The Lord ChancellorMy Lords, I hold in my hand a Petition from Dewsbury, signed by above 3,000 persons, who, I am informed, are of the most respectable description, in favour of Parliamentary Reform. I also hold in my hand a petition from the town of Birmingham in favour of Parliamentary Reform. This petition was agreed to at a meeting which was held on the 7th of the present month. A petition proceeding from so large a body of persons appeared to me to be worthy of your Lordships' deepest consideration. I have read the petition attentively, and although it contains opinions in which some of your Lordships may not concur, it is couched in respectful language, and I cannot find in it any statement upon which its reception can be objected to. This petition is the result of a meeting, in numbers unexampled. I have been informed by an individual, on whom I can rely, that in the course of the day above 200,000 persons attended that meeting. For the accuracy of that estimate, of course I cannot myself vouch; but I had it from an individual of great respectability, of great powers of calculation, and who, I am quite confident, is incapable of wilful misrepresentation. I will not trouble your Lordships with entering more fully into this subject; but I beg leave to state that I stand in the same situation as my noble friend, having felt it my duty most respectfully to tender my resignation to his Majesty, in consequence of his Majesty's having declined the advice which we thought it our duty to offer him. In stating this, however, I must add, that to the latest hour of my existence, I shall never cease to entertain the deepest and most heartfelt gratitude for the repeated proofs of confidence which I have received from his Majesty, and for the gracious kindness with which his Majesty has always condescended to treat me. As the petition is signed only by the Chairman of the meeting, it can, in point of form, be received only as the petition of an individual.
§ At the suggestion of the Earl of Suffolk, the petition was read at length by the Clerk.
The Earl of SuffolkMy Lords, I think that petition does great credit to the people 761 of Birmingham. I congratulate myself on changing my place in this House. I congratulate the country on the change; for I am persuaded that in opposition my noble friends near me may be infinitely serviceable. In opposition they were the instruments of giving freedom to the Catholics of Ireland, and to the Dissenters of England. But, above all, I congratulate the people on the firm, but peaceable manner, in which they have shown their determination to obtain Parliamentary Reform. By their temperate and conciliatory conduct, they have won it from their friends; let them proceed in the same course, and they will extort it from their enemies.
The Earl of Plymouthobserved, that at meetings such as that from which the Birmingham petition proceeded, many persons attended, not for the purpose of petitioning, but influenced solely by curiosity. He denied that there was the intense anxiety among the people, on the subject of Reform, which was pretended. He denied the general respectability of the Political Unions; at least of those of which he had any knowledge. With respect to the particular meeting in question, it would not appear surprising that it was so numerous, when it was known that a district of from fourteen to eighteen miles in circumference had been ransacked to collect an assembly for the occasion; and that in some of the Unions it was a rule that any person above twelve years of age was eligible as a member.
The Lord Chancellordid not wish to prolong the conversation on this subject. He would merely observe, that there could be no doubt that there might be some men, women, and children, who were induced to attend the meeting from motives of curiosity; but from the information which he had received, there could also be no doubt that the great body and bulk of the persons who assembled on that occasion were most anxious for the furtherance of the objects for which the meeting was convened. When they were talking of hundreds of thousands, it was a matter of little importance if a few hundreds were liable to the remark of the noble Earl. He was happy, however, that the noble Earl had afforded him an opportunity of stating the loyal and peaceable demeanour of the great meeting in question. There had not been the slightest disturbance.
§ Petition laid on the Table.