Lord: Broughampresented a petition from the provincial council of the National Complete Suffrage Union, dated the 15th of April, praying for universal suffrage, annual Parliaments, vote by ballot, and no property qualification. The body from which the present petition emanated was 4 composed of between ninety and one hundred delegates from different parts of England, Wales, and Scotland. They met at Birmingham, where they held several deliberate assemblies for the space of several days, and they came to certain resolutions. They afterwards convened a public meeting, which was attended by many thousands of their fellow citizens; that meeting consisted of persons of all descriptions, amongst whom the greatest unanimity prevailed. The middle classes showed the greatest anxiety that their fellow citizens should be brought within the pale of the Constitution. As the petition spoke not only the sentiments of the individual who had signed it on behalf of the meeting, but also those of 3,000,000 people, and as its object was universal suffrage, annual Parliaments, vote by ballot, and no property qualification, he trusted their Lordships would not think he was asking too much when he requested that the petition should be read at length.
§ Petition read at length.
Lord Broughamin moving that it do lie on the Table observed, that the gentleman (Mr.Sturge, of Birmingham) whose name was signed to it was a most respectable and amiable individual, a member of the Society of Friends, by many of whom the prayer of the petition was supported.
§ Petition to lie on the Table.
§ Adjourned.