Parliamentary Reform. [\APRIL, 



The advantages of the present system are, that by it all the various 

 great interests of the empire are enabled to find representatives. This 

 was the dictum of Burke, " All interests must be let in a great official, 

 a great professional, a great military and naval interest, all necessarily 

 comprehending many men of the first weight, ability, wealth, and 

 spirit, has been gradually formed in the kingdom. Those new interests 

 must be let into a share of representation." But on the proposed system 

 there would be a great difficulty in any man's finding his way into the 

 House except as a popular candidate, in other words, a candidate 

 pledged to do whatever the mob commanded. The interests of the 

 commercial bodies would find an extreme difficulty of representation, 

 and the interests of the colonies scarcely a chance of being represented 

 at all. So far as abuses exist in the representation, they are rapidly 

 purifying. The press, an engine more powerful than the prerogative, 

 exercises a formidable supervision over parliament, and no abuse can 

 now be of long continuance. Thus parliament is actually proceeding in 

 the safe way of reforming itself gradually. This reform is effective, and 

 its regular and unhurried process is suitable to the spirit of the Consti- 

 tution, which dreads a sudden shock of any kind, and has grown from 

 weakness into strength by this very process. Whilst the new system 

 aims at doing every thing at once ; actually roots up the old parlia- 

 mentary usage, under the pretence of improving it, gives us at every 

 step of the process something untried before, and sets us afloat, inexpe- 

 rienced and ignorant, in a sea of revolution. 



For our own part, we are as hostile to abuses, as the most vehement 

 Whig can be ; and in this mind we shall remain. We will go the 

 farthest length of the most eager reformer in extinguishing every source 

 of corruption. We say, away with the Sinecures; away with every 

 pension that can be shewn to be given without some just reference to 

 public service ; cut away those lilies of the field that neither sow nor 

 spin the Lady Janes and Aramintas j extinguish the Bathurst system 

 in all its branches. Not one shilling of our money shall with our good 

 will ever go to qualify one of those people to wear an embroidered pet- 

 ticoat at court-dance, or drawing-room. Away with such national eye- 

 sores as Lord Ellenborough's 9,000. a-year sinecure, which does not 

 cost his lordship the trouble of mending a pen ; extinguish the salaries 

 which high and mighty princes and earls are not ashamed to put in their 

 pockets for attendance about court the laborious and important public 

 duty of walking into a room before the king, with a white wig on the 

 head, and a white stick in the hand. Let them all be lopped away with- 

 out hesitation. Nor shall we be less delighted to see that whole race of 

 puppyism, the diplomatic dandies, sent back to school ; and stripped of 

 their salaries, however actively earned by playing the guitar, or flirting 

 with the painted countesses and marchesas of foreign courts the con- 

 tempt even of foreigners, as they are the burthen and disgrace of their 

 own country. 



But let us pause before we throw the whole power of the House of 

 Commons into the hands of the rabble ; for what else than the rabble 

 would be the majority of the householders at ten pounds annual rent. 

 It has been distinctly stated on the returns of the revenue, that an im- 

 mense number of those householders have not even the means of paying 

 their rates ; and are at this moment receiving parish allowanceare 

 paupers. Is it of such persons that the constituency of England is to 



