§ Lord Althorp,presented about a hundred Petitions for Parliamentary Reform, many of them also praying for Vote by Ballot. His Lordship, in presenting them, said, he had long-been persuaded that without Parliamentary Reform there would be no security for any Government in this country. He had entertained that opinion so decidedly, that he took office on the express condition, that Parliamentary Reform should be the earliest possible measure of the Government. Without it, he believed, there was no safety for the people, and no stability for the Government. As. however, the measure prepared by the Ministers was to be introduced on so early a day, he would not trespass further, his object not being to make remarks that might provoke discussion now. His Lordship then presented Petitions from Manchester, signed by 12,245 petitioners, praying for Short Parliaments and Vote by Ballot; a similar Petition, from Bristol, signed by about an equal number; from Penrhyn, praying also for the preservation of purity of election there; from the county of Montgomery, 995 the county of Monmouth, the inhabitants of Salford, from Crompton, Ludlow, Lymington, Titchfield, Wellingborough, Christ-church, Wigan, St. Luke's, Middlesex; Towcester, the county of Dumbarton, the town of Hamilton, the town of Cardross, the borough of Renfrew; from Carrickfergus, Ballymena, Galway, Chipping Wycombe, Kettering, Hastings, Woolwich, Cheltenham, Brighton; and other places. Colonel Baillie observed, that the petition from Bristol was most respectably and numerously signed; and the only reason why it was not intrusted to him was, because he would not pledge himself to the Vote by Ballot. He was a friend to Reform; but he wished to keep himself free to examine any measure which might be submitted to Parliament.
§ Mr. Hunt,had been written to, that he might support the prayer of several of these petitions. At most of the places, particularly at Manchester and Brighton, the people were unanimous in demanding the Ballot; and so strong was the feeling in favour of it, that no other reason could be assigned why the people of Bristol would not place their petition in the hands of their popular Member, than that he would not pledge himself to this favorite measure.
The Marquis of Chandos,alluding to some expressions formerly used by members of the Ministry, implying that, if they should be unsuccessful in the measure of Reform which they meant to propose, they would dissolve the present Parliament, observed, that such a threat he very much disapproved of, and thought, that, under the present circumstances of this country, and in the present aspect of foreign affairs, no Administration ought to dare to dissolve the Parliament.
Mr. Cutlar Ferguson,speaking as the independent Representative of a Scotch County, which had thrown off the yoke of the Government and the peerage, was quite prepared to meet his constituents, if the Ministers should find it necessary to dissolve Parliament.
Sir Joint Sebright,said, that not being connected with the Ministry, he could not be aware of the nature of the propositions which they intended to bring forward; but this he would say, that if that House should decide the important question which was approaching in a different way from that which he believed to be the almost unanimous sense of the country, it would then be the duty of the Administration to dis- 996 solve the Parliament, whatever might be the consequences.
§ Mr. John Wood,supported the prayers of the petitions from Manchester, Salford, and other places. He knew that the family of Lord Balcarras possessed the nomination of Wigan, while the people had no choice in their Representatives. That family had said, that they would keep the present Member in till a certain noble Lord came of age, and that then he should take his seat for that borough in Parliament. Was that a satisfactory state of the national representation?
Lord Stanley,said, that the feeling in favour of Reform had made very great progress in Lancashire. He, however, did not approve of Ballot, and he was not satisfied that his constituents were in favour of it. He knew that it would open a door to hypocrisy, and teach men to smile in your face, while they were preparing to stab you whenever you turned your back.
§ Mr. Portman,stated, that the feeling in favour of Reform had become very general in Dorsetshire; and he was prepared to give the Ministers his support, if they brought forward a full and efficient plan of Reform.
§ Mr. Wilson Patten,concurred in the views of his noble colleague (Lord Stanley).
§ Petitions read.