COUNTY OF CAMBRIDGE. (Hansard, 15 February 1832)

Captain Yorke
presented a Petition, signed by 1,400 most respectable freeholders and occupiers of land in the county of Cambridge, against the Reform Bill. The petitioners stated, that they viewed some of the provisions of that Bill with feelings of alarm, particularly the arbitrary standard which had been fixed on in reference to the new constituency, which they considered was opposed to all principles of sound policy and impartial justice. They complained that the 10l. qualification would place the chief power of returning Members in the hands of a class of persons who were not likely to exercise that privilege freely or dispassionately. They expressed great fears that allowing freeholders of towns to interfere with county elections would go far to give them an undue preponderance, and raise the commercial and manufacturing interest, to the depression of the agricultural. The petitioners further stated, that the effect of the Bill would be, to convert the House of Commons into an assembly of delegates, who would be wholly influenced by popular clamour. They were anxious for the correction of every acknowledged abuse, but they deprecated the extensive changes contemplated by the Bill, as dangerous to the welfare of the established institutions of the country. They, therefore, on these grounds, prayed the House not to pass such a dangerous measure. In reference to a part of this petition he begged leave to state, that, during his late canvass in Cambridgeshire, he had not met with a single freeholder who did not object to the 10l. clause. However anxious the freeholders might otherwise be to see most of the other principles of the Bill carried into execution, they all disliked this clause. Another circumstance connected with the part of the subject was, and he mentioned it as a curious fact, that two petitions, both to the same effect, addressed—the one to the House of Lords, the other to the House of Commons—had been lying for some time for signatures in the county of Cambridge. The petition to the House of Lords received the most signatures; and when those who signed it were asked why they did not also sign the petition to the House of Commons, they answered, that it was idle to petition a House so elected; 381 a body of mere delegates, who went to the House to perform certain acts prescribed to them by others, and not to exercise their own judgment as became independent men.

§ Mr. Adeane
observed, that his hon. and gallant friend had said that many freeholders in Cambridgeshire declined signing the petition to the House of Commons, because they considered that House as merely an assembly of delegates. He begged to remark, that that description did not apply to the humble individual who was then addressing the House. He would spurn at the notion of being the mere delegate of his constituents. He was a free and independent Member of Parliament; and he hoped his conduct had justified this assumption. As to the opinion of the county of Cambridge at large on the subject of Parliamentary Reform, he was not aware that any change had taken place in that opinion since his hon. and gallant friend had had an opportunity of so unequivocally ascertaining it. He believed that the great majority of the freeholders of that county were as anxious as ever to witness the destruction of boroughmongering, and the distribution of the elective franchise among the populous places justly entitled to the privilege; and also that they were desirous of a large addition to the constituency of the country.

Captain Yorke
, in moving that the Petition be printed, begged to be allowed to make a few remarks on what had fallen from his hon. friend. Into those remarks he was forced by the boast made by his hon. friend of his extraordinary independence. A circumstance occurred, however, before the last election, which rather showed a disposition on the part of his hon. friend not to be so perfectly independent. Having been summoned by his constituents, his hon. friend, when called on to state whether or not he liked the Reform Bill, answered that he did not like it much. He was then desired to take it and read it again; after which he said he liked it better. Once more he was required to peruse the Bill; and then his hon. friend declared that he liked it still better, and that, he was for the Bill, the whole Bill, and nothing but the Bill. Nevertheless, he (Captain Yorke) had seen his hon. friend, on one or two occasions, vote against, this declaration; and he knew that his hon. friend did not stand so well with his constituents in Cambridgeshire as formerly. As to his hon. friend's statement, that, he (Captain Yorke) had seen a decided in- 382 stance of the determination of the people of Cambridgeshire to support Reform, he appealed to any one, whether, going down as he did, only ten days before the election, to oppose, a gentleman of high character and liberal principles, who, by himself or by his friends, had been canvassing the county for three months, his chance of success was good; or whether his want of success afforded a decided proof of the opinion of the county.

§ Mr. Adeane
had been attacked so personally by his hon and gallant friend, that he was sure the House would allow him a few words in reply. In the first place, he must say, that the hon. and gallant officer had made a statement, respecting him which was altogether incorrect; but as the hon. and gallant officer was abroad at the period alluded to, upon those who had misrepresented the facts must the blame of this incorrectness rest. With respect to his (Mr. Adeane's) having been summoned down to Cambridge, the fact was, that a county meeting was to be held, and he did what he should ever do so long as he was the county representative—he attended there. There were many opinions as to his conduct in Parliament on account of something he had said upon a petition. He went to the meeting, and asked what charge there was against him, and he then told the assembled county that he was not to be dictated to—that he should ever act consistently with his public principles; but that if they wished to subject him to dictation, they must find some other Representative. It was then proposed that he should not be joined with his noble colleague (Lord Francis Osborne) in presenting the petition, and that proposition was rejected. When that point was settled, he then came forward, and did say; that the more he looked at the Reform Bill, the better pleased he was with it. He was sorry to be obliged to intrude personal matter upon the time of the House, but having been forced into the subject he could not avoid it.