice . He knew it wan the common and the popular opinion , that our constitution was beautiful in theory , but all
corrupt in practice . ^ Singular as bis seatiraent might be upon the subject , he made no scruple to avow that helooked to the reverse as the true description of our constitution , and thought it
admirable in practice but imperfect and very feulty in theory . * The theory wat in its nature found hy experience to be absurd in several parts ; for , as it was composed of three estates , King Lards and Commons * it was absurd to
think that' one man should have an equal power to the whole multitude ; therefore , in the practical part , that power ws » wisely curtailed , and not left in the breast of one man , but in a government consisting of several ministers . He regarded it as one of its chief excellencies , that it involved a
renovating principle in itself , and by being capable of repeated improvement , admitted the possibility of its being from time to time carried to a degree of perfection beyond which no human idea could go . 10 . Votes and Wislies . { Westminister Scrutiny , May 25 , 1784 . )
He took notice that a learned friend of his , speaking of the partiality of the electors towards him , had carried the paradox rather too far , and declared that the votes for him had been almost universal ; he would not venture to say this ; but though he had not a majority of votes , yet it might fairly be aaid
that when a candidate like him , a known object of the enmity and persecution of government , ventured to stand for Westminster , to obtain an equality of motes , he mutt have a majority of wishes . He observed that the Latin word votum admitted of two
translations , both of which applied to his case i for he might be said to have enjoyed the majority of the voices o / hi * constituents , or he could not hare been honoured with an equality of their votes .
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11- Long Speeches . ( May S 0 t \ i * k n Before I touch upon the charges to which I allude , I cannot help oh ! serving , with what special grace the right honourable gentleman ( Mi \ Pin ridicules long speeches —with what a singular propriety he , of all the mem . bers in this House , attempts to correct others for occupying much of the time
of the House . I do not intend to deny the right honourable gentlemen the merit of great abilities , great eloquence and great powers of pleasing his hearers ; but of all the crimes to be urged agaiust any person within these walls ,
the last , undoubtedl y * for the tight honourable gentleman to venture upon is , to charge the long duration of hi * speech as a fault against any member . The right honourable gentleman , like myself , is under the necessity of troubling this House much oftener and for
a much longer time than is perhaps agreeable ; and it ill becomes either of us to reprobate others for a practice We ourselves so frequently fall into . Grateful for the indulgence we are favoured with , we should certainly be the last to condemn that in which we
ourselves are the greatest transgressors . And I shall drop this part of the subject , with only remarking , that if an almost uniform deviation from the immediate subject in discussion ,- —if abandoning liberal argument for illiberal declamation , —if frequently quitting
sound sense lor indecent sarcasms , and preferring to rouse the passions and 4 nflatne the prejudices of his auditory to the convincing their understandings and informing- their judgments , tended to diminish the title of any member of this House to a more than common
portion of its temper and endurance—I do not know one gentleman who would have so ill-founded a claim upoi > it for such favours , as the right honourable gentleman himself . 1 * . English end Irish Patriot , ( JMil Commercial Propositions . May 30 i 1785 . )
Although the right honourable gentleman charges upon me ( concluded Mr . Fox ) that I have not not heretofore opposed this proposition , he wig " surely have recollected that a now * had at
lord near him ( Lord Mahon ) - tempted to ridicule me when fbia question was before under discuss *^ as being now an English , now an Irisn patriot . j- and to that ridicule , impoU *
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472 Charles James Fox *
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Aug. 2, 1815, page 472, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1763/page/8/
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