§ Mr. Charles Dundaspresented a Petition from Richmond, Yorkshire, in favour of a Reform in the Commons House of Parliament.
§ Lord Morpethobserved, that this petition which was signed by 5,000 persons proved, that the disposition in favour of Reform was not confined to the manufacturing classes in Yorkshire, but was equally strong amongst the agricultural community, and he therefore regretted that the right hon. Gentleman, the member for Aldeburgh was not present, that he might make him aware of the fact. He wished to take this opportunity of adverting to a statement which was reported to have been made in that House by the hon. member for Preston (Mr. Hunt). The hon. Member was reported to have said, that the Whig Government Paper in Leeds had excited the populace to shed his (Mr. Hunt's) blood. Nobody in that House 215 had thought it necessary seriously to refute such a charge; but the Editors of the Leeds Mercury, which he presumed was the paper alluded to, had written to him (Lord Morpeth), requesting him distinctly to contradict this statement. The Journal in question was one of considerable circulation, and most respectably conducted. He had accordingly to satisfy himself whether the statement of the hon. Member were correct, looked through the copies of the paper published at the period alluded to by the hon. member for Preston, and he was perfectly satisfied that the Editors were quite innocent of the dark design attributed to them by the hon. Member. The Editors of the Leeds Mercury opposed the hon. member for Preston on public grounds, and they were incapable he believed, of resorting to any mode of warfare inconsistent with fair political discussion.
§ Mr. Stricklandsaid, that knowing the severe and unjust imputations which the hon. member for Preston sometimes made, he had doubted the fact the moment the hon. member for Preston made the statement; and his impression was confirmed upon looking through the numbers of the newspaper which were published at the period referred to. He was acquainted with the editors, who were persons of strict honour—had always endeavoured by their writings to maintain peace and goodwill, and who could not, he was sure, on this or any other occasion, have been guilty of so foul a crime as had been imputed to them.
§ Mr. Huntsaid, that the newspaper in question spoke of "cracking his skull," and he wished to ask the hon. members for Yorkshire whether that could have been done without shedding his blood. The article to which he referred had appeared in the Leeds Mercury the week before he had entered Leeds. He had been invited to visit that place by some gentlemen who were of the same opinion as himself, that the working classes were by no means unanimous in their approbation of the Reform Bill brought in by the Ministers. A meeting took place in consequence, and he was about putting the question, "that all those who were of opinion that the Reform Bill of his Majesty's Ministers was calculated to work general good do hold up their hands," when Mr. Baines interfered; the question was, however, put, and probably about a dozen hands were raised in its support. He had then said "Let all those who have no confidence in Ministers hold 216 up their hands;" instantly there were 10,000 hands held up, that was the feeling among the working classes, and it was from his having proved this to be the case, that he had excited the enmity of the editor of the paper in question, and most assuredly he would not retract the expression he had used, as he believed it to be well deserved.
§ Lord Morpethsaid, the words "cracking skulls" might have been mentioned in the paper in question; but that did not prove, that the editor recommended any one to make the attempt on the hon. member for Preston.
§ Lord MorpethI cannot say the words are not used, but I do venture to say, that no such words are used for the purpose of exciting the people against you.
§ Petition to be printed.