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ttjfe correction o | tbc cvi ^ that l ^ sprung up in thertpr ^^ pta t ^ nrol £ fce people and the dura # on $ ^ MJ ^ g # s . f Th £ te ^ of them all mjaij > £ b fitlb ^ ^ H / 11 ** ? k ort * && 8 L W& # ^ SW 7 SH !^ rt i ' signed by betwcei ^ ui rec ^ ana four hundred persons , chiefly re ^ jiettaule freeholdfers and householders ; and af it does not come from a manufacturing district , it may be considered as a fair criterion of the sentiments of the landed interest and persons in the middle walks of life - It states that
the petitioners ** seeing and deploring the general distress of the country , earnestly entreat the House to take into its naoj » t teirious consideration the alarming state of the nation , * nd to use its besx endeavours to alleviate the burden of excessive taxations—to abolish sinecure places and unmerited pensions —~ to remove the nuisance
of rotten boroughs —~ and to promote a complete constitutional reform io the renr , esentatk > n of the people in , parliament . " ; - The question vrill be brought to an issue
soon after the holidays , and a great and important question it is . It involves in fact tlie nature of the constitutional government of the country . No one doubts that this is by King , Lords and Commons . The institution of the latter body is
genexaHy allowed to be , good , as experience has hewn that without some check from the people , ev ^ ry government ,. whether nionarcbic ^ i , kingly or aristocratical , is liable to ^ reat , abuses . To - m * Jte the House of Commons ajiswer jthe purpose for which it is designed , it ip contended that its members
must be free and independent of all controt , huf whrit arises from the opinion of tbeir constituents . If th * y arc controlled by either the crown or by powerful individuals , it is impossible from the nature of man that they should have that due regard
for the general interests of their constitu <^ t £ , JFbich ft is the maia ii ) te « tioii of such an institution to protect . It is asserted that a control d [ oes actually exist , which ik injurious to the constitution ; for l ) y the innovations of time , several boroughs
send members to parliament , who are in fact only the nominees of a few individuals , having the possession of these boroughs . Consequently it is possible that measures H ? ay be tafcen which may be very beneficial to these individuals , but very injurious to
tfte public « t large , U it right and proper tfojsn tha 4 the institution should be brought hacfeta Its original design , or that it should caftttcuie a * it 19 , giving farther power to tb £ iin novations of Jatne * and increasing the
toinuesce olthe borough - holders ? The chief argument against any . amendment , U , that the nation has flourished in i $ s , present state * * nd jthat any altecatum SQ « y be dangerous . I if factv Ahat ifoU » c people . were fairly and truly jregri&mteck m '
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parliament , tibej ^ afice w ^ I ^ epo ^ r ^ too strongly in / a ^ pj ^ r , o | ^ h ^ ^ n ^^ a ^ cA p | art of the ^ coii ^ litiijibii ^ ^^^ ip Vff f ^ kM indeed an argu |^ en ^ a ^ Sgist tli ^ e m < f * contend for univers , al suffrage * K biii ^ it uo ^ t not meet the ^ question with those w hir 2 cJ&-plain of an abuse iii the fepmentiilid ^ Vhich may be remedied , and fin * wlfileir ' f ^ v
history of parliament pres « n [ ts ^ several % & > stances . No one can doubt the prof&cfctf of its interference with respect to . ccrtakt boroughs , where Very immoral practices existed , and on which account toe aumlnfr of voters was increased from ^ he adjacent hundreds . If this was allpwe ^ l - to £ g right in certain cases , surely it caouio ^ Vbe
doubtefd , that if time has swept away 4 tte houses of a place or the . numb er ... fe VPXS small , it would be very . ftdv $ nf ^ e 0 uj ( l . Jci use sl > similar corrective l * y ^ ivfng it ^ vi > te >^> or enlarging its numtie ' rs , frdtothe ' &J ( j £ c * i # 1 k hundreds . The plain" nuftte ^ V fkoi ^ that the chief ' tiling to be desirVd ^ in , ^ member is independence , ati 3 r tlfts . ^ Hf ' % best secured , when he : Is sent td pa ' p R * -
ment not by a single man , but by sUch ^ t body of constituents as cauiiot be undfcr the influence of a singlenman * . - . Th . e ; Hcmsc has it in its power to m ^ t his Cjar ^ ec&w * and a gTeat deal of thej $ f $ s ^ t ^ $ at * m £ t £ be allayed by a judicious , a ^ tompe ^ , p use of it . . - > - ¦ . ; •> ; o k ^ ¦ f-p ; o _^ But , the argument on ; thc prosperous
state of the cauntry xnff ^ kt ) t |^ ir ^ seji |;>^ tem is fallacious . Fp , r af $ qfyhg t ^ he 2 TP&-p « rity to be real , this ^ i ^^< £ t arisefijiftp . the present constitution of tBJ ^ Ho ^ se ^ of Commons , but from , a f revious ^ r sti te ^ oY things , which the 'irfridv ^ ailon 9 ? th ' e ° bprongh-hblrfers has not h&fr * blt * £ titW * tj to overthrow . The evil h « s beert gtkdV ally growing tip to its presentr £ t&tj&ik g heights and the idea < 4 * 1 s * 44 in ^ 'shells aitx at
parliament , as ^ ta a ^ ahr , iy cgrrrpArativ ^ ly , sneaking tof t * jryr ^ te 7 la > eQ ^* l probably it would " not ^ he diflicult to pibv » that the alarming expenditure o ^ he nation which is now «^ iisibly felt b ? all parties , would not have risen to so great a height if the Hams * of cotom » m $ )^ j unearth at
constant check on Xtyt n ^ ioister , wAw ^ h was intended to be ow ^^ reat ^ ncetH ^ cj ^ n the institution . T-his j ^ idi 4 ? ioR * 64 > l * lfpl cansiot be exercised wh ^ o . £ && 9 W&W 9 ii 9 * fy > ought to employ tbems « jkea tin , Jtt , WW ^ y ^ e father considered 9 # , the aMiss of Ui ^ r ^ ynistcr than th ^ 5 cruiti «) 2 « £ 4 > fil ^ VM& » Vtf ** and the enaminerf od hi * « acQatlitlf fc - ¦ ^ W # ^ f
W « shajl , howev ^ r ^ jo . « * h < ntiMime the xvhole question brought , to a ^ kirt' * - cossion . If it should be &eterwwe& < &to * t no fihaoge ^ whjtf t ^ rer mbaU b ^ , roAtta i n > Mho i « prcscul « t « OJV , ttot « ver ^ iro , U « i ^ Tb 9 n 3 M # h slmll tummniemvt \ fi n * ; & i * iiiLh&gk&m&rty 4 an /* a ^ eiTiiixWill * fe * < <( « tib 4 tlili sr # olwer ^ fs ||| ^« TO « g 4 i ^ lu ^ a ^ wili «« ia ^* i » cii ta UinmKir ,
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State » f Pu ! M& 4 ffwn « iffoi
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), March 2, 1817, page 189, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2462/page/61/
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