12 Cases of Imprisonment for 



lished, insolvency would cease to be pe- 

 nal, and tlie privileges of property would 

 be restricted to the possession of real 

 estate. 



Our venal boroughs, on the contrai-j', 

 arc so constituted, that they almost ne- 

 cessarily throw power into tiie hands of 

 tiie moiiicd interest. Thej seat the 

 highest bidder. The consequent in- 

 fluence tiicy bestow on city gentlemen 

 is favourable to conuncrce, to peace, to 

 tolerance, to liberty, to a strict reve- 

 rence for circulating jiroperty, and to a 

 virttwsiti/ iu human excellence, which 

 looks about for merit in order to 

 lift it. 



Yet who would consent to abolish 

 county-representation, and to retain only 

 the close boroughs? Parliament would, 

 in that case, neither be indcpendant of 

 the crown, nor connected with the peo- 

 ple ; but, like the French parliameiils, 

 would offer a venal resting-place between 

 commercial and noble rank. 



By the variety of our forms of elec- 

 tion, the difl'erent interests which are 

 scattered iu the community are repre- 

 sented nearly in the projjortioii of the 

 worth of their property. The most de- 

 sirable addition to seats iji parliament 

 would be, that all towns, containing 

 more liian twenty thousand inbabitaiits, 

 should, in right of their populousness, 

 become entitled to a charter of represen- 

 tation, and send one, two, or three mem- 

 bers, according to the number of the 

 people. Tiie most desirable suppression 

 of seats in parliament would be those of 

 the representatives for little counties, 

 where great land-owners, who are al- 

 ready in the npper house, also depute 

 members to the lower. 



Surely it would be wise to order the 

 inhabitants of Birmingham, ShefticUl, 

 Manchester, Leeds, and other dismem- 

 bered cities, to meet and frame a char- 

 ter for themselves. Why should not 

 one town realixe the plan of election re- 

 commended by Home Tooke, from ob- 

 servation of the London dispensaries — 

 tliat every person liaying two guineas 

 may vote for a candidate as often as he 

 pleases. Why should not another town 

 realize the universal suffrage of Sir Wm, 

 Jones? It is for want of representing 

 the numerous classes of the people that 

 they have to proclaim their grievances 

 by riot, instead of explanation. Why 

 should not a third town adopt the grada- 

 tioned represcutation advised by Hur- 

 ringlon, Hume, and Sir James Maekin- 

 tosli ? By trying, on the small and lo'-al 



Contempt of Court. [Aug. 1, 



scale, these several plans of election, it 

 will be ascerlained whether any one pos- 

 sesses an inherent tendency to select 

 the virluous wise. Probably it will be 

 perceived, that one form of election fa- 

 vours the ascent of commercial, another 

 of landed, another of professional, ano- 

 ther of religious, rank ; and that in hete- 

 rogeneity consisls the chief excellence 

 of any system of representation. 'I'he 

 instruction resident in the difl'erent 

 classes will otherwi.se not concenter in 

 the seat of govennuent ; the proportion- 

 ate weight will not el.se be assigned to 

 contending interest, and the scattered 

 varieties of merit will not be duly no- 

 ticed and rewarded. 



To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 



Fleet Prison. June 19, 1815. 

 SIR, ISo. 25, Upper Gallery. 



11IAVE taken the liberty to enclose 

 a statement of facts relative to this 

 l)rison ; and likewise of suggesting a 

 few ideas to your notice ; and .shall feel 

 myself much obliged by your giving 

 them a place in your Magazine. Hu- 

 manity requires that some alteration 

 should take place ; and I hope you will 

 give them publicity, that the world may 

 iorm .some idea what has passed, and 

 what now exists, within these walls. 



I have been here two years and one 

 quarter; and am obliged to starve on 

 a,?. 6(1. per week. I have been in good 

 circumstances, and am not tuiknown 

 to h.any booksellers and printers. 



J. \^'atts. 



IVFr. Thomas Williams, of Radnor, 

 in Wales, has been confined thirty-three 

 years ; is unable to procure relief; and is 

 obligefl to subsist on 3s. (id. per week 

 (from which 1*. 3rf. per week is deduct- 

 ed for rent, whicli leaves only 2*. 3d. to 

 exist upon.) 



George Picket, of ^^'roHghton, 

 Wills, has been confined seventeen 

 years ; he is poor ; be replied to bis bill 

 iu 1798, surrendered the whole of his 

 propert)', and cannot get any answer ; is 

 obliged to exist on the county allowance 

 of 3^. 6rf. per week. 



Hannah Bakber, of Kensington, 

 Middlesex, widow, has beeij confined 

 twenty-six years ; and she cannot learn 

 the nature of her suit, or get any relief, 

 unless the legislature interfere. 



Chkistopher Bulmer, of Yorkshire, 

 has been confined seventeen years. 



WiLiUM David, of Caraitf, AVales, 

 lias 



