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of t ^ tatures , fer . juAre numerous perhaps tb ^ f wlrc fydKK&av ^ B Itt ^ jrv £ eri < ki eft uu £ lii tor / t ' The uniform language of these petitions
Was a reform of the abuses existing in the Representatfoa of the people : some stated IJ ^ ye tefoje m they required , others were content to leave the reform to tire wisctop or Parliament . The former cUrss varied in it s ideas of reform : som e were for ti tii - rersal suffrage and annual parliaments ; others for an extension of wrUrttite 'to
" householders aud tbose paying direct taxes ; others merely requiring the shortening of the duration of parliaments arid correcting abuses that existed by the traffic and sate of borougns , or the innovations of time < tepriviag them of inhabirants . Several of the petitions efcdted considerable debates , in which the petitioners were treated with Kttle ceremony . They were represented
ttt wild , visionary , fanatical . The idea of Universal suffrage seemed t ' o fare the worst , and perhaps none of the speakers against It were atVfU'c that it existed even in Jkurqpe , and exists now in a sma . ll corner of it , if its institutions have not teen destroyed by the French volcano . Tri a canton of Switzerland the right of
frufFrage commences at the age of fifteen , and is enjoyed by every member of that community at that age . The people are remarkable for their ingenuity and nidustry , and when the absurdity of admitting boys at the age of fifteen was frireighed against by a Frenchman to one of them , ht s 1 ire , wdly replied that the ntintbeV of
% oys who voted in their usseniblies was 9 toalj in comparison of that of thjeir men , J $ d at any rate the enjovmeilt of * uch 4 V % ht was not so contrary to common fe ^ nse its tjie constitution of his kingdoni , jljrbicti allowed a hof of eighteen to dispose of'ttieir lives , liberties and prd p ^ rt y . * * in opposition to these jpetitlotijs , a more loruifijiibte engine was now employed . It ^ vii stflemfil ^' dectared to the rlotise that
V spirit of disaffection anrf treason had Widely spread . itself , and that it cocfcl be met onl y by new powers in the government to suppress it . A committee ' was « j * poitried by each House to rnvestieate secret ) y this matter , and a green oag sealed up was delivered to each , Containing tlit documents on which the appr < ihensions of ext «; nd ^ d disafFectiou was foudtl « d .
f ^ fter a Abort interval tVi e comwittee de-^ iye reU thei r report , in wfiich to the ^ iurf ^ ^ risg of ' ^ e public , a great jpa ^ t referred o ttie notions 6 f an obscure man in YoVfenVrewho died of a broken heart in ten ^ # e' ^ ehce of a pro ^ ecutibp for whait he ^ pc 3 ^ to fte a grand cliscaVery anH oae of ike greatest benefit * to ^ ilttiind . The Vidis oithr metropolis turf S * i few tildes
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been scribbled over witjb tjb ^ ^ rds t > £ they « j ^ c ? te th&Wetf--jfe # - ' ^ uNfetitolgifr * Itnemselves the trouble to inquire into its existence or nature . Some wretched men have bectz taken up « od are now in the Tower , supposed to be the disciples of this Spence ; and as tbeir Irild 13 soon expected , the nature of tbi »> Iwl and-1 j ^) w far it is connected with Ichln ^ of *
treasonable nature will be laid open to tk £ pubHc . * DisafFectk ) ri was also imputed to several societies under the names of Union societies , Harapden clubs a « 4 the like , but as nothing relative to theifii was asserted beyoed wbat tUe pubtic knows hj advertisements and accounts of their pfoceediugs , itis' incntoberit oh tHe |* me <; who drew up and tbose Wbo eOttluJfeitK , the report , to shew that + the individual 6 connected with them had any ^ e * igni against the government . ? --. ' * . *¦ ; ' But Whether there are individuals or not in the country Teally enm ^ N £ : a
plot or conspiracy , the report sttof ^ cd sufficient ground for a J ) lan to sudp ^ iMilhe Habeas Corpus Act , to inlroducif lotj ^ neW law to protect the person of 4 t $ | e Prince Begeut , and to prevei ^ i wi ^ l ^ peT assemblages of the pcojHe . Thefite liiHs are now pending ami seem Hkely tfo ^ o tbro ^ g ti both Houses with a very conwdefabjip j&a ~ jorfty-in their fa ^ oar . In the * & £ & tvede
the question of the reform of Pfffrlhk& $ remains to be decided . Tf * i 3 is to'be brdught before the House by . Sir Fraocis Burdett after the bvliday ^ apd tte ^ it Will be seen whether corruption will Ik triumphant or sneb regulations bo m ^ de as wisdom may dictate .
If the opinions of the people were talcftsa upoii tli | s subject , it \ b j ^ l ^» able fcnat ninety-nine out of a hundred at « fojr the reform of the House of Commons , ^ mi a very great roftjority of this numbift would be content with aach a refofetn a& wight
ensure ^ integrity an « l in ^ ejentfje »^ of fHt ? Hojise . m fcfcwj ^ iS ^^^^' Uiaat tcformin pfcnerftl v tbo $ t prdriably ijii ^ ty ttibe out of B hundced deri ^^ Viipl ^ from ¦ the | treii « nt ^ yst-etu , i ^ i ^^ rtito ^ e who < io 0 ^ 4 * 1 ?^ any ^ v «^< m frq it .
piobably the greater j » ir * ^ ^ ppA ^ K n sire o | a ^ r ^ M ^ lJlfeg ^ r . % ui , W' * h ^ ngc than ¦ of - > eriaia » i ^ % ^ | r ^ . ' ^^^ -M ^ M ^ M if-J $ rat * --0 f > of § ak ^ ' ^ persuaded itt bis o ^ «(« ir Jfegfotii Is i < dt - of tlvik - ^ Mlwp ^ c . iMteP ^ tbife > vortd ne must be Citv ^ ^ | | f ^ a sanitffom In Wltupm , . WO ^^ siSi n ; i $ m- % nWiHittt 4 i fo-4 « < T eyilj BflT e »« onragitt » ^ e ^ il ^» U 3 ^ ^^ se it ^ i ^ tkrSwpfeir ' f ^ N ^ 0 * r ' - 'j ^ i (^ ^^^ t ^ Nteiii ^ draifi ^ ' ?^ - ^ - ^ v .- a > 4 :- - * rf 5 »» ... r + '
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t £ * . . i $ to /^ ofjguklic Affairs . ^ -
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Feb. 2, 1817, page 128, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2461/page/64/
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