THE 
MONTHLY MAGAZINE. 
New Series. 
Wor. 11] JULY, 1826. [No. 
NEW PARLIAMENT. 
_ OncE more a renewal, but—not a change. The new parliament will 
essentially be of the same character with its predecessor—not the 
representative of the Commons of England, but of the real and the 
would-be aristocracy of the country—a mere adjunct of the hereditary 
house—the accommodating instrument of the cabinet—the thirsty ex- 
pectant of favour or power, and consequent supporter of established 
abuses. The elections are in the same hands, and the interests of the 
reigning parties still the same. The evils under which the country 
groans are no evils to them; and they will not volunteer the knight- 
errantry of relieving the groundlings to place the burden on their own 
shoulders... There will not be a hundred new faces, and, with few ex- 
ceptions, they will be but the fillings-up of vacancies occasiohed by 
inevitable age, or overpowering indolence, or the conflicts of rival 
families—inheriting the same principles, prejudices, and purposes. Of 
what use, then, are these elections to the general interests of the com- 
munity? None whatever. Obviously they are a matter of complete 
insignificance, and their recurrence, as we see, is regarded by every 
intelligent man in the kingdom with perfect apathy. Away then with 
the unmeaning ceremony, and let the first act 0 the new parliament 
be to ‘vote itself perpetual. Deprived of the reality, why aceept the 
eipaings 4 
But this is the language of despair, and we do not, after all, despair— 
tio, though we see one individual returning sixteen members, and 
‘though we know that reform must at last come from parliament. itself. 
“Ttis the very extremity of the grievance that is our best sécurity for 
2 ‘Speedy remedy. We have great reliance on the adage, “ when things 
dre at the worst, they will mend.” It is the reformer’s own season ; itis 
when evil is most desperate, when it comes most home to us, that the 
eat is most. open and the heart most susceptible of conviction. Make 
the exigency’ manifest, and relief is neat. The cause of reform is 
spreading with the steadiness of a law of nature ; it is every day winning 
fresh advocates, and must-finally work its own accomplishment. , 
But what measure so obvious as that of. introducing into Parliament: 
the avowed friends of reform ? and-what moment so saeesrncin: for €x- 
M.M. NewSeries—Vou. II. No.7.  B 
