Mr. Hobhousepresented a Petition from the Borough of Wilton, signed by a great number of highly respectable persons, among whom were the Archdeacon of Wilts, and several distinguished Clergymen, praying for a full and efficient Reform in Parliament. He cordially concurred with the petitioners, and trusted that his Majesty's Ministers would take the wise course of at once proposing such an extensive Reform as would alone be satisfactory to the country. The petitioners also prayed that the present system of taxation might be remodelled, and proposed the adoption of a graduated Property-tax. To that he was persuaded we must come; not to a property-tax such as that unequal measure which formerly existed, but to a graduated tax. He had consulted landowners, stockholders, lawyers, merchants, and people of every description, and he found them to be unanimously of opinion, that to a graduated property-tax his Majesty's Ministers must resort, if they meant to do justice to the country, and satisfy the people of England. The hon. Member also presented Petitions, praying for Parliamentary Reform, from the Borough of St. Mawes, and from Heaton in Lancashire. In presenting the last, the hon. Gentleman observed, that it prayed for Universal Suffrage, Annual Parliaments, and Election by Ballot. For himself he would say, that although he should certainly vote for universal suffrage and annual parliaments, should they be proposed, he did not consider them to be indispensable; but election by ballot he held to be absolutely indispensable; and he gave notice, that if it did not form a part of the plan to be introduced by his noble friend, he would himself move for leave to bring in a bill to allow the elections for the city of Westminster to take place by ballot.
Mr. Pendarvispresented a Petition, seventeen yards in length, and signed by 10,000 persons, from the county of Cornwall, praying for Parliamentary Reform. The hon. Member slated, that the meeting, although not convened by the Sheriff, was most numerously and respectably attended. It was stated by the petitioners, that they had peculiar means of knowing the existing corruption in the mode of returning Members to Parliament; as out of twenty boroughs in their county, eighteen were under private patronage. The meeting at which the petition was 488 agreed to, was enthusiastic and unanimous in favour of Reform, and it was indispensable that the House should lend a favourable ear to the prayer of the petitioners.