88 



Yorkshire. 



[Feb. T, 



estabtHimcnt, is totally incompatible witli 

 a state of profound peace and acknow- 

 ledged security. — 5. That the only niea- 

 snre which can remedy tliese evils, and 

 preserve the country from the dangers 

 that may be anticipated from a conti- 

 nuance of them, is a speedy and effectnal 

 reform in the Commons Honse of Parlia- 

 ment." — Mr. S. WoRTLiiY opposeii them 

 in a long and inuch-interriipted speech ; 

 and was followed by Loiti) ftln.TON, Mr. 

 Wyvilt,, I\Ir. Beverley, aiidJIr. AVoor.- 

 lEK, in their support. The resolutions 

 ■were then separately put and carried, the 

 single hand held up against tlieni being 

 that of Mr. S. Wortlty. Sir F. Wood 

 then proposed the following petition:— 

 ♦' To the Honourable the House of Com- 

 nioDs of Great Britain and Ireland, in 

 Parliament assembled. T!ie hunihle Peti- 

 tion of the freeholders of the county of 

 Yi;»k, shevi'eth — That your petitioners are 

 duly and deeply imprestod with venera- 

 tion for the coustilufion of this realm, as 

 consisting of King, Lords, and Commons, 

 and are anxious to preserve in purity aiui 

 vii;onr the privileges of each component 

 part, being convinced that the same were 

 ■well adapted to the benefit and pkotection 

 of the people. — Impressed with these seii- 

 tinienls, this county has not been forward 

 to complain of the conduct of parliament ; 

 but the recent proceediuirs of your Jio- 

 iiouiable house, which lias in each succes- 

 sive session given fresh proofs of its devia- 

 tion from public opinion, have convinced 

 your petitioners that neither are duly 



attended to in your Honoinable House 



Instead of a determined resistance to the 

 ciicroaeliments of power, a tender care 

 lor the rights of the peojile, a jealous eye 

 over the executory and judicial magis- 

 tracy, and a vigilant watch over the pub- 

 lic treasure; it has been the misfortune of 

 your petitioners to witness too ready aconi- 

 pliancevvith the wishes of whatever minis- 

 ter may have dispensed the favours of the 

 crown. — Of this unconstitutional tendency 

 in your Honourable House, your peti- 

 tioners feel the fatal tfiVcts in the wanton 

 and profligate expenditure of their re- 

 sources; in the maintenance ot a military 

 force, dangerous to their liberties; in 

 the enactment of laws inconsistent with 

 the spirit of the constitution; and in the 

 frequent neylect with which the petitions of 

 the people have been treated in that quar- 

 ter where they ought to have experienced 

 the readiest and most anxious attention. 

 — The evils of an inadequate representa- 

 tion have been complained of hy eminent 

 statesmen of all parties, and at different 

 periods; but to your petitioners these evils 

 appeargreally aggravated by the addition- 

 al power and influence over your honour- 

 able bouse, which is derived from the pre- 

 sent large collection of taxes, and the un- 

 precedented amount of our civil, military, 



and colonial, peace-establishments. — Your 

 petitioners Ix'g leave to represent, that if 

 this stale of your lionourable house, and 

 the circiiinstarccs which affect its inde- 

 pendence are at all times subjects of great 

 public interest— they are peculiarly so at 

 a time when the absolute monarchs of Eu- 

 rope, not conlciit with arbitrarily govern- 

 ing iheir own dominions, are leagued to- 

 gether in an alliance, the avowed object 

 of which is to check the progress of liberty, 

 and to prevent the establishment of repte- 

 sentative governments; an object which 

 they have but too successfidly cairied into 

 execution by the military occupation of 

 countries to which they have had the power 

 to dictate. — Your petitioners apprehend 

 no such immediate violence to the British 

 constitution ; but they are fearful lest a 

 pernicious influence should destroy the 

 basis of their liberties, and nllimatelv con- 

 vert the power of a free constitution into 

 the convenient instrument of an arbitrary 

 government. — Your petitioners, anxiou» 

 that parliament should avail itself of the 

 present period of peace and tranquillity to 

 enter into a full consideration of the state 

 of the house of commons, respectfully but 

 earnestly entreat your honourable house to 

 inquire seriously into t!ie causes of a state 

 of things injurious to themselves and dan- 

 gerous to their posterity, and by a speedy 

 and effectual reform of your lionourable 

 house, to adopt the nieasmes which alone 

 can remedy the evils of which they com- 

 plain, and restore that good agreement 

 and perfiiTt sympathy which ought to pre- 

 vail between the true House of Commons 

 and the people." — Tliis petition was put 

 and carried, Mr. S. Wortley being again 

 the only disscjitient. 



Married.] Mr. J. Hall, to Miss M. A. 

 Thompson, both of Hull. — Mr. W. Haw- 

 shaw, to Miss M. Townend ; Mr. G. Stead, 

 t') Miss Swift : all of Leeds. — Mr. James 

 Douglas, of Leeds, to Miss M. Buisy, of 

 Stockton-upon-Tees. — Mr. Backhouse, of 

 Leeds, to ISIiss Thompson, of U'oodhouse- 

 hill.— Mr. J. C. Vickers, of Leeds, to Misg 

 E. Stott, of Rochdale. — Mr. A. Nelson, to 

 Miss I. Reid, of Halifax. — Mr. J. Watson 

 to Miss Mundell, both of Huddersfitld.— 

 John Allen, jun. esq. of Htidderstield, to 

 Miss Brooke, of Norlhgate-honse, Hauley. 

 — Mr. T. Taylor, to Mrs. Parr, both of 

 Knaresbro'. — Mr. G.Edwards, of Halifax, 

 to Miss E. Smith, of Cateaton-street, 

 London. — Mr. Smalley, of Pontefract, to 

 Miss Sutcliffe, of Halifax.— FlintoffLea- 

 thani,esq. of Pontefract, to Miss E. Black- 

 burn, of Clapham-house, Surrey. 



DM.] At Leeds, Miss Render.— 34, 

 Mrs. Haxford, much respected. — 72, Mrs. 

 Brown. — Mr. G. Poultier, deservedly re- 

 gretted. — In Trafalgar-street, .56, Mr. T. 

 Shcpi)ard, much and justly lamented. 



At Halifax, Mr. Towneend, deservedly 

 lamented. 



At 



