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    : *& ^^ wl*ich-lie-held office. , .(Hear...

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    Saturday , J™* 5 30-House Of Commons. —T...

    : _*& _^^ wl * ich-lie-held office . , . _( Hear _^ hear . ) Besides ,. men ' sminds traveHed ' now _byTasort of electric speed _^ mparedwith what _thjey did i _-reyen years ago ; . and was that not to _bq taken intb . consideration in discussing such a question « _s thhil If a _inan were to _lootbacK _jfcolitie opinions he had formed seven years ago , and say he would act upon them ir i all respects now , he -wonld be regarded a 3 insane , or as , ' if he had not ' -lived in ihe interim . Ministers had changed their opinions and very properly so . Hies wonld now come to "universal suffrage . _Somehonigentiemen express a fear ' _Jeastit would create a rabble house ; but let _hjm remind . them , that the very same .-predictions M __ .. ' - ' _" . _S _^^^^ _- _^ _i _^ ld office _., - { Hear , „ hear . l

    • were _made-as to the result of the _Reform'Bill , while the competition . for seats was as great as ¦ ever . - . .. { Hear , hear . ) When you dissolve par liament you appeal to the country , not , to the electors , and you excite the people to _ma dness , liy promises of sweeping _^ measures of reform . The candidates are tested by show of hands / not ofthe electors , but of all present , and the man Teturned by show of hands may be the representative of a city , " county , or borough , for twenty-four or "forty-eight hours , nritil the State of the poll is discovered . Then | -when you are catering for support , and require

    _enthuBiaan , you never prosecute for the most "violent hustings speech , while a less inflammable speech ,- if delivered by a _Cfyartist , -would furnish the hon . and learned Atiorney-General opposite , -with ample " ground fpr . prosecution . Bnt he wished to call the attention ef the House to one material fact , and -it was this—that every single point of the Charter ; with the exception of the ballot , was . enjoyed hy the English people of old . But he "pay be -fold that these were barbarous times , and that we had destroyed all those remnants of Ibarbalism : but if such an argument should be used ,

    the reply was ready , - apt , ' and conclusive—it was , that this House in this . cmhsed age waa . governed by precedents established iri those barbarous times . ( Hear , hear . ) Whajt moro common , thaa when an hon . member proposed an alteration in the law in harmony with tho -opinion of the age , than to liave one of those large : volumes replete with precedents ., of centuries of antiquity , flashed in his face as a conclusive argument in favour of _its rejection . All that he desired , then , was to return , not lo-those -reliable precedents , but to those reliable means of legislation . Were hop .

    gentlem ' en aware that the feuds and strifes of harons and feudal lords at electioris , were set forth in the preamble of that bill ; which deprived the ignorant peasant of that dayof his vote ? He was perfectly aware of the _difficulty of so moulding his principles as [ to suit the caprice of all , and he was perfectly aware _ofthat antagonism , which the noble , lord and the -right hon . the Secretary forthe ; Home Department had attempted to create in the ' popularranks , by pointing on tthe hair-breadth differences that existed in the minds of the advocates of the popular cause ; for that

    reason he had voted forthe ballot , _fortriennial parliaments , and for the more com prehensive measure of the honourable member for Montrose , although not coming " up to his views , and for ihe _= simple reason that he should not be set down as an enemy to progress . ( Hear , hear . ) And in passing he might be permitted to tender his meed of praise to the hon . member for Montrose , fcrthebold and manly manner in which , for so many years , he had contended in that House for measures which , in his opinion , were calculated to confer a benefit upon the people .

    He had borne much reproach , but with great ¦ f ortitude . He ( Mr . 0 ' Connor ) had been placed in antagonism with that hon . gentleman ,, while he would be but too happy to assist him . in the car-Tying of any measure which was calculated to mitigate the sufferings of the poor . ( Hear , hear ; and loud cheers . ) He made this statementfortwo reasons—the one because it was bnt a just tribute to the hon . gentleman ; and ihe other , because , " until harmony -and " union existed amongst the friends ofthe people ofall classes , the cause of the people would never prosper . ( Hear , " hear " ; arid cheers . )

    But to return to the unjust and fabricated causes assigned for popu lar disqualification . The main complaint is , want of education ; hut if this should-be considered a justifiable cause , upon whom rests the blame—the crime — -nay , the sin ? Not npon the people ,, but "upon those whose duty it is to see to then * education . ( Hear , hear . ) There is a fund which ought to be applied to the education of the poor , bnt it is devoted to the education of the rich , and to the fomenting of confusion , antagonism , and strife between the two orders . Tour parsons are educated " with the people ' s money ; your aristocracy are educated at their Universities with the people's money ; and the educated constituencies of these Universities

    send the greatest bigots , " and opponents of education and progress to this House . ( Hear , hear . ) But , when you appeal to the people , then ihey are riot ignorant ; then there is _^ knowledge upon every passing breeze ; andthe "noble lord opposite could not have forgotten his democratic speech at Bristol , when he urged—as an objection to the ballot— -that -popular vigilant control which the people now ( exercise over' their trustees . ( Hear . ) . But jhe ( Mr . O'Connor ) would illustrate the value ofthe suffrage upon even broader principles—1 they were these : constitute all the ; drunkards _iof England into an electoral division to-morirow , ar id they will vote for a teetotaler . (( Hear , hear . ) Constitute all the incarcerated lihieves into' another electoral division , and

    ifliey would vote for a man who was never even _isuspected of crime . Thus irrefutably proving , Jhowever dissolute and base a man may be himiseli ; he will take care to entrust his rights and -privileges to the keeping of honest men . Every nnan in thisHouse must be aware that man is lborn with propensities wliich may be nurtured Snto virtue , or thwarted into vice , accordingto Hrdstraining ; andifvicious , the . _siuKesat the < door of those whose duty it was to see to the - pr oper developement of that mind , but who inegleciedit , to subserve their own sordid mitereste . When you recruit a clodpole for a isoldier , you soon drill him and train him in the _* arfc of war ; -Mid his mind would . he as easuy and

    turffled to the arts of industry _^ peaee . {{ Hear , hear . ) When a genfleman in tbis mouse can confer patronage upon a supporter , iif he can secure an _apjmmtment for his ; sonin ttheExciseor Customs , thatBOn will speedily _^ acquire the necessary education _i but now , tor cover sevehtyyears , since the days of Charles _Barnes Fox this charge _<>* _«*« _Ihas been made the false gr ounds for ,-witbholdfmz popular rights ; The document which- he Signed _^ Darnel O'Ccnrien _^^ . _, _^ a _^ 7 th of toe ,: lS _^ _^^ f _^ tthe Duke of _Kiclundnd accepted every one ot m _? SdB of the People ' s Charter : seventy ¦ i vearn « ro : and when _¥ ox achieved __ power -by

    tthe advocacy of those p rinciples , . p * _- " _? _" ™ most enthusiaslic hope was _a _« _HlW _ifaabflltodisauahfy _^ _vernira _^ t Contractors tfrom _sittml _^ thatHouseV _^ d f * « gg _* _eexclaimedlotiie deluded ; P _^ P _>^^ _fSse _jyour Charter , how be _fiatisfied . '' . It _^ as those _several disappointments that had < k _«^ _£ ipeopleto the firm resolution neverto _, _wg _lactation , or their exertions , _***** _£ ! _7 & f-fiuffiftflly tepresented hi _^ that : - _^^ - _^ _ttheorist _co-uld' excite them ;; hy _^^ SS _* and airy ;; - and : metap _hysealv _« ° _^» 5 Theyhadi been . too often decewed ; , _;^ _mw _' the corrapted channels throug _hx _$ _? i their - orP . snmV . fl liivaltv _. reliance , and iaitn were at

    ( communicated to that House , and they naa Uength detenrnried" to _purifythc ; _^ reservoir _oy _iparifyioff those channels , and thenthe _prppef _^ application of l abour to the proper _deveiopeiment of the resbmces of tiie country wonitt iiinaketherichricher , and the poor rich ; -wouiu _^ make ' every peasant a volunteer , and every _llhanuet _aientiyioi ; all ready to : fly to the _ce _*^ of "My country and my rightsi _we in i danger . " _Canan-yfinhglwmor eabiiraiuthantn

    Saturday , J™* 5 30-House Of Commons. —T...

    _feistiof . a man now disguahued taking _possesion ofa _qualified _ffi _^ toeingdisqualified- ahdhis _' successor as instantaneously . * _<^ ' Far be it - from him to lead on tiie people -to / revolution ; he had never had a desire to do that-- and he had lost more Mendsby _keeping _^^ themhaclcfromrevolutionary proceedings than he had ever" lost by advocating their , just privileges . The noble lord had said ihe people were loyal— -indeed , he '' always said _s" 6 ; but he told the 1 hon . member for Montrose the other-night that he had had ho petitions . He could tell-the noble lord , as _fa-st of a man now _disnnalifiwl tnkin- _* _T-0-isf . _R

    he had said before , thatthat was no indication that the hon .. member ' s ( Mr . Hume ' s ) party was not "making great -way , because he knew from his own knowledge that ~ it was making very great-way . fie would now come-to the question of the ballot , -arid with regard to that point of the Charter- —although he * voted for . it to prevent antagonism , he was bound _; to state . his objection to it accordingto the present standard of franchise . -It would _^ ' stroy that popular , vigilarit control upon which the noble lord so constitutionally _reliesy- The electors are the trustees , aiid the people , asthe cestui

    _^ qui trust , have a , rig _htto"exercise- a legitimate power over them ; hut give the ballot .. witl _"* , the franchise as it now stands , and that power vanishes . Ihe _^ _^ trustee goes 'to the hustings with a mask upon- his face , and those for whom he holds and ought to exercise the trust , may be _^ deceived by his vote . ' Hemaydeclajre that he voted for the popular _Candidate , ' while he voted for his opponent , -. and the people have no means of discovering his delinquency . - Let him instance the strongest proof _of-this factl There wasonce an election in Huddersfield for some town office : the friends of 6 ne-ca rididate ;

    wishing to divide the Liberal _interests solicited Mr . Stocks to offer himself , with-the { assurance ihat a majority would vote for hira . *; He accepted the invitation , the electors' _niej * inthe council" room , Mr . Stocks was proposed arid seconded . ' " There you go ' , Stocks , " said his proposer , putting his balloting paper- _irpto the box' ; ' > There you go again Stocks , " said his seconder and " There you go , " and ' j' There you go , " said his numerous professed supporters , and when the _ballot-box was ppened he had not one single vote . ( Hear , hear ; and laughter . ) The mode of _joting by ballot in clubs had been urged upon a former debate in

    favour ofthe measure , but it should he understood that although the argument may be pertinent and applicable , to universal " _sufS-ageit was not app licable to the present suffrage , and for this reason in clubs . all werei members- ; but what would be said of-a club of six b _^ undrcd where onl y one hundredhad votes and ' the five hundred were excluded ? Wh y , as a ' mattei ? of course , it * ft' « uld create hostility _andantagonism between the elected - ; niember . aijd no'rielectors . [ An hon . member here moved that the House be counted . -The gallery was accordingly cleared , but more than forty

    members being-present the gallery was re-ppened , a * Qd _^ we found Mr . 0 ' Conner complaining of the discourtesy by which , thedebate , was attempted to . be cushioned— -a discourtesy of "which he himself had Jiever been guilty , and one from which he was pleased to find that the intermeddling gentlemanhad not taken much by , his ' motion . ] Mr . O'Connor then proceeded to say : —He would have no objection to apply the ballot ; to corrupt boroughs—to such constituencies as Coventry , PrestoBj * Great Yarmouth , Horsham , Harwicb , and the like places , but his objection to the ballot with the

    present constituency would not apply to the case of universal suffrage . He would now call their attention to equal electoral districts _^ -the very main ground upon which the Reform Bill was based , and he" was at a loss to know upon what grounds the present system could be upheld , when in ' 32 Parliament based its own corruption , and voted its own death , upon the very inequality caused by theirhproper division of electoral districts , arid which is still preserved in all its mtegrity . Nov . let him instance this fact ,. and preve . it irrefutably . He held iri his hand a statistical table , showing the

    population , the number- _^ of electors , and the number of representatives for every city , town and borough in the kingdom . __ He . would take the first , Bridegnortb , as a sample ofthe sack . "Wh y , there was 1 , 931 of a population , _? 93 electors , who returned two members . He had not an analysis of the counties , but he thought he might draw a comparison _^ between ; the Speaker and . his . colleague ' s position , and that of the two-members for -1 Bridgnorth , If his memory served him , the division of North Hampshire ; which had the honour of being represented by the Speaker , had a population of over 156 , 000 , represented hy somewhere about 3 , 300 electors , and here wefind the votes

    pf 1 , 931 individuals , neutralising the votes of 150 , 000 . But he would go farther , and take in the ' gross . ; from this analysis , he discovered that there , were fifteen cities , v towns , and boroughs with a population of 82 ,-741 -returning twenty-five members ; while thirteen of the largest cities arid towns in England , with a populat ion of 2 , 7 * 10 , 889 only retuihedtwentyeig ht members . Now _. how did the matter stand as regarded those two classes ?; In the eig hi teen towns there was a representative to every 3 . 309 ef a population , -and a constituency bf 232 electors to . each representative , while as regarded the thirteen large towns there _yv-as a representative toevery 97 , 888 of a population , and to every : 6 , 024- of the electors . ( Hear ,

    hear . ) ' But let him go farther ; the West Hiding of Yorkshire had a population of nearly 1 , 200 , 000 with over 36 , 000 electors , a [ rid tlie voice of its representatives could be neutralised by that of the two representatives for Bridgnoi _* th representing 1931 of a population . Now tiie thirteen towns ; to which he referred as having a population of 2 , 740 , 88 i _9 with twenty _^ eight representatives , were . _Bhrmmgham , Bristol , _Einsbnry , Lambeth , Leeds' Liverpool , London ,. Manchester , Maryleboriey Sheffieldi

    Southwark , Tower Hamlet _^ Kow need he weary- 'fhe . Hoiis ' e with further details to prove the injustice , nay _; the iniquity of the present - system . ' ( Hear , hear . ) He would , hew coir ie to the question of no property qualification , and he thought that . his arguments against tiie _^^ present _Bystenl ' would be unanswerable . < There were _; nftyrthree _, Scotch members in that House who required no qnalification . _"" They might come there barefqbted without a penny , while those who voted for ihem must _bei possessed / of au electoral

    qualification . - ( Rear , - hear . ) . Nowwhat ; right had ; Scotiarid to such- _^^ an _^^ / exemption ? : ; Theri ; ' tha members for ther Universities _requured rio qiia _i lification ~ _"fliebigofr * f of their constituents "wai supposed to be the . _bestihey could _pots ' _seiis _; while they were the greatest enemies to . prpgress'ahd the very parties _; who were the-most anxious to retain the people in that state of ig _riorance upon which _"flieif / own _---icendancy depended ! . ' ( Hear , hear . y _^ . Then _^ he . proi _^ gaV son of a peer , disinherited . _^ or vice , _withbnt ' aper iny'to livfi noon , orihe : son of a . quaufied gentleniari

    h not in this Housej they require no qualification , _andmt _hat-ffltoatio _^ likely" to barter ; their [ -trust - _^ patronage . ( Hear bear . ) Letlithe House not suppbse ; that if : _^ _tWs- qualification was done away -with the people from pique _iwould return- .-a- _MfflW ; menVber ; onthe cbh _^ a _^ they _^ o _^ ta be hiore _cntical in _theTselecfn / c _^ _merM cation :- ( Hear , ; hear _, ) _, _^ if should , not that _Bouse ' _teethe reflex of'every so _^ _dopunon , -instead of , as now , the mirror pf the capnee of _Action arid _^ the : reflector of pj _^^ e _^ And cair they : _appose _« JXe- _«^^ _^« i _^ aa ' v _^ _uirinff _knowledgeiWill' submit

    He would cantibri the"mto _niaKe "timeiy au prudentrcoricession _j"d Jthe _. _K the people would ' cahhly , _^ _OTsely _^ _, 'and _'; pru _^ dently exercise , it , and Jet ,. ihem rest _asstired that if thpse -timely and prudent _concessioiis are mu ch-longer withheld that :: _knqwleclge , wili one day burst * upon _^ them like a _jclii _^ _^> f _timderr T ( He . ar _^; _hear . ) " Iiet him , iri ' Qon-

    Saturday , J™* 5 30-House Of Commons. —T...

    cluding under this head call their _atteniioriftd a _' _s _* Sange ~ anomaly . " There Bits the noble lord , the prime minister of this great nationj -the representative of the great City of Lon ' don _~ £ 300 a year will qualify'him _^' whilo the - r _^^ tiye of a _bankrupt famishededurity in Ireland must have £ 600 ayear to qualify him . I ( Heai _^ hear . ) He would now draw ; their attention to that point of the People's ' Charter against which their aristocratic blood seemed most to revolt —payment of members . , Perhaps no man had ever undertaken a more difficult task than that of attempting to reconcile a majority of members to so large ' a principle ; One hon . gentleman says "I am for universal suffrage , but the voter must be twenty-¦ _nin _. _itnn . _nn A m + _! ., - ¦ i . _„„ i _o „ ii ' _'iilL _^ L . iiJi _$ Zff

    one years and three days old ;'• another says , "No , twenty-one years and four days ;" . another , - '" Four days and three :-hours ; " and thus-the question' is entangled b y those _hair-splitting differences . _-If it comes to _Hodseholdj one says " There must be three roor iis , " and 'he ' ¦ ' must '' reside twelve months ; " : another , " No , two rooms , and he must reside thirteen months ;" : and . so it goes on ; while all ; appear to be afraid or ashamed to advocate ; payment of members , _while-none refuse patronage . for doing nothing ! ' * ' It is-admitted ' _upon * all' fiide 3 ' that the labourer is worthy ' of "his hire , ; and it . will ; not bedenied that , labour ; when . _faithfully . discharged ; in this House , is very onerous : but let him . draw his conclusion from ; the- most _Jaristocratic section ¦ of

    the "House ,. namely , - . the ; Treasury Bench . Now would it be believed that twenty-six members oc-i ; cupying that bench , a majority of whom are never heard ; and . whose duties , are performed ; 'b y paid clerks—will it be believed . that those twenty-six gentlemen , all of course hpposed to the ; payhient of members , divide amongst them annually nearly a 9 much as would ; qualify the 321 city , ' town ,, _and-bprough representatives ? ( Hear , 'hear ' , aiid cheers . ) He . nad ; now concluded his arguments -in favour of thesii . points p 'f . the People ' s Charter , arid he would briefly sum up _theresults'tb-be _^ anticipated , and his reasons for support in _gjihem .: Having now developed the six ,. poirit 8 of the Tedple ' s Charter ,-and having , he trusted without aicrimoriy , arid without _asinffle

    expression that could damage a cause that was dear to hiin , shown the injustice of the ' present system as compared with the . system _^ which . ' wpuld represent , the whole mind bf . this . _r ' _cbiintryj _'^ and . give satisfaction to the whole , people , he . would again caution the noble lord ' hot to basb' his opposition upon the-absence , of . a irioiister ; petition ' . " . '; If ; there was one thing . more tha ' n anpthor . indispensable ; it was that knowledge " of eyery description , or rather the mind and opinions , however ' fanciful ,. th ' eoretic ! il , or whimsical , should . be , . communicated to that House , whose paramountduty it' was to make laws in unison with the sound mind of the country . He ; did not recominehd fanciful 6 r whimsical legislation , based upon the theories or the' Utopias ' of . a fraction

    or of a nunoritj ; , . but he required laws . based upon the wisdom bf the majority ... ; The ignorance of that House , was the , greatest difficulty aganSt which it had to contend , arid . if ever revolution should overtake them , the' , calamity would arise from the - * prostitution of the press . The press _wjis . the . channel through which they professed to receive _^ knowledge , biit was it not a notorious , fact that , questions . of domestie interest and' foreign questions which may materially affect our position ,-wereeither withheld from that House ov . so misrepresented as to deceive the Bouse ? If a small gathering , of _Projectionists , Free Traders , Financial Reformers , pious christians , or bible societies took place , the proceedings were not only ' communicated by the ¦ : -press . ; but

    were extensively commented upon according to the views of the severairjoiirhalists , _;©*!* rather according to the : views of _thosej for whom they catered—while if a Chartist meeting of 300 , 000 takes place it is a rabble , gathering . of vagabond ' s ; pickpockets , thieves ; and prostitutes ; while if they wished to * hear real eloquence , sound and just reasoning ; let them come with him to a Chartist meeting , and they would , discover that the , opinions of the people . were not based upon mere vvild ' theories but upon sound practical knowledge . ' Was it ' not a notorious fact , that when ah oppressed peoplo abroad contended against despots who sought to cntrammel the enlig htened mind of the people , that the Times newspaper represented the liberal ; nartv

    first'as vagabonds , then as rebels , then as insurgents , until their progressive pewer entitled them to thenameofthe demoeratio party ? ( Hear , hear . ) Who in this House that does not remember the Times laudation of Charles Albert when he invaded the Italian states of Austria ? his military tactics were eomplete , iiis heroisir _. was noble , his gallantry unrivalled , he was a second Cresar , but when the first reverse came iipon him , all his misfortunes though not published had been prophesied ; and he was characterised as a second Don Quixotte . Let hon . members read , on the contrary , the Daily News , and they will see what the-people thought , arid what the friends of the people thought _^ on all great questions , (•' Hear , '' from Mr . Hume : ) . When' they'read the

    Times ' - they never saw a word '" of all this ; _, ;; These are the difficulties against which democratic _^ ag itators had to contend in that House , but ; he ' thanked . God that now , for more than a quarter of . a century , although the reviled of all revilers , he hadmaintairiednis position in spite of the press , and still ' _adhei-ed ' tp those principles which were dearer to Mm than life .- Hon . gentlemen could form no notion of the dangers to which a demagogue was exposed * _, hot only was he the target of the press , but he was supposed to be a pliant tool in the hands " ' of those lor whose ri g hts he contended- When the people were well on , and employed at remunerative wages —that hour of calm being the legitimate arid proper time to develope their . power and their ,

    influenceif an attempt was then made to rally them , the answer was , " Let iis alone , ') we are satisfied ; we want no change . " Never anticipating that the transition from _^ his 'state ' of comfort and satisfaction ,-to discomfort and dissatisfaction , might come suddenly upon them ; ' and _wheri-that reverse-did conie , then , _; without . an ; appeal : to _; their , leaders , thei cry was , " "Now we are ready , loir death or glory . Lead us on for the Charter I " ( Hear , hear ;) Ho ( Mr . O'Connor ) had attended more public meetings than " any mail that ever came before him , and more than he ' hopedanyman . whomay come after him would be . Obliged , to attend for the realisation of the people's ri g hts . And he coiild tell _hbri . _membO'S , that if they-attended the ' meetings bf working men

    they would hear what . - was true eloquence ; and sound argument . Then why shouldtheynot be represented in that House t ( Hear , hear . );; And it was his _dutyj and bis greatest pride , . to be able to state to that House that " although he had associated with theni . under various circunistancds , and . in various places , that" he" had never heard an obscene or indecent word fall from ' the lips of those' much-reviledvagabondsarid revolutionists . ;( Hear , hear . ) The noble ; lord himself had boasted . of their loyalty —of their , devotion to the . coristitiitibn and the institutions of their country ; and " surely ;; with'such a , character stamped iipon them by the ¦ Prime _. Minr ister , they " were entitled to those privileges which the constitution guarantees ; . ( Hear , hear . ) ; The

    sound _; mind of England can no-longer , be led in quest of Utopias , by _«? poor gentlemen" who are too proiid to work , aiid too poor to ' live without wages , and who ungenerously—though riot unnaturally—take advantage of tlie transient _mbmentiof excitement to madden- the public * mind' into ; a . state of insane fury , : which is . not nnfrequently ; used , in that House as a justificatiori foi * j withr holding those , legitiinato . ' rights which , under other , circumstances ,. " wpuld have / been ; cheerfully conceded . 'But he would warn the noble lord - against a ¦ ¦ perseverarice- in such a * system .-None deriy . the people'stitJe ;; whp would deny ; . the present calm , and ' who would deny the hour of calm was the fi ' ttirig time to riiake _, those . timely ; and

    _yrudent cririebssiohs , _* , which , 'if not surrendered to justice- should be yielded to fear- ? j And * if- extracted , from fear , ' "the people would add to their ; demand , . whereas if conceded to justice ; they would so mould their opinions , that nil would _, be gainers and . none sufferers ' from' the" change . ; , '( Hear ,, hear . ); . There is a difference botwee'rithe enthusiasm of ambitious _speculatbrsi and the well-digested opinions , ot . sincere philanthropists . Cbariis-misthe meaiis ,: _social benefit is the end . - _'hVmeans the adaptation _^ f _^ tayrs to theexisting state of spciety _^ and not th _el _enaet-. merit bf laws which would convulse and _reyoluUpmse soeieiy . ' . HoWiawaro : that ; ma-ny _;? ho _admitted the justice of theprmciples ; would qualify _theirppnnJUnh : bv'th * hid duibble _^ that _thepresentwas

    notv _* he fitting . time 5 _^ ut' _i Would such . gfentlemen base ' their . opposition ; . upon the . opinion , they _^ nau formed of the working classes gathered [ froxi . U _^ Ws- _. _pMer' _^ pbrts . ' "' The : _Ctiartists- . were without newspaper . deferice , arid they were _^ esign at _^ tors ; biitlt was _rflibSl _; they were : i . ot for spohatwn . Theyibad , ron the ; _contrary , _a'esisted every _. dem _^ - gogriewho . WiBhed to _; teachthem that _, the land of thc _. country ; was . national . property ., ... _Theuvohject auddesirewas ' iiottoVsp . _ollft _*^ . Jtf _<^^* o _* o « M no _^^ purehAkM of -the _; iand _^ -They were > for i _^^ _£ _aeveldpem ' _ent'bf riatibriiil ; wealthi- ; by _ the _^ _WB ofthe national _^ resources ,. ; by reproductive labour ; ( Hear ; hcai _' . ) .. ail ; classes were _pkcedinfm _™™* to them . ; they were" tried upon the most ; flunsy _^ re t ' extrisrevoIutioriis _' tsV _h-y juries of . _^ t . _" _. ' _^„ _iii . _- r _ _-j . iL ! - ; _i . : _^ . _ . vwf , _« _- _» 5 _nV . _--o +. lipv were contenumg ..

    The § e 3 _uVorsnW only ' _pofi-lessed a _^^ _roonopol _^ _P- _^ ntieali ' pxjwer _; but they P ? f _^^^ _SS tional power of sitting _Jn _* jud _& ment _fflwMfSSe _contended-fo _^ like privileges _{ . . and let _himj instance the _miuiner in which tbatelass _coul- _^ } % _f _^^ against a Chartist _^ pWsphei _^ - * i _Whetf _^ _^ _tried-rit'Warwick' b y _^ _^ a jriry _' of _fafmers _. _'J _^ _iJgg _Little-iale * igribrantfy exp ' pimded . the _^^^^^^ _Chafter-toJe'theajipr _^ _^^^ _^ thatiufyto 'Chartist _purppses , and -its 4 _^ % ™ % _ariVringstiheCftrti _^ vi & lafion ' of the _Consti _> tipn ; a _^ the . b ' efichJ However _^ secured tbe ; _coim _9 tion : ana _inc-treeratiori of the Chartist P » so _^(® _aS Chartishidid mean : _^ fair . remu _^ _Mm _^ an _-d . when _* thep ? op , _^ sp lutibn ; of _^ _wasTiow _- coivulsmg and . . _^ _P _^*^ fftSS | Ue _- _'Mrildask ' tJi _at'HQtise _^ _liW : ' . iiii _. _;' :.. * _s ¦> _; : > i * iT ; _J-. * > _-. , _'i : '' - ' , J ' - ' - ¦ - - * ¦ ' - _* - _; -. .- _' ¦ J

    Saturday , J™* 5 30-House Of Commons. —T...

    for a . calm ' arid deliberate , or for a hasty and revolutionary change . .. ( Hear ,, hear . ) . Couldthemindof , _™ an 8 iigggest a more " ridiculous paradox than "the state Of . this _^ country presents . _f _^ pidle -land , -idle labour , idle inoney , - mcfeasirig poor-rates ; iricreasmg crime- based * . '•• upon ' _irici'easiri ' g destiu l ° PV I _* an y riiari : travel with ' ; him ftoiri a _'* f » . _V y terminus to the extremity of ihe line , and show him fifty , twenty—nay , ten acres of land cultivated to one-fifth part of its capability of yield- j " } g _> . _'" hile we were looking to distant couritries'for i that produce whicHour own laridcould more profit- ' _fWy . supply . ( Heari _; hear . ) _-Andcoulditbedenied that the proper application of-labour * to that land , would be a benefit to all classes of society ; save patronage-hunters , who hold the . balance of power ? It _™' » l . ii , _'CI _* 3 _j _ ,. * ¦ * ?_ , v iL _/¦ _. _„ . l „ . ; . ___ . i __ .

    was an extraordinary fact , that opposite to him , on the treasury bench , sat the '' minister of _nut-Kftt " i _, - ' eat laughter arid cheers . ) The right non . gentleman _represerited cinnamon , mace , nutmegs , cloves , almonds ; raisins , ngsi citron , tamarinds , - and God knows _whlT ! Every other country had a min ister -of agriculture , while we were appending upon every' country for its produce . For iprty-thrce years the reform party in this country were catewng for popular support , ' based upon professions which would * have' realised every oneof the people s expectations ; When they wanted the people thoy goaded them into resistance to their ehe-S * _^* i , _wlien the _-y achieved power thoy tortured them if they resisted . If the people wove in power _wfc 1 _* ' yid ' -i , 1 S to mercy , and stern _g _wwii wit an executive exacting an _T _^ ° _^™™ _% * _** n _» W : _auth 6 rity ; _^ . ile , tlmletter of the

    _Sf lawV for the _pobr aiul the spirit of the law for the rich . Reviled as he had been , bpthm Englandarid . Ireland , for more than a quarter of-a century , he felt it due to _himS and to those for whose _rightshe - contendeT to state , m conclusion , that , though eri _gaged ' in _^ thc fiercest agitation , m the most excited times , in both countries , ltwas his pride and his boastto be able to say that he had never eatenariieal , travelled a mile , or accepted a fee or reward from any party In Ireland he had conducted professionally some of thebitterest eleetioivcoritests . By the law , he was entitled to largo fees "; but he ' had never accepted ° _™ thmg , * ' or' travelled at the expense of the candidate of the -people ' s choice . He saw upon the opposite bench the hori ; member for Limerick , for whpm _^ he acted as counsel at Youghal , and whoriihc Was the means of returning . : ' ¦ Mr . J . O'Connell . —Nono ; - '

    . '¦[ Mr .- O'Connor . —* The hon . member says no , while lie knows that it is an irrefutable fact , and that he received , the thanks pf his father for his invaluable services . But , as he stated in the commencement , he repeated how that'he would not be'the means of weakening his proposition - by creating antagonism , and therefore he would abstain frorii further coni-• mentupon that subject ; ( Hear ; hear . ) ; He had riever' iii his life ' attended a secret meeting ; he _heyer wrote a private letter on politics , nor had he ever done anything that ho would be ashamed to do in open day . Tie cause he now advocated might have been brought forward by others with greater force , but ., by none possessing more of the honest confidence of tho working classes than he did . Sir , the press ' may , arid probably ; . will , represent my speech , as discursive ; not consecutive or _suscentible

    of anrtlysis , : but ; let ino tell that press an 5 this House , that hundreds of thousands—yea , millions of the working classes , for whose ri ghts I contend , will read it , Understand it , and appreciate it , according to its value . ; He proposed his motion as an independent ' -member ; he had shown that the coristructio _* o of the House of Commons was not iri harmony with the opinions of the people ; he had shown how they might develope the resources of the country , give' employment to labour , and destroy -a powerful-and dangerous antagonism . It was his resolution , to adhere to the course he had hitherto followed ; not that he was going to "die upon the floor of the House , " for he had always said tne Charter never ' , could be promoted by violent methods ; but there "would ever _remalin inscribed upon his banner' thb words ,-

    —' "THE ; PEOPLE'S CHARTER , whole- and entire , and - *

    NO SURRENDER . " ( Hear , hear . ) The hon . gentleman concluded by moving , that this House , recognising the great principle " that'labour is the source of all wealth , that the people are the only legitimate source ( if power , that the labourer should be the first partaker of the fruits ofhis own industry , that taxation without representation is tyranny and should be resisted , and believing that the resources ofthe country would be best developed by laws made by representatives chosen by the labouring classes in conjunction with those who live by other industrial pursuits — that ( in recognition of the above great triitbs )' this House adopts the principles _eriibodied in the document "entitled ; " The People ' s Charter , " namely , Annual Elections , Universal Suffrage , ' -Vote by Ballot ; Equal Electoral Districts , No Property Qualification , and Payment of _Meiribers . ' Mr . S : _CbAwfobi ) seconded tne ' motiori . After the lapse of several minutes , " during which no oho rose , and some cries were heard for a

    divi-, Colonel P . Thompson said , as one of those concerned in what might be called the modern origin ofthe Charter , he desired to say he . would support the motion before . ; the House . He . took rather a wide arid diffusive view of the subject , not restricting himself to this or that view of it , and always looking ,, and voting , as the current directed . . If he thought annual parliaments were possible just now he shonld vote for them j but if he thought them not possible at present , then he should vote lor what was possible . " One . point inthe enuriieration

    ef the . hon , gentlenian was an excrescence to . the Charter which he supported . Payment of membera had been invented and discovered since the origination of'the Charter ; and he'believed , if he received a . salary as a member of that House , he . should bo expected to do sbmothing . fpr his'constituency ; not _riieaning anything disrespectful to his own constituency—all constituencies were alike . He also so far . differed '' frorii the hon . gentleman , ' that he thought yoio hy ballot would be a valuable adjunct urideranycircumstances , as . guarding the frcedoiri of election . Such was his wide ariddiffusive view of the subject ; but he would yet vote for the

    motion . " , _.- , Mr . Hom _* e said . he should vote , the motion if . it went to a division . ,. Tlie hon ; gentlemen having denied that any odium attached to bringing forward the motion , as it whs a demand of political rights for the people , said , he should not like tutake such a ' lcap . ' . ' as' the hori . rbember proposed ; for , though individually prepared .. for ; the whole Charter , he foulid that reform _cbuld be most effectually carried ; out by degrees . It wris for this reason , ' therefore , that he _hadalways . opposed the Charter agitation . He reminded the House of the time when he first came 'into . parliament ;; when . they , were wbnf to speak iii that HouseiVand at their public meetirigs , as Whigs , to toast the . people as the source of power . There could be no odiurii attaching , then ,

    to such a demand , as this of political " ri g hts . He Said , he , > _T 0 Uld much rather have the motion which he _Bubriuttcd _sbme , weeks ago to the ; House , as more limited and riiore likely to gain the - support of many : but . when he saw the government standing still— _--wheri he , saw those" who' said they ought not . to stand still , arid that the peoplo ought to have their rights conceded to . them ; now that they had the . powe ' r of ' giving them their rights standing still r _^ _- he would vote ; for any motion likel y to _cairy out that object . Jfthere wasahy oriefaultin ag ' _overririierit _, it was to act in 'ignprarice' of the feeling abroad iii the country with regard to the . _jCharter ; which the people demanded . ' * But'govei'nmerit shut their , eyes , arid _. wouldhot see' it ,, and would ' not attend tothe sense of ' ' the _ country . Ho hopedthe '

    _tinie was how " coming w hen the midille class electors , nowiri power ,, would see ' . ' what kind of iu ' easures they were ' _^ whi ' cii were rejected in that House , measures for the retrenchment of ' expenditure arid for ' gi > _4 ng . them'their ;;* rights ' _^ ; and wouldsee ' thai' _- ' a ' change in the cbriipositioh of . that Horise was necessary . ... As for the working classes _. _' he ; who had been supported _. bytlierii , ' . and elected by them ; solely , ' the nrst twelve years he was 'in _parliameni _* , would say he had never known , them advijeate robbery or spoliation ; or ther applicatiori of the sponge to the debts of the . cpun ' try , andthat ' a more honest ; disinleresled _elass ' . of men , ns lie had alway s found them in hiso ) vri case , '' was ripttp be found in thecPUritry ; He , therefore , wished to ' see therii in ; tho . ehjoymerit _. of their rijfhts . ' They owed . their superiority in ; trade

    arid otherwise over . ; other ' ' / nations arouhd ; them to their artisans , who [ . were yet * treated . ' as { unfit for power . % A man to be an Englishmaii ou ' gnt . not / to be a slave . A slave ; had ho power to interfere in his master ' s- affairs , or , . toiriake laws .. affecting' his master ' s ! position ' or property ;' yet , however liarsh the word was , he found there were between four and five millions of their _felloe-subjects who , wielded ' the haih'riier " iri _.-tlmt _degradediriba _^^^ be ' _comej wb ' at , was called Chartists , from a sensoithat _justice ' _wasiriot ' dori ' e _. th ' ein . ' ,. _^ He wished the ' govern-. _li _' erit _^ ould make "them" as . contented , as they ywe . re now dissatisfied ; H ' e ' _asked the noble lord , asa reformer—asi bne _. _' whbm , ' when he _Vtirst entered . the Hou se , _lhe _; . ' liad i 8 upp 6 rted and voted _with- _^ _as _. the friend , of . civil " arid religibu ' s frcedoiri , he _/ _askedhim , thoi

    now that he was in "power , to . carry out |} .: prinr , ciples " _whicu " he , h ' ad-advocated ; sol _^ _. iiri ' _/ forrio . _' thirig l riiore _thanjustie ' e to the pepDlp . ;; ; _i _. Mf _^ M ; J ; . O'Connell ' said ; he could' ! hot ;' agree , with either of the honourable , gentlemen in : support " - ing . the '; -motion , ;' arid . _hei . did riot"think the ; _argui _: _"ients _. ofeithe _^ pf ' th ' em-werit thufull length _' p f ; tho Charter . _;^ To -tw o of the 7 pririci p _^ : motipri he ' _suhscribed , ' _iiamely , _JtbV the , abolition of _ftualificatipri for _/ _riieriibera ' ana vote o _^ _ues ' tipri of _l aririuai ' _i parliaments " _, he' wpuld ! leave to the' speeches of the ¦ nprib * arabIegeiitle _* riAeri whb' had spoken . ; ,, Universal' Buffrage _,, iri the present state ; of _spciet-f , . arid , . without . further _/ eiUighteriment ; of the _people would he most , dangerous : arid _irijunoua . ' . Hi iwas opposedi toi equal ,, " electoral , divisions ,. aS , ai _* tificiaH ' _yiijiteriferwg witli -iW . _^ _li * ieV ; that . _bbuud _' a

    Saturday , J™* 5 30-House Of Commons. —T...

    _mst-Ci to his county or his borough ; but he was at theiEWine time desirous of . seeing . the-existing inequal _^ y of constituencies greatly modified . With ' regard ' -to ' the suflrage , ho was ' anxious to ; express his decided opiriiori , that * the safest and riibst conservative jneasnro which ' the government could adopt would be alarge extension pf the franchiso . ( Hear *; hear . } After what-we' bad seen abroad , of ' ancient dynasties being 'overturned and established _goverriments witheHng away like 'Jonah ' s gourd , it was essential , ihacolintry like . _this , that _ineasures should be taken whilst the public mirid was calm to admit within the pale of the * franchise those large bodies of intelligent and industrious men who were how excluded- from - it . ' Whatever might' be the faults of the Reform Bill , it was a ' went _blessins- to . _. __ x _. _.. . ... .. ..

    the country that it had passed ; ( Hear , hear . ) _^ _"he main fault , ofthat measure was ,, that it gavethe franchise upon a system of a too philosophical character . The attempt to make it uniform had not been successful , whilst it had been followed by injurious disproportions . Any one who kriow what a ten-pound noiise was in a large city , coriipared with a house of the sanie rent in a small borough , whether in England , Scotland , or Ireland , need not be _romintJed of the utter absence of uniformity . The effect of it had been to throw all power into the hands of one class , arid to exclude the class below them , who were no less enlightened , nor less _desorving—he meant the working classes . The noble lord in his speech upon this question , last year , alluded to the establishment of guilds in large towns _.

    whereby to bring the working classes into the enjoyment of the franchise , in addition to the present constituencies . He ( Mr . M . J . O'Connell ) recommended the noble lord not to lose sight ofthat object , nor to miss the opportunity of adding to his character as an extender of the franchise to tho middle classes the additional lustre of conferring the same boon upon tlie working classes . ( Hear . ) Mr , George _TrioJirsoi-. —Sir , in rising to support the motion of the hon . and learned member for Nottingham , I do not conceal from myself the fact , thatthe discussion of the resolution wliich he has so ably introduced is not likely to 'be followed b y any iriunediatc practical result ; but I believe it of im portance that every opportunity should be embraced of bringing under calm and deliberate consideration '; . ' . i ii

    ine great , tne momentous , the truly national question , of a change in the representative system of this country . ( Hear , hear . ) Sir , since I have had the honour ofa seat in this House , I have witnessed a great advance of public opinion out of doors upon this subject , but ' iristead of a corresponding advance on the part of the ilouse of Commons , there bias been rather a retrograde movement , certainly , a steady , firm , and pertinacious resistance to every measure intended in the least •'• degree to extend the political rights of tlie people . ( Hear , hear . ) This can scarcely be _^ a matter of surprise when we look at the conduct bf the government . Every succeediri g declaration of opinion by the noble lord , the Prime Minister , has been more emphatic than the last , and more adverse to the extension of popular rights . ¦ Lord Jons _Huss-ell . — ¦ Sono !

    , Mr /' _Tiiompson . —The nobielord says - 'No , no ;" but the noblo lord ' s speech on tho motion of tho hon . member for Montrose is not forgotten , and that speech forbids the people of this country looking to the government for any measure of parliamentary reform ; . Going to the noble . lord would be going to a broken cistern , it would be seeking grapes on thorns , and figs on thistles , for I cannot Forget that the noble lord holds power and office on the condition—the self-imposed condition—that he will riot depart from the system established by the reform bill in 1832 . - ; Lord John Russell . —No !

    Mr . Thompson . —I refer to the speech made by the noble lord on the 20 th of November , 1837 , on the occasion of an amendment being moved to the address , in answer , to the speech' from the throne . In that speech the noble lord acknowledged that he hap" entered into a compact which precluded him , for ever after , from doing anything to disturb the reform act . The noble lord admitted that tho House and the country would always possess the right to propose any measure for the remodelling of the Ilouse of Commons ; but after what the noble lord thin said , it would bo vain to expect anything from hini individually . He is prevented by his own declarations from originating any measure of reform , equally preveritcd from sanctioning any such measure while in office , arid even from _eo-eperating to

    carry it as a member of this House . ¦¦ '* ¦ Lord JonN Russell . —No , no ! Mr . Thompson . —Such being my view of the noble lord ' s position , I cannot look for anything from him , or from the government of which he is the head . I must look , therefore , to the independent action of this House , and to the efforts of reformers beyond these walls ; for that great change which I _beliere the circumstances of tho country imperatively demand . ( Hear , hear . ) Sir , there are certain facts connected with this question which cannot be denied , and will riot be debated ., ' It is a fact , that the _populati-jri of this kingdom amounts to' nearly twenty-eight millions of souls , and that ,- only one million are returned as qualified to vote for representatives in thisHouse . If the proper deductions

    be made for double votes , deaths , disqualifications , arid other circumstances , the" number of electors will be found to' be not more than 800 , 000 , and yet this country lays claim ( not unjustly as I think ) , to be amongst the iriost intelligent , virtuous , loyal , arid religious on the face of the globe ! If such be the fae t > then , to say that 800 , 000 are all who are morally and intellectually entitled fo the franchise , is to utter a gross libel on the character of the people . I will repel that libel by a reference to the events connected with the memorable 18 th of April of last year , when there were rumours ofthe invasion and sacking of this metropolis by the working classes . "Well , sir , the meeting on Kerinington Common' passed off without violence and without confusion , and . if danger threatened at all , it was

    likely to arise only froni a collision ofthe people and the armed police which the goyerniricnt so , unnecessarily called into requisition on that day . ( Dear . ) But what took place afterwards ? Why , a " public order _meriibrial" was set on foot to commemorate "the enthusiasrii with which all classes , but more especially the industrious and labouring population , enrolled themselves as supporters of constitutional _di'dei arid public peace , and thereby set a brilliant example to Great Britain and the world . " And whom do I find among the originators of , arid the subscribers to , this memorial ? Themembers of the present cabinet arid several right reverend prelates , as well as the most eminent meri of the party opposed to , the administration . * ( Hear , hear , ) Yet , after this proof of loyalty and love- of order , and *

    this publicacknowledgment of the virtue and admirable conduct of the industrious , and . labouring population , we are told that they are npttbbe trusted with the franchise . Sir , rl did not want the testimony of these noblemen arid bishops to inspire me with confidcrice in the ; working classes . Itis mybelief that there is no country iri the world in which thesuffrage could be so safely bestowed as in this . ( Hear , hear . ' ) You have not a country like America , where the pbpulation'is widely scattered and divided almostinto separate races ; here , New England , with its sober , thrifty , religious , and intellectual people—there ; the young _Western' States , with a totally different description of inhabitants—and again , the Southern States , with the debasing institution arid effect of slavery . In England wehave

    a compact community , within . a harrow compass , and every part ofthe population ! constantly tinder the influence ; of a thousand restraining , correcting , arid elevating circumstances . The hon . ¦ membor for Kerry speaks of the danger of giving the franchise to an ignorant people . " Perhaps he spoke of his owh country , ' and if lie did , though I will not adopt his view , I will riot deny his fact , because he ought to'kribw the peoplo better than myself ; but I ; will defy him to point _ririe to ari ' y part of England where the' people , - 'taking them together , are from want ' of education * iirifit to exercise ; the elective rig ht- ' ( Sear ,. hear . ) As an illustration of the mantier iri which representation ' is ' . apportioried to numbers ; lct . merefer ; 'tp _^^ the'b prpughlkavo the honour to represent ! * " Tlie total numbe ' e _'bf'jersbns inthe

    Tower : Hamlets , qualified * W" vote in 18 * 17 , was 19 , 360 . These , electors have sent two members to this ' House _^ the ; hon ; baronet and myself . But there , are ' " / eighty-two- * , gentlemen sitting in , this _Hottse , ; as the vepreseritatives . of ' ; _fifty-eight boroughs , iri which the aggregate electors amount only to 19 , 282 / being sixty : eight less tharilthe ' electors'for the Tower Hamlets . Look again at the entire population ; ' Iri th ' e ' bprough I represent there are' 410 ; _730 'inhabitants , ; represented by two' membersij ' whiiothere ' . ai-e ' . sixty-five boroughsm ; Erigland returning ninety-three inemb ' erstb this House ; _^ _Yh _6 _se gross population amounts 'to only 419 , 250 , ' , or . 471 less thari the Tower Hamlets , - . Such'facts as these show ; the _moristiw systerh ' _i-the grpssinjustice _' . dprie to the people- _^ -and the

    most ' satisfactorily account . ipr _^ _^ _antMeiorm charapter ! of _, ' this House ' .. SiiV _Itnpso who . _wAntiargu- _^ . ¦ _menta'iri _, favpurof refo _^ only to " read the speeches '; of _^ the rioble loi ; d ' arid 6 thefs , _; ydelive _^ d 'in' ; 183 . 1 ' . ' and lf _^ 2 ;;' ¦ E riieritthen used will apply ' with * equal or _^ force atthe present period . ; Was the first reform act riee'ded _^ p putauerid td the nomiriation ' . _systeiaj , Ariotherreform - act is _;^ qually _^ needed' now ,. fat * "the ' s ' ame pur _^ 0 BeV , ; 'If you look at . 'thfl " re ' turn _' mOTed for by ; thphpri . baronet ;; _* t h _^' ; _icufefittber ' fpr . Maryfeboiio , you ; will ' - ' see . ' : wi _* itteri ; . igairist ' a _riumbei * : of ; small ; _riovoittcoi / imeuiuer

    _uuruuguu— - -- .... . .. __ every , _nou . . _kue-wa _iwhat these words , hieaii . ' _,, . The ; borbu ' gh ' : } _Against ' _whioh'theyrare ' writj ' eri andarethe _' _. _prbperty of the ,,, titled or ' wealthy ! iudiyidualsin'therieighbourliobd . ';; * Was ; . tho _) actofl 832 needed _^ to jutdbwii" _hrftSe _^ roorruptiori _. _iritimida- . ' tip ' n _. and ; 'treachery ? .. ;;; . _"A . new , reform ' act is . equally needed how , ' t _' o _' _putdO'wri theso ' ano _* auhatiori 8 . "' . _^ ppk at the eyidencp arid repdrtblaidupbh . the ? table of this . Hbu 8 ' e ., _by ? thp * jele _^ Bibri / arid _. _sayjU'there _^ iB ' ribt . _aavwibWVaiSystmiiri existence now as ever prevailed prior to 18321 Iri a la ) rg _* j _:-ju- _- t * ip 6 rtiori " of the . borbugha ' pf Eriglarid , the

    Saturday , J™* 5 30-House Of Commons. —T...

    elections depend upon the Totes of _fortj _* _, fifty t sixty , orseven ty venal electors , who regularl y sell ther votes . The contest is riot , really , between tho honest _Coriservativcs ' and the honest Liberals , but between the pockets of the . candidates ; anil he who can secure the corrupt few who hold the balance pf power , ensures hj 9 _cJeptioi * , This jg an , undeniable fact . Ia ic not notorious , also , that when a man wants a seat in this House , and inquire tho way to get it , he is taken to somo political club within 500 yards of this spot , and thero introduced to ft man whoso regular trade it is to traffic _jb the sale of boKraghs ? Are not the terms arranged with this parliamentary salesman before the _candfef-tte is permitted * to know even the name

    of the plan * -he is to represent ? Such things could not be done if the franchise was extended- to the whole population . Let the Bouse look at _theplaces from which petitions against elections are sent , and it will bo seen that they come * almost invariabl y from places where the population is small , and tho electors few . For instance , wc have a petition from Bewdley , complaining of bribery and corruption . : fhe population of . that town is 7 , 000 , and the electors are 390 ; from Harwich , papulation 3 , 700 , electors 290 ; _frwn Horsham , population 5 , 000 , electors 350 ; from Lyme , population 3 , 000 , electors 300 . But turn to the large towns which were _enfi-anclused by the act of 1832 . Where are the petitions complaining of bribery and corrnntion

    irom Manchester , Sheffield , Glasgow , Halifax , Bradford , or Huddersfield * or turn to the n- tetropolitan boroughs ; where are tbo petitions from Marylebone Southwark , Lambeth , Finsbury , cr thc Tower Hamlets ? There are none , because the constituencies are too large to allow of any effectual means of _corruptinf-fthc votes of the electors . I am sure the noble lord does not . regrot being the instrument of giving the franchise to these places . Wh y , then , should he object to advance upon the same principle , and take the readiest and only method of reforming the representation ? The noble lord deserves tho gratitude of the nation for what he did in 1832 , for he not only achieved much positive good , but averted most serious nation al disasters ; but I will

    venture to tell him , that he cannot long resist the rising demand for a new and more extensive change in thc system of representation—a change without which the people are convinced thoy can never obtain any real diminution of their burdens , nor any comprehensive measures of financial , ecclesiastical , or colonial reforrii . I most fully concur in all that has fallen from the hon . and learned member for Nottingham , respecting the character of tlie working classes pf'this country ; and though lam prepared to admit 'that , under a deep sense of wrong , they may have occasionall y been guilty of indiscretion and excess , ' yet I believe that in the mass they are fully qualified , ; as I believe they are constitutionally entitled , to have a voice in the election of their representatives . In conclusion . I have

    only to say that in seeking tho enfranchisement of the people lam influenced by no desire to change the form of government in this . country ; nor do I believe that the granting of the suffrage to the industrious classes would inthe slightest degree endanger the existence of that form of government . On the . contrary , I believe that tho measure is imperiously called for as a conservative measure , and that nothing less than the removal of the disabilities under wliich so many of our fellow subjects labour , will have the effect of restoringcontentment , and ensuring the preservation of those institutions which in common we regard as valuable . With these views I shall give a cordial and conscientious vote in favour of the resolution now before the

    House . ( Cheers . ) Mr . Campbell asked the indulgence of the house for a few moments , whHst he endeavoured to offer some comments upon the speech of the hon . and learned gentleman the member for Nottingham . He should not deem it requisite to observe upon the speech of the hon . gentleman the member for the Tower Hamlets , because it appeared to him that it was not an argument upon the question on which he was about to vote . The honourable gentleman , however , advanced certain topics calculated to disparage the reform bill , and to raise a feeling prejudicial to the system of representation upon which the House of Commons wa 3 elected . If the honourable gentleman had referred to the _languaKe of the

    motion , he would have perceived that the propositions of the honourable and learned member for Nottingham were not based upon any general attack on the reform bill , but upon certain abstract princip les . These were , '' the great principle that labour is the source of all wealth , " that " the people are the only legitimate source of power , " that " tho labourer should be the first partaker ofthe fruits of his own industry , " that" taxation without representation istyranny , " that" the resources of the country would be best developed by laws maed by representatives chosen by the labouring classes , iii conjunction with those who live by other industrial pursuits . " It was upon these principles , and not upon any criticisms on the reform bill , that the propositions of the honourable and learned member fov

    Nottingham were based ; but the speech of the honourable member for the Tower Hamlets appeared to have no relation to them . ( Hear , hear . ) In order to convince the honourable and learned member for Nottingharii that he ( Mr . Campbell ) at least was not an inattentive listener to the address with which he prefaced his motion , lie would for a moment refer to the reasons with which he ; supported it . The honourable and learned gentleman contended that the three great measures of Roman Catholic emancipation , parliamentary reform , and the abolition of the corn-laws , had ; been great failures . He ( Mr . Campbell ) contended they had not . Each of these measures , and all . of them , were calculated to meet the popular demands . They

    were all of them , popular iii the arguments with which they were supported , arid acceptable to tho country . But supposing they were failures , which he did . not admit , he submitted that the circumstance of . their having failed to . satisfy all the expectations which they raised , was no argument for \ _he adoption of the resolution now proposed . The honourable and learned gentleman contended that the " interests pf labour , which he said irere higher and more sacred than any , would be promoted by this measure ; but he had omitted to develope [ the mode by which the People's Charter would uphold the rights or promote the interests of labour . ' ( Hear , hear , hear . ) The different details ofthe Charter had already been ably criticised by an honourable gentleman

    representing an Irish constituency . He , therefore , would not weary the House by going over them again . He would rather advance what he considered a plain , simple , short , and comprehen"sive argument against the proposition of the hon . and Teamed gentleman . Here were two ways in which the hon . and learned gentleman mi g ht have maintained hi 9 position . He might have contended that the system he recommended of an extreme and unlimited democracy was abstractedly a good system ; or ho might have contended that there was a peculiarity of circumstances connected with the British empire which made it acceptable to the community , and enable it to be safely and beneficially applied . But neither of these positions had the honourable and

    learned gentleman endeavoured to maintain . He had riot advanced one argument out of that large class of topics so familiar to us , by which it was established that an extreme and unlimited democracy was calculated to . promote civilisation , and secure benefit ; and' he had passed by . the arguirient of im * provement to our social institutions . His pj _^ ji was pointedly . and perilously inapplicable ; and wero there any peculiar circumstances connected with the British empire which should render it inapplicable to this community ? He thought there were . In the first place , they . wero the representatives ofa country which had an ancient Established Church , of a country which ' had an aristocracy , a largo public debt _^ and with land accumulated in the hands this old ia

    ofa few . . But , besides , ; was an" country which the soil'had been brought under cultivation , in which the rates of profits and of wages varied—ha would riotiay ; they were so high as he wished them ; and in which the competition for employment was extreme ; and in ' whioh there were , periods of distress , " and . ' abundahce . He thought it was unnecessary to . dwell longer on this part of t " he " question ; but there was , one concession which' he wished to make to the honourable arid learned member . He admitted that although there was danger to be apprehended to the . institutions of Ehe ' country ; from tha establishment '; 6 f annual _pai'liaraentsand universal suffrage , and the different other items inthe Charter , vet if the honourable and learned , gentleman could

    show that the ruin to ; beprodnce"d . would not fall on the great iriiiss of the ; community _^ he ,, ; would have sufficieritly established his case as to the necessity of a change . ; -. But he ( Mr . V Campbell ) was decidedly and strongly pf opinion that ruin the most complete , and injury the most ' extreme , would , fall ;" upon the community _generally , ' by theadpptioriof theso extreme measures _^ . . ( Hear . . hear . )' . He . believed that all the declamation in . whieh the hon . and learned geritleiian _intMged about the f _ights ofthe working elasse ' s , yterided ; materially fo mislead theini as to the nature of the _^ results ' whieh '¦ were ; likely to follow froiri"then * adbp ' _tioiu ; He ' . ' . would . ' refer , to this one fact , ' thai in all ' _thecouritries oh" the . contihent where the democratic system " had beea ado _' pted , ; its total _failui-etbriroducethe beneficial " effects that had been

    promised ; to tie people _^ frbin _'; it had led to _Btul _fartheXdemaadsand tothe extension of the princi-• pies Of socialism _^ This . was because the democratic system was riot calculated to produce , the . good which its ' advocate ' s promised frorii its adoption , and the people , being disappointed '' , in' their _expectations , were led to look forward 'for-relief , to still wilder theories . ' _,. " .-Iri theisariie . mahnet"he . 'believed that u the proposition of- ; the ' . honourable , _iarid learned member w _. eie * earned mi , ' ,, its : inevitable result would be > to ' . ' ci ; _eateta _oryr-for socialism . That ! systeriiwas " onewhich ; would ' obtain no support in the House " of Cbmm 6 ris . ' | . ' and _^ without , referring I farther / to' _^ , he _^ hought ' . he , hadViaid enoug h to shpw ; that everi . ouihe | round ; al p _^ tions _. of the _horioufable _andllearried _^ _^ H ? to the extension of . socialist _^ . _dp _^ ift _?!! ,. _^* mv

    : *& ^^ Wl*Ich-Lie-Held Office. , .(Hear...

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• Citation
  • Northern Star (1837-1852), July 7, 1849, page 7, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/ns3_07071849/page/7/