HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



271 



fninated their assembling together 

 a convention, but simply a meet- 

 ing of delegates. Their object was 

 maiiifeit and acknowled^rcd ; but 

 the convention nlluded to, embra- 

 ced every object, and assumed a la- 

 titude of power superior to that of 

 parliament itself. The suspension, 

 far from being an oppressive mea- 

 sure, had frequently saved families 

 from ruin, by placing the heads of 

 them in custody, and preventing 

 their rushing^nto rebellion. 



Tlie motion for a suspension be- 

 ing carried by a large majority, the 

 bill, at three o'clock in the morn- 

 ing, after going through a first and 

 second reading, was voted into a 

 committee and reported. 



But the third reading was defer- 

 red to the next day, when it was 

 uioved, but strenuously opposed by 

 Mr. Grey. He accused the mini- 

 ster of unjustifiable practices in ap- 

 pealing to the public voice when 

 he flattered himself it would be fa- 

 vourable to him, and by speaking 

 of it in a disparaging manner when 

 he expected it would reprobate his 

 measures. He remirided him of 

 his behaviour when defeated in his 

 former projects of parliamentary re- 

 form, and of the resolution in which 

 he participated at the Thatched 

 House in conjunction with Mr. 

 -Home Tooke and other gentle- 

 inea : "that, considering it was in 

 vain to look to parliament for a re- 

 generation originating within itself, 

 it be recommended to the people 

 throughout the kingdom, to assem- 

 ble during the ensuing summer, in 

 districts, for the purpose of an ap- 

 plication to parliamient upon that 

 * subject." What difference could 

 there be, said Mr. Grey, between 

 the meetings thus recommended, 

 and the convention that was now 



proposed ? Were not their objects 

 precisely similar ? But how altered 

 was the promoter of those former 

 meetings! William Pitt, therefor 

 mer of that day, was the prosecutor 

 and persecutor of reformers at the 

 present ! he then exerted himself 

 to stir up tne passions of the people, 

 and to render parliament cdious to 

 them ; but he now thought them 

 unqualified to judge of their rights 

 and interests : and he pursued with 

 the rancour of an apostate his once 

 intimate associate in the business of 

 parliamentary reform. He had that 

 very day been taken up in the exa- 

 mination of Mr. Tooke, for perse- 

 vering in the sentiments which he 

 had himself warmly avowed. Ha 

 ought therefore to be considered as 

 an abettor of the doctrine of ap- 

 pealing to the people, instead of 

 applying to parliament : if they 

 were guilt in this, the minister was 

 eminently guilty. 



It was asserted by Mr. Canning, 

 on the ministerial side, that if pre- 

 cedents were wanting, the occasion 

 would justify the measure propo- 

 sed, and it was clearly warranted by 

 the report of the committee. He 

 fully agreed in opinion with the 

 minister, that though a parliamen- 

 tary reform might be a proper ob- 

 ject of discussion at a season of 

 tranquillity, it was highly improper 

 in times of war and popular agita- 

 tion. He explicitly declared, that 

 as he had sided with the n.inister in 

 his ideason this; subject, ht'shouldfeel 

 no repugnance in adopting his sen- 

 timeuts upon it on any future oc 

 casion, when he might be pleased 

 to express them, conhdentthat they 

 would be apposite to times and cir- 

 cum- tancts. 



Mr. Courteney, after noticing, 

 with much hu.r.uur, ths readiness 



of 



