Colonel ThompsonI rise to present a Petition signed by 500 burgesses and inhabitants of the town of Kingston-upon-Hull, the object of which is to pray that, "in like manner, as in the Act for amending the representation of the people in England and Wales, the rights of existing burgesses, in respect of voting for Members of Parliament, were preserved to them, during the term of their natural lives; so, in the Municipal Corporation Reform Bill, a like reservation may be for existing burgesses during the term of their natural lives." They do not pray that where amendments and alterations have been made in the Bill, any right should be preserved for their "amusement;" but they do pray that, after having given valuable services to obtain those rights, they should not see any other individuals in possession of them, while they themselves are deprived of them. If it is urged that the means of obtaining those rights are very easy, then my answer, in their names, is, that the concession to them is all the less. I beg to support this petition, first, because my constituents pressed it on me earnestly; and, secondly, because I do not see, so far as I am capable of judging, but that it would have been a concession which might easily have occurred to the framers of the Municipal Reform Bill. I confess I was much astonished and disappointed, after having stood upon the hustings before my present constituents, and told them that their rights of voting for Members of Parliament were preserved to them by the Municipal Reform Bill, to find, after having thus put myself forward to assure them of their perfect security upon that point, that the intention of the Government was to dissolve their rights in that particular. I trust that my hon. Friends, with whom I have been accustomed to act, will not judge hardly by me for having thus supported a petition which perhaps goes against their wishes. I do so, upon the principle, that a Member is bound to support the wishes of his constituents; and it cannot be denied, that the burgesses have the right of sending those Members to Parliament, and no others, who will support their existing privileges. For these reasons; Sir, I beg to support the prayer of this petition.
§ Petition read and laid on the Table.