HC Deb 01 July 1819 vol 40 cc1439-40
The Marquis of Tavistock

presented a petition from Liverpool, praying for Parliamentary Reform, signed by upwards of 1,800 respectable householders, who complained that they were not represented in parliament. He did not know the nature of the motion which it was the intention of an hon. baronet to propose that evening; but he regretted to say, that he had lately had but too many opportunities of witnessing the dissentions which prevailed among those ║ who advocated the cause of parliamentary reform. Some were moderate reformers, while others again were radical reformers, and wished nothing less than such reform as would be totally destructive of the constitution. The reform which appeared to him to be the best, was that which would be moderate in the changes which it might introduce in our existing institutions, and radical in the correction of the abuses which had gradually grown up under them. He heartily disapproved of all those wild and impracticable theories which had lately been broached. He did not see that any specific plan of reform could be proposed at this moment, with any chance of success. Such had been the conduct of those who called themselves the people of England, taking up one plan one day and laying it down the next when it suited them, running down every plan which they thought to be practicable, and vilifying all those who, in their projects of reform were one step short of themselves, that the greatest distrust and disunion had in consequence been created among the friends of reform; and therefore it was his opinion that there were greater difficulties in the way of this question at the present moment than ever before existed. He begged pardon of the House; but it was the very importance of this cause to him which made him the more angry with those who injured it. He remained unshaken in his opinion on this subject, by all that he had seen since he had the honour to have a seat in parliament; and feeling, as he did, so strong an attachment to that cause, he could not help expressing his hope that the friends of reform would see the necessity of agreeing in a plan of moderate reform consistent with the principles of the constitution, and that they would discountenance those wild and visionary theories of reform which were so injurious to the progress of the cause.

Ordered to lie on the table.