Colonel Bailliesaid, he held in his hand a Petition on the great Question of Parliamentary Reform: and, as he had not had an opportunity of expressing his sentiments upon that subject in the course of the Debate, he should now very shortly trouble the House with a few remarks. The petition which he was about to present was agreed to at a meeting held at Bristol on Monday last, which had been most respectably and numerously attended — a meeting convened for the express purpose of giving support to his Majesty's Government for the measure.—The petition was signed by the Chairman on behalf of the meeting, and consequently, in point of form, could be received as the petition of the 329 Chairman only, but in point of fact, it was the petition of the highly respectable meeting assembled on that occasion, they deputing him to sign it, as they were extremely desirous of conveying their sentiments to the Legislature with as little delay as possible. With regard to the great principle of the Bill itself, he begged to express his satisfaction—as far as the disfranchisement of so many rotten boroughs was concerned. He also concurred in that part of the arrangement which went to throw open close Corporations to the great body of householders, as exemplified in the case of the City of Bath. He likewise concurred in that part of the plan which gave to large towns, such as Birmingham, Manchester, &c. the right of the elective franchise. But there was one part of the measure in which he could not coincide; he meant that part giving to counties additional Members. This would increase the power of the landed interest; and, if the Bill passed without any modification on that head, he despaired of seeing any beneficial alteration in the Corn-laws. He had communicated with his constituents, and he understood that the measure would disfranchise from 3,000 to 4,000 persons. With the exception to which he had alluded, he should support the Bill; but he most certainly should oppose that part of the plan to which he had stated he entertained objections.
§ Mr. Hart Davissaid, having presented a petition from Bristol against Parliamentary Reform, he should be excused in offering a few words on the present occasion. He denied that the petition now before the House conveyed the sentiments of his constituents upon the subject, and declared, that he should give the Bill his strenuous opposition on its second reading, conceiving it to be, as it had been aptly described, "a revolutionary measure"—
§ The Petition laid upon the Table.