520 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
WISH through the medium of your 
extensively circulated miscellany, to 
submit to the public some general re- 
marks upon a subject, which now de- 
servedly engages much of their atten- 
tion.” * 
Stimulated by.numerous faults or mis- 
fortunes in the management of our af- 
fairs, and by accuriulating burdens and 
calamities painful and oppressive to all 
classes of the people, an apparently 
large portion of the commanity again 
Joudly demands a Reform in the Com- 
mons’ House of Parliament. 
That the state of the representation is 
partial and defective, can hardly be dis- 
pated. According to justtbeory, a body 
professedly representing the nation ought 
to be constituted by the suffrage of all 
persons having an interest in the state, 
-as contributing directly at least towards 
its. support, -and not incapacitated by 
crimes, &c. from exercising their rights, 
Upon a purely rational principle, it would 
perhaps. be difficult to justify the practice 
of allowing any person to have more than 
one vote, as. fur freelolds in several 
counties, or in the capacity of freeholder 
and member ofa corporate town. Equally 
indefensible it appears in theory to be, 
that any towns should he privileged as 
such to return members to Parliament. 
All, it seems; ought to be chosen upon 
one uniform and equitable principle by 
counties or other districts. But there 
is a most important maxim in_ politics, 
which I trust all zealous advocates of re- 
form will keep in view ;—that very great 
or sudden changes in the institutions of 
a state are always attended with danger, 
generally with mischief, and sometimes 
with the dissolution, for a time at least, 
ofthe bonds of society. I hope that in 
the very moderate plan now generally 
countenanced, which only seeks, I be- 
lieve, to annihilate the rotten boroughs, 
giving the right of voting in towns to all 
houscholders paying taxes, and in coun. 
ties to copybolders, as well as freeholders, 
to acertain annual amount, and trans- 
ferving to poprlous towns and counties a 
number of members equal to the number 
which had been returned from the’ bo- 
roughs disfranchised ;—its promoters are 
influenced by this maxim, and do not 
limit their demands, because they de- 
spair at present.of obtaining more. 
In the consideration of our subject, 
however, the first thing that clains our - 
attention is the ultimate okect of a res 
lt ae a oe 
A Temperate Plan of a Reform of Commons: [July t, 
form. This doubtless is, to fillthe House 
of Commons with men who, if they are 
not exactly the representatives of .the 
whole nation, shall be disinterested, in= 
telligent, and actuated by ‘patriotic and 
virtuous principles, “To a British par- 
liament composed of such men, no good 
administration would object; aud with 
such a body, by whatever means they 
were chosen, all réal friends of reform 
would be satisfied. A [louse of Come 
mons composed of men of this descrip- 
tion, would use unremitting vigilance and 
activity to promote the domestic interests, 
and secure the domestic welfare of the 
country. Their foreign policy would 
have no other object, They would ese 
tablish a system of provision for the 
poor, anda code of criminal jurisprue 
dence, not unworthy of an enlightened 
age. They would .watch over the na- 
tional morals, cause the rudiments of 
knowledge to be every where dissemina- 
ted, give the utmost encouragement to 
useful science, arts, and literature, and 
endeavour so to. govern that the neces- 
saries and even the simple comforts of 
life might abound in the cottage of ins 
dustry wherever situated, or by whome 
soever’ inhabited. They would not be 
misled by the delusions of ambition, re- 
venge, or.military glory, Peace they 
would strenuously cultivate, as one of 
the foundation-stones essential to the 
superstructure of national happiness. 
In addition to the arguments against war 
which humanity sugvests, in adctition to 
every familiar objection; they would 
feel and urge as another motive for de- 
precating this scourge of mankind, that 
by its burdens it depresses the people, 
while so long as they can bear those bur- 
dens it exalts the executive govern- 
ment. 
But is a Jarge number of men of this 
description, and also disposed and fitted 
for the station of a British senator, to be 
found? Alas my country! who will an- 
swer in the affirmative, and give demon- 
stration or conviction of the fact? To 
rail against public profligacy and preju- 
dice, would tend to no good purpose ; 
but let us look the real state of things 
fairly insthe face. a 
The question then occurs, whether by 
the proposedreform in our representation, 
we should introducé into oar House of 
Commons, a large number. of independent. 
and uprightmen? More independence, 
at least of individuals or-of government, 
we should certainly secure, and probably 
a little more patriotism and integrity. 
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